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Wednesday 2 November 2022
Clinton Township Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Clinton Township man who coerced several minors into sending him sexually explicit photographs of themselves was sentenced to 30 years in prison, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Alexander James Decker, 21, admitted that in April and May of 2021 he met a 13-year-old girl on Snapchat and requested that she make and send him sexually explicit images of herself. When she stopped sending images, he threatened to distribute the previous sexually explicit images she had sent, to have $700 of pizza delivered to her house, and to mail feces to her home if she did not comply. Decker also threatened and coerced several other minors into providing him with sexually explicit images. In June 2022, Decker pleaded guilty to the sexual exploitation of children. At his plea hearing, Decker acknowledged that through his actions, he qualified as a repeat and dangerous sex offender. Decker was sentenced by United States District Judge Sean F. Cox.
“This offender terrorized and tortured minors to obtain sexually explicit images from them. This significant sentence shows that we will continue to work to protect the most vulnerable and to make the Internet a safer place for our children.” stated Dawn N. Ison, United States Attorney.
“Mr. Decker hid behind the anonymity of the Internet to target, sexually exploit, and threaten children in the most reprehensible of ways. The protection of our children from predators like this defendant will remain a priority for the FBI as long as criminals like him exist,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “I commend the bravery of the young victim who took the first step towards holding Decker accountable for his crimes by reporting him to law enforcement.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Rawsthorne.
Cincinnati man sentenced to 16 years in prison for selling fentanyl to high school studentRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 192 months in prison for distributing fentanyl that caused the near-fatal overdose of a high school student.
In March 2019, Marcus Phoenix, 33, sold a teenager fentanyl. Court documents detail that the overdose victim had texted Phoenix and requested $20 worth of “fire.” The high schooler believed “fire” to be Percocet, which he/she had purchased from Phoenix in the past.
The teenager overdosed and, after two doses of Narcan failed to stop the overdose’s effects, emergency room doctors performed life-saving surgery. Ultimately, the overdose victim was on life support in a medically induced coma for a week before regaining consciousness. In all, the overdose victim was hospitalized for nearly two weeks and required extensive physical therapy to regain the ability to walk and perform other daily tasks.
“When teens seek out prescription opioids, they are often in fact buying counterfeit versions, which increasingly contain fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “My office will continue to identify, investigate and prosecute those responsible for putting deadly drugs in the hands of our youth.”
Subsequent law enforcement investigation revealed that Phoenix, who was on probation at the time for a local aggravated drug trafficking conviction, continued to sell fentanyl in March and April 2019. While conducting a search warrant at Phoenix’s apartment in June 2019, investigators discovered 20 grams of fentanyl and drug trafficking paraphernalia.
Phoenix was arrested on federal charges in June 2019 and pleaded guilty in May 2021.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration; Lt. Col. Charles A Jones, Superintendent, Ohio State Highway Patrol; West Chester Police Chief Joel Herzog; and other members of the Hamilton County Heroin Task Force announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly K. Rossi and Timothy D. Oakley are representing the United States in this case.
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Canadian Man Sentenced for Importing PseudoephedrineRead the Press Release
A Canadian man who imported pseudoephedrine from Canada into the United States and Australia during 2011 and 2012 was sentenced today to 9 years in federal prison.
Joseph Damgajian, age 51, from Laval, Qubec, Canada, received the prison term after a May 25, 2022, guilty plea to one count of using the U.S. and Canadian Mail systems to distribute pseudoephedrine, one count of unlawfully importing pseudoephedrine into the United States, and one count of making false customs declarations to illegally import pseudoephedrine into the United States.
In a plea agreement, Damgajian admitted that during 2011 and 2012, he was selling pseudoephedrine using the Internet. A methamphetamine lab search in Iowa during July of 2011, identified Damgajian as a source for pseudoephedrine, a chemical used to manufacture methamphetamine. Damgajian sold over 4.2 kilograms (9.25 pounds) of pseudoephedrine through an online market. He hid in the pseudoephedrine in vitamin bottles that he resealed and produced false customs declarations in an effort to avoid the seizure of the substances by customs officials. Agents in the United States made undercover purchases of pseudoephedrine from Damgajian and coordinated with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who seized additional packages of pseudoephedrine Damgajian was illegally sending from Canada to other countries including the United States and Australia.
Damgajian was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Damgajian was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Damgajian is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canadian Postal Inspectors, Canadian Border Services Agency, Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of: the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 12-CR-2035.
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Brandishing AR-15 and fleeing results in prison for San Ygnacio manRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 46-year-old man has been sent to prison following his conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The jury deliberated for 45 minutes before convicting Daniel Arturo Lozano July 27 following a one-day trial.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered Lozano to serve 46 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court stressed the fact that Lozano was a convicted felon yet brandished a firearm to law enforcement. The court further noted he would “have to make some changes.”
On June 21, 2021, law enforcement responded to reports describing Lozano’s angry and disorderly behavior at Lozano’s Country Store located in San Ygnacio.
Upon their arrival, Lozano fled the scene and began a vehicle chase before returning to the store. At that time, he exited his vehicle and brandished an AR-style rifle. Lozano left the rifle at the store, returned to his truck and departed. Law enforcement took Lozano into custody later that night.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that the weapon Lozano displayed was actually a realistic-looking pellet gun that law enforcement found when they arrested him. However, the jury saw both the pellet gun and AR-style rifle compared side by side and the rifle was identified as the weapon Lozano had showed at the scene.
The jury did not believe defense claims and found Lozano guilty as charged.
He has been previously convicted of possession of cocaine. As such, he is prohibited per federal law of possession of a firearms or ammunition.
Lozano will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Bajew and David Fawcett prosecuted the case.
Box Elder man sentenced to two years in prison for assaulting woman with car jack handleRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Box Elder man who admitted to hitting a woman with a car jack handle on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Brian Lee Big Bow, 45, pleaded guilty in July to assault with a dangerous weapon.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in January 2021, law enforcement responded to a domestic disturbance at a residence on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation. An investigation determined that earlier in the evening Big Bow began assaulting the victim, identified as Jane Doe. During the assault, Big Bow tried to hit Jane Doe on the head with a car jack handle but struck her in the arm as she blocked the blow.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy A. Johnson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and the Rocky Boy’s Police Department.
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Berwick Bank Officer Sentenced to 12 Months’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Matthew W. Mensinger, age 49, of Berwick, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States Chief District Judge Matthew W. Brann, to 12 months of imprisonment for perpetrating a scheme to obtain bank loans through false statements.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Mensinger was the Chief Lending Officer of a Berwick, Pennsylvania-based financial institution. Between approximately November 2011 and June 2020, Mensinger persuaded family members and business owners to obtain approximately $690,000 in loans from his financial institution, by submitting false loan applications purportedly for small business purposes and home mortgages. Mensinger, in turn, authorized and facilitated the loan approvals in his position as a financial institution officer. In fact, however, the individuals provided the money to Mensinger, who did not qualify to obtain the loans in his own right, and who promised that he would repay the loans.
In addition to Mensinger’s sentence of imprisonment, Chief Judge Brann also ordered him to perform 30 hours of community service, and to pay the remaining restitution owed to the financial institution, of over $290,000.
The case was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Office of the Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.
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Armed Hartford Drug Dealer Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL DAVIS, 34, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Davis was arrested on state charges on February 10, 2021, after law enforcement officers observed him conducting drug sales on Main Street in Hartford’s North End, and a search of his person revealed a loaded Remington Arms, model RP9, 9mm handgun, and five glass vials containing MDMA (“ecstasy”). A related search of Davis’s vehicle revealed several vials of crack cocaine and MDMA.
Davis, who was released on bond in his state case, was again arrested on April 7, 2021, after he was observed selling drugs in the same area of Main Street, and then tossed a plastic bag containing 48 wax sleeves of heroin from his car window as he was pursued by law enforcement.
Davis’s criminal history includes state convictions for firearm and narcotics offenses.
Davis has been detained since April 7, 2021. He was charged federally and, on May 9, 2022, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman with the assistance of Law Student Intern Nicholas Barile.
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.
Adams County Felon Sentenced to 26.5 Years in Prison for Robbery and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
Denver – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces a federal judge sentenced David Houston Vargas, age 30, to 26.5 years in prison for his role in robbing two stores using a firearm, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to facts presented at trial, on November 14, 2020, the defendant committed two armed robberies, one at a Foot Locker store in Lakewood, Colorado, and another at a DSW store in Westminster, Colorado. In both robberies, he brandished a revolver in order for him and his co-defendant to grab merchandise from the stores. The defendant told one store employee something to the effect of, “This is my first time…don’t do anything stupid.” Later that evening, the defendant got into a car chase with an Adams County Sheriff’s Deputy, while his co-defendant in the car he was driving repeatedly fired shots at the deputy using the defendant’s revolver. Vargas was identified and arrested several days later.
The Honorable Judge R. Brooke Jackson presided over the four-day trial. The jury returned its verdict on June 3, 2022. Judge Jackson sentenced the defendant to 26.5 years in prison on November 2, 2022. Co-defendant Kitira Hayes, age 22, of Arvada, was sentenced to 14.75 years in federal prison on March 1, 2022, for her role in the armed robberies and shooting at a law enforcement officer. Taylor Amanda Isaac, age 25, of Lakewood, was sentenced to 4 years of probation on September 16, 2022.
“The defendant showed no regard for the safety of others. He will have a long time behind bars to reflect on how his actions harmed so many people in just a matter of hours,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “We appreciate the victims’ willingness to testify, the investigators thorough examination of the evidence, and the jury’s thoughtful deliberations in bringing this defendant to justice.”
“Dangerous criminals too often choose gun violence against law enforcement and innocent people who are simply trying to live their lives responsibly and in peace every day,” said Special Agent in Charge David S. Booth. “ATF will continue to vigorously investigate, apprehend, and pursue the prosecution of those who do.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Lakewood Police Department, the Westminster Police Department, and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Celeste Rangel, Melissa Hindman and Elizabeth Young.
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.
Case number: 21-cr-00024
5 Dayton men convicted of 2019 kidnapping conspiracy that resulted in victim’s deathRead the Press Release
Dayton, Ohio – The final of five defendants has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to participating in the summer 2019 kidnapping and subsequent death of Kwasi Casey, whose body was later found in a detached garage on Fountain Ave. in Dayton.
Devon Love, 29, admitted to conspiring with four others to kidnap and abduct the victim at gunpoint on July 7, 2019.
Mr. Casey was taken to one of the defendant’s homes, where he was held against his will and beaten with a baseball bat. Another defendant made ransom demands of the victim’s family.
Court documents detail that the victim escaped on July 8, 2019, but was recaptured and forced into a co-conspirator’s minivan, where the victim was again physically assaulted. Mr. Casey ultimately died as a result of the defendants’ actions.
Between July and September 2019, the defendants concealed the victim’s body at a garage on Fountain Ave. in Dayton. On Sept. 17, 2019, the defendants set the garage on fire to destroy evidence and the victim’s body. On Sept. 26, 2019, the victim’s burnt remains were recovered from the burnt garage.
Eric Blackshear, 43; Antoine Dye, 37; Markale Thomas, 28; and Ryan Reese, 27; have also pleaded guilty in this case. Blackshear was sentenced in June 2022 to 360 months in prison. The other four defendants are pending sentencing.
Sentencing of the defendants is determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kenneth L, Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the plea entered before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith and Executive Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Muncy are representing the United States in this case.
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46-Year-Old Fort Defiance Man Sentenced to 390 Months for Third Offense of Aggravated Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Harrison Shirley, 46, of Fort Defiance, Arizona, was sentenced on October 24, 2022, by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 390 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Shirley, a member of the Navajo tribe, was indicted on one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child in November 2020. One year later, Shirley pleaded guilty to Sexual Abuse, with a sentencing range of 20 to 40 years in prison.
On August 10, 2019, Shirley was living on the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation outside of Tucson, Arizona, when he molested the then 7-year-old victim, while a visitor at a residence. Twenty years earlier, in May of 1999, while living on the Navajo Indian Reservation, then 23-year-old Shirley committed two sexual abuse crimes. He pleaded guilty to both offenses and was sentenced in August 2000 to concurrent terms of 97 months in prison.
Detectives from the Tohono O’odham Police Department, along with agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Schmit, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-2524-TUC-SHR-LAB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-198_Shirley
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Tuesday 1 November 2022
Woman Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Health Care Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NICOLE STEINER, formerly known as Nicole Balkas, 33, formerly of Stratford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for health care fraud offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Steiner owned and operated Helping Hands Academy, LLC, in Bridgeport, which provided applied behavior analysis services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and was as a participating provider in the Connecticut Medicaid Program (“Medicaid”). From December 2018 to October 2020, Steiner submitted and caused to be submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for applied behavior analysis services that were purportedly provided to Medicaid clients. She submitted claims for dates of service when no applied behavior analysis services of any kind had been provided to the Medicaid clients identified in the claims, and she inflated the number of hours for certain claims even when applied behavior analysis had been provided to the Medicaid clients identified in the claims. Steiner also submitted false Medicaid claims in 2020 using a former employee’s name and performing provider number.
After the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS), which administers the Medicaid program in Connecticut, terminated Helping Hands Academy as a provider, Steiner made several false statements and submitted an altered document to DSS in an effort to rescind the termination and to receive payment for previously submitted claims.
Medicaid suffered a loss of more than $500,000 as a result of Steiner’s admitted conduct.
On April 28, 2021, Steiner pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud related to this scheme.
After her guilty plea, and while she was released on bond awaiting sentencing, Steiner was a silent partner in another company that provided applied behavior analysis services to children diagnosed with ASD called New Beginnings Children’s Behavioral Health LLC. Steiner was responsible for billing claims to Medicaid, managing payroll, and recruiting and screening potential employees, and she and had access to and used her business partner’s email and other online accounts to operate the company. Steiner and the company engaged in health care fraud by billing Medicaid for thousands of dollars in services not rendered and, in particular, billing for services not rendered by Steiner.
Steiner was arrested on May 2, 2022, and, on July 29, she pleaded guilty to a second count of health care fraud.
While released on bond and living in New Jersey awaiting sentencing in both cases, Steiner submitted false Medicaid applications indicating that she lived in Bridgeport in order to get Medicaid coverage for her and her children.
Steiner was remanded to custody at the conclusion of the sentencing proceeding.
Judge Meyer ordered Steiner to pay $505,955.56 in total restitution.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. U.S. Attorney Avery acknowledged the valuable cooperation of the Connecticut Department of Social Services in the investigation.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Wilson Man Sentenced to 20 Years on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Jose Lopez of Wilson was sentenced today to 240 months in prison for possession of child pornography. Lopez, 20, pleaded guilty to the charge on August 8, 2022. According to court documents and other information presented in court, from February through August of 2021, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received eight reports of illegal activity from Snapchat, Discord, and Twitter for an IP address out of Wilson, NC. Surveillance and database inquiries identified the resident as the defendant Jose Lopez. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the house in Wilson on October 25, 2021, and seized multiple electronic devices, including phones and laptops. A forensic examination of the devices uncovered over 700 videos and 1,500 images depicting children engaged in sexual acts or displaying their genitals. Some depicted infants and toddlers. The examination also uncovered online chats in which Lopez discussed a desire to have sex with children and brags about raping three minors, including a nine-year-old girl.
This case was part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a national program aimed at ensuring that criminals exploiting children are effectively prosecuted by making full use of all available law enforcement resources at every level. For more information about this important national project, Project Safe Childhood, go to www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Department of Homeland Security investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-0051-BO.
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Westbrook Man Fined $4,000 for Baiting Ducks in Violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty ActRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Casey, Regional Chief, Division of Refuge Law Enforcement, announced that DAVID FOSTER, 51, of Westbrook, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Judge Dooley ordered Foster to pay a $4,000 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in late September and early October 2020, after receiving an anonymous complaint, the Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police (EnCon) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel investigated the spreading of whole kernel corn around a hunting blind on Menunketesuck Island in Westbrook. Foster had received a summons for waterfowl baiting/taking violations in the same area in October 2009. On October 10, 2020, which was the opening day of duck hunting season, officers who had established surveillance near the duck blind observed Foster, two other hunters shoot and retrieve ducks over the area that had been baited. When they finished, officers conducted a compliance check. Under questioning, Foster admitted that he had spread corn over the hunting area to attract ducks.
Foster pleaded guilty on August 2, 2022.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Refuge Law Enforcement, and the Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Waschko’s Pharmacy to Pay $210,000 for Recordkeeping Violations of the Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Waschko’s Pharmacy, located in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay the United States $210,000 in civil penalties for allegedly failing to comply with recordkeeping requirements of the Controlled Substances Act.
The Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. sections 801 et seq. (CSA), was passed to combat illegal distribution and abuse of controlled substances, including prescription medications. The CSA’s recordkeeping and prescribing requirements are designed to prevent the diversion of controlled substances for illegal purposes. The CSA is enforced by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Control Division, whose mission is to prevent, detect, and investigate the diversion of controlled pharmaceuticals and listed chemicals from legitimate sources while ensuring adequate and uninterrupted supply for legitimate medical, commercial, and scientific needs. Under the CSA, entities registered with the DEA who purchase, distribute, dispense, transfer, or sell controlled substances must comply with inventory and documentation requirements, and are subject to compliance audits.
Regulations promulgated under the CSA require that each DEA registrant, including pharmacies, both maintain complete and accurate records of each substance manufactured, received, sold, delivered, dispensed, or otherwise disposed of by the registrant and promptly report any thefts or significant losses. These requirements play a vital role in ensuring the appropriate handling, accounting, and distribution of controlled substances. Violations of the record-keeping requirements subject DEA registrants to civil monetary penalties.
The present civil investigation stemmed from a report alleging actual diversion. A DEA inspection revealed that, between August 2019 and August 2021, Waschko’s Pharmacy failed to keep complete, timely, and accurate inventories and records regarding the receipt and dispensing of Schedule II, III, and IV controlled substances, including but not limited to oxycodone, amphetamine salts, buprenorphine/naloxone, and alprazolam. As a result of Waschko’s Pharmacy’s alleged actions and inactions, thousands of doses of controlled substances went unaccounted for. Waschko’s Pharmacy cooperated with the investigators and has since been placed under new ownership and hired a new pharmacist-in-charge. This settlement addresses the independent obligation of Waschko’s Pharmacy to ensure it has systems in place adequate to prevent improper dispensing, as required by 21 U.S.C. §§ 827, 842, and associated regulations.
“The requirements to keep complete and accurate records at the pharmacy level are not merely a bookkeeping practice; rather, they are crucial measures intended and designed to keep our communities safe from the diversion and potential abuse of prescription drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Karam. “Our office is committed to working collaboratively with our agency counterparts to ensure pharmacies in this district are doing their part to address the national opioid crisis, and I commend the owners of Waschko’s Pharmacy for realizing the seriousness of these requirements, recognizing gaps in their practices, and putting measures in place to protect their legitimate dispensing from diversion in the future.”
“Pharmacies are entrusted with the proper dispensing and safeguarding of powerful prescription drugs such as oxycodone, buprenorphine, and naloxone. With that responsibility comes the expectation that pharmacies can properly account for these same drugs,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “Civil settlements like this one are a tool for insuring compliance with the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act and to prevent the loss of these drugs.”
This Settlement Agreement is neither an admission of liability by the pharmacy nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Control Division. The investigation was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Harlan W. Glasser and the Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE) Unit within the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa Announces Election Day ProgramRead the Press Release
Des Moines, IA – United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal announced today that Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Leemkuil will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSA Leemkuil has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Southern District of Iowa, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Richard Westphal said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’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 within the Department 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. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. 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, AUSA Ryan Leemkuil will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 515-473-9300.
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. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 515-223-4278 (Des Moines).
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
United States Attorney Westphal said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
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.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins Announces Election Day Program EffortsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Eugenia M. Carris will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSA Carris has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Massachusetts, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be permitted to vote without interference or discrimination and to have their vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to do their vitally important jobs without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will stand up and protect the integrity of the election process,” said U.S. Attorney Rollins.
The Department of Justice plays an important role in deterring and combating discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’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 within the Department 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. The law also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, intimidation, and any 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).
“Voting is the bedrock of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are eligible to vote can exercise that right if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt the voting process are held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Rollins. 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, AUSA Carris will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 617-748-3363.”
In addition, the FBI will have 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. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 857-386-2000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. If you have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud please contact any of us at the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Rollins.
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.
US Attorney Announces District Election Officer for the Northern District of MississippiRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clay Joyner announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Rob Coleman will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSA Coleman has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Northern District of Mississippi, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Joyner said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’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 within the Department 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).
United States Attorney Joyner noted that: “The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that everyone who is entitled to vote can do so if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt or interfere with that right are brought to justice. 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, AUSA/DEO Coleman will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: (662) 234-3351 during business hours or (662) 816-4304 after hours.”
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. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (662) 234-1713. Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
United States Attorney Joyner remarked, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
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.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Election Day Program to Protect Election Workers and Voting RightsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today that the public can call the Office’s Election Day Hotline at 888-636-6596 to report voting rights concerns, threats against election officials, or any other activity that would interfere with the right to vote in the District of New Jersey. This number will be active Oct. 29, 2022, through Nov. 11, 2022, and will be staffed live on Election Day, Nov. 8, 2022.
The Department of Justice plays an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
“Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “Citizens must be free to vote without interference or discrimination, and election officials must be free to serve without threats of violence. In coordination with the Department’s Election Day Program, our office will do everything in its power to protect the rights of voters and election workers throughout New Jersey.”
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).
In addition to the Election Day Hotline, 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. The FBI can be reached by the public at 973-792-3000. Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws, or any civil rights violation, can be made at any time to the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Hotline, 855-281-3339, or by submitting an online complaint here, or to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
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.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Susan Millenky, Sara Aliabadi, and Mark McCarren will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming general election.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma Continues to Protect Voting Rights During ElectionsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced that Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Charles M. McLoughlin will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election.
AUSA McLoughlin has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Northern District of Oklahoma, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“The Department of Justice is dedicated to protecting the integrity of the election process,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Eligible voters must be able to cast their vote free from interference or discrimination. Likewise, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’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 within the Department 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.
“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. Those who may have specific information about discrimination or election fraud can make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division,” Johnson said.
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, AUSA/DEO McLoughlin will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: 918-382-2713.
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. The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office can be reached by the public at (405) 290-7770.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
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.
U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Participation in Justice Department's Nationwide Election Day ProgramRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Perry H. Piper will lead the efforts of the Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSA Piper has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the Office’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’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 within the Department 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, said United States Attorney Hamilton. “We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.”
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, AUSA Piper will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: (423) 385-1332 or (423) 504-7318.
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. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (865) 544-0751.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate, stated United States Attorney Hamilton. “It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
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.
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U.S. Attorney Shier Announces Environmental Justice Coordinators, Welcomes Reporting from Concerned CitizensRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.—Carlton S. Shier, IV, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, announced on Tuesday a new initiative to address environmental justice and public health concerns. U.S. Attorney Shier has designated two Assistant United States Attorneys, Emily Greenfield and Carrie Pond, as Environmental Justice Coordinators to coordinate the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to address those concerns. Members of the public may visit the website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-edky/environmental-justice for information on where to report environmental violations or public health issues, and how to report such concerns to the Environmental Justice Coordinators.
The Office’s reporting procedures are part of the Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy, which seeks to advance environmental justice through timely and effective remedies for environmental violations and injuries to natural resources in “underserved communities that have been historically marginalized and overburdened, including low-income communities, communities of color, and Tribal and Indigenous communities.”
The Department of Justice enforces the Nation’s civil and criminal environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and hazardous waste laws. An intentional decision to violate these laws may be a federal crime. For example, intentionally discharging pollutants into a river without a permit, or bypassing a required pollution control device, is a criminal act that carries the possibility of incarceration and monetary fines. The Department also protects natural resources and handles cases relating to tribal rights and resources.
The district’s Environmental Justice Coordinators also will lead efforts to remedy environmental violations and contaminations by pursuing actions under the civil rights laws, worker safety and consumer protection statutes, and the False Claims Act. For example, a federal contractor who violates a contractual provision mandating the proper disposal of hazardous waste may be subject to liability under the False Claims Act; a landlord who leases a home without disclosing known information about lead-based paint may violate federal lead disclosure rules.
The Office will continue to partner and coordinate with the Environmental Protection Agency, law enforcement partners, local communities, and agencies across federal, state, and local governments to better serve the needs of disadvantaged communities and the mission of environmental justice throughout the Eastern District of Kentucky. To find out more information about Environmental Justice, learn about additional points of contact for federal agencies, or to contact our Coordinators, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edky/environmental-justice.
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U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson Appoints District Election OfficerRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Daniel Schiess will lead the efforts for the District of Nevada in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSA Schiess has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Nevada, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Frierson. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’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 within the Department 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. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. 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, AUSA/DEO Schiess will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (702) 388-6336,” said U.S. Attorney Frierson.
In addition, the FBI will have 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. The FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office can be reached by the public at: (702) 385-1281 or at tips.fbi.gov.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate,” said U.S. Attorney Frierson. “It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
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.
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U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld Appoints Election Officer for 2022 ElectionRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Stephen D. Warner will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSA Warner has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Northern District of West Virginia, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’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 within the Department 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).
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, AUSA/DEO Warner will be on duty in the District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 304-637-2121.
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. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 412-432-4000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
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.
U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell Appoints District Election Officer to Oversee Election Day ComplaintsRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Ann Hoffman will lead the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSA Hoffman has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of South Dakota and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsdell. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process, and we ask that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to our office.”
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 Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’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 within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
AUSA/DEO Hoffman will be on duty in the District of South Dakota while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at (605) 357-2363. 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. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (605) 334-6881.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
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.
Two Foreign Nationals Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn from the Democratic Republic of the CongoRead the Press Release
A federal judge sentenced Herdade Lokua, 34, and Jospin Mujangi, 32, of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to prison for their roles in trafficking wildlife products from DRC to Seattle. Lokua was sentenced to 20 months in prison and Mujangi was sentenced to 14 months in prison. Both men had pleaded guilty to conspiracy and Lacey Act charges on July 13.
The court determined that Lokua was the organizer of a trafficking operation involving more than five other co-conspirators whose goal was to ship a cargo container full of elephant ivory, white rhinoceros horn, and pangolin scales to Seattle. Mujangi helped package the wildlife products and handled the financial details to process the payment through a Chinese bank and then back to DRC.
“Today’s sentence demonstrates that wildlife trafficking leads to prison, and that we are committed to prosecuting this crime,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “I commend our Homeland Security Investigations and DRC partners in stopping this trafficking ring before tons of protected wildlife products entered the illegal market.”
“Wildlife trafficking is decimating many species worldwide and has broader impacts to a country’s economic development and security,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in the Pacific Northwest. “HSI is proud of our international public and private sector partnerships who enabled the success of this investigation and will continue to leverage those partnerships to target and dismantle future trafficking organizations who seek profit over the risk of extinction.”
In their prior guilty pleas, both defendants admitted that, beginning in November 2019, they agreed to smuggle the wildlife products at issue to the United States. They worked with a middleman to negotiate the sales and coordinate imports to Seattle. Between August and September 2020, Lokua and Mujangi made several small sales to build trust with the buyers. They sent three packages containing approximately 49 pounds of ivory from Kinshasa. They arranged for the ivory to be cut into smaller pieces and painted black; the packages were then falsely labeled as containing wood.
Lokua and Mujangi acknowledged that in June 2021, they sent nearly five pounds of rhinoceros horn to Seattle using a similar scheme. Lokua discussed sending two tons of ivory and one ton of pangolin scales concealed in a shipping container. He stated that payment would have to be routed through a bank account in China before they could access the cash in Kinshasa.
Lokua and Mujangi admitted that they traveled to Seattle on Nov. 2, 2021, to meet with prospective buyers who were actually undercover federal agents. After negotiating the details for 4,900kg of ivory, 3kg of rhinoceros horn, and 1,500kg of pangolin scales, worth $3.5 million, agents arrested both men in Edmonds, Washington.
The investigation was part of “Operation Kuluna,” an international operation conducted between HSI Seattle, the government of the DRC and the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa. After the arrests, the task force in DRC acted on information provided by HSI Seattle to seize 2,067 pounds of ivory and 75 pounds of pangolin scales in Kinshasa worth over $1 million, all contraband related to wildlife trafficking.
The Lacey Act is the nation’s oldest wildlife trafficking statute and prohibits, among other things, falsely labeling shipments containing wildlife. The United States, DRC and approximately 181 other countries are signatories to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES is an international treaty that restricts trade in species that may be threatened with extinction. CITES has permit requirements for protected wildlife, and the indictment alleges that the defendants did not obtain any of the necessary papers or declarations from DRC or the United States.
The CITES treaty has listed the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) as a protected species since 1975 and the African elephant (Loxodanta africana) since 1977. All species of pangolin were added to the CITES appendix with the greatest level of protection in 2017. All three mammals are threatened by poaching and habitat loss.
HSI Seattle conducted the investigation, with assistance from IRS Criminal Investigation. Senior Trial Attorneys Patrick M. Duggan and Ryan C. Connors of the Environmental Crimes Section with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington represented the government.
Two Foreign Nationals Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn from the Democratic Republic of the CongoRead the Press Release
Seattle – A federal judge sentenced Herdade Lokua, 34, and Jospin Mujangi, 32, of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to prison for their roles in trafficking wildlife products from DRC to Seattle. Lokua was sentenced to 20 months in prison and Mujangi was sentenced to 14 months in prison. Both men had pleaded guilty to conspiracy and Lacey Act charges on July 13.
At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour said, “The message must be conveyed that if you get caught you are going to jail…. This is an ugly trade in the body parts of majestic animals.”
The court determined that Lokua was the organizer of a trafficking operation involving more than five other co-conspirators whose goal was to ship a cargo container full of elephant ivory, white rhinoceros horn and pangolin scales to Seattle. Mujangi helped package the wildlife products and handled the financial details to process the payment through a Chinese bank and then back to DRC.
“Today’s sentence demonstrates that wildlife trafficking leads to prison, and that we are committed to prosecuting this crime,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “I commend our Homeland Security Investigations and DRC partners in stopping this trafficking ring before tons of protected wildlife products entered the illegal market.”
“Wildlife trafficking is decimating many species worldwide and has broader impacts to a country’s economic development and security,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “HSI is proud of our international public and private sector partnerships who enabled the success of this investigation and will continue to leverage those partnerships to target and dismantle future trafficking organizations who seek profit over the risk of extinction.”
“The elephant in the room has been addressed today as Mr. Jujangi and Mr. Lokua receive their just rewards for trafficking illegal wildlife products,” said Special Agent Bret Kressin, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “Conservation efforts on behalf of endangered and protected animals is critical to their continued survival, and IRS-CI is proud to work with our partners both domestically and internationally in order to safeguard these creatures.”
In their prior guilty pleas, both defendants admitted that, beginning in November 2019, they agreed to smuggle the wildlife products at issue to the United States. They worked with a middleman to negotiate the sales and coordinate imports to Seattle. Between August and September 2020, Lokua and Mujangi made several small sales to build trust with the buyers. They sent three packages containing approximately 49 pounds of ivory from Kinshasa. They arranged for the ivory to be cut into smaller pieces and painted black; the packages were then falsely labeled as containing wood.
Lokua and Mujangi acknowledged that in June 2021, they sent nearly five pounds of rhinoceros horn to Seattle using a similar scheme. Lokua discussed sending two tons of ivory and one ton of pangolin scales concealed in a shipping container. He stated that payment would have to be routed through a bank account in China before they could access the cash in Kinshasa.
Lokua and Mujangi admitted that they traveled to Seattle on Nov. 2, 2021, to meet with prospective buyers who were actually undercover federal agents. After negotiating the details for 4,900kg of ivory, 3kg of rhinoceros horn, and 1,500kg of pangolin scales, worth $3.5 million, agents arrested both men in Edmonds, Washington.
The investigation was part of “Operation Kuluna,” an international operation conducted between HSI Seattle, the government of the DRC and the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa. After the arrests, the task force in DRC acted on information provided by HSI Seattle to seize 2,067 pounds of ivory and 75 pounds of pangolin scales in Kinshasa worth over $1 million, all contraband related to wildlife trafficking.
The Lacey Act is the nation’s oldest wildlife trafficking statute and prohibits, among other things, falsely labeling shipments containing wildlife. The United States, DRC and approximately 181 other countries are signatories to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES is an international treaty that restricts trade in species that may be threatened with extinction. CITES has permit requirements for protected wildlife, and the indictment alleges that the defendants did not obtain any of the necessary papers or declarations from DRC or the United States.
The CITES treaty has listed the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) as a protected species since 1975 and the African elephant (Loxodanta africana) since 1977. All species of pangolin were added to the CITES appendix with the greatest level of protection in 2017. All three mammals are threatened by poaching and habitat loss.
HSI Seattle conducted the investigation, with assistance from IRS Criminal Investigation. Senior Trial Attorneys Patrick M. Duggan and Ryan C. Connors of the Environmental Crimes Section with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington represented the government.
Tax preparer sentenced for fraudulently inflating tax returnsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A former local tax preparer has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of fraudulently filing tax returns from 2014 to 2017, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
David Wright pleaded guilty June 3.
Today, U.S. District Judge David Hittner sentenced him to 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. Wright was further ordered to pay $178,688 in restitution to the IRS. At the hearing, the court heard additional argument regarding how Wright profiting from several years of fraudulently filing tax returns. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the nature of the offense, the fact that Wright employed others to participate in the fraudulent activity and that these fraudulent filings were done without the knowledge of the taxpayer clients.
The investigation revealed Wright and his employees prepared and submitted 43 fraudulent tax returns for 16 clients. They consistently used false Schedule C Business Income or Loss deductions to inflate tax refunds for clients.
They included fake expenses such as advertising, vehicle/transportation, legal/professional services, office/business property costs, maintenance, supplies, travel and utilities. This caused hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax loss to the IRS.
Wright was taken into custody and will be transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zahra Jivani Fenelon prosecuted the case.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref on November 2022 General ElectionRead the Press Release
Spokane – United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) George J.C. Jacobs, III will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSA Jacobs has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Eastern District of Washington, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Waldref said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’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 within the Department 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).
United States Attorney Waldref stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. 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, AUSA/DEO Jacobs will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number:509-353-2767.”
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. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 509-458-8100.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
United States Attorney Waldref said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
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.
State inmate charged with threatening a judgeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – An inmate at the Mount Olive Correctional Complex has been charged with threatening to kill a state judge and his family, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Owen Mason Dornon, 22, was indicted today on seven counts of “Mailing Threatening Communications.” It is alleged that Dornon mailed letters to Judge Timothy L. Sweeney in Pleasants County, West Virginia, threatening to harm him and his family. Dornon is presently serving a state prison sentence that was imposed by Judge Sweeney.
Dornon faces up to five years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton J. Reid is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI investigated with assistance from the West Virginia Division of Corrections.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
St. Paul Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A St. Paul man has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as an Armed Career Criminal, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on March 17, 2022, Geraldo Jay Dilworth, 34, was in possession of a Springfield Armory .45 caliber pistol while waiting to board a train at the Union Depot Station in St. Paul. Because he has multiple prior felony convictions in Ramsey and Washington Counties, Dilworth is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Dilworth pleaded guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson to one count of felon in possession of a firearm as an Armed Career Criminal. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren O. Roso is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to Four Years for Gun Charge Linked to ShootingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis felon to four years in prison for being caught with guns after a shooting in 2021.
Jerry Johnson, 57, pleaded guilty July 25 to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers found two pistols and one rifle at his home on May 24, 2021 while they were investigating a gun crime.
He also admitted being convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in a 2003 case in U.S. District Court in St. Louis.
In Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, a woman testified that Johnson shot a woman standing on the side of the road near the intersection of Kennerly and North Newstead avenues in St. Louis. The shooting was caught on tape, and officers found a green Cadillac matching the description of the shooter’s car outside Johnson’s home, with the engine still warm.
Johnson was subject to enhanced penalties after Judge Fleissig found that his responsibility for the shooting had been proven by a preponderance of the evidence.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen prosecuted the case
Springfield Man Sentenced for Role in Large-Scale Heroin Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced on Oct. 27, 2022 in federal court in Springfield for his role in a large-scale heroin trafficking organization.
William Brantley, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 43 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In July 2019, Brantley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin. He was indicted along with 17 co-conspirators in August 2017.
Brantley was a member of a Springfield-based drug trafficking organization led by co-conspirator Alberto Marte. Marte had direct contact with heroin supply sources in the Dominican Republic. On a monthly basis, members of the organization transported between eight and 20 kilograms of heroin to the Springfield area. Brantley regularly purchased large amounts of heroin from Marte which he then distributed to various retail-level dealers in the Springfield area. Specifically, Brantley purchased 300 packs – or 30,000 doses – of heroin from Marte on a number of occasions from July 2016 to September 2016.
In March 2020, Marte was sentenced to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Hampden County District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood; Chicopee Police Chief Patrick J. Major; Holyoke Police Chief Manny Febo; and West Springfield Police Chief Paul Connor made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering 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.
Seven Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Seven individuals, four men and three women, engaged in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in and around the McDonough County, Illinois, area, were sentenced on Friday, October 28, 2022, to multi-year terms in federal prison.
John William Yates, 56, of the 700 block of North Jackson Street in Bushnell, Illinois, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Christopher Allen Yates, 39, of the 1500 block of Jones Street in Joliet, Illinois, was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Jeanna Rechkemmer, 36, of the 600 block of East Osborne Street in Bushnell, was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Amber Michelle Phelps, 31, of the 600 block of Sherry Street, in Colchester, Illinois, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Jerel Jay Guarin, 44, of the 600 block of Sherry Street in Colchester, was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.
Amanda Sue Edwards, 42, of the 200 block of Poplar Street, in Bardolph, Illinois, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Trenton Lee Sealock, 28, of the 100 block of South Jackson Street in Bardolph, was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.
Each of the defendants previously pleaded guilty to the offenses. One remaining member of the conspiracy, Shawn Thomas Connelly, has pleaded guilty and is set to be sentenced on January 5, 2023.
The statutory penalty for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine is a mandatory minimum term of ten years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, to be followed by at least five years of supervised release. The statutory penalty for distribution of methamphetamine is up to a maximum of 20 years in prison, followed by at least three years of supervised release.
“This investigation and successful prosecution is another example of the dedication and collaboration of our law enforcement partners,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Mathew. “The devastating impact methamphetamine has, especially on smaller rural communities, is reflected in the significant penalties imposed in this case.”
“Methamphetamine has plagued our communities and region for many years, which a multitude of adults and children have been negatively impacted by the presence of this substance,” said Jerel Jones, Chief of the Macomb Police Department. “We will tirelessly labor to prevent the usage, sale, and delivery of this drug, as the safety and well-being of our residents remains a priority.”
The Macomb Police Department, and the McDonough County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the cooperation of the McDonough County State’s Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Mathew represented the government in the prosecution.
Serial Gun Offender Sentenced to 11.5 YearsRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Mark Totten today announced that Theron Darrell Perry II, 32, of Benton Harbor, was sentenced to a total of 138 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker also imposed a 3-year period of supervised release to follow Perry’s incarceration.
“My office is focused on improving the safety of our communities and that includes reducing gun violence,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “One way to get guns off of our streets is by identifying repeat offenders who are illegally possessing firearms.”
In 2017, Judge Jonker sentenced Perry to 68 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was released from prison in January 2022 and was arrested for possession of a firearm in April. He was released from state custody shortly thereafter and acquired another firearm in May 2022 by having a friend purchase it on his behalf. When officers tried to arrest him later in May, he fled and while fleeing, hit another car, lost control of his vehicle, and crashed into a bank.
Judge Jonker sentenced Perry to 114 months in prison for the recent conduct and 24 months in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release on his 2017 offense. The sentences were imposed consecutively, meaning Perry will serve a total of 138 months in prison.
In imposing sentence, Judge Jonker noted that his prior prison term “did not deter Mr. Perry in the least,” that he was arrested with a firearm and when released he immediately went and got another firearm, which the court found “incredible.” Judge Jonker noted that Perry had a “long history of firearms and other criminal conduct.”
“For years, this defendant has illegally obtained firearms and posed a potential threat to the citizens of Benton Harbor and its surrounding communities with impunity,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “I want to thank our partners on the Benton Harbor FBI Safe Streets Task Force for all of their hard work on this investigation and for their efforts to keep our communities safe.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was investigated by the Benton Harbor FBI Safe Streets Task Force, which includes law enforcement officers from the FBI, Michigan State Police, Berrien County Sheriff's Department, Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety, Benton Township Police Department, Pokagon Band Tribal Police Department, and the Michigan Department of Corrections.
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San Bernardino County Woman Found Guilty of Obtaining Custody of Infant for the Purpose of Producing Sexually Explicit VideosRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County woman was found guilty today of federal child exploitation charges, including that she obtained custody of an infant for the purpose of producing sexually explicit videos.
Stefani Kasey Marie Stevens, 31, of Yucaipa, was found guilty of one count of obtaining custody of a minor with intent to produce child pornography, six counts of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. United States District Judge Virginia A. Phillips issued the verdicts today after a four-day bench trial that ended last week.
Judge Phillips scheduled an April 24, 2023 sentencing hearing, at which time Stevens will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
According to evidence presented at the trial, between August 2019 and November 2019, law enforcement received information that three Kik online messaging application accounts associated with Stevens uploaded child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement also determined that a Google account associated with Stevens had uploaded seven sexually explicit images of the same victim, who was under the age of 12.
In November 2019, federal agents executed a search warrant at Stevens’ home. During subsequent interviews, Stevens admitted to making sexually explicit videos of herself performing oral sex on the infant victim and that she took eight to 10 nude photographs with a second victim under the age of 12.
Following the interviews, law enforcement accessed Stevens’ online accounts and learned that, the day before creating the sexually explicit videos of the infant in May 2019, Stevens and a like-minded user had online discussions about how Stevens was excited to take custody of the infant the next day so that she could create videos of herself engaging in sexual activity with the victim.
Law enforcement also learned that, in addition to the sexually explicit videos of the infant created in May 2019, Stevens took sexually explicit photographs of the infant in June 2019 and of a second victim under the age of 12 in October and November 2018, all of which she stored in an online account, along with hundreds of other child pornography images and videos.
Homeland Security Investigations and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Robert S. Trisotto and Sonah Lee of the Riverside Branch Office are prosecuting this case.
Rutland Man with Prior Felony Conviction Charged with Possessing Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Nicholas Karov, 38, of Rutland, Vermont was charged yesterday by criminal complaint for unlawfully possessing a stolen firearm and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Karov was arrested yesterday after he was released on conditions following an appearance in Vermont Superior Court on related Grand Larceny charges. Karov is scheduled to appear before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on Wednesday, November 2, 2022.
According to court records, on October 28, 2022, Karov was observed standing on the driver’s side running board of the theft victim’s Ford F-250 truck. When the victim yelled at Karov, Karov fled. The victim chased and apprehended Karov, and found Karov to be in possession of the victim’s CMMG Banshee .45 caliber pistol. Karov has multiple prior felony convictions and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law. Court records indicate that at the time of his October 28, 2022 arrest, Karov had approximately 26 pending charges in Vermont Superior Court, with numerous arrests over the past two years.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a criminal complaint contains allegations only and that Karov remains presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime. Karov faces a maximum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment for unlawfully possessing a stolen firearm.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Rutland City Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Karov is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn
Restaurateur Pleads Guilty to Large-Scale COVID-19 Pandemic Loan Fraud and Interstate ThreatsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that restaurateur BESIM KUKAJ pled guilty today to bank fraud conspiracy and making interstate threats. KUKAJ pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As he admitted in court today, Besim Kukaj conspired with others to try to secure more than $3.5 million dollars in government-backed loans intended for businesses devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Kukaj told banks that his restaurants operated with dozens of employees, when in fact he employed far fewer people. These brazen lies tricked banks into sending him approximately $1.5 million in loans. Even after his arrest, Kukaj continued to submit false loan applications. Kukaj now faces the possibility of a significant term of incarceration for these serious crimes.”
According to the allegations contained in filings in Manhattan federal court:
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of hundreds of billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). Pursuant to the CARES Act, the amount of PPP funds a business is eligible to receive is determined by the number of employees employed by the business and their average payroll costs. Businesses applying for a PPP loan must provide documentation to confirm that they have previously paid employees the compensation represented in the loan application.
From at least in or about April 2020 through at least in or about July 2020, KUKAJ, working with others, submitted applications for PPP loans to multiple banks on behalf of various restaurants KUKAJ or a relative of his owned. He did so on behalf of restaurants that were no longer operating or that had far fewer employees than were listed on the PPP loans. In total, KUKAJ and his co-conspirators applied for dozens of PPP loans, totaling approximately $3.9 million, from numerous financial institutions, using many different corporate entities, and they successfully received at least $1.5 million in PPP loans. KUKAJ was arrested in October 2020 and charged with bank fraud conspiracy and later indicted for the same charges in December 2020. He was released on pretrial release pursuant to an order that notified him of the potential effect of committing a criminal offense while on pretrial release.
In January 2021, however, KUKAJ filed another false loan application for one of the same restaurants he had previously filed a false application for in July 2020. The same month, KUKAJ also requested PPP loans for six businesses he owned and submitted false documentation about each of the six businesses. These January 2021 applications and requests were not funded by the banks to whom he submitted the false paperwork.
Separately, on November 6, 2019, at the urging of KUKAJ, a co-conspirator of his placed a telephone call, which traveled in interstate commerce, to a victim, during which call the co-conspirator threatened physical violence against the victim. KUKAJ instructed his co-conspirator to place this call because KUKAJ owed money to the victim.
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KUKAJ, 42, of New Jersey, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and one count of making interstate threats, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Under the terms of his plea agreement, KUKAJ also agreed to pay forfeiture in the amount of $1,500,000.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. KUKAJ is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Carter on March 9, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of FBI New York’s Balkans and Middle East Organized Crime Squad, as well as the Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and the New York State Liquor Authority for their investigative efforts and ongoing support and assistance with the case.
The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Samuel L. Raymond and David R. Felton are in charge of the case.
Red Lion Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on October 24, 2022, Waylon Hutcheson, age 22, of Red Lion, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Hutcheson pleaded guilty on October 26, 2021, to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and receipt or possession of a firearm made in violation of the National Firearms Act. The sentence is a result of an investigation into the sale of drugs from Hutcheson’s home. Following “controlled purchases” of marijuana from Hutcheson, a warrant was executed, and he was found in possession of marijuana, oxycodone, THC, U.S. Currency, and drug trafficking paraphernalia. Police also recovered three self-made 9mm handguns with no serial numbers, a .22 caliber long rifle, three silencers, and a 30-round magazine.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Johnny Baer prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Recidivist Fraudster Convicted at Trial of over $10 Million COVID-19 Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that earlier today a federal jury found ADEDAYO ILORI guilty of all six counts of an Indictment for his participation in a fraudulent scheme to obtain more than $10 million in government-guaranteed loans designed to provide relief to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The defendant was found guilty following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil. The jury further found that ILORI committed these crimes while on pretrial release. Sentencing is currently scheduled for January 31, 2023, before Judge Vyskocil.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Adedayo Ilori used the stolen identities of innocent victims to steal Government money that was set aside to help small businesses stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ilori illegally profited from a national emergency. Making matters worse, he did so while on pretrial release in another serious criminal case brought by this Office. Thanks to the hard work of the Department of Justice-Office of Inspector General and the career prosecutors in this Office, a unanimous jury has found Ilori guilty of committing another fraud scheme.”
According to the Superseding Indictment and the evidence presented at trial:
From at least in or about August 2020 through at least in or about October 2021, ILORI and his co-defendant, Chris Recamier, engaged in a rampant COVID-19 loan fraud scheme. Utilizing false identities, sham tax records, and corporate documents, ILORI and Recamier successfully obtained more than $1 million and attempted to obtain more than $10 million through two loan programs of the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) designed to provide relief to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, namely the Paycheck Protection Program ( “PPP”) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) Program. In particular, ILORI and Recamier applied for 14 PPP and EIDL loans. In applying for these loans, ILORI and Recamier claimed stolen identities of third parties and claimed full control of a number of companies, which they purported, cumulatively, employed more than 200 people and paid monthly salaries of more than $3.2 million in wages. In reality, they did not operate these companies. In submitting these applications, ILORI and Recamier, among other things, submitted falsified tax documents which were never actually filed with the Internal Revenue Service.
ILORI and Recamier transferred the majority of these stolen government funds toward cryptocurrency investments, the purchase of stocks, cash withdrawals, and personal expenses, including leasing luxury apartments and a Mercedes. The investment accounts were also opened by ILORI and Recamier in the stolen identities of third parties.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of hundreds of billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the SBA’s PPP. Pursuant to the CARES Act, the amount of PPP funds a business is eligible to receive is determined by the number of employees employed by the business and their average payroll costs. Businesses applying for a PPP loan must provide documentation to confirm that they have previously paid employees the compensation represented in the loan application. The CARES Act also expanded the separate EIDL Program, which provides small businesses with low-interest loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing due to COVID-19. To qualify for an EIDL loan under the CARES Act, the applicant must have suffered “substantial economic injury” from COVID-19.
ILORI committed these offenses while facing charges in a separate case filed in the Southern District of New York involving fraud, identity theft, and money laundering in United States v. Ilori, 20 Cr 378 (LJL). As part of that case, ILORI was sentenced on March 3, 2022, to 63 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman in connection with a commercial loan fraud and bank bribery scheme.
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ILORI, 43, of Queens, New York, was convicted of: (1) major fraud against the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; (2) conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison; (3) wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison; (4) bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison; (5) aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison; and (6) conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case, which are increased by the jury’s finding that these crimes were committed while ILORI was on pretrial release, are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
ILORI’s co-defendant, Chris Recamier, 59, of New York, New York, previously pled guilty to major fraud against the United States and was sentenced on October 17, 2022, by Judge Vyskocil to nine years in prison.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the DOJ-OIG. Mr. Williams also thanked the U.S. Secret Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New York City Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Aviation Administration for their assistance in this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Juliana Murray, David R. Felton, and Daniel G. Nessim are in charge of the prosecution.
Rancho Cordova Man Pleads Guilty to Second Federal Charge for Being a Felon in PossessionRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Kevin Lester Wise, 68, of Rancho Cordova, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, a federal search warrant of Wise’s residence resulted in the discovery of a Ruger .22 caliber rifle and a silencer. Wise had previously attempted to unlawfully import another silencer from China. In 1990, Wise was convicted in Sacramento County for unlawful assault by an officer while he was serving as a deputy sheriff. In 2013, Wise was previously convicted in federal court in the Eastern District of California for a being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, Wise is prohibited from owning firearms, including silencers.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.
Wise is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, 2023, by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Wise 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.
Quad Cities Group Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – Five people, all from the Quad Cities area, have now been sentenced to federal prison for their role as members of a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organization in Davenport. Those sentenced as part of this drug conspiracy include:
• Theodore Thomas Browne, age 50, was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment and five years of supervised release;
• Karley Ann Smith, age 29, was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment and five years of supervised release;
• Donnie Wayne Robinson, age 36, was sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment and five years of supervised release;
• Joshua Steven Ennis, age 40, was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment and five years of supervised release; and
• Joshua John Paarmann, age 32, was sentenced to 420 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release.In fall 2020, law enforcement identified eight individuals as members of a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organization in Davenport. Paarmann and Robinson served as the conspiracy’s methamphetamine sources of supply. Robinson was arrested in November 2020 in possession of a firearm and approximately 40 grams of methamphetamine. Ennis was arrested in December 2020 in possession of a firearm and approximately 13 grams of cocaine. Smith was arrested in December 2020 in possession of more than 100 grams of methamphetamine. Paarmann was arrested in December 2020 in possession of more than 1,400 grams of methamphetamine, $5,800 of drug proceeds, a firearm, and numerous rounds of ammunition.
Paarmann, Lira, and Ennis were released from jail in early 2021. Ennis committed a burglary in which he stole two firearms. Law enforcement re-arrested Ennis in March 2021 in possession of three firearms, including the two stolen during the burglary. Browne recruited Paarmann and Lira to sell methamphetamine for him upon their release in February 2021. In March 2021, Paarmann and Nelson also made a trip to Colorado to transport methamphetamine back to Iowa for Browne. They were arrested upon their return to Scott County in possession of more than 400 grams of methamphetamine.
In total, the conspiracy was responsible for trafficking more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine to the Quad Cities between July 2020 and March 2021.
Browne pleaded guilty on March 9, 2022; Smith pleaded guilty on March 22, 2022; Nelson pleaded guilty on March 31, 2022; Robinson pleaded guilty on April 12, 2022; Ennis pleaded guilty on May 9, 2022; and Paarmann was found guilty on May 25, 2022, following a jury trial.
In June 2022, co-defendant Chelsey Lira was sentenced to 180 months in prison. In August 2022, co-defendant Taylor Graeber was sentenced to 120 months in prison and Robert Nelson was sentenced to 168 months in prison.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department, Drug Enforcement Agency, Quad Cities Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Iowa State Patrol, and Scott County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Production of Sexually Explicit Photos of Minor Females Leads to Lengthy Prison Sentence for Lafayette ManRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Jody Osmer, 38, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge David C. Joseph. Osmer received a sentence of 235 months (19 years, 7 months) in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for production of child pornography.
This investigation began when law enforcement officers with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) received a cyber tip regarding distribution of child pornography associated with Osmer. On April 13, 2021, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at his residence in Lafayette and found him to be in possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors. Osmer later admitted to agents that he had used social media to communicate with minor females in an effort to meet them in person and engage in sexual relations.
Through their investigation, agents learned that between October 2014 and January 2017, two minor females had communicated with Osmer via cell phone applications and had sent sexually explicit images of themselves via cell phone with Osmer at his request. In addition, Osmer admitted that he met one of the minor victims and engaged in sex with her. Osmer pleaded guilty to coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and agreed that he did so with the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Bordelon.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Philadelphia Contractor Sentenced to Prison for Bribing OSHA InspectorRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Tony Ren, 59, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to three months in prison, one year of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $50,000 fine by United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney after being convicted of two counts of bribery.
In December 2021, the defendant was convicted at trial of attempting to bribe an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Compliance Safety and Health Officer in order to induce the official not to report safety violations at a Philadelphia construction site run by Ren, and to eliminate previous safety violations and corresponding fines. As detailed in the Indictment, in October 2017, the OSHA official conducted an inspection of a worksite on Arch Street in response to an imminent hazard report. During the inspection, the official observed numerous violations of OSHA standards including debris in passageways, electrical issues, holes in the floor, and gas tanks with broken pressure gauges. As the evidence presented at trial showed, on two separate dates in November 2017, Ren offered $1,500 cash bribes to the OSHA official in exchange for the official falsifying the inspection results, deleting previous violations from OSHA’s computer system, and agreeing not to report the violations so that the defendant could avoid the substantial penalties that would follow.
“OSHA inspections and standards exist for a reason: to prevent injuries and protect workers,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “This defendant attempted to subvert this system of protections by bribing an official to look the other way on multiple workplace safety violations. This case should serve as a warning to all employers and contractors that our Office will investigate and prosecute fully this type of corruption.”
“Tony Ren paid bribes to an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Compliance Safety and Health Officer in order to induce the officer not to report safety violations at a Philadelphia, PA construction site operated by Ren, as well as to eliminate previous safety violations and their corresponding fines. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and OSHA to investigate those who attempt to undermine the workplace safety laws that exist to protect American workers,” stated Syreeta Scott, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Philadelphia Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations-Labor Racketeering and Fraud and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mary Kay Costello.
Pharmacy Manager Sentenced to Probation for Obtaining Opiates by FraudRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Brian Thomas Badgley, 37, of Waterbury, Vermont was sentenced today by United States District Judge Christina Reiss to three years of probation after his conviction for obtaining controlled substances by fraud in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 843(a)(3).
According to court records and proceedings, while employed as a pharmacy manager of the CVS located in Berlin, Vermont, Badgley tampered with a bottle of Hydromorphone oral solution by removing a quantity for his own use, and then diluting the remaining contents of the bottle with liquid Benadryl and distilled water. Badgley then reattached the tamper seal on the bottle with clear tape and returned the diluted Hydromorphone oral solution to the inventory of the pharmacy, from which it could have been administered to pharmacy patients. Badgley also obtained Hydromorphone tablets and Hydromorphone solution through misrepresentations and fraud, specifically by entering false entries into the pharmacy ordering system, entering false pill counts into the inventory system, and diluting the oral solution.
According to court records and the public records of various state boards of pharmacy, Badgley stole hydromorphone tablets in 2015 as an employee of a pharmacy in Texas, and stole hydromorphone tablets in 2016 from a Vermont hospital at which he had been previously employed. These prior instances resulted in the State of Vermont’s Board of Pharmacy placing strict conditions on his license to practice pharmacy. Badgley’s license was fully reinstated in 2020, and then suspended on September 24, 2021 when the Board became aware of the new allegations of tampering and obtaining controlled substances by fraud.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office of Professional Regulation, and the Berlin Police Department.
Badgley was represented by Robert Sussman, Esq. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt represented the United States.
Operation United Front Results in Guilty Plea to Illegal Gun Possession by Macon Man Previously Convicted of Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Macon resident who was previously convicted and sentenced to ten years imprisonment for voluntary manslaughter in Bibb County pleaded guilty to a federal gun charge resulting from Operation United Front, an ongoing ATF-led investigation into illegal gun possession and drug distribution in Middle Georgia utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).
Jeffery Maurice Willis, 44, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Oct. 27. Willis faces a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
“We will use every resource available to protect our communities from the threat of illegal gun possession,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Working with law enforcement, our office will hold violent felons caught possessing or selling guns accountable at the federal level.”
“There is no initiative more critical to ATF than increasing the safety of our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “Cases which result in the arrest and prosecution of violent criminals are fundamental to continuing this initiative while simultaneously showing criminals that ATF and its law enforcement partners will not falter in this mission.”
“Jeffery Willis is an example of misdeeds happening in the past affecting someone’s future. Mr. Willis’ prosecution should serve as a reminder that a firearm violence conviction as a young person has serious consequences when that person decides to take up arms later in life,” said Bibb County Sheriff David Davis.
According to court documents, ATF agents observed and recorded Willis sell a .44 revolver and five rounds of ammunition in Macon on May 6, 2021. Willis had been previously convicted of voluntary manslaughter in case number 97CR47052 in the Superior Court of Bibb County, Georgia, on Oct. 20, 1997. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. 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 the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Keyes is prosecuting the case.
New Haven Man Sentenced to Prison for Crack Cocaine Distribution and Ammunition Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRIAN WARD, 30, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and ammunition possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 21, 2021, law enforcement arrested Ward’s associate, Zaquawn Arrington, on a federal criminal complaint at Arrington’s New Haven residence. Ward used a bedroom at Arrington’s residence and was present at the time of Arrington’s arrest. A search of the residence revealed crack cocaine, a digital scale, and $2,075 in cash. During the search, investigators observed Ward throw a bag from the house. The bag contained crack cocaine packaged for distribution. Later that day, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of the residence and located in Ward’s bedroom a pistol box containing four ammunition magazines, and a box of 39 9mm rounds.
Ward was subsequently seen on surveillance video firing a gun at a group of individuals immediately after one of the individuals shot and killed his associate on August 8, 2021, in Hamden.
Ward’s criminal history includes state felony drug and assault offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Ward has been detained since August 18, 2021. On December 14, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”), and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon.
Arrington was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, the New Haven Police Department and the West Haven Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New Haven, Milford, East Haven and West Haven Police Departments.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr., through 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.
Monkey smuggler pleads guiltyRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A 20-year-old Katy resident has pleaded guilty to illegally smuggling a spider monkey into the United States and fleeing from federal law enforcement, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Savannah Nicole Valdez pleaded guilty to smuggling wildlife into the United States without first declaring and invoicing it and fleeing an immigration checkpoint.
On March 21, Valdez attempted to enter the United States through the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville. Law enforcement observed a wooden box with holes inside the vehicle which Valdez said contained beer she had purchased in Mexico.
However, when authorities opened the box, they discovered a live spider monkey and referred Valdez to secondary inspection. Valdez refused to comply with their instructions and instead sped off, running a traffic light and nearly colliding with officers and other vehicles.
Later that day, agents found multiple online postings advertising the sale of the spider monkey in the Katy and Houston areas with Valdez’s phone number listed in the advertisements.
On March 28, Valdez contacted law enforcement and turned herself in. She admitted to knowingly importing the monkey despite not declaring it and intentionally fleeing from law enforcement.
The monkey was ultimately recovered and placed with an animal shelter in the Central Florida area.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera will impose sentencing Jan. 25. At that time, Valdez faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection and the Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Kingsville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.
Modernizing Medicine Agrees to Pay $45 Million to Resolve Allegations of Accepting and Paying Illegal Kickbacks and Causing False ClaimsRead the Press Release
Modernizing Medicine Inc. (ModMed), an electronic health record (EHR) technology vendor located in Boca Raton, Florida, has agreed to pay $45 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by accepting and providing unlawful remuneration in exchange for referrals and by causing its users to report inaccurate information in connection with claims for federal incentive payments.
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits anyone from offering or paying, directly or indirectly, any remuneration — which includes money or any other thing of value — to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other federally funded programs. In a complaint filed in conjunction with today’s settlement, the United States alleged that ModMed violated the FCA and the Anti-Kickback Statute through three marketing programs: First, ModMed solicited and received kickbacks from Miraca Life Sciences Inc. (Miraca) in exchange for recommending and arranging for ModMed’s users to utilize Miraca’s pathology lab services. Second, ModMed conspired with Miraca to improperly donate ModMed’s EHR to health care providers in an effort to increase lab orders to Miraca and simultaneously add customers to ModMed’s user base. Third, ModMed paid kickbacks to its current health care provider customers and to other influential sources in the healthcare industry to recommend ModMed’s EHR and refer potential customers to ModMed.
“Electronic health records serve a critical role in informing physician decision making, and it is therefore essential that health care providers select such technology free from the influence of improper financial inducements,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “Vendors of electronic health records will be held to the same standards of compliance that we expect of everyone who provides health care services.”
“Today’s settlement marks the fourth resolution that our office has achieved as we seek to root out fraud in the electronic health record technology field,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “It is imperative that medical providers be able to trust the health record systems with which they document important and sensitive patient information, and for too long electronic health record vendors have prioritized only sales. The government alleges that for years, ModMed, through a variety of schemes, engaged in illegal kickbacks that distorted both the EMR and pathology lab markets, in addition to providing its users with a deficient product. This resolution reflects the seriousness of the government’s allegations and the determination of the Department of Justice to restore integrity to the electronic health record field.”
As a result of this conduct, the government alleges that ModMed improperly generated sales for itself and for Miraca, while causing health care providers to submit false claims for reimbursement to the federal government for pathology services, and for incentive payments from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the adoption and “meaningful use” of ModMed’s EHR technology.
In January 2019, Miraca (now known as Inform Diagnostics) agreed to pay $63.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law by providing to referring physicians subsidies for EHR systems and free or discounted technology consulting services. 2019 Press Release.
Additionally, under HHS’ EHR Incentive Programs, HHS offered incentive payments to health care providers that adopted certified EHR technology and met certain requirements relating to their “meaningful use” of that technology. Eligibility for incentive payments required health care providers to use certified EHR technology that, among other things, utilized certain standard vocabularies for drugs (RxNorm) and clinical terminology (SNOMED CT) in order to conduct certain transactions. The government’s complaint in intervention alleges that ModMed knew that its EHR did not always allow physician users to electronically record medical records using the required standard vocabularies, thereby causing certain of its users to submit false claims for incentive payments under that program.
The settlement with ModMed resolves, in part, allegations in a lawsuit filed in the District of Vermont by Amanda Long, a former Vice President of Product Management at ModMed. The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA, which permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Long v. Modernizing Med., Inc., No. 2:17-cv-179 (D. Vt.). The Act allows the government to intervene and take over the action, as it did in this case. As part of today’s resolution, Ms. Long will receive approximately $9 million.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont. The FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Counsel to the Inspector General provided investigative assistance.
The investigation and pursuit of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud, including in the healthcare technology arena. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren A. Lively for the District of Vermont and Trial Attorneys Kelley Hauser and Sarah Hill of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section handled this matter.
The claims in the relator’s and the government’s complaints are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability
Modernizing Medicine Agrees to Pay $45 Million to Resolve Allegations of Accepting and Paying Illegal Kickbacks and Caused False ClaimsRead the Press Release
Modernizing Medicine, Inc. (“ModMed”), an electronic health record (“EHR”) technology vendor located in Boca Raton, Florida, has agreed to pay $45 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA), 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733, by accepting and providing unlawful remuneration in exchange for referrals and causing its users to report inaccurate information in connection with claims for federal incentive payments.
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits anyone from offering or paying, directly or indirectly, any remuneration — which includes money or any other thing of value — to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federally funded programs. In a complaint filed in conjunction with today’s settlement, the United States alleged that ModMed violated the FCA and the Anti-Kickback Statute through three marketing programs: First, ModMed solicited and received kickbacks from Miraca Life Sciences, Inc. in exchange for recommending and arranging for ModMed’s users to utilize Miraca’s pathology lab services. Second, ModMed conspired with Miraca to improperly donate ModMed’s EHR to health care providers in an effort to increase lab orders to Miraca and simultaneously add customers to ModMed’s user base. Third, ModMed paid kickbacks to its current healthcare provider customers and to other influential sources in the healthcare industry to recommend ModMed’s EHR and refer potential customers to ModMed.
As a result of this conduct, the government alleges that ModMed improperly generated sales for itself and for Miraca, while causing healthcare providers to submit false claims for reimbursement to the federal government for pathology services, and for incentive payments from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the adoption and “meaningful use” of ModMed’s EHR technology.
In January 2019, Miraca (now known as Inform Diagnostics) agreed to pay $63.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law by providing to referring physicians subsidies for EHR systems and free or discounted technology consulting services. 2019 Press Release.
Additionally, under HHS’ EHR Incentive Programs, HHS offered incentive payments to healthcare providers that adopted certified EHR technology and met certain requirements relating to their “meaningful use” of that technology. Eligibility for incentive payments required healthcare providers to use certified EHR technology that, among other things, utilized certain standard vocabularies for drugs (RxNorm) and clinical terminology (SNOMED CT) in order to conduct certain transactions. The government’s complaint in intervention alleges that ModMed knew that its EHR did not always allow physician users to electronically record medical records using the required standard vocabularies, thereby causing certain of its users to submit false claims for incentive payments under that program.
“Electronic health records serve a critical role in informing physician decision making, and it is therefore essential that healthcare providers select such technology free from the influence of improper financial inducements,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “Vendors of electronic health records will be held to the same standards of compliance that we expect of everyone who impacts the delivery of health care services.”
“Today’s settlement marks the fourth resolution that our office has achieved as we seek to root out fraud in the electronic health record technology field,” said United States Attorney for the District of Vermont, Nikolas P. Kerest. “It is imperative that medical providers be able to trust the health record systems with which they document important and sensitive patient information, and for too long electronic health record vendors have prioritized only sales. The government alleges that for years, ModMed, through a variety of schemes, engaged in illegal kickbacks that distorted both the EMR and pathology lab markets, in addition to providing its users with a deficient product. This resolution reflects the seriousness of the government’s allegations and the determination of the Department of Justice to restore integrity to the electronic health record field.”
The settlement with ModMed resolves, in part, allegations in a lawsuit filed in the District of Vermont by Amanda Long, a former Vice President of Product Management at ModMed. The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA, which permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Long v. Modernizing Med., Inc., No. 2:17-cv-179 (D. Vt.). The Act allows the government to intervene and take over the action, as it did in this case. As part of today’s resolution, Ms. Long will receive approximately $9 million.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont. Investigative support and assistance were provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Counsel to the Inspector General.
The investigation and pursuit of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud, including in the healthcare technology arena. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Almquist Lively and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Owen C.J. Foster of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont and Trial Attorneys Kelley Hauser and Sarah Hill of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.
ModMed Complaint ModMed Settlement Agreement
The claims in the Relator’s and the government’s complaints are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.Michigan Man Sentenced to 60 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Johnny Lamar Sawyer, 31 years old, of Southfield, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Sawyer was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on or about August 17, 2020, Sawyer flew into Chicago’s Midway Airport with one suitcase. Later that day, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop in Porter County, Indiana, on a vehicle in which Sawyer was a passenger. A search of that vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 10 pounds of cocaine recovered from the suitcase.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Indiana State Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Nozick.