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Tuesday 1 November 2022
Mexico, Mo., Man Involved in Police Chase that Ended in Multi-Vehicle Crash, Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearms, Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Mexico, Mo., man who was in a vehicle that led officers on a high speed chase before crashing into several other vehicles pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing firearms and methamphetamine to distribute.
Myron Samare Mahaney, 23, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
A Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper attempted to stop a Nissan Rouge, in which Mahaney was a passenger, that was traveling 95 miles per hour on U.S. Highway 54 on March 14, 2022. The Nissan accelerated rapidly when the trooper turned on his lights and siren then drove onto U.S. Highway 50 in Jefferson City, traveling 107 miles per hour. The Nissan exited onto Dix Road and crashed into multiple vehicles that were stopped in traffic on southbound Dix Road.
Mahaney fled on foot from the vehicle but was taken into custody by Jefferson City police officers. Mahaney was carrying a crossbody bag that contained approximately 219 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun and a loaded Springfield .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun. He had $2,086 in cash in his front pocket.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Mahaney has a prior felony conviction for unlawful use of a weapon.
Under federal statutes, Mahaney is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 50 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather D. Richenberger. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department.
Mexican women plead guilty to smuggling balls of heroin in potato chip bagsRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two women residing in Monterrey, Mexico, have admitted to their roles in importing nearly 1000 grams of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Maria Luisa Hernandez-Alanis, 41, and Tania Melissa Coutino-Hernandez, 40, admitted that on Sept. 4, they arrived at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge Port of Entry in Laredo in a vehicle. They applied for entry into the United States by presenting B1/B2 tourist visas.
At secondary inspection, law enforcement discovered two yellow bags of potato chips inside of Coutino-Hernandez’s purse. The bags appeared to be sealed and unopened. However, the contents felt like a heavy ball. Further inspection revealed the bags contained heroin bundles weighing 983.9 grams.
The investigation revealed the pair were both aware of the drugs and were going to be paid $300 each to cross into the country with them. The co-conspirators planned on returning to Mexico with a large amount of cash.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Hernandez-Alanis and Coutino-Hernandez face up to 40 years in prison and a possible $5 million maximum fine.
Both Hernandez-Alanis and Coutino-Hernandez have been in and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Harrison is prosecuting the case.
Mexican citizen admits to smuggling a minor and fleeing law enforcementRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 27-year-old Mexican man has pleaded guilty to attempting to smuggle undocumented aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Luis Alberto Garcia-Quirino admitted to one count of transporting illegal aliens within the United States.
On June 28, law enforcement observed a black Honda Accord traveling North near La Gloria. At that time, the vehicle appeared to be riding low and moving at a slow rate of speed.
Authorities followed the vehicle and pulled up next to it. They saw multiple silhouettes shifting around in the rear passenger area. They further noticed Garcia-Quirino repeatedly turning around to speak to someone in the rear of the vehicle.
A registration check on the Texas license plate revealed the year of the vehicle did not match its description in the system. Law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop. However, the car failed to yield and continued northbound. The vehicle then crossed intersections of two county roads and pulled over at the gate of La Rucia Ranch.
Authorities discovered nine individuals in the car including an unaccompanied minor. They were all found to be illegally present in the country.
As part of his plea, Garcia-Quirino admitted he illegally entered the United States by crossing the river near Camargo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. After he and others were taken to a stash house, Garcia-Quirino then drove the others further into the United States.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing Feb. 14, 2023. At that time, Garcia-Quirino faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Garcia-Quirino has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Parker Gochenour is prosecuting the case.
Meridian Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Meridian man pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to court documents, Patrick Terrell Lewis, Jr., 30, was found in possession of a firearm, a 9 mm pistol, in his vehicle by officers of the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office on January 7, 2021. Lewis has two prior felony convictions and was on probation at the time of this incident.
Lewis plead guilty to a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) which criminalizes the possession of firearms by convicted felons. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 15, 2023 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham is prosecuting the case.
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.
Los Angeles Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Heroin and Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Jamil Jones, 39, was sentenced in federal court today by U.S. District Court Judge Derrick K. Watson to 20 years in prison for distributing and conspiring to distribute heroin and methamphetamine. Jones was charged in an indictment in August 2021 with three counts—drug trafficking conspiracy, distribution of fifty grams or more of methamphetamine, and distribution of 100 grams or more of heroin. Jones was convicted of the charges after a five-day jury trial in April 2022.
According to court documents and information presented in court, for at least a year, Jones conspired with Felix Thaxton, a resident of Honolulu, to send methamphetamine and heroin from California to Hawaii. On June 11, 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a federal search warrant at a Waikiki apartment rented by Thaxton. The DEA seized methamphetamine, heroin, guns, and over $45,000 in U.S. currency. Thaxton was arrested and identified Jones as his drug supplier. Later that day, the DEA recovered a parcel containing approximately seven kilograms of heroin and two pounds of methamphetamine that Jones had sent to a Wahiawa residence connected with Thaxton.
On June 24, 2021, the DEA executed another search warrant at a residence in Los Angeles associated with Jones. The DEA found a vacuum sealer, vacuum seal bags and insulation board—items matching the contents of the June 11 drug parcel. The DEA also found two guns and ammunition. Shortly after the search warrant was executed, Jones was spotted in the area. He fled and led the DEA in a high-speed car chase on city streets and highways until the DEA ended their pursuit due to public safety concerns. However, Jones was found the following day hiding out at a motel in Desert Hot Springs, over 100 miles inland of Los Angeles, where he was arrested.
“Although methamphetamine continues to be at the forefront of illicit drug trafficking in Hawaii, as this case illustrates, there is also a demand for substantial quantities of other drugs like heroin,” said Clare E. Connors, United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii. “This substantial sentence is justified for trafficking in multiple illegal drugs in these quantities.”
“The DEA recognizes that methamphetamine and heroin continue to ravage many communities and families in Hawaii. As such, the DEA will continue to relentlessly partner with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our state, local, and federal partners to bring methamphetamine and heroin traffickers like Jamil Jones to justice,” said Deputy Special Agent in Charge Anthony A. Chrysanthis.
DEA conducted the investigation resulting in the indictment, assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Albanese and Mohammad Khatib prosecuted the case.
Local man pleads guilty to hiding drugs in arcade gameRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 44-year-old Corpus Christi man has admitted to possession with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
On April 1, authorities executed a search warrant at the residence of Jose Adame Jr. There, there found approximately 389.2 grams of black tar heroin, crack cocaine, a digital scale and $4,000 in a kitchen cabinet. They also found several bags of marijuana in a Ms. Pac-Man arcade gaming cabinet.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing Feb. 14, 2023. At that time, Adame faces up to 40 years in federal prison and a possible $5 million maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman is prosecuting the case.
Local felon indicted for possession of firearm after shooting in north LaredoRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 32-year-old man residing in Laredo has been charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Today, a federal grand jury returned the one-count indictment against Cesar Javier Estrada. He is expected to appear for his arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga in the near future.
According to the charges, on Oct. 6, law enforcement responded to a call reporting shots fired on the 800 block of Nafta Boulevard. Shortly after, they allegedly received a second call describing a person with a gunshot wound arriving at Doctor’s Hospital.
Authorities arrived at the hospital and determined the patient with the gunshot wound to be Estrada’s nephew, according to the charges. He and Estrada allegedly arrived together in the same vehicle. The charges further allege that Estrada’s car contained two pistols, spent shell casings and had numerous bullet holes in the exterior.
At the scene, law enforcement allegedly discovered two ounces of marijuana, shell casings and bullet fragments that matched the firearms found inside Estrada’s vehicle.
The charges allege Estrada has two prior felony robbery convictions in Webb County and one federal felony conviction for unlawful transportation of an alien in the Southern District of Texas. As such, he is prohibited from possession firearms or ammunition, according to the charges.
If convicted, Estrada faces a up to 15 years in prison and possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Harrison is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Little Rock Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 18 1/2 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—The final defendant in a 17-person indictment charging a central Arkansas narcotics distribution ring has been sentenced to more than 18 years in prison, concluding the case of a large-scale drug conspiracy that involved multiple kilograms of fentanyl. On Tuesday, Darrell Walls, a/k/a/ “Shawn”, 35, of Little Rock, was sentenced to 223 months in the Bureau of Prisons, to be followed by five years of supervised release. United States District Judge Brian S. Miller sentenced Walls and all other defendants in this case.
Walls was originally indicted along with 16 others on October 2, 2019. On August 25, 2021, Walls pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute between 1.2 and 4 kilograms of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine and potentially deadly in even tiny amounts when ingested illicitly and without a doctor’s supervision.
When he pleaded guilty, Walls admitted that he was part of a conspiracy along with other large-scale narcotics dealers like co-defendants Desmond Kelley, Javion Robinson, and Jaylon Livingston to distribute fentanyl in the greater Little Rock area. The group was responsible for distributing multiple kilograms of fentanyl, in gram-to-ounce amounts, to dozens of identified customers. Walls also completed eight different controlled sales of fentanyl to individuals working with law enforcement.
Every defendant in the case pleaded guilty, with sentences ranging from probation to more than 18 years in prison. In addition to Walls’ 223-month sentence, other sentences of key members of the conspiracy include Kelley receiving 211 months (151 months in this case, consecutive to 60 months in a separate case), Livingston 151 months, Robinson 120 months, Dewon Williams 130 months, Ricky Hinton 110 months, and Robert Johnson 90 months. There is no parole in the federal system.
Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today’s sentencing. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the North Little Rock Police Department and Sherwood Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Givens prosecuted the case.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Knoxville Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Multi-State Burglary Spree of Sports Cards BusinessesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Jason L. Cates, 38, was sentenced in federal court on Monday to five years in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves for conspiring to transport stolen sports cards and other sports merchandise across state lines.
According to his plea agreement, from August 19, 2021, to October 14, 2021, Cates burglarized multiple sports cards businesses in Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, and Georgia, taking thousands of dollars of sports cards and other merchandise and transporting it across state lines back to his home in Knoxville, Tennessee. He then sold the cards to buyers he found online and kept the proceeds for his own financial benefit.
In addition to his prison sentence, Cates was also ordered to pay $289,266 in restitution and $50,000 as part of a forfeiture money judgment.
Under federal law, Cates must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release, his three-year term of supervision by the U.S. Probation Office will commence.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Louisville Field Office; Paul Noel, Chief of the Knoxville Police Department; Frank McCann, Chief of the Cartersville, Georgia Police Department; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of the Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Knoxville Police Department, the Cartersville Police Department and the Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Moynahan.
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KC Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Sex Trafficking Four VictimsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a sex trafficking conspiracy that involved four victims, including two teenagers.
Cory Lavell Smith, also known as “Fatz,” 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 18 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Smith to 20 years of supervised release following incarceration.
On March 15, 2022, Smith pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking and one count of sex trafficking.
Smith admitted that he participated in a sex-trafficking conspiracy from Aug. 1, 2018, to Jan. 9, 2019, that caused four victims to engage in prostitution. One of the victims was 14 years old, and another victim was 16 years old.
On Jan. 7, 2019, Homeland Security Investigations agents in Kansas City, Mo., received a tip regarding a 14-year-old female (identified in court documents as V1) whose whereabouts were unknown. She had previously been apprehended in Blue Springs, Mo., after a traffic accident involving a stolen vehicle. She was taken to Children’s Mercy Hospital, where she reported that she had been forced to have sex for money. The hospital gave her personal belongings, including her cell phone, to federal agents. Agents used the phone to identify a residence in Jackson, Mississippi, where they encountered a second, 16-year-old, victim (identified in court documents as V2). The second victim assisted agents in locating the first victim at a residence in Kansas City, Mo.
Agents set up surveillance at the Kansas City apartment building and soon saw V1 leave the residence and get into a vehicle with Smith, who was driving. When law enforcement officers identified themselves, Smith fled in the vehicle at a high rate of speed. Agents pursued the vehicle, which was ultimately brought to stop. Smith was arrested and V1 was taken into protective custody.
V1 identified Smith as her pimp. She told investigators that Smith groomed her into the commercial sex trade by befriending her, partying with her, buying her things, and educating her about the commercial sex trade. Smith provided her with drugs and deprived her of food to gain her compliance. V1 said she was paid $150 for a sex act, but Smith took all but $10 or $20 of that. Smith advertised V1 for commercial sex on various websites. She normally saw two or three men per day, and Smith drove her to local motels to conduct commercial sex acts. Smith kept V1 at the apartment in Kansas City and would lock the door to prevent her from leaving. She provided investigators with the names of two additional victims who had been trafficked by Smith.
V2 told investigators that Smith was nice at first but became more aggressive and threatening as time went on. V2 described an event where Smith almost “choked her out” over a $1,000 commercial sex fee. V2 said Smith continually threatened her, recounting specifically that he would try to whip them (Vl and V2) with extension cords or belts. V2 said she and Vl wanted to leave, but he threatened they could not get out of the business unless they died. V2 also told investigators that Smith would not provide food to the girls unless they completed commercial sex acts, and forced the girls to use drugs, which kept them compliant and awake all night.
Co-defendant Kenyashae Monae Roach, 29, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty on March 11, 2022, to transportation for illegal sexual activity and awaits sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Lenexa, Kan., Police Department.
Juárez Cartel leader sentenced to prison for drug traffickingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Luis Carlos Vásquez-Barragán, 51, of Nicolás Bravo, Chihuahua, Mexico, was sentenced to prison for possession with intent to distribute at least 50 kilograms but less than 100 kilograms of marijuana.
Vásquez-Barragán was arrested in Mexico in 2010 and extradited to the United States in 2020. He pleaded guilty on May 13, 2022. In his plea agreement, Vásquez-Barragán admitted that between March 2005 and September 2008 he imported at least 50 kilograms of marijuana into the United States on several occasions, totaling over 1,000 kilograms. Six of those shipments were seized by law enforcement in the District of New Mexico, totaling over 965 kilograms, as well as $302,507 in U.S. currency.
On Oct. 17, the court sentenced Vásquez-Barragán to 17 years and one month in prison. On Oct. 27, an addendum to the plea agreement was filed acknowledging that Vásquez-Barragán already had served nine years, five months and seven days of incarceration in Mexico on a related case while awaiting extradition to the United States. Pursuant to the addendum to the plea agreement, the Court imposed a sentence of seven years and seven months in prison, beginning from the date of his extradition to the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Green Reaper investigation with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and the Mexican Federal Police. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with USMS and law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Vásquez-Barragán to the United States. Assistant United States Attorneys Elaine Ramirez, Steve Kotz and Sean Sullivan and U.S. Attorney Uballez prosecuted the case.
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Justice Department Seeks Forfeiture of Property Used in Attacks on Planned Parenthood and Federal BuildingRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — On Sept. 26, 2022, the Justice Department filed a civil complaint seeking the forfeiture of a sedan, a pickup truck, and one firearm alleged to have been utilized in a series of attacks by Mark Thomas Reno, formerly of Jefferson City, Tennessee.
According to court documents, it is alleged that on Jan. 22, 2021, Reno utilized a sedan and a shotgun to fire an incendiary round into the entrance to the Planned Parenthood – Knoxville, Tennessee, Health Center (the Center); on Dec 31, 2021, Reno utilized a pickup truck to set fire to the Center, resulting in the Center burning down; on June 18, 2022, Reno utilized the same pickup truck and a .22 caliber rifle with an illegal suppressor to shoot the windows at the John J. Duncan Federal Office Building in downtown Knoxville; and again on July 3, 2022, Reno utilized the same sedan and the same .22 caliber rifle to shoot the windows at the John J. Duncan Federal Office Building in Knoxville. The complaint seeks the forfeiture of both vehicles and the firearm used during the shootings on June 18, 2022, and July 3, 2022.
The FBI arrested Reno on July 18, 2022. He was released from custody for health reasons on Aug. 14, 2022, and passed away on Aug. 15, 2022.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee announced the complaint.
The FBI, ATF and U.S. Marshals Service investigated the criminal case, with substantial assistance from the Knoxville Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey T. Arrowood for the Eastern District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Criminal Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the criminal case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Arrowood is representing the United States in the civil forfeiture action.
The claims made in the civil complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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Justice Department Awards Nearly $105 Million to Protect Children from Exploitation, Trauma and AbuseRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) today announced grant awards totaling almost $105 million to protect children from exploitation, trauma and abuse, and to fund improvements in the judicial system’s handling of child abuse and neglect cases.
“The promise of a bright future for our children requires us to work closely with our partners across the country, and across all levels of government, to keep our kids safe,” said OJP Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen A. Henneberg. “Many of our most critical investments are in programs that combat child exploitation and abuse and help find missing children, and we are proud to support the dedicated professionals who are performing this vital work.”
These awards will provide law enforcement officials, child advocates and service providers the means to protect children from violence, abuse and sexual exploitation. Funds will help develop, enhance and strengthen investigative and trauma-informed services to assist youth, while supporting robust training and technical assistance to ensure that professionals working with impacted young people have the tools they need to be successful.
“Children should be allowed to live, grow, learn and thrive in environments that are supportive and nurturing, but many are deprived of that opportunity by threats to their health and safety,” said Administrator Liz Ryan of OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). “By delivering these resources to the professionals who devote their careers and lives to protecting children, we are making good on our commitment to the well-being of America’s young people.”
Grants from OJP’s OJJDP are distributing millions of dollars to local, state and Tribal jurisdictions throughout the United States, the U.S. territories and the District of Columbia to support child protection efforts.
Below is a list of programs designed to protect children from exploitation, trauma and abuse, and to fund improvements in the judicial system’s handling of child abuse and neglect cases. Descriptions of individual awards can be found by clicking on the links.
- OJJDP is awarding $6.2 million under the Strategies To Support Children Exposed to Violence Initiative, which provides funding for communities to develop coordinated and comprehensive community-based approaches to help children and their families who are exposed to violence build resilience and prevent future youth violence and delinquency. An additional $715,087 will support training and technical assistance.
- OJJDP is awarding $38.7 million to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to enable the Center’s operations and provide support, technical assistance and training to help law enforcement locate and recover missing and exploited children.
- Another $6 million is being awarded to NCMEC’s National Resource Center and Clearinghouse (NRCC) as part of an interagency agreement between OJJDP and the U.S. Secret Service. The NRCC helps prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation, and provides training and technical assistance to victims, their families and the professionals who serve them.
- OJJDP is awarding $4.4 million to support the National AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program to help the AMBER Alert network improve law enforcement’s response to abducted children and encourage public participation in their recovery.
- OJJDP will award $31.2 million under the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program to conduct forensic examinations and to investigate and prosecute technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation throughout the United States. An additional $3.6 million under the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force National Training Program will support training to Internet Crimes Against Children task forces and affiliated federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies in the areas of investigation, forensics, prosecution, community outreach, officer wellness and capacity building. Additionally, $3 million under the Strengthening ICAC Technological Investigative Capacity Program will help increase the technological investigative capacity and associated training of law enforcement, prosecutors and other professionals nationwide to combat child sexual abuse material and online child sexual exploitation, including cases of child sex trafficking.
- OJJDP is awarding $2.6 million under its Supporting Effective Interventions for Youth With Problematic or Illegal Sexual Behavior Initiative, which provides funding to communities to develop intervention and supervision services for youth with problematic or illegal sexual behavior, and to provide treatment services for their victims and families and caregivers.
- OJJDP is awarding $5 million under the Victims of Child Abuse Act Regional Children’s Advocacy Centers Training and Technical Assistance Program to support four regional centers that enhance and support the development, expansion and continuous quality improvement of multidisciplinary teams, local children’s advocacy centers and state chapter organizations responding to child abuse and neglect cases. Additionally, $750,000 is being awarded under its Victims of Child Abuse Act Tribal Children’s Advocacy Centers Training and Technical Assistance Program to support federally recognized Tribes and Alaska Native communities in improving investigative responses and treatment services for victims of child abuse and their families by developing coordinated and comprehensive community-based approaches.
- OJJDP is awarding $2.7 million under the Victims of Child Abuse Act Training and Technical Assistance for Child Abuse Prosecutors Program, which will fund a national training and technical assistance program for attorneys who are involved in the criminal prosecution of child abuse to enhance the effectiveness of the investigation and prosecution of such crimes.
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about these and other OJP awards can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and strengthen the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Justice Department Awards More Than $136 Million to Support Youth and Reform the Juvenile Justice SystemRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs today announced awards totaling more than $136 million to reform state and local juvenile justice systems, provide youth violence prevention and intervention services, support mentoring programs and reentry services for young people and their families, meet the needs of vulnerable youth and study outcomes for justice-involved youth.
“The path to durable and sustainable community safety solutions, and ultimately to a just and equitable society, includes evidence-informed strategies that support youth and steer them away from arrest and incarceration when possible,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “By investing in reforms to the juvenile justice system, providing mentors for youth and helping young people find a path forward, we are helping the next generation claim a future filled with opportunity and hope.”
The grants announced today, administered by OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and National Institute of Justice (NIJ), support a range of programs and activities designed to meet the needs of youth who come into contact or are at risk of contact with the justice system. Funding supports mentoring; youth violence prevention strategies; juvenile indigent defense programs; treatment for youth leaving foster care; and services for girls in the justice system, Alaska Native youth and LGBTQI+ and Two-Spirit youth.
Grants under OJJDP’s Title II program also support state-wide measures to protect youth who are in the care of state juvenile justice systems, help keep them safe and prepare them for successful reentry upon release. Three research grants from NIJ will estimate and examine outcomes for youth with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders and outcomes associated with youth who receive legal representation.
“The road to a more humane and effective juvenile justice system begins with a collective commitment to keeping young people out of the system altogether, by intervening early with youth who are vulnerable to system involvement and then working to guarantee that the system operates fairly and is supportive of their growth and development,” said OJJDP Administrator Liz Ryan. “These investments deliver on a pledge to put youth first and to make contact with the system rare, fair and beneficial for those it is intended to serve.”
A recent analysis of 2020 data from OJJDP and NIJ revealed that youth arrests for violent crime were down 78% from their peak in 1994. It found that people aged 17 and younger accounted for just 7% of all arrests for violent crime. Administrator Ryan has outlined three priorities designed to build on these successes and continue the trend away from youth involvement in the juvenile justice system: treating children as children; serving them in their homes, with their families and in their communities; and opening opportunities for system-involved youth. Each of these priorities is guided by a commitment to racial equity and to hearing directly from youth and families impacted by the justice system about their needs.
Below is a list of awards being made to support youth and reform the juvenile justice system. Descriptions of individual awards can be found by clinking on the links.
- OJJDP is awarding $44.6 million to support the Title II Formula Grant Program, which supports state and local delinquency prevention and intervention efforts and juvenile justice system improvements.
- OJJDP is awarding $2.4 million under its Juvenile Justice System Reform and Reinvestment Initiative to support states' implementation of innovative and/or research-based, data-informed recidivism-reduction policies, practices and programs. An additional $1 million will support training and technical assistance.
- OJJDP is awarding $1.1 million under the Youth Violence Prevention Program, which supports the development and implementation of youth violence prevention strategies for middle and high school age youth and/or youth with multiple risk factors for violence.
- OJJDP is awarding $43 million under its National Mentoring Programs Initiative and an additional $26.3 million under the Multistate Mentoring Programs Initiative, both of which support the implementation and delivery of mentoring services to youth who are at risk for delinquency, victimization and juvenile justice system involvement. An additional $2.7 million will fund the National Mentoring Resource Center to enhance the capacity of mentoring organizations to develop, implement and expand effective mentoring practices across the nation.
- OJJDP is awarding $2.5 million under the Enhancing Juvenile Indigent Defense Initiative, which is designed to ensure that youth involved in the juvenile justice system have access to high-quality legal representation and to resources that address the collateral consequences of justice system involvement.
- OJJDP is awarding $3.9 million under the Reducing Risk for Girls in the Juvenile Justice System Program, which addresses the needs and challenges of girls who come into contact with the juvenile justice system.
- OJJDP is awarding $150,000 under the Juvenile Justice Emergency Planning Demonstration Program for Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities, which supports emergency planning for state, local and tribal juvenile justice residential facilities.
- OJJDP is awarding $1 million to create the National Resource Center for Justice-Involved LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit Youth, which will provide training, technical assistance and other resources to juvenile justice practitioners to assist them in meeting the needs of justice-involved LGBTQI+ and Two-Spirit youth.
- OJJDP is awarding $1 million under the Alaska Native Youth Training and Technical Assistance Project, which will establish a regional network of partnerships to develop strategies that support Alaska Native youth's cultural needs.
- OJJDP is awarding $200,000 under its Arts Programs for Justice-Involved Youth Initiative, which will support high-quality arts programs for justice-involved youth to reduce juvenile delinquency, recidivism and/or other problem and high-risk behaviors.
- OJJDP is awarding $3.6 million under the Supporting Vulnerable At-Risk Youth and Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care Program, which supports the establishment of pilot demonstration programs to develop, implement and build replicable treatment models for residential-based innovative care, treatment and services. An additional $827,000 will be awarded to provide training and technical assistance.
- OJJDP is awarding $2.2 million under its Family Based Alternative Sentencing Program, which supports states and communities as they develop and implement effective alternative sentencing programs for parents/primary caregivers in the criminal justice system to improve child, parent and family outcomes.
- NIJ is awarding $1.3 million to support Research on Juvenile Justice Topics, to examine prevalence of and outcomes for youth with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders and to study outcomes associated with youth defense delivery systems.
In addition to the awards listed above, OJJDP separately awarded more than $18 million in grants to support youth returning from confinement facilities, meet the needs of incarcerated parents and their minor children and fund alternative sentencing programs for parents and primary caregivers in the justice system. Those grants were part of nearly $100 million in OJP investments aimed at reducing recidivism and supporting reentry.
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about these and other OJP awards can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and strengthen the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Joliet Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – Timothy Allen Smith, age 32, of Joliet, Illinois was sentenced on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, to 144 months in prison following his guilty plea to Conspiracy to Distribute at Least 50 Grams of Actual Methamphetamine and Distribution of 50 grams and more of Methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Smith was identified as a member of a conspiracy trafficking large amounts of “ice” methamphetamine coming from Arizona. Smith distributed methamphetamine to other drug dealers in the Clinton and Davenport, Iowa area. Further investigation revealed that Smith also resided in the same house as one of his methamphetamine suppliers, Mario Moreno, who was also charged as part of this conspiracy investigation. In September 2019, Moreno, age 34, of Savanna, Illinois, received a 168-month sentence. Others sentenced as part of this drug conspiracy include:
• In April 2019, Flemming Lashae Lewis, age 39, of Clinton, was sentenced to 230 months of imprisonment;
• In April 2019, Charles Edward Lane III, age 34, of Clinton, was sentenced to 240 months of imprisonment, and
• In August 2019, Antonio Gipson, age 48, of Clinton, was sentenced to 210 months imprisonment.United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.
Jefferson City Man Charged with Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., man was charged in federal court today with illegally possessing heroin to distribute.
Tremaine Davol Bell, 41, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City with one count of possessing heroin to distribute. Bell remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 3.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, investigators received information that Bell was utilizing a storage unit at 311 Ellis Boulevard in Jefferson City to store a large quantity of heroin. Bell was seen leaving the storage facility at approximately 10:32 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 31, driving a Dodge Avenger. A Jefferson City police officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop as Bell drove away from the storage facility, but Bell immediately pulled into a gas station parking lot and fled on foot. The officer chased Bell and was able to take him into custody on Christy Drive.
The officer searched Bell and found $1,210 in cash, in mostly $20 bills, in his pocket. A police dog alerted to the driver’s side door of Bell’s car. Officers searched the vehicle and found a marijuana blunt and a Glock 9mm handgun.
Officers also searched Bell’s storage unit and found approximately 582 grams of heroin, three additional handguns – two of which were reported stolen – and $29,988 in cash.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Maness. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department, the Cole County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the MUSTANG Drug Task Force.
Jacksonville Armed Meth Trafficker Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Justin Tyshawn Pickett, 30, of Jacksonville was sentenced on November 1, 2022, to 180 months in prison and 60 months supervised release for trafficking crystal methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. On April 12, 2022, Pickett pleaded guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Pickett was responsible for trafficking at least 40 grams crystal methamphetamine, 907 grams of methamphetamine, and 470 milligrams of oxycodone from June 2019 to March 18, 2021. At the time of his arrest on March 18, 2021, Pickett possessed a loaded 9 mm handgun, marijuana, oxycodone, a fentanyl analogue, heroin, crack cocaine, baggies, a digital scale, and $2,470 in cash. At sentencing, Judge Boyle considered Pickett’s five prior state felony convictions (including breaking and entering, felon in possession of a firearm, and drug possession) and noted the fact that Pickett was wearing a probation ankle monitor during his sale of 40 grams of crystal meth as a factor in his sentence.
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 Jacksonville Police Department, the Onslow and Duplin County Sheriffs’ Offices, and the ATF Wilmington Resident Office investigated the case with assistance from the N.C. Probation Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis M. Duffy prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-CR-00018-BO.
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Iowa City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Human Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man and Zambia native, Kachimbe Mukanzu, also known as Kash, was sentenced on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, to 264 months in prison for Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, and Coercion and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Following his imprisonment, Mukanzu was ordered to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Kachimbe Mukanzu, age 35, recruited several young women and sexually exploited them by force, fraud and coercion. Mukanzu helped post advertisements through Backpage and various other sites where he would set up profiles for the victims advertising sex acts for money. Mukanzu promised the victims things of value and glamorized the lifestyle to lure them into performing commercial sex acts and in return he profited. Mukanzu provided the victims drugs so that they could work around the clock. On multiple occasions in 2018, Mukanzu drove the victims to different states for the purpose of sex trafficking. On February 4, 2022, Mukanzu pleaded guilty to the charges.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Iowa City Police Department investigated the case.
Human trafficking is a crime involving the exploitation of youth under the age of 18 for commercial sex; the exploitation of adults for commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion; and the exploitation of any individual for compelled labor. Human trafficking does not require the transportation of individuals across state lines, or that someone is physically restrained. Signs that a person is being trafficked can include working excessively long hours, unexplained gifts, physical injury, substance abuse issues, running away from home, isolation from others, or having a person in their life controlling them or monitoring them closely. Victims particularly susceptible to being trafficked include those with criminal histories, a history of physical or sexual abuse, uncertain legal status, and dependency on controlled substances. Individuals who purchase sex from minors or from those who are otherwise exploited for commercial sex are also subject to prosecution for sex trafficking under federal law, if they knew or were in reckless disregard of the fact that they were under the age of 18, or that force, fraud, or coercion was used.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Iowa City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man and India native, Sameer Chandulal Patel, age 30, was sentenced on Friday, October 28, 2022, to 210 months in prison for receipt and distribution of child pornography. Following his imprisonment, Patel was ordered to serve five years of supervised release, unless he is deported from the United States.
According to court documents, a Cybertip was received from a social media application indicating that child pornography had been uploaded to their site. Further investigation revealed that Patel, while living in Iowa City, had distributed, received, and possessed over 18,000 images and 14,000 videos containing child pornography from 2016 to 2021. On June 17, 2022, Patel plead guilty to the charge.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the University of Iowa Department of Public Safety investigated the case.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.
Indiana County Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Possessing of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Indiana County, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of Possession of Material Depicting the Exploitation of Minors, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Jeffrey Allen Sink, 56, formerly Commodore, PA, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer.
The Court was advised that in February of 2018, as a result of an ongoing investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, HSI Pittsburgh was advised that Mr. Sink, who was a convicted sex offender, was obtaining child sexual abuse material from a mobile communication application. On March 1, 2018, investigators spoke with Mr. Sink, who admitted that he utilized the internet to obtain child sexual abuse material. Mr. Sink gave agents permission to look at his electronic devices, including a cellphone, which were on his person or in the truck that he had been driving when he arrived at the residence that day. Investigators located videos and images of child sexual abuse material, which included toddlers and other prepubescent minors engaged in sexual acts with adults.
Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for Feb. 27, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000.00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations led investigation of this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Independence Man Attempted to Flee with Officer in the Backseat, Sentenced for Illegal Firearms and Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man who attempted to flee in a stolen vehicle while an officer in the back seat was attempting to get him out of the car was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing firearms and heroin to distribute.
Hussein Ali, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On March 17, 2022, Ali pleaded guilty to possessing heroin with the intent to distribute and to being a felon in possession of firearms. Ali admitted that he was in possession of heroin and in possession of an FN Herstal 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a Canik 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Kansas City, Mo., police officers were investigating a stolen car on Nov. 26, 2021, when they arrived at the parking lot of the Marriott Hotel, 3950 N. Mulberry Drive in Kansas City. Ali appeared to be asleep in the driver’s seat of the silver 2020 Nissan Altima. Officers were unable to wake him up, so an officer opened the driver’s side door and attempted to remove Ali from the vehicle. As the door was opened, Ali woke up and physically resisted the officer. A second officer entered the drive’s side rear passenger door to assist. Ali placed the car into drive and drove out of the parking lot, with the officer still in the rear passenger’s seat.
As Ali fled, he struck a parked police patrol car. Ali struggled with the officer in the back seat, at one point biting the officer’s hand. The officer was able to put the vehicle into park, causing it to come to an abrupt stop near the parking lot’s exit. Ali got out of the car but refused to comply with officers’ commands and continued to pull away from officers. An officer deployed his taser, which struck Ali in the chest but did not have an effect. Ali was taken to the ground and handcuffed.
Officers searched Ali and found the two pistols in a cross-body “fanny pack” style bag wrapped around his torso. The Canik pistol had been reported as stolen. Officers also found a container nearby that contained black tar heroin. Inside the vehicle, officers found approximately 13.3 grams of heroin, approximately 2.9 grams of suspected methamphetamine, and approximately 5.4 grams of suspected crack cocaine in the center console. Officers found firearm magazines and live ammunition in the trunk of the car.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Ali has three prior felony convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle, as well as prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, resisting a lawful stop, and domestic assault.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh A. Ragner. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Hudson Physician and Ohio Pharmaceutical Rep Plead Guilty to Roles in Prescription Drug Kickback ConspiracyRead the Press Release
AKRON - Deepak Raheja, 66, of Hudson, Ohio, and Frank Mazzucco, 44, of Dublin, Ohio, pleaded guilty on Monday, Oct. 31, 2022, to their roles in a pharmaceutical kickback conspiracy in which Raheja, a licensed Ohio physician, wrote prescriptions for a drug to patients that did not have the condition in exchange for money and other items of value.
Raheja and Mazzucco both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to solicit, receive, offer and pay health care kickbacks before U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi.
According to court documents, Raheja was a physician who specialized in psychiatry and neurology, practicing in Cleveland, Ohio. Mazzucco was employed by Avanir Pharmaceuticals as a regional business manager tasked with supervising pharmaceutical sales representatives in the region where Raheja practiced.
Avanir Pharmaceuticals manufactured Nuedexta, a drug approved by the FDA solely to treat pseudobulbar (PBA). PBA is a condition characterized by involuntary, sudden and frequent episodes of uncontrollable laughing and crying.
Court documents state that between February 2011 and July 2016, Raheja, Mazzucco and other codefendants conspired together to increase the number of prescriptions Raheja and other coconspirators wrote for Nuedexta in exchange for the payment of monetary kickbacks and other items of value.
According to court documents, Avanir promoted Nuedexta through a speaker’s bureau, in which Avanir representatives engaged doctors to speak about and promote Nuedexta to other medical professionals. Typical speaking engagements involved dinner at a high-end restaurant in which the doctor made a presentation with a slide deck provided by Avanir. An Avanir sales representative was responsible for inviting attendees and attending the presentation.
Court documents state that Raheja joined Avanir’s speaker’s bureau in February 2011 and gave approximately 211 speaking presentations at various restaurants and doctor’s offices between October 2011 and April 2016. Raheja received approximately $1,500 each for these purported presentations.
In total, court documents state that Raheja received approximately $331,550 in payments from Avanir between October 2011 and April 2016. During this time, Raheja wrote approximately 10,088 Nuedexta prescriptions – the highest in the country.
As part of the conspiracy, Mazzucco and other codefendants incentivized physicians, including Raheja, to write Nuedexta prescriptions through various means, such as arranging speaker’s bureau programs, which were mostly social events; honoraria payments; the falsification of sign-in sheets from speaking engagements to maximize payments and providing food and beverages to doctors and their office staff.
Court documents show that Raheja and the other codefendants took steps in return for these things of value, including writing more Nuedexta prescriptions; causing the submission of billings to Medicare and Medicaid for Nuedexta prescriptions for patients that did not have PBA; falsely diagnosing patients with PBA and recording fictitious symptoms in patient records to support a diagnosis of PBA.
As part of the terms of the plea agreement, defendant Raheja has agreed to a sentence of 30 months in prison, surrendering his medical license, at least $1,178,460.40 million in restitution and a fine to be determined.
Raheja is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 3, 2023, and Mazzucco is set to be sentenced on Feb. 15, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi.
This case was investigated by the Cleveland FBI, Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG) and the Ohio Attorney General’s Healthcare Fraud Section. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael L. Collyer and Megan R. Miller.
Harrison County man indicted on drug chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Arthur Woodrow Pritt, Jr., of Bridgeport, West Virginia, was indicted today on drug charges, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Pritt, 46, was indicted today on two counts of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Pritt is accused of selling methamphetamine, also known as “crystal” and “ice,” in December 2017 and January 2019 in Harrison County.
Pritt faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 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 Christopher L. Bauer is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Harrisburg Woman Pleads Guilty to Failing to Collect and Pay Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Dary T. Son, age 36, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo to failing to collect and pay over employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, from June 2015 through August 2019, Son, the owner of a Pennsylvania-based temporary staffing company, DS Agency, failed to collect and pay on behalf of her employees approximately $591,822.99 in taxes owed to the IRS. She also failed to pay to the IRS an equivalent amount that she owed as their employer.
From 2015 to 2019, DS Agency received and cashed checks from Son Associates for providing workers in the total amount of over $7.7 million. Rather than depositing these payments in a bank account, Dary Son cashed these checks at a check cashing business in Harrisburg, from 2015 to mid-2017. Starting in 2018, Dary Son regularly made trips to a check cashing business in Philadelphia, where Dary Son cashed about $3 million in checks in less than a year.
The workers employed by Dary Son and her family member’s companies, worked regularly at several food manufacturing facilities in and around the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Several of them were transported to their work sites by Dary Son, and they were generally paid in cash.
Dary Son never withheld any federal, Social Security, Medicare, or state taxes from her employees’ income. She likewise did not pay her employer portion of these taxes. As a result, she is responsible for $1,183,646.25 in unpaid federal taxes, which she has agreed to pay in restitution as part of her plea agreement.
The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty for this offense under federal law is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Harrisburg Bar Owner Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Saqueena Williams, a/k/a "Queenie," age 46, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 27, 2022, to 20 years' imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for cocaine trafficking and weapons offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, in November 2021, a jury convicted Williams of drug trafficking and possessing guns in furtherance of drug trafficking. On February 1, 2018, law enforcement officers seized drugs and guns during a court authorized search of her home and other properties associated with Williams and her coconspirator, Nyree Letterlough, age 51, of Harrisburg.
Williams, the operator of Queenies Café, was convicted after a week-long jury trial of running a drug trafficking conspiracy from 2012 to 2018. The jury found that Williams trafficked in excess of five kilograms of cocaine, and that she possessed guns in furtherance of her drug trafficking operation.
Williams also surrendered her interests in Queenies Café, located in Harrisburg, as well as the liquor license and other properties.
Her coconspirator, Letterlough was also convicted at the above referenced trial and was sentenced on August 29, 2022, to 111 months’ imprisonment. Letterlough surrendered her interests in Grams Grill, located in Harrisburg, and another real estate property.
At Williams’ sentencing, Judge Conner resolved issues pertaining to the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines after hearing argument from the parties. The sentence of 20 years in prison imposed by Judge Conner was within the sentencing guideline range and the applicable mandatory minimum sentence required by law.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Harrisburg Police Bureau, and numerous other law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Consiglio and Samuel Dalke prosecuted the case.
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Guilty verdict on all counts for illegal alien who murdered whistleblower in an illegal labor conspiracyRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA.: A U.S. District Court jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty to all charges lodged against an illegal alien for his role in a conspiracy to kill a whistleblower who exposed a multi-million-dollar scheme to fraudulently employ undocumented workers.
Juan Rangel-Rubio, 45, of Rincon, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States, was found guilty after a five-day trial of Conspiracy to Retaliate Against a Witness; Conspiracy to Kill a Witness; Conspiracy to Conceal, Harbor and Shield Illegal Aliens; and Money Laundering Conspiracy, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry a statutory minimum sentence of life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
Two co-defendants – Higinio Perez-Bravo, 52, of Savannah, and Rangel-Rubio’s brother, Pablo Rangel-Rubio, 53, of Rincon, await sentencing after pleading guilty in the conspiracy to kill Eliud Montoya, a United States citizen who blew the whistle on a scheme of hiring and mistreating illegal aliens and who was murdered August 19, 2017, near his home in Garden City, Ga.
“This jury verdict brings resounding resolution to any doubts about the culpability of these defendants in this horrific conspiracy to kill a man who threatened their illegal and lucrative labor-trafficking scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We commend our law enforcement partners who solved this brutal murder and paved the way to holding these criminals accountable.”
As reflected in court records and evidence presented to the jury, Pablo Rangel-Rubio worked as a supervisor at Wolf Tree – a contract company that performed tree-cutting services on utility rights-of-way. Working with his brother, Juan Rangel-Rubio – also a Mexican citizen illegally present in the United States – the two schemed to hire illegal aliens to work for the company, and then routed the illegal aliens’ paychecks to their own bank accounts where they skimmed a portion of the pay for themselves. As a result of this scheme, the conspirators netted more than $3.5 million.
Mr. Montoya, a United States citizen who also worked at Wolf Tree, saw his colleagues being mistreated and complained to the company and to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After Mr. Montoya blew the whistle on the scheme, Pablo Rangel-Rubio arranged for Mr. Montoya’s murder by paying Perez-Bravo for the use of his vehicles and to act as the getaway driver when Juan Rangel-Rubio shot Mr. Montoya to death.
Sentencings for all three defendants will begin in November in U.S. District Court.
“This sentence means that criminals like these defendants will not escape justice and will no longer be able to victimize anyone,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “We are thankful for the hard work done by all of the agencies involved in this case and hope that the verdict brings comfort to the victims and their families.”
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Garden City Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including Tania D. Groover.
Guilty Plea Entered in Case Involving Illegal Distribution of Narcotics in Mansfield, LouisianaRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Debra E. Craig, 66, of Converse, Louisiana, entered a guilty plea today before Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to one count of obtaining controlled substances by fraud.
Craig worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse Medical Assistant at the DeSoto Regional Health System in Mansfield, Louisiana and was assigned to work with Dr. Jeffrey L. Evans.
Dr. Evans convinced Craig to illegally fill prescriptions for hydrocodone-acetaminophen on his behalf by indicating to her that he needed medication to treat pain. Dr. Evans would write prescriptions to Craig in the name of “Debbie Craig” for 100 dosage units of hydrocodone-acetaminophen 10-325 mg and would provide cash to Craig to be used to pay for the prescriptions at Mansfield Drug Company in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana. After filling the prescriptions, Craig would provide all the hydrocodone-acetaminophen to Dr. Evans. Hydrocodone-acetaminophen is a Schedule II controlled substance. One of the fraudulent prescriptions was filled at Mansfield Drug Company on September 18, 2020 and is the basis for the guilty plea entered today. The prescription was for 100 tablets of hydrocodone-acetaminophen 10-325 mg, a Schedule II controlled substance.
Craig faces up to 4 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. A sentencing date will be set at a later time.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Alexander C. Van Hook, Special Counsel to the United States Attorney, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Shannon.
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Gang Leader Sentenced to More Than 25 Years for Assault and Murder Schemes Committed Inside Monterey County JailRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE –Vincent Gerald Garcia was sentenced to 306 months in federal prison today following his federal jury convictions for multiple conspiracies involving gang violence in the Monterey County Jail, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Beth L. Freeman.
U.S. District Judge Freeman imposed sentence on each of the three counts Garcia was convicted of, as follows: 306 months in prison for engaging in a racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, 120 months for engaging in a conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, and 36 months for engaging in a conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. The shorter sentences were ordered to run concurrently with the longer sentence, for a total custody time of 306 months.
Garcia, 55, of Salinas, is the 14th defendant charged, convicted, and sentenced in this case. Garcia was convicted by a federal jury on June 7, 2022. Garcia’s only co-defendant at the jury trial, Jorge Jasso, is the 15th and final defendant in the case and was also convicted at the trial of all counts. Jasso is awaiting his sentencing hearing.
At trial, the evidence showed that from December 2012 through April 2014, Garcia was an active member of the Nuestra Familia (“NF”) prison gang and, for most of that time, incarcerated in the Monterey County Jail. Garcia held the position of Regiment Commander for the NF in charge of all Monterey County and, as such, controlled the criminal activities of gang inmates at the Monterey County Jail. The Norteño street gang is affiliated with the NF, and Norteño gang members pledge loyalty to the NF. Evidence showed that inside prisons and local jails, all members and affiliates of the NF, including Norteños, worked together to maintain gang structure and to follow gang rules.
According to trial evidence, any member in a Norteño housing unit who committed a serious violation of the rules was subject to “removal.” A removal operation was executed by Norteño gang members and involved an organized attack upon the targeted victim. In the attacks, one or more “hitters” stabbed the victim and were followed immediately by at least two “bombers” who viciously beat the victim without weapons. The beating by the bombers inflicted further injury to the stabbed target and continued the attack’s chaotic distraction at the jail, which allowed time for the hitters to hide their weapons and wash off.
Trial evidence also showed that removals were approved in advance by the gang leader in charge of the facility. The Norteño gang member who was in charge of the particular housing unit then planned the removal. All members in the Norteño housing unit were aware of the removal process and were required to assist if requested.
Additional trial evidence demonstrated that the sale of controlled substances both inside custodial facilities and on the street was a central income producer for the gang. Evidence showed that Norteño members smuggled controlled substances into Monterey County Jail as well as other jails and sold the “hard” drugs to the inmates, while any smuggled marijuana was distributed only to fellow gang members.
The trial focused on ten removals in the Monterey County Jail between December 2012 and April 2014. Most of the removals occurred in “K-Pod,” a cell block in Monterey County Jail that housed active Norteño members and associates exclusively. Three of the removals occurred in the jail’s main yard, during the recreation period for inmates who were housed in the lockdown pods for Norteños.
Evidence at trial identified Garcia as the gang leader responsible for approving all removals. Evidence showed that Garcia was a long time gang member who rose through the ranks to become a carnale of the NF prison gang in the 1990s before becoming the NF Regiment Commander in charge of Salinas and Monterey County from 2012 through 2014. From May 2013 through February 2015, Garcia was incarcerated in the Monterey County Jail. Evidence demonstrated that while he was in charge of the entire jail for the NF, he ordered the assaults and murder attempts. He had ultimate gang authority and could put fellow gang members on “freeze” status, clear them for rule violations or strip them of gang or leadership roles, and elevate members into leadership positions. Evidence showed that Garcia approved all of the ten removals, including ones in which his co-defendants Jasso participated.
In addition to the concurrent prison sentences, U.S. District Judge Freeman imposed a five term of supervised release upon Garcia’s release from prison. Defendant Garcia was in custody at the time of his sentencing hearing and will begin to serve his sentence immediately.
Below are the names, charges of conviction, and sentences of the 15 individuals charged in this case:
Name Charge(s) Sentence Johnny Magdaleno 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) – Racketeering Conspiracy 360 months imprisonment Vincent Gerald Garcia- 18 U.S.C. §1962(d) - Racketeering Conspiracy
- 18 U.S.C. §1959(a)(5) - Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering
- 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) - Conspiracy to Commit Assault With a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
- 18 U.S.C. § 962(d) - Racketeering Conspiracy
- 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5) - Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering
- 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) - Conspiracy to Commit Assault With a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
- 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) - Racketeering Conspiracy
- 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5) - Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering
- 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) - Conspiracy to Commit Assault With a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
- 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) - Racketeering Conspiracy
- 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5) - Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering
- 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) - Conspiracy to Commit Assault With a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Meyer and Neal C. Hong prosecuted the case at trial with the assistance of Christine Tian, Mimi Lam, Laurie Worthen, Susan Krieder, Lynette Dixon, and Elise Etter. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI with investigative assistance from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Salinas Police Department, the Soledad Police Department, and the Fresno Police Department.
Four Men Found Guilty of Federal Kidnapping and Homicide Charges in June 2018 SlayingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Four area men were found guilty by a federal jury today of murder and other charges in the kidnapping of a Maryland man whose body was found in June 2018 in an alley in Southeast Washington. The victim had been shot numerous times and his hands were still bound with zip-ties.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Darin Moore, Jr. 29, of Bowie, Md., Gabriel Brown, 33, and John Sweeney, 29, who are all from Washington, D.C., were found guilty following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping resulting in death, first-degree murder while armed, and felony murder. James Thomas Taylor, 33, also of Washington, D.C.., was found guilty of kidnapping resulting in death and felony murder. A mistrial was declared on the remaining two counts in the indictment against Taylor. All four defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 6, 2023.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 19, 2018, the victim, Andre Simmons, Jr., 28, from Bowie, Maryland, was abducted at gunpoint in Maryland, bound with zip ties, and forced into a vehicle by Moore and Sweeney. During the following few hours, several ransom calls were made from Taylor’s phone to Mr. Simmons’ family, who delivered $7,000 in cash to a drop location as instructed by the kidnappers. The money was subsequently picked up by Brown.
Just over an hour after the ransom payment, at about 6:25 a.m. on June 20, 2018, the defendants shot Mr. Simmons 19 times and left his zip-tied body in an alley off the 600 block of Atlantic Street SE. The four men then met up in Capitol Heights, Maryland, to divide up the proceeds of the ransom demand.
Moore was arrested on June 20, 2018. Brown was arrested on June 27, 2018, Taylor was arrested on Aug. 17, 2018, and Sweeney was arrested on Jan. 14, 2019. All have been in custody since their arrests.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD’s Homicide Division. Valuable assistance was provided by Prince George’s County, Maryland, Police Department, and the U.S. Marshal Service.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Wasserman, Laura Crane, and Will Hart, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Paralegal Specialist Genevieve De Guzman also assisted in the prosecution.
Four Defendants Charged in Multi-Million Dollar National Coronavirus Fraud RingRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Four defendants have been charged in the District of South Carolina for their alleged roles in a fraud scheme related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that involved nearly a hundred individuals from across the country, including Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
The indicted defendants are
- Jacob Liticker, a/k/a “Jay Stunna,” 25, from Houston, Texas;
- Kehinde Mubarak Ladepo, 26, an enlisted member of the United States Air Force stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter;
- Ganiyu Victor Ladepo, a/k/a “Victor,” 29, from Fayetteville, North Carolina; and
- and Maxwell Uzoma Okobi, a/k/a “Maxi,” 24, a resident of North Carolina currently deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
The indictment alleges that the defendants were part of a national scheme, led by Liticker, that attempted to fraudulently acquire $2 million in PPP loans, and that did fraudulently acquire nearly $1 million in PPP loans. The PPP loan program was administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. According to the indictment, Liticker created false PPP loan applications for nearly 100 people across the country, typically for amounts around $20,000, and would assist those individuals in submitting this false information to SBA-approved lenders. In doing so, he would often create false tax documentation to support the non-existent businesses. In exchange for his services, Liticker would receive a portion of the PPP loan proceeds. The indictment alleges that Liticker would also assist in getting the loans forgiven.
“PPP loans were finite funds designed to help businesses stay afloat amid unprecedented times and extraordinary challenges. Every dollar wrongly taken from this taxpayer-funded program was a dollar that could not go to a legitimate business in need,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “This Office takes pandemic-related crime seriously and stands ready prosecute fraud related to the Coronavirus in all its forms. This case highlights those efforts.”
"The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) is dedicated to protecting the integrity of the government's pandemic-related resources from abuse," said Special Agent in Charge Nicholas J. Groesbeck, OSI Procurement Fraud Detachment 4, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. "AFOSI and our joint law enforcement partners will continue the fight against fraud, which impacts legitimate smalls business that these programs are designed to support while ensuring those who violate the law are held accountable."
"These arrests are representative of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) steadfast commitment to hold accountable those who perpetrate fraud against the Department of Defense, even when those perpetrators are within the ranks of the Armed Forces," said Special Agent in Charge Chris Dillard, Department of Defense Inspector General, DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office. "DCIS and our partner agencies are dedicated to protecting the integrity of government programs as well as defending the Department of Defense's long standing traditions and values of honesty and integrity."
Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of imprisonment of up to 20 years, fines, and restitution.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The case was investigated by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and SBA’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek A. Shoemake, who also serves as the Office’s Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Marosek are prosecuting the case. A copy of the indictment and a copy of the chart illustrating the scope of the alleged scheme are attached.
U.S. Attorney Boroughs stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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liticker_indictment.pdf liticker_chart.pdfFort Lauderdale Man Sentenced to Prison for String of Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
MIAMI — Robert Willis Jr., 47, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has been sentenced to 145 months in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Rodney Smith for his participation in a string of bank robberies.
According to court records, between March 23-26, 2022, Willis entered three banks and demanded money while warning tellers he had a gun. On March 26, 2022, he entered TD Bank located at 1371 West Palmetto Boulevard in Boca Raton, Fla. He approached and passed a note to the teller which read, “I have a gun. Do not give me dye money. Do not give me mark money. Do not push any buttons or you will die. Empty your drawers now.”
The victim teller gave Willis more than $6,000 in U.S. currency, including a bait bill pack that contained a GPS tracking device. As he left the bank’s parking lot, a bank manager was able to photograph the getaway vehicle’s license plate. Willis’s Mitsubishi Outlander soon was spotted by Broward County Sheriff’s deputies. Willis fled the marked police cars, crashing into multiple vehicles and eventually flipping his own car onto its side near the corner of US 441 and Commercial Boulevard in Tamarac, Fla. Most of the cash, including the bait bill pack, was recovered near the crash site.
Willis, who’d had multiple prior convictions for armed/strongarm robbery, also had been convicted of attempted murder.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Dewitt, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI, Miami Office, investigated this case, with assistance from Broward County Sheriff’s Office, and Boca Raton Police Services Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita White prosecuted the case.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Former West Haven Employee and State Representative Admits Stealing COVID Relief and Other City FundsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Christina D. Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, announced that MICHAEL DiMASSA, 31, of West Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to conspiracy charges stemming from his involvement in schemes that resulted in the theft of more than $1.2 million dollars in COVID relief funds and other funds from the City of West Haven.
According to court documents and statements made in court, DiMassa was a Connecticut State Representative who was also employed by the City of West Haven, most recently serving as the Administrative Assistant to the City Council. In April 2020, the State of Connecticut was allocated money by the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the Coronavirus Relief Fund (“CRF”), which was established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) for the purpose of helping local governments pay costs incurred in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. From July 2020 through September 2021, the City of West Haven received approximately $1,150,257 in financial assistance from this fund. DiMassa, who was authorized to approve the designated relief funds for the reimbursement of COVID-related expenditures incurred by West Haven, conspired with others to steal these funds and other West Haven funds through the submission of fraudulent invoices, and subsequent payment, for COVID relief goods and services that were never provided.
In one scheme, DiMassa conspired with John Bernardo, who was employed by the City of West Haven as a Housing Specialist in the office of Community Development Administration. In January 2021, DiMassa and Bernardo formed Compass Investment Group, LLC. Beginning in February 2021, Compass Investment Group LLC fraudulently billed the City of West Haven and its “COVID-19 Grant Department” for consulting services purportedly provided to the West Haven Health Department that were not performed. From February 2021 through September 2021, the City of West Haven paid Compass Investment Group a total of $636,783.70. DiMassa made several large cash withdrawals from the Compass Investment Group LLC bank account, some of which were made shortly before or after he was recorded as having made a large cash “buy-in” of gaming chips at the Mohegan Sun Casino.
DiMassa also conspired with his now wife, Lauren DiMassa, through the submission of numerous fraudulent invoices to West Haven for services related to a Youth Violence Prevention Program and for Youth Violence COVID-19 Associated Expenses. These invoices listed charges for in-home counseling, cleaning supplies, special needs hourly service, wi-fi assistance for low/moderate income families, counseling services, license fees, a fall youth clinic, meals, support group supplies, equipment rental, and youth clinic support group. West Haven made at least 16 payments totaling approximately $147,776.10 to Lauren DiMassa, who never provided any services to the City of West Haven.
In a third scheme, DiMassa conspired with another individual through the submission of fraudulent invoices from companies, which were controlled by DiMassa’s co-conspirator, to West Haven for goods and services, including thousands of units of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), HVAC maintenance at multiple municipal locations, COVID supplies for the Board of Education, and cleaning services for various municipal and school buildings, including one school building that had been vacant and abandoned for several years. The co-conspirator’s companies received approximately $431,982 through this scheme.
DiMassa has agreed to pay restitution of $1,216,541.80.
DiMassa pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years on each count. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
DiMassa has been released on a $250,000 bond since his arrest on October 20, 2021.
Bernardo and Lauren DiMassa each previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit fraud. They await sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General for Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ray Miller and David Sheldon.
Individuals with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Former Prisoner Transport Officer Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting Female DetaineeRead the Press Release
Former prisoner transport officer, Rogeric Hankins, 37, pleaded guilty in federal court in the Western District of Missouri to violating a female detainee’s civil rights by sexually assaulting her.
“We acknowledge the courage of this survivor who reported the defendant’s egregious crimes as soon as she was dropped off in Minneapolis,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “A private prisoner transport officer’s job is to keep those in their custody safe and secure, and this defendant did the opposite. The Justice Department is committed to holding anyone carrying out a law enforcement function accountable when they abuse their authority to perpetrate such appalling crimes.”
“A private prisoner transport officer abused his position of trust and authority by sexually assaulting a detainee who was in his custody while transporting her through Missouri,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore for the Western District of Missouri. “Such a violent civil rights violation will not be tolerated by the Department of Justice. Individuals who wield their official power to rape and assault victims in their care will be held accountable for their criminal behavior.”
“This is a particularly heinous case as the defendant used his position and authority to commit his crime" said Special Agent in Charge Bob Meacham of the FBI Minneapolis Field Division. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to ensure those who violate the color of law will be held accountable and the victim’s voices heard.”
According to the plea agreement, at the time of the offense, Hankins worked as a prisoner transport officer for Inmate Services Corporation. As a private prisoner transport officer, Hankins performed the government function of picking up individuals who were arrested on out-of-state warrants and transporting those individuals back to the jurisdictions that issued the warrants. On March 31, 2020, Hankins picked up the victim, a female detainee, from a jail in Olympia, Washington, to transport her to St. Paul, Minnesota.
On April 3, 2020, before arriving in Minnesota, Hankins stopped the transport van at a gas station in Joplin, Missouri. Hankins brought the victim into the gas station to use the bathroom. After the victim used the women’s bathroom, Hankins led her into the men’s bathroom, and told her to go into the stall furthest from the door. Once inside the stall, Hankins began to try to pull the victim’s shirt up. She resisted and told Hankins to stop. In response, Hankins told the victim to be quiet and made her perform a sexual act on him. Hankins then further sexually assaulted the victim, while bending her over a toilet seat.
A sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Hankins faces a maximum term of 10 years imprisonment, three years of mandatory supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Moore and Special Agent in Charge Meacham made the announcement.
The FBI Minneapolis Field Division, with assistance from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case.
Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold and Trial Attorney Laura Gilson of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
Former Maryland Heights Police Officer Sentenced to 4 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a former Maryland Heights police officer who requested nude pictures from an undercover law enforcement officer to four years in prison.
Gregory Ortlip, 57, of O’Fallon, Missouri, pleaded guilty July 27 to one count of attempted possession of child pornography and admitted communicating online with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. During the conversations, Ortlip brought up sex and requested nude pictures from the girl. He also offered to send her pictures of his genitals.
The girl was really an undercover law enforcement officer involved in a Kentucky Internet Crimes Against Children investigation.
Ortlip also admitted that in 2020, he communicated with a 15-year-old Kansas girl and requested and received pictures of her breasts. The girl told Ortlip she was 16.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office - Department of Criminal Investigations and the Overland Park (Kansas) Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Home Depot Employee Pleads Guilty in Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kimyada Latoya Knight (41, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to credit card fraud. Knight faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and payment of restitution to Home Depot.
According to court documents, Knight worked in a specialized area of Home Depot (HD) business operations that primarily handled business and customer credit card accounts. Her area of responsibility included resolving charge disputes and requests for refunds from customers with credit card accounts and other accounts at HD. An initial review by HD, with follow up investigation by the United States Secret Service, determined that Knight had initiated a large number of fraudulent customer and business refunds between approximately January and August 2019 involving credit card accounts and other accounts at HD. After processing the fraudulent transactions, Knight then transferred the payments to accounts that she controlled and subsequently used the proceeds.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Former Apple Employee Admits Defrauding Apple of More Than $17 MillionRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Dhirendra Prasad pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with multiple schemes defrauding his then employer Apple, Inc., announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Mark H. Pearson.
In a written plea agreement entered today, Prasad, 52, of Mountain House, California, described that he was employed by Apple from 2008 through 2018 and acted for most of that time as a buyer in Apple’s Global Service Supply Chain. Prasad’s responsibilities involved purchasing parts and services for Apple from vendors. Prasad admitted he began to defraud Apple as early as 2011 by taking kickbacks, inflating invoices, stealing parts, and causing Apple to pay for items and services never received. Prasad admitted these schemes continued through 2018 and ultimately resulted in a loss to Apple of more than $17 million.
Prasad admitted his co-conspirators in the fraud schemes were Robert Gary Hansen and Don M. Baker, who reside in the Central District of California. Hansen and Baker each owned vendor companies, and their companies engaged in business with Apple. Hansen and Baker were earlier charged in separate federal criminal cases, and they have admitted their involvement in the schemes.
In one of several fraud schemes admitted by Prasad, in 2013 he had motherboards shipped from Apple’s inventory to Baker’s company, CTrends. Baker arranged to have the motherboards’ components harvested, and Prasad arranged for Apple to issue purchase orders for those harvested components. Baker shipped the harvested components back to Apple, and CTrends submitted invoices to Apple, thus billing Apple for its own components. Prasad caused Apple to pay the fraudulent invoices, and Baker and Prasad thereafter split the proceeds of the fraud.
In another example, in approximately 2016 Prasad arranged to have components shipped from Apple’s inventory located in a Nevada warehouse to Hansen’s business, Quality Electronics Distributors, Inc. Hansen intercepted the components, removed them from their packaging, placed them in new packaging, and shipped them back to Apple’s warehouse. Prasad created purchase orders for the components, and Hansen submitted invoices to Apple for them, thus billing Apple for its own components. Prasad caused Apple to pay the fraudulent invoices, and Hansen and Prasad split the proceeds of the fraud.
In addition to the many fraud schemes, Prasad admitted he engaged in tax fraud by funneling illicit payments from Hansen directly to Prasad’s creditors. Prasad also caused a shell company to issue sham invoices to CTrends in order to conceal Baker’s illicit payments to Prasad and to allow Baker to claim hundreds of thousands of dollars of unjustified tax deductions. These schemes resulted in an IRS loss of more than $1.8 million.
The United States also instituted a civil forfeiture action to forfeit the assets acquired by Prasad with the fraud proceeds, including multiple real properties he purchased and numerous financial accounts containing funds traced to Prasad’s crimes. These assets have an aggregate value of approximately $5 million. Today, Prasad agreed to forfeit all the assets to the United States.
Prasad pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, 18 U.S.C. § 1341 & 18 U.S.C. § 1343, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, which carries a maximum sentence of five years. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
United States District Judge Beth L. Freeman scheduled Prasad’s sentencing hearing for March 14, 2023. Prasad remains out of custody pending his sentencing hearing.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael G. Pitman is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Sahib Kaur. Assistant United States Attorney Karen D. Beausey is representing the United States in the civil forfeiture action, with the assistance of Carolyn Caparas. The prosecution was the result of an investigation led by Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation with the assistance of the Special Enforcement Program.
Federal inmate charged with making threatsRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – An inmate Federal Corrections Institution Hazelton in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, is facing threat charges, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Michael J. Carter, 37, was indicted today on 11 counts of “Transmitting Threatening Communication in Interstate Commerce.” Carter is accused of threatening a person in email and by phone from the prison in September and October 2022 in Preston County.
Carter 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 Christopher L. Bauer is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Prisons., the Prince George’s County Police Department, and the Oxon Hill Division IV Investigations investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Federal Jury Finds Maple Grove Man Guilty of Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft in $1.4 Million Medicaid Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. - A Maple Grove man has been convicted by a federal jury for his role in a $1.4 million Medicare fraud conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud, Eskender M. Yousuf, 40, was convicted on all seven counts of the superseding indictment, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The charged conspiracy consisted of nine total defendants. Six of Yousuf’s co-conspirators pleaded guilty prior to trial and two remain fugitives from law enforcement.
As proven at trial, Yousuf was a mental health practitioner who worked with Live Better, LLC, a patient services company with offices in Roseville and Minneapolis. As part of the scheme, Yousuf and his co-conspirators knowingly prepared and signed client progress notes for mental health services—and related interpreter verification forms—that were not actually rendered and submitted claims to the Minnesota Medicaid program for reimbursement of mental health services and the related interpretation of those services. As a result of the false and fraudulent claims, the Medicaid program paid more than $1.4 million for services that never occurred. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and the Minnesota Attorney General Office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela M. Munoz and Jordan L. Sing tried the case.
Federal Court Permanently Bars Utah Physician from Issuing Opioid and Controlled Substance PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
A federal judge entered a consent order that permanently bars a Utah physician from issuing prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances.
The consent order resolves allegations made by the United States against Dr. Sean Ponce, a medical doctor licensed in Utah. In a complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, the government alleged that Dr. Ponce unlawfully issued controlled substance prescriptions in violation of the Controlled Substances Act. The complaint alleged that Dr. Ponce catered to customer requests for opioids and other controlled substances, at times using text messages to arrange the exchange of prescriptions for cash. The complaint further alleged that Dr. Ponce used virtual office space in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, to meet with cash-paying customers to maintain the guise of a medical practice despite the routine lack of legitimate examinations, medical findings supporting the prescriptions or bona-fide doctor-patient relationships.
“Doctors who facilitate the illegal diversion of opioids and other controlled substances harm the public and violate the law,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue working with its partners to stop medical professionals who seek to profit from the opioid addiction epidemic.”
“In the District of Utah, we will enforce the provisions of the Controlled Substances Act,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. “This includes violations of the Act committed by doctors and healthcare professionals who unlawfully distribute controlled substances under the guise of legitimate medical practice.”
“We entrust healthcare professionals to act in the community’s best interest,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Besser of the DEA Rocky Mountain Division. “With that trust, the DEA expects practitioners to prescribe controlled substances in accordance with the laws and regulations set forth by legislation. When public trust is broken and healthcare providers seek to benefit from those that are at risk, they will most certainly be held accountable. I commend our Salt Lake City agents and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah and the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch for judiciously building this case and seeing it through.”
The consent order, entered by U.S. District Judge David Barlow, requires Dr. Ponce to pay a $65,000 civil penalty. The order also permanently prohibits Dr. Ponce from administering, dispensing or distributing controlled substances and from managing or supervising other medical providers who work with or prescribe opioids or controlled substances. The order prohibits Dr. Ponce from owning a business or medical practice where opioids or controlled substances are handled.
The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Ferre for the District of Utah and Trial Attorneys Yolanda D. McCray Jones and Scott B. Dahlquist of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. The DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad in the Salt Lake City District Office provided substantial investigative support.
The claims resolved by the resolution are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Dyersburg Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Assault of a Federal Officer with a Deadly WeaponRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Bobby Joe Claybrook, Jr., 41, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for
assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon and discharging a weapon during and relation to a
crime of violence. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today.United States Attorney Ritz stated: “This defendant pled guilty to committing a violent assault on
federal law enforcement officers. That’s an extremely serious crime, deserving of this extremely
serious sentence. The United States will not hesitate to bring significant resources to bear when
citizens attack our law enforcement partners.”United States Marshal Tyreece Miller added: “Law enforcement are public servants that place their
lives on the line everyday, enforcing laws throughout our communities. Sadly, the possibility of
physical danger and harm are part of what it means to wear a badge. But trying to hurt a Deputy
U.S. Marshal has serious consequences. We are glad our Deputy Marshals weren’t seriously injured,
and thankful for the steadfast work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in bringing this case to
closure.”According to information presented in court, on August 3, 2020, the United States Marshals received
information that Bobby Joe Claybrook, Jr. was wanted by the Dyersburg Police Department for
attempted second degree homicide and for being a felon in possession of firearm. On November 2,
2020, agents located the defendant at a duplex in Jackson, Tennessee. Federal agents and local law
enforcement, all wearing clothing and badges that clearly established themselves as law enforcement
officials, approached the residence. Prior to the team stepping onto the porch to knock on the
door, Claybrook began firing on the team through the small porch window. A task force officer was
hit in his arm, leg, and another officer was struck by a round from Claybrook’s firearm. The
officers were treated for their injuries at the hospital and released.Several other officers were pinned alongside the house until the Jackson Police Department SWAT
Team arrived to assist them. The SWAT team took over the scene and negotiated the surrender of
Claybrook after a lengthy standoff.Tennessee Bureau of Investigation personnel executed a search warrant of the residence and located
a 9mm firearm and several 9mm shell casings inside the residence near the window where Claybrook
carried out his assault on law enforcement. As a result of Claybrook’s prior felony convictions,
he is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition.On October 28, 2022, Chief United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Claybrook to
480 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole
in the federal system.This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Jackson-Madison County Narcotics, and
the Jackson Police Department SWAT Team.United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Lawler Parham,
who prosecuted this case.
###
For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at 901-544-4231 or [email protected]. Follow@WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.
Denver Nurse Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Stealing Fentanyl from Hospital PatientsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Alejandro Gort, 39, of Denver, was sentenced to five years of probation after he earlier pleaded guilty to obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and deception.
According to the plea agreement, the defendant worked the night shift at a Denver hospital on March 3, 2021. He was assigned to care for a critically ill patient admitted to the Sick and Intensive Care Unit following emergency surgery for a head injury. The patient was comatose and intubated when Mr. Gort was assigned to care for him. The defendant initiated a fentanyl drip to treat the patient’s pain, but stole the majority of the bag of fentanyl for his own use, concealing his crime by lowering the drip rate on the IV pump and failing to accurately document the flow rate in the patient’s medical record. He then used this fentanyl at the hospital during his shift. Later during the same shift, the defendant drained a second bag of fentanyl hung for the patient into a cup, then filled the bag with saline to facilitate and conceal the theft. The defendant intended to take the cup of fentanyl for his personal use, but hospital staff interrupted him and escorted him out of the building. According to other staff members, the defendant’s drug use affected his behavior and clinical judgments. There is no evidence that the patient was harmed by the defendant’s act of illegally obtaining the fentanyl. The defendant participated in a voluntary interview with law enforcement agents on March 11, 2021. During that interview, the defendant admitted that he diverted drugs from the hospital between late 2020 and the date the hospital confronted him. He stated he usually obtained fentanyl by falsely identifying the drug as “waste” that was to be discarded, but he kept the drugs for his personal use. He also admitted to using saline to waste fentanyl bags after diverting the fentanyl. The defendant stated he used the drugs at work.
“The defendant knowingly and repeatedly risked patient health for his own selfish interests,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “Medical professionals have to be held to the highest standard when caring for critically ill patients. Stealing controlled substances is illegal, and this criminal conduct will be dealt with by facing prosecution under federal law.“
“Patients rely on the knowledge that they will receive FDA-approved medications to manage their conditions,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “When health care professionals tamper with those needed medications, we will pursue and bring them to justice.”
Judge Regina M. Rodriguez sentenced the defendant on October 28, 2022.
This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI).
Case Number: 21-cr-00227.
Davenport Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – Davenport man, George Winston Taylor, was sentenced on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, to 260 months in prison for Receiving Child Pornography. Taylor was also ordered to pay $48,000 in restitution. Following his imprisonment, Taylor was ordered to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, George Winston Taylor, age 65, was identified by law enforcement through a cyber-tip from a social media platform stating that an image containing child pornography had been uploaded. The email associated with the cyber-tip was registered to Taylor. Following further investigation, officers executed a search warrant on Taylor’s residence in Davenport. Multiple electronic devices were seized. Forensic examination of the devices revealed approximately 3,000 images and over 400 videos containing child pornography. Taylor was previously convicted of Possession of Child Pornography in the Central District of Illinois in 1998.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nation-wide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Theodore L. Snow, III, age 39 of Council Bluffs, was sentenced on Friday, October 28, 2022, to 130 months in prison following his plea of guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Snow will be on supervised release for five years after his release from imprisonment.
On March 3, 2021, a Council Bluffs Police Officer stopped Snow’s car for numerous traffic violations. Snow consented to a search of the car. During the search, the officer located drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine, and shotgun shells, and located a loaded pistol in the waist band of Snow’s pants. Snow is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction. Between the fall 2020 and spring 2021, Snow was distributing a large amount of methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs area.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Council Bluffs Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Coon Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening a U.S. SenatorRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Coon Rapids man has pleaded guilty to making interstate threats against a U.S. Senator, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on June 11, 2022, Brendon Michael Daugherty, 35, left two voicemail messages on the field office telephone of a U.S. Senator located outside the state of Minnesota. Both messages contained threats of violence directed at the U.S. Senator. In his first message, Daugherty stated, “You and the Republican Party should be proud that you’re pushing me to become a domestic terrorist. Have a nice [expletive] day; can’t wait to kill ya.” In his second message, Daugherty stated, “I also just wanted to note, thank God the Republican Party is against gun control laws because it would keep guns out of the hands of a person that was disabled and volatile like I am, but you guys are totally against that. So, I may actually get to carry out my nefarious goals.” Field office staff retrieved and recorded the messages and reported them to U.S. Capitol Police.
Daugherty pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Eric C. Tostrud to one count of interstate transmission of a threat to injure the person of another. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Svendsen is prosecuting the case.
Colorado Springs Felon Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Jeffrey Scott Taylor, 51, of Colorado Springs, was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison after earlier pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, on April 9, 2022, officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department were called to an apartment complex on Tappan Drive in Colorado Springs. Officers spoke with an individual who reported the defendant came to her apartment earlier that evening and said he wanted to show her something. She followed the defendant to his apartment, where he showed her a semi-automatic handgun sitting on his coffee table. Officers applied for, and received a lawful search warrant for the defendant’s apartment. Inside, they recovered a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol from the coffee table in the living room area. The pistol was loaded and contained eight rounds of ammunition, including one in the chamber. In the bedroom closet, officers recovered a Smith and Wesson magazine and two boxes of .40 caliber ammunition. The defendant had been convicted of a felony prior to April 9, 2022, and was aware that he had been convicted of a felony.
Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced the defendant on October 31, 2022.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to violent crime prevention, and taking illegal weapons off the streets is an important part of that,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “Under federal law, felons are prohibited from having firearms, and we will hold them accountable when they break the law.”
“Previously convicted felons who continue to unlawfully possess firearms have made the choice to continue to live a high-risk lifestyle which often leads to more violent gun crime in the communities they live and frequent,” said Special Agent in Charge David S. Booth. “We are grateful for the partnership with the Colorado Springs Police Department in this investigation, and to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for a successful prosecution.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Colorado Springs Police Department. Prosecution was handled by the Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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: 22-cr-00162
Clayton Man Admits Soliciting Child Pornography from 11-year-oldRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Clayton, Missouri pleaded guilty on Tuesday to federal charges and admitted requesting and receiving nude pictures of minors, including pictures of an 11-year-old from Kentucky.
Jason W. Fine, 50, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White to two felonies: soliciting child pornography and receiving child pornography.
Fine admitted as part of his plea that between July 1, 2021 and Sept. 2, 2021, he communicated with the 11-year-old Kentucky girl on Kik Messenger while pretending to 11-year-old girl himself. He requested and received nude pictures of the girl.
In an interview with law enforcement on June 14, 2022, Fine said he had communicated online with multiple minors and that a few had sent him child pornography, his plea agreement says.
Fine is scheduled to be sentenced January 31. Both charges carry penalties of five to 20 years in prison.
The St. Louis County Police Department the Campbell County (Kentucky) Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Clarksburg woman indicted on threat chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Courtney B. Sedler, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was indicted today on threat charges, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Sedler, 30, was indicted today on three counts of “Influencing Federal Officer by Threat.” Sedler threatened to kill Vincent Kennedy, Chief of the Veterans Affairs Police, on three separate occasions in February, March, and October 2022.
Sedler faces up to 10 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 Christopher L. Bauer is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Veterans Affairs Police investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
City of Lakewood, Ohio, Agrees to Improve Sewer Systems to Reduce Discharges of Raw SewageRead the Press Release
The city of Lakewood, Ohio, has agreed to perform work that will significantly reduce discharges of untreated sewage from its sewer system into Lake Erie and the Rocky River. The settlement is set forth in an interim partial consent decree that was filed today in federal court in the Northern District of Ohio.
The decree requires Lakewood to complete construction of a high-rate treatment system that will treat combined sewer overflows and build two large storage basins that will hold millions of gallons of wastewater until it can be sent to the wastewater treatment plant. Under the decree, Lakewood will spend about $85 million to improve its sewer system and will pay a civil penalty of $100,000, split evenly between the United States and Ohio.
The decree would partially resolve the violations alleged in the underlying complaint filed by the United States and the state of Ohio. The complaint alleges that Lakewood discharged untreated sanitary sewage into the Rocky River or directly into Lake Erie on at least 1,933 occasions from January 2016 through the present. The complaint also alleges that on numerous occasions from January 2016 through the present, Lakewood discharged water from combined sewer outfalls that violated the effluent limitations included in its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.
“The Clean Water Act requires adequate infrastructure to limit discharges of untreated sewage,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This settlement requires meaningful investments in Lakewood’s wastewater collection and treatment system that will protect the waters surrounding the city of Lakewood.”
“Discharges of untreated sewage can damage local water bodies and sicken community members who come in contact,” said Larry Starfield, EPA’s Acting Assistant Administrator s for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This settlement will benefit Lakewood and other Ohio communities by preventing the discharge of millions of gallons of untreated sewage from entering the Rocky River and Lake Erie.”
Under the decree, Lakewood will also conduct multiple pipe lining and repair projects within its sewer system designed to eliminate causes of sanitary sewer overflows. Lakewood will also undertake a sampling pilot study designed to identify sewage in stormwater outfalls and a one-year post-construction monitoring program, which will provide the data needed for future work in Lakewood’s sewer system.
The implementation of this decree will prevent millions of gallons of raw sewage carrying harmful pollutants, such as E. coli, from being discharged to Lake Erie and the Rocky River. These reductions in pollutants will improve water quality in Lake Erie and the Rocky River.
This decree is an important, but partial step to address the problems in Lakewood’s sewer system. It will resolve all civil penalty claims, but will not fully resolve the injunctive relief claims alleged in the complaint. Lakewood will be required through a subsequent, enforceable agreement with the United States and the state of Ohio to implement a plan that addresses the remaining permitted and unpermitted overflows in Lakewood’s sewer system and to demonstrate compliance with the Clean Water Act.
The proposed agreement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval after publication in the Federal Register. The agreement is available on the Justice Department’s website: https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Child Sex Trafficker and Producer of Videos of Child Sex Abuse Sentenced to 55 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Mark Manuel Angeles Marino (27, Jacksonville) to 55 years in federal prison for child sex trafficking and the production, receipt, and possession of child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Marino serve a life term of supervised release and pay $163,500 to victims of his offenses. Marino had been found guilty after a bench trial on November 16, 2021.
According to court documents, in March 2019, Marino began communicating with a particular email user in response to an advertisement on the dark web offering child sexual abuse material for sale. Marino responded to the ad and specifically inquired about an 11-year-old girl, requesting to see a video of the sexual assault of that child. After asking several times for depictions of specific sexual abuse of the child, the supplier requested Marino “go elsewhere.” Six months later, Marino contacted the individual again, requesting a specific video of the rape of a child wearing a diaper. The next month, Marino sent a message requesting a video of the sexual assault of a 9-year-old and requested the child’s face not be covered as he wanted to see the child’s reaction while the assault took place. On October 23, 2019, Marino sent $172.09 in bitcoin to the supplier, and the following day he received a 2-minute and 34-second video of a young child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The next day, Marino requested a 30-minute video of a child being raped by an adult and sent the supplier $909.07 in bitcoin in payment for the video. Marino continued to request the 30-minute video, but complained, in a later interview with law enforcement, that he only received a 4-minute video in exchange for the payment. Marino admitted to using bitcoin to pay for child sexual abuse material.
During the execution of a search warrant, agents seized Marino’s electronic devices and discovered thousands of files of child sexual abuse material. Further, the investigation revealed that Marino had produced child sex abuse files of a 12-year-old child known to him, using threats and coercion.
“Child predators feel they can target and victimize children and remain hidden behind the anonymity of the Dark Web,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “HSI special agents in Jacksonville, New York, and the Philippines, utilizing cutting-edge techniques, ensured that this predator was identified and held accountable for his crimes.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Burlington County Man Admits Bank FraudRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in a conspiracy to steal bank customer identities and then use that information to steal more than $520,000, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jamere Hill-Birdsong, 33, of Mount Holly, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 2016 through August 2017, Hill-Birdsong conspired with Lamar Melhado, of the Bronx, New York, and others to defraud a Mount Laurel, New Jersey, bank. Hill-Birdsong worked inside the call center and recruited other call center employees to participate in the scheme by stealing the identities and account information of customers who called into the bank’s call center. The conspirator bank employees would then take photographs or screenshots of the bank customer’s account information and signatures and would send that information to Hill-Birdsong and Melhado. The conspirators then had phony identification documents made in the names of the bank customers, and used various runners to go into bank branches and make unauthorized cash withdrawals. The conspirators also used the stolen identity information to conduct unauthorized online transfers of moneys from the customer’s accounts.
The conspiracy to commit bank fraud charge to which Hill-Birdsong pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. In his plea agreement, Hill-Birdsong agreed to make restitution for the full amount of the loss, which is estimated at $523,000. Sentencing is scheduled for March 7, 2023.
Melhado previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced in March 2022 to four years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire in Philadelphia, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Vondra Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.