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Tuesday 15 November 2022
Maryland Man Found Guilty of Charges for Assaulting Law Enforcement Officers During 2020 DemonstrationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Maryland man has been found guilty by a jury of assaulting two police officers during a demonstration that took place in December 2020 in downtown Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Michael Patschak, 31, of Frederick, Maryland, was found guilty on Nov. 10, 2022, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of two counts of assaulting a police officer and one count of robbery. He is to be sentenced on Jan. 20, 2023, by the Honorable Jason Park.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, Patschak attended a demonstration at 16th and I Streets NW on Dec. 12, 2020. He was wearing a black military-style helmet, ski goggles, and a backpack with a camera mounted upon it. Amidst the chaos of the demonstration, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department conducted several arrests of protesters who were assaulting officers and other demonstrators. At approximately 4:30 p.m., Patschak observed police officers making an arrest, and he injected himself into the confrontation by shoving the main arresting officer. A fight ensued between Patschak and the police officer, and Patschak ripped the Body-Worn Camera (BWC) from the officer’s chest. The camera fell to the ground, and Patschak quickly snatched it up and put it in his pocket.
Several minutes later, Patschak approached a retreating police line, raising a middle finger and throwing water at the officers. Another MPD officer moved in to arrest Patschak, but Patshak resisted by punching the officer in the head several times. Eventually, officers were able to detain Patschak. During a search at the time of the arrest of Patschak, officers discovered the officer’s still-recording BWC in Patschak’s backpack.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty on all charges in an indictment.
The case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Secret Service.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua L. Hall and Alec Levy of the Case Initiation Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chip Willoughby, Paralegal Specialists Tonya Queen and Theresa Nelson, and Litigation Technology Specialist Maisha Treadwell.
Man from Pueblo of Jemez sentenced to three years in prison for sexual abuse of a minorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Edward Ray Loretto was sentenced on Nov. 14 to three years and one month in prison for sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country. Loretto, 41, of Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Jemez, pleaded guilty on Aug. 12.
On July 27, 2020, at his girlfriend’s house on the Pueblo of Jemez, Loretto, engaged in sexual intercourse with his girlfriend’s younger sister, who was 15 years old. According to a criminal complaint, Loretto and another individual provided alcohol to the victim prior to the sexual assault.
Upon his release from prison, Loretto will be subject to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Pueblo of Jemez Police Department investigated this case. The United States Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
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Man charged with preparing false joint income tax returnRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A tax preparer is set to appear in court on charges of preparing a false joint income tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Fabrice Mahinga is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Yvonne Ho at 2 p.m.
The charges allege that in 2018, Mahinga willfully prepared a false tax return listing fake Schedule C loss, Earned Income Tax Credit, American Opportunity Credit, additional child tax credit and a false claim for an income tax refund.
If convicted, Mahinga faces up to three years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
IRS - Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles J. Escher is prosecuting the case.
An information is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Man Admits Participating in Drug-Linked St. Louis MurderRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday admitted participating in a 2017 murder on behalf of a drug gang.
Tremayne Silas, 30, admitted being one of four men who fired more than 100 rounds at Alexander Noodel on May 8, 2017. Silas and the others were responding to a bounty of $5,000 to $15,000 that had been placed on rival gang members by Maurice Herbert Lee II, 34, a dealer of fentanyl and crystal methamphetamine, and had learned that Noodel was drag racing in St. Louis, Silas’ plea agreement says.
Silas and Christopher Jerrin Warlick Jr., now 26, Jerome Lamont Fisher Jr., 30, and Charles Dariel Guice, 27, drove to Noodel’s location in two vehicles, jumped out and opened fire, Silas’ plea agreement says. Noodel was struck in the head. His passenger, who returned fire, escaped.
Lee later paid the bounty for killing Noodel, Silas’ plea agreement says.
Silas was arrested by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department on Jan. 24, 2018 with the rifle he used in the shooting.
Silas pleaded guilty Tuesday in front of U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White to a charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime resulting in death.
At his February 15 sentencing, he faces up to life in prison for the charge.
Lee and the other three alleged shooters have pleaded not guilty to charges and their cases are still pending.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting the case.
Louisiana Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Participating in an Interstate Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
Natchez, Miss. – A Vidalia, Louisiana man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette, III, to 14 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.
Clifford Payne, Jr., 52, was indicted by a federal grand jury and subsequently pled guilty to use of a telephone in furtherance of a drug crime. According to court records, Payne had several telephone conversations with Kevin Singleton to obtain cocaine from Singleton for further distribution. Kevin Singleton was sentenced in 2021 to serve 35 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute heroin; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Payne was previously convicted in 1987 in the Seventh Judicial District Court, Ferriday, Louisiana, of aggravated battery with a dangerous weapon, and in 1990 in the same jurisdiction he was convicted of receiving stolen property.
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.
Leader of Warner Robins Meth Trafficking Organization Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – The leader of a Middle Georgia methamphetamine trafficking network responsible for the distribution of approximately 16 kilograms of the drug pleaded guilty in federal court today resulting from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation centered in Warner Robins, Georgia.
Ontarrio Veal aka Torrie, 32, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine before U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III today. Torrie faces a maximum term of 40 years in prison to be followed by at least four years of supervised release and a $5,000,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for March 7, 2023.
“Armed methamphetamine trafficking poses a grave danger to the safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Local and federal law enforcement agencies together have prevented this organization from continuing to push large amounts of a highly addictive and destructive illegal drug into Middle Georgia.”
“This investigation deals a fatal blow to a once-thriving ‘meth’ ring,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “With the leader facing up to 40 years behind bars, the community of Warner Robins and elsewhere can rest assured that their communities are much safer today thanks to the outstanding case work by DEA and our local law enforcement partners.”
“The Warner Robins Police Department is honored to have worked in conjunction with our federal partners through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces which resulted in the outcome of this case,” said Chief Wayne Fisher, Warner Robins Police Department. “It is through such local, state and federal partnerships that impacts such as these can be realized. It was with great work and effort from the men and women of this task force which resulted in these arrests that will have an immeasurable impact for the good of our shared communities.”
According to documents and other evidence admitted into court, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents and Warner Robins Police Department officers investigated Veal’s drug trafficking organization based out of Warner Robins from Jan. to June 2020. Law enforcement obtained court orders to intercept the phone calls and text messages from Veal’s and co-defendant Tamara Hall’s cell phones. Agents learned that Veal was a multi-kilogram methamphetamine dealer and surveilled Veal and various co-defendants conducting methamphetamine transactions, including traveling to Atlanta to purchase large quantities of methamphetamine. Veal was taken into custody on June 1 on a return trip from Atlanta. Officers found nearly three kilograms of methamphetamine and a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with a 50-round drum magazine. Agents later located open-source images on social media showing Veal with the pistol tucked into his waistband and the 50-round drum magazine hanging out. Agents executed search warrants at various locations in Middle Georgia on June 1, seizing multiple firearms and ammunition, approximately 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than $100,000 cash.
On Dec. 14, 2020, DEA agents conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Veal using a confidential source (CS). The CS met Veal at a local grocery store, and purchased the methamphetamine from him. Veal now admits his guilt, and admits he is responsible for distributing approximately 16 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Eight co-defendants have pleaded guilty and/or been sentenced in this case:
Donna Ussery, 31, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on April 19 and was sentenced to serve 100 months in prison on Oct. 4;
Marquell Gaines aka Paris, 38, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to use of a communication facility to conspire to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 48 months in prison on Oct. 11;
Reginald Lowe, 41, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Aug. 30. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 6;
Matthew Kay, 35, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Sept. 6. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 6;
Tamara Hall, 39, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on April 19. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 10, 2023;
Milton Simmons aka Mann, 40, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Aug. 1. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 10, 2023;
Parsa Ervin, 45, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to two counts of use of a communication facility to conspire to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Aug. 30. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 10; and
Eddie Linkhorn, 42, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to two counts of use of a communication facility to conspire to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 10.
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 is being investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Warner Robins Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Keyes is prosecuting the case.
Leader of Violent Chicago Street Gang Convicted on Federal Racketeering ChargeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury today convicted the leader of a Chicago street gang on racketeering conspiracy, firearm, and drug charges for participating in a criminal organization that murdered rivals and violently protected a drug-dealing operation on the West Side of Chicago.
The jury convicted DONALD LEE, 40, of Chicago, after a two-month trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Lee was a leader of the Wicked Town faction of the Traveling Vice Lords street gang. The jury also convicted TORANCE BENSON, 30, of Chicago, a member of the gang, on racketeering conspiracy and firearm charges.
Lee faces a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison, while Benson’s convictions carry a maximum potential sentence of life. U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin did not immediately set sentencing dates.
Lee and Benson were among 13 defendants charged as part of a multi-year investigation into the gang’s criminal activities. The other eleven defendants pleaded guilty prior to trial and are awaiting sentencing. The investigation resulted in the seizures of more than 45 firearms, approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition, approximately 17 kilograms of cocaine, approximately seven kilograms of heroin, and approximately 100 grams of crack cocaine.
Evidence at trial revealed that the Wicked Town gang engaged in numerous acts of violence, including at least 19 murders, 19 attempted murders, several armed robberies, and assaults. The gang used threats and intimidation to prevent victims and witnesses from cooperating with law enforcement. Wicked Town members regularly promoted their violent enterprise on social media, posting comments, photos, and videos to proclaim membership in the gang, taunt rival gang members, and boast about murders and other acts of violence. The gang operated primarily in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, where members maintained “trap houses” to store firearms and illegal narcotics, including cocaine and heroin.
The jury found that Lee committed three murders and supplied the firearms used in three other killings, while Benson committed one murder and three attempted murders.
The jury convictions were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey L. Matthews, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Substantial assistance in the investigation was provided by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation Division, Illinois State Police, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (HIDTA).
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles 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 alleged criminal networks.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John D. Mitchell, Jimmy L. Arce, Meghan C. Morrissey, and Beth E. Palmer.
Las Vegas Felon Sentenced to Prison for Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kent J. Dawson to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession with the intent to distribute heroin and felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on January 22, 2021, Brent Matthew Wilson (35) possessed with the intent to distribute over two ounces of heroin — a Schedule I controlled substance. The heroin was packaged in small balloons which is consistent with distribution. Wilson also possessed a scale and a Glock 17 handgun. Wilson has a prior felony conviction in Clark County, and he is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.
Wilson pleaded guilty in August 2022 to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Acting Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the ATF and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bianca Pucci prosecuted the case.
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Lantana, Fla., Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Sean Christopher Finnell, 51, of Lantana, Fla., has been sentenced to 160 months in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release for possessing thousands of images of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM).
A CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children revealed that Finnell had emailed himself CSEM in an effort to send the material from one of his devices to another.
In August 2020, Lantana Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, executed a search warrant at his one-bedroom residence, where he lived alone. During the investigation, law enforcement found more than 11,000 images of CSEM. Evidence showed that Finnell found CSEM online, saved the images by screenshotting them, and sent the images to new electronic devices he later acquired.
He was convicted by jury on March 30, 2022.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, HSI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI, West Palm Beach, and Lantana Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Schiller and Shannon O’Shea Darsch prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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 rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report online child sexual exploitation, use the electronic Cyber Tip Line or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in partnership with the FBI and other law enforcement.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Kansas Businessman Sentenced to Prison for Falsifying RecordsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN.– A Kansas businessman was sentenced to one year and a day in prison for his involvement in falsifying his company’s financial statements.
In January 2022, K. Kevin James, 65, of, Lenexa pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. James was a co-owner of KC United LLC, a holding company for multiple construction companies in Kansas City, Kansas, including Miller Paving LLC. According to court documents, James admitted that from 2008 to 2010, he coordinated with his accountant to manipulate Miller Paving’s quarterly financial records to falsely reflect profit to maintain the company’s banking and bonding relationships.
Also, James failed to make the payroll taxes payments for three of his companies to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) totaling approximately $5,282,509.
As part of his sentence, the court ordered James to pay more than $6 million in restitution to the IRS and the Bank of Blue Valley
“Employment taxes are an essential part of doing business. Business owners and their advisors have a responsibility to collect and turn over all taxes withheld to the IRS,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas Murdock. “Mr. James willfully conspired to falsify financial statements to avoid paying his share of his company’s employment taxes. The sentence reinforces the commitment of IRS-CI and its law enforcement partners to bringing tax cheats to justice.”
IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIG-TARP) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble prosecuted the case.
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Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force Announces Four New National Law Enforcement Partners as it Enters its Fourth YearRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) welcomed four new national law enforcement partners to the Strike Force, for a total of 34 agencies and offices committed to deterring, detecting, investigating and prosecuting antitrust crimes and related schemes that target government procurement, grants and program funding at all levels of government.
The four entities joining the PCSF are the Offices of Inspector General for the United States Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection Agency. Together, these offices are responsible for overseeing hundreds of billions of dollars in authorized funding that will be distributed to federal, state and local government agencies through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act of 2022. The offices have proven to be invaluable partners through their track records of working with the PCSF and the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.
“Recent legislation will finance billions of dollars for government procurements and grants,” Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division said upon announcing the new partners in Washington, D.C. “Expanding the PCSF’s national partnership to include these critical offices will better position the PCSF to protect taxpayer dollars and combat collusion in government spending.”
“The priority at Department of Energy’s Office of Inspector General is always to protect the American taxpayer’s investment,” said Inspector General Teri L. Donaldson for the Department of Energy. “Recent legislation established over fifty new programs, along with providing increased funding to existing programs at the Department of Energy. We must take all steps necessary to detect and deter fraud within the Department’s complex and the government. I am proud to be a national partner of the Procurement Collusion Strike Force and to work alongside DOJ and its other partners in this effort. I’d like to thank Assistant Attorney General Kanter for bringing us all together and providing this opportunity.”
“Rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending is at the core of our mission,” said Inspector General Mark Lee Greenblatt for the Department of Interior. “The Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General looks forward to partnering with the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and our law enforcement colleagues on the Strike Force to protect American taxpayers.”
“Those who cheat and collude in procurement place transportation safety at risk and deprive taxpayers of the transportation infrastructure to which they are entitled,” said Inspector General Eric J. Soskin for the Department of Transportation. “By joining this strike force, the DOT Office of Inspector General looks forward to leveraging partnerships with our fellow law enforcement community members to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse in Federal contracting and to holding wrongdoers accountable.”
“The Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General is pleased to join our law enforcement colleagues as part of the Procurement Collusion Strike Force,” said Inspector General Sean O’Donnell for the Environmental Protection Agency. “We look forward to partnering with others who share our commitment to investigating and combating antitrust and public procurement crimes.”
In November 2019, the Department of Justice created the PCSF, a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant, and program funding at all levels of government – federal, state and local. For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Justice Department Launches Investigation of Worcester Police DepartmentRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has opened a pattern or practice investigation into the Worcester Police Department (WPD). This civil investigation will assess whether WPD engages in a pattern or practice of excessive force or engages in discriminatory policing based on race or sex. The investigation will include a comprehensive review of policies, procedures, trainings, investigatory files and data. The investigation will also include a review of WPD’s systems of accountability, including its systems to address misconduct complaints and discipline. The department will also evaluate how WPD officers interact with the public, collect evidence and complete investigations.
“Based on information provided to the Justice Department, we find significant justification to investigate whether the Worcester Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of racially discriminatory and gender-biased policing, and uses excessive force,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Ensuring that our law enforcement officers act in a constitutional and non-discriminatory manner is among the highest priorities of the Department of Justice. Our pattern or practice investigations are a key tool in our efforts to ensure community safety and promote constitutional policing across the country. We look forward to working with officials towards the shared goals of ensuring constitutional, effective policing and fostering greater trust between law enforcement officers and the community members they serve.”
“The City of Worcester is a thriving and vital part of our district and we work closely every day with its Police Department,” said U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins for the District of Massachusetts. “WPD officers have a challenging job of ensuring the safety of the Worcester community. This often means responding to or encountering tense and at times dangerous conflicts and situations. I am well aware that the overwhelming majority of officers serve and do their jobs with honor, pride, restraint and distinction. The purpose of this civil investigation is to determine – through objective and thorough examination – whether or not there is an overall pattern or practice of conduct that violates the Constitution or federal law. This is the beginning of the process. We will go where the facts take us. You will hear from me at the end of the investigation, irrespective of outcome. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that policing in Worcester is constitutional, safe, and effective all while the civil rights of their residents remain intact. We thank the City of Worcester, and specifically Chief Sargent, for their cooperation and collaboration in this matter.”
The investigation is being conducted pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives individuals of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. The statute allows the department to remedy such misconduct through civil litigation. The Justice Department will be assessing law enforcement practices under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as well as under the Safe Streets Act of 1968 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
This is the second investigation of a Massachusetts law enforcement agency conducted pursuant to this statute. In 2018, the Justice Department opened an investigation of the Springfield Police Department, which was resolved by a consent decree in 2022.
Prior to this announcement, department officials informed Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty, Worcester Acting City Manager Eric Batista and Worcester Police Chief Steven Sargent of the investigation. They pledged to cooperate with the investigation. As part of this investigation, the department officials will reach out to community groups and members of the public to learn about their experiences with WPD.
The Special Litigation Section of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts will jointly conduct this investigation. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Department of Justice via email at [email protected] or by toll free phone at 888-221-6023. Individuals can also report civil rights violations regarding this or other matters using the Civil Rights Division’s reporting portal, available at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
Information specific to the Civil Rights Division’s Police Reform Work can be found here: /media/872116/dl?inline.
Justice Department Launches Civil Investigation of Worcester Police DepartmentRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and the Justice Department announced today that it has opened a pattern or practice investigation into the Worcester Police Department (WPD). This civil investigation will assess whether WPD engages in a pattern or practice of excessive force or engages in discriminatory policing based on race or sex. The investigation will include a comprehensive review of policies, procedures, trainings, investigatory files, and data. The investigation will also include a review of WPD’s systems of accountability, including its systems to address misconduct complaints and discipline. The Department will also evaluate how WPD officers interact with the public, collect evidence, and complete investigations.
“The City of Worcester is a thriving and vital part of our District and we work closely every day with its Police Department. Worcester police officers have a challenging job of ensuring the safety of the Worcester community. This often means responding to or encountering tense and at times dangerous conflicts and situations. I am well aware that the overwhelming majority of officers serve and do their jobs with honor, pride, restraint and distinction," said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “The purpose of this civil investigation is to determine – through objective and thorough examination – whether or not there is an overall pattern or practice of conduct that violates the Constitution or federal law. This is the beginning of the process. We will go where the facts take us. You will hear from me at the end of the investigation, irrespective of outcome. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that policing in Worcester is constitutional, safe, and effective all while the civil rights of their residents remain intact. We thank the City of Worcester, and specifically Chief Steven Sargent, for their cooperation and collaboration in this matter.”
“Based on information provided to the Justice Department, we find significant justification to investigate whether the Worcester Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of racially discriminatory and gender-biased policing, and uses excessive force,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Ensuring that our law enforcement officers act in a constitutional and non-discriminatory manner is among the highest priorities of the U.S. Department of Justice. Our pattern or practice investigations are a key tool in our efforts to ensure community safety and promote constitutional policing across the country. We look forward to working with officials towards the shared goals of ensuring constitutional, effective policing and fostering greater trust between law enforcement officers and the community members they serve.”
The investigation is being conducted pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives individuals of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. The statute allows the Department to remedy such misconduct through civil litigation. The Justice Department will be assessing law enforcement practices under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, as well as under the Safe Streets Act of 1968 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
This is the second investigation of a Massachusetts law enforcement agency conducted pursuant to this statute. In 2018, the Justice Department opened an investigation of the Springfield Police Department, which was resolved by a consent decree in 2022.
Prior to this announcement, Department Officials informed Worcester Police Chief Steven Sargent, Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty and Worcester Acting City Manager Eric Batista of the investigation. They pledged to cooperate with the investigation. As part of this investigation, Department officials will reach out to members of the public to learn about their experiences with WPD.
The Special Litigation Section of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts will jointly conduct this investigation. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Department of Justice via email at [email protected] or by toll free phone at 888-221-6023. Individuals can also report civil rights violations regarding this or other matters using the Civil Rights Division’s reporting portal, available at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Unit, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-ma/civil-rights. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Information specific to the Civil Rights Division’s Police Reform Work can be found here: /media/872116/dl?inline.
Jury convicts local man for possession of a pipe bombRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal jury in Corpus Christi has convicted a 44-year-old man for possessing an unregistered destructive device, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The jury deliberated for approximately 90 minutes before convicting Elden Don Brannan following a two-day trial.
On Feb. 23, law enforcement responded to reports of a family altercation involving Brannan. His sister informed authorities he had a pipe bomb in his room.
The jury heard from a law enforcement officer who explained how they located and disassembled the device. The item consisted of a fuse inserted into metal pipe wrapped in tape containing 39.7 grams of black powder and pyrotechnic stars, a wax-like substance and five U.S. dimes.
Laboratory analysis determined the powder, stars and fuse to be explosive materials. Testing also confirmed the device was destructive as the law defines. In addition, the bomb was not properly registered to Brannan in the National Firearms Registration and transfer record.
The defense tried to convince the jury Brannan had attempted to construct a firework. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge David Morales presided over trial and set sentencing for Feb. 7, 2023. At that time, Brannan faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Corpus Christi Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel Dunn and John Marck prosecuted the case with the help of Paralegal Rachel Gonzales.
Jefferson County Law Enforcement Actions to Combat Gun Crime Lead to Charges Against Seven MenRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Seven defendants charged in separate and unrelated gun and drug cases appeared in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Katrina Berger.
Last month a federal grand jury indicted seven individuals in Jefferson County on firearm charges. These indictments are the result of continued collaborative work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to remove drivers of violence from our communities. The majority of these individuals facing gun charges have at least two prior felony convictions. The total number of prior felony convictions among these individuals is 18. Of the seven, there is one individual who has seven felony convictions.
A second superseding indictment charges Cantrell Dehardric Harris, 33, of Birmingham, with two counts of obstruction of justice, one count of illegally possessing a Glock 10mm pistol and two rounds of Barnaul 7.62 caliber ammunition, one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to this indictment, Harris persuaded an individual to write an affidavit wherein she falsely claimed ownership of the Glock 10mm pistol that Harris was charged with illegally possessing. ATF investigated the case, along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristy M. Peoples and Alan Baty are prosecuting the case.
A three-count indictment charges that on July 7, 2022, Kiavante Montiez Green, 27, of Birmingham, possessed a firearm, that is, a Glock .40 caliber pistol, after having been previously convicted of a felony. The indictment also charged that he possessed with the intent to distribute a controlled substance containing a detectable about of heroin and carried the Glock .40 caliber pistol in connection with a drug trafficking crime. ATF investigated the case, along with the Trussville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John G. Camp is prosecuting the case.
A two-count indictment charges Elijah Javon Rockette, 19, of Birmingham, with illegally possessing a machine gun, that is, a Glock .40 caliber pistol equipped with a “Glock switch” – an after-market device designed to illegally convert a semiautomatic Glock pistol into a fully automatic machine gun. Rockette was also charged with receipt of an unregistered firearm. ATF investigated the case, along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer is prosecuting the case.
A one-count indictment charges that on July 27, 2022, Dantrell Dujuan Purifoy, 29, of Warrior, illegally possessed a Taurus 9mm, after having been previously convicted of a felony. ATF investigated the case, along with the Warrior Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Royster is prosecuting the case.
A one-count indictment charges that on September 19, 2022, Robert Ivan Salgado, 25, an undocumented individual and unlawfully in the United States, illegally possessed 138 rounds of Aguila ammunition. ATF investigated the case, along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy M. Peoples is prosecuting the case.
A one-count indictment charges that on September 10, 2022, Cedric Rozell Thomas, 33, of Birmingham, illegally possessed a High-Point .45 caliber pistol, after having been previously convicted of a felony. ATF investigated the case, along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darius C. Greene is prosecuting the case.
A one-count indictment charges that on October 3, 2020, Will David Parr, 23, of Birmingham, illegally possessed a Taurus .380 caliber pistol, after having been previously convicted of a felony. ATF investigated the case, along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Simpson is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Jake’s Fireworks Owner Sentenced to 15 years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking ViolationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas– The owner of Jake’s Fireworks has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Jake Ellis Daughtry, 35, of Nederland, pleaded guilty on Jan. 18, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a date rape drug over the internet to an unauthorized purchaser. Daughtry was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield.
According to information presented in court, Jake Daughtry was the owner and operator of Right Price Chemicals, a business located in Nederland that sold chemicals nationwide. An investigation of the organization began in 2018 when DEA West Palm Beach, Florida intercepted mail parcels of a chemical identified as 1,4 butanediol, commonly referred to as “BDO.” BDO is a chemical manufactured only for industrial or laboratory use as a floor stripper or vehicle wheel cleaner and is not intended for human consumption. Investigators determined that when BDO is ingested, it immediately metabolizes into GHB (also known as the date-rape drug) with the same effects, causing potential overdoses, addiction, and death. At least two people died after consuming BDO sold by Right Price Chemicals. Toxicology analysis determined that a GHB overdose was the cause of death in each case. Additionally, investigators found two additional victims who injured themselves after overdosing on BDO sold by Right Price Chemicals. Nearly 90 percent of the BDO Right Price Chemicals sold went to residential addresses.
DEA traced the seized parcels to their origination point, Right Price Chemicals, a business located on Twin City Highway in Nederland, Texas, and owned by Jake Daughtry. A seasonal fireworks business called “Jake’s Fireworks” is also operated at that location. Customers from all over the United States were able to order quantities of BDO from the Right Price Chemicals website in small amounts to use for personal consumption. The Daughtry’s continued to sell BDO even after becoming aware that some customers were ingesting the substance for its’ narcotic effect, rather than using it for its intended commercial purpose. Agents determined that since 2016, Right Price Chemicals has distributed approximately 7,000 gallons of BDO over thousands of orders, and that those sales generated $4.5 million. Daughtry and several members of his family who worked for him, were indicted by a federal grand jury on June 3, 2020.
In addition, Jake Daughtry, Joe Daughtry, Sandra Daughtry, and Kip Daughtry agreed to the entry of a permanent injunction that prohibits them, or Right Price Chemicals, to ever sell or distribute BDO to anyone, anywhere, at any point in the future.
“After being notified by Florida law enforcement that this dangerous and lethal chemical was being sold to users for a nefarious purpose, East Texas law enforcement agencies took action to protect the public and prevent others from falling prey to the sale and use of this dangerous substance,” said U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “This was a complicated investigation involving numerous investigative agencies and both the criminal and civil divisions of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Their collaborative efforts have made our community and country a safer place to live.”
“This is an important victory for the American public,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus, Jr, IRS Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office. “Not only is a criminal going to jail for his crimes, but we stopped the distribution of BDO through Right Price Chemicals from being used nefariously and getting into the wrong hands. IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to help protect the public and work alongside our law enforcement partners to bring criminals to justice.”
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 West Palm Beach, Florida, and Beaumont; U.S. Postal Service; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Essential support and coordination was provided by numerous components of DEA headquarters and the Department of Justice’s multi-agency Special Operations Division (SOD). This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Rapp, Donald Carter and Robert Wells.
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International Fugitive Arrested on 2012 Indictment for Scheme to Import Cocaine to United StatesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Guyanese citizen was arraigned today on drug conspiracy charges, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Dennis Edwards, aka “Death,” 38, is charged in an indictment returned in 2012 with conspiring to import five kilograms or more of cocaine from St. Maarten into the United States. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward S. Kiel in Newark federal court and was detained without bail
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Edwards was part of a criminal conspiracy that arranged to import cocaine into the United States. Edwards was arrested on Nov. 14, 2022, when he arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport after having been deported from the Dominican Republic.
The conspiracy charge against Edwards carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison and a maximum fine of $10 million.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, and deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos Jr., with the investigation leading to the charges. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Edwards’ arrest. U.S. Attorney Sellinger thanked officials in the Dominican Republic for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Inmate Sentenced to 18 Months for Attempting to Introduce ContrabandRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal inmate was sentenced on Tuesday to 18 months for attempting to introduce contraband, specifically Buprenorphine, a schedule III controlled dangerous substance, into the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina (“FCI Butner II”).
According to court documents, Malcolm Hird, 33, instructed a visitor to bring the Buprenorphine to FCI Butner II during a scheduled visit with him. Hird utilized phone calls and coded speech to instruct the visitor on how to successfully bring and transfer the contraband to him during the institution visit. The visitor, Hird’s co-defendant in this matter, did as instructed; however, she was intercepted by Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) investigators before being able to transfer the contraband. Following a search of her person, BOP staff uncovered a green balloon filled with a substance that later tested positive as Buprenorphine.
Hird pled guilty on May 12, 2021, to a Criminal Information charging him with attempting to obtain a prohibited object, to wit: Buprenorphine, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1791(a)(2) and (b)(1).
Michael Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced Hird. The Federal Bureau of Prisons investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Brooks Storus prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-CR-00427-FL.
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Inmate Sentenced for Escaping from A Halfway HouseRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Frederick Bush, 44, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced on Monday to 37 months in federal prison after being convicted of escaping from custody at a Tallahassee halfway house, following a jury trial on August 30, 2022. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Whether serving a sentence in a correctional institution or completing the sentence in a halfway house, defendants must abide by the terms of their confinement,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Escaping by scaling a wall or walking away will result in additional prison time, especially for those defendants found to be in engaged in further criminal conduct upon apprehension.”
Evidence introduced during the trial revealed that Bush was serving an 84-month sentence in federal prison for distribution of a controlled substance. The Bureau of Prisons placed Bush in a halfway house to complete his sentence, with an estimated release date of September 12, 2021. Bush signed a written acknowledgement of the rules of the halfway house which included notice that he could be prosecuted for escape if he failed to remain at the facility. On June 21, 2021, Bush walked away from the halfway house and was listed as an escapee. Halfway house staff conducted escape procedures which included contacting Bush telephonically and telling him to return to the facility. Bush stated he would not return to the facility. On July 28, 2021, Bush was arrested near Tifton, Georgia on unrelated narcotics charges.
“Any time that a federal prisoner escapes custody, whether by tunneling out of a cell or walking away from a halfway house, the U.S. Marshals Service will immediately investigate, and not stop until the escapee is recaptured.”
Bush’s additional term of imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release.
This case resulted from an investigation by the United States Marshal Service. Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Inmate Pleads Guilty to Possessing Weapon at FCI McDowellRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Artemas Roberts, 42, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell, pleaded guilty today to possession of a weapon by an inmate of a federal prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 6, 2022, FCI McDowell staff conducted a random visual search of Roberts. Staff found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” and several doses of a substance that Roberts admitted was suboxone. The shank was a sharpened metal medical scalpel with a plastic handle, and was designed and intended to be used as a weapon. Roberts admitted to possessing the shank and the suboxone, and further admitted that he did not have a prescription for the suboxone.
Roberts is scheduled to be sentenced on April 10, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.
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. 1:22-cr-143.
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Huntington Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Sunshine Amanda Taylor, 40, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 23, 2022, Taylor sold a short-barrel Savage Arms, model 94K, 12-gauge shotgun and approximately 6 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant on Park Drive in Huntington for $1,350.
Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced on February 13, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-158.
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Hopkinton Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Hopkinton man pleaded guilty today to federal charges of distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Christopher Leherissier, 34, admitted to a federal judge that, in February 2021, he uploaded video files of child pornography involving prepubescent children using an online messenger application account that he managed and that he stored child pornography on a mobile device.
In April 2021, the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force reviewed a report from the National Center for Missing and Expolited Children that a Kik platform user possessed and transferred child pornography. An ICAC investigation determined that an IP address, email address, and a Kik screen name untilized by Leherissier had been used to upload the images. During the execution of a court-authorized search warrant, investigators discovered multiple videos of child pornography on Leherissier’s mobile device and evidence that he used his email and Kik account to upload child pornography on February 16, 2021.
Leherissier is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, 2023.
Distribution of child pornography is punishable by statutory penalties of 5-20 years of incarceration to be followed by a term of up to lifetime supervised release. Possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 20 years of incarceration followed a term of up to lifetime supervised release. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dulce Donovan.
Homeland Security Investigations assisted the ICAC Task Force in the investigation of this matter.
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Highland County man sentenced to 25 years in prison for creating child pornography of sexual abuse of victim under 5 years oldRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Greenfield, Ohio, man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 25 years in prison for producing child pornography.
Nathan Lee Murray, 33, sexually exploited a victim under the age of five for the purpose of creating child pornography. As part of his sentence, he will be on supervised release for the rest of his life.
According to the indictment, in February 2021, when Murray was on parole with the state of Ohio for a prior sex offense, he possessed child pornography on his cell phone.
Further investigation by the FBI revealed that Murray had produced the child pornography by sexually assaulting a young victim. Murray’s left hand can be seen in the images; he has the word “LOVE” tattooed on his hand. In other images, Murray’s reflection is seen in the mirror.
Murray created the images and videos in July 2020 and February 2021.
Murray was sentenced in July 2021 in Highland County for the underlying sex abuse that was depicted in the videos. The local court ordered him to serve an indeterminant term of imprisonment of 15 years to Life. Murry will have to serve a minimum of 15 years before being considered for parole.
Murray will serve 15 years of his federal sentence after he is released from his local term of imprisonment.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Greenfield Police Chief Jeremiah Oyer announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Executive Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Muncy and Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Oakley are representing the United States in this case.
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Gladstone Woman Sentenced for Arson-for-Hire Attempt of KC BusinessRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Gladstone, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for attempting to hire an arsonist to destroy her commercial building in Kansas City, Mo., which contained several businesses.
Mia Lee Jamison, 70, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to three years in federal prison without parole on both counts to run concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release.
On June 2, 2022, Jamison pleaded guilty to one count of soliciting a crime of violence – specifically, to maliciously destroy a building by arson – and one count of making a false statement to investigators of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive.
Jamison admitted that she met with an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives at her home on several occasions in April 2019 to discuss hiring him to commit arson. She offered to pay the undercover agent $150,000 to burn her commercial building, Mia Plaza, which is located near the corner of 39th Street and Bell Avenue in Kansas City. Three businesses operated at that location at that time – 39th World of Spirits (a liquor and grocery store), Bob Wasabi Kitchen (a sushi bar), and Sahara Sheesha Lounge (a hookah lounge).
Jamison told the undercover agent that she was going to be losing ownership of the building due to a civil lawsuit, and wanted the building burned before April 29, 2019. She told the agent she had a $1.5 million insurance policy on the building (it was actually $2 million). She agreed to pay him $150,000 and gave him a deposit of $3,500. Jamison wanted the fire to look like an accident, and the undercover agent agreed to set the fire between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. to limit the risk to the tenants.
On April 28, 2019, Jamison met with the undercover agent for the last time. She told the undercover agent she had removed the video surveillance cameras at the building in preparation for the fire and wanted the building to be burned that night. Investigators recorded all the meetings between Jamison and the undercover agent by either audio or video recording equipment, or both.
At approximately 4 a.m. the next morning, federal investigators contacted Jamison at her residence. Investigators asked whether she burned down the building in question or whether she asked someone to burn the building down. On multiple occasions she denied requesting or hiring someone to destroy the building by fire.
Following the interview, they told Jamison her building had not actually been damaged by a fire but was still standing and placed her under arrest.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trey Alford and Patrick D. Daly. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Former Trap House Landlord and Associate of New Bedford Latin Kings Chapter SentencedRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former landlord and associate of the New Bedford Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) was sentenced today for racketeering and drug offenses.
Robert Avitable, a/k/a “Bobby,” 52, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel time served (approximately four days in prison) and three years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of 10 months in prison. On April 19, 2022, Avitable pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity and one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. As part of the plea agreement, Avitable has agreed to forfeit the three apartment buildings that he owned in the City of New Bedford. These apartment buildings, referred to as “trap houses” by the Latin Kings, were used by the gang in furtherance of the racketeering conspiracy.
Avitable was an associate of the Latin Kings enterprise in New Bedford, where he owned several apartment buildings. Avitable partnered with the Latin Kings and his properties became “trap houses” used by the gang to facilitate their crimes. The apartment buildings became centers of power for the Latin Kings and served as primary locations in which gang members resided, stored weapons, dealt drugs and coordinated violence. Avitable rented the apartments to Latin Kings members, knowing that they would be used to sell, store and manufacture drugs. It was from these properties, provided in partnership with Avitable, that the Latin Kings facilitated their campaign of street violence and drug dealing. Avitable was a key player in facilitating the Latin Kings’ expansion in the area, as the apartment buildings provided powerful infrastructure to recruit members and lure vulnerable juveniles to join the gang with the promises of housing and brotherhood.
Avitable directly associated and partnered with Jorge Rodriguez, a/k/a “King G,” who at the time was second in command of Latin Kings leadership in Massachusetts. In doing so, Avitable granted a safe haven to the Latin Kings – allowing crimes to fester and grow more brazen as members operated with a sentence of impunity. Street brawls, beatings, shootings and robberies regularly occurred within, or in front of, the apartment buildings. In October 2019, a juvenile Latin Kings member was murdered steps away from one of the trap houses.
Despite the fact that police executed search warrants in the rental units controlled by the Latin Kings numerous times, Avitable continued to rent the units to the gang and was captured on multiple recordings in discussions with gang leaders. Avitable even was captured on recording discussing the manner of completing a joint real estate deal with Rodriguez. During this recording, Avitabile explains how he would launder Rodriguez’s drug proceeds through the transaction and avoid the bank scrutinizing the source of the funds.
In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. In total, 60 defendants in the case have pleaded guilty. Of the 62 charged defendants in the indictment, two remain in warrant status. All of the remaining 60 defendants have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing. Avitable is the 56th defendant to be sentenced.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Forfeiture Unit, prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The two remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Sell FentanylRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Craig Wiggin, 44, formerly of Rochester, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to one count of conspiracy to sell fentanyl, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2021, Wiggin conspired with other individuals to sell approximately 225 grams of fentanyl to an individual cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and to an FBI Task Force Officer, who was acting in an undercover capacity as a drug customer. The drug sales occurred at various locations in Rochester, New Hampshire.
Wiggin is scheduled to be sentenced on February 23, 2023.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s New Hampshire Major Offender Task Force and the New Hampshire State Police’s Narcotics Investigations Unit. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer C. Davis.
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Former Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Chairman and Architecture Firm Owner Sentenced in Bribery CaseRead the Press Release
UPDATE: On Sept. 27, 2024, the First Circuit Court of Appeals reversed David DeQuattro’s conviction for federal-program bribery. The case was remanded for further proceedings. On Oct. 21, 2024, the Court ordered the defendant acquitted.
UPDATE: On Sept. 27, 2024, the First Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Cedric Cromwell’s convictions on the federal program bribery counts and reinstated his extortion convictions.
BOSTON – The former Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the owner of an architecture-and-design firm in Providence, R.I. were sentenced today for bribery relating to the Tribe’s plans to build a resort and casino in Taunton, Mass.
Cedric Cromwell, 57, of Attleboro, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to three years in prison and one year of supervised release. David DeQuattro, 56, of Warwick, R.I., was sentenced by Judge Woodlock to one year of probation to be spent in home confinement with electronic monitoring. Cromwell and DeQuattro were each also ordered to pay fines in the amounts of $25,000 and $50,000, respectively.
On May 5, 2022, the defendants were convicted by a federal jury following a 10-day trial. Specifically, Cromwell was convicted of two counts of accepting bribes as an agent of an Indian tribal government, three counts of extortion under color of official right and one count of conspiring to commit extortion. DeQuattro was convicted of one count of paying a bribe to an agent of an Indian tribal government. Cromwell continues to face four remaining charges of filing a false tax return. At today’s sentencing, Judge Woodlock granted Cromwell’s motion for acquittal on the extortion counts but denied the defendants’ motions for acquittal on the bribery counts.
Cromwell was the Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and President of the Tribe’s Gaming Authority. DeQuattro’s architecture-and-design company signed a contract to serve as the Gaming Authority’s owner representative for the First Light Resort and Casino, which the Tribe was building in Taunton. Cromwell accepted three bribes from DeQuattro in exchange for an agreement to protect DeQuattro’s firm’s contract: $10,000 in November 2015; a Bowflex Revolution home gym in August 2016; and a weekend stay at an upscale Boston hotel in May 2017. DeQuattro was found guilty of bribing Cromwell with regard to the Bowflex and the hotel stay.
“Mr. Cromwell was elected to represent the 12,000-year-old Wampanoag Tribe. He received the privilege of leading the Mashpee Wampanoag people, who put their faith and trust in him with each ballot they cast. Rather than striving to make his community better through honorable deeds of service, he dishonored his people and his position by accepting bribes for his own personal gain,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “It is my hope that today’s sentence brings accountability to the Mashpee Wampanoag community and closes the door on this dark chapter in their rich history. Just last week, I had the privilege of meeting with tribal leaders in Mashpee. I look forward to continued positive interactions and supporting opportunities for education and growth with the tribe members in Mashpee.”
“Cedric Cromwell abused his elected position and betrayed the trust of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe by seeking to monetize his position of power at every turn. He solicited and accepted thousands of dollars in bribes from David DeQuattro over three years and went to great lengths to try and conceal their criminal conduct,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s sentence makes it clear that the FBI will not hesitate to investigate elected officials who commit illegal acts for their own selfish and unlawful gain.”
According to evidence presented at trial, in November 2015, Cromwell received a $10,000 personal check from DeQuattro and deposited it into a bank account for a company he had formed called One Nation Development LLC. Cromwell’s website described One Nation Development as helping Native American tribes with economic development. It stated, “One Nation works with Federal and State agencies on behalf of Native American communities. We have relationships with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and provide our Native community clients with direct and active engagement with these various agencies.” The website touted experience in the areas of strategic planning, gaming, hospitality and legal services. It stated, “One Nation Development is comprised of a team of committed professionals that bring together several decades of collective wisdom and experience to the work done on behalf of client communities. Each professional is individually committed to the One Nation approach: a multi-generational approach to advance community-building solutions.” In fact, One Nation Development had no employees and Cromwell spent DeQuattro’s check on personal expenses.
In August 2016, Cromwell asked DeQuattro for a piece of exercise equipment. In turn, DeQuattro and his business partner bought a used Bowflex on Craigslist for $1,700 and had it delivered to Cromwell’s home. Cromwell told DeQuattro he was disappointed it was used.
In May 2017, Cromwell texted DeQuattro: “Hello Dave. I hope all is well. My Birthday is coming up this Friday May 19th and I wanted to spend Friday through Monday at a very nice hotel in Boston for my Birthday weekend. Is it possible that you can get me a nice hotel room at the Four Seasons or a suite at the Seaport Hotel? I am going to have a special guest with me. Please let me know and Thank You.” DeQuattro forwarded the text to his business partner, writing, “U can’t think of this stuff…..what is next?” DeQuattro and his business partner paid over $1,800 for Cromwell to stay in an Executive Suite King – Harbor View at the Seaport Boston Hotel for three nights.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI Boston SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by Attleboro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Wichers and Jared C. Dolan of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
With respect to the tax charges, the details contained in the charging document are allegations. Cromwell is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dubois Man Distributed Meth as Part of Larger ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Dubois, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to violation of federal narcotics laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced today.
Morgan Gregory, age 33, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possesses with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and one count of possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. Gregory was one of 47 defendants charged in six related indictments as part of the Return to Sender investigation.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Gregory was a methamphetamine distributor who obtained between 200 grams and 350 grams of methamphetamine as part of a large-scale methamphetamine distribution conspiracy and redistributed it to methamphetamine users. Additionally, officers seized approximately three ounces of methamphetamine from Gregory on Oct. 8, 2020.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Gregory on March 13, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a sentence of not less than five years to a maximum of forty years in prison, a fine not to exceed $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The court ordered that the defendant remain detained pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan D. Lusty and Michael R. Ball are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Drug Dealer Charged with Trafficking 19 Kilos of FentanylRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Frank A. Tarentino III, the Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced that JUSTO VARGAS was charged for possessing nearly 20 kilograms of fentanyl with the intent to distribute it, in concert with others. VARGAS was arrested on Sunday and presented yesterday before Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendant conspired to distribute fentanyl, one of the deadliest drugs on Earth. Thanks to our law enforcement partners, nearly 20 kilograms of this poison have been taken off the street.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
On or about November 13, 2022, VARGAS met with a confidential source to sell that confidential source approximately 19 kilograms of fentanyl. VARGAS arrived at the Cross County Center parking lot in Yonkers, New York, and parked adjacent to the confidential source’s vehicle. The parties exited their respective vehicles and stood next to the open trunk of VARGAS’s vehicle, which contained what appeared to the confidential source to be 19 kilograms of fentanyl. Agents and officers then intervened and arrested VARGAS and seized the fentanyl, which is pictured below:
* * *
VARGAS, 31, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams and more of fentanyl and one count of conspiring to do the same. Those offenses carry mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years in prison and maximum potential sentences of life in prison.
The mandatory minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the DEA’s New York Drug Enforcement Task Force comprising agents and officers of the DEA, New York City Police Department, and New York State Police. Mr. Williams also thanked the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Yonkers Police Department for their assistance in this case.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Arad is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitutes only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Drexel Man Sentenced to 19 Years for Failed Bank Robbery, FirearmsRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Drexel, Mo., man who shot at law enforcement officers while fleeing from a failed bank robbery was sentenced in federal court today.
Jacob Allen Monteer, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 19 years and two months in federal prison without parole.
Monteer was found guilty following a bench trial on March 21, 2022, of one count of bank robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of being a drug user in possession of firearms.
On Nov. 30, 2017, Monteer attempted to rob US Bank, 401 W. Newton in Versailles, Mo. Monteer, armed with a Springfield 9mm semi-automatic pistol that had been reported as stolen during a residential burglary the day before, walked into the bank with a bandana across his face and demanded money at gunpoint. Monteer, who was barefoot, jumped over the teller station and opened the teller drawer, but there was no money in the drawer. Monteer fled from the bank in a 2014 Dodge Ram that had been stolen from a worksite in Kansas a few days earlier.
As Monteer led law enforcement officers on a high-speed pursuit at speeds in excess of 100 miles-per-hour, he fired four shots through the windshield of the pickup at the police chief of Stover, Mo., who had set up a roadblock. Monteer then lost control of the stolen vehicle and crashed into a tree. He attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended by the sheriff of Morgan County. During their struggle, Monteer was able to fire a round from the sheriff’s AR-15 .223-caliber rifle before being subdued.
Officers searched his vehicle and found the loaded 9mm pistol as well as a Mossberg rifle that also had been reported as stolen, a loaded magazine for the rifle, and drug paraphernalia. Monteer later admitted to law enforcement officers that he was a drug addict and used methamphetamine on a daily basis.
This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the FBI, the Morgan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Stover, Mo., Police Department, and the Versailles, Mo., Police Department.
Criminals Siphon Money from Local Businesses via Stolen ChecksRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Eight people were indicted by a grand jury for a bank fraud conspiracy scheme stemming from checks stolen from the mail, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Detroit Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Kevin Jones, 57, of Detroit, Flent Curney, 62, of Detroit, John Randazzo, 52, of Warren, Feraud Curney, 38, of Detroit, Filan Curney, 39, of Detroit, Ferris Curney, 34, of Detroit, Melody Leggett, 37, of Detroit, and Katana Jackson, 45, of Detroit, devised and participated in a scheme to obtain checks sent through the United States Postal Service intended for legitimate businesses. The conspirators would then incorporate fictitious businesses with similar-sounding names to the legitimate businesses and then open bank accounts in the names of those fictitious businesses. The defendants then deposited the checks intended for the legitimate business into the fraudulent bank accounts. The conspirators then depleted the money from these accounts via cash withdrawals, debit card purchases, and cashier’s checks. The defendants have been charged with bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
This case has been assigned to United States District Judge Denise Page Hood. The defendants could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Secret Service, and Wixom Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Ramamurthy and Sarah Youngblood.
Crafton Felon Charged with Drug and Gun Law OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Crafton, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The three-count Second Superseding Indictment named Robert Allen, age 43, as the sole defendant.
According to the Second Superseding Indictment, from in and around April 2017, and continuing thereafter until in and around May 11, 2017, Allen conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Additionally, on May 11, 2017, Allen possessed with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possessed a firearm as a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $10,000,000.00 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Katherine C. Jordan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Second Superseding Indictment in this case.
A second superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Correctional Officer Charged with Accepting Bribes and Smuggling Contraband into NEOCCRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Northeast Ohio Correctional Center (NEOCC) correctional officer was charged on Nov. 14, 2022, in a four-count Information for his role in a scheme to smuggle contraband into the NEOCC in return for bribery payments.
Terry Terrigno, 30, of Canfield, Ohio, was charged with one count each of providing narcotics, marijuana and tobacco to inmates and one count of accepting bribes.
According to court documents, from February 2017 to July 2019, Terrigno allegedly smuggled suboxone, marijuana and tobacco to NEOCC prison inmates in return for electronic bribery payments made through a mobile phone application.
An Information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violation.
In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case was investigated by the Cleveland FBI and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Seabury Gould.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Cambridge man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to illegally possessing ammunition as a previously convicted felon.
Kyle Evans, 36, of Cambridge, pleaded guilty on Nov. 9, 2022 to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Feb. 23, 2023. Evans was initially charged by criminal complaint in October 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2020.
In August 2020 Evans was pulled over in Everett by local law enforcement after failing to stop his vehicle at a red light. When asked for his license and registration, Evans stated that he did not have a license. Law enforcement confirmed that Evans’ driver’s license was suspended and he was subsequently placed under arrest, at which time four rounds of .22LR caliber ammunition were found in his left pants pocket.
Due to a prior conviction punishable by at least one year in prison that he had received, Evans was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
The charge of being a felon in possession of ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Chicago Man Sentenced to Nine and a Half Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Fire Loaded Gun at Federal AgentRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man was sentenced today to nine and a half years in federal prison for attempting to fire a loaded gun at federal agents and task force officers while holding a toddler.
JOSEPH HAMMOND, 35, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to assaulting a federal officer and using a firearm during a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah imposed the sentence after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.
On June 3, 2020, agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives approached Hammond near the 6800 block of South Sangamon Street in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood while investigating a report of a man holding a gun and a toddler. As the agents and officers approached in a vehicle, Hammond pointed the gun at an agent and said, “move along.” Hammond pulled the trigger, but it misfired.
Hammond then ran from the area while holding the toddler. The agents pursued Hammond and arrested him nearby. Neither the toddler nor the agents were injured.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey L. Matthews, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.
“By running through Englewood at 1:00 a.m. and brandishing a loaded firearm at law enforcement, defendant threatened the lives of the law enforcement officers, the public, and his own family,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Misty N. Wright argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “It is this rush to threats and violence that is getting people killed in our communities.”
Chesterfield Psychiatrist Admits Conspiracy Linked to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A psychiatrist from Chesterfield, Missouri on Tuesday pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk to a felony conspiracy charge and admitted that Medicare, Medicaid and other insurers lost more than $3.8 million based on fraudulent reimbursement claims submitted by clinical laboratories that he owned.
Dr. Franco Sicuro, 67, has also agreed to forfeit $3.1 million from various sources.
Sicuro ran, owned, served as the medical director of or was associated with health care businesses including Millennium Psychiatric Associates LLC (MPA), Advanced Geriatric Management (AGM), Centrec Care, Sleep Consultants of St. Louis LLC, Midwest Toxicology Group, Genotec Dx and Benemed Diagnostics LLC.
In 2014, AGM was certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) and was then allowed to perform quantitative lab testing. That same year, Sicuro and Carlos Himpler opened another lab, Genotec, that was in the same building as AGM but would bill insurance companies as a separate, “out-of-network” lab. To obtain CLIA certification for Genotec, Himpler and AGM staff falsely stated that AGM and Genotec operated as separate labs, although AGM and Genotec shared one part-time employee, the same medical director and the same testing equipment, Sicuro’s plea agreement says. Without the CLIA certification, Genotec could not perform any clinical lab testing.
Sicuro also admitted in his plea that he chose to remain “deliberately ignorant” of the fact that his financial interest in Genotec was concealed from private health care insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid. As a result, the insurers did not know that Sicuro and employees of AGM were referring patients for urine tests to a lab in which Sicuro had a financial interest.
Sicuro also admitted that he and other health care providers at AGM, MPA, Sleep Consultants and Rest Easy of St. Louis LLC, a company run by Himpler, ordered clinical lab tests, including urine toxicology tests, that AGM and Genotec then sent to outside “reference” laboratories for more sophisticated testing that would show the quantities of drugs instead of simply detecting their presence, as AGM’s lab equipment did.
AGM or Genotec paid the reference labs about $125 for a test and then billed insurers significantly more but did not disclose to the insurers that neither AGM nor Genotec had actually performed the tests. Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurers would not have paid the “pass-through billing” claims had they known about it, Sicuro’s plea says.
In 2015, Sicuro and Himpler incorporated Midwest, which they held out as a clinical testing lab although it did not have equipment, staff or supplies necessary to perform tests. Further Midwest was not certified by CLIA or authorized to perform tests of human specimens. Sicuro admitted that he and Himpler knew Midwest was a lab in name only but caused Midwest to bill for clinical lab tests. Sicuro further admitted that he either knew or was willfully blind to the fact that Himpler used Genotec’s CLIA certification number on reimbursement claims submitted by Midwest, deceiving health insurers into believing that Midwest performed the tests. Genotec and Midwest also frequently “split-billed;” each submitted a claim for the testing of the same specimen obtained from the same person on the same day of service.
Sicuro is scheduled to be sentenced February 8. He faces a penalty of up to five years in prison and will be ordered to repay the money.
“Providers engaging in fraudulent schemes not only compromise the integrity of essential federal health care programs but also waste valuable taxpayer dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Curt L. Muller with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "Alongside fellow law enforcement agencies, HHS-OIG holds accountable bad actors who exploit these programs for personal gain."
The case is pending against Himpler, 51, of the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, health care fraud and money laundering.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the IRS. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dorothy McMurtry, Amy Sestric and Kyle Bateman are prosecuting the case.
Cary Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years for Role in Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. –Antonio Deon Fozard, of Cary, was sentenced today to 151 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy and health care fraud. On February 25, 2021, Fozard pleaded guilty to the charges. As part of the judgment, Fozard was also ordered to pay $4,242,794 in criminal restitution to the North Carolina Fund for Medical Assistance.
“This defendant stole millions intended to provide healthcare to low-income families,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute those that mastermind these unconscionable schemes to misuse taxpayer funds meant to help those in need.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, between approximately 2012 and 2017, Fozard was a leader in a multi-district conspiracy to defraud the North Carolina Medicaid system through the submission of more than $7 million in false and fraudulent claims for the reimbursement of behavioral health services. Medicaid is a federally funded health care benefit program that helps pay for medical services for low-income individuals and their families. In North Carolina, Medicaid is administered by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Benefits.
Fozard owned and operated a number of behavioral health companies that purported to provide services to Medicaid beneficiaries in the Middle and Eastern Districts of North Carolina, including Group Service, Group Service Solution, Zoofari Kids, and In Touch of Care. Each of these entities engaged in a systematic effort to steal from Medicaid by billing for services that were never rendered.
Group Service maintained offices at various times in Raleigh, Dunn, Durham, and Sanford. Among other things, Group Service employed co-conspirators Reginald Van Reese, Jr., and Ruben Samuel Matos to canvas low-income neighborhoods to identify eligible Medicaid recipients and collect their personal identifying information (PII), including their Medicaid identification numbers. The harvested PII was then incorporated into false and fraudulent claims that Group Service submitted to Medicaid for reimbursement. Various “note writers,” including co-conspirator Humberto “Ghost” Mercado, were enlisted to fabricate supporting documentation in the event of a Medicaid audit. At one point during the conspiracy, Group Service was audited by a Medicaid contractor. To obstruct the audit, Fozard directed note writers to fabricate medical records and then caused those records to be provided to investigators.
During much of the same time period, Fozard and another co-conspirator, Sharita Mathis Richardson, were operating Zoofari Kids, which was similarly defrauding North Carolina Medicaid. Zoofari operated in Durham and Garner. The Durham location shared the same address as Group Service and purported to provide mental health treatment to Medicaid recipients. The Garner location was strictly a drop-in daycare facility. The daycare, however, was effectively funded by Medicaid fraud proceeds paid out to Zoofari’s mental health business. Under Fozard’s leadership, Zoofari filed thousands of false claims in the name of a rendering provider whose information was used without his knowledge or consent, obtained lists of stolen Medicaid beneficiary information for incorporation into the fraudulent billings, and created fake medical records.
After Group Service was barred from billing Medicaid, Fozard engaged in another billing scheme through a different business, In Touch of Care. According to the investigation, In Touch of Care recycled Medicaid information from fraudulent billings submitted by prior Fozard-controlled entities. Additionally, Fozard caused In Touch of Care to bill for services using the clinician information for a nurse practitioner who never performed the listed services.
In addition to engaging in health care fraud through businesses under his direct control, Fozard collaborated with third party owners and operators of other purported behavioral health companies for the purpose of cheating the Medicaid system. For example, Fozard conspired with brothers Jerry and Tony Taylor, the owners of Taylor Behavioral Health and Options Driven in Monroe, North Carolina, by selling them lists of stolen Medicaid beneficiary information for use in their own fraudulent billings.
Reginald Van Reese, Jr., Ruben Samuel Matos, Humbert Mercado, and Sharita Mathis Richardson, each pleaded guilty to health care fraud charges and were sentenced to prison in related cases filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina. Co-conspirators Jerry and Tony Taylor pleaded guilty to heath care fraud charges and were sentenced to prison in related cases filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina.
Michael Easley, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina Medicaid Investigations Division investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case for the government.
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-446-FL.
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Bristol Man Charged with Sex Trafficking, Related OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment today charging DAVID MARSHALL, also known as “Saint,” 37, of Bristol, with sex trafficking and related offenses.
As alleged in court documents, between January and April 2022, Marshall trafficked an adult female victim. He sold the victim for commercial sex and repeatedly raped and beat the victim if she did not follow his orders. Marshall also controlled the victim by plying her with fentanyl and threatening to harm her family. In March 2022, the victim attempted to escape from Marshall and obtained an order of protection against him after he was arrested by Cromwell Police for threatening to kill her. On April 27, 2022, Marshall was arrested by police in Freeport, Maine, after he severely beat the victim. While in jail, Marshall contacted the victim in violation of the protection order, and attempted to convince her not to cooperate with the police and to continue to prostitute herself to earn money to bail him out of jail. Marshall also contacted another person from jail in an attempt to remotely erase the evidence on his cell phone, but he was unable to do so because the FBI had already secured the phone.
The indictment charges Marshall with one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; one count of attempted obstruction of sex trafficking enforcement, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 25 years; and one count of interstate violation of a protection order, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, but the maximum penalty may be increased to 10 years if the conduct resulted in serious bodily injury to the victim, or to life imprisonment if the conduct constituted sexual abuse or aggravated sexual abuse.
Marshall has been detained since his arrest on a federal criminal complaint in Maine on October 31, 2022. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Newington Police Department, Cromwell Police Department, Freeport (Maine) Police Department, and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel M. Krull and Amanda S. Oakes.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine for its assistance in this case.
Bremerton, Washington man who distributed pound quantities of methamphetamine sentenced to 9 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 48-year-old Bremerton, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 9 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour noted that it was Michael Wood’s third federal conviction, and that he did poorly while on supervised release. “He has the most revocations (of supervised release) that I have seen in 40 years on the bench,” Judge Coughenour said.
“Mr. Wood has racked up state and federal convictions for drug dealing, partnering with some of the most violent drug cartel members our district has seen,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “He was distributing multiple pounds of methamphetamine. The damage his extensive drug dealing has done to the community cannot be overstated.”
In this most recent conviction, Wood was distributing methamphetamine for a leader of a drug operation tied to Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). An extensive wire-tape investigation resulted in the indictment of 19 defendants in July 2020. When authorities went to arrest Wood at the half-way house where he had been residing, he fled and avoided arrest for nearly a year. He was taken into custody on June 10, 2021, after once again attempting to run from police. Wood pleaded guilty on July 27, 2022.
In asking for a significant sentence, prosecutors described Wood’s lengthy criminal history. He was first convicted of possession of methamphetamine in 2001. He also possessed a firearm. In 2003 he was first convicted federally for distributing methamphetamine for a large drug trafficking organization. In 2011 he was convicted of drug trafficking in Kitsap County. While on supervision for the 2011 drug case, he was charged federally in 2015, again for distributing meth for a large drug organization. Wood was released in 2018, and while on supervision for both the 2011 state case and 2015 federal case, he committed the drug distribution crimes for which he was sentenced today.
“Wood’s history demonstrates that he has spent the vast majority of his life engaged in drug trafficking. On his third federal conviction, he has not been deterred from the criminal lifestyle and rather, has continued at each turn to associate himself with high-level drug trafficking organizations that supplied him with significant quantities of methamphetamine to redistribute. His complete noncompliance with terms of supervision further underscores the need for a significant sentence,” Assistant United States Attorney Amy Jaquette wrote in the government sentencing memo.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Tacoma Resident Office in partnership with Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement Team (TNET), Kent Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, SeaTac Police Department, Thurston County Narcotics Team (TNT), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amy Jaquette and C. Andrew Colasurdo.
Branford Sex Offender Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Possessing & Distributing Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL HOLM, 43, of Branford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 156 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for possessing child sex abuse images.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately September 1, 2014 to March 8, 2021, Holm possessed images and videos of child pornography on his iPhone and in his online Dropbox account. He also used various other websites and mobile applications, such as ChatStep, Kik, Discord, Skype, and others, to distribute child pornography to others, sometimes in exchange for child pornography in return. A review of Holm’s iPhone and online accounts revealed that, during this time period, he possessed at least 142 unique image files and 118 unique video files of child pornography, including images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.
Holm engaged in some of this conduct while he was on federal supervised release for a prior child pornography offense. In August 2011, Holm was sentenced to three months of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for possession of child pornography.
The penalties in this matter were enhanced based on Holm’s prior conviction.
Holm has been detained since his arrest on May 24, 2021. On September 9, 2021, he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.
Judge Dooley ordered Holm to pay $29,000 in restitution to victims whose images he possessed and distributed.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neeraj N. Patel and Katherine E. Boyles.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Boulder Man Pleads Guilty to Covid FraudRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Russell Bryant Lester, age 41, of Boulder, has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for taking money from pandemic relief funds by filing false applications.
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The two primary sources of funding for small businesses were the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
According to the plea agreement, from March 2020, through August 2020, Lester made false statements to obtain EIDLs and PPP loans. During the same period, Lester also made false statements to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment about not being employed in any capacity in order to collect pandemic unemployment benefits from the state.
The SBA funded four EIDLs for a total of $217,400, awarded three grants through the EIDL program totaling $16,000, and funded two PPP applications in an amount totaling $317,975. A third PPP loan application—requesting a loan of $297,200—was not funded.
In April 2020, Lester applied for pandemic unemployment benefits from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. In his application for unemployment benefits, he stated that he was not currently working or receiving pay as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that he had not received pay since January 15, 2020. Subsequently, between April and October 2020, Lester completed weekly certifications wherein he falsely stated he did not work or receive any money or payments from an employer. As a result of these false certifications, he collected $17,578 in pandemic unemployment benefits from the state of Colorado. Lester knew these certifications to be false: in reality, he received $551,175 in COVID-relief funds in this period, some of which he used to pay himself. Lester spent portions of EIDL and PPP loan proceeds for non-eligible expenses, including paying old debts unrelated to the businesses receiving the loans and extending high-interest loans to other individuals.
Judge Daniel D. Domenico presided over the change of plea hearing on November 15, 2022. The defendant will be sentenced on February 7, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Denver Division. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Craig Fansler, Sarah Weiss and Rebecca Weber.
CASE NUMBER: 21-cr-00230
Boston Man Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for gun and drug offenses.
Omari Peterson, 39, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Douglas P. Woodlock to 66 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On March 29, 2022, Peterson pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine) and two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
In January 2021, an investigation began into drug trafficking activities by Peterson in the Boston area. On Feb. 18, 2021, Peterson sold crack cocaine and cocaine to a cooperating witness. A search of Peterson’s apartment on March 5, 2021 resulted in the seizure of two firearms, a Sig Sauer P220 pistol and a Ruger LCP .380 pistol, along with 136 rounds of various caliber ammunition. During a subsequent search of Peterson’s storage unit in Quincy on March 6, 2021, six additional firearms and 67 rounds of various caliber ammunition were also seized.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Randolph Police Chief Anthony Marag; and Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and 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.
Bixby Man Sentenced to Serve Five Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Steal Trade Secrets from Oklahoma City Oil and Gas CompanyRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, JOSHUA DECKER, 37, of Bixby, Oklahoma, was sentenced to serve 60 months in federal prison for conspiracy to steal trade secrets, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma.
On May 26, 2021, the government filed a one-count Superseding Information charging Decker with conspiracy to steal, download, and possess trade secrets. According to the Superseding Information, Decker was a controller for the valve division of an oil and gas company that serves customers engaged in drilling and production. With its valve operations headquartered in Oklahoma City, the company manufactures compact manifold ball valves sold across the United States. In March 2017, while employed as the controller at the company, Decker registered with the Oklahoma Secretary of State a new company called Legacy Valve Systems ("Legacy"). He then recruited co-workers at the victim company to join him at Legacy.
The Superseding Information alleges that from March to September 2017, Decker conspired to steal numerous trade secrets from the victim company. Specifically, it alleges Decker and others acting at his direction downloaded the technical drawings, material specifications, and manufacturing instructions for the victim company’s valves, and Decker transmitted the victim company’s detailed financial information—including cost information and sales by product and customer—by email to himself. The Superseding Information further alleges that Decker provided the victim company’s drawings to an individual who copied them and replaced the victim company’s logo with a Legacy logo to begin manufacturing and selling valves to compete with the victim company. Decker then directed others to delete all their text messages and files, including messages on an encrypted application, to conceal their theft from the victim company.
On June 2, 2021, Decker pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal trade secrets. Decker admitted that the victim company undertook several measures to protect their information as trade secrets. Decker admitted that he, along with others, planned to take and use the drawings of the victim company’s valves to create products for Legacy. He also admitted that he possessed many of the drawings on his own laptop. Decker also admitted that he instructed those working with him to delete their communications about the drawings they took.
At yesterday’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Decker to serve 60 months in federal prison for his conduct, followed by three years of supervised release. Decker was also ordered to pay a total of $1,116,885.49 in restitution to the victim oil company. In arriving at the sentence, Judge Palk noted Decker’s history and characteristics, the nature and circumstances and seriousness of the offense, and the need to deter others from undertaking similar conduct.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Oklahoma City Field Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Gridley.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm in a School Zone and for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Other DrugsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Vashawn Watkins, age 22, of Baltimore, Maryland, today to nine years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for federal charges of illegal possession of a firearm in a school zone and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Baltimore City Sheriff John W. Anderson; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, from October 2020 through March 1, 2021, Watkins was engaged in drug trafficking involving large amounts of fentanyl and other controlled substances. Watkins and his associates operated a stash house in the unit block of Clovelly Street in Pikesville, Maryland, where they processed fentanyl and other drugs, mixed the drugs with cutting agents, and packaged the drugs for re-sale. Watkins and his associates then drove the packaged drug products to drug shops operated by their drug trafficking organization, along Stricker Street, School Street, and Gilmor Street in Baltimore. Watkins sometimes oversaw the drug trafficking operations at the Stricker Street drug shop.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on February 11, 2021, while Watkins was overseeing operations at the Stricker Street drug shop, law enforcement officers saw Watkins place a firearm inside a vehicle parked in the 1500 block of North Stricker Street. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and recovered a loaded .45-caliber firearm. Also found inside the vehicle was Watkins’ state-issued identification card. Watkins admitted that he knowingly possessed this.45-caliber loaded firearm within 1,000 feet of a public elementary school.
On March 1, 2021, Watkins was seen leaving a residence in the 1500 block of Stricker Street and taking possession of approximately one kilogram of fentanyl from an associate who had brought the drugs from the Pikesville stash house. Watkins took the fentanyl into the residence. Law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant for the residence, recovering the drugs, which were in close proximity to Watkins. Law enforcement also recovered two loaded 9mm handguns from the residence. A search warrant was subsequently executed at the Pikesville stash house and law enforcement recovered 6.8 kilograms of fentanyl, along with cutting agents and other drug paraphernalia.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Medinger, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Baltimore Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Steven Martin Bickling, age 48, of Baltimore, Maryland to 12 years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for coercion and enticement of a minor to produce child pornography.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, in 2018 Bickling visited a website that offered live chat rooms with foreign women. After hearing children in the background of chat rooms, Bickling asked a female performer to show her daughter nude for $50. After agreeing to Bickling’s request, the female performer posed her prepubescent daughter on video chat as Bickling masturbated. Bickling estimated that this conduct occurred 12 to 15 times within a two-year period.
As stated in his plea agreement, on August 19, 2020, Baltimore City detectives and members of the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force executed a search and seizure warrant at Bickling’s residence. Bickling was present at the time. During an interview with law enforcement, Bickling admitted that he possessed pornographic videos of children between five and twelve years of age saved on his laptop. Bickling also informed law enforcement that he paid for access to a restricted child pornography website.
A subsequent review of Bickling’s email account revealed numerous conversations in which Bickling solicited images or videos of female children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. For example, in an email communication on May 7, 2019, Bickling wrote “I watch a lot of child prn . . . I like when they cry.” In chats dating back to 2018, Bickling solicited live video sessions of adult men engaging in explicit sexual activity with their younger sisters or nieces.
As detailed in his plea agreement, a forensic analysis of the items seized from Bickling’s residence revealed a total of 21 images and 50 videos that depicted minors, including prepubescent minors, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen McGuinn, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Atlantic County Felon Admits Distributing Drugs and Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in drug distribution and possession of a firearm as a felon, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Clay Brown, 29, of Pleasantville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Brown distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl on multiple occasions to a confidential informant. The day that agents arrested Brown for drug distribution, Brown possessed a backpack containing a firearm and controlled substances that Brown intended to distribute to others. Brown has multiple prior felony convictions that make it unlawful for him to possess a firearm.
Brown faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine on the drug distribution charge. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and $250,000 fine on the firearms charge. Sentencing is scheduled for March 21, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Atlantic City office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, Newark Division, and the New Jersey State Police, Crime Suppression South Unit, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Armed Fort Pierce Drug Dealer Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Kwuan Montrell Baker, 32, of Fort Pierce, Fla., has been sentenced to 90 months in prison for armed drug trafficking by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon.
Baker previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to the court record, on April 6, 2021, deputies from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of a Chevy Silverado in Fort Pierce, in which Baker was a passenger. Shortly after Baker was removed from the vehicle, law enforcement seized a loaded Smith & Wesson, Model 22A, .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol from his waistband. A search of Baker further revealed several plastic sandwich bags and multiple capsules that contained two grams of fentanyl and $1,314 in U.S. currency. Baker ultimately admitted he had intended to distribute the seized fentanyl and that he possessed the loaded firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Christopher A. Robinson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, and St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken J. Mascara made the announcement.
ATF, Miami Field Division, and the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Porter and Luisa Berti.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It can be deadly even in small doses. As little as two milligrams, about the size of 5 grains of salt, can be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. More than 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The State of Florida also has seen an exponential increase in overdoses associated with fentanyl. In 2020, more than 6,150 people died in Florida from overdoses involving fentanyl and illicit alterations of fentanyl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Ahoskie Man Sentenced to Nearly 10 Years on Drug and Firearm Charges Stemming from Domestic Violence CallRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Capone Ridley of Ahoskie was sentenced today 117 months in prison and five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute powder and crack cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of that drug crime. Ridley, 29, pled guilty to the charges on August 10, 2022.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on May 21, 2020, the Ahoskie Police Department received a call to Hill Street in Ahoskie regarding a domestic assault by defendant Capone Ridley. When officers arrived, the victim-caller was on scene, but Ridley had left. The victim told officers that Ridley had assaulted her after a dispute over missing money and that she knew he carried a firearm. She provided consent for law enforcement to search the house. As she reviewed the consent form with law enforcement, Ridley called her. She then put the call on speakerphone so that the officers could hear the conversation. Ridley instructed the victim not to let officers search the house, but she told him it was too late.
During the search, officers found a bag containing 24 grams of a mixture of powder cocaine and cocaine base in the master bedroom. In a bathroom closet, in a black and yellow bookbag, officers found two bags containing over 100 grams of powder cocaine. Also in the closet, they located a Roman/Cugir Micro Draco 7.62mm pistol with a fully loaded barrel magazine. The victim told officers that the drugs and gun belonged to Ridley.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Ahoskie Police Department investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-0004-D.
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Accountant Charged with Misappropriating Funds from New Orleans BandRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced the filing, on November 10, 2022, of a one-count bill of information charging ALICE C. “SHANNON” CHABAUD, age 79, of New Orleans, with access device fraud in relation to her theft from her former accounting client, a New Orleans-based band named as “Band A” in the bill of information.
According to charging documents, CHABAUD is alleged to have illegally accessed Band A’s bank accounts after she was terminated as the band’s accountant in 2015. From the time of her firing in September 2015 until May 2020, she misappropriated $207,607.95 from Band A without band members’ knowledge or permission.
If convicted, CHABAUD could receive up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine or the greater of twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss, and up to three years of supervised release after imprisonment. She would also pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that a bill of information is merely an accusation and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the FBI New Orleans Field Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Payne is in charge of the prosecution.
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Monday 14 November 2022
West Chester Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Purchasing Hundreds of Deadly Fentanyl Pills Disguised as OxycodoneRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Ryan Menkins, 37, of Malvern, PA, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge H. Slomsky, for his role in distributing more than 900 pills containing a dangerous fentanyl analogue, a Schedule I controlled substance.
In August 2019, Menkins and his co-defendant, Kevin Swing, were charged by Superseding Indictment with conspiracy to distribute and distributing a substance containing a fentanyl analogue for their scheme to sell fentanyl disguised as prescription oxycodone. In May 2018, Swing used an intermediary to sell more than 900 pills containing the narcotic cyclopropyl fentanyl, a fentanyl equivalent, to Menkins for $5,600. Each pill was imprinted with “ETH 446,” which is typically found on Oxycodone Hydrochloride 30 mg pills. In other words, the fentanyl pills were intentionally mislabeled as legitimate, prescription oxycodone pills. In January 2020, defendant Swing pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison in September of that year.
“Prescription medication like oxycodone is already vulnerable to misuse and abuse, but when a substance as dangerous as fentanyl is made to appear to be prescription medication, it can have catastrophic consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Fentanyl is killing Americans every day, and Menkins significantly contributed to this epidemic in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.”
“Ryan Menkins pushed pills that looked like regular prescription oxycodone, which in reality contained a drug related to fentanyl,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. “Each sale was a potentially deadly transaction for customers — or anyone else who stumbled upon these deceptive drugs. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to battle the dealers and traffickers endangering our communities in the name of making money off of the opioid epidemic.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newtown Square Resident Agency and the West Whiteland Township Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew T. Newcomer.