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Thursday 17 November 2022
Des Moines Man Sentenced for Discharging a Firearm During a Drug Deal, Resulting in the Death of a 15-Year-Old BoyRead the Press Release
Des Moines, Iowa – Brett Michael Dobberke, age 22, of Des Moines, was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute it.
According to court documents and the facts detailed at the sentencing hearing, on November 7, 2021, Dobberke set up a drug deal, via Snapchat, with an individual unknown to him. Dobberke arrived at the drug deal with a loaded gun. The customer who arrived to buy drugs from Dobberke was a 15-year-old boy. During the drug deal, Dobberke and the 15-year-old boy exchanged gunfire, and Dobberke shot and killed the minor victim. Following the shooting, Dobberke did not call for help or render aid to the victim and instead left the scene.
After Dobberke killed the minor victim, he did two more drug deals that same night. He also hid the shell casing from the discharged round that killed the victim. When police officers located Dobberke, he had another loaded gun in his vehicle. The gun Dobberke used to shoot and kill the victim was located at his residence.
U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa; and the Des Moines Police Department made the announcement.
The Des Moines Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mikaela J. Shotwell and Kristin M. Herrera prosecuted the case, with assistance from Victim Witness Specialists Charlotte Kovacs and Katie Blanchard.
Defendant Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Stalking R. Kelly Victim and Her MotherRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Donnell Russell was sentenced by United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly to 20 months’ imprisonment for his participation in a scheme to harass, intimidate, and cause substantial emotional distress to Jane Doe, a victim in the Eastern District of New York racketeering case against Robert Sylvester Kelly, also known as “R. Kelly,” and Jane Doe’s mother. Russell, a self-described manager, advisor and friend of Kelly, harassed and threatened Jane Doe and her mother after Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit against R. Kelly. Russell continued his harassment campaign after it was clear that Jane Doe was a victim in Kelly’s criminal case in this District and would likely testify against Kelly.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentence.
“For more than a year, the defendant engaged in a vicious campaign to harass, humiliate and threaten the victim in order to force her to dismiss her lawsuit against R. Kelly and stop speaking publicly about him,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The punishment meted out to the defendant today is a victory for crime victims, particularly those of sexual assault and abuse, who are often reluctant to come forward to law enforcement or pursue legal recourse, given the trauma and fear of retaliation associated with publicly discussing their experiences.”
Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the Homeland Security Investigations, New York, for its outstanding investigative work on the case.
Between November 2018 and February 2020, Russell threatened to reveal sexually explicit photographs of Jane Doe and to publicly reveal her sexual history if she did not withdraw her lawsuit against Kelly. In November 2018, Russell caused a letter, with attachments, purportedly written by Kelly, to be mailed to Jane Doe’s lawyer at the time. The attachments included cropped nude photographs of Jane Doe with the following text: “the next two pictures have been cropped for the sake of not exposing her extremities to the world, yet!!!” In December 2018, Russell, using his alias “Colon Dunn,” sent a series of text messages to Jane Doe and her mother, which contained the same photographs of Jane Doe, and stating “Just a sample. We will seek criminal charges. You’ve been warned,” as well as “Publishing soon” and “[T]his is Colon.”
On January 3, 2019, Russell sent additional text messages to Jane Doe and her mother, stating, “Pull the plug or you will be exposed.” On January 6, 2019, Russell, using the Colon Dunn alias, created a Facebook Page named “Surviving Lies,” a play on the title of Lifetime’s “Surviving R Kelly” documentary, and posted screen shots of text messages between Kelly and Jane Doe, which contained the same sexually explicit photographs of Jane Doe. In late January 2020, Russell appeared on two live interviews with “vloggers” supporting Kelly and discussed Kelly’s legal troubles, which were streamed live on the internet via YouTube. Russell again displayed the same sexually explicit photographs of Jane Doe and broadcast them publicly over the internet.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorney Anna Karamigios is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
DONNELL RUSSELL (also known as “Don Russell” and “Colon Dunn”)
Age: 47
Chicago, ILE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-427 (AMD)
Conway Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Attempted Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Conway man was sentenced yesterday afternoon for attempting to produce child pornography. United States District Court Judge Billy Roy Wilson sentenced Kenneth Avance, 26, to 30 years in federal prison.
In May 2021, FBI received a report that Kenny Avance had contacted an individual on Snapchat and asked for photos of “you doing sexy things with your little ones.” Avance was aware the individual had children ages 9 and 13. Avance asked the person to “show them naked or naked and you touching them,” and the individual responded they were not comfortable doing that. Avance then sent two images of a female toddler, completely naked, with a naked adult male’s genitalia in the photo.
During the investigation, FBI agents discovered Avance had two cell phones, both of which contained images of child sexual abuse. Forensic examination revealed these phones contained 630 photos and 74 videos of child sexual abuse material.
Avance was indicted in June 2021 and pleaded guilty in August 2022. In addition to the 30-year prison term, Avance was sentenced to ten years of supervised release following his imprisonment. The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Allison Bragg.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Cohoes Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Zachary Adams, age 30, of Cohoes, New York, pled guilty today to possession of a stolen firearm.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
As part of his guilty plea, Adams, a former delivery driver, admitted that on May 25, 2019, he stole a rifle that he was supposed to deliver to a gun dealer in Hillsdale, New York. Adams further admitted that he sold the rifle to an acquaintance several days later.
Adams faces up to 10 years in prison, a 3-year term of post-release supervision, and a fine of up to $250,000. 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.
This case was investigated by ATF and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal.
Cleveland Man Sentenced to Prison for Shipping More Than 2 Kilograms of Fentanyl Pills Through the U.S. MailRead the Press Release
AKRON – Larrie Ladell Campbell, 35, of Cleveland, was sentenced on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, to more than 12 years – or 151 months – in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after he pleaded guilty to mailing over 2 kilograms of fentanyl pills from Phoenix to Cleveland.
According to court documents, on May 10, 2022, a Postal Inspector with the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) identified a suspicious package shipped from Phoenix to an address in Cleveland. Authorities executed a search warrant for the package and found it to contain approximately 2.2 kilograms of pressed fentanyl pills.
Authorities then began an investigation into the origins of the package and identified Campbell as the owner. During the investigation, authorities learned that Campbell had mailed the package from a post office in Phoenix and then traveled to Cleveland to retrieve it.
Campbell pleaded guilty to interstate travel in aid of racketeering and attempted possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute in July 2022.
This case was investigated by the USPIS with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James P. Lewis.
Clearfield Woman Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced to 25 Years for Producing Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Clearfield, PA pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court in Johnstown on charges of production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Amanda Nichelle Downs, age 31, pleaded guilty to Counts One and Two of the Indictment before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from December 2018 to September 1, 2019, Downs produced images of a minor female engaged in sexually explicit conduct using materials that were shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
Following the guilty plea, Judge Haines sentenced Downs to 300 months in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Her co-defendant, Jackson Curtis Martin III, age 46, was sentenced to 35 years in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release on June 21, 2022.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Clearfield Borough Police Department, and the Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Downs.
This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Chicago Man Sentenced to Seven and a Half Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge today sentenced a Chicago man to seven and a half years in federal prison for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
A jury last year convicted THOMAS OSADZINSKI, 23, after a trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago. U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman ordered that the prison term be followed by ten years of court-supervised release.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the U.S. Department of Justice; and John S. Morales, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
The case was investigated by the Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is comprised of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas and Melody Wells of the Northern District of Illinois, and Alexandra Hughes, Trial Attorney of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Evidence presented at trial revealed that ISIS and its supporters disseminated the terror group’s propaganda materials on social media to recruit fighters and inspire violence against the United States and other countries. Many social media platforms removed ISIS media content due to the violent nature of the materials. Osadzinski, a U.S. citizen, designed, used, and taught a process using a computer script to make ISIS propaganda more conveniently disseminated online. The process would automatically copy and preserve ISIS media postings in an organized format, allowing social media users to continue to conveniently access and share the content.
Osadzinski in 2019 shared his script – and instructions for how to use it – with individuals whom he believed to be ISIS supporters and members of pro-ISIS media organizations. Unbeknownst to Osadzinski, the individuals were actually covert FBI employees and a person confidentially working with law enforcement.
Chicago Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Kevin Couture, age 41, of Chicago, Illinois, pled guilty today to attempted enticement and coercion of a minor, announced 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).
As part of his guilty plea, Couture admitted that, between January and February 2022, he exchanged sexually explicit messages online with an undercover officer posing as a 9-year-old child in an attempt to entice the child into engaging in sexual acts with him. Couture also admitted that, on February 8, 2022, he traveled to a prearranged meeting location in Oneida County, New York, with the intent to engage in sexual acts with the 9-year-old child. Couture was arrested by law enforcement upon arrival at the location.
The charge against Couture carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum sentence of life, a fine of up to $250,000, 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. Couture will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
Couture’s sentencing is currently scheduled for March 22, 2023, in Syracuse before United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby.
This case was investigated by the FBI Syracuse Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and Computer Crimes Unit (CCU). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle 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.
Charleston Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Multi-State Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Denise Marie Cottrill, 64, of Charleston, was sentenced today to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Cottrill admitted to a role in a large-volume drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in Kanawha County.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Cottrill sold a total of approximately 7.2 grams of methamphetamine to confidential informants on two occasions in January 2021, each time at her Charleston residence. On February 5, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Cottrill’s residence and seized approximately 23 grams of methamphetamine. Cottrill admitted that she intended to distribute the methamphetamine.
Cottrill was among 17 individuals convicted following the dismantling of the DTO, which had distributed more than 160 pounds of methamphetamine as well as quantities of fentanyl and other drugs primarily in the Charleston, Rand, and St. Albans areas from March 2019 to September 2021. The investigation targeting the DTO led to the seizure of more than 12.3 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 34 firearms, more than $86,000 in cash, and several vehicles including three motorcycles. The investigation also thwarted a plan by four of the defendants to murder an individual on Charleston’s West Side on July 4, 2021.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the United States Marshals Service, and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Alex Hamner prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
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. 2:21-cr-172.
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Charleston Man Ordered to Pay Restitution for COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Malik Breckenridge, 26, of Charleston, was ordered today to pay $41,666 in restitution and sentenced to five years of federal probation, including eight months on home detention, for wire fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Breckenridge admitted to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of over $41,666 in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Between April 4, 2021, and August 10, 2021, Breckenridge applied for and obtained two PPP loans on behalf of Malik Breck, his purported business. Malik Breck was not a registered business entity in West Virginia and was not engaged in substantial, legitimate business activity on or before February 15, 2020. Breckenridge admitted that he falsely stated that Malik Breck was established in 2014 and operating on February 15, 2020. Breckenridge further admitted that he submitted a false Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1040, Schedule C Profit or Loss from Business reporting that Malik Breck had earned $180,489 in gross income during 2019.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP. Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities.
A Florida lender processed both of Breckenridge’s PPP loan applications. Each loan totaled $20,833. Breckenridge admitted that he later applied to have both PPP loans forgiven even though he had not spent the loan proceeds on permissible business expenses. The SBA forgave the loans on August 8, 2021.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the United States Secret Service.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson prosecuted the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Nathan of the U.S. Attorney Office’s Financial Litigation Unit coordinated restitution.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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. 2:22-cr-84.
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Camden County Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Role in Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for defrauding a victim of almost $2 million in connection with a fraudulent investment scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Frank N. Tobolsky, 60, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman to one count of wire fraud. Judge Hillman imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Beginning in 2013, Tobolsky raised money from a victim, purportedly as an investment that would loan money to season ticket holders who owned seat licenses for the Philadelphia Eagles. The seat licenses would be used as collateral to secure the loans. The victim sent Tobolsky approximately $2.4 million to invest in the purported business venture. The money was not used for loans to season ticket holders. Instead, Tobolsky used a substantial portion on personal expenses.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hillman sentenced Tobolsky to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1.98 million in restitution to the victims.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Raimundo Marrero, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware for assisting in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crockett of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Camden County Man Admits Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man today admitted distributing videos and images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Ryan Osinski, 33, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In December 2020, law enforcement officers interviewed Osinski after receiving information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that images of child sexual abuse were shared from an IP address assigned to Osinski’s residence. During and after the interview, law enforcement officers lawfully reviewed the contents of Osinski’s cell phone, which contained numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse. They found links and folders on a cloud storage website controlled by Osinski that Osinski transmitted to others using a social media application on his cell phone. These links and folders contained numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse, including materials that depicted prepubescent children and sadomasochistic conduct.
Osinski faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for March 27, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Cherry Hill Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark, and the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crimes Unit, under the direction of Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Department of the Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Calhoun City Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Creating Images of Molestation of MinorRead the Press Release
Oxford – A Calhoun City man was sentenced on Thursday to serve more than 18 years in prison for creating child pornography. U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Jason Rusch, 49, to 220 months’ incarceration followed by 10 years of supervised release for creating images of his molestation of a 9-year old minor. He was also ordered to pay $17,500 in restitution to five minor victims whose images of Child Sexual Exploitation he possessed.
Rusch was identified in part by his fingerprints in photos he took of his molestation of a minor.
“Rusch is a sexual predator who deserves every day of this sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “Every child deserves a safe childhood, and I appreciate the hard work of our partners in the FBI and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office to enable the vigorous prosecution of child exploitation crimes.”
“We are pleased to work with our federal partners on this case and others that take down predators and disrupt their vast network of child exploitation,” remarked Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “Our Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is precisely the kind of law enforcement partnership that is necessary to protect children from abuse. Mississippi parents can rest assured that we will rigorously investigate and prosecute these cases to keep children safe.”
FBI SAC Jermicha Fomby remarked, "Safeguarding our society's future begins with protecting underage citizens of our communities from predatory individuals like Jason Rusch. Those who commit these heinous crimes against our youth will be aggressively sought after and brought to justice. The FBI is committed to supporting our DOJ partners in protecting the innocence of our minors, ensuring offenders are brought to justice"
The Mississippi Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Roberts prosecuted the case.
Burlington County Man Charged with Possession of Machinegun and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man has been charged with firearms and narcotics offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Cody Starr, 35, of Mount Holly, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of possession of a machinegun, one count of distribution of methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Starr made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Pascal in Camden federal court and was detained without bail.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Nov. 8, 2022, undercover agents met with Starr at his residence. While armed with a machinegun, which was a privately made firearm (PMF), Starr sold methamphetamine and three PMFs to the undercover agents. A PMF is a firearm, including a frame or receiver, completed, assembled, or otherwise produced by a person other than a licensed manufacturer, and without a serial number placed by a licensed manufacturer at the time the firearm was produced.
“The charges described in this complaint include possessing a privately-made automatic weapon, U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “We are committed to protecting the community by prosecuting those who commit firearms offenses.”
“ATF remains steadfast in identifying, investigating, arresting, and prosecuting those offenders responsible for violent crime and preventing them from wreaking havoc in our neighborhoods,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said. “We will continue to target not only those who illegally possess or utilize firearms to commit violent crimes, but also those who facilitate illegal manufacturing and trafficking of firearms. ATF will never waver in our commitment to protecting the community and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold all violators accountable.”
The charge of drug distribution carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison, a potential maximum term of life in prison, and up to a $10 million fine. The felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a machine gun each carry a potential maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime charge carries a mandatory minimum term of incarceration of five years in prison, a potential maximum penalty of life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, Camden Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Customs and Border Protection, New Jersey State Police, Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, Mount Holly Police Department, Evesham Police Department, and Pine Hill Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Waegener of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Browning man admits assaulting man with claw hammer on Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Browning man accused of beating a man in the head with a claw hammer admitted to an assault charge on Nov.16, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Calvin Lame Bull Juneau, 37, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Juneau faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Judge Morris set sentencing for April 6, 2023. Juneau was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on Nov. 19, 2021, Juneau and co-defendant, Dale Ray Racine, entered a residence in Browning, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, and assaulted the victim, identified as John Doe, who was sleeping in a bedroom. Doe awoke and saw Juneau and Racine rushing toward him. Juneau had a claw hammer in his hands. The victim received multiple strikes in the head, one to his hand and one to his leg. The victim was transported by ambulance to the Indian Health Service in Browning and treated for head injuries. Racine pleaded guilty earlier to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and is pending sentencing.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.
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Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Cocaine PossessionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Brooklyn, New York, has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months imprisonment followed by 4 years of supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Quaruan Chance, age 34.
According to information presented to the court, on Dec. 30, 2019, Chance was found to be in possession of 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark V. Gurzo and Karen Gal-Or prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Chance.
Bronx Man Indicted for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Bronx, N.Y. man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography, as well as traveling with the intent to engage in illicit conduct with the minor victim.
Markell Greene, 25, was indicted on one count of sexual exploitation of minors and one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit conduct. Greene is currently in state custody on related charges and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Greene persuaded, enticed and coerced a 13-year-old minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Additionally, it is alleged that on or about Feb. 14, 2022, Greene traveled in interstate commerce with a motivating purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with the minor victim.
The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of travel with intent to engage in illicit conduct provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $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.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Arlington, Mass. and New York City Police Departments; the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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.
Bridgeport Felon with 3 Prior Federal Convictions Admits Possessing Loaded GunRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that RAHSHIM CARTER, 33, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2013, Carter was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 18 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for distributing heroin in and around the Trumbull Gardens housing complex in Bridgeport. He was released from prison in September 2013. In February 2014, Carter was arrested by Bridgeport Police after he was found in possession of a loaded .380 caliber handgun and heroin that he intended to distribute. He pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and, on January 30, 2015, was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 62 months of imprisonment for the offense, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
In November 2016, while Carter was incarcerated in a federal prison in New Hampshire, he was found in possession of a homemade weapon (“shank”) and a quantity of Suboxone, a controlled substance. He was charged in the District of New Hampshire, pleaded guilty and, on January 22, 2018, was sentenced to an additional 18 months of imprisonment. He was released from prison in March 2020.
On April 20, 2022, members of the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Task Force, Connecticut State Police and Bridgeport Police Department sought to arrest Carter for violating his supervised release. Carter was located and arrested in an apartment in the Green Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport. At the time of his arrest he possessed a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and quantities of heroin and crack cocaine.
Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for February 9, 2023, at which time Carter faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Carter has been detained since his arrest.
This investigation has been conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Task Force, Connecticut State Police and Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Birmingham Woman Found Guilty of Kidnapping Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal jury today convicted a Birmingham woman for kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap a minor victim, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Felix A. Rivera-Esparra.
The jury returned its guilty verdict against Derick Irisha Brown, 32, after three days of testimony before Chief U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler. Brown was convicted of one count of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to kidnap a minor victim arising out of events which occurred in October 2019. The jury further found that the minor victim’s death resulted from the kidnapping and that Brown conspired with Patrick Stallworth. Stallworth faces life in prison.
According to evidence presented at trial, on October 12, 2019, Brown traveled in a Toyota Sequoia with co-conspirator Stallworth to the Tom Brown Village Housing Development located in Birmingham, Alabama and kidnapped 3-year-old Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney. Her body was found 10 days later.
“Last month, a jury convicted Patrick Stallworth and today, the jury convicted the other defendant charged with kidnapping this young child. Kamille McKinney’s loss is felt not only by her family, but also by our entire community,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “While these prosecutions cannot bring her back, Stallworth and Brown will never be able to threaten or harm another child. We thank our local, state, and federal partners for their efforts to remove the threat posed by these dangerous criminals.”
“While I applaud today’s verdict, the only proper outcome in this matter would be to have Kamille returned to her family.” Acting SAC Rivera said. “Brown’s heinous actions cut short a precious life that can never be replaced. I continue to be grateful to the men and women in my office, along with our state, local and federal partners who worked tirelessly to bring Brown to justice.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Birmingham Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Chief of the Criminal Division Lloyd C. Peeples and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Blake Milner and Brittany Byrd prosecuted the case.
Bellevue Man Sentenced for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Jacob R. Price, 38, Bellevue, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. to 168 months’ imprisonment for receipt of child pornography. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Price will begin a five-year term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
On November 9, 2020, Officers with the Bellevue Police Department were dispatched to a residence in Bellevue. Upon arrival offices were informed that the reporting party found a video of a naked minor on a cellphone previously used by Price. Officers forensically analyzed the contents of the cellphone and located a video showing a minor getting undressed. The video showed Price covertly placing the cellphone in the minor’s bedroom for purposes of videoing the minor while she was naked. The cellphone also contained additional thumbnail images of unknown minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct that Price downloaded from the internet.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Bellevue Police Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.
Armed Fentanyl Trafficker Caught in Nash County Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Anthony Cyquan Herring, 40, was sentenced to 240 months in prison for possessing fentanyl and other drugs for distribution, while armed with a loaded handgun. Herring’s sentence comes after an Elizabeth City, NC, jury found him guilty of all charges in March of this year.
“This career criminal was running dangerous drugs through North Carolina with his children and a loaded gun in the car,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Now, he will spend the next two decades behind bars.”
“Nash County appreciates the diligence of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in prosecuting this case,” said Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone. “This was an opportunity to apprehend a dangerous drug trafficker before he could distribute his deadly poison into the hands of children and families. Fentanyl is the main factor for overdose deaths in the community and we will not stop our fight to interdict these narcotics before they reach the citizens of Nash County. The Nash County Sheriff’s Office is committed to removing gangs, illegal guns, and drugs from our communities through our partnerships with federal law enforcement."
The case started when Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone stopped an SUV for speeding along I-95. The car was being driven by Herring and smelled like marijuana. An ensuing search revealed a loaded handgun within reach of Herring. In Herring’s luggage, Deputies found thirty-six grams of heroin and fentanyl, fifty grams of cocaine, marijuana, $2,200 in cash, and materials for packaging and distributing drugs.
Herring claimed he was driving to the beach for a vacation. But deputies discovered Herring’s two young children in the back of the SUV, sleeping and urinating in bottles as their dad drove through the night from Connecticut on the way to South Carolina.
Herring was sentenced as an Armed Career Criminal because he had at least three prior convictions for drug trafficking crimes.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Nash County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Lemons and former Assistant U.S. Attorney J.D. Koesters prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:20-cr-00347-BO-1.
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Albuquerque man sentenced to prison for child pornography, false claims act violationsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Bobby Peña was sentenced on Nov. 14 to three years and seven months in prison. Peña, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty on Feb. 10 to possession of child pornography and false claims against the government.
Peña was the owner and sole operator of De La Peña LLC. From May 2008 to June 2017, Peña worked as a subcontractor to Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, and entered into a contract with SNL and the United States Department of Energy to provide specialized cleaning services, including air particle count monitoring and cleanroom cleaning services, for three buildings at SNL.
Between July 1, 2015, and Feb. 28, 2017, Peña fraudulently submitted invoices totaling $47,025 for air particle count monitoring and $6,000 for cleanroom cleaning services that had not been performed. In the plea agreement, Peña admitted to fraudulently submitting invoices for an additional $14,850 for air particle count monitoring and $2,250 for cleanroom cleaning services. Peña received a total of $70,125 from the Department of Energy for services for which he had fraudulently invoiced SNL but had not performed.
In connection with the investigation into Peña’s illegal activities, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the De La Peña business address on Dec. 13, 2017. During the search, investigators seized several electronic devices, including three external hard drives. Forensic analysis of the devices revealed approximately 3,972 images and 58 videos of child pornography, material that included depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Upon his release from prison, Peña will be subject to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
The Department of Energy Office of the Inspector General investigated this case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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Albany Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Wayne Myers, age 32, of Albany, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for distributing and conspiring to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, methamphetamine, and amphetamine.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarantino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
As part of his guilty plea, Myers admitted that between June 2020 and February 2021, he distributed cocaine, cocaine base, methamphetamine, and amphetamine. He admitted that, in coordination with his co-conspirators, he distributed at least 343.1 grams of cocaine base, 251 grams of cocaine, 145 grams of amphetamine, and 5.7 grams of methamphetamine. Myers further agreed to forfeit $40,050 as proceeds from drug sales.
Senior United States District Lawrence E. Kahn also ordered Myers to serve a 5-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release.
This case was investigated by the DEA and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.
Wednesday 16 November 2022
Yankton Man Sentenced for Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that a Yankton, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography was sentenced on November 14, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Dylan James Steffen, age 30, was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Steffen was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2021. He pled guilty on August 17, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between January 22, 2021, and January 24, 2021, when Steffen knowingly received and distributed material which contained child pornography. While using his KIK social media account, Steffen engaged in chat conversations with other KIK users. During those conversations, Steffen shared files that contained images and videos of child pornography, including prepubescent minors that had not attained the age of twelve years old.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Yankton Police Department, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Steffen was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Williamsville Man Going to Prison on Child Pornography 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 Christopher D. Robbins, 61, of Williamsville, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 72 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Rudroff, who handled the case, stated that in January 2020, Robbins was identified as a member of a group on Kik used to exchange images and videos of child pornography. Subsequently, on July 2, 2020, the FBI executed a search warrant at Robbins’ residence in Williamsville, seizing several electronic items that contained child pornography.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Milwaukee Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in Charge Robert E. Hughes; the Buffalo Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Stansbury; and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James P. Stauffiger.
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Wilkinson County Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Kilogram Quantities of Methamphetamine and Cocaine in the Natchez, Mississippi AreaRead the Press Release
Natchez, Miss. – A Wilkinson County man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette, III, to 168 months in federal prison for participation in an interstate drug trafficking operation distributing kilogram quantities of illegal drugs in the Natchez area from 2016 through 2018, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Sammy Davis Wright, 51, of Woodville, MS, was indicted by a federal grand jury and subsequently pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride; conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Wright’s federal prison sentence includes 108 months in prison for his drug crimes, to be followed by a separate 5-year sentence for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Wright’s sentence includes a penalty for being an organizer or leader of criminal activity, and a penalty for maintaining premises for the purpose of drug distribution. Court records reflect that Wright has prior convictions in Wilkinson County Circuit Court in 2001 and 2002 for sale of controlled substances.
According to court documents, Wright conspired with Kevin Singleton, of Natchez, Wesley Bell, of Natchez, Jimmie Lee Swearengen, Jr., of Mesquite, TX, Gregory Woodard, of Crosby, Roy Goodrich, of Baton Rouge, LA, Jerry Lee White, Jr., of Gloster, and Denonta Thadison, of McComb. Singleton, Woodard, Goodrich, White, and Thadison have already been sentenced for their crimes.
Kevin Singleton, as head of the interstate drug trafficking organization, received a 35-year prison sentence from U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette, III, in September 2021. Woodard, Goodrich, and White received smaller prison sentences in 2020 ranging between 2½ and 3 years for their minimal involvement in the drug trafficking operation. Thadison was sentenced on November 15, 2022, to 87 months in prison for cocaine distribution in the Natchez area. Swearengen was separately sentenced today for his participation in drug trafficking operations in the Natchez area. Bell is currently awaiting sentencing.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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.
This OCDETF case is the result of an extensive investigation targeting illegal narcotics distribution by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force in Atlanta, GA, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mississippi Highway Patrol, and the Pearl Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla J. Clark prosecuted these cases.
Wilkes-Barre Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dexter Yard, age 34, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on August 17, 2021, in Luzerne County, Yard distributed fentanyl and cocaine, possessed methamphetamine for further distribution, possessed a .38 Special handgun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and was a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Yard is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The investigation was conducted by the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara 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.
Under federal law, for the drug charges, Yard faces a maximum sentence of twenty years, a term of supervised release and a fine. For the firearms charges, Yard faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, which must run consecutive to any other sentence, a maximum sentence of life, a term of supervised release and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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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Wayne County Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky.— An Albany, Ky., man, Jeremy Lynch, 42, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to Lynch’s plea agreement, on February 25, 2019, law enforcement searched a hotel room occupied by Lynch, finding approximately one pound of methamphetamine. Additionally, law enforcement searched a vehicle being used by Lynch, finding another pound of methamphetamine. Lynch admitted that he was in possession of the methamphetamine and intended to distribute it to others in the Wayne County area.
Lynch had previously been convicted of a serious drug felony, manufacturing methamphetamine, in Jefferson County Circuit Court. Lynch pleaded guilty to the current charge in July 2022.
Under federal law, Lynch must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Chief Joey Hoover, Monticello Police Department; and Director Wayne Conn, Lake Cumberland Drug Task Force, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, Monticello Police Department, and Lake Cumberland Drug Task Force. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Trimble.
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Violent Crime Initiative Yields Multiple Federal Indictments and Arrests on the San Carlos Apache Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Seventeen individuals were indicted federally, with most being arrested, following an intensive violent crime initiative on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. The charges filed in this investigation include arson, aggravated assault, firearms violations, domestic violence assaults, assault against an officer, child abuse, sexual assault, kidnapping, manslaughter, and murder.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation, with significant assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the San Carlos Apache Tribal Police Department, and the San Carlos Apache Tribal Prosecutor’s Office.
Maximum sentences for convictions of these offenses range from five years to life in prison, with a maximum fine of $250,000. In determining an actual sentence, federal judges will consult the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. The judges, however, are not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas C. Simon and Dimitra H. Sampson, District of Arizona, Phoenix, are handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-1353-PHX-DJH CR-22-1351-PHX-MTL
CR-22-1354-PHX-JJT CR-22-1350-PHX-DWL
CR-22-1348-PHX-DLR CR-22-1352-PHX-MTL
CR-22-1129-PHX-DJH CR-22-01233-PHX-SMB
CR-22-01347-PHX-DLR CR-22-01355-PHX-SMB
CR-22-01345-PHX-JJT CR-22-01346-PHX-MTL
CR-22-00774-PHX-JJT CR-22-01179-PHX-DLR
CR-22-01181-PHX-DWL CR-22-01182-001-PHX-GMS
CR-22-01182-002-PHX-GMSRELEASE NUMBER: 2022-208_Pahe et al
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron Announces Awards RecipientsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron announced that twenty-two employees of the United States Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice, four law enforcement officers, and two civilians were honored today with the Office’s most prestigious awards. At a ceremony held to announce the awards this morning at the United States Courthouse in Baltimore, U.S. Attorney Barron also introduced 24 new Assistant United States Attorneys and other employees who have joined the Office since last year.
During today’s awards ceremony, U.S. Attorney Barron also announced that every criminal federal prosecutor in the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office will be assigned a firearms case in addition to their regular caseloads. This is the most expansive anti-firearms initiative in terms of resource commitment in the history of the United States Attorney’s Office.
“It is a pleasure to be able to recognize and celebrate the impactful work done by today’s award recipients,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron. “Since my arrival as U.S. Attorney just over a year ago, we have hired and promoted the most diverse supervisory and legal staff in the history of the Office and we have increased our efforts to reduce violent crime through innovative and coordinated strategies with our law enforcement partners. I believe that assigning at least one firearms case to every criminal Assistant United States Attorney and Special Assistant United States Attorney demonstrates to the community and to our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners our continued commitment and focus on making Maryland communities safer. We have also committed to keep our communities safer by establishing a Violent and Organized Crime Section, including 30 new state-funded prosecutors and administrative staff positions; by establishing a Civil Rights and Special Victims’ Section; by being named a national Department of Justice COVID-19 CARES Act Strike Force and an Elder Justice Strike Force; as well as expanding our National Security and Cyber Crimes Section.”
Annual Awards
The following awards were announced by United States Attorney Barron:
Gary Jordan Award
Recipient: Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen O. Gavin
Gary P. Jordan served with distinction for many years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, as First Assistant from March 29, 1987 until his death on October 25, 1996, and as interim U.S. Attorney in 1993. This is an honorary award presented annually to an employee for exemplary performance that demonstrates the highest traditions of the office: integrity, ingenuity, dedication to public service and fairness.
Deborah A. Johnston Profile in Courage Award
Recipient: Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan
In her 23 years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Chief of the Southern Division and Senior Litigation Counsel in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Deborah A. Johnston fearlessly took on the most challenging prosecutions in pursuit of justice. Established in 2019, the Deborah A. Johnston Profile in Courage Award is presented to one or more assistant U.S. attorneys who demonstrate extraordinary courage and commitment to duty while representing the United States of America.
Barnet D. Skolnik Award
Recipients: Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth Clark
Assistant United States Attorney Anatoly SmolkinBarnet D. (Barney) Skolnik was an Assistant U.S. Attorney who led teams that prosecuted numerous white-collar criminals and corrupt public officials in the 1970s, including Vice President Spiro T. Agnew. This is an honorary award presented annually to one or more Assistant U.S. Attorneys who demonstrate outstanding professionalism, determination and creativity in a case of unusual public significance.
Employee of the Year Award
Recipient: Information Technology Specialist Derek Johnson
The Employee of the Year Award recognizes sustained superior performance and outstanding achievements by a non-attorney employee. The award also recognizes the recipient's professionalism, dedication, and comprehensive knowledge in their area of expertise.
Pete Twardowicz Award
Recipients: Special Agent Adam Eaton, Defense Criminal Investigative Service
Special Agent Robert Petrole, Defense Criminal Investigative Service
Special Agent August Merker, Homeland Security InvestigationsThe Pete Twardowicz Award was established in honor of Eugene P. (Pete) Twardowicz, who rendered many years of outstanding service to the U.S. Attorney’s Office as an IRS criminal investigator and a Special Investigator for this Office. This award recognizes law enforcement agents or officers for outstanding cooperation and achievement while working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on a significant case.
Excellence in Civil Advocacy
Recipient: Assistant United States Attorney Vickie LeDuc
The U.S. Attorney’s Award for Excellence in Civil Advocacy, established in 2007, is presented annually to an Assistant U.S. Attorney for outstanding advocacy in civil litigation.
Excellence in Prosecution of Fraud
Recipients: Assistant United States Attorney Harry M. Gruber
Assistant United States Attorney Paul A. RileyThe U.S. Attorney’s Award for Excellence in Prosecution of Fraud, established in 2007, is presented annually to an Assistant U.S. Attorney for outstanding work in prosecuting fraud.
Excellence in Prosecution of Violent Crime
Recipients: Assistant United States Attorney Patricia C. McLane
Special Assistant United States Attorney Patrick KibbeThe U.S. Attorney’s Award for Excellence in Prosecution of Violent Crime, established in 2007, is presented annually an Assistant U.S. Attorney for outstanding work in prosecuting violent crime.
Rod J. Rosenstein Award
Recipient: Detective Carl Walder, Baltimore County Police Department
The Rod J. Rosenstein Award, established in 2017, is presented annually to a state and/or local investigator whose cooperative efforts and excellent work reflect the highest traditions of the law enforcement profession.
Excellence in Prosecution of Organized Crime
Recipients: Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Hagan
Assistant United States Attorney William Moomau
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Sarma
Julie Finocchiaro, Trial Attorney, Department of Justice
Alex Gottfried, Trial Attorney, Department of JusticeThe U.S. Attorney’s Award for Excellence in Prosecution of Organized Crime, established in 2007, is presented annually to an Assistant U.S. Attorney for outstanding work in prosecuting organized criminal activity.
Excellence in Legal Support
Recipient: Paralegal Specialist Lesley Dunlap
Paralegal Specialist Stacey ThompsonThe U.S. Attorney’s Award for Excellence in Legal Support, established in 2007, is presented annually to one or more non-attorney employees for outstanding work in support of the mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Outstanding Contributions to a Law Enforcement Initiative
Recipients: Assistant United States Attorney David Salem
Assistant United States Attorney Ellen Nazmy
Assistant United States Attorney Shabnam Aryana
Assistant United States Attorney Bijon Mostoufi
Special Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan TsueiThe U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to a Law Enforcement Initiative, established in 2007, is presented annually to one or more employees for outstanding work in support of an initiative of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Carl S. Lackl Award
The Carl S. Lackl Award for Exemplary Perseverance and Fortitude in Pursuit of Justice was established in 2008 in honor of Carl Stanley Lackl, Jr. Mr. Lackl witnessed a murder in Baltimore in 2006 and agreed to testify against the suspect he identified. After the suspect was arrested by police and charged in state court with the murder, he used a contraband cellular telephone to contact co-conspirators and arranged to murder Mr. Lackl, who was shot to death outside his house in front of his daughter. All of the conspirators were convicted on federal charges.
This year the award was presented to two women who assisted with a case in the Greenbelt Office.
New Employees
In addition, United States Attorney Barron welcomed new employees who joined the office last year. Assistant United States Attorneys: Adeyemi Adenrele, Ariana Arnold, Shabnam Aryana, Michael Aubin, Steven Brantley, Geonard Butler, Joel Crespo, Ryan Dietrich, Ariel Evans, Darren Gardner, Robert Goldaris, Melissa Goldmeier, LaShanta Harris, Coreen Mao, Colleen McGuinn, Calvin Miner, Bijon Mostoufi, Christopher Sarma, Matthew Shea, Alicia Shelton, Beatrice Thomas, John Truex-Chung, Joseph Wenner, Michael Wilson. Special Assistant United States Attorneys: Keelan Diana, Jared Engelking, Jacob Gordin, Patrick Kibbe, Jeffrey Maylor, Alena Mosier, Nicholas Potter, Joshua Rosenthal, Laura Ruppersberger, Sarah Simpkins. Administrative Staff: Robin Blumenshine, Marissa Crockett, Fernando Dominguez, Juliette Frase, Brandon Haynes, Anna Jones, Jose Lopez-Berrios, Jill Pegues, Aleta Sacksteder, Angelina Thompson, Scott Wilson.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Settles ADA Claim with Chicago Restaurant to Ensure Equal Access for Patrons with Service AnimalsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois has reached a civil settlement with a Chicago restaurant to ensure equal access for patrons with service animals, as required under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office found that Castaways Bar & Grill at North Avenue Beach in Chicago discriminated against a woman with a disability when restaurant staff on June 19, 2022, offered to seat the woman and her service dog only in the back of the restaurant, segregated from other patrons. The woman, who is legally blind and relies on the service dog for many daily life activities, attempted to explain to restaurant staff that such segregated seating due to the presence of a service animal violates the ADA, but the restaurant refused to accommodate her.
Under the terms of a settlement agreement and consistent with penalties available under the ADA, the restaurant’s operator – Lakefront Operations, Inc. – agreed to pay $15,000 to the victim of discrimination and $2,500 to the United States. In addition, all current and future restaurant staff will undergo training on the obligations of public accommodations to serve persons with disabilities, specifically with regard to service animal obligations. Castaways will also post a sign near its entrance stating, “This Restaurant Welcomes Customers with Disabilities Who Are Accompanied by Their Service Animals.”
“Service animals are trained to perform tasks that foster autonomy and independence for persons with a myriad of physical challenges,” said John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “This settlement should send a clear message that individuals who rely on service animals are entitled to equal access and opportunity in all areas of community life, including dining at restaurants.”
Title III of the ADA prohibits public accommodations, such as restaurants, from excluding people with disabilities from enjoying goods, services, privileges, facilities, and advantages provided. For more information regarding the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat discrimination, please visit the official ADA government website. To learn more about the obligations of public accommodations under federal disability rights statutes, call the Department of Justice’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301, 800-514-0383 (TTY).
The settlement agreement was reached to avoid the costs and burdens of litigation and does not represent an admission of liability by Lakefront Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Johnson represented the government during the investigation and settlement.
U.S. Attorney Will Thompson to Help Mark National Adoption MonthRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will join Mission West Virginia and other officials to help celebrate National Adoption Month on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at 11 a.m. at Bible Center Church.
Thompson will speak along with a youth who has experienced adoption firsthand, parents in the foster care system, and a representative from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
WHAT: National Adoption Month Press Conference
WHEN: Thursday, November 17, 2022, at 11 a.m.
WHERE: Bible Center Church, 1100 Bible Center Drive, Charleston
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.
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U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announces DOJ grant for Montana’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task ForceRead the Press Release
HELENA – U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich today announced a grant award of $346,984 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to a Montana task force that investigates internet crimes against children and the exploitation of children.
The grant for the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force from OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will allow the task force to maintain, expand and improve its effectiveness in preventing, interdicting, investigating and prosecuting internet crimes against children and technology-related child exploitation.
The grant is among nearly $105 million in Justice Department OJP awards announced earlier this month to protect children from exploitation, trauma and abuse, and to fund improvements in the judicial system’s handling of child abuse and neglect cases.
“Children should be allowed to live, grow, learn and thrive in environments that are supportive and nurturing, but many are deprived of that opportunity by threats to their health and safety,” said Administrator Liz Ryan of OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). “By delivering these resources to the professionals who devote their careers and lives to protecting children, we are making good on our commitment to the well-being of America’s young people.”
“I am pleased to announce this grant for the Montana ICAC Task Force. This program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing investigations of those who use technology, like the internet and social media, to sexually exploit and harm children through child pornography, coercion and trafficking activities. We remain committed to keeping our children safe and to aggressively pursuing predators,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
Grants from OJP’s OJJDP are distributing millions of dollars to local, state and Tribal jurisdictions throughout the United States, the U.S. territories and the District of Columbia to support child protection efforts.
The OJJDP grant for the Montana ICAC Task Force was awarded to the Montana Department of Justice, which administers the funding. The ICAC Task Force’s primary goal is expand the quantity and quality of detection, investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of electronic technology-facilitated crimes against children. The task force also will provide education programs for law enforcement officers, teachers, parents, and children; serve as a resource to law enforcement agencies for both investigations and forensic examination; assist as needed with the prosecution of cases; and participate in nationally coordinated investigations.
This award is being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about ODJJP and other OJP awards can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and strengthen the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Two Texas Men Indicted after Attempting to Smuggle Firearms into MexicoRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A federal grand jury in Del Rio returned an indictment last week charging two Texas men with smuggling goods from the United States.
According to court documents, on October 10, 2022 Miguel Angel Ocura-Arenas, 67, of San Antonio was arrested when he attempted to smuggle seven firearms along with 29 magazines, ammunition a rifle barrel and a universal fake suppressor into Mexico. The following day, Rafael Martinez, 40, of Dallas, was also arrested for attempting to smuggle seven firearms and more than 300 rounds of ammunition into Mexico.
Both defendants made their initial court appearances on October 12 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Collis White of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Martinez and Ocura-Arenas have been detained without bond while awaiting further proceedings. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas and Acting Special Agent in Charge, Craig Larrabee, HSI San Antonio, made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case with assistance from Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Brown is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Two Russian Nationals Charged with Running Massive E-Book Piracy WebsiteRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, an indictment and a complaint were unsealed charging Russian nationals Anton Napolsky and Valeriia Ermakova with criminal copyright infringement, wire fraud and money laundering for operating Z-Library, an online e-book piracy website. The pair was arrested on November 3, 2022 in Cordoba, Argentina at the request of the United States. At the same time, Z-Library’s network of online domains was also taken offline and seized by the U.S. government, pursuant to a court order that was also unsealed today.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrests and charges.
“As alleged, the defendants profited illegally off work they stole, often uploading works within mere hours of publication, and in the process victimized authors, publishers and booksellers,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office is committed to protecting the intellectual property rights that enable creative and artistic expression, and holding individuals accountable for threatening those rights.”
“The defendants are alleged to have operated a website for over a decade whose central purpose was providing stolen intellectual property, in violation of copyright laws. Intellectual property theft crimes deprive their victims of both ingenuity and hard-earned revenue. The FBI is determined to ensure those willing to steal and profit from the creativity of others are stopped and made to face the consequences in the criminal justice system,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
As alleged in the indictment and court filings, Z-Library bills itself as “the world’s largest library” and claims to offer more than 11 million e-books for download. Z-Library, which has been active since approximately 2009, offers e-book files in a variety of file formats, stripped of their copyright protections, and encourages users to upload and download titles. Many of the e-books offered by Z-Library are protected intellectual property for which authors hold copyrights and publishers hold exclusive distribution rights, and which Z-Library has no right or license to distribute, and which are available elsewhere only with anti-circumvention measures applied. As such, a central purpose of Z-Library is to allow users to download copyrighted books for free in violation of U.S. law. In addition to its homepage, Z-Library operates as a complex network of approximately 249 interrelated web domains. As part of this action, those domains were taken offline and seized by the U.S. government.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case was initiated by the Office’s Cyber Crime Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Chand Edwards-Balfour, Alexander Mindlin, Antoinette N. Rangel and Kaitlin Farrell are prosecuting the case. Brian Morris of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the FBI’s Legal Attachés abroad and foreign authorities in multiple countries provided critical assistance in this case. In particular, the Office extends its appreciation to the Argentine authorities for their assistance in the capture of Napolsky and Ermakova.
Multiple organizations representing the victim authors and publishers also provided critical assistance in this case. The Office extends its particular appreciation to The Authors Guild in New York and The Publishers Association in London for their assistance. The Office also extends its appreciation to the National Cyber-Forensics & Training Alliance for its assistance in the domain takedown.
The Defendants:
ANTON NAPOLSKY
Age: 33
St. Petersburg, RussiaVALERIIA ERMAKOVA
Age: 27
St. Petersburg, RussiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-525 (NM)
Two Pharmacy Owners Plead Guilty in COVID-19 Money Laundering and Health Care Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
Two New York men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering for using New York-area pharmacies to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and then laundering the criminal proceeds.
Arkadiy Khaimov, 39, of Forest Hills, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Peter Khaim, 42, also of Forest Hills, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering on Nov. 3.
According to court documents, Khaim and Khaimov engaged in a complex money laundering conspiracy to launder the proceeds of a fraudulent health care scheme involving over a dozen New York-area pharmacies that they and their co-conspirators owned and controlled. Specifically, Khaim and Khaimov used the New York pharmacies to submit millions of dollars in fraudulent claims to Medicare, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. These fraudulent claims included claims for expensive cancer medications Targretin Gel 1% and Panretin Gel 0.1% that were not prescribed by physicians or dispensed to patients, and that were purportedly dispensed during periods when certain pharmacies were closed. Khaim, Khaimov, and their co-conspirators exploited the COVID-19 emergency for their own financial gain by using COVID-19-related “emergency override” billing codes to submit additional fraudulent claims for Targretin Gel 1%.
To conceal over $18 million of their criminal proceeds, Khaim, Khaimov, and their co-conspirators funneled money through several shell companies, including sham pharmacy wholesale companies designed to look like legitimate wholesalers. Khaim and Khaimov typically sent the funds from the pharmacy bank accounts they controlled to the sham wholesale companies. The funds were then typically sent to companies in China for distribution to individuals in Uzbekistan and the defendants received some of these funds in cash. At other times, the fraudulent proceeds were sent from the sham wholesale companies to Khaim, Khaimov, their relatives, or their designees, in the form of certified cashier’s checks and cash. Khaim and Khaimov used the proceeds of the scheme to purchase real estate and other luxury items.
Khaimov is scheduled to be sentenced on May 3, 2023. Khaim is scheduled to be sentenced on May 10, 2023. They each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York; Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll of the FBI New York Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Susan Frisco of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Thomas M. Fattorusso of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) New York Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) made the announcement.
The HHS-OIG, FBI, IRS-CI, and FDIC-OIG are investigating the case.
Acting Principal Assistant Deputy Chief Jacob Foster of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Trial Attorney Andrew Estes of the Fraud Section’s Brooklyn Strike Force are prosecuting the case. Former Fraud Section Trial Attorney Patrick Mott previously worked on the investigation.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 24 federal districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for more than $19 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Two High-Ranking Los Zetas Cartel Members Latest Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas– Two Los Zetas Cartel leaders has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Jose Maria Guizar-Valencia, 43, of Tulare, CA, pleaded guilty on Dec. 20, 2021, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and conspiracy to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison on Nov. 15, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Schell.
Francisco Hernandez-Garcia, 53, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, also pleaded guilty on Dec. 20, 2021, to the same charges and was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison on Nov. 15, 2022, by Judge Schell.
According to information presented in court, in approximately January 2010, law enforcement authorities began an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of the Los Zetas Drug Trafficking Cartel. The investigation revealed that from 2007 to 2014, members of the cartel were involved in numerous crimes including drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearms trafficking in the Eastern District of Texas and elsewhere. Throughout the investigation, Heriberto Lazcano, a.k.a. “Z-3”, was identified as the leader of the cartel who gave final orders, to include the authorization of killings.
Although Lazcano was identified as the leader of the organization, Miguel Angel Trevino-Morales, a.k.a. “Z-40”, was seen as his equal and controlled the vast majority of the cartel soldiers. Miguel’s brother, Omar Trevino-Morales, a.k.a. “Z-42”, along with Francisco Hernandez-Garcia, a.k.a. “El 2000”, and Jose Maria Guizar-Valencia, a.k.a. “Carlitos” and “Z-43”, were identified as three of the top Los Zetas Cartel leaders. During the investigation, Guizar-Valencia was identified as one of the top leaders of the cartel who was responsible for overseeing the cartel’s drug distribution, firearms trafficking, and bulk cash smuggling. As one the organizations leaders, Guizar-Valencia approved criminal activities conducted by members of the cartel. Under Guizar-Valencia’s leadership, the cartel arranged for the importation of cocaine from Central America to Mexico, which was subsequently distributed throughout the United States. Guizar-Valencia, operating in Guatemala, was responsible for overseeing ton-quantity shipments of cocaine from Guatemala to Mexico and coordinated the transportation of the cocaine from Southern Mexico to Coahuila, Mexico. Guizar-Valencia also managed the receipt of millions of dollars in United States currency obtained from the sale of cocaine in the United States, which was used to pay for firearms purchased in the United States and for cocaine shipments coordinated out of Guatemala on behalf of the cartel.
Guizar-Valencia was identified as the principal boss of William DeJesus Torres-Solarzano, a.k.a. “Mario Ruiz Castillo,” “Comandante W,” and “Comandante William”, and he oversaw and directed the activities of Torres-Solorzano and Horst Walther Overdick-Mejia. Torres-Solorzano and Overdick-Mejia coordinated the cartel’s day-to-day cocaine trafficking operations in Guatemala. Torres-Solorzano was also identified as a high-ranking member of the cartel and a cartel leader in Guatemala.
The sentencings this week are the latest of high-level members of the Zeta Cartel. Hugo Cesar Roman Chavarria received a life sentence, William DeJesus Torres Solorzano received 480 months, and Jose Ramirez received 480 months in October of 2022.
“Amazing effort by law enforcement to bring these dangerous criminals to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “Prosecutors and law enforcement agencies conducted a very long-term investigation and coordinated with our international partners to achieve this outcome, they did an outstanding job.”
“The Zetas were known for their ruthless and violent tactics as they distributed their drugs throughout Mexico and the United States,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas. “These sentences reflect that the DEA and our law enforcement partners are equally known throughout North Texas as holding those criminals accountable for their deeds to the fullest extent of the law. Good will always prevail and our resolve will never falter.”
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.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernest Gonzalez.
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Tse Bonito man indicted for sexual abuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Tom Tso was arraigned on Nov. 15 on an indictment charging him with sexual abuse. Tso, 84, of Tse Bonito, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain at a halfway house on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
A federal grand jury indicted Tso on Nov. 9. According to the indictment, between Aug. 4, 1998, and Oct. 11, 2000, Tso allegedly engaged in and attempted to engage in sexual acts with a victim, identified as Jane Doe, who was physically incapable of declining to participate in, and communicating unwillingness to engage in, that sexual act. Jane Doe is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, and the alleged assault occurred on the Navajo Nation.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Tso faces up to 20 years in prison.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander F. Flores is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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Troy Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a Firearm and Fentanyl-Laced PillsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Alex R. Mahoney Wilks, age 23, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for illegally possessing a pistol as a previously convicted felon, as well for possessing fentanyl-laced pills with the intent to distribute them.
The announcement was made by 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).
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Mahoney Wilks admitted that on February 4, 2022, as he attempted to leave a residence in Watervliet, he knowingly possessed in his vehicle a pistol and a quantity of fentanyl-laced pills that he intended to sell. A total of $11,333 and two digital scales were also recovered from the vehicle. A prior felony burglary conviction prevented Mahoney Wilks from legally possessing the firearm in New York. The firearm had also previously been reported stolen.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also ordered Mahoney Wilks to serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Watervliet Police Department, with the assistance of the Albany County District Attorney’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Tobyhanna Man Charged with Being A Felon in Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Steven D. Brinson, age 32, of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on diverse dates in December 2021 and January and March 2022, Brinson possessed firearms, including a non-serialized AR-style “ghost gun,” and ammunition, despite having a prior felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Gallagher are 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.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 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 are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Three More Professionals Indicted in $1 Billion Tax Shelter SchemeRead the Press Release
A second attorney and two tax professionals have been indicted in the $1 billion Garza tax shelter scheme, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division Stuart Goldberg.
Attorney and CPA Kevin McDonnell and CPA James Richardson, co-owners of tax preparation and accounting firm McDonnell Richardson, P.C., were added to the case in a superseding indictment filed Tuesday. The pair are charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and five counts of assisting in the preparations of fraudulent tax returns. Craig Fenton, a tax manager at McDonnell Richardson, was indicted on the same charges.
The alleged mastermind of the scheme, attorney Joseph Garza, was previously indicted on 18 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and 22 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of fraudulent income tax returns. The superseding indictment added a charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
According to the court documents, Mr. Garza allegedly directed his clientele to use hand-picked tax professionals – including Mr. McDonnell, Mr. Richardson, and Mr. Fenton – who helped him illegally shelter their otherwise taxable income. Mr. Garza allegedly charged clients a percentage of the predetermined amount of money they had chosen to shelter from taxes; Mr. McDonnell, Mr. Richardson, and Mr. Fenton were compensated for their roles in the scheme as well.
The defendants allegedly created multiple shell companies – including shell “services” companies and shell “investments” companies – to create a circular flow of funds to help clients avoid paying taxes.
These shell companies purported to provide services to the clients’ businesses or to serve as family investment vehicles, but actually had no legitimate purpose other than to move money. The defendants allegedly created sham operating agreements and service agreements, fictious invoices, and false private annuity agreements designed to give the companies the appearance of legitimacy and conceal the scheme from the IRS.
The defendants then allegedly assisted clients in the preparation and filing of fraudulent tax returns, falsely deducting businesses expenses for services that were never performed, falsely reporting gross receipts for payments that were not earned, falsely deducting payments from the investment company to the taxpayer for annuities that didn’t exist, and underreporting the individual taxpayers’ incomes.
The scheme allegedly resulted in more than $1 billion in unreported income and more than $200 million in unpaid taxes.
“Kevin McDonnell, James Richardson, and Craig Fenton participated in a tax scheme that resulted in $1 billion in unreported income and more than $200 million in unpaid taxes. Now they face severe consequences, including jail time and substantial fines,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus, Jr, IRS - Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office. “Today's indictments reinforce our commitment to every American taxpayer that the dedicated women and men of IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to work tirelessly to identify and prosecute tax professionals who devise illegal tax shelters to evade the tax obligations of their wealthy clients."
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All four defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 5 years in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States, 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and up to three years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting in the filing of false federal income tax returns. Mr. Garza also faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud.
IRS – Criminal Investigations’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Renee Hunter, Katherine Miller, and Marty Basu of the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case with Trial Attorney Robert Kemins of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.Texas Drug Trafficker Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Kilogram Quantities of Methamphetamine in Natchez, MississippiRead the Press Release
Natchez, Miss. – A Mesquite, Texas man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette, III, to 90 months in federal prison for his participation in an interstate drug trafficking operation distributing kilogram quantities of illegal drugs in the Natchez area from 2016 through 2018, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Jimmie Lee Swearengen, Jr., 43, of Mesquite, Texas, was indicted by a federal grand jury and subsequently pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Swearengen had prior convictions in Adams County Circuit Court in 2001 for possession and sale of cocaine in a church zone, and in 2010 for controlled substance violations.
According to court documents, Swearengen conspired with Sammy Davis Wright, of Woodville, Wesley Bell of Natchez, Thomas Jerome Mitchell, of Victorville, CA, Justine Chambers of Victorville, CA, and Arthur Wilson, of Moreno Valley, CA, to distribute kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in the Natchez area. Wright, Mitchell, and Chambers were separately sentenced today for their participation in drug trafficking operations in the Natchez area. Arthur Wilson was convicted by a federal trial jury in August 2022 of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering for his operation of a separate drug trafficking organization in the Natchez area. Wilson is scheduled for sentencing on January 11, 2023. Bell is currently awaiting sentencing.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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.
This OCDETF case is the result of an extensive investigation targeting illegal narcotics distribution by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force in Atlanta, GA, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mississippi Highway Patrol, and the Pearl Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla J. Clark prosecuted these cases.
Ten Individuals Charged in Northeast Kingdom Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that a federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging ten individuals with conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base between February 2022 and August 5, 2022. The indictment includes nine additional counts alleging distributions or intended distributions of fentanyl by specific individuals among the defendants. The lead defendant, Juan Carlos Ortiz (also known as “JC,” age 28, of Springfield, Massachusetts), is already in federal custody following his arrest on a prior federal drug case on August 5, 2022. The other defendants—Clair Deslandes (64, Island Pond), Jeremy Allin (also known as “OG,” 51, Lunenburg), Hayley McDonald (25, Derby), Margaret Radford (53, Newport Center), Mary Rhodes (45, North Troy), Loretta Poquette (47, Norton), Ronald Braun (43, Lowell), Jessica Ward (44, Lowell), and Angela Birk (41, Newport)—will appear before the United States District Court for arraignment following their arrests in the case.
The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the indictment are accusations only and that each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charged offenses, the defendants would each face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and up to a $1 million fine. Any actual sentence for each defendant, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines and the United States Code.
The charges in the indictment follow an investigation conducted by multiple state and federal agencies that was led by the Northern Vermont Drug Task Force (NVDTF) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). NVDTF and ATF were assisted in this investigation by the detectives and troopers from the Vermont State Police; members of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, the Essex County Sheriff’s Department, the Newport Police Department, and the Orleans Police Department; troopers from the Massachusetts State Police; agents and task force officers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations; and aviators with the Air & Marine Operations component of United States Customs & Border Protection. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaboration of federal and state law enforcement agencies during the investigation.
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher. Juan Carlos Ortiz is represented by Richard Bothfeld, Esq. Attorney information for the other defendants is not yet available.
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
Tax Attorneys and Insurance Agent Indicted for Promoting and Selling Fraudulent Tax ShelterRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Charlotte, North Carolina returned an indictment today charging two tax attorneys and an insurance agent with conspiring to defraud the United States and helping clients file false tax returns based on their promotion and operation of a fraudulent tax shelter.
According to the indictment, from 2011 to the present Michael Elliott Kohn and Catherine Elizabeth Chollet, both attorneys and residents of St. Louis, Missouri, and David Shane Simmons, a licensed insurance agent and broker based out of Jefferson, North Carolina, conspired to defraud the United States by promoting, marketing, and selling to clients a fraudulent tax scheme known as the Gain Elimination Plan (“GEP”). The defendants allegedly designed the GEP to conceal clients’ income from the IRS by fraudulently inflating business expenses through fictitious royalties and management fees. These fictitious royalties and management fees allegedly were paid, on paper, to a limited partnership largely owned by a charitable organization. In reality, Kohn and Chollet allegedly fabricated the royalties and management fees. In total, the defendants allegedly caused a tax loss to the IRS of tens of millions of dollars.
The indictment further alleges that Kohn and Simmons engaged in a scheme to defraud an insurance company by providing false information on insurance applications on behalf of their clients. The false information allegedly included fraudulent representations concerning the clients’ financials and the purpose of the insurance policies. In total, Kohn and Simmons allegedly caused the insurance company to issue more than $200 million in insurance policies based on false application information. Simmons allegedly earned large commissions for selling the insurance policies, many of which he split with Kohn and Chollet. Simmons also allegedly filed false personal tax returns by underreporting his business income and inflating his business expenses.
If convicted, Kohn, Chollet, and Simmons each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States and three years in prison for each of multiple counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Kohn and Simmons both also face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for wire fraud, and Simmons faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison for several counts of filing false personal tax returns, if convicted. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Kevin Schneider and Todd Ellinwood of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tax Attorneys and Insurance Agent Indicted for Promoting and Selling Fraudulent Tax ShelterRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced that a federal grand jury in Charlotte returned an indictment today charging two tax attorneys and an insurance agent with conspiring to defraud the United States and helping clients file false tax returns based on their promotion and operation of a fraudulent tax shelter.
U.S. Attorney King is joined in making today’s announcement by Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Charlotte Field Office (IRS-CI).
According to the indictment, from 2011 to the present Michael Elliott Kohn and Catherine Elizabeth Chollet, both attorneys and residents of St. Louis, Missouri, and David Shane Simmons, a licensed insurance agent and broker based out of Jefferson, North Carolina, conspired to defraud the United States by promoting, marketing, and selling to clients a fraudulent tax scheme known as the Gain Elimination Plan (“GEP”). The defendants allegedly designed the GEP to conceal clients’ income from the IRS by fraudulently inflating business expenses through fictitious royalties and management fees. These fictitious royalties and management fees allegedly were paid, on paper, to a limited partnership largely owned by a charitable organization. In reality, Kohn and Chollet allegedly fabricated the royalties and management fees. In total, the defendants allegedly caused a tax loss to the IRS of tens of millions of dollars.
The indictment further alleges that Kohn and Simmons engaged in a scheme to defraud an insurance company by providing false information on insurance applications on behalf of their clients. The false information allegedly included fraudulent representations concerning the clients’ financials and the purpose of the insurance policies. In total, Kohn and Simmons allegedly caused the insurance company to issue more than $200 million in insurance policies based on false application information. Simmons allegedly earned large commissions for selling the insurance policies, many of which he split with Kohn and Chollet. Simmons also allegedly filed false personal tax returns by underreporting his business income and inflating his business expenses.
If convicted, Kohn, Chollet, and Simmons each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States and three years in prison for each of multiple counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Kohn and Simmons both also face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for wire fraud, and Simmons faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison for several counts of filing false personal tax returns, if convicted. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte and Trial Attorneys Kevin Schneider and Todd Ellinwood of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Stoughton Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Stoughton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for firearm offenses.
Michael Robert Moura, 28, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On June 13, 2022, Moura pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and one count of receipt and possession of an unregistered firearm.
Over the course of several months in 2020 and again in February 2021, Moura sought to purchase a firearm. On the morning of April 28, 2021, Moura purchased a Glock handgun, an assault rifle, pistol and rifle magazines and over 100 rounds of ammunition in a parking lot in Brockton. Shortly thereafter, Moura was arrested and the illegally obtained handgun, rifle, ammunition and magazines were seized.
Moura is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to an April 2020 conviction in Worcester County punishable by more than one year in prison.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided the Brockton and Stoughton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Tolkoff and Timothy Kistner of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 10+ Years in Prison for Armed Robbery of Jennings Auto Parts StoreRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a St. Louis man to 10 years and five months in prison for the armed robbery of an auto parts store in Jennings before he crashed into a funeral procession while trying to escape police.
Diven Steed, 27, robbed the O’Reilly Auto Parts store in Jennings on Dec. 5, 2020 with a Pioneer Arms “Hellpup” AK-47-style pistol. His co-defendant, Collis Lee, also had a pistol.
Steed and Lee took cash from store registers. Lee pistol-whipped a clerk twice. Steed talked openly about killing the two clerks.
When Steed and Lee left the auto parts store, witnesses pointed them out to police, who had already begun to arrive in response to a 911 call from a customer who had slipped out of the store during the robbery. While fleeing from police with Steed in the car, Lee crashed into a limousine in a three-car funeral procession transporting grieving family members to a funeral home. Five people in the limousine were injured.
Steed got out of his vehicle and ran toward some homes, refusing officers’ orders to drop his gun and presenting a danger to officers and area residents, his plea says. An officer fired twice at Steed, hitting him in the buttocks.
Steed pleaded guilty in August to a robbery charge and a charge of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.
Lee, now 26, of Moline Acres, pleaded guilty to the same charges in December and was sentenced in March to 11 years and three months in prison.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Dunkel is prosecuting the case.
South Florida Firearms Smuggler Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Firearms trafficker Jorge Chica-Giler, 28, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez to 262 months in prison for smuggling firearms from the United States to Ecuador.
Chica-Giler conspired to deal in, and smuggle, firearms out of the United States by directing co-conspirators to purchase firearms on his behalf, hide the firearms inside compressed air tanks, and send the firearms to a co-conspirator in Ecuador. Chica-Giler admitted to making eight shipments totaling at least 35 firearms, including several assault-rifles.
Co-defendants Rolando Alexei Pupo-Abrahantes and Nicolas Ayala assisted Chica-Giler in the conspiracy to smuggle firearms to Ecuador.
On the morning of the trial, Chica-Giler pled guilty directly to the court without a plea agreement. He admitted to his role in the conspiracy and to dealing firearms without a license, smuggling firearms from the United States, delivery of a firearm to a common carrier without written notification, and possession of a firearm by an unlawful alien.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Office; and acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI, Fort Pierce, and ATF, Fort Pierce, investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, Miami Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Hudock and Justin Hoover prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 21-cr-14035.
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Serial Abuser of Underage Girls Sentenced to 11 Years for Coercing and Enticing a Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A Royal Oak man who repeatedly abused underage girls was sentenced to eleven years in federal prison for coercing and enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and for receiving child pornography, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Nikolas Boris Mariani, 21, of Royal Oak, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge David M. Lawson. At the time of his guilty plea, Mariani admitted that in the fall of 2020 he coerced and induced a 14-year-old minor that he met over Snapchat to engage in unlawful sexual activity, and that he received sexually explicit images from the same minor.
Police also found a different 14-year-old runaway hiding nearly naked under Mariani’s bed in a separate incident. She admitted that she met Mariani over Snapchat and that they engaged in sex acts. DNA evidence also linked Mariani to a third incident where he picked up a 14-year-old girl from her home in Flint and engaged in unlawful sex acts with her, later leaving her in a parking lot in Detroit.
“This offender serially exploited minors that he met online. Our office will work tirelessly to pursue and prosecute individuals who exploit vulnerable children,” U.S. Attorney Ison stated.
“The sentence handed down in this case reflects the serious nature of the crimes committed by this defendant, which are particularly troubling given his repeated efforts to harm and exploit minors,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI is committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society – our children – and to bringing predators like Mariani to justice.”
This case was investigated by the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Roseville Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Rawsthorne.
Search Warrants Executed in Bibb CountyRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – Federal search warrants were executed at six locations in Bibb County, Georgia, yesterday morning in a joint law enforcement operation involving FBI, Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, GBI Gang Task Force, Bleckley County Sheriff’s Office, Butts County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Department of Community Supervision, Warner Robins Police Department, Perry Police Department, Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol. The search warrants resulted from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation centered in Macon.
Federal search warrants were executed in Bibb County, Georgia:
- 5514 Forsyth Road
- 4077 Worsham Avenue
- 2108 Roosevelt Avenue
- 1487 Lowe Court
- 251 Ward Street
- 18 Brigham Street
Two additional locations were searched pursuant to state warrants.
The operation resulted in the seizure of 12,680 grams of methamphetamine, 154 grams of MDMA (“ecstasy”), 87 grams of THC and more than $25,000 cash. In addition, four firearms were seized, including one assault rifle, one shotgun, one handgun and one revolver.
Four individuals were taken into state custody and are facing state charges: Melvin Grady Bates, 75, of Macon, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and two counts of purchase, possession, manufacture, distribution or sale of marijuana; Julian Derwayne Coker, 42, of Macon, is charged with trafficking in cocaine, illegal drugs, marijuana or methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit a felony; Harry Lee Hopkins, 50, of Macon, is charged with conspiracy to commit a felony; and Jackie Edward Powell, 44, of Macon, is charged with receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm by a convicted felon and probation violation.
All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt. This is an ongoing investigation.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.