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Monday 7 November 2022
Peever Man Arrested for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Peever, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Sexual Abuse of a Minor.
Larry Levi Finley III, age 25, was indicted in October of 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on October 31, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 15 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, five years up to life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
According to the Indictment, between on or about July 1, 2021, and October 31, 2021, in Roberts County, Indian Country, in the District of South Dakota, Finley did knowingly engage in and attempt to engage in a sexual act with a minor who had attained the age of twelve years, but had not attained the age of sixteen years, and was at least four years younger than Finley.
The charge is merely an accusation and Finley is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
Finley was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Richard Joseph Moreno, age 36 of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on October 28, 2022, to 84 months in prison following his plea of guilty to Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. After he is released from prison, Moreno will serve three years of supervised release.
On August 17, 2021, a Mills County Sherriff’s Deputy stopped Moreno for traffic violations. The deputy discovered the truck had been reported stolen. The truck smelled of spray paint and appeared as if it had been recently repainted from white to black. When Moreno stepped out of the vehicle, a marijuana pipe fell off his lap. During a search of the truck, officers located a locked bag and later opened it after obtaining a search warrant. Inside the locked bag was ammunition and a loaded firearm that had been reported stolen. Moreno had a prior felony conviction that prevented him from possessing a firearm.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Mills County Sheriff Department and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force investigated 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. In May 2021, the 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.
Ocean County Man Sentenced to Year in Prison for Illegally Possessing Short-Barreled Rifle, Silencer, and Fake Federal Identification BadgesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison for unlawfully possessing a privately manufactured short barrel rifle, a silencer, and five imitation badges of various federal agencies, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jeffrey Backlund, 57, of Waretown, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to an information charging him with unlawfully possessing firearms that were not registered in the National Firearms Register and Transfer Record, and unlawful possession of an official badge or identification card. Judge Sheridan imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Sept. 6, 2020, after investigating a domestic disturbance, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Backlund’s residence and located a number of firearms and imitation federal identification badges. They found one short-barreled, AR-style, .223 caliber rifle bearing no serial number and no branding. Attached to the rifle, they found a tan metal cylindrical device that law enforcement determined to be a silencer. Given the physical characteristics of the rifle and silencer, Backlund was required to, but did not, register these items in the National Firearms Register and Transfer Record pursuant to the National Firearms Act.
Law enforcement officers also located two bi-fold wallets containing FBI Special Agent identification credentials bearing Backlund’s picture and personal information, a United States Marshals Service badge, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent badge, and a Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent badge. All badges and identifications were imitation and Backlund did not have the authority to possess any of them.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced Backlund to three years of supervised release and fined him $5,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of the ATF Newark Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bryan R. Miller; special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark; members of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Juan Mattos Jr.; detectives with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, and officers of the Ocean Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michal J. Rogalski, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Martha K. Nye of the Criminal Division in Trenton.
Oakland Man Convicted by Jury of Murder for HireRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal jury on Friday convicted Burte Gucci Rhodes, a.k.a. Moeshawn, of conspiring to commit a murder for hire and of committing a murder for hire, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Mark H. Pearson.
Rhodes, 41, of Oakland, was charged by superseding indictment on December 18, 2018. His co-defendants Marcus Etienne, a.k.a. Hitler, and Mario Robinson were also charged in that superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit murder for hire and murder for hire, among other charges. Both Etienne, 41, of St. Martin Parish, La., and Robinson, 39, of Oakland, have since pleaded guilty and admitted their roles in the murder.
The trial of Rhodes focused on the March 22, 2016, murder of Louisiana native Trince Thibodeaux, age 28. Trial evidence demonstrated that Etienne was the leader of a racketeering enterprise based near Lafayette, Louisiana, that engaged in extensive illegal activities, including drug trafficking, assault, and illegal firearms possession. Robinson moved from Oakland, California, to Louisiana in 2015 and joined in the Etienne enterprise.
Evidence at trial showed that in 2016 Etienne believed Thibodeaux had stolen several thousand dollars that he had been tasked with transporting from Louisiana to California and therefore ordered Robinson and another member of the organization to have Thibodeaux killed. Robinson then contracted with Rhodes, a longtime friend of his from Oakland, to carry out the murder in exchange for $5,000.
Evidence at trial showed that on the night of March 22, 2016, Robinson and another member of the organization lured Thibodeaux to a predetermined location near the intersection of 90th Avenue and International Boulevard in the eastern part of Oakland, where Rhodes was waiting. The evidence demonstrated that, once Thibodeaux arrived, Rhodes approached him from behind and shot him nine times. Thibodeaux was pronounced dead later that night.
One week after the murder, Robinson sent Rhodes a wire transfer of $1,250. In the months following the murder, Robinson had other associates in Louisiana send additional wire transfers to Rhodes.
A federal jury convicted Rhodes following a one week trial of one count of murder for hire in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1958, which carries a sentence of life in prison. The jury also convicted Rhodes of one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
United States District Judge William Alsup presided over the Rhodes trial and set a sentencing hearing for January 31, 2023. Rhodes remains in custody pending his sentencing hearing.
Etienne and Robinson were sentenced on October 13, 2020, for their involvement in the racketeering conspiracy, which encompassed their roles in the murder for hire. U.S. District Judge Alsup sentenced Etienne to 34 years and Robinson to 32 years in federal prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Boome and Kevin Rubino prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Jessie Chelsea.. The prosecution was a result of an investigation by the FBI and IRS-CI with assistance of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Oakland Police Department.
North Charleston Man Indicted for Firearm and Drug ViolationsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — A federal grand jury in Charleston returned a three-count indictment against Elisha Shaleel Patterson, 20, of North Charleston, for felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The indictment alleges that on April 25, 2022, investigators observed Patterson engaged in an illegal gambling operation at the scene of a recent shooting. Officers arrested Patterson and during a subsequent search, they located a stolen 9mm pistol, marijuana, and a digital scale in his possession. Patterson is federally prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a previous felony conviction.
Patterson faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted and is currently detained pending trial.
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.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Charleston Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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North Carolina Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Punching Passenger on Commercial Flight to PortlandRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Charlotte, North Carolina man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to federal prison today for punching a fellow passenger in the face on a Portland-bound commercial flight from Denver.
Yuriy Poplauskiy, 40, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison and one year of supervised release.
According to court documents, on August 14, 2019, on a commercial flight from Denver to Portland, several passengers observed Poplauskiy exhibiting strange behavior, leading some to believe he was intoxicated. With 25 minutes remaining in the flight, Poplauskiy peered through a gap in the seats at a man sitting behind him on the aisle. Poplauskiy glared at the man and mumbled “when we land, I’ll see you at the airport.” Poplauskiy then stood up, called the man a name, and punched him in the jaw. Poplauskiy ran to the lavatory, but eventually returned to his seat. Minutes later, prior to landing, Poplauskiy tried to start a fight with another male passenger and groped a male flight attendant’s genitals. Police officers met the plane at the gate in Portland and arrested Poplauskiy.
On September 18, 2019, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Poplauskiy with assault by striking while on board an aircraft. Before sentencing today, he pleaded guilty to the single charge.
Prior to his plea and sentencing, Poplauskiy violated his pre-trial release conditions six times, including by incurring two new criminal convictions for unlawfully possessing methamphetamine and eluding arrest in a motor vehicle.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Port of Portland Police Department and the Portland Police Bureau. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Nigerian Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Launder Tens of Millions of Dollars from Online ScamsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A prolific international fraudster who conspired to launder tens of millions of dollars through a series of online scams and flaunted his luxurious, crime-funded lifestyle on social media was sentenced today to 135 months in federal prison.
Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, a 40-year-old Nigerian national, also known by his Instagram handle, “Ray Hushpuppi,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who also ordered Abbas to pay $1,732,841 in restitution to two fraud victims.
Abbas pleaded guilty in April 2021 to one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. He was arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in June 2020 and has remained in federal custody since his expulsion from the UAE.
“Abbas bragged on social media about his lavish lifestyle – a lifestyle funded by his involvement in transnational fraud and money laundering conspiracies targeting victims around the world,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Money laundering and business email compromise scams are a massive international crime problem, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement and international partners to identify and prosecute those involved, wherever they may be.”
“Ramon Abbas, a.k.a. ‘Hushpuppi,’ targeted both American and international victims, becoming one of the most prolific money launderers in the world,” said Don Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Abbas leveraged his social media platforms – where he amassed a considerable following – to gain notoriety and to brag about the immense wealth he acquired by conducting business email compromise scams, online bank heists and other cyber-enabled fraud that financially ruined scores of victims and provided assistance to the North Korean regime. This significant sentence is the result of years’ worth of collaboration among law enforcement in multiple countries and should send a clear warning to international fraudsters that the FBI will seek justice for victims, regardless of whether criminals operate within or outside United States borders.”
Abbas conspired with Ghaleb Alaumary, 37, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, a convicted money launderer, to launder funds derived from various crimes, including bank cyber-heists, business email compromise (BEC) schemes and other online frauds. BEC schemes typically involve gaining unauthorized access to a business email account and attempting to trick a victim business into making an unauthorized wire transfer.
In January 2019, Abbas conspired with Alaumary to launder funds stolen from a bank in Malta by providing account information for banks in Romania and Bulgaria. The United States has charged North Korean hackers with committing the bank cyber-heist in Malta, and alleged that those funds were destined for the North Korean government. Abbas has admitted that the intended loss with respect to the Maltese bank was approximately $14.7 million.
In May 2019, Abbas conspired with Alaumary to launder millions of pounds stolen from a professional soccer club in the United Kingdom as well as a British company. In connection with that scheme, Abbas provided Alaumary with details for a bank account in Mexico that “could handle millions and not block,” according to court documents.
Abbas also fraudulently induced a New York-based law firm in October 2019 to transfer approximately $922,857 to an account that a co-conspirator controlled under someone else’s name.
Alaumary was charged separately and pleaded guilty in November 2020 to one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. He is serving a 140-month federal prison sentence and was ordered to pay more than $30 million in restitution.
Abbas also admitted in his plea agreement to conspiring with others to defraud an individual in Qatar who sought a loan of $15 million to build a school.
At today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Wright ordered Abbas to pay $922,857 in restitution to the law firm victim and $809,983 in restitution to the businessperson in Qatar.
Abbas and another conspirator duped the victim businessperson into paying approximately $330,000 to fund an “investor’s account” to facilitate the loan. Abbas specifically directed the victim to send $100,000 to a bank account controlled by a co-conspirator, and $230,000 to the bank account of a luxury watch seller. Abbas used those funds for his personal benefit, including purchasing a $230,000 Richard Mille RM11-03 watch, which he arranged to have brought to him from New York to Dubai. The watch made numerous appearances on Abbas’ wrist on his now-defunct Instagram account, often with the hashtag #RichardMille.
Approximately $50,000 of proceeds from the scheme were used to fraudulently acquire a St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis citizenship and a passport for Abbas through a sham marriage to a St. Kitts citizen.
In January and February 2020, Abbas and another conspirator corresponded with the victim businessperson, attempting to fraudulently induce a further payment of $575,000 in purported taxes to release the $15 million loan. In February 2020, the victim sent approximately $299,983 to Kenyan bank accounts specified by another conspirator. In March 2020, Abbas fraudulently induced the victim to send another $180,000 to U.S.-based bank accounts; those funds were subsequently laundered with assistance from several co-conspirators.
“By his own admission, during just an 18-month period defendant conspired to launder over $300 million,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “While much of this intended loss did not ultimately materialize, [Abbas’] willingness and ability to participate in large-scale money laundering highlights the seriousness of his criminal conduct.”
The FBI investigated this matter as part of Operation Top Dog. The FBI thanks the government of the United Arab Emirates and the Dubai Police Department for their substantial assistance in this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Khaldoun Shobaki of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section prosecuted this case. The Justice Department Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in this matter.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 49 Months in Prison for Possessing Firearm While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL STANLEY, 33, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 49 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm while on supervised release from a prior federal conviction. Judge Chatigny also ordered Stanley to serve six months in a halfway house and three months in home detention when he is released from prison, and banned Stanley from entering New Haven while on supervised release without the permission of the U.S. Probation Office.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Stanley was arrested on September 7, 2021, after New Haven Police conducted a court-authorized search of his New Haven hotel room and seized a fanny pack containing his driver’s license, a small quantity of narcotics and a loaded Ruger SR9, 9mm pistol. Stanley’s DNA was recovered from swabs taken from the gun.
Stanley’s criminal history includes multiple felony convictions, including a federal conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In October 2014, Stanley was sentenced to 70 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for that offense. He was released from prison in May 2019.
Judge Chatigny sentenced Stanley to 37 months of imprisonment for illegally possessing the firearm, and a consecutive 12 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
Stanley has been detained since February 14, 2022. On May 27, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Naples Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Illegal Machineguns and Unregistered Firearm SilencersRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Matthew Garrett Mink (38, Naples) to four years and three months in federal prison for possessing an illegal machinegun, possessing an unregistered firearm silencer, possessing a stolen firearm silencer, and possessing an un-serialized firearm silencer. The court also ordered Mink to pay a $20,000 fine and to forfeit the firearms and silencers involved in his crimes. Mink had pleaded guilty on May 2, 2022.
According to court records, Mink is the former manager of a Naples-based licensed gun dealer, who came to the attention of federal agents after his employment at the gun shop was terminated. An investigation revealed that Mink had engaged in various illegal firearms-related activities both during and after his employment at the gun shop, including falsifying paperwork relating to the acquisition and disposition of firearms in the gun shop’s inventory, possessing illegal modified machineguns, possessing illegal un-serialized and unregistered firearm silencers, and possessing a stolen firearm silencer and a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
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.
Modesto County Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Jerrid Kunkel, 27, of Modesto, pleaded guilty today to receipt and distribution of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between April 2014 and December 2017, Kunkel received and distributed images and videos of child pornography over the internet on his cellphone.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian W. Enos is prosecuting the case.
Kunkel is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba on Feb. 21, 2023. Kunkel faces a minimum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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 was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Mobile Man Sentenced in Firearms CaseRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 30 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, George Lee Thompson, 35, was arrested by Mobile police officers on June 9, 2021, after a 911 caller reported seeing him waving a gun around near a gas station on Government Boulevard. When officers encountered Thompson, they found a loaded .380 caliber revolver in the front pocket of his shorts. Thompson admitted that at the time he possessed the gun, he knew he had previously been convicted of several felony drug offenses in Mobile County Circuit Court. Thompson’s prior felony convictions rendered his possession of the gun illegal under federal law.
Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock ordered Thompson to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Chief Judge Beaverstock ordered Thompson to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Michigan Man Sentenced to 3½ Years in Prison for Role in ‘SIM Swapping’ that Led to Account Takeovers and $122,000 in LossesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Clarkston, Michigan man was sentenced today to 42 months in federal prison for his role in a series of “SIM swapping” schemes that allowed him and his accomplices to take control of online accounts, which resulted in the theft of cryptocurrency, causing more than $28,000 in losses.
Anthony Joseph Carlson, 25, also conducted a separate “phishing” scheme to hijack valuable Instagram accounts, which he was able to monetize. And he defrauded other victims by selling stolen Instagram accounts, causing additional losses of over $93,000.
Carlson was sentenced by United States District Judge Percy Anderson, who scheduled a hearing for January 18, 2023, to determine the amount of restitution that the defendant will be ordered to pay to approximately 10 individuals and companies.
Carlson pleaded guilty on August 22 to four felony offenses – two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information.
Judge Anderson today emphasized the seriousness of the cybercrimes by saying, “It’s the same as if the defendant was actually robbing the victims,” later adding, “You don’t get a break because you used a computer.”
SIM swapping is fraud in which cell phone service providers are tricked into reassigning a victim’s cell phone number to a new cell phone controlled by a fraudster, without the victim’s knowledge or authorization. The new cell phone device has a new Subscriber Identification Module (SIM), thus, SIM swapping. After hijacking a victim’s phone service, a SIM swapper is able to receive communications intended for the victim, including password reset codes for a victim’s online accounts. Carlson worked with others in SIM swapping schemes to reset victim account passwords, take over victims’ online accounts and steal cryptocurrency.
Carlson participated in two separate conspiracies to use SIM swapping to gain unauthorized access to the email, financial and social media accounts of the victims to steal cryptocurrency. One scheme that did not result in any actual losses involved the takeover of a Coinbase account in order to steal $10,000 in cryptocurrency, and a second involved the takeover of a Facebook account that allowed Carlson and a co-conspirator to obtain cryptocurrency from two friends of the person whose account had been compromised.
As a result of a separate phishing scheme – in which Carlson sent emails purporting to be from a legitimate source to induce victims to reveal information, including personal identifying information and passwords – he was able to gain control of valuable Instagram accounts with large numbers of followers. Carlson told the victims who owned the Instagram accounts that he wanted to purchase advertising on their accounts, but he needed to first determine how valuable their accounts were for marketing purposes. Carlson convinced the victims to download his purported analytics software, which had a spoofed website name almost identical to a commonly used Instagram analytics software, and they were tricked into providing their Instagram usernames and passwords, which Carlson used to take over their Instagram accounts to monetize for his personal gain.
Carlson also obtained stolen Instagram accounts from others and then re-sold them to other victims for thousands of dollars. In another scheme, Carlson collected money for advertising on Instagram accounts he did not actually control.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Lisa E. Feldman of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty to his role in a tax fraud conspiracy arising from a “ten-percenting” scheme in which he cashed winning Massachusetts state lottery tickets on behalf of the ticket holders and claimed fake gambling losses to avoid taxes on the winnings.
Mohamed Jaafar, 31, of Watertown and Waltham, pleaded guilty on Nov. 4, 2022 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for March 8, 2023. Jaafar was indicted by a federal grand jury along with two co-defendants in August 2021.
Mohamed Jaafar admitted to conspiring with others to purchase winning lottery tickets from the actual winners for cash at a discount of typically between 10-30 percent of each ticket’s value. This scheme, commonly referred to as “ten-percenting,” allows lottery winners to avoid identifying themselves to the Massachusetts Lottery Commission or the Internal Revenue Service, thereby avoiding taxes or child support payments on their winnings. Mohamed Jaafar admitted to presenting the winning tickets to the Massachusetts Lottery Commission as his own and collecting the full value of the tickets. Mohamed Jaafar also admitted to reporting the ticket winnings on his income tax returns and improperly offsetting the claimed winnings with falsified gambling losses, thereby avoiding federal income taxes.
In total, between 2011 and 2019, Mohamed Jaafar and allegedly his co-conspirators cashed more than 13,000 lottery tickets and claimed more than $20,000,000 in Massachusetts lottery winnings. In 2019, Mohamed Jaafar was by himself the third highest individual ticket casher in Massachusetts.
The charge of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Markham and Kristen A. Kearney of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Previously Convicted of Drug Trafficking Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Haitian man was sentenced on Nov. 3, 2022 in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States.
Friendly Grandoit, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to time served (20 months in prison) and one year of supervised release. Grandoit will now be placed into removal proceedings that will likely result in his deportation. On Sept. 28, 2022, Grandoit pleaded guilty to one count of illegal re-entry into the United States after deportation.
In 2005, Grandoit was located in pre-trial detention by immigration officials while pending trial on drug distribution charges in Middlesex County. Grandoit was convicted in Sept. 2006 of trafficking in cocaine and sentenced to three years in state prison. Upon completion of his sentence, Grandoit was placed into removal proceedings and deported to Haiti in July 2008.
Sometime after his removal, Grandoit illegally reentered the United States. In Sept. 2019, Grandoit was arrested and charged in Woburn District Court with distribution of cocaine, identity fraud and operating with a suspended license and was ordered detained. In April 2020, Grandoit posted bail and was released from state custody. In October 2020, Grandoit was charged federally with illegal re-entry into the United States after deportation and was located by law enforcement in March 2021.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Madison & Chicago Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fentanyl-Laced Heroin DeliveriesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Keith L. Harris, 29, of Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced Friday, November 4, by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 6 years in federal prison for distribution of over 40 grams of a substance containing both heroin and fentanyl. Harris pleaded guilty to this charge on August 4, 2022. Derrell Bramlett, 31, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for that offense on October 19, 2022. Bramlett pleaded guilty on July 21, 2022.
Beginning in early December of 2021, Harris sold heroin laced with fentanyl to a confidential informant in four controlled buys monitored by police. The final sale arranged by Harris took place near Fordem Avenue in Madison on January 11, 2022, and involved 50 grams of fentanyl-laced heroin. On this occasion, Harris had co-defendant Derrell Bramlett make the delivery to the informant.
At the time of the drug sales by Harris, he was on active federal supervision following his release from federal prison after serving 2 years for possession of stolen firearms. In July 2018, Harris was convicted of possessing firearms that had been stolen in a brazen burglary of PT Firearms in Cross Plains, Wisconsin. During that burglary on October 20, 2017, a group of individuals used a stolen vehicle to ram the front of the firearms store in the early morning hours, gaining access to the store and escaping with 14 firearms.
In sentencing Harris, Judge Conley stated that the offense was aggravated by the fact that Harris chose to commit more serious drug trafficking offenses while under federal supervision for his previous gun offense, as well as directing Bramlett in conducting the final delivery. Conley observed that Harris not only chose to commit the new offenses for his own profit but was callous to the danger of the fentanyl substance he was selling to others.
The charges against Keith Harris and Derrell Bramlett were the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department. The prosecution of this case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Anderson.
Macon Man Pleads Guilty in Social Media Death Threat and Extortion CaseRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Macon resident who was previously living in Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty to three felony charges of making death threats and attempting to blackmail an individual through Facebook.
Austin Mitchel Fitch aka Jakob Enderson, 29, pleaded guilty to two counts of sending threatening communications via interstate commerce and one count of interstate communications with intent to extort before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell today. Fitch faces a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine per each count of sending threatening communications; he faces a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment to be followed by one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine for extortion. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb.1.
“There are repercussions for those who level a true threat to harm and exhort people through social media or other channels,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “FBI’s National Threat Operations Center took swift action to investigate and determine a true threat and ultimately shut it down.”
“No one should have to face threats and extortion in person or through social media,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Thanks to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center, Austin Fitch will no longer be able to make threats. This case is a warning to others who want to use social media as their weapon of choice.”
According to court records, a person contacted FBI’s National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) on April 28 to report death threats he received through Facebook from an individual named Jakob Enderson. A second person also received death threats on the same day from Jakob Enderson. An exigent emergency request for subscriber information by FBI to Facebook resulted in the account being traced to Fitch. On April 29, the FBI spoke with Fitch, who admitted to making the death threats and indicated that he believed it was within his constitutional rights to make such threats. The agent advised Fitch that these types of comments are not protected speech and that it was illegal to make death threats. Following that conversation with FBI, Fitch proceeded to reach back out to both persons several times with additional threats through Facebook, including an attempt to extort money.
The case was investigated by FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Keyes is prosecuting the case.
Lynnwood, Washington man pleads guilty to making interstate threats and hate crimeRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 37-year-old Lynnwood, Washington, man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to making interstate threats and a hate crime: interference with a Federally Protected Activity, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Joey David George has been in federal custody since his arrest on July 22, 2022. In his plea agreement George admits he made threatening telephone calls from at or near his home in Lynnwood, to grocery stores in Buffalo, New York, restaurants in California and Connecticut, and a marijuana dispensary in Maryland. Sentencing is scheduled in front of U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez on December 16, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, on July 19, 20, and 21, 2022, George telephoned multiple grocery stores in Buffalo, New York and threatened to shoot Black people in the stores. George told the staff at the store to “take him seriously” and ordered the store to clear out the customers as he was “nearby” and “preparing to shoot all Black customers.” One store closed. The threats followed a racially motivated shooting at another Buffalo grocery store in May 2022. Law enforcement traced the phone number and identified George as the person who made the calls.
In addition to the calls to Buffalo, George admits that in May 2022, he called a restaurant in San Bruno, California. In that call George allegedly threatened to shoot Black and Hispanic patrons in the restaurant. He told law enforcement that he made the threat to strike fear in the Bay Area Black community.
On September 11, 2021, George called a cannabis dispensary in Rockville, Maryland, and used racial slurs as he threatened to shoot and kill Black people at the business. George admitted his racial hate to local law enforcement who used caller ID to trace the call. The dispensary shut down and hired extra security, causing a loss of over $50,000. On that same day George also called a Denny’s restaurant in Enfield, Connecticut and threatened Black patrons at the restaurant.
In his plea agreement George agrees to pay restitution to the impacted businesses.
Making interstate threats in punishable by up to five years in prison. Interfering with a Federally Protected Activity is punishable by up to ten years in prison.
Prosecutors have agreed to limit their sentencing recommendation to the high end of the federal sentencing guidelines range. Judge Martinez is not bound by prosecutors’ recommendation and can impose any sentence up to the 10-year statutory maximum after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the FBI with the assistance of multiple local police departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas Woods and Rebecca Cohen in consultation with the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
Lehigh Acres Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Straw Purchasing Firearms for A Mexican Drug CartelRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Brown Dimas III (27, Lehigh Acres) to three years and one month in federal prison for falsifying records relating to firearms purchases. Dimas had pleaded guilty on August 4, 2022.
According to court records, between November 2018 and March 2019, Dimas purchased several high-powered rifles from licensed gun dealers in Fort Myers and Cape Coral at the request of a Mexican drug cartel. Such an act is often referred to as “straw purchasing.” For each purchase, Dimas falsely certified in ATF paperwork that he was purchasing the firearms for himself, when in truth he knew he was purchasing them for a Mexican drug cartel in exchange for cash kickbacks. After the firearms were purchased, Dimas would travel to Laredo, Texas to offload the guns to a cartel associate. Since late 2019, four firearms straw-purchased by Dimas in southwest Florida have been recovered by Mexican military personnel in or near Tamaulipas, Mexico, following firefights with suspected cartel members.
This case was investigated the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
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.
Legal permanent resident admits to importing meth and fentanylRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 42-year-old man residing in Pearland has pleaded guilty to importing over 20 kilograms of meth and 900 grams of fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
On June 24, Jose Luis Escareno attempted to enter the United States through the Juarez-Lincoln Port of Entry in Laredo. At that time, he was driving a pickup truck and pulling a trailer.
At inspection, he claimed ownership of everything inside the vehicle and trailer. Shortly after, law enforcement discovered narcotics hidden inside a mini split air conditioning unit located in the trailer and within a cooler in the truck. They were later determined to be 21.40 kilograms of meth and 8,500 pills of fentanyl weighing approximately 931 grams.
As part of his plea, Escareno claimed the air conditioning unit belonged to a friend who was going to pay him $150 to transport it to Houston. He further admitted he purchased and packed the coolers with contents that belonged to him.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Escareno faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Harrison is prosecuting the case.
#OnePillCanKill
Lawrence Man Sentenced in Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced on Nov. 4, 2022 in federal court in Boston for his role in a Lawrence-based fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
Elvin Mendoza, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On June 2, 2022, Mendoza pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
In June 2021, Mendoza was indicted along with 13 others following an over two-year investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating out of the Lawrence area. As a result of the investigation, Mendoza was identified as a drug trafficker responsible for distributing over 300 grams of fentanyl throughout Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. In December 2020, approximately $74,000 cash and approximately four kilograms of fentanyl, among other evidence, were seized from members of the DTO in various locations in Billerica, Methuen, Lawrence and Ayden, N.C.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in New England and the Andover, Billerica, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen, North Andover, Tewksbury, Wilmington and Salem (N.H.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department to Monitor Polls in 24 States for Compliance with Federal Voting Rights LawsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today its plans to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in 64 jurisdictions in 24 states for the Nov. 8, 2022 general election. Since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Civil Rights Division has regularly monitored elections in the field in jurisdictions around the country to protect the rights of voters. The Civil Rights Division will also take complaints from the public nationwide regarding possible violations of the federal voting rights laws through its call center. The Civil Rights Division enforces the federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all citizens to access the ballot.
For the general election, the Civil Rights Division will monitor for compliance with the federal voting rights laws on Election Day and/or in early voting in 64 jurisdictions:
- City of Bethel, Alaska;
- Dillingham Census Area, Alaska;
- Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska;
- Sitka City-Borough, Alaska;
- Maricopa County, Arizona;
- Navajo County, Arizona;
- Pima County, Arizona;
- Pinal County, Arizona;
- Yavapai County, Arizona;
- Newton County, Arkansas;
- Los Angeles County, California;
- Sonoma County, California;
- Broward County, Florida;
- Miami-Dade County, Florida;
- Palm Beach County, Florida;
- Cobb County, Georgia;
- Fulton County, Georgia;
- Gwinnett County, Georgia;
- Town of Clinton, Massachusetts;
- City of Everett, Massachusetts;
- City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts;
- City of Leominster, Massachusetts;
- City of Malden, Massachusetts;
- City of Methuen, Massachusetts;
- City of Randolph, Massachusetts;
- City of Salem, Massachusetts;
- Prince George’s County, Maryland;
- City of Detroit, Michigan;
- City of Flint, Michigan;
- City of Grand Rapids, Michigan;
- City of Pontiac, Michigan;
- City of Southfield, Michigan;
- City of Minneapolis, Minnesota;
- Hennepin County, Minnesota;
- Ramsey County, Minnesota;
- Cole County, Missouri;
- Alamance County, North Carolina;
- Columbus County, North Carolina;
- Harnett County, North Carolina;
- Mecklenburg County, North Carolina;
- Wayne County, North Carolina;
- Middlesex County, New Jersey;
- Bernalillo County, New Mexico;
- San Juan County, New Mexico;
- Clark County, Nevada;
- Washoe County, Nevada;
- Queens County, New York;
- Cuyahoga County, Ohio;
- Berks County, Pennsylvania;
- Centre County, Pennsylvania;
- Lehigh County, Pennsylvania;
- Luzerne County, Pennsylvania;
- Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania;
- City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island;
- Horry County, South Carolina;
- Dallas County, Texas;
- Harris County, Texas;
- Waller County, Texas;
- San Juan County, Utah;
- City of Manassas, Virginia;
- City of Manassas Park, Virginia;
- Prince William County, Virginia;
- City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and,
- City of Racine, Wisconsin.
Monitors will include personnel from the Civil Rights Division and from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. In addition, the division also deploys monitors from the Office of Personnel Management, where authorized by federal court order. Division personnel will also maintain contact with state and local election officials.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act and the Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.
On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive complaints from the public related to possible violations of the federal voting rights laws by a complaint form on the department’s website https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by telephone toll-free at 800-253-3931.
Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website, at https://www.ada.gov/.
Complaints related to disruption at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local election officials (including officials in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted.
The Justice Department recently announced its overall plans for the general election to protect the right to vote and secure the integrity of the voting process through the work of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, National Security Division and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
More information about the federal civil rights laws is available on the Civil Rights Division’s website at https://www.justice.gov/crt.
Jury Convicts KC Man of Leading Criminal Enterprise Linked to Two MurdersRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was convicted by a federal trial jury today of leading a criminal enterprise linked to two murders and multiple violent assaults, and which distributed at least a kilogram of methamphetamine every day for nearly a year in the Kansas City, Springfield, St. Joseph, and St. Louis, Mo., areas, as well as illegally possessing firearms.
Trevor Scott Sparks, 33, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of participating in a money-laundering conspiracy, one count of possessing firearms in relation to a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
Sparks has remained in federal custody without bond since his arrest on Dec. 18, 2018.
Sparks engaged in the drug trafficking conspiracy from Jan. 1, 2017, to December 12, 2018. Although not charged, the trial jury heard evidence that the drug-trafficking organization led by Sparks was responsible for two murders and multiple violent assaults. In August 2018, James Hampton was seized by members of the organization. Hampton, who was in St. Louis, was seized because Sparks thought he could help find the drugs and money that had been stolen from the organization. When they realized Hampton could not or would not help, he was restrained and beaten. Hampton was then transported from St. Louis to Kansas City in the trunk of his car. Brittanie Broyles, who was with Hampton and witnessed him being beaten and restrained, was also taken to Kansas City.
On Aug. 6, 2018, Hampton’s car and body were discovered burning in Bates City, Mo. On Aug. 8, 2018, Broyles’s body was recovered by the Super Flea in the Northeast area of Kansas City. She had been murdered by two gunshots to her head.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Sparks has two prior felony convictions for robbery, and prior felony convictions for assault and possession of a controlled substance.
Sparks must pay a money judgment of up to $4,160,000, which represents the drug-trafficking proceeds, as determined by the court at the time of his sentencing. That forfeiture amount is based on the unlawful distribution of approximately 520 kilograms of methamphetamine, based on an average price of $8,000 per kilogram.
In addition to Sparks, 31 co-defendants have pleaded guilty in this case and its companion case.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for about an hour before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Nov. 1, 2022.
Under federal statutes, Sparks is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bruce Rhoades and Robert M. Smith. It was investigated by the Kansas City, and Springfield, Mo., Police Departments, the Sni Valley Fire Department, the Jackson, Lafayette, Buchanan, and Phelps County, Mo., Sheriff’s Departments, the FBI, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the St. James, Mo., Police Department.
KC Metro Strike Force
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
Insulation Contracting Firm Sentenced for Rigging BidsRead the Press Release
Axion Specialty Contracting LLC (Axion) was sentenced to pay a $1,001,989 criminal fine and $313,121 in restitution on Nov. 4 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for its participation in a bid-rigging scheme targeting public and private entities in Connecticut. This is the third sentencing arising out of a long-running investigation into the insulation contracting industry.
According to a guilty plea entered on Aug. 3 the defendant conspired with other insulation contractors to rig bids on contracts for installing insulation around pipes and ducts on construction projects at universities, hospitals and other public and private entities in Connecticut. The conspiracy ran for over five years, beginning as early as October 2012 and continuing until as late as March 2018. Six other individuals and companies have pleaded guilty to criminal conduct arising out of this investigation. Three individuals and one company await sentencing.
“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of conduct that subverts the competitive process and targets public and private institutions,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. “We will pursue and hold accountable companies that subvert the competitive process for personal gain and corporate greed.”
“Through this prosecution, individuals and businesses that illegally colluded with competitors to improve their companies’ bottom lines are being held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut. “I commend the FBI and DCIS for investigating this scheme that victimized hospitals, universities and businesses throughout Connecticut.”
“The FBI takes allegations of project or construction fraud and bid rigging very seriously and will expend all appropriate resources to investigate such matters fully,” said Special Agent in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI New Haven Office. “This sentence and punitive penalty stand as evidence that we will pursue and bring to justice those who conspire to commit such crimes.”
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General, investigates anticompetitive practices that erode equity and trust in the DoD contracting processes,” said Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. “This sentencing demonstrates our commitment to partner with the Department of Justice and the FBI to hold accountable those companies that threaten the DoD procurement system.”
Axion previously pleaded guilty to one count of bid rigging under Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. Axion was also ordered to pay a special assessment of $400.
The Antitrust Division’s New York Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, the FBI New Haven Office and the DCIS’s New Haven Resident Agency investigated this case.
In November 2019, the Department of Justice created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant, and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To contact the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, or to report information on market allocation, price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct related to construction or infrastructure, go to https://www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
INTERPOL Washington's Project TERMINUS Supports Indonesian Border Security EffortsRead the Press Release
On October 27, 2022, INTERPOL Washington--the U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB), sent a technical team to Jakarta, Indonesia, to support ongoing border security improvement efforts under Project TERMINUS. The team performed maintenance on previously provided equipment and delivered and configured new hardware and software that will improve the Government of Indonesia’s interface with INTERPOL’s I-24/7 secure network, including the Stolen and Lost Travel document (SLTD) database.
During maintenance of the older equipment, the team discovered that a core component had failed, resulting in loss of the ability to process key INTERPOL Notice data. Once the team repaired the component, the system immediately began consuming 15,175 missing Notice movements, including critical additions, updates, and cancellations. The USNCB team also plans to support its Indonesian partners by helping to relocate the existing Bali Terminus Service Delivery enclave from Jakarta to Surabaya in the future.
“INTERPOL Washington is pleased to continue its partnership with the Government of Indonesia. As the largest country in Southeast Asia, Indonesia presents unique challenges in securing its borders, and Project TERMINUS offers a key piece of the security puzzle,” said INTERPOL Washington Director Michael A. Hughes.
Established in 2016, Project TERMINUS is a partnership between INTERPOL Washington and the State Department's Bureau of Counterterrorism. The mission of Project TERMINUS is to extend INTERPOL's I-24/7 secure, global police-to-police communications system in high-risk areas and select host nations globally.
Project TERMINUS provides expert technical assistance to countries seeking to integrate access to INTERPOL's SLTD database into their national border security information-sharing systems. This assistance helps nations screen against the illicit international travel of transnational criminals and terrorists. Project TERMINUS is currently operating globally. In addition to Indonesia, Partner Nations receiving assistance include Nigeria, Malaysia, Panama, Kyrgyzstan, and The Maldives.
Hawkeye Felon Pleads Guilty to Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm after the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office searched his Hawkeye, Iowa, home on August 10, 2022, pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Rusty Joe Barker, age 38, from Hawkeye, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition after he was convicted of a felony offense.
In an earlier detention hearing, the evidence showed that Fayette County Deputies learned that Barker had access to a firearm and ammunition when they went to the Barker home in response to a child abuse/runaway child investigation. At the plea hearing, Barker admitted he possessed a handgun and ammunition on August 10, 2022, when the deputies searched his home. Barker also admitted he was previously convicted of kidnapping and willful injury in the Iowa District Court for Chickasaw County on September 25, 2007.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Barker remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Barker faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and was investigated by Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Fayette County Attorney’s Office, Iowa State Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive. 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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-02057.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Hampton Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft in Connection with Multiple Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Anthony Silva, 37, of Hampton, pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and mail fraud, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Silva orchestrated two different fraud schemes. First, in late 2021, he used stolen personal identifying information of victims, including their names, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth, to apply for 15 different credit cards from American Express. Silva sometimes also submitted fake driver’s licenses with the victims’ names and other personal identifying information, but with his own photograph. Silva used the credit cards to make personal purchases at retailers like Walmart, Victoria’s Secret, and Home Depot, and was recorded on store security footage making the purchases.
Second, between April 2020 and May 2021, Silva submitted unemployment insurance applications to Vermont and Massachusetts using the identities of many individuals. He typically had the unemployment insurance payments mailed as checks to addresses he controlled or had access to. He then deposited the checks into one of 32 different trust accounts he opened at Citizens Bank, which were in the names of purported charitable causes.
Silva will be required to pay restitution of $699,496.14 and forfeit the trust accounts he controlled at Citizens Bank. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 13, 2023.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General, and Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kennedy.
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Great Falls man admits trafficking meth, fentanyl and illegal firearm possessionRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls man suspected of dealing methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Great Falls community and of illegally possessing a firearm admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Joseph Drayton Cook, 32, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and to prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Cook faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Chief Judge Morris set sentencing for March 23, 2023 and continued Cook’s detention pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that in 2017 and in 2020, Cook had been convicted in Montana state courts of felonies and was on probation for those offenses in March 2022, when Russell Country Drug Task Force agents identified Cook as a drug dealer. Agents and probation officers located Cook and approached him as he was placing items in a vehicle. During that interaction, Cook acknowledged there were drugs and a gun in the vehicles. He admitted to dealing meth and fentanyl and to having dealt heroin in the past. He also told law enforcement he knew he was a felon and not supposed to have firearms. In a search of the vehicle, law enforcement found two safes containing heroin, cocaine, fentanyl pills and meth along with a large sum of cash. Law enforcement also found a 9mm pistol in the vehicle.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Great Falls Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Russell Country Drug Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Mike Marty Hernandez, 26, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on May 23, 2022, Hernandez was found to be in possession of a loaded firearm equipped with a large capacity magazine. Because of his criminal record, including a 2019 conviction for threatening a public official, Hernandez may not lawfully possess firearms or ammunition.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department’s Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca is prosecuting the case.
Hernandez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba on Feb. 6, 2023. Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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 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 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.
Fraudster Pleads Guilty to Participating in an $800,000 Elder Fraud ScamRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Michael Odell Anderson, age 64, of Crystal Beach, Florida and Dun Lorring, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in relation to his participation in an elder fraud scam.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his plea agreement, from April 2020 to December 2020, Anderson conspired with others to persuade elderly victims to give them thousands of dollars under false pretenses. Specifically, members of the conspiracy called elderly victims posing as a police officer, lawyer, or relative and convinced victims to send money for the purported legal expenses of a loved one, generally a grandchild, who had been incarcerated in connection with a car accident or traffic stop involving a crime.
If victims provided cash as directed by conspirators, conspirators fabricated additional reasons for them to send more money, claiming the additional funds were necessary for their grandchild’s legal expenses, bail costs, fines, or to pay damages. Conspiracy members continued to call victims and demand additional funds, regularly obtaining tens of thousands of dollars from the retirement savings of victims. Additionally, conspirators falsely told the victims that the money they sent would be returned to them at a later date. To conceal the crime, the co-conspirators often told the victims that there had been a “gag order” placed on the case requiring secrecy and that the victim could not share the information with others.
Anderson admitted that he and other conspirators posed as bail bondsmen or couriers and received cash directly from the victims, taking approximately seven percent of the proceeds as their payment and distributing the remaining fraud proceeds to other conspirators. To conceal their identities, Anderson and the other conspirators used fake names and would not park directly in front of the victims’ homes when retrieving cash from the victims. When Anderson was recruited into the conspiracy in April 2020, he traveled to the Maryland area to perpetrate the scheme, collecting money from victims in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and other states. As part of the conspiracy, Anderson recruited additional participants to join the conspiracy and assist in retrieving cash from the victims. Anderson directed the recruited conspirators to pay him a percentage of their earnings from the fraud scheme.
For example, Anderson, posing as a bail bondsman, traveled to Sykesville, Maryland on December 4, 2020, and collected $29,000 in cash from Victim 3, who had received a call from a co-conspirator telling her that her nephew had been arrested and needed money for his bail. The next day, Victim 3 received another call and was told that she needed to pay an additional $10,000 in cash for bail money. Anderson again traveled to Victim 3’s home to collect the cash and was arrested while attempting to retrieve the money.
As a result of the scheme, Anderson and the other conspirators caused at least 49 victims to pay at least $842,670 through materially false pretenses, representation, and promises. Of that amount, approximately $578,170 was not returned to the victims
As part of his plea agreement, Anderson will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which does not exceed $578,170 and to forfeit any property or assets derived from, or obtained as a result of, his criminal activity, including $70,327 seized from Anderson’s residence on December 18, 2020.
Anderson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. 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. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for March 16, 2023, at 11:00 a.m.
The Department of Justice runs the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311), has an interactive tool for elders who have been financially exploited to help determine to which agency they should report their incident, and also has a senior scam alert website. Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean R. Delaney, who is prosecuting the federal 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 and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/elder-justice-initiative.
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Four Men Charged with Attempted Sex Trafficking of a ChildRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Four men from the greater Boston area have been arrested and charged for attempting to pay for sex with 12- and 14-year-old girls. If convicted, the defendants face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 or 15 years in prison.
Sadeq Ali Quraishi, 45, of Boston; Dmitri McKenzie, 27, of Boston; and David Cannon, 59, of Lexington were each arrested and charged by criminal complaint with Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child. Misael Fabian Medina, 37, was also arrested and charged with Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child under 14 years old. Quraishi, McKenzie, and Cannon appeared before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Paul Levenson and were each held pending detention hearings scheduled for Nov. 8, 2022. Medina appeared before Magistrate Paul Levenson on Nov. 4, 2022 and agreed to voluntary detention and waived a probable cause hearing.
According to the charging documents, Quraishi, McKenzie, Cannon and Medina each responded to an advertisement on a website commonly used to advertise commercial sex acts. Each defendant communicated via text message with an individual who purported to be selling 12- and 14-year-old girls for commercial sex. Each defendant allegedly agreed to purchase sex with one or both of the advertised children and then traveled to a local hotel to have sex with the fictitious victims. It is alleged that, upon arrival at the hotel, each defendant physically met up with the individual purporting to sell the 12- and 14-year-old girls for sex and again allegedly committed to paying to sexually abuse one or both of the children.
“These arrests show that the sex trafficking of children is happening every day. There is a huge demand for this abusive, repugnant and criminal behavior. We need to dispel the myths about who actually commits this horrific crime. The perpetrators can be white collar professionals who live in nice suburban neighborhoods. Many are married. All put their own sexual gratification over the trauma and harm inflicted on vulnerable, innocent child victims,” said United States Attorney Rachael S Rollins. “We are dedicating substantial resources in the fight against labor and sex trafficking. That includes reducing the demand driving this horrific conduct. These four defendants are the first of many more to come. Consider yourself warned.”
“Knowing people are out there on the internet, looking to prey on children is every parent’s worst fear, but trafficking of children is a heartbreaking reality that Homeland Security Investigations fights against every day. This operation, with the vital assistance of our partners, has identified and led to the arrest of four men alleged to be willing to participate in that horrific crime. Human trafficking is a crime that is notoriously difficult to combat and progress is only possible with the collaboration and support of our many partners and survivor support services. We are grateful to be part of this united effort and to continue the fight to end trafficking,” said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns, or information about this case should contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 617-748-3274.
The charge of Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child is punishable by up to life in prison and carries a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence for offenses involving children 14 and older, and a 15-year mandatory minimum for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Child under 14 years old. The charges also carry a maximum of at least a five-year term of supervised release and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and HSI SAC Millhollin made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lexington, Waltham, Barnstable, Quincy and Cambridge Police Departments as well as the Massachusetts State Police and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian A. Fogerty, Torey Cummings, Elizabeth Riley of Rollins’ newly established Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Unit and Timothy Moran, Chief of Rollins’ Organized Crime and Gang Unit are prosecuting the cases.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fort Dodge Woman Pleads Guilty to Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty November 2, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City.
Amber Miller, 35, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Miller admitted her involvement in a conspiracy scheme that distributed more than 40 pounds of methamphetamine from January 2020 through April 2022. On two separate occasions in January and March 2021, Miller distributed a total of 140 grams of meth to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. Miller also admitted conduct in the obstruction of justice.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Miller remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Miller faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, and Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, DCI Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-3015. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Former bank teller sentenced for taking nearly $100,000 from bankRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – David Paul Ritter, a former bank teller at Summit Community Bank in Salem, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for taking nearly $100,000 from customer accounts, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Ritter, 31, of Salem, was employed as a bank teller at Summit Community Bank. From July 2020 until February 2021, Ritter embezzled more than $97,000 from five bank accounts. He then failed to report the extra income in his tax return to the IRS for 2020.
Ritter pleaded guilty in June 2022 to one count of “Bank Theft” and one count of “False Tax Return.” As a part of the plea agreement, Ritter agrees to pay $97,765.30 in restitution to the bank. Ritter was also ordered to pay $27,374.28 in restitution to the IRS.
Victims in this case were identified and the bank reimbursed the affected accounts immediately after the theft was discovered.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Wagner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Internal Revenue Service, the FBI, and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Former U.S. Military Pilot Sentenced for Acting as Paid Agent of the Government of the People’s Republic of China and Lying on National Security Background FormsRead the Press Release
Former U.S. Army helicopter pilot-turned-civilian-contractor Shapour Moinian, 67, of San Diego, was sentenced in federal court today to 20 months in prison for acting as an agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and accepting thousands of dollars from representatives of the Chinese government to provide aviation-related information from his defense-contractor employers.
According to court documents, Moinian served in the U.S. Army in the United States, Germany and South Korea from approximately 1977 through 2000. After his service, Moinian worked for various cleared defense contractors in the United States – including in San Diego - as well as the Department of Defense. “Cleared” is a term that indicates a contractor is permitted to work on projects that involve classified information.
According to his plea agreement, while Moinian was working for a cleared defense contractor, or CDC, on various aviation projects used by the military and U.S. intelligence agencies, he was contacted by an individual in China who claimed to be working for a technical recruiting company. This person offered Moinian the opportunity to consult for the aviation industry in China.
In March 2017, Moinian travelled to Hong Kong where he met with this purported recruiter and agreed to provide information and materials related to multiple types of aircraft designed and/or manufactured in the United States in exchange for money. Moinian accepted approximately $7,000-$10,000 in U.S. currency during that meeting. According to his plea agreement, at this meeting and at all subsequent meetings, Moinian knew that these individuals were employed or directed by the PRC.
Upon returning to the United States, Moinian began gathering aviation-related materials, which included transferring material from a CDC to a thumb drive. In September 2017, Moinian traveled overseas and, during a stopover at the Shanghai airport, met with Chinese government officials and provided aviation-related materials on a thumb drive, including proprietary information from a CDC. Thereafter, Moinian arranged to be paid for this information through the South Korean bank account of his stepdaughter. Moinian told his stepdaughter that these funds were payment for his consulting work overseas and instructed her to transfer the funds to him in multiple transactions.
Moinian also received a cell phone and other equipment from these individuals to communicate with them and aid in the electronic transfer of materials and information.
At the end of March 2018, Moinian traveled to Bali and met with these same individuals again. Later that year, he began working at another CDC. During this timeframe, the same individuals in China transferred thousands of dollars into the South Korean bank account of Moinian’s stepdaughter, who subsequently wired the funds to Moinian in multiple transactions.
In August 2019, Moinian traveled again to Hong Kong and met with these same individuals where he was again paid approximately $22,000 in cash for his services. Moinian and his wife smuggled this cash back into the United States.
According to his plea agreement, Moinian also admitted that he lied on his government background questionnaires in July 2017 and March 2020, when he falsely stated that did not have any close or continuing contacts with foreign nationals and that no foreign national had offered him a job.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman for the Southern District of California and Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.
The FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fred Sheppard and John Parmley for the Southern District of California and Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Former U.S. Military Pilot Sentenced for Acting as Paid Agent of China and Lying on National Security Background FormsRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Fred Sheppard (619) 546-8237 and John Parmley (619) 546-7957
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – November 7, 2022
SAN DIEGO – Former U.S. Army helicopter pilot-turned-civilian-contractor Shapour Moinian was sentenced in federal court today to 20 months for acting as an agent of China and accepting thousands of dollars from representatives of the Chinese government to provide aviation-related information from his defense-contractor employers.
During today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey T. Miller told the defendant: “This was industrial espionage, bordering on military espionage…These were extremely serious offenses against the United States.”
U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said: “Today this defendant is being held to account for selling American technology and intellectual property to the Chinese. This crime was committed by a former member of the U.S. military who chose cash over his company and country. The United States will aggressively investigate and prosecute anyone who works at the direction of foreign governments to steal from Americans.”
“Mr. Moinian deserves to be held fully accountable for betraying his oath to the United States, selling sensitive information to the Chinese government, and lying repeatedly to cover up his crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Brice Miller of the NCIS Office of Special Projects. “This sentencing should make it clear: NCIS and our partners are fully committed to protecting the U.S. military and rooting out criminality that threatens the superiority of the U.S. warfighter.”
Moinian served in the Army in the United States, Germany, and South Korea from approximately 1977 through 2000. After his service, Moinian worked for various cleared defense contractors (CDC) in the United States – including in San Diego - as well as the Department of Defense. “Cleared” is a term that indicates a contractor is permitted to work on projects that involve classified information.
According to his plea agreement, while Moinian was working for a CDC on various aviation projects used by the military and U.S. intelligence agencies, he was contacted by an individual in China who claimed to be working for a technical recruiting company. This person offered Moinian the opportunity to consult for the aviation industry in China.
In March of 2017, Moinian travelled to Hong Kong where he met with this purported recruiter and agreed to provide information and materials related to multiple types of aircraft designed and/or manufactured in the United States in exchange for money. Moinian accepted approximately $7,000-$10,000 in United States currency during that meeting. According to his plea agreement, at this meeting and at all subsequent meetings, Moinian knew that these individuals were employed or directed by the government of the People’s Republic of China.
Upon returning to the United States, Moinian began gathering aviation-related materials, which included transferring material from a CDC to a thumb drive. In September 2017, Moinian traveled overseas. During a stopover at the Shanghai airport, he met with Chinese government officials and provided aviation-related materials on a thumb drive, including proprietary information from a CDC. Thereafter, Moinian arranged to be paid for this information through the South Korean bank account of his stepdaughter. Moinian told his stepdaughter that these funds were payment for his consulting work overseas and instructed her to transfer the funds to him in multiple transactions.
Moinian also received a cell phone and other equipment from these individuals to communicate with them and aid in the electronic transfer of materials and information.
At the end of March 2018, Moinian traveled to Bali and met with these same individuals again. Later that year, he began working at another CDC. During this timeframe, the same individuals in China transferred thousands of dollars into the South Korean bank account of Moinian’s stepdaughter, who subsequently wired the funds to Moinian in multiple transactions.
In August 2019, Moinian traveled again to Hong Kong and met with these same individuals where he was again paid approximately $22,000 in cash for his services. Moinian and his wife smuggled this cash back into the United States.
Moinian also admitted that he lied on his government background questionnaires in July 2017 and March 2020, when he falsely stated that did not have any close or continuing contacts with foreign nationals and that no foreign national had offered him a job.
Grossman thanked the prosecution team as well as the FBI, Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division for their excellent work on this case.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 21CR02927-JM
Shapour Moinian Age: 67 San Diego
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 18, United States Code, Section 951 (Acting as an Agent of a Foreign Government)
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 per count fine
Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001 (Materially False, Fictitious, or Fraudulent Statement or Representation)
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 per count fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Florida Man Sentenced for Racially-Motivated Hate CrimeRead the Press Release
Jordan Patrick Leahy, 29, was sentenced today in federal court in the Middle District of Florida to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his racially-motivated attack against a Black man who was traveling down a public roadway with his family in Seminole, Florida.
Leahy was convicted of willfully intimidating and interfering with J.T., and attempting to injure, intimidate and interfere with J.T. through the use of a dangerous weapon (Leahy’s vehicle), because of J.T.’s race and color, and because J.T. was traveling on a public roadway in Seminole, Florida. Specifically, the government introduced evidence at trial that, when Leahy, while driving, came upon J.T. driving on a public road, Leahy shouted racial slurs at J.T. and attempted to force J.T.’s car off the road. J.T.’s girlfriend and four-year-old daughter were in the car at the time. When officers from the Pinellas County Sherriff’s Office arrived on the scene, Leahy made numerous statements evidencing his bias motive, including telling the officers that Black people need to be kept “in their areas.”
“This federal court has sentenced Jordan Leahy to prison for his decision to weaponize his vehicle in a racist attack on J.T.’s family,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department will continue to aggressively prosecute those who seek to threaten and intimidate our community members because of their race. All persons should be free to travel on the public roadways without fear of being harmed because of who they are.”
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message that racially-motivated criminal behavior is especially repugnant and unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg of the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to work with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to enforce our nation’s civil rights laws.”
“We will not allow hate motivated crimes to infiltrate our communities and threaten our citizens,” said Special Agent in Charge David Walker for the FBI Tampa Field Division. “Investigating civil rights violations is among the FBI’s highest priorities and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect communities from hateful acts of bias.”
Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Handberg and Special Agent in Charge Walker made the announcement.
The FBI Tampa Field Office, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlton Gammons for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys David Reese and Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Sentenced for Racially-Motivated Hate CrimeRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Jordan Patrick Leahy, 29, was sentenced today in federal court in the Middle District of Florida to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his racially-motivated attack against a Black man who was traveling down a public roadway with his family in Seminole, Florida.
Leahy was convicted of willfully intimidating and interfering with J.T., and attempting to injure, intimidate and interfere with J.T. through the use of a dangerous weapon (Leahy’s vehicle), because of J.T.’s race and color, and because J.T. was traveling on a public roadway in Seminole, Florida. Specifically, the government introduced evidence at trial that, when Leahy, while driving, came upon J.T. driving on a public road, Leahy shouted racial slurs at J.T. and attempted to force J.T.’s car off the road. J.T.’s girlfriend and four-year-old daughter were in the car at the time. When officers from the Pinellas County Sherriff’s Office arrived on the scene, Leahy made numerous statements evidencing his bias motive, including telling the officers that Black people need to be kept “in their areas.”
“This federal court has sentenced Jordan Leahy to prison for his decision to weaponize his vehicle in a racist attack on J.T.’s family,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department will continue to aggressively prosecute those who seek to threaten and intimidate our community members because of their race. All persons should be free to travel on the public roadways without fear of being harmed because of who they are.”
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message that racially-motivated criminal behavior is especially repugnant and unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg of the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to work with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to enforce our nation’s civil rights laws.”
“We will not allow hate motivated crimes to infiltrate our communities and threaten our citizens,” said Special Agent in Charge David Walker for the FBI Tampa Field Division. “Investigating civil rights violations is among the FBI’s highest priorities and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect communities from hateful acts of bias.”
Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Handberg and Special Agent in Charge Walker made the announcement.
The FBI Tampa Field Office, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlton Gammons for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys David Reese and Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Six Years for Selling “M30” Pills That Killed Monterey VictimRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Matthew Sanchez was sentenced today to 75 months (6 years, 3 months) in federal prison for distributing fentanyl-laced pills that killed a Monterey County resident, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Edward J. Davila.
Sanchez, 27, of Monterey County, CA, was charged in a May 23, 2022, superseding information with a conspiracy to distribute alprazolam and fentanyl and with the distribution of fentanyl. He entered a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to both charges on June 6, 2022.
In his plea agreement, Sanchez admitted that from June 2018 through October 2019 he conspired with others to sell, and did sell, counterfeit pharmaceutical pills containing fentanyl. The fentanyl-laced pills were called “M30s” and were light blue in color with an imprinted “M” on one side and “30” on the other. Sanchez also conspired to sell and sold bottles of alprazolam (U.S. brand name: Xanax) packaged as “Farmapram.”
Sanchez described in his plea agreement that during the conspiracy, he bought “Farmapram” pills and M30 pills containing fentanyl from a co-conspirator supplier multiple times. At the peak of the conspiracy Sanchez bought a batch of about 30 bottles of Farmapram and 50 M30 pills containing fentanyl every two weeks from the co-conspirator. The co-conspirator often “fronted” the drugs to Sanchez, providing the drugs first and accepting payment later, after Sanchez had sold them.
Sanchez understood that the M30 pills were from Mexico and admitted that he knew they contained fentanyl. In his plea agreement, he asserted he informed buyers that the M30 pills contained fentanyl.
Sanchez further admitted in his plea agreement that between August and early September 2019, he sold M30 pills containing fentanyl to a Monterey County resident. Sanchez agreed that the fentanyl he sold to that victim caused the victim to overdose and to die from the fentanyl.
The victim, found in the victim’s home, left behind a spouse and a young son.
In a memorandum filed for the sentencing hearing, the government described that Sanchez learned of the victim’s death from a fentanyl overdose in the following days, yet he continued to sell M30s laced with fentanyl to other customers until he was arrested weeks later. The government argued that his continued sales, with full knowledge that his M30s had already killed one person, were “inexplicable and unspeakably horrible.”
Sanchez’s co-defendant Francisco Javier Schraidt Rodriguez, a former Mexican pharmacy employee, was also convicted of distributing the fentanyl-laced pills that killed the Monterey County victim and was earlier sentenced to 90 months (7½ years). A copy of that press release is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/former-mexican-pharmacy-employee-sentenced-more-7-years-selling-fentanyl-pills-killed.
In addition to the 75 month federal prison term, United States District Judge Edward J. Davila ordered Sanchez to serve three years of supervision following release from federal prison. Sanchez will surrender on February 8, 2023, to begin serving his sentence.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christina Liu and Casey Boome, with the assistance of Mark DiCenzo, Linda Love, and Andy Ding. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA, with assistance from the Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations; the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the Pacific Grove Police Department; Monterey County Sheriff’s Office; and the Monterey Police Department.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
One Pill Can Kill: Avoid pills bought on the street because One Pill Can Kill. Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid that drug dealers dilute with cutting agents to make counterfeit prescription pills that appear to be Oxycodone, Percocet, Xanax, and other drugs. Fentanyl is used because it’s cheap. Small variations in the quantity or quality of fentanyl in a fake prescription pill can accidentally create a lethal dosage. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of drug poisoning deaths in the United States. Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl are usually shaped and colored to look like pills sold at pharmacies, like Percocet and Xanax. For example, fake prescription pills known as “M30s” imitate Oxycodone obtained from a pharmacy, but when sold on the street the pills routinely contain fentanyl. These particular pills are usually round tablets and often light blue in color, though they may be in different shapes and a rainbow of colors. They often have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill. Do not take these or any other pills bought on the street – they are routinely fake and poisonous, and you won’t know until it’s too late.
Federal Judge Sentences Supplier of Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring to 17 ½ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jonathan Corey Daniel, 33, of Monroe, Georgia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell to 210 months in prison and five years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In July 2021, Daniel pleaded guilty to methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and aiding and abetting.
According to filed court documents and statements made in court, Daniel was a supplier with a drug ring that trafficked methamphetamine from Georgia into Western North Carolina. From 2018 to April 2019, while Daniel was incarcerated in Georgia, he arranged the distribution of large amounts of methamphetamine to a drug network that distributed methamphetamine in Catawba, Lincoln, Caldwell, and Alexander Counties and elsewhere. Court records show that Daniel used a contraband cell phone to communicate with his co-conspirators and to coordinate the drug distribution. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized narcotics, at least 23 firearms, and more than $250,000 in drug proceeds.
Thirteen defendants were previously sentenced for their involvement:
- Michael James Notheisen, 36, of Vale, N.C., was sentenced to 240 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- James Kristoffer Cantley, 40, of Newton, N.C. was sentenced to 210 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Tiffany Christmas Hirani, 35, of Monroe, Georgia, was sentenced to 210 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Aaron Douglas Goodson, 32, of Lincolnton, N.C., was sentenced to 210 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Brian Duane Martz, 43, was sentenced to 191 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Priscilla Chapman Lambert, 36, of Hickory, N.C., was sentenced to 151 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Thomas Dewayne Simmons, Jr., 36, of Monroe, Georgia, was sentenced to 150 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Ruth Marie Duggar, 39, of Claremont, N.C., was sentenced to 132 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Lowell Thomas Messer, 45, of Newton, N.C., was sentenced to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Samantha Jean Taylor, 27, of Newton, N.C., was sentenced to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
- Kimberly Deann Bumgarner, 58, of Granite Falls, N.C., was sentenced to 60 months in prison and two years of supervised release.
- Cynthia Roxanne Shook, 37, of Conover, N.C., was sentenced to 60 months in prison and two years of supervised release.
- Jason Keith Reichard, 40, of Ridgecrest, N.C., was sentenced to 36 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the following agencies for their investigative efforts which led to federal charges: the DEA in Charlotte, Asheville, and Atlanta; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation; the North Carolina State Highway Patrol; the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office; the Newton Police Department; the Conover Police Department; the Maiden Police Department; the Hickory Police Department; the Longview Police Department; the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office; the Granite Falls Police Department; the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office; the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office; the Huntersville Police Department; the Cornelius Police Department; the Mint Hill Police Department; the Pineville Police Department; the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department; the Monroe Police Department; the Taylorsville Police Department; the Gaston County Police Department; the Georgia Highway Patrol; the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia; and the Commerce Police Department in Georgia.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, prosecuted the case.
Federal Convict Charged with False Claims, Theft of Government Property, and Money Laundering in Multimillion Dollar Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Matthew Walker Meredith (39, St. Petersburg) for false claims against the government, theft of government property, and money laundering. If convicted on all counts, Meredith faces a maximum penalty of 75 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Meredith that the United States intends to forfeit six Mercedes Benz vehicles and real property, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
In 2016, Meredith was convicted of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute Ethylone and sentenced to three years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The Bureau of Prisons released Meredith in October 2017, and he began serving his term of supervised release. While on supervised release, Meredith began to submit claims for tax refunds to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the names of entities under his control. According to the indictment, between August 2019 and February 2020, Meredith submitted five claims to the IRS requesting more than $170 million in refunds. Each claim was false and fraudulent, in that Meredith falsified both his income and withholdings.
On or about November 23, 2019, the IRS issued Meredith a refund check in the amount of $6,374,576.92, which Meredith deposited into his bank account. In the weeks that followed, Meredith laundered the illicit proceeds by purchasing luxury vehicles and a waterfront home. Specifically, he purchased six new Mercedes Benz vehicles totaling $843,269.32.
Date of Purchase
Type of Vehicle
Cost
11.30.19
2020 Mercedes Benz S63AMG3
$187,327.68
11.30.19
2019 Mercedes Benz SL63
$156,404.27
11.30.19
2020 Mercedes Benz C63WS
$103,547.17
12.6.19
2020 Mercedes Benz GLE350W
$72,707.55
12.6.19
2020 Mercedes Benz AMG GTR
$232,368.12
12.7.19
2019 Mercedes Benz C63WS
$90,914.53
Additionally, on December 5, 2019, Meredith paid $2,625,000 in cash to purchase a 6,500 square-foot waterfront mansion in St. Petersburg.
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 Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.
Escape Results in Additional Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
A woman who was prosecuted for her second escape from federal custody was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.
Angela Hermine Walters, age 47, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 28, 2022 guilty plea to one count of escape from custody.
At the guilty plea, Walters admitted that, on October 19, 2021, she was in the custody of the Attorney General completing her federal sentence for failing to surrender to serve a prison sentence. On that day Walters, left her assigned residential reentry center in Cedar Rapids, and did not return as scheduled. Walters was found a few days later by Cedar Rapids Police officers. Walters has a prior conviction for escape from federal custody.
Walters was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Walters was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Walters is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and investigated by United States Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Cedar Rapids Iowa Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-00020.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Erie Mobile Convenience Store Owner Pleads to Fraud and Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of food stamp fraud and identity theft, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
John Alan Vanhouwe, 60, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Vanhouwe, who owned and operated a mobile convenience store in Erie, allowed customers to pay credit accounts with food stamps and used a database he created to gain access to customers’ food stamp accounts so he could pay down their credit accounts at his store without their knowledge.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for April 10, 2023. The law provides for a total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Vanhouwe on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Vanhouwe.
Election officers namedRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two Assistant U.S. Attorneys will lead the efforts of this office in connection with the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 8 general election, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Civil Chief Daniel Hu has been appointed to serve as the election officer for civil matters, while Deputy Criminal Chief Sharad Khandelwal will act as the criminal election officer. In their capacities, both are responsible for overseeing the Southern District of Texas’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff and election fraud in consultation with DOJ headquarters in Washington.
DOJ has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers as well as election fraud. DOJ will address these violations wherever they occur. DOJ’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSAs Khandelwal and Hu will be on duty in this district while the polls are open and can be reached at 713-567-9345 and 713-567-9518, respectively.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. by phone at 800-253-3931 or by this complaint form.
Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. Those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud should make that information available to DOJ.
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
Detroit Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Key Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Myreo Dixon, 33, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison, to be followed by eight years of supervised release, for his key role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) with ties to the Bloods and Gangster Disciples criminal gangs.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from July 2020 until February 2021, Dixon participated in the DTO responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in the Charleston area. Dixon had methamphetamine brought from Los Angeles to Detroit and then to West Virginia. Dixon admitted to using co-defendant Kassie McNeeley during the summer of 2020 to transport prepackaged quantities of methamphetamine from Detroit to Charleston on at least five occasions. McNeeley delivered the methamphetamine at Dixon’s direction to another co-defendant, Maylik Watson, in exchange for money. McNeeley provided Dixon with the money she received for delivering the methamphetamine.
The court attributed 50 pounds of the methamphetamine distributed by the DTO to Dixon. Dixon admitted that he provided McNeeley with 8 pounds of methamphetamine on January 9, 2021, and directed her to deliver it to Watson in Charleston. Law enforcement officers stopped McNeeley after the delivery and seized approximately $31,590 that she received from Watson in exchange for the methamphetamine.
Dixon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. McNeeley and 10 other individuals pleaded guilty in connection with this prosecution, the result of an investigation dubbed “Woo Boyz.” During the course of the nearly year-long investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 15 pounds of methamphetamine, 45 firearms, including an IMI Industries Uzi fully automatic 9mm submachine gun, and more than $375,000 in cash.
Federal law requires that fully automatic firearms not in the possession or under the control of the U.S. Government be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Defendant Memphis Ross, 21, of Charleston, admitted that he brought the IMI Uzi 9mm submachine gun to his mother’s Charleston residence, where it was found by law enforcement officers on July 26, 2020. Ross pleaded guilty to possession of a fully automatic machine gun that was not registered to him.
With Monday’s sentencing, all defendants charged in the original indictment have been convicted except for two who remain at large: Tyjaha Watson, 27, of Charleston, and Elijah Figg, 23, of Huntington.
“Members of this DTO were involved in or suspected of numerous shootings around Charleston but particularly on the West Side,” said U.S. Attorney Will Thompson. “This investigation removed a massive amount of drugs and firearms from our streets and eliminated them as a source of harm and violence. I commend the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) for their investigative work. I also commend and the U.S. Marshals Service, the West Virginia State Police, and the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) for providing assistance in this case. Finally, I commend Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman for the successful prosecution of this case.”
“If you’re trading in violence and slinging poison in our communities, your days are numbered… We are coming after you, wherever you are,” said Special Agent in Charge Todd Scott, head of DEA’s Louisville Division. “I’m very proud of the work done in this case by the dedicated men and women of DEA and all of our law enforcement partners. Charleston is a safer city today and another violent drug offender is behind bars.”
“Charleston and the surrounding communities feel the impact of illegal drug distribution and gun crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of ATF’s Louisville Division. “I hope the message is clear today: ATF, DEA, and our law enforcement partners refuse to let drug dealers take hold of our neighborhoods. Together, we are committed to holding criminals accountable for violence and drug trafficking as we work to keep West Virginia safe.”
Eleven other defendants were sentenced to the following prison terms after pleading guilty to various felony offenses:
- Maylik Watson, also known as Leak, 29, of Charleston, to 20 years and one month for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine;
- Dante Williams, also known as Donz, 25, of Charleston, to 10 years for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine;
- Jermaine Williams, also known as Maineo Duckieoo, 22, of Charleston, to seven years and three months for distribution of methamphetamine;
- Darius Coles, also known as D-Boy, to six years and six months for distribution of methamphetamine;
- Erica Ratliff, 38, of Charleston, to six years for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine;
- Joshua Lawson, 31, of Charleston, to five years for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine;
- Jaquan Jeremiah Wright, 23, of New York, to five years for being a person subject to a domestic violence protective order in possession of a firearm;
- Memphis Ross, 21, of Charleston, to three years and 10 months for possession of a fully automatic machine gun that was not registered to him;
- Devonte Lavauhn Andrews, 30, of Charleston, to three years and one month for being a felon in possession of a firearm;
- William Edward Byers II, 46, of Charleston, to three years for being a felon in possession of a firearm;
- Kassie McNeeley, 23, of Lesage, to two years for use of a telephone to facilitate drug trafficking.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed today’s sentence.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:21-cr-32, 2:21-cr-33, 2:21-cr-39, 2:21-cr-46, and 2:21-cr-47.
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Criminal Charges Unsealed Against Haitian Gang Leaders for Kidnappings of U.S. CitizensRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today announced the unsealing of criminal charges against seven leaders of five Haitian gangs, including gang leaders involved in the armed kidnappings of 16 U.S. citizens in the fall of 2021.
“When a U.S. citizen is kidnapped abroad, the Justice Department will bring to bear the full reach of our law enforcement authorities to ensure their safe return home and to hold accountable those responsible,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As these charges demonstrate, we are committed to working alongside our interagency and international partners to disrupt these kidnapping-for-ransom schemes that endanger the lives of American citizens and that fuel the violent gangs harming the Haitian people.”
Among the charges unsealed today were federal indictments charging three Haitian nationals with conspiracy to commit hostage taking and hostage taking for their roles in the armed kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens in Haiti in the fall of 2021. The victims were Christian missionaries serving near Port-au-Price, Haiti, and most of them were held captive for 61 days before escaping. The group included five children, one as young as eight months old at the time of the kidnapping.
Contemporaneous with today’s announcement, the U.S. Department of State is announcing a reward of $3 million ($1 million per each of the three defendants charged in the kidnapping of the missionaries) for information leading to the capture of the three defendants, who are believed to be in Haiti. The reward is being offered under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program.
Those three defendants, who are charged in separate indictments filed in the District of Columbia, include Lanmo Sanjou, aka Joseph Wilson, 29 and Jermaine Stephenson, aka Gaspiyay, in his late 20s, both current leaders of the 400 Mawozo gang, and Vitel’homme Innocent, 36, leader of the Kraze Barye gang. The 400 Mawozo gang, which operates in Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of Port-au-Prince, claimed responsibility for the missionaries’ kidnapping. The Kraze Barye gang operates in the Torcelle and Tabarre areas of Haiti. According to the indictment, Innocent worked together with 400 Mawozo in the hostage taking.
In addition to the indictments for the kidnapping of the missionaries, the Department of Justice announced charges against four other Haitian nationals who are leaders of three other gangs for two other kidnappings of U.S. citizens in Haiti.
“The charges unsealed today are a reminder of the FBI’s ability to reach criminal actors overseas when crimes are committed against U.S citizens,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI, with our federal and international partners, will continue to pursue anyone who targets Americans for hostage taking or other violent crimes – wherever they are.”
“We stand with the people of Haiti, whose country has been ravaged by violent gangs impacting every facet of society,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “We are committed to using all tools available to prosecute these gangs in order to disrupt their unlawful activities in Haiti and bring justice for our victims.”
“FBI Miami has extraterritorial responsibility for the Caribbean, Central and South America,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt of the FBI Miami Field Office. “When crimes against U.S. Citizens occur in Haiti and throughout this region, we will not relent. The FBI’s full investigative capability will be brought to bear to identify those responsible.”
The investigation involving the Oct. 16, 2021, kidnapping of the missionaries has also led to additional charges. Two alleged leaders of the 400 Mawozo gang previously were charged with the crimes. Joly Germine, aka Yonyon, 30, and Jean Pelice, aka Zo, 27, were charged by superseding indictment in July 2022. Both have pleaded not guilty to charges.
According to court documents, Germine, who was in a Haitian prison at the time of the kidnapping, directed and asserted control of 400 Mawozo gang members’ kidnapping operations, including ransom negotiation for the hostages’ release. One of the gang’s stated goals in holding the hostages was to secure from the Haitian government Germine’s release from prison. Germine is alleged to have been in regular contact with other 400 Mawozo leaders about the hostages’ kidnapping, captivity, and ransom. Two of the hostages were released on or about Nov. 20, 2021, and three more were released on or about Dec. 5, 2021. The remaining hostages escaped captivity on or about Dec. 16, 2021.
Additionally, charges also were unsealed today in cases involving three other Haitian gangs:
- The leader of the gang Gran Ravine, Renel Destina, aka Ti Lapli, 40, was indicted on charges of hostage taking. Gran Ravine controls areas to the southwest of Port-au-Prince. The indictment charges the gang with kidnapping a U.S victim in February 2021, holding the victim for approximately 14 days, during which time the victim was threatened daily at gunpoint, while his family scrambled to secure funds for release. The victim was finally released on Feb. 16, 2021, after a ransom was paid.
- A leader of the gang Village de Dieu, Emanuel Solomon, aka Manno, in his 30s, was charged in a criminal complaint for kidnapping a U.S. citizen in January 2021. The Village de Dieu gang controls areas to the southwest of Port-au-Prince. The victim was taken hostage at gunpoint and held for approximately 11 days until his family and friends in the United States sent a ransom payment to Haiti for his release. The gang kept the victim’s car and two phones, and finally released the victim on Jan. 23, 2021. Manno and fellow gang leaders are active on social media, posting about the gang’s exploits.
- Two leaders of the gang Kokorat san Ras, John Peter Fleronvil and Jean Renald Dolcin, were charged by complaint for kidnapping at gunpoint three U.S. victims in July 2022. Two victims, a married couple, were held for six days and released following a ransom payment made by a family member. A third victim was taken captive the day after the other two U.S. victims and held for approximately six days while a family member negotiated for his release; that victim was also released following a ransom payment to the gang. The victims were all held together at the same location. Fleronvil and other Kokorat san Ras gang members were arrested on Sept. 11, by Haiti law enforcement officials while preparing to cross the border to the Dominican Republic.
Destina, Solomon, and Dolcin also are being sought.
The charges are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case with valuable assistance from the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. The Haitian National Police also provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert, Jack Korba, and Brittany Keil for the District of Columbia prosecuted the cases with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Beau Barnes for the District of Columbia.
Criminal Charges Unsealed Against Haitian Gang Leaders for Kidnappings of U.S. CitizensRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced the unsealing of criminal charges against seven leaders of five Haitian gangs, including gang leaders involved in the armed kidnappings of 16 U.S. citizens in the fall of 2021.
“When a U.S. citizen is kidnapped abroad, the Justice Department will bring to bear the full reach of our law enforcement authorities to ensure their safe return home and to hold accountable those responsible,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As these charges demonstrate, we are committed to working alongside our interagency and international partners to disrupt these kidnapping-for-ransom schemes that endanger the lives of American citizens and that fuel the violent gangs harming the Haitian people.”
Among the charges unsealed today were federal indictments charging three Haitian nationals with conspiracy to commit hostage taking and hostage taking for their roles in the armed kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens in Haiti in the fall of 2021. The victims were Christian missionaries serving near Port-au-Price, Haiti, and most of them were held captive for 61 days before escaping. The group included five children, one as young as eight months old at the time of the kidnapping.
Contemporaneous with today’s announcement, the U.S. Department of State is announcing a reward of $3 million ($1 million per each of the three defendants charged in the kidnapping of the missionaries) for information leading to the capture of the three defendants, who are believed to be in Haiti. The reward is being offered under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program.
Those three defendants, who are charged in separate indictments filed in the District of Columbia, include Lanmo Sanjou, aka Joseph Wilson, 29 and Jermaine Stephenson, aka Gaspiyay, in his late 20s, both current leaders of the 400 Mawozo gang, and Vitel’homme Innocent, 36, leader of the Kraze Barye gang. The 400 Mawozo gang, which operates in Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of Port-au-Prince, claimed responsibility for the missionaries’ kidnapping. The Kraze Barye gang operates in the Torcelle and Tabarre areas of Haiti. According to the indictment, Innocent worked together with 400 Mawozo in the hostage taking.
In addition to the indictments for the kidnapping of the missionaries, the Department of Justice announced charges against four other Haitian nationals who are leaders of three other gangs for two other kidnappings of U.S. citizens in Haiti.
“The charges unsealed today are a reminder of the FBI’s ability to reach criminal actors overseas when crimes are committed against U.S citizens,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI, with our federal and international partners, will continue to pursue anyone who targets Americans for hostage taking or other violent crimes – wherever they are.”
“We stand with the people of Haiti, whose country has been ravaged by violent gangs impacting every facet of society,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “We are committed to using all tools available to prosecute these gangs in order to disrupt their unlawful activities in Haiti and bring justice for our victims.”
“FBI Miami has extraterritorial responsibility for the Caribbean, Central and South America,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt of the FBI Miami Field Office. “When crimes against U.S. Citizens occur in Haiti and throughout this region, we will not relent. The FBI’s full investigative capability will be brought to bear to identify those responsible.”
The investigation involving the Oct. 16, 2021, kidnapping of the missionaries has also led to additional charges. Two alleged leaders of the 400 Mawozo gang previously were charged with the crimes. Joly Germine, aka “Yonyon,” 30, and Jean Pelice, aka “Zo,” 27, were charged by superseding indictment in July 2022. Both have pleaded not guilty to charges. According to court documents, Germine, who was in a Haitian prison at the time of the kidnapping, directed and asserted control of 400 Mawozo gang members’ kidnapping operations, including ransom negotiation for the hostages’ release. One of the gang’s stated goals in holding the hostages was to secure from the Haitian government Germine’s release from prison. Germine is alleged to have been in regular contact with other 400 Mawozo leaders about the hostages’ kidnapping, captivity, and ransom. Two of the hostages were released on or about Nov. 20, 2021, and three more were released on or about Dec. 5, 2021. The remaining hostages escaped captivity on or about Dec. 16, 2021.
Additionally, charges also were unsealed today in cases involving three other Haitian gangs:
-
The leader of the gang Gran Ravine, Renel Destina, aka Ti Lapli, 40, was indicted on charges of hostage taking. Gran Ravine controls areas to the southwest of Port-au-Prince. The indictment charges the gang with kidnapping a U.S victim in February 2021, holding the victim for approximately 14 days, during which time the victim was threatened daily at gunpoint, while his family scrambled to secure funds for release. The victim was finally released on Feb. 16, 2021, after a ransom was paid.
-
A leader of the gang Village de Dieu, Emanuel Solomon, aka Manno, in his 30s, was charged in a criminal complaint for kidnapping a U.S. citizen in January 2021. The Village de Dieu gang controls areas to the southwest of Port-au-Prince. The victim was taken hostage at gunpoint and held for approximately 11 days until his family and friends in the United States sent a ransom payment to Haiti for his release. The gang kept the victim’s car and two phones, and finally released the victim on Jan. 23, 2021. Manno and fellow gang leaders are active on social media, posting about the gang’s exploits.
-
Two leaders of the gang Kokorat san Ras, John Peter Fleronvil and Jean Renald Dolcin, were charged by complaint for kidnapping at gunpoint three U.S. victims in July 2022. Two victims, a married couple, were held for six days and released following a ransom payment made by a family member. A third victim was taken captive the day after the other two U.S. victims and held for approximately six days while a family member negotiated for his release; that victim was also released following a ransom payment to the gang. The victims were all held together at the same location. Fleronvil and other Kokorat san Ras gang members were arrested on Sept. 11, by Haiti law enforcement officials while preparing to cross the border to the Dominican Republic.
Destina, Solomon, and Dolcin also are being sought.
The charges are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Miami Field Office investigated the cases, with valuable assistance from the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. The Haitian National Police also provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert, Jack Korba, and Brittany Keil for the District of Columbia prosecuted the cases with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Beau Barnes for the District of Columbia.
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Council Bluffs Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Shanna Michelle Jacobsen, age 40 of Council Bluffs, was sentenced on Thursday, November 3, 2022, to 188 months in prison following her plea of guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.
Beginning in June 2020, and up to and including January 2022, Jacobsen purchased controlled substances, including methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana from a source of supply and sold these controlled substances to others in Nebraska and Iowa. Jacobsen knew that these controlled substances were being unlawfully imported from Mexico to the United States and that the scope of the conspiracy was extensive. She maintained her residence and a storage unit in Council Bluffs for the purpose of distributing these controlled substances.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force investigated the case.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced for Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Andre Alexander Shupe, age 34 of Council Bluffs, was sentenced on November 3, 2022, to 92 months in prison following his pleas of guilty to charges of Possession and Sale of a Stolen Firearm and Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. After he is released from prison, Shupe will serve three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution for the stolen firearms and other items.
On November 6, 2021, at approximately 2 am, four firearms and hunting gear were stolen from a truck parked at Harrah’s casino in Council Bluffs. Casino surveillance located footage of a female who burglarized the truck and stole the firearms and hunting gear. Law enforcement received information that Shupe was romantically involved with the female who stole the firearms, and that Shupe was trying to sell or trade the stolen firearms. A home in Omaha, Nebraska was searched and one of the stolen firearms was recovered. The other three firearms were not recovered. Shupe had a previous felony conviction that prevented him from possessing any firearm and was also prohibited from possessing firearms because he was a drug user.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Bellevue Police Department, the Council Bluffs Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated 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. In May 2021, the 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.
Columbia Man Charged and Detained After Attempting to Bring Stun Guns, Smoke Grenades, Knives, and Pepper Spray on PlaneRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – David Lee Angell, 51, has been charged with knowing and willfully entering into an airport area in violation of security requirements and has been detained following a contested bond hearing in federal court in Columbia.
A federal complaint was filed against Angell following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Columbia Metropolitan Department of Public Safety, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The FBI arrested Angell, and he appeared in Court upon his request for a bond. After a contested hearing, United States Magistrate Judge Shiva Hodges ordered Angell detained without bond pending the resolution of the federal charges against him.
During the hearing, an FBI special agent testified that Angell was stopped at TSA screening prior to attempting to board a plane at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. While at TSA screening, his carry-on baggage alerted on prohibited items. A search of his carry-on revealed that he was carrying three smoke grenades, one set of plastic stun knuckles, three stun batons, two knives, and two cans of pepper spray in his carry-on bag. All of these items are prohibited from being in a passenger’s carry-on baggage
As a result of the federal charge, Angell faces a maximum term of imprisonment of one year. The offense listed in the complaint is merely an allegation, and Angell is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, Columbia Metropolitan Department of Public Safety, and TSA. Assistant United States Attorney Elle E. Klein is prosecuting the case.
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Colorado man who defrauded Montana family of nearly $400,000 in African gold investment scheme sentenced to 27 months in prisonRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — An investment scheme in which a Colorado man admitted to defrauding a Montana family of $391,280 by purporting to invest the money in gold in Africa was sentenced today to 27 months in prison and fined $5,000, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Geoffrey Wescott James, 59, of Denver, Colorado, pleaded guilty in July to wire fraud.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Chief Judge Morris also ordered $391,280 restitution and allowed James to self-report to custody.
In court documents, the government alleged that from May 2019 until September 2020, Wescott falsely claimed he would receive payments from victims, which he would then transfer to Africa on behalf of victims for investments in overseas gold. The investment appeared enticing to victims because, among other reasons, it offered high rates of return in a short period of time. Because victims had difficulties in sending money overseas and to Africa, they were introduced to James. Instead of transferring the money overseas and to Africa for the intended purpose, James spent the money on items for himself and for other unauthorized purposes. When victims questioned where their money was located and demanded that their money be returned, James repeatedly claimed the money would be repaid soon, none of which was true. Wescott defrauded a family in Hill County of $391,280 in the scheme.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
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Cleveland Man Sentenced to Prison for Setting Fire to Van During May 2020 Demonstrations and UnrestRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Cleveland man was sentenced today to 41 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr. after he pleaded guilty to maliciously setting fire to a Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works van on May 30, 2020, during demonstrations and civil unrest in downtown Cleveland.
According to court documents, on May 30, 2020, Martino Jamel Andrews, 24, and others sought to vandalize and set fire to a van owned by the Cuyahoga County Division of Public Works near the Justice Center in downtown Cleveland following a demonstration to protest the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Court documents state that Andrews and others first vandalized the van by striking it with a baseball bat before using a rag to start a fire inside the van. Evidence in the record showed Andrews taking the burning rag, stuffing it into the vehicle’s fuel tank, watching the van erupt into flames, and posing for pictures near the burning wreckage. Court documents state that the vehicle ended up completely engulfed in flames, destroyed, and unsalvageable.
Investigators later identified Andrews thanks, in part, to tips received from the public after images and video were released to the media.
As part of the sentencing, Judge Oliver ordered Andrews to pay $3,721.88 in restitution to the Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Cleveland Division of Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam J. Joines.