Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
19 December 2022
Texas Accountant Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Funds from Employer and Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A Texas man pleaded guilty today to embezzling funds from his employer and filing a false tax return. The plea was entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Howell.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Steven Marquez embezzled more than $700,000 from his employer, an Austin-based company (“Company A”), where he worked as an accountant and cash manager. From at least April 2010 through October 2017, Marquez without authorization caused funds to be transferred from Company A’s bank accounts into an account he controlled. He then used some of this money to pay his credit card bills and other personal expenses. To conceal his embezzlement, Marquez altered the business’s bank statements, and then provided the altered statements to Company A’s bank reconciliation group. Marquez also filed a false tax return for 2017 that did not report the embezzled funds.
Marquez is scheduled to be sentenced on March 9, 2023. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for wire fraud and three years in prison for filing a false tax return. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorney Kavitha Bondada of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Tampa Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Loaded Firearm Months After Release from Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Dallas Robinson, Jr. (29, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Robinson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Robinson has also agreed to forfeit a .45 caliber pistol and ammunition, which are traceable to the offense.
According to court documents, on December 26, 2021, in the Rivergrove neighborhood of Tampa, near the intersection of East Sligh Avenue and Rowlett Park Drive, Robinson was traveling as a passenger in a stolen vehicle being driven by another convicted felon. Both men were armed with fully loaded, semi-automatic pistols. Police officers followed the stolen vehicle until Robinson and the driver exited the vehicle. When ordered to stop, both men fled the stolen vehicle on foot, leaving behind their fully loaded pistols. During a search of the vehicle, officers recovered a loaded black SCCY CPX-1 9mm pistol on the driver’s seat, and a loaded black Springfield XDS (HS Produkt) .45 caliber pistol in the passenger side footwell. Latent fingerprints were lifted from the .45 caliber pistol and analyzed by a fingerprint examiner. One latent fingerprint was a match for Robinson. Additionally, officers recovered Robinson’s wallet and Florida identification card that had been left on the passenger seat near the pistol bearing Robinson’s latent print. Robinson and the driver were subsequently arrested.
Robinson had recently served 30 months in federal prison for convictions under the National Firearms Act in a prior federal criminal case, and was released 4 months prior to his arrest in this case.
This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.
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.
Syracuse Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Yoan Rodriguez, age 24, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve a total of 120 months incarceration based on his previous guilty plea to drug trafficking and firearms offenses, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino, III, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, Special Agent in Charge Janeen DiGuiseppi, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Albany Field Office, and Chief of Police Joseph Cecile, Syracuse Police Department. Rodriguez was also ordered to serve a term of five-years supervised release following his release from prison, and to forfeit to the United States a handgun and a money judgment in the amount of $35,000.00, representing the value of unrecovered drug proceeds.
Rodriguez was one of 14 defendants charged and convicted in this case. The investigation revealed that members of the conspiracy brought kilogram quantities of heroin and fentanyl from Pennsylvania to Syracuse, where they packaged the drugs and distributed them over several months in 2020. During the investigation, law enforcement seized multiple kilograms of heroin and fentanyl, multiple firearms, several vehicles, and large sums of United States currency. The other defendants charged in this case, and the sentences they received, are listed below.
Defendant
Age
Residence
Prison Sentence
Alejandro De Jesus Tavarez
31
Syracuse
120 months
Alexander Tavarez Espinal
37
Syracuse
120 months
Jan Leonel Vazquez Familia
31
Hazelton, PA
68 months
Jahdier Dowdell
20
Syracuse
70 months
Maurice Graves
24
Syracuse
123 months
Kamiya Joe, aka “K-Joe”
24
Syracuse
36 months
Jonah Sutton, aka “Kunsa”
28
Syracuse
31 months
Dianisha Trapps, aka “Dutchess”
28
Syracuse
24 months
Tacarra Newton, aka “T-Newt”
26
Syracuse
60 months
Tywone Haskins, aka “Ty”
23
Syracuse
60 months
Joshua Stanley, aka “40”
27
Syracuse
30 months
Shateek Brown, aka “Teek” and “Stu”
27
Syracuse
41 months
Treyquwan Rucker
24
Syracuse
120 months
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Syracuse Police Department-Gang Violence Task Force and Special Investigations Division (GVTF and SID), the New York State Police, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Enforcement Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, the Auburn Police Department, and the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Commandeur.
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.
St. Paul Woman Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul woman has pleaded guilty to her role in a sex trafficking conspiracy after recruiting six minor victims to engage in commercial sex acts, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, from May 2020 through December 2020, Gisela Castro Medina, 20, conspired with co-defendant Anton Joseph Lazzaro, 32, to recruit and solicit six minor victims to engage in commercial sex acts.
According to court documents, in May 2020, Castro Medina met Lazzaro through the Seeking Arrangements website, which is known as a “sugar daddy” website. Lazzaro began communicating with Castro Medina and a minor victim and invited them to his condo at the Hotel Ivy in Minneapolis. Before arriving at the Hotel Ivy, Castro Medina told Lazzaro that the minor victim was only 16 years old. Lazzaro provided Castro Medina and the minor victim with alcohol and paid them $600 for commercial sex acts with him. Lazzaro continued to engage in commercial sexual activity with the minor victim and, on each occasion, Lazzaro paid her in the form of an envelope of cash. Castro Medina took half of each cash payment.
According to court documents, Castro Medina and Lazzaro continued to communicate via Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Signal. Lazzaro directed Castro Medina to use WhatsApp and eventually Signal because of the applications’ encryption and deletion features. Castro Medina used social media and her school, friend, and community networks to identify other minor girls for Lazzaro. Castro Medina would show Lazzaro photographs of minor girls and if Lazzaro “approved” Castro Medina would reach out to the minor and provide the minor’s contact information to Lazzaro. Castro Medina told the minors that Lazzaro was an older guy with a lot of money, and that he wanted to be a sugar daddy to younger girls.
Castro Medina admitted that, at the time of recruitment, she knew that the victims were minors and that Lazzaro paid the minor victims money in exchange for sex acts. Castro Medina also admitted that Lazzaro provided the minor victims with alcohol, vaping cartridges, food, smartphones, high-end purses, rooms in the Hotel Ivy, and transportation. For her role of identifying, recruiting, and introducing minors, Lazzaro compensated Castro Medina with cash and Venmo payments, as well as rent and utility payments for her apartment, tuition payments to the University of St. Thomas, car payments, travel expenses, and other items.
According to court documents, Castro Medina and Lazzaro discussed which of the minor victims spoke to law enforcement following the execution of federal search warrants in December 2020. Castro Medina admitted that in March 2021, she and Lazzaro aided and abetted one another to obstruct law enforcement by agreeing to pay off a 15-year-old victim to prevent her from talking to law enforcement about engaging in commercial sex with Lazzaro. Castro Medina picked up the minor victim at her place of employment, drove the minor victim around in her Mini Cooper, and provided her with hundreds of dollars in cash, gift cards, vapes, and alcohol from Lazzaro. Castro Medina also told the minor victim not to text Lazzaro anymore.
Castro Medina pleaded guilty today before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and one count of obstruction. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
This case is the result of a joint investigation by the FBI and the Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force – led by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with assistance from the Minneapolis Police Department, the West Hennepin Public Safety Department, and the Wright County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela M. Munoz, Emily A. Polachek, and Laura M. Provinzino are prosecuting the case.
South Georgia man sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for drug, gun feloniesRead the Press Release
WAYCROSS, GA: An Atkinson County man has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison after admitting to charges involving methamphetamine trafficking and illegal gun possession.
Juan Eloy Quintanilla, 29, of Willacoochee, Ga., was sentenced to 135 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Five or More Grams of Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Quintanilla to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“This sentence of hard time in federal prison sends the unmistakable message that we will not tolerate convicted felons continuing to commit crimes and threatening the safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Drugs and illegally possessed guns fuel violent crime, and getting such criminals off the street will make our neighborhoods safer.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Quintanilla was on felony probation on drug charges in August 2021 when Coffee County Sheriff’s deputies searched Quintanilla’s vehicle during a traffic stop and arrested him after finding drugs and a loaded pistol. During a subsequent search of his residence, Atkinson County Sheriff’s deputies seized methamphetamine, a rifle, ammunition, and drug-distribution paraphernalia.
“Despite prior felony convictions, Quintanilla continued to plague our communities with drugs and the crimes that result from them,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are determined to make our streets safer by removing violent felons and holding them accountable with long prison terms without the opportunity for parole.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo.
South Carolina Sex Offender Sentenced for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Mark Totten today announced that Christopher James Masterson, 35, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina was sentenced to 30 years in the Bureau of Prisons for the sexual exploitation of minor children. In imposing sentence, U.S. District Judge Janet T. Neff noted that Masterson was one of the top two or three most egregious sex offenders she had sentenced. Masterson will be on supervised release for 10 years when he gets out of prison.
“This horrific type of predatory conduct harms the most vulnerable members of our society leaving irreparable damage in its wake,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Those who seek to exploit children should know that my office will bring them to justice.”
Masterson engaged in a multi-year process of grooming a minor victim, ultimately convincing her to send live video footage of sexual acts involving herself and a sibling via social media. He was arrested after traveling from South Carolina to Chippewa County, Michigan to engage in sexual conduct with the victim. When law enforcement seized his phone, they found sexually explicit videos of the victim with Masterson directing her activities.
“HSI and our law enforcement partners will continue to prioritize the safety and security of children in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Angie Salazar. “For our team, the work of caring for the victims of these despicable crimes is just as important as bringing predators like Masterson to justice.”
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan; county prosecutor’s offices; HSI; Michigan State Police’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force; the West Michigan Based Child Exploitation Task Force (WEBCHEX); and federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. Anyone with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement. For more information about Project Safe Childhood in West Michigan, including resources for children and parents, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmi/project-safe-childhood
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribal Police, the Michigan State Police, the Chippewa County Sheriff's Office, the City of Sault Ste. Marie Police Department, and U.S. Border Patrol. The case was prosecuted by AUSA Paul D. Lochner and former AUSA Hannah N. Bobee.
###
South Bend Man Sentenced to 140 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Sander Ray, 25 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. on his plea of guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Ray was sentenced to 140 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, in June 2021, Ray committed an armed robbery of a liquor store and then a cell phone store located in South Bend, Indiana.
Co-defendant, Andre Pittman, was previously sentenced for his role in the offense to 121 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
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.
###
Somersworth Man Sentenced to 66 Months for Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Mark E. Butler, 46, of Somersworth, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison for distribution and possession of child sexual abuse materials, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between June and September 2021, federal and state law enforcement officers investigated the online child sexual exploitation activities of the defendant, Mark E. Butler, who used various social media applications to share child sexual abuse materials. For example, on September 23, 2021, Butler distributed a one-minute video depicting a prepubescent child engaged in sexual conduct to an undercover agent. On October 13, 2021, investigators executed a federal search warrant to seize electronic devices used by Butler to distribute and possess child sexual abuse materials. Butler admitted that he used the internet to obtain child sexual abuse materials. Subsequent forensic analysis of Butler’s Apple iPhone and evidence obtained from a cloud storage service provider confirmed Butler’s use of several social media applications, emails, and text messages to send child sexual abuse materials to other individuals.
In addition to his sentence, Butler was sentenced to five years of supervised release following his release from prison and a $6,000 restitution payment.
“Protecting children is a paramount priority and those who engage in child exploitation will be prosecuted and we will seek significant sentences as demonstrated in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “This case is another example of the collaborative work our law enforcement partners engage in to identify and prosecute those who possess and distribute child sexual abuse materials.”
“Butler possessed and distributed child exploitation materials and his sharing of this material perpetuates a cycle of abuse. Homeland Security Investigations and our partners will continue to pursue individuals who are involved in any part of the child exploitation cycle,” said Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the New Hampshire State Police, the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office, the Somersworth Police Department, the Salem Police Department, the Rochester Police Department, and the Manchester Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cam T. Le.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
###
Six Alleged Baltimore BGF Gang Members and Associates Indicted for a Federal Racketeering Conspiracy Charge, Including Murder, Murder-For-Hire, Drug Trafficking, Armed Robbery, and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging six Baltimore men for conspiring to participate in a violent racketeering enterprise known as the Black Guerilla Family (BGF) gang. The indictment, which was returned on December 15, 2022 and unsealed today, charges the following defendants:
David Warren, a/k/a “Meshawn” and “LA Meshawn,” age 30; Barak Olds, age 33; Davante Harrison, a/k/a “YGG Tay” and “Lor Bip Bip,” age 28; Wayne Prince, a/k/a “Taz,” age 23; Joshua Duffy, a/k/a “Josh,” age 35; and
Tyrell Jeffries, a/k/a “Whitebread,” age 37.Duffy and Jeffries were arrested today and are expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore this afternoon. Initial appearances for the remaining defendants, who are already in custody, will be scheduled at a later date.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Interim Chief Dennis J. Delp of the Baltimore County Police Department.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to stop gang violence, like that alleged in this indictment,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron. “Gangs will not be allowed to hold communities hostage through violence and intimidation.”
According to the indictment, beginning in 2014 and continuing until the date of the indictment, the defendants are members and associates of the Black Guerilla Family (“BGF”), also known as “Jamaa,” and participated in the BGF criminal enterprise. BGF is a nationwide gang operating in prisons and in cities throughout the United States. Founded in California, BGF appeared in the Maryland correctional system in the 1990’s. Although still a prison gang, BGF is involved in criminal activity, including murder, murder-for-hire, robbery, extortion, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice and witness intimidation throughout Baltimore, in Maryland, and elsewhere. BGF members in Baltimore are organized into “regimes” corresponding to particular regions or neighborhoods. Each “regime” is organized and controlled by a hierarchy called “the bubble.”
BGF members are required to follow a code of conduct and includes: never snitching, never stealing from or lying to Jamaa, never participating in homosexual activities, never revealing BGF secrets, and never running during combat. BGF members who violated this code or who disobeyed an order from a superior were subjected to disciplinary measures, called “sanctions,” which included fines, physical beatings, stabbings, and murders administered by other BGF members.
The indictment alleges that BGF members and associates, operated street-level drug distribution “shops” throughout Baltimore, primarily distributing heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy, and other controlled substances. The indictment further alleges that the defendants committed acts of violence, including six murders, 11 shootings, attempted murders, and armed robberies. The violent acts were intended to further the gang’s activities, including intimidating witnesses to prevent them from cooperating with law enforcement, protecting the gang’s drug territory, financing the dues paid to BGF, and enforcing gang rules.
For example, the indictment alleges that on June 29, 2014, Harrison paid a BGF member to murder an individual who owed him money for narcotics. Harrison allegedly supplied the BGF member with $10,000 and a gun, which the BGF member used to kill the victim in the 1300 block of Ward Street in Baltimore. The indictment further alleges that in 2018 Harrison hired Warren as a hitman. Between February and August 2018 Warren allegedly attempted to murder three of Harrison’s rivals in exchange for payments from Harrison. The intended victims included two individuals who publicly accused Harrison of cooperating with law enforcement, and a BGF member who burglarized Harrison’s residence in 2013. As detailed in the indictment, Harrison also assaulted an associate after she threatened to report Harrison’s activities to police, allegedly stomping her in the face and knocking her out.
According to the indictment, on April 4, 2018, Warren went to the home of one of the individuals who had accused Harrison of cooperating with police. The intended victim was not there, but the targeted victim’s mother and sister were in the home. The indictment alleges that Warren murdered them both using a .357 caliber handgun and that Harrison later paid Warren for committing the murders. As detailed in the indictment, after the murders, Harrison instructed his girlfriend to look for properties in Atlanta, Georgia, and directed the mother of his child to stay in a hotel in Baltimore County because Harrison was concerned that they may be targeted for violence in retaliation for Harrison’s involvement in the murders.
The indictment alleges that in August 2018, Warren, Prince and a co-conspirator attempted to murder the second person who had accused Harrison of cooperating with law enforcement. The attempted murder took place at a home that the target owned and was having renovated. During the assault, two of the construction workers on the site were shot and one of them was killed.
On July 3, 2019, the indictment alleges that Olds shot and killed a woman while she was pushing her infant daughter in a stroller. The victim was murdered because she was doing business in the 400 block of North Rose Street without obtaining permission from BGF.
The defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison for the racketeering conspiracy.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
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 an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the FBI, the Baltimore City Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter J. Martinez, Patricia C. McLane, and Ariel Evans, who are prosecuting 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.
# # #
Sexual Predator Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Dennis William Sheffield, Jr. (52, Keystone Heights) has pleaded guilty to receipt of child sex abuse images. Sheffield faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. He has agreed to pay restitution to the victims of his offenses and he also faces a potential life term of supervised release. The court previously ordered Sheffield detained pending the completed proceedings in this case.
According to the plea agreement, in February 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating Sheffield as part of its investigation into a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The CyberTip indicated child sex abuse images had been uploaded to a search engine. An Internet Protocol (IP) address for the individual who had uploaded the materials was traced to Sheffield. Law enforcement learned that Sheffield was listed as a predator on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Sexual Offenders and Predators registry as a result of two prior convictions (1996) for attempted sexual battery on a child under the age of 12.
On March 3, 2022, based on the CyberTip and the identification of Sheffield as the subject of the CyberTip, law enforcement obtained a federal search warrant for Sheffield’s residence. The following day, law enforcement executed the search warrant and encountered Sheffield, who was holding a cellphone in his hand. A preliminary examination of the phone revealed multiple files depicting the sexual abuse of children on the phone. Sheffield admitted to law enforcement that he had a problem and that he liked looking at child sex abuse images, which he admitted to having viewed as recently as a couple of days earlier. Sheffield also admitted to saving some of the images on his phone.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Sex Offender Who Lived in Iowa for More than a Year Without Registering Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who moved to Iowa from Texas and failed to comply with his requirement to register as a sex offender was sentenced on December 13, 2022, to more than two years in federal prison.
Robert Lee Metz, age 61, formerly of Austin, Texas, and last living in Cedar Falls, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 20, 2022 guilty plea to one count of failure to register as a sex offender.
Information at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Metz moved to Iowa from Texas in April 2021. Metz was required to register as a sex offender because he had previously been convicted of two sex offenses that each required him to register: indecency with a child-contact in 1993 in Texas state court and possession of visual depictions of sexual activities by minors in 2012 in a federal court in Texas. Between April 2021 and May 2022, which was when he was indicted by a grand jury, Metz never registered as a sex offender living in Iowa.
Metz was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Metz was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Metz is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-2030.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Settlement with Conrado Castor, M.D. for Violations of the Stark Law Regarding Physician ReferralsRead the Press Release
HAMMOND - United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson announced today a settlement of a civil case against physician Conrado Castor, M.D., age 77, of Schererville, Indiana, for referring home health services patients to home health agencies owned by his siblings and their spouses, for which claims were submitted for payment to Medicare, in violation of the Stark Law.
The Stark Law provides that the government will not pay for designated health services if such services were furnished by an entity that had a financial relationship with an immediate family member of the referring physician because such financial relationships can cause overutilization of those services and compromise the physician’s professional judgment. The False Claims Act prohibits an entity from knowingly submitting claims for payment to Medicare for such services.
During 2008-2014, Dr. Castor referred numerous Medicare patients for the purpose of receiving home health care services to three home health agencies owned by his immediate family members: American Home Health Services, Inc., Adarna Home Health Care Services, Inc., and Amore Home Health Care Services, Inc. All three entities were owned by Dr. Castor’s immediate family members and billed Medicare for home health services for patients referred by Dr. Castor. Medicare paid over 400 claims totaling over $1.2 million to American, Adarna, and Amore for Dr. Castor’s home health care referrals.
Dr. Castor has agreed to pay $2,478,979 to resolve the United States’ claims under the Stark Law and the False Claims Act for claims submitted to Medicare totaling $1,224,489 by home health agencies owned by Dr. Castor’s family members.
“All medical decisions should be based on the patients’ best interests and not on the personal financial interests of referring physicians and their family members,” said United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. “My Office will continue to enforce the Stark Law’s prohibition against physicians referring patients for health care services to entities they own or owned by their family members.”
The settlement was reached in a case against Dr. Castor filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Wayne T. Ault and Dirk D. De Lor.
Saudi Arabian National Charged with Illegally Exporting Rifle BarrelsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Saudi Arabian national residing in Cleveland Heights was charged in a one-count indictment with attempting to export more than 50 automatic and semi-automatic rifle barrels from the United States since April 2022.
Abdulrahman Zalah, 30, was charged with one count of smuggling goods from the United States.
According to court documents, in October 2022, federal authorities with the Cleveland Division of the FBI were contacted by a firearms manufacturer regarding the suspicious purchasing behavior of an individual later identified as the defendant.
Based on the information, authorities began an investigation into the matter and determined that the defendant, beginning in April 2022, had fraudulently exported and attempted to export and send more than 50 automatic and semi-automatic rifle barrels from the United States.
Court documents state that the defendant did not obtain an export license from the United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) as required by law to export commodities, including firearms and firearm components, originating in the United States.
An indictment is only a charge 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.
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 records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum; in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case was investigated by the Cleveland Division of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Duncan T. Brown.
Samson Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Montgomery, ALABAMA – On Friday, December 16, 2022, Harley Dakota Wambles, a 25-year-old from Samson, Alabama, received a 72-month prison sentence after being convicted of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. In addition to imposing a 6-year prison sentence, the judge ordered Wambles to serve 5 years on supervised release and to pay a total of $18,000.00 in restitution to 6 victims. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, in 2019, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a tip that there were images of child pornography being uploaded using the instant messaging application, Snapchat. The NCMEC provided the information to the FBI and agents identified Wambles’s Internet Protocol address as being associated with the uploads. Agents then examined various electronic devices belonging to Wambles and found, stored on the devices, numerous images containing suspected child pornography. During his plea hearing, Wambles specifically admitted that some of the images were sexually explicit depictions of children under the age of 12.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the NCMEC. Assistant United States Attorney J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted the case.
Ruston Man Sentenced to Prison for Making Threats to Member of United States CongressRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Chase Levi Thibodeaux, 39, of Ruston, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 36 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for transmitting threats in interstate commerce.
These charges stem from an incident which occurred on or about October 12, 2021 when Thibodeaux placed a telephone call to the office of a United States Congress Member located in the State of New York. In the voicemail, Thibodeaux stated that he would buy an Uzi and gun the Member of Congress down in the streets. He also stated that he would buy a Walther PPK with a silencer and that the Congress Member would “never know what hit [them].”
The United States Capitol Police began an investigation into the threats and learned that Thibodeaux had in fact placed the phone call and left the threatening voicemail. In addition, agents learned through their investigation that Thibodeaux had made over 100 calls to the Congressional Office in the previous two months, and left voicemails directly for the Member of Congress.
The case was investigated by the United States Capitol Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg.
# # #
Romance Scammer Sentenced to 3+ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A romance scammer with ties to a Nigerian organized crime syndicate was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Frederick Orji, a 38-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen born in Nigeria, was charged alongside 10 co-conspirators in a large-scale operation led by the FBI in in September 2021. He pleaded guilty in June 2022 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced Monday to 37 months in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge David Godbey, who also ordered him to pay $418,030 in restitution to his victims.
According to court documents, Mr. Orji and his co-defendants preyed on elderly victims, many of whom were widowed or divorced. They assumed fake names and trolled dating sites like Match.com and Bumbledate.com, searching for targets.
Once they had ingratiated themselves with their victims, they concocted sob-stories about why they needed money – i.e., taxes to release an inheritance, essential overseas travel, crippling debt, etc. – and then siphoned money from victim’s accounts, tens of thousands of dollars at a time.
In plea papers, Mr. Orji admitted that once he and his conspirators had depleted the victims’ accounts of all the funds they were willing and able to send, often emptying their entire savings, the defendants stopped communicating with the victims.
His brother, co-defendant Emanuel Orji, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in September 2022 and is set to be sentenced on Jan. 9, 2023. Five additional defendants are awaiting trial, which is set for March 20, 2023. They are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office, and IRS – Criminal Investigation led the investigation with assistance from the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Walters and Jenna Rudoff are prosecuting the case.
The FBI estimates that more than 20,000 people lost more than $600 million in romance scams in 2020 alone. For tips on how to protect yourselves and your loved ones, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s romance scam webpage. To report a suspected romance fraud, file a report via the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
Ridgeland Man Pleads Guilty to Making Threats Against CDC Director Rochelle WalenskyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Ridgeland man pleaded guilty to making threats in interstate commerce, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2021, Robert Wiser Bates, 39, placed phone calls to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, and left voicemails for CDC Director Rochelle Walensky that were threatening in nature. During an interview with agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bates admitted to making the threatening phone calls, and stated that he would kill Dr. Anthony Fauci as well.
Bates is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, 2023. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Purdie is prosecuting the case.
Readout of Reproductive Rights Task Force MeetingRead the Press Release
On Friday, Dec. 16, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta convened the full Reproductive Rights Task Force (RRTF). The meeting focused on the work of the RRTF since its creation in July following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and eliminating the constitutional right to abortion recognized in those cases.
The RRTF provided updates on the Civil Division’s work in both affirmative and defensive litigation to ensure access to reproductive services that are protected under federal law; the Office of Legal Counsel’s work with other federal agencies to support their work on issues relating to reproductive rights and access to reproductive health care; and outreach by the department to reproductive health care providers, including groups representing both clinics providing abortions and pregnancy resource centers, to ensure they know their protections under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and how to report threats, attacks, or other forms of interference that may violate federal law. The RRTF also discussed challenges ahead and expected work in the new year.
Associate Attorney General Gupta, who chairs the RRTF, thanked the members for their hard work over the prior five months and for their continued work in the year to come. The RRTF is made up of representatives from the department’s Civil Division, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney community, Office of the Solicitor General, Office for Access to Justice, Office of Legal Counsel, Office of Legal Policy, Office of Legislative Affairs, Office of the Associate Attorney General, Office of the Deputy Attorney General and Office of the Attorney General and is supported by dedicated staff.
Raleigh Man Convicted at Trial After Seeking Child Pornography in Online Chat RoomsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal jury today convicted William Robert Jeffery, 61, of Wake County of accessing the internet with intent to view child pornography.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in spring of 2020, the Raleigh Police Department received reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding illegal internet activity at Jeffery’s Raleigh home. NCMEC reported that on five occasions from October 2019 to January 2020, a user at that address had submitted images of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM, often referred to as child pornography) into the Microsoft Bing reverse image search, seeking similar images.
On March 17, 2020, FBI and the Raleigh Police Department executed a search warrant at Jeffery’s home. He admitted to using a pornographic chat website and viewing clothed images of children, but he denied possessing CSAM material. A forensic examination of his laptop showed extensive activity on the chat website and was able to recover multiple CSAM images that had been deleted from the internet history. The forensic analyst also recovered deleted images of CSAM material on an older computer that Jeffery has used in 2006-2009, along with earlier activity on the same chat website.
Jeffery has a prior conviction in federal court for traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in a sex act with a minor in 2020, and in 2021, he was convicted in Dare County Superior Court of two counts of indecent liberties with a minor. Jeffery faces a maximum penalty of 240 months in prison when sentenced March 2023.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III accepted the verdict. The Raleigh Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 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.2:20-CR-0464-D).
###
RGV tax preparer sent to prison for preparing false tax returnsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A local tax preparer has been ordered to federal prison following her conviction of preparing false and fraudulent tax returns on behalf of taxpayers, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Linda Lopez pleaded guilty April 7.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Lopez to serve the statutory maximum of 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. Judge Alvarez noted that she was imposing the maximum sentence allowed under the statute because of the lengthy duration of the tax fraud scheme Lopez perpetrated through her tax preparation business.
“The IRS entrusted Lopez to prepare and electronically file accurate returns for her clients. She violated that trust with the IRS, her clients and the citizens of the United States by instead submitting false tax returns. As we approach the tax filing season, those tax preparers considering preparing false tax returns should know of the extremely negative consequences as evidenced in today’s sentencing,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of IRS-Criminal investigation (IRS-CI) - Houston Field Office. “The special agents within IRS-CI, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s office, will continue their aggressive pursuit of those who would attempt to defraud the U.S. tax system."
Lopez was the owner and operator of a tax preparation business known as Premier Tax Solutions which operated from 2012 through 2022 in and around Mission.
At the time of her plea, Lopez admitted that she prepared a federal tax return for a taxpayer that included multiple instances of false and fraudulent information, including false employee business expenses and false residential energy credit qualifying expenses.
She also agreed to a loss amount that included a tax loss to the IRS related to several fraudulent tax returns she prepared.
Lopez was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
IRS-CI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz prosecuted the case.
Quincy Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy man has been sentenced for drug trafficking offenses in connection with conspiring to distribute and possess, and possessing with intent to distribute, over a kilogram of fentanyl, including counterfeit fentanyl pills.
Damian Cortez, 34, was sentenced on Dec. 15, 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to eight years in prison and three years of supervised release. On June 23, 2022, Cortez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Cortez is one of 10 defendants indicted together in June 2020 as part of a broader federal sweep targeting numerous NOB street gang members and associates in which 31 total defendants were charged. All of Cortez’s co-defendants have pleaded guilty to various charges and are scheduled to be sentenced in the upcoming months.
According to court documents, NOB – an abbreviation for the Norton/Olney/Barry streets in Dorchester – is a violent criminal enterprise whose members and associates are involved in numerous types of criminal activities throughout Massachusetts, including murders, attempted murders, armed robberies, drug trafficking, sex trafficking and illegal firearms offenses. Numerous contraband items including 11 firearms, over one kilogram of fentanyl (including over 2,000 fentanyl pills manufactured to appear as commercial oxycodone pills), a commercial pill press, over 15 pounds of marijuana and approximately $36,000 in cash were recovered during the investigation.
Cortez was a significant fentanyl trafficker and NOB member/associate who supplied drugs to and supported various crimes on behalf of the gang. On June 16, 2020, a search of an apartment where Cortez was residing resulted in the seizure of a commercial pill press, dyes, cutting agent, and over a kilogram of fentanyl, some of which was pressed into pills manufactured to appear as pharmaceutical-grade oxycodone pills, among other drug trafficking paraphernalia.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Bryan Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro; Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan; Randolph Police Chief Anthony Marag; Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez; Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins; Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald, Jr.; Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III; and Norfolk County Sheriff Patrick W. McDermott made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Crowley and Sarah Hoefle of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
Portland Area Mail Thief Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud, Identity Theft, and Possession of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Washington County, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for using stolen bank checks and debit cards to defraud local residents and illegally possessing distribution quantities of methamphetamine.
William Anthony McCormack, Jr., 40, was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $8,553 in restitution to his victims.
According to court documents, between June and September 2020, McCormack devised a scheme whereby he would steal bank checks and debit cards from community mailboxes, primarily in Washington County, and use them to make unauthorized withdrawals from victims’ bank accounts. On at least five separate occasions, McCormack deposited stolen checks into victims’ Rivermark Community Credit Union accounts and immediately made unauthorized withdrawals from the same accounts.
On September 29, 2020, during a traffic stop for speeding and driving with a suspended license, a Tualatin Police officer arrested McCormack pursuant to a federal arrest warrant. At the time of his arrest, McCormack possessed 30 small plastic baggies containing approximately 30 grams of methamphetamine and two 9mm handguns. Officers also found several driver’s licenses, U.S. passports, and pieces of stolen mail in McCormack’s vehicle and hotel room.
On September 24, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 12-count indictment charging McCormack with possession of stolen mail, possession of counterfeit U.S. Postal Service arrow keys, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Later, on March 29, 2021, he was charged by superseding criminal information with one count each of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On April 14, 2021, McCormack pleaded guilty to all three charges in the superseding criminal information.
Prior to pleading guilty, on March 16, 2021, McCormack was released from custody on conditions and placed into a residential drug treatment program. Less than three weeks after pleading guilty, he absconded from the treatment program and a warrant was issued for his arrest. McCormack’s whereabouts were unknown for more than a year before he was arrested by the Tigard Police Department on June 5, 2022.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Meredith D.M. Bateman, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
If you or someone you know are the victim of or witness a mail-related crime, please contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service by visiting www.uspis.gov/report.
Poplarville Man Sentenced to Prison for Possession of a Firearm by an Unlawful User of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Poplarville man was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of controlled substances, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Bobby Joseph Crochet, Jr., 24, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court documents, On December 26, 2021, Hancock County Sheriff's Deputies were dispatched to a call of a subject sleeping in a vehicle, which was in the roadway near 30285 Highway 603 in Hancock County, Mississippi. Upon arrival, Deputies located Bobby Joseph Crochet, Jr., asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle, while in drive, while in the roadway. Deputies instructed Crochet to exit the vehicle and ultimately located methamphetamine and working digital scales concealed inside the driver’s door pocket.
Deputies searched Crochet’s home and found multiple unused, clear sandwich baggies, drug paraphernalia, a Beretta APX 9mm handgun (loaded), more methamphetamine, and marijuana.
Crochet was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 5, 2022. He pled guilty on July 15, 2022, to possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of controlled substances.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to Prison for Threatening to Kill United States Congressman and Perpetrating Online Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSHUA HALL was sentenced today by United Stated District Judge Gregory H. Woods to 20 months in prison for making threats to kill a member of the United States Congress and impersonating family members of the then-President of the United States on social media to fraudulently raise funds for a fictitious political organization. HALL previously pled guilty to one count of making interstate communications with a threat to injure and one count of wire fraud.
According to the Information, Superseding Information, and statements made in court proceedings and filings:
Threat Offense
On August 29, 2022, HALL placed a series of telephone calls from in or around Yonkers, New York, to the California office of a member of the United States Congress (the “Congressman”). During those telephone calls, HALL conveyed threats to kill the Congressman to at least three different members of the Congressman’s staff (“Staff Member-1,” “Staff Member-2,” and “Staff Member-3”).
On a telephone call with Staff Member-1 and Staff Member-2, HALL stated, in substance and in part, that he had a lot of AR-15s; that he wanted to shoot the Congressman; that he intended to come to the Congressman’s office with firearms; and that if he saw the Congressman, he would kill him. He further stated, in substance and in part, that he wanted to “beat the shit out of” the Congressman and that he would find the Congressman wherever he was and hurt him. On a telephone call with Staff Member-3, HALL stated, in substance and in part, that he intended to come to the Congressman’s office to kill the Congressman with firearms.
Fraud Offense
From September 2019 until December 2020, HALL defrauded hundreds of victims by making false representations in the course of raising funds for a purported political affinity organization (“the Fictitious Political Organization”) for the ostensible purpose of supporting the reelection of the individual who was at that time serving as President of the United States (“the President”). However, the Fictitious Political Organization did not exist, and HALL used the funds for his own personal living expenses.
Central to the scheme was the impersonation by HALL of members of the President’s family, including the President’s minor child, among others, through his creation and use of social media accounts bearing those family members’ names and photographs. HALL used those accounts to amass more than 100,000 followers on social media and to obtain media coverage, a public platform he then exploited to confer on himself and the Fictitious Political Organization a false imprimatur of close ties with the President’s family and to encourage victims to make monetary contributions to the Fictitious Political Organization.
In total, the scheme devised and executed by HALL yielded thousands of dollars from hundreds of victims located throughout the United States, including in the Southern District of New York.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, HALL, 23, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Capitol Police and thanked the City of Yonkers Police Department for their assistance.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit and General Crimes Unit. Assistant US Attorneys Robert B. Sobelman and Alexandra S. Messiter are in charge of the prosecution.
Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tytus Lamaar Shields, 34, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 22, 2021, law enforcement officers arrested Shields and searched his Parkersburg residence. Shields admitted that he possessed a Ruger, model LC9, 9mm semi-automatic pistol found by officers.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Shields knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his felony convictions for trafficking in drugs and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity in the Washington County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas on October 29, 2014.
Shields was on parole at the time of his arrest and has a long criminal history that includes 16 misdemeanor convictions and 17 felony convictions. These convictions include several for drug trafficking offenses in Ohio.
Shields is scheduled to be sentenced on March 16, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force, the Parkersburg Police Department, and the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe 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. 2:21-cr-268.
###
Out-Of-State Drug Traffickers Prosecuted in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
BOISE – Three out-of-state individuals were recently prosecuted in federal court for bringing illicit drugs into the Magic Valley area, announced U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit today.
“These prosecutions reflect that the people of Idaho will not tolerate drug traffickers bringing their poisons into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “The strong partnerships we have between federal, state, and local law enforcement are the backbone of our counter-drugs program and will continue to make a positive impact statewide.”
According to court records, on December 14, 2022, Brian David Schroeder, 47, of Arizona, pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing large amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute them to others. In September, Schroeder was stopped by sheriff’s deputies while driving on Highway 93 through Jerome, Idaho. After deputies observed a marijuana dispensary container in the car, a search was conducted. Inside the car was approximately 3.25 pounds of fentanyl, 3.15 pounds of methamphetamine, and a loaded 9mm handgun. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid responsible for an increase in overdose deaths in Idaho. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 15, 2023, before Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye.
Incidents of out-of-state individuals transporting drugs into Idaho have become all too common.
Earlier this month, on December 9, 2022, Cortez Williams, 46, of Reno, Nevada, was sentenced to 140 months in federal prison by Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill after he was caught traveling from Nevada to Idaho with the plan to distribute six pounds of methamphetamine to an individual in the Magic Valley. Police found the drugs hidden between the trunk liner and fender of his car. Williams had at least five prior convictions for drug trafficking at the time of his sentencing.
On November 9, 2022, Fabian Panuco Clark, 44, of Yuma County, Arizona, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison by Judge Winmill for attempting to traffic drugs in Idaho. After Clark fled to Idaho to avoid arrest in Arizona, he was located in Twin Falls and found in possession of approximately 900 pills containing fentanyl, over 200 grams of methamphetamine, and a loaded handgun. After being booked into the Twin Falls County Jail, Clark again attempted to bring drugs into Idaho by arranging for another person to drive to Nevada to obtain more methamphetamine. Police were able to interdict this shipment of methamphetamine before it could be brought back to Idaho for distribution.
U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of the Idaho State Police, Jerome County Sheriff’s Office, Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office, Twin Falls Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Jerome County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and Twin Falls County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, for their work on these cases.
###
Oswego County Woman Indicted on Charges Related to Theft of Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Lisa Waldron, age 44, of Palermo, New York, was arraigned Friday on a federal indictment charging her with multiple counts of Theft of Government Property and Social Security Fraud, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Sharon B. MacDermott, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Office.
The charges in the 25-count indictment relate to Waldron’s misuse and theft of Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) benefits intended for the care of Jordan Brooks, her disabled son. Waldron was Jordan Brooks’s representative payee at the time she committed the alleged offenses, which occurred both before and after Brooks’s death on May 9, 2021. A representative payee is a person or organization who received Social Security benefits on another person’s behalf and is tasked with ensuring the benefits are used only to support the beneficiary.
Waldron was released on existing conditions of supervision monitored by the Oswego County Probation Department from a pending case in Oswego County Court.
If convicted, Waldron faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised of up to three years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul J. Tuck.
Nigerian National Sentenced to Prison for Role in Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kenneth Emeni, 30, a citizen of Nigeria residing in Martinsburg, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit money laundering. Emeni was also ordered to pay $904,126.96 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least August 2017 to October 8, 2020, Emeni took part in a Huntington-based scheme that defrauded at least 200 victims, many of whom are elderly, of at least $2.5 million. Emeni’s co-conspirators created false personas to establish romantic, friendship or business relationships with unwitting individuals via email, text messaging or online dating and social media websites. The victims were persuaded to send money for a variety of false and fraudulent reasons for the benefit of the false personas.
Emeni admitted that he accepted money transfers from victims to his bank account that he knew was from unlawful activity. Once the victims’ funds were deposited in his account, Emeni kept some and forwarded some to his co-conspirators via wire transfers or the Zelle digital payments network. Emeni received approximately $42,050 transferred by his co-conspirators’ transfers and transferred approximately $46,197 to his co-conspirators during the money laundering conspiracy. Emeni further admitted that he and his co-conspirators transferred large sums of their fraud proceeds to offshore accounts. From 2018 until 2020, Emeni transferred over $358,846 to accounts in Nigeria and Ghana.
“This heartless conspiracy exploited individuals who often were particularly vulnerable, and wreaked havoc in their lives and that of their loved ones,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the investigative work of the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), the West Virginia State Police and the South Charleston Police Department.”
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Kathleen Robeson and R. Gregory McVey prosecuted the case.
The public is encouraged to report potential online fraud activity or scams at https://www.ic3.gov.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
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. 3:21-cr-68.
###
New Orleans Man Sentenced on Carjacking and Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that defendant, DEVIN WEAVER, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on December 14, 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Lance M. Africk to a total term of 168 months. As to Counts 1 and 3, the Court sentenced WEAVER to 84 months of imprisonment, to be served concurrently with each other. As to Count 2, WEAVER was sentenced to a term of 84 months, to be served consecutively to the terms imposed on Counts 1 and 3. Additionally, upon release from imprisonment, Judge Africk ordered that WEAVER be placed on supervised release for a term of 3 years for each of Counts 1, 2, and 3, such terms to run concurrently. Finally, WEAVER was ordered to pay a total of $300 in mandatory special assessment fees for Counts One, Two, and Three of the three-count superseding indictment.
Count One of the superseding indictment charged WEAVER with a carjacking that took place on August 21, 2019, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2119(1) and 2. Count Two charged him with brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, that is, a carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code Section, 924(c)(1)(A)(ii). Finally, Count Three charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2), and 2. WEAVER was found guilty on all counts after a two-day jury trial.
A jury convicted WEAVER for a carjacking which occurred on August 21, 2019, in New Orleans, LA. As descibed during the trial, during the carjacking, WEAVER and his co-defendant approached the victim, pointed a gun at her, and demanded her car. New Orleans Police Department responded to the scene and located the victim’s vehicle through her iPhone, which was inside the vehicle when it was taken. Investigators stopped the vehicle at a gas station on the Westbank Expressway approximately 30 minutes after the carjacking. WEAVER’s co-defendant was inside the stolen vehicle along with the victim’s iPhone and a firearm. After reviewing the surveillance footage from the station, investigators learned that WEAVER was inside the store when police arrived. WEAVER fled on foot from the store upon seeing the police vehicles. Several hours later police tracked the victim’s second iPhone to WEAVER’s residence in New Orleans, LA.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit and Assistant United States Attorney Greg Kennedy from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
* * *
New Castle Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Pennsylvania resident pleaded guilty in federal court to violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Tony McKnight, 57, of New Castle, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine from March of 2019 through September of 2020 before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. McKnight is one of thirteen defendants charged in the Indictment returned in this case.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating a cocaine and fentanyl trafficking organization that operated throughout the United States, including Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico. Beginning in December of 2019 and continuing through August of 2020, the DEA received authorization to conduct a Title III wiretap investigation into the organization. McKnight, as a member of this multistate drug trafficking organization, was intercepted discussing acquiring and distributing cocaine throughout western Pennsylvania. In addition to the intercepted communications, agents seized cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, ecstasy, marijuana, firearms, and bulk United States Currency from members of the organization, including McKnight.
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for May 15, 2023. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years to a maximum of 40 years of imprisonment, 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 offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The DEA in Pittsburgh, PA; the DEA, Columbus, OH; the DEA, Harrisburg, PA; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Pittsburgh, PA; HSI, Orlando, FL; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations; United States Postal Service, Columbus, Ohio; Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General; Lawrence County Drug Task Force – Special Investigations Unit; and New Castle Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of McKnight.
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.
Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kymoni Davis, also known as “Money,” 33, of Redford, Michigan, was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Davis admitted to shooting into a Huntington club after his ejection during a New Year’s Eve party.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 1, 2020, Davis fired a Ruger & Co., model P95 DC, 9mm pistol through the front door of the Kulture Hookah Bar before fleeing the scene.
Davis had been ejected from the club prior to midnight. Seven individuals were injured in the shooting. Surveillance video captured the shooting, and along with statements from witnesses helped to identify Davis. Spent casings at the scene collected by law enforcement officers were later matched with a firearm seized by Charleston Police officers in an unrelated investigation. Davis was arrested in the Detroit area several months later and returned to West Virginia.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Davis knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for uttering and publishing in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Circuit Court on March 26, 2018, false pretenses with intent to defraud in Kent County, Michigan, Circuit Court on May 24, 2018, and delivering a check without account in Wayne County, Michigan, Circuit Court on January 25, 2019.
“This senseless act of gun violence demonstrates the consequences when firearms are in the wrong hands,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department.”
“Protecting the public is ATF’s top priority,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of ATF’s Louisville Division. “Working with local police to provide federal resources, like the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, or NIBIN, is one of the ways we accomplish our mission. This case demonstrates how NIBIN can help investigators link shootings, and how violent offenders are removed from the street when they use firearms to commit violent crimes. I commend the Huntington Police Department, ATF’s Charleston Field Office, and the prosecution team for their work to bring justice to the victims in this case.”
Huntington Police Department Chief Karl Colder also cited the relationship and partnership that HPD has with ATF as members of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
“I would also like to recognize the effort of the prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office assigned to the investigation, and our detectives who spent timeless hours investigating the violent activities of Kymoni Davis,” Colder said. “These investigations of this magnitude can’t be accomplished without collaboration between agencies at the local, state and federal levels. This investigation sends a message that the Huntington Police Department will pursue any and all acts of violence in the city and investigate violent criminal activity.”
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey 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.
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. 3:20-cr-18.
###
Manteca Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Ammunition as a FelonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Mario Gonzalez, 40, of Manteca, California, pleaded guilty today to unlawfully possessing ammunition after being convicted of a felony crime, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on December 16, 2019, Manteca Police Department officers searched Gonzalez’s truck after arresting him on a state arrest warrant. During the search, officers located a loaded firearm and a total of 48 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. Gonzalez has several prior felony convictions—including three prior domestic violence felonies—which prohibit him from possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was the product of an investigation by the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, the Manteca Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorneys Aaron D. Pennekamp and Emily G. Sauvageau are prosecuting the case.
Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced on March 20, 2023, by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb. Gonzalez faces a minimum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Gun and Drugs in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded semiautomatic handgun and cocaine at a Chicago gas station.
JEREMY INGRAM, 30, of Chicago, illegally possessed the gun and drugs on July 11, 2019, in the Austin neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. The firearm had a 16-round magazine attached to it, while the cocaine was packaged in multiple clear baggies. When Chicago Police officers approached Ingram, he attempted to flee in his car. Ingram continued to physically resist the officers as they apprehended and arrested him.
Ingram had previously been convicted of multiple felonies in state court and was not legally allowed to possess a firearm. He was on parole for his most recent felony conviction at the time of the federal offenses.
Ingram pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal firearm and drug charges. U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman on Dec. 14, 2022, imposed a prison sentence of 12 years and seven months.
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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jasmina Vajzovic represented the government.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Attorney Lausch and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Man Sentenced for Role in Attempted Robbery of New Haven Restaurant Where Employee was ShotRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TREIZY LOPEZ, 25, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 108 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in the attempted robbery of a New Haven restaurant, during which he shot an employee, in April 2015.
According to court documents and statements made in court, at approximately 11:00 p.m. on April 11, 2015, Lopez, Tythrone Ford and another man entered the Smokin’ Wings restaurant on Congress Avenue in New Haven and demanded money at gunpoint. Lopez subsequently discharged a firearm and shot a female employee in the stomach. Lopez, Ford and their associate then fled the restaurant. Responding New Haven Police officers subsequently located a .22 caliber revolver in a nearby trash can.
Approximately eight hours before the Smokin’ Wings robbery, Lopez, Ford and another man traveled together to Bridgeport. Lopez and the other individual, armed with handguns, entered Sapiaos Market on Lexington Avenue and demanded money. During the attempted robbery, the owner of the market, Jose Salgado, was shot and killed. Ford waited in a car outside of the market during the attempted robbery. After the murder, the three men traveled back to New Haven together. Hours later, Ford and Lopez participated in the gunpoint robbery at Smokin’ Wings.
Forensic analysis of the revolver found in the trash can in New Haven, and projectiles collected from the scene of both attempted robberies, revealed that the gun was used in both shootings. DNA collected from the gun revealed that both Lopez and Ford possessed the gun.
Lopez has been detained since his arrest on December 12, 2019. On September 23, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted interference with commerce by robbery.
In March 2018, Lopez was found guilty of first-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit first degree robbery for his role in the Sapiaos Market robbery and homicide. On August 16, 2018, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for those offenses. Judge Meyer ordered Lopez to begin serving his federal sentence after he completes his state sentence.
Ford pleaded guilty to attempted interference with commerce by robbery for his role in the Smokin’ Wings robbery. On March 15, 2022, was sentenced to 110 months of imprisonment for that offense. Ford was not charged in relation to the Sapiaos Market robbery.
This matter stemmed from a cold case investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the New Haven Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis and Nathaniel J. Gentile through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program and Project Longevity.
PSN, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.
Le Ministère de la Justice annonce une nouvelle initiative pour assurer l’accès linguistique dans le cadre de l’application de la loiRead the Press Release
Le Ministère de la Justice a annoncé le lancement de l'Initiative d'accès linguistique pour les organismes d'application de la loi, un effort national visant à aider les organismes d'application de la loi à s'acquitter de leurs obligations de fournir une aide linguistique utile aux personnes ayant une maîtrise limitée de l'anglais (limited English proficient, LEP). L’initiative s’appuiera sur le travail de longue date du Ministère pour s’assurer que les organismes d’application de la loi respectent leurs obligations en matière d’accès linguistique.
« Fournir aux organismes d’application de la loi les outils dont ils ont besoin pour assurer un accès linguistique efficace et utile encourage et favorise une plus grande sécurité pour les personnes ayant moins de compétences en anglais », a déclaré la Procureure adjointe Kristen Clarke de la Division des droits civils du Ministère de la Justice. « Grâce à cette initiative, nous serons en mesure de partager ces meilleures pratiques en matière d’accès linguistique et des ressources semblables avec les organismes d’application de la loi partout au pays. »
L’initiative sera dirigée par la Section fédérale de la coordination et de la conformité de la Division des droits civils, en partenariat avec les Bureaux des procureurs des États-Unis. Plus précisément, l’initiative :
- Mettra au point des ressources et des outils d'assistance technique qui peuvent aider les organismes locaux et des États chargés de l’application de la loi à fournir un accès linguistique utile aux personnes et aux populations ayant une maîtrise limitée de l'anglais (limited English proficient, LEP) relevant de leur juridiction ;
- Engagera de manière positive les organismes d’application de la loi qui souhaitent examiner, mettre à jour et / ou renforcer leurs politiques, plans et formations en matière d'accès linguistique ;
- Tirera parti de la collaboration avec les Bureaux des procureurs des États-Unis pour organiser des formations dans les collectivités de tout le pays afin de sensibiliser davantage les organismes d’application de la loi aux obligations en matière d’accès linguistique et d’encourager l’adoption généralisée des meilleures pratiques ; et
- Renforcera les liens et l’engagement du Ministère avec les parties prenantes de la communauté LEP et les populations LEP.
En plus de l’annonce aujourd’hui de cette initiative, le Ministère de la Justice et le Bureau du procureur des États-Unis pour le district du Colorado ont annoncé un accord pour résoudre une enquête sur des allégations de discrimination du service de police de Denver sur la base de l'origine nationale à l'encontre de personnes LEP, en violation du titre VI de la Loi de 1964 sur les droits civils. Le titre VI interdit la discrimination fondée sur la race, la couleur et l'origine nationale de la part des bénéficiaires de l'aide financière fédérale.
« Cet accord avec le service de police de Denver aidera les policiers à faire leur travail », a déclaré Matthew Kirsch, Procureur des États-Unis, agissant en vertu de l'autorité conférée par Section 515 du Titre 28 du Code des États-Unis pour le district du Colorado. « Qu’il s’agisse de mener des activités de sensibilisation communautaire ou d’arrêter des personnes accusées d’avoir enfreint la loi, l’accès facile à des services linguistiques exacts permet aux agents de servir et de protéger tous les membres de la communauté, quelle que soit leur compétence en anglais. »
L’enquête du Ministère de la Justice sur le service de police de Denver a débuté après que des membres de la collectivité ont exprimé des préoccupations au sujet d’incidents impliquant des résidents LEP de langue birmane et de langue rohingya vivant dans le quartier East Colfax à Denver. L’enquête a révélé de nombreux cas où les agents du service de police de Denver n’ont pas fourni d’aide linguistique aux personnes LEP ou ont fourni une aide linguistique inefficace ou inappropriée. Par exemple, l'enquête a permis de découvrir des situations où l'on a fait appel à des enfants, à des membres de la famille et à des passants pour obtenir de l'aide linguistique, y compris dans des circonstances où une aide linguistique plus fiable et plus objective aurait dû être fournie.
Dans le cadre de cet accord de règlement, le service de police de Denver a accepté de mettre en œuvre une série de changements à ses politiques, procédures et formations en matière d'accès linguistique, notamment :
- Mettre à jour sa politique et son plan d'accès linguistique afin d'établir des procédures de communication avec les personnes LEP, y compris les témoins et les suspects, et d'interdire l'utilisation d'enfants, de membres de la famille ou de passants pour communiquer avec les personnes LEP, sauf dans des circonstances urgentes ;
- Nommer son tout premier coordonnateur LEP et établir des points de contact pour l'accès linguistique dans chaque district du service de police de Denver ;
- Former tous les employés et nouvelles recrues du service de police de Denver à identifier des individus LEP et à communiquer avec eux, ainsi qu’à documenter les interactions avec ces derniers ; et
- Créer un comité d’accès linguistique qui comprend des parties prenantes représentant les intérêts de la communauté LEP.
Des informations supplémentaires sur la Division des droits civils sont disponibles sur son site Web à l'adresse www.justice.gov/crt et des informations sur les compétences limitées en anglais et le Titre VI sont disponibles à l'adresse www.lep.gov. Les membres du public peuvent signaler d’éventuelles violations des droits civils à l’adresse https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
English
Amharic: አማርኛ
Arabic: العربية
Burmese: မြန်မာဘာသာ
Chinese, Simplified: 简体字
Chinese, Traditional: 簡體字
Farsi: فارسی
French: Français
Karen: ကညီ
Nepali: नेपाली
Rohingya: Ruáingga
Russian: Pусский
Somali: Soomaaliga
Spanish: Español
Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt
Justice Department Announces New Language Access Law Enforcement InitiativeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced the launch of the Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative, a nationwide effort to assist law enforcement agencies in meeting their obligations to provide meaningful language assistance to limited English proficient (LEP) individuals. The initiative will build on the department’s longstanding work to ensure that law enforcement agencies are complying with their language access obligations.
“Providing law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to ensure effective and meaningful language access promotes and advances greater safety for limited English proficient people,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Through this Initiative, we will be able to share these language access best practices and similar resources with law enforcement agencies all across the country.”
The initiative will be led by the Civil Rights Division’s Federal Coordination and Compliance Section in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. Specifically, the initiative will:
- Develop technical assistance resources and tools that can assist local and state law enforcement agencies in their efforts to provide meaningful language access to LEP individuals and populations within their jurisdiction.
- Affirmatively engage law enforcement agencies that want to review, update, and/or strengthen their language access polices, plans and training.
- Leverage collaboration with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to conduct trainings in communities across the country to increase awareness of language access obligations and encourage widespread adoption of best practices by law enforcement agencies.
- Strengthen the department’s ties and engagement with LEP community stakeholders and LEP populations.
In addition to today’s initiative announcement, the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced an agreement to resolve an investigation into allegations that the Denver Police Department (DPD) discriminated on the basis of national origin against LEP individuals in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits race, color, and national origin discrimination by recipients of federal financial assistance.
“This agreement with the Denver Police Department will help police officers do their jobs,” said Matthew Kirsch, Attorney for the United States, Acting under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. §515 for the District of Colorado. “Whether it’s conducting community outreach or arresting individuals accused of breaking the law, ensuring ready access to accurate language services enables officers to serve and protect all members of the community, regardless of English proficiency.”
The Justice Department’s investigation of the DPD began after community members raised concerns about incidents involving Burmese and Rohingya-speaking LEP residents living in the East Colfax area of Denver. The investigation revealed numerous instances where DPD officers either failed to provide language assistance to LEP individuals or provided language assistance that was ineffective or inappropriate. For example, the investigation uncovered situations where children, family members and bystanders were relied upon for language assistance, including in circumstances where more reliable and objective language assistance should have been provided.
As part of this settlement agreement, the DPD has agreed to implement a series of changes to its language access policies, procedures and training, including:
Updating its Language Access Policy and Plan in order to establish procedures for communicating with LEP individuals, including witnesses and suspects, and to prohibit the use of children, family members, or bystanders to communicate with LEP individuals, except in exigent circumstances;
- Appointing its first-ever LEP Coordinator and establish Language Access Points of Contact (LAPCs) in every DPD district;
- Training all DPD employees and new recruits on identifying, communicating with, and documenting interactions with LEP individuals; and
- Creating a Language Access Committee that includes stakeholders representing LEP community interests.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Amharic: አማርኛ
Arabic: العربية
Burmese: မြန်မာဘာသာ
Chinese, Simplified: 简体字
Chinese, Traditional: 簡體字
Farsi: فارسی
French: Français
Karen: ကညီ
Nepali: नेपाली
Rohingya: Ruáingga (Audio)
Russian: Pусский
Somali: Soomaaliga
Spanish: Español
Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt
Justice Department Announces New Language Access Law Enforcement InitiativeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced the launch of the Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative, a nationwide effort to assist law enforcement agencies in meeting their obligations to provide meaningful language assistance to limited English proficient (LEP) individuals. The Initiative will build on the department’s longstanding work to ensure that law enforcement agencies are complying with their language access obligations.
“Providing law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to ensure effective and meaningful language access promotes and advances greater safety for limited English proficient people,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Through this Initiative we will be able to share these language access best practices and similar resources with law enforcement agencies all across the country." Video statement
The Initiative will be led by the Civil Rights Division’s Federal Coordination and Compliance Section in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. Specifically, the Initiative will: • Develop technical assistance resources and tools that can assist local and state law enforcement agencies in their efforts to provide meaningful language access to LEP individuals and populations within their jurisdiction.
• Affirmatively engage law enforcement agencies that want to review, update, and/or strengthen their language access polices, plans, and training.
• Leverage collaboration with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to conduct trainings in communities across the country to increase awareness of language access obligations and encourage widespread adoption of best practices by law enforcement agencies.
• Strengthen the department’s ties and engagement with LEP community stakeholders and LEP populations.In addition to today’s Initiative announcement, the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced an agreement to resolve an investigation into allegations that the Denver Police Department (DPD) discriminated on the basis of national origin against LEP individuals in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits race, color, and national origin discrimination by recipients of federal financial assistance.
“This agreement with the Denver Police Department will help police officers do their jobs,” said Matthew Kirsch, Attorney for the United States, Acting under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. §515 for the District of Colorado. “Whether it’s conducting community outreach or arresting individuals accused of breaking the law, ensuring ready access to accurate language services enables officers to serve and protect all members of the community, regardless of English proficiency.”
The Justice Department’s investigation of the DPD began after community members raised concerns about incidents involving Burmese and Rohingya-speaking LEP residents living in the East Colfax area of Denver. The investigation revealed numerous instances where DPD officers either failed to provide language assistance to LEP individuals or provided language assistance that was ineffective or inappropriate. For example, the investigation uncovered situations where children, family members, and bystanders were relied upon for language assistance, including in circumstances where more reliable and objective language assistance should have been provided.
As part of this settlement agreement, the DPD has agreed to implement a series of changes to its language access policies, procedures, and training, including: • Updating its Language Access Policy and Plan in order to establish procedures for communicating with LEP individuals, including witnesses and suspects, and to prohibit the use of children, family members, or bystanders to communicate with LEP individuals, except in exigent circumstances; • Appointing its first-ever LEP Coordinator and establish Language Access Points of Contact (LAPCs) in every DPD district; • Training all DPD employees and new recruits on identifying, communicating with, and documenting interactions with LEP individuals; and
• Creating a Language Access Committee that includes stakeholders representing LEP community interests.Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/
Amharic: አማርኛ
Arabic: العربية
Burmese: မြန်မာဘာသာ
Chinese, Simplified: 简体字
Chinese, Traditional: 簡體字
Farsi: فارسی
French: Français
Karen: ကညီ
Nepali: नेपाली
Rohingya: Ruáingga
Russian: Pусский
Somali: Soomaaliga
Spanish: Español
Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt
Download Memorandum of Agreement
Download DPD Language Access Policy
Jacksonville Man Charged with Possessing A Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Jonathan Donte Rogers, Jr. (21, Jacksonville) with possessing a stolen firearm as well as not registering the firearm, which was a short-barreled rifle. If convicted of the offenses, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Rogers that the United States intends to forfeit the firearms and ammunition traceable to the offense (see photo below).
According to court documents, on September 6, 2022, Rogers illegally possessed a stolen short-barreled rifle that belonged to a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officer. Rogers posted a video of himself possessing the rifle on social media. Possessing a stolen firearm and possessing a short-barreled rifle without properly registering it are violations of federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro. The forfeiture will be handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
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.
Jacksonville Man Charged with Illegal Purchase of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Pernell Dewayne Bodiford, Jr. (24, Jacksonville) with illegally purchasing a firearm by providing a false statement to a federal firearms dealer. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The indictment also notifies Bodiford, Jr. that the United States intends to forfeit the firearms and ammunition traceable to the offense.
According to the indictment, on July 2, 2021, Bodiford, Jr. bought a Glock pistol from Cash City Pawn of Jacksonville by providing false information intended to deceive the dealer. Bodiford, Jr. provided information stating that he was the actual buyer of the Glock pistol when, in fact, he was buying the pistol for someone else that was prohibited from purchasing and possessing firearms. Providing false information to a federal firearms dealer is a violation of federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro. The forfeiture will be handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
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.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Eddie Guy Jewell, 49, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 26, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Jewell’s Idlewood Drive residence in Huntington. Officers found approximately 73.73 grams of fentanyl, a Bushmaster, AR-15 5.56mm rifle, and a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol. Jewell admitted to possessing the fentanyl, intending to distribute it in the Huntington area. Jewell further admitted that the search occurred after he sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to a confidential informant on multiple occasions.
Jewell is scheduled to be sentenced on March 20, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office.
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-155.
###
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – David Frazier, 42, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 9, 2022, Frazier possessed a Taurus, model G2C, 9mm pistol in Huntington.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Frazier knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for aggravated robbery in Wayne County Circuit Court on April 14, 2000, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm in Cabell County Circuit Court on March 2, 2018.
Frazier is scheduled to be sentenced on April 3, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of faces a maximum penalty of 10 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 Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor 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-222.
###
Honeywell UOP to pay over $160M to resolve foreign bribery investigations in U.S. and BrazilRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – UOP LLC, dba as Honeywell UOP, a U.S.-based subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., has agreed to pay more than $160 million to resolve parallel bribery investigations by criminal and civil authorities in the United States and Brazil stemming from bribe payments offered to a high-ranking official at Brazil’s state-owned oil company.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s resolution is coordinated with prosecutorial authorities in Brazil as well as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
According to court documents, Honeywell UOP entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the department in connection with a criminal information filed in the Southern District of Texas charging the company with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
According to the company’s admissions and court documents, between 2010 and 2014, Honeywell UOP conspired to offer an approximately $4 million bribe to a then-high-ranking executive of Petróleo Brasileiro S.A (Petrobras) in Brazil. Specifically, Honeywell UOP offered the bribe to secure improper advantages in order to obtain and retain business from Petrobras in connection with Honeywell UOP’s efforts to win an approximately $425 million contract from Petrobras to design and build an oil refinery called Premium.
“This case exemplifies corporate misconduct on a global level,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “Prosecuting and investigating this type of crime is an important role our office takes seriously in order to ensure fair and equal playing fields for U.S. companies and consumers. We will continue our efforts to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who violate the FCPA and combat corrupt practices in order to preserve the integrity of our nation’s business dealings here and abroad.”
According to court documents, in order to effectuate the bribery scheme, Honeywell UOP entered into an agency agreement with a sales agent for the purpose of funding and paying the $4 million bribe to the high-ranking Petrobras executive. In exchange for the bribe, and after obtaining business advantages including inside information and secret assistance from the Petrobras executive, Honeywell UOP won the contract. Honeywell UOP earned approximately $105.5 million in profits from the corruptly obtained business.
“Honeywell UOP offered to pay millions of dollars in bribes to a high-ranking executive at Brazil’s state-owned oil company to win a lucrative contract,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s resolution once again demonstrates that in our relentless fight against corruption, the Department of Justice will work together with our partners, both domestic and foreign, to hold companies accountable for their criminal conduct.”
Pursuant to the DPA, Honeywell UOP will pay a criminal penalty of approximately $79 million. The department has agreed to credit up to approximately $39.6 million of that criminal penalty against amounts the company has agreed to pay to authorities in Brazil in connection with related proceedings to resolve an investigation by the Controladoria-Geral da União (CGU), the Ministério Público Federal (MPF) and the Advocacia-Geral de União (Attorney General’s Office). In addition, Honeywell UOP will pay approximately $81 million in disgorgement and prejudgment interest as part of the resolution of a parallel investigation by the SEC.
“Honeywell UOP conspired to bribe a high-ranking official at Petrobras to win a contract from the company, effectively stifling competition,” said Acting Assistant Director in Charge Michael H. Glasheen of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Bribery schemes like this one transcend borders, and collaboration with our foreign partners is crucial to the fight against international corruption. The resolution announced today demonstrates the FBI's commitment to leveling the playing field across the global marketplace."
“Money is the center of the criminal world and this company became a part of that world when it failed to adhere to national and international laws,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Houston Field Office. “It did not live up to the trust placed on it by both the public and its shareholders. In situations like this, IRS-CI will pursue criminal enterprises, regardless of where they operate. Our investigation in this case remains open and we are working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to ensure that crime doesn’t pay.”
As part of the DPA, Honeywell UOP has agreed to continue to cooperate with the department in any ongoing or future criminal investigations relating to this conduct. In addition, under the agreement, Honeywell UOP and its parent company, Honeywell International Inc., agreed to continue to enhance its compliance program and provide reports to the department regarding the implementation of compliance measures for the term of the DPA.
The department reached this resolution with Honeywell UOP based on a number of factors, including, among others, the nature and seriousness of the offense. Honeywell UOP received full credit for its cooperation with the department’s investigation, which included, among other things, (i) proactively disclosing certain evidence of which the department was previously unaware; (ii) providing information obtained through its internal investigation, which allowed the department to preserve and obtain evidence as part of its own independent investigation; (iii) making detailed presentations to the department; (iv) voluntarily facilitating interviews of employees; and (v) collecting and producing voluminous relevant documents and translations to the department, including documents located outside the United States. The company promptly engaged in extensive remedial measures including, among other things, terminating and disciplining certain employees involved in the misconduct and strengthening its compliance program. In light of these considerations, the criminal penalty calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines reflects a 25% reduction off the bottom of the applicable guidelines fine range.
The FBI Washington Field Office and the IRS-CI Houston Field Office are investigating the case. Brazil’s MPF, CGU and AGU as well as the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in this matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Elmilady for the Southern District of Texas and Assistant Chief Gerald M. Moody Jr. and Trial Attorney Gwendolyn Stamper of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA matters.
Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Honeywell UOP to Pay over $160 Million to Resolve Foreign Bribery Investigations in U.S. and BrazilRead the Press Release
UOP LLC, doing business as Honeywell UOP, a U.S.-based subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., has agreed to pay more than $160 million to resolve parallel bribery investigations by criminal and civil authorities in the United States and Brazil stemming from bribe payments offered to a high-ranking official at Brazil’s state-owned oil company.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s resolution is coordinated with prosecutorial authorities in Brazil, as well as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
According to court documents, Honeywell UOP entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the department in connection with a criminal information filed in the Southern District of Texas charging the company with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
According to the company’s admissions and court documents, between 2010 and 2014, Honeywell UOP conspired to offer an approximately $4 million bribe to a then-high-ranking executive of Petróleo Brasileiro S.A (Petrobras) in Brazil. Specifically, Honeywell UOP offered the bribe to secure improper advantages in order to obtain and retain business from Petrobras in connection with Honeywell UOP’s efforts to win an approximately $425 million contract from Petrobras to design and build an oil refinery called Premium.
“Honeywell UOP offered to pay millions of dollars in bribes to a high-ranking executive at Brazil’s state-owned oil company to win a lucrative contract,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s resolution once again demonstrates that in our relentless fight against corruption, the Department of Justice will work together with our partners, both domestic and foreign, to hold companies accountable for their criminal conduct.”
According to court documents, in order to effectuate the bribery scheme, Honeywell UOP entered into an agency agreement with a sales agent for the purpose of funding and paying the $4 million bribe to the high-ranking Petrobras executive. In exchange for the bribe, and after obtaining business advantages, including inside information and secret assistance, from the Petrobras executive, Honeywell UOP won the contract. Honeywell UOP earned approximately $105.5 million in profits from the corruptly obtained business.
“This case exemplifies corporate misconduct on a global level,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “Prosecuting and investigating this type of crime is an important role our office takes seriously in order to ensure fair and equal playing fields for U.S. companies and consumers. We will continue our efforts to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who violate the FCPA and combat corrupt practices in order to preserve the integrity of our nation’s business dealings here and abroad.”
Pursuant to the DPA, Honeywell UOP will pay a criminal penalty of approximately $79 million. The department has agreed to credit up to approximately $39.6 million of that criminal penalty against amounts the company has agreed to pay to authorities in Brazil in connection with related proceedings to resolve an investigation by the Controladoria-Geral da União (CGU), the Ministério Público Federal (MPF), and the Advocacia-Geral de União (Attorney General’s Office). In addition, Honeywell UOP will pay approximately $81 million in disgorgement and prejudgment interest as part of the resolution of a parallel investigation by the SEC.
“Honeywell UOP conspired to bribe a high-ranking official at Petrobras to win a contract from the company, effectively stifling competition,” said Acting Assistant Director in Charge Michael H. Glasheen of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Bribery schemes like this one transcend borders, and collaboration with our foreign partners is crucial to the fight against international corruption. The resolution announced today demonstrates the FBI's commitment to leveling the playing field across the global marketplace.”
“Money is the center of the criminal world, and this company became a part of that world when it failed to adhere to national and international laws,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Houston Field Office. “It did not live up to the trust placed on it by both the public and its shareholders. In situations like this, IRS-CI will pursue criminal enterprises, regardless of where they operate. Our investigation in this case remains open and we are working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to ensure that crime doesn’t pay.”
As part of the DPA, Honeywell UOP has agreed to continue to cooperate with the department in any ongoing or future criminal investigations relating to this conduct. In addition, under the agreement, Honeywell UOP and its parent company, Honeywell International Inc., agreed to continue to enhance its compliance program and provide reports to the department regarding the implementation of compliance measures for the term of the DPA.
The department reached this resolution with Honeywell UOP based on a number of factors, including, among others, the nature and seriousness of the offense. Honeywell UOP received full credit for its cooperation with the department’s investigation, which included, among other things, (i) proactively disclosing certain evidence of which the department was previously unaware; (ii) providing information obtained through its internal investigation, which allowed the department to preserve and obtain evidence as part of its own independent investigation; (iii) making detailed presentations to the department; (iv) voluntarily facilitating interviews of employees; and (v) collecting and producing voluminous relevant documents and translations to the department, including documents located outside the United States. The company promptly engaged in extensive remedial measures including, among other things, terminating and disciplining certain employees involved in the misconduct and strengthening its compliance program. In light of these considerations, the criminal penalty calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines reflects a 25% reduction off the bottom of the applicable guidelines fine range.
The FBI Washington Field Office and the IRS-CI Houston Field Office are investigating the case. Brazil’s MPF, CGU, and AGU, as well as the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, provided substantial assistance in this matter.
Assistant Chief Gerald M. Moody Jr. and Trial Attorney Gwendolyn Stamper of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Elmilady for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Hampton Roads Violent Serial Armed Robbery Crew ConvictedRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted two men last Friday on charges related to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by means of robbery.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Harold Spencer, 32, and Jon Morgan, 32, were members of a five-man armed robbery crew that were apprehended on March 18 after a high-speed pursuit through Virginia Beach following an attempted robbery of a Tiger Mart gas station. A pursuing Virginia Beach police cruiser’s dash camera captured the men throwing several loaded weapons from their car. Only after spike strips were deployed multiple times, did the car finally come to a stop. All men were apprehended, and police recovered ski masks and gloves from inside their vehicle. The clothing and shoes each of them was wearing matched what could be seen in video surveillance from six prior armed robberies. One robber wore a NASA sweatshirt at the first two of six robberies. He was arrested wearing that same NASA sweatshirt.
The rental vehicle they were arrested in was traced back to the Norfolk Airport from where it was rented. One of the co-conspirators caught on the airport video wearing purple shoes was caught later that night on surveillance committing an armed robbery of the Jr. Market in Norfolk wearing purple shoes. Spencer, who shot at a fleeing customer during the second of six-armed robberies, took a “selfie” on his cell phone wearing a ski mask worn in all six robberies—a ski mask, which was recovered after the high-speed pursuit and later was shown to contain his DNA. His cell phone also contained photographs of his co-conspirator holding a handgun with a drum magazine, multiple Glock firearms consistent with those thrown from the fleeing vehicle, pictures of large sums of cash, and lottery tickets.
The armed robbery crew stole cash, cigarettes, and lottery tickets. Investigators from the Virginia Lottery received alerts from convenience stores where attempts were made by Spencer and his co-conspirator, Kareem Ross, to cash the stolen tickets. Investigators pulled the surveillance video from those attempts and identified both men. Additionally, through a shoe impression expert from the Virginia Department of Forensic Science, investigators were able to connect the shoes Spencer was arrested in with a lift of an impression made at the Arrowhead Food Mart he had robbed on March 5. Those shoes could be seen at all six armed robberies Spencer had committed.
Several months before to this conduct, Morgan had completed a prior prison sentence for armed robbery.
Spencer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 31 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison when. Morgan faces a maximum sentence of 40 years. Both men will be sentenced on June 2, 2023. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Co-conspirators Kareem Ross, 32, of Hampton; Marvin Lockhart, Jr., 32, of Virginia Beach; and Roshaun Griffin, 34, of Virginia Beach, pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. They are scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, March 3, and February 23, 2023, respectively.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Paul W. Neudigate, Chief of Police, Virginia Beach Police Department, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe DePadilla and John F. Butler are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-106.
Greenville Men Sentenced to Prison for Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
Oxford, Mississippi – Two Greenville men have been sentenced to prison following their convictions for drug and gun related offenses.
According to court documents, the federal gun and drug charges arose out of a March 22, 2020, incident wherein Lakendrick Motton and Antoine Jackson were seen selling illegal narcotics from the parking lot of Lucky’s Store in Greenville, Mississippi.
Motton, 37, was sentenced on Friday, December 16 by U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock to 60 months in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Motton will serve a three-year term of supervision upon his release from prison.
According to court documents, Antoine Jackson, 33, was sentenced on November 1, 2022, by Judge Aycock to 78 months in prison for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute and for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Upon release from prison, Jackson will also be placed on supervision for a period of three years.
U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner of the Northern District of Mississippi and Greenville Police Chief Marcus Turner announced the sentences for Jackson and Motton.
This case was investigated by the Greenville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Mims 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.
Grand Jury Indicts 2 in ‘Swatting’ Scheme that Took over Ring Doorbells Across U.S. to Livestream Police Response to Fake CallsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two men – one from Wisconsin, the other from North Carolina – have been charged with participating in a “swatting” spree that, over a one-week span, gained access to a dozen Ring home security door cameras nationwide, placed bogus emergency phone calls designed to elicit an armed police response, then livestreamed the events on social media, sometimes while taunting responding police officers, the Justice Department announced today.
Kya Christian Nelson, a.k.a. “ChumLul,” 21, of Racine, Wisconsin, who is currently incarcerated in Kentucky in an unrelated case; and James Thomas Andrew McCarty, a.k.a. “Aspertaine,” 20, of Charlotte, North Carolina (who at the time of the alleged criminal conduct lived in Kayenta, Arizona), who was arrested last week on federal charges filed in the District of Arizona, are charged with one count of conspiracy to intentionally access computers without authorization. Nelson also was charged with two counts of intentionally accessing without authorization a computer and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment returned Friday afternoon by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles, from November 7, 2020, to November 13, 2020, Nelson and McCarty gained access to home security door cameras sold by Ring LLC, a home security technology company. Nelson and McCarty allegedly acquired without authorization the username and password information for Yahoo email accounts belonging to victims throughout the United States.
Then, they allegedly determined whether the owner of each compromised Yahoo account also had a Ring account using the same email address and password that could control associated internet-connected Ring doorbell camera devices. Using that information, they identified and gathered additional information about their victims, according to the indictment.
Nelson and McCarty allegedly placed false emergency reports or telephone calls to local law enforcement in the areas where the victims lived. These reports or calls were intended to elicit an emergency police response to the victim’s residence, the indictment alleges.
The defendants then allegedly accessed without authorization the victims’ Ring devices and transmitted the audio and video from those devices on social media during the police response. They also allegedly verbally taunted responding police officers and victims through the Ring devices during several of the incidents.
For example, on November 8, 2020, Nelson and an accomplice accessed without authorization Yahoo and Ring accounts belonging to a victim in West Covina. A hoax telephone call was placed to the West Covina Police Department purporting to originate from the victim’s residence and posing as a minor child reporting her parents drinking and shooting guns inside the residence of the victim’s parents.
Nelson allegedly accessed without authorization a Ring doorbell camera, located at the residence of the victim’s parents and linked to the victim’s Ring account, and used it to verbally threaten and taunt West Covina Police officers who responded to the reported incident.
The indictment alleges other similar Ring-related swatting incidents occurred in Flat Rock, Michigan; Redding, California; Billings, Montana; Decatur, Georgia; Chesapeake, Virginia; Rosenberg, Texas; Oxnard, California; Darien, Illinois; Huntsville, Alabama; North Port, Florida; and Katy, Texas.
This series of swatting incidents prompted the FBI in late 2020 to issue a public service announcement urging users of smart home devices with cameras and voice capabilities to use complex, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication to help protect against swatting attacks.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If they were to be convicted of the conspiracy charge in the indictment, each defendant would face a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. The charge of intentionally accessing without authorization a computer carries a maximum possible sentence of five years, and the charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence.
The FBI is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Khaldoun Shobaki of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Gallup man sentenced to 25 years in prison for second degree murderRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Darrell Desiderio was sentenced on Dec. 16 to 25 years in prison. Desiderio, 45, of Gallup, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty on July 26, 2021, to second degree murder in Indian Country.
On June 7, 2018, Desiderio and an accomplice, conspired to kidnap a victim, identified as John Doe, and take the victim’s truck. The accomplice lured John Doe to Desiderio to assist Desiderio in acquiring a vehicle. Under the pretense that Desiderio “knew some women who would want to ‘party,’” the accomplice and John Doe picked up Desiderio and drove north of Gallup to a remote area. Desiderio ordered John Doe to pull over and pressed a knife to John Doe’s throat. During a struggle for the keys to the vehicle, Desiderio stabbed John Doe. The victim died as a result of the wounds inflicted by Desiderio. The murder occurred in McKinley County, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation.
Upon his release from prison, Desiderio will be subject to five years of supervised release.
The Gallup resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Gallup Police Department, McKinley County Sheriff’s Office and the Navajo Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Spindle prosecuted the case.
# # #
Fresno Man Sentenced to over 3 Years in Prison for Federal Firearm ConvictionRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Keith Delray Breazell, 32, of Fresno, CA, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Ana de Alba to 37 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on May 25, 2021, detectives working for the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC) reported to a cemetery, where they observed Breazell and a group of males congregating. As officers approached the area, the males dispersed. Breazell ran and climbed over a cinder block wall on the property line of the cemetery. Breazell was apprehended by assisting officers. Two detectives canvassed the area where Breazell had been seen standing and saw an abandoned blue backpack. Inside the backpack, officers found a loaded, privately manufactured, semi-automatic, .40 caliber pistol without a serial number (sometimes called a “ghost gun”). The backpack also contained an additional loaded, .40 caliber magazine which contained 13 live .40 caliber rounds of ammunition. The backpack also contained a wallet with Breazell’s California identification card inside. Breazell is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has previously been convicted of several felony crimes. Breazell was arrested, charged, and pled guilty.
The case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and MAGEC. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Fresno Man Sentenced to Almost 15 Years in prison for Fentanyl Distribution to a Minor, Other Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Geno Maciel, 25, of Fresno, was sentenced today to almost 15 years in prison for distribution of fentanyl and alprazolam to a person under 21 years of age, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, alprazolam, and ecstasy, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on July 5, 2021, Maciel provided a 16-year-old with a counterfeit pill that was laced with fentanyl. The juvenile victim died as a result of fentanyl intoxication.
A few weeks later, investigators executed a search warrant at Maciel’s residence, on his car and person, and found additional pills laced with fentanyl, alprazolam, and ecstasy, as well as ammunition and 11 firearms.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Several investigators were part of the FORT team, a team with a mission to deploy to the scene of an overdose, with or without a fatality, to investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding the event and ultimately bring a resolution to the victims by prosecuting the sources of supply who are responsible. The team is also focused on education on the dangers of fentanyl and how first responders treat these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.
Former Portland Area Non-Profit Director Pleads Guilty to Stealing Covid Relief FundsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A former Portland area non-profit director pleaded guilty today for stealing more than $320,000 in federal funds intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Theodore Johnson, 62, a Portland resident, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud.
According to court documents, in February 2017, Johnson incorporated and began serving as the director of operations for Ten Penny International Housing Foundation, an Oregon-based non-profit organization. After Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to American employers suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shutdowns, Johnson saw an opportunity to fraudulently obtain government funds on Ten Penny’s behalf.
In early March 2021, Johnson submitted his first of three Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications, falsely claiming Ten Penny employed 16 people and had an average monthly payroll of more than $57,000. To support his application, Johnson submitted fraudulent tax documents and created an electronic counterfeit IRS stamp to make it appear as though a form had been received by the IRS. Based on these false claims, Northeast Bank issued a PPP loan worth more than $143,000 to Ten Penny.
Two months later, in May 2021, Johnson submitted two more fraudulent PPP loan applications. In these applications, he again falsely claimed Ten Penny employed 16 people and had an average monthly payroll of at least $50,000. Johnson further falsely claimed to have used the entirety of his first PPP loan for eligible expenses. As a result, Central Willamette Credit Union issued Johnson a second PPP loan worth more than $130,000.
In addition to his three fraudulent PPP loan applications, Johnson submitted a fraudulent Oregon Cares Fund application on behalf of Ten Penny and received an additional $34,975.
On October 31, 2022, Johnson was charged by criminal information with one count of bank fraud.
Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years’ supervised release. He will be sentenced on March 16, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon.
As part of his plea agreement, Johnson has agreed to pay more than $321,000 in restitution to Northeast Bank, Central Willamette Credit Union, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the Oregon Department of Administrative Services.
This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). It is being prosecuted by Meredith D.M. Bateman, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.