Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Monday 31 October 2022
Four Defendants Sentenced for Conspiracy to Fraudulently Acquire Personal Protective Equipment and Event TicketsRead the Press Release
Defendants Collectively Ordered to Serve 104 months in Prison and Pay Nearly $3.5 Million in Restitution to Victims
OKLAHOMA CITY – Four defendants have been sentenced for their participation in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a scheme to fraudulently acquire personal protective equipment and event tickets, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
This case came to the attention of law enforcement in Oklahoma when co-conspirators used stolen credit card information from 52 credit cards to purchase $678,842.03 worth of tickets to Oklahoma State University athletic events, including the November 30, 2019, Bedlam football game between the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University.
Law enforcement subsequently identified multiple suspects involved in a wide-ranging scheme to use stolen credit card information to purchase event tickets at venues throughout the United States and Canada, including Madison Square Garden, as alleged in the Superseding Indictment. According to the Superseding Indictment, co-conspirators began targeting U.S.-based businesses selling pandemic related supplies at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Four of the co-conspirators have since appeared in Oklahoma City federal court, have pleaded guilty for their involvement in the scheme, and have now been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti.
On October 7, 2022, STEVEN MESROP, 31, of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, was sentenced to serve 80 months in prison. Mesrop was alleged to be the ringleader of at least six other co-conspirators involved in the scheme. Mesrop pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on August 3, 2021. At Mesrop’s sentencing, Judge DeGiusti found that Mesrop caused a total loss of $3,463,253.85 and attempted to cause an additional loss of $2,032,732.54. Judge DeGiusti ordered Mesrop to pay restitution in the amount of $3,463,253.85 to 39 victims.
On July 27, 2022, DIJON CORNELIUS SHEPARD, 29, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced to serve 20 months in prison. Shepard acted as a courier on behalf of the fraud scheme. Shepard pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on August 13, 2021. Judge DeGiusti ordered Shepard to pay restitution in the amount of $654,609.11 to seven victims.
On October 31, 2022, MIRNA MAHROUS HABIB, 25, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, was sentenced to serve four months in prison. Habib pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft on December 2, 2021. Judge DeGiusti ordered Habib to pay $683,243.23 in restitution to eight victims.
On December 9, 2021, KARIN TREISTER, 24, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on December 9, 2021. Although Judge DeGiusti did not order Treister to serve prison time, she was ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Oklahoma City Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations New York Office El Dorado Task Force, the New York City Police Department, and the Irvine (California) Police Department, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Farrior.
The public is reminded charges against remaining defendants in the case are merely accusations and that each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Four Defendants Arrested in Virginia and Texas for Role in ATM LarcenyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that four Houston, Texas- based men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Bank Larceny and Transportation of Stolen Property or Money.
Kytorrion Young, age 30, Keivon Jones, age 25, Kendrick Kennedy, age 23, and Alton Himes, age 24, were indicted in September of 2022. Young, Kennedy, and Himes were arrested in Virginia and appeared there before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on October 7, 2022, pleading not guilty to the Indictment. Jones was arrested in Texas and appeared there before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on October 25, 2022, pleading not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction for each count is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution and forfeiture may also be ordered.
According to the Indictment, in early December of 2021, Young, Jones, Kennedy, and Himes took and carried away money exceeding $1,000 in value belonging to and in the care, custody, control, management, and possession of the Dakotaland Federal Credit Union. Dakotaland Federal Credit Union’s deposits are insured by the National Credit Union Administration. After the larceny, the defendants then transported the stolen money across state lines.
The charges are merely accusations, and each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
Each defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service for transport to and for further court appearance in the District of South Dakota. A trial date has not been set.
Florida man sentenced to prison for selling counterfeit computer partsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 65 year-old man has been ordered to prison for trafficking in counterfeit goods, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Murtaza Juma, Orlando, Florida, pleaded guilty March 25.
Today, U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. orderd him to serve 48 months in federal prison. The court found Juma’s conduct harmed Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE), Cisco and Intel by at least $5 million. At the hearing, representatives from HPE and Cisco addressed the court and testified as to the harm this crime causes to their companies and consumers in the United States.
Juma was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $263,000 to the three companies and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence.
Juma had illegally purchased and imported counterfeit computer parts from China and sold them to unwitting customers in the United States.
Judge Werlein ordered him into custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jay Hileman prosecuted the case along with Department of Justice Senior Attorney Anand Patel.
Florida Woman Indicted in Cryptocurrency Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A 37-year-old Florida woman has been indicted in a cryptocurrency money laundering scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston.
Sharena Seay, of Jacksonville, FL, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury, charging her with money laundering. She was arraigned in federal court by U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love.
According to the indictment, Seay is alleged to have laundered the proceeds of her drug trafficking operations through cryptocurrency. The defendant allegedly supplied alpha-Pyrrolidinopentiophenone (alpha-PVP), which is often called “flakka,” and similar synthetic cathinones, such as Eutylone or alpha-PiHP. Seay distributed alpha-PVP and other controlled substances to various customers across the United States. Customers who purchased controlled substances from Seay paid for their purchases with cash. Seay laundered the cash proceeds through cryptocurrency in order to purchase more controlled substances on the dark web and to conceal her criminal activity.
During the course of the conspiracy, Seay allegedly laundered more than $1.2 million.
On August 17, 2022, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas returned a five-count indictment charging Seay with money laundering and aiding and abetting.
If convicted, Seay faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each charge. A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld.
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Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Paying Bribes in Exchange for ContractsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Springfield in connection with paying bribes to receive contracts for work at a college in New York.
Willian Borges, 30, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., pleaded guilty on Oct. 26, 2022 to one count of conspiracy and three counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Feb. 27, 2023. Borges was arrested in September 2020.
Borges was a principal of DWD Builders, a general contracting firm, from 2018 to 2019. During this time, Borges paid bribes to co-conspirator Floyd Young, who held positions involving facility maintenance at a New York college, in exchange for preference in obtaining contracts for construction, repair, maintenance, and other work for the college. The bribes Borges paid Young were made in cash in the amount of 15% of the contract during face-to-face meetings. In addition, as Borges received payment for work done at the college, he paid Young bribes on a periodic basis. Borges also inflated the amount of the invoices submitted to the college in order to be repaid the cost of the bribe payment made to Young. On occasion, Young and Borges arranged for no-work invoices to be submitted to the college and then split the payment.
In August 2020, Young pleaded guilty to steering contracts for construction, repair, maintenance and other work for the colleges to favored contractors, including Borges, in exchange for bribe payments typically in the amount of 15% of the contract. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2023.
The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. The charges of bribery concerning programs receiving federal fund each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Felon Sentenced to 52 Months in Federal Prison for Gun Offense, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALBERT LOPEZ, 52, last residing in Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 52 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 12, 2017, members of the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force located Lopez at a residence in Bridgeport and arrested him on a state warrant in connection with the shooting of a victim in Bridgeport on September 9, 2017, and on a federal warrant related to his violation of supervised release conditions. A search of Lopez’s bedroom on the date of his arrest revealed a stolen .40 caliber pistol. Forensic analysis of the pistol revealed that it was used in the shooting on September 9, 2017.
Lopez’s criminal history, which spans more than 30 years, includes felony convictions in Connecticut state court and in federal courts in both Connecticut and Pennsylvania, and he was on federal supervised release at the time he unlawfully possessed the stolen firearm. Specifically, Lopez has been convicted of assault with a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession of contraband by an inmate, and possession of a firearm by a felon (twice). In September 1991, Lopez was sentenced to 140 months of federal imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine; in March 2008, he was sentenced to 47 months of federal imprisonment for possession of a firearm by a felon; and in January 2013, he was sentenced to 72 months of federal imprisonment for possession of a firearm by a felon and for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
Lopez has been detained in state custody since his arrest. On July 1, 2021, he pleaded guilty in federal court to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Lopez also pleaded guilty in state court to assault with a firearm and was sentenced to eight years of incarceration for that offense.
Lopez will begin serving the 52-month federal sentence today.
This matter was investigated by the Bridgeport Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Anastasia E. King.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Fort Washakie Man Sentenced in Assault by Strangulation CaseRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Nicholas Vassallo announced today that RELAND LEONARD -HIWALKER, A/K/A/ RELAND FERRIS, age 37, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on October 19, 2022, for assault by strangulation to 24 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment.
The sentence was in connection with a May 10, 2022, assault in which FERRIS strangled the victim with his hands around the victim’s neck multiple times, leaving the victim unconscious on one occasion.
This crime was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson prosecuted the case.
Case No. 22-CR-00071-ABJ
Federal Jury Convicts St. Thomas Man of District’s First Fentanyl Conspiracy CaseRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that a federal jury convicted Elijah Hakim, of St. Thomas, in the District’s first prosecution of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl prosecution. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, or the amount that could fit on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially lethal dose. Chief District Judge Robert A. Molloy schedule Hakim’s sentencing for February 24, 2023.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from April 20, 2021, to May 20, 2021, Hakim conspired to mail two packages containing fentanyl from Georgia to St. Thomas. The first package was mailed on April 22, 2021, and contained 150 fentanyl pills weighing approximately 17.5 grams which were concealed in a vitamin bottle. The package was filled with spray foam and mailed from an Atlanta, GA, area post office to St. Thomas. The second package was mailed on May 18, 2021, and contained 200 fentanyl pills weighing approximately 25 grams which were concealed inside a Gucci gift box. Like the first package, the second package was filled with spray foam to further conceal the pills and mailed from an Atlanta, GA post office. Both packages were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protections officers in San Juan, PR and St. Thomas, VI. Court documents also revealed that during this period, a victim on St. Thomas overdosed from consuming pills suspected to contain fentanyl.
At trial, the United States introduced fingerprints found on the May package which matched Hakim’s fingerprints. Also admitted at trial was packaging material found in Hakim’s Atlanta apartment which consisted of a spray foam cannister, bubble wrap, vacuum sealed bags and fiber tape consistent with the packaging used to conceal the fentanyl in the April and May packages.
“Across the United States, opioids, primarily fentanyl, killed over 80,000 people in 2021 alone,” stated United States Attorney Delia Smith. “Here in the Virgin Islands, we have thus far been spared the worst of the opioid epidemic, but these two shipments of fentanyl show that we are not immune. Fortunately, the vigilance and dedication of our law enforcement partners led to the interception of these deadly drugs and we were able to convict those responsible. We will continue to do everything in our power to keep the Virgin Islands safe from this lethal scourge.”
“The defendant’s lawless misuse of the U.S. Mail has finally come to a halt,” said Juan A. Vargas, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Miami Division. “Postal Inspectors will continue to work collaboratively with our law enforcement partners to combine our resources and expertise to combat the perils of illegal and dangerous drug distribution.”
“Our extraordinary enforcement partnerships allow us to work in unison and combat drug trafficking and the violence this brings,” said SAC Denise Foster from the DEA Caribbean Division. “It’s the DEA’s mission to dismantle and destroy drug trafficking organizations no matter where they originate. We will continue to work diligently with our Federal, state, and local counterparts and to bring to justice those who seek to poison our communities.”
The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Edwards and Kyle Payne prosecuted the case.
Executive Pleads Guilty to Criminal Attempted MonopolizationRead the Press Release
The president of a paving and asphalt contractor based in Billings, Montana, has pleaded guilty to attempting to monopolize the market for highway crack-sealing services in Montana and Wyoming.
According to the one-count felony charge filed on Sept. 19 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, Nathan Nephi Zito attempted to monopolize the markets for highway crack-sealing services in Montana and Wyoming by proposing that his company and its competitor allocate regional markets. The charge states that as early as January 2020, Zito approached a competitor about a “strategic partnership” and proposed that the competitor stop competing with Zito’s company for highway crack-sealing projects administered by Montana and Wyoming. In return, Zito’s company would stop competing with the competitor for projects administered by South Dakota and Nebraska. Zito offered to pay his competitor $100,000 as additional compensation for lost business in Montana and Wyoming. Zito further proposed that he and his competitor enter into a sham transaction to disguise their collusion. The charge states that Zito intended to monopolize the highway crack-sealing services markets in Montana and Wyoming. Today, the District Court accepted the guilty plea that was allocuted on Oct. 14, when Zito admitted to the facts contained in the charge.
“Congress criminalized monopolization and attempted monopolization to combat criminal conduct that subverts competition,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Justice Department will continue to prosecute blatant and illegitimate monopoly behavior that subjects the American public to harm.”
“Any effort to cheat American taxpayers by subverting the government contracting process will be vigorously pursued by our office and our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich for the District of Montana. “The result in this case shows that any person or entity in Montana that attempts to stifle competition by violating our federal antitrust laws will be held accountable for their criminal actions.”
“Maintaining our highway infrastructure is important to sustaining American prosperity,” said Inspector General Eric J. Soskin of the Department of Transportation. “U.S. taxpayers should have confidence in the integrity of the bidding process so that transportation dollars are spent on real improvements, not monopoly profits.”
Zito pleaded guilty to one count of attempted monopolization in violation of the Sherman Act. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $1 million. The defendant's sentencing has been scheduled for Feb. 23, 2023.
The guilty plea is the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana and the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General as part of the Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF). In November 2019, the Department of Justice created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government – federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on market allocation, price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct related to defense-related spending, go to https://www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con Giant Food que resuelve unas acusaciones de discriminación relacionada con la inmigraciónRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con the Giant Company LLC d/b/a Giant Food (Giant), una cadena de supermercados con sede en Pennsylvania que tiene sucursales en varios estados. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Giant había discriminado a trabajadores no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. a la hora de comprobar su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos, en contra de la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad («INA», por sus siglas en inglés).
«Los empleadores no pueden discriminar a empleados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen a la hora de verificar su permiso para trabajar», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento de Justicia seguirá garantizando que los trabajadores no se enfrenten a la discriminación ilícita a la hora de demostrar su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos.»
La investigación del Departamento comenzó después de que una no ciudadana de los EE. UU. se quejó de que Giant se había negado a aceptar su documentación válida que demostraba su permiso para trabajar y exigía que les facilitara otro documento. La investigación del Departamento determinó que Giant requería, de forma rutinaria, documentos específicos de no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. recién contratados para demostrar que contaban con permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos. En concreto, el Departamento halló que Giant requería que residentes permanentes legales presentaran sus tarjetas de residente permanentes (a veces conocidas como «tarjetas verdes») para probar su permiso para trabajar, incluso cuando ya habían presentado otra documentación válida. Por otra parte, la investigación reveló que Giant se negó a permitir que la trabajadora que se había quejado comenzara a trabajar por no haber presentado una tarjeta verde, tal y como habían exigido. Al mismo tiempo, Giant permitió a ciudadanos de los EE. UU. elegir entre varios tipos de documento aceptables.
Conforme los términos del acuerdo, Giant pagará una sanción civil a los Estados Unidos, capacitará a su personal en cuanto a la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA, revisará sus políticas de empleo y se someterá a la supervisión del Departamento durante un período de tres años. Después de que se comenzara la investigación del Departamento, Giant proporcionó a la trabajadora que se había quejado con el pago que había faltado debido a la alegada discriminación.
Las leyes federales permiten a los trabajadores elegir los documentos válidos y legalmente aceptables que desean presentar para demostrar su identidad y permiso para trabajar, independientemente de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen. La disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA prohíbe que los empleadores soliciten documentos específicos por motivos de la ciudadanía, el estatus migratorio o la nacionalidad de origen de un trabajador. Muchas personas que no son ciudadanos de los EE. UU., incluyendo a residentes permanentes legales, refugiados y asilados, son elegibles para varios de los mismos tipos de documentos como lo son los ciudadanos de los EE. UU. para demostrar su permiso para trabajar (tales como licencias de conducir y tarjetas de seguro social sin restricciones). Los empleadores deben permitir que sus trabajadores presenten cualquier documentación aceptable que dichos trabajadores quieran y no pueden rechazar documentación válida que parece ser genuina.
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados («IER», por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión; prácticas documentales injustas; y represalias e intimidación.
Para aprender más sobre la labor de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda, vea este vídeo corto. Hay información disponible en el sitio web de la IER sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación a la hora de verificar el permiso para trabajar. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su estatus migratorio, ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected]; inscribirse en un seminario en línea gratuito; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés o español. Para recibir las últimas noticias de la IER, inscríbase a GovDelivery.
Doctor Indicted and Arrested for Illegally Distributing Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Doctor Roberto F. Unda-Gómez (Unda) with dispensing controlled substances without any legitimate medical purpose. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are in charge of the investigation of the case.
According to court documents, Unda is a general practitioner medical doctor licensed to practice in Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Honduras, not in the continental United States. The defendant knowingly and intentionally dispensed and distributed Schedule II and IV controlled substances such as Adderall, Oxycodone, and Xanax without any legitimate medical purpose, to patients in Puerto Rico and in the continental United States. Unda used FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service shipping and delivery services to distribute the controlled substances.
“The Department of Justice continues to fight the deadly opioids epidemic, which kills thousands each year in the United States and Puerto Rico,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The defendant broke both his professional duty and the law by selling prescriptions for addictive opioids for individuals he never examined who had no medical need for the drugs.”
Unda is charged with seven counts for dispensing controlled substances by a practitioner, and three counts for the use of a communication facility to facilitate the commission of a felony. The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marshal D. Morgan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, Unda faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay S. Rehrig is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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District Woman Sentenced to Four-Year Prison Term for Attacking Neighbor with a Hammer in Southeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kesha Honesty, 48, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a four-year prison term for assaulting her neighbor with a hammer last spring in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Honesty pleaded guilty in August 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to assault with a dangerous weapon. She was sentenced on Oct. 25, 2022, by the Honorable Jason Park. Following her prison term, she will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on May 21, 2022, at approximately 6:40 p.m., Honesty assaulted the neighbor with a hammer outside an apartment building in the 5100 block of Fitch Street SE. The victim was hospitalized for almost four months and underwent approximately 10 different surgeries and procedures. She is now partially paralyzed on the left side of her body and will require assistance for the remainder of her life.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Amy Trotto, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randle Wilson, Andrea Antonelli, and Cameron Tepfer, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
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.
Danbury Couple Guilty of Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that a federal jury in New Haven today found DARNELL MACON, Sr, 45, and KHARISMA BROOKS, 23, formerly of Danbury, guilty of firearm offenses. The trial before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer began on October 26.
According to the evidence disclosed during the trial, on May 27, 2021, Macon and Brooks visited a federally-licensed firearms dealer in Kent, Connecticut, where Macon possessed, and then Brooks purchased, a Smith & Wesson, Model SD40VE, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. In 2002, Macon was convicted in New York of two counts of assault in the first degree, and in 2003, he was convicted in New York of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On June 7, 2021, ATF special agents investigating the firearm purchase on May 27, and another firearm purchased by Brooks in Stratford on May 25, visited Macon’s and Brooks’ Danbury residence and recovered the two firearms, which were located in Macon’s bedroom closet.
The jury found Macon guilty of one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and Brooks guilty of one count of aiding and abetting the unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The jury found Brooks not guilty of one count of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Macon and Brooks each faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Macon and Brooks are released on bond pending sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by ATF, with the assistance of the Danbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Reed Durham and David J. Sheldon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Firearms After Having a Misdemeanor Domestic Violence ConvictionRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Michael Ransom, 34, has been sentenced to 96 months in federal prison for being a
convicted felon in possession of a firearms as well as being in possession of those firearms after
having a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the
sentence today.According to information presented in court, in May 2020, Memphis Police Officers responded to an
armed party call that two men were seen near Annie Street carrying assault rifles to a red car.
When officers arrived, Michael Ransom got out of the red car and immediately started running from
police. Still seated alone inside the red car, were Ransom's two minor children.Officers recovered from the front seat a Taurus 9mm handgun and a Smith and Wesson assault rifle.
Both guns were loaded with one round of ammunition in the chamber and multiple rounds in the
magazines. Officers also recovered a plastic bag containing 4.3 grams of cocaine from the driver's
side door. Ransom was caught and arrested on an outstanding warrant for aggravated assault.Ransom had previously been convicted in March of 2010 of facilitating carjacking. He was also
convicted in October 2017 of misdemeanor domestic assault with bodily harm. As a result of these
convictions, Ransom is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition.On October 27, 2022, United States District Court Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Ransom to 96
months in federal prison to be followed by three years’ of supervised release. There is no parole
in the federal system.This case was investigated by Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Memphis Police
Department and the ATF. PSN is 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.United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin and Special
Assistant United States Attorney Sam Winnig, 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.Aurora Man Sentenced to 23.5 Years in Federal Prison for Shooting Rocky Mountain National Park RangerRead the Press Release
**Updated on November 3, 2022, to include the law enforcement ranger's name, at the request of the National Park Service**
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Daron Marquel Ellis, 29, of Aurora, was sentenced to 23.5 years in federal prison today after earlier pleading guilty to attempted murder in the second degree of a federal officer and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to the plea agreement in the case, Daron Marquel Ellis came to the attention of law enforcement on December 8, 2021, when a Colorado State Patrol trooper attempted to stop a vehicle Ellis was driving on Highway 34 in Larimer County for speeding. Ellis initially stopped the car and got out without being asked to do so. The trooper directed Ellis to get back into the car and discussed the reason for the stop with him. The trooper learned the license plate on the car was stolen. The trooper asked Ellis to get out of the car. At that point, Ellis fled at a high rate of speed up winding mountain roads. The trooper followed the vehicle for a short period of time before ending the pursuit.
Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) rangers received information from dispatch about the car involved and that the car may be heading towards RMNP. Law Enforcement Ranger Mitchell Hauptman, who is employed by the National Park Service, was on duty that day, dressed in his standard uniform. He received the information, got in his law enforcement patrol vehicle and waited in the vicinity of Fall River entrance to RMNP.
At approximately 10:15 a.m., Ranger Hauptman saw a vehicle matching the suspect vehicle description enter RMNP. As soon as he recognized the car, he activated his emergency lights. By that point, the defendant’s vehicle attempted to evade the ranger by driving on the shoulder of the road and came to a stop after hitting several boulders that were just inside the boundary of RMNP.
When Ranger Hauptman got out of his marked law enforcement vehicle, he pulled his duty pistol and ordered the occupants of the car to show their hands. At that time, without provocation, Ellis began firing at Ranger Hauptman using a 9mm semiautomatic handgun. Ellis shot Ranger Hauptman on the left side of his torso in an area protected by the ranger's ballistics vest. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Evidence Response Team subsequently determined that a bullet entered the rear driver’s side column of the ranger’s vehicle in the same location where the ranger moved to take cover. Ellis fired multiple rounds at Ranger Hauptman and remained in the car the entire time he was shooting at the ranger. Ranger Hauptman returned fire when he knew his life was in danger and hit Ellis. Ellis eventually surrendered and was taken into custody. Ranger Hauptman had a bruise approximately 10 inches in diameter on the left side of his chest where he was shot.
“To shoot at and try to kill a peace officer is a particularly egregious crime that will be punished with significant time in federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “We wish the National Park Service ranger the very best as he continues his recovery from this incident.”
“Any assault on a federal officer warrants FBI attention, and personnel from FBI Denver were immediately dispatched to this incident in Rocky Mountain National Park,” said FBI Denver Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor. “The National Park Service ranger performed his duties admirably and courageously as the gunman attacked. We are proud to assist in this prosecution and see this assailant receive justice.”
According to Rocky Mountain National Park Superintendent Darla Sidles, “Today’s sentencing brings important resolution to the attempted murder of one of our valued law enforcement rangers at Rocky Mountain National Park and allows us to focus on healing. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Ranger Hauptman and all National Park Service law enforcement rangers who sometimes must contend with serious crimes that do not stop at the park boundary. We express our deep appreciation to all who were involved with the investigation and securing this conviction including NPS rangers, the NPS Investigative Services Branch, the FBI, the Estes Park Police Department, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office and the team of prosecuting attorneys.”
Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced Ellis on October 31, 2022. He also sentenced Ellis to 5 years of supervised release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Denver Division and the National Park Service investigated this case. 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-00006
Albany Felon Indicted on Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Emmanuel Medina, age 35, of Albany, was indicted last week for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition, possessing and intending to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Troy Police Chief Daniel DeWolf.
According to an indictment and a previously filed criminal complaint, Troy Police Officers responded to a domestic disturbance call in the early morning of June 27, 2022, and observed Medina outside of a house, placing something into a doorless Jeep Wrangler. Medina was initially not compliant with officers’ directives, but eventually stepped away from the vehicle and was safely detained.
Officers found a loaded Hi-Point Firearms .380 ACP pistol in the part of the Jeep where Medina had just been observed. Medina was prohibited from possessing the handgun and ammunition as a result of prior felony convictions. Additionally, Troy Police Officers located a black box magnetically attached to the vehicle’s undercarriage, which was found to contain a mixture of heroin and fentanyl stored in 350 small bags intended for resale.
The charges in the indictment and complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Medina has been in custody since his arrest on June 27, and will be arraigned at a later date. If convicted on all charges, he faces at least 5 years and up to life in prison, and at least 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the Troy Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
ADA Settlement with Cinemark USA, Inc. Improves Accessibility of Enfield Movie TheatersRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that Cinemark USA, Inc. (“Cinemark”) has entered into a settlement agreement with the government to resolve allegations that the Cinemark Enfield Square 12 theaters, located at 90 Elm Street in Enfield, does not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).
The settlement, which resolves a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice that alleges that the Cinemark Enfield Square 12 is not physically accessible to persons with mobility disabilities, requires Cinemark to add ADA-compliant signage at exits and auditoriums, provide an accessible dining surface in the concession area, and acquire more receivers to use with its assistive listening system. The settlement also requires Cinemark to make numerous changes in the bathrooms, such as moving grab bars, removing a step up at a threshold, and making a bathroom door easier to open.
Cinemark is in the process of making changes required by the settlement agreement and has agreed to ensure that any future alterations to the theaters comply with the ADA.
Under federal law, private entities that own or operate places of “public accommodation,” including movie theaters, are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability. The ADA authorizes the Justice Department to investigate complaints and undertake periodic reviews of compliance of covered entities. The Department is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance, and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and civil penalties.
“Today’s settlement helps to ensure that everyone in Connecticut can participate equally in our community, regardless of ability,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “My office is committed to enforcing federal law to eradicate barriers to access, inclusion and equal opportunity. I am pleased that Cinemark has agreed to do the right thing and make their theater in Enfield accessible to persons with disabilities.”
Cinemark has three years to make the changes required by the agreement and must submit certifications concerning compliance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office every six months until it has fully complied with the agreement.
A copy of the settlement agreement will be found on www.ada.gov.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart C. Dearing.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Saturday 29 October 2022
Texarkana Physician Found Guilty of Prescribing a Controlled Substance Without a Legitimate Medical PurposeRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, AR – A federal jury convicted a Texarkana Doctor yesterday on two counts of Distribution of a Schedule II Controlled Substance Without an Effective Prescription and two counts of Distribution of a Schedule V Controlled Substance Without an Effective Prescription.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Little Rock District Office (LRDO), Tactical Diversion and Diversion Groups initiated an investigation into Dr. Lonnie Joseph Parker, age 58, of Texarkana, Arkansas in 2018 after receiving complaints from local law enforcement about a suspected pill mill and possible overdose death of a patient. Investigators analyzed prescription drug monitoring data attributed to Dr. Parker, and the investigation revealed Dr. Parker was an over-prescriber of controlled substances, to include opioids, benzodiazepines, and promethazine with codeine cough syrup in the Texarkana area. In the two-year period analyzed, Dr. Parker prescribed approximately 1.2 million dosage units of opioid pain medications, including oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl, to approximately 1,508 patients (approximately 847 dosage units per patient). Dr. Parker also prescribed approximately 16 gallons of Promethazine with Codeine cough syrup to approximately 29 patients during the same time frame. The prescriptions included narcotics written in combination with sedatives, creating a high risk of addiction and overdose to patients.
Parker is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Little Rock District Office (LRDO), Tactical Diversion and Diversion Group, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Texarkana Police Department, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS).
Assistant United States Attorney Anne Gardner and Assistant United Sates Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted the case for the United States.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.
Texarkana Physician Found Guilty of Prescribing a Controlled Substance Without a Legitimate Medical PurposeRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, AR – A federal jury convicted a Texarkana Doctor yesterday on two counts of Distribution of a Schedule II Controlled Substance Without an Effective Prescription and two counts of Distribution of a Schedule V Controlled Substance Without an Effective Prescription.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Little Rock District Office (LRDO), Tactical Diversion and Diversion Groups initiated an investigation into Dr. Lonnie Joseph Parker, age 58, of Texarkana, Arkansas in 2018 after receiving complaints from local law enforcement about a suspected pill mill and possible overdose death of a patient. Investigators analyzed prescription drug monitoring data attributed to Dr. Parker, and the investigation revealed Dr. Parker was an over-prescriber of controlled substances, to include opioids, benzodiazepines, and promethazine with codeine cough syrup in the Texarkana area. In the two-year period analyzed, Dr. Parker prescribed approximately 1.2 million dosage units of opioid pain medications, including oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl, to approximately 1,508 patients (approximately 847 dosage units per patient). Dr. Parker also prescribed approximately 16 gallons of Promethazine with Codeine cough syrup to approximately 29 patients during the same time frame. The prescriptions included narcotics written in combination with sedatives, creating a high risk of addiction and overdose to patients.
Parker is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Little Rock District Office (LRDO), Tactical Diversion and Diversion Group, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Texarkana Police Department, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS).
Assistant United States Attorney Anne Gardner and Assistant United States Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted the case for the United States.
Election Officers named for Southern District of Georgia’s effort to ensure voting integrityRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Two Assistant U.S. Attorneys have been named to lead the efforts in the Southern District of Georgia in connection with the U.S. Department of Justice’s nationwide 2022 Election Day Program.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Channell V. Singh and Jeremiah L. Johnson have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers (DEOs) for the Southern District of Georgia, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. In that capacity, they are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and reports of election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” U.S. Attorney Estes said. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. Our office will work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot, or to be assisted by a person of their choice where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English.
In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, the District Election Officers will be on duty in the Southern District of Georgia while the polls are open and can be reached at 912-652-4422.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 770-216-3000.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
In the event of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
Friday 28 October 2022
Wilmington Felon Receives 54 Months for Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Rufus Lamar Bowser, 30, was sentenced today to 54 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm. On July 7, 2022, Bowser pleaded guilty to the charges. According to court documents and other information presented in court, on January 19, 2022, officers with the Wilmington Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which the defendant was a passenger. Based on the defendant’s actions and the detection of the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, officers asked the occupants to step out of the vehicle. When officers attempted to frisk the defendant for weapons, he tried to run from officers and a brief struggle ensued. During the struggle, a loaded pistol fell from the defendant’s pocket.
At the time of the offense, the defendant was on post release supervision for his 2008 convictions for second-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon. Additionally, the defendant had outstanding warrants for his arrest for absconding from supervision and attempted first degree burglary.
Michael Easley U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Wilmington Police Department’s Gun Crime Task Force, and the Mobile Field Force Unit investigated the case and Special Assistant United States Attorney William Van Trigt prosecuted the case. Van Trigt is a prosecutor with the New Hanover County District Attorney’s Office assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal violent crimes and other criminal matters. This has been made possible by a grant funded by New Hanover County.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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. 7:22-cr-00035-D.
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White Bear Lake Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A White Bear Lake man was sentenced to 120 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution, and $3,000 to a victim assistance fund for possession of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and court documents, Justin John Mitchell, 28, a registered sex offender, was found in possession of thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse on two different occasions in or around August 2019 and January 2022. Among these were depictions of the sexual abuse of prepubescent minors. Mitchell was on supervision for child pornography possession in Ramsey County at the time of the offenses.
On June 3, 2022, Mitchell pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Katherine M. Menendez.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor.
United States Attorney’s Office Releases 2022 Third Quarter Immigration Enforcement StatisticsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office announced its immigration enforcement statistics for July 2022 to September 2022. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the Tucson and Yuma Sectors of the Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the three-month period ending September 30, 2022, the United States brought criminal charges in Arizona against 2,011 individuals who illegally entered or re-entered the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 307 cases against individuals responsible for smuggling undocumented noncitizens to and within the District of Arizona.
Reducing migrant smuggling and mitigating the risk to communities impacted by these offenses continues to be a priority for the Office and its law enforcement partners. Some of these prosecutions are directed against leaders and coordinators of non-U.S. citizen smuggling organizations. Other prosecutions are aimed at deterring young adult drivers, often recruited over social media platforms, from engaging in this dangerous activity. Prosecutions against young drivers include seven cases brought against juvenile smugglers during this time-period.
These statistics represent United States Attorney's Office prosecutions only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-195_2022 Third Quarter Immigration Enforcement Statistics
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
USAO Launches Initiative to Prevent Domestic Violence Homicides and Promote SafetyRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced a new initiative to prevent domestic violence homicides and prevent abusers who have previously been convicted of domestic violence offenses from having access to firearms. U.S. Attorney Waldref and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Ellis have developed the Safe Homes, Safe Community initiative as part of the Project Safe Neighborhood community policing program. In Yakima, the United States Attorney’s Office works in collaboration with the Yakima Police Department (“YPD”), the Yakima County Prosecutor’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), and community domestic violence survivor support groups to identify potential cases involving individuals with histories of domestic violence who unlawfully possess firearms.
Early in 2022, U.S. Attorney Waldref and AUSA Ellis began working with the Yakima Police Department domestic violence team to target individuals who were identified as repeat domestic violence abusers in possession of firearms. Data shows that offenders with a history of domestic violence pose a high risk of homicide to their family members. Indeed, domestic violence offenders with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners than other offenders. This summer, the Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women awarded twelve Firearms Technical Assistance Project (“FTAP”) grants designed to help communities implement promising practices to prevent abusers from having access to firearms in domestic violence cases. The Yakima Police Department receive a $500,000 grant to continue to develop innovative strategies to respond and prevent domestic violence homicides and related gun crimes.
“Domestic violence is a significant source of firearm-related violence in Eastern Washington and in the Yakima Valley. The unlawful possession of firearms by domestic violence abusers is too often deadly for victims of intimate partner violence and lethal for law enforcement officers responding to emergency calls,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We have also seen a pattern in our cases, that individuals involved in violent crime also have a history of domestic violence or have grown up in homes plagued by violence. Safe Homes, Safe Community addresses victim safety, law enforcement safety and community safety.”
Several cases have already been charged in Yakima as part of Safe Homes, Safe Community. The Indictments are the result of the collaborative efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office, ATF, and YPD, who work together as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”) initiative. PSN is a critical piece of the Department of Justice’s crime reduction efforts. The PSN program focuses on prosecuting individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities. It supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement, schools, the faith community, and local community leaders, to prevent and deter future criminal conduct. In the Eastern District of Washington, U.S. Attorney Waldref has designated Yakima County for this special community-based crime-fighting program, to focus on reducing gang and gun-related violent crime in the Yakima Valley.
As part of the Safe Homes, Safe Community Initiative, United States Attorney Waldref announced the recent filing of Indictments against the following Defendants:
1. United States v. Jose Trinidad Dealba: Indicted on October 12, 2022 for felon in possession of a firearm. Dealba is separately charged before the Yakima County Superior Court with, among other felony offenses, assault in the second degree arising from a domestic violence incident and multiple counts of assault in the first degree arising from an altercation with officers from the Yakima Police Department.
2. United States v. Jeremiah Ledesma-Morales: Indicted on July 12, 2022 for felon in possession of a firearm. Ledesma-Morales is separately charged before the Yakima County Superior Court with, among other felony offenses, residential burglary, robbery in the first degree, and assault in the second degree arising from a domestic violence incident.
3. United States v. James Duane Deckard: Indicted on June 22, 2022 for unlawful user of controlled substances and person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
“We’ve seen too many cases in which domestic abusers have acquired and then used firearms to hurt or kill others,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan T. McPherson. “ATF’s mission includes investigating those who possess and use firearms illegally. To continue doing this, we’re proud to partner in Safe Homes, Safe Community to make our communities and families safer and keep firearms out of the hands of domestic abusers.”
“Domestic violence is a scourge in our community,” said YPD Chief Matthew Murray. “Too many lives have been deeply impacted and even taken. In Yakima, we have redoubled our efforts to reduce domestic violence and have learned a great deal in the process. Domestic violence may be the single biggest driver of future violent crimes of all types. Amazingly, U.S. Attorney Waldref learned about this effort, got some formidable minds together in her office, and developed a strategy to help. In my 33 years in law enforcement, I have never seen anything like this cooperative effort. Some domestic violence suspects now face federal charges, which is another powerful way to protect victims and potential victims. I sincerely appreciate the incredible relationship and look forward to see the results from these efforts!”
“I commend the important work by the Yakima Police Department and ATF to develop and implement a model to quickly address dangerous domestic violence situations, identify the possession of unlawful firearms and reduce the risk of intimate partner homicide and community violence,” continued Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Ellis. “We will continue to work with our state and federal law enforcement partners to protect public safety and victims of domestic violence.”
In an emergency, victims of domestic violence should call 911 or contact state or local law enforcement officials, who can respond to these crimes. Individuals in need of non-emergency assistance can also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or visit www.TheHotline.org.
These cases were investigated by Yakima Police Department, Zillah Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Ellis is prosecuting these cases on behalf of the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Announces Telephone Hotline to Report Voting Rights Complaints on Election DayRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will operate a telephone hotline on Election Day (Nov. 8, 2022) to receive complaints related to the voting process.
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing a local point of contact for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
“A crucial part of our democracy is the integrity of our electoral system,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “A citizen who is entitled to vote should not be hindered or prevented from doing so. Similarly, election officials and staff must not be subject to unlawful threats of violence. Our office stands ready to help ensure the sanctity of the voting process.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys and other staff will monitor the hotline and respond to complaints, as needed. The hotline numbers, staffed on Election Day only, are (312) 469-6157 and (312) 469-6158.
Complaints can also be made directly to the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. by phone at (800) 253-3931 or online at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.
In addition, the FBI Chicago Field Office will have special agents and other staff available on Election Day to receive allegations of election fraud or other election-related complaints. The phone number for the FBI Chicago Field Office is (312) 421-6700.
Federal laws protect the rights of voters to mark their own ballot or be assisted by a person of their choice. Federal laws protect against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes. Violations of federal election laws could result in prison time and monetary fines. For information as to the location and hours of polling sites, Illinois residents are advised to contact the Illinois State Board of Elections by logging on to www.elections.il.gov or by calling (312) 814-6440.
U.S. Attorney Nick Brown appoints Election Officer for Western District of WashingtonRead the Press Release
Seattle – United States Attorney Nick Brown announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Seth Wilkinson will lead the efforts for the Western District of Washington in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSA Wilkinson has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation, threats of violence directed at election officials and workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
United States Attorney Brown stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Wilkinson will be on duty in this District throughout the voting period. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 206-553-7970.”
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 206-622-0460.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
United States Attorney Brown said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over ballot drop boxes, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
Two Men Admit Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia man today admitted trafficking in large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in southern New Jersey and Philadelphia, and a New Jersey man admitted to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Kevin Salmon, 25, of Philadelphia, and John Munson, 47, of Deptford, New Jersey, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman in Camden federal court. Salmon pleaded guilty to two counts of a superseding indictment charging him with conspiring to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and distributing methamphetamine. Munson pleaded guilty to one count of the superseding indictment charging him with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Salmon acted as a “runner” or “courier” for a drug-trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. He would distribute these drugs to others. Salmon also admitted possessing two operable firearms at his residence while storing in the same location more than 2,500 grams of methamphetamine for the conspiracy. Munson admitted obtaining methamphetamine from the conspiracy in order to distribute the methamphetamine to others.
Two defendants – Glenn Long and Savon Skipwith – remain charged in the same superseding indictment and are scheduled for trial in February 2023. The charges against them are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Ten other defendants have previously pleaded guilty as a result of the investigation.
Salmon faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Munson faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. Sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for March 9, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson, with the investigation leading to today’s pleas. He also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; Drug Enforcement Administration, Philadelphia Division; U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Marshals Service; FBI; Bensalem Police Department; Berlin Borough Police Department; Berlin Township Police Department; Bucks County District Attorney’s Office; Camden County Prosecutor’s Office; Clayton Police Department; Delaware County District Attorney’s Office Narcotics Task Force; Deptford Township Police Department; Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office; Gloucester Township Police Department; New Jersey State Police; New Jersey National Guard Counter Drug Task Force; Pennsylvania State Police; Pennsville Police Department; and Winslow Township Police Department for their assistance.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Bender and Diana Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Two Leaders and an Associate of Little Havana Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Decades in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Following a nine-week trial ending in guilty verdicts, two leaders and an associate of a violent drug trafficking and money laundering organization operating in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood have been sentenced to prison terms.
Ulysses Cabrera, a/k/a “Uley,” a/k/a “Big Cuz,” 32, was sentenced to 372 months’ imprisonment. Bernardo Quinonez, a/k/a “Macho,” 34, was sentenced to 382 months’ imprisonment. Victor Smith, a/k/a “OGP,” 26, was sentenced to 330 months’ imprisonment.
From 2013 to 2018, Cabrera and B. Quinonez, both of Miami, led a continuing criminal enterprise that distributed cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana in the streets of Little Havana. Cabrera supplied the cocaine and managed the operation. B. Quinonez was a co-manager who supervised the people turning the cocaine into crack inside local homes. Smith oversaw the street-level drug sales. When rival drug dealers threatened the territory that they controlled or questioned their authority, Cabrera and B. Quinonez directed Smith and other armed members of the ring to intimidate, maim, and, in some instances, kill people. Innocent bystanders were sometimes shot and injured. Cabrera and B. Quinonez laundered the dirty drug money in various ways, including buying Opa-Locka real estate.
Law enforcement seizures in this case included approximately 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, several grams of crack cocaine, more than 26 pounds of marijuana, four assault rifles, 10 pistols, 10 extended magazines, 10 semi-automatic firearms, a short barrel rifle, a revolver and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
The jury convicted Cabrera of one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, four counts of money laundering crimes, and four counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The jury convicted B. Quinonez of one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, one count of conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of drive-by shooting, one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, three counts of money laundering, seven counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of maintaining an establishment to distribute controlled substances. It convicted Smith of one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, one count of conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, as well as one count of armed robbery and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Christopher A. Robinson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division; Robert M. DeWitt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami; Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez, III, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD); Manuel A. Morales, Chief of Police, City of Miami Police Department (MPD); and Gadyaces S. Serralta, U.S. Marshal, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), made the announcement.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case and prosecution were carried out by members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The South Florida HIDTA, established in 1990, is made up of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies who, cooperatively, target the region’s drug-trafficking and money laundering organizations. The South Florida HIDTA is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which sponsors a variety of initiatives focused on the nation’s illicit drug trafficking threats.
This investigation, Operation Havana Ghost, is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement.
ATF Miami, MDPD (including the MDPD Street Terror Offender Program (STOP)), MPD, FBI Miami, and U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen D’Angelo and Rilwan Adeduntan are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.
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, under case number 18-cr-20946.
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Twelve Charged with Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On September 21, 2022, a Tucson federal grand jury returned an indictment charging 49 firearms-related offenses against the following individuals:
- Victor Coronado
- Fernando Palomares, Jr.
- Julissa Leonor Torres
- Carlos Fernando Palomares-Leon
- Briana Marie Montpetit
- Karla Romero
- Avery Danelle Gipson
- Kevin Allen Lapedus
- Ray Alberto Laborin
- Elizar Olivares
- Kyle Rene Fazlollah
- Ty-Jhai Damon Grigsby
The indictment alleges that the 12 individuals were members of a Tucson-based firearms trafficking organization. The investigation leading to their indictment involved a series of firearms transactions that resulted in several firearms being seized in the Republic of Mexico.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
All 12 individuals charged in the indictment face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela W. Woolridge, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-02082-RM-EJM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-197 _Coronado, et al.# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Three Charged with Robbery of Postal Service Letter CarrierRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – Nathan Suaste, 19, of West Valley City, Exodus Matua, 18, and Lorenzo Saavedra, 18, both of Saratoga Springs, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of Utah for the robbery of a United States Postal Service (“USPS”) letter carrier. All three defendants have been charged with robbery of property of the United States; using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and theft of a USPS arrow key.
Suaste, Matua, and Saavedra were arrested on October 19, 2022, by U.S. Postal Inspectors and a federal criminal complaint was later filed on October 19, 2022, which charged them with the robbery of a USPS letter carrier in Salt Lake City.
According to the allegations contained in the complaint and law enforcement affidavit, on or about August 19, 2022, Matua and Saavedra, both armed with handguns, approached a USPS letter carrier in the parking lot of a church in Salt Lake City. The two, while brandishing the handguns, demanded that the letter carrier hand over his arrow key, a universal key used by USPS employees who deliver and pick up mail from locked mail collection boxes, outdoor parcel lockers, cluster box units, and apartment panels. While detaching the key, the letter carrier was punched in the face by at least one of the defendants. After taking the key, Matua and Saavedra ran to a Dodge Charger driven by Suaste and the three defendants left the area.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark Hirata from the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the ATF, the Saratoga Springs Police Department, the Salt Lake City Police Department, and the Utah County Major Crimes.
Allegations contained in charging documents are formal accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Texas Police Officer Indicted for Attempting to Entice an 11-Year-Old to Engage in Sexual Activity in FloridaRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Seth Estes Vanover (50, Diana, Texas) with attempting to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Vanover faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, imprisonment, and a potential life term of supervised release. Vanover was arrested on October 12, 2022, at the Longview Police Department in Longview, Texas, where he was at the time employed as a Lieutenant with that department. Vanover’s arraignment in Jacksonville has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents, on July 25, 2022, an undercover FBI agent in Jacksonville began conducting an online undercover operation designed to identify and target adults who were seeking to make contact with and engage in illegal sexual activity with minor children. The undercover agent, who was posing as the parent of an 11-year-old child, posted a notice in a public chat room of an online social messaging app. That day, an individual with the user name “jattleson,” subsequently identified as Vanover, contacted the undercover agent using a private messaging feature on the app. User “jattleson” confirmed that he was “into yung” and sent the undercover agent several photos depicting child erotica and a photo of a nude adult male displaying his genitalia. User “jattleson” and the undercover agent discussed the sexual experience of the 11-year-old “child,” and user “jattleson” stated that he would “love to” meet them in Florida, would “love to be naked with” the “child,” and further used explicit language. User “jattleson” and the undercover agent engaged in more online conversations on August 8, August 10, and September 19, 2022, during which the two discussed, among other things, meeting in Florida so that user “jattleson” could engage in sexual activity with the 11-year-old “child.” User “jattleson” confirmed that the “child” was “open to have sex,” discussed details of the sexual acts that he intended to perform on the “child,” and directed the undercover agent to “[t]alk to [the “child”] about [the intended sexual activity].”
Further investigation by the FBI revealed that the user name “jattleson” had used certain internet protocol (IP) addresses on the social media app during relevant time periods that were assigned to a telephone number subscribed to by the “City of Longview,” with the physical address of the Longview Police Department and the contact name “Seth Vanover.” Other IP addresses used by user “jattleson” on the app during the relevant time period resolved to a hotel in Waco, Texas, where Vanover was a registered guest at that time, Vanover’s residence in Diana, Texas, and a telephone number listed as belonging to “Set E. Vanover” at Vanover’s residential address. This telephone number was the same number used by Vanover on a website for his fishing tour guide business.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and Tyler, Texas, with the assistance and cooperation of the Longview (Texas) Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
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.
Texas Man Sentenced to Prison for $375,000 Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Leonard Theodore Kern, 68, of Plano, Texas, was sentenced today to 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for obstruction of justice involving an investment scheme that cost a West Virginia woman $375,000. Kern must also pay $130,000 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between May 17, 2012, and July 9, 2012, Kern convinced the victim to invest a total of $375,000 in a “Private Placement Platform” with two other individuals. Kern promised a low-risk financial transaction for an exclusive group of investors and an abnormally high rate of return over a period of just two months.
Kern admitted that he knew the victim’s funds were depleted by the middle of 2013, and she would receive no return on her investment. A federal investigation resulted, and grand jury subpoenas were served upon a company owned and controlled by Kern seeking documentation and records related to the investment transactions. Kern admitted that he intentionally obstructed the grand jury investigation by concealing hundreds of documents responsive to the grand jury subpoenas.
Kern further admitted that he personally benefited in the amount of approximately $130,000 from the unauthorized depletion of the victim’s money. Kern bought an expensive personal vehicle, made routine personal debit transactions, and spent the victim’s funds on home mortgage payments.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-183.
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Tennessee Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Tennessee man was sentenced today to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for the distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mario Lavonta Ward, 47, of Memphis, admitted that he sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant for $200 near Beckley on June 8, 2021. Ward further admitted that on that same date, officers executed a search warrant at the residence where the drug transaction had occurred and found additional quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, a firearm, and $6,500 in cash. The cash recovered included the $200 used by the confidential informant to purchase the fentanyl.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Ward knew he was prohibited from possessing the firearm because of a prior felony conviction. Ward agreed to forfeit the firearm and the money.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit is comprised of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-229.
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Ten Men Charged with Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On September 15, 2022, a Tucson federal grand jury returned an indictment charging 51 firearms-related offenses against the following individuals:
- Julian Canastillo
- Daniel Canastillo Molina
- Omar Trujillo, Jr.
- Carlos Martinez
- Nicolas Meraz
- Timothy Scott Waltermire, Jr.
- Tylor Cody Joiner
- Roy Glen Cline III
- Corey Creasia
- David Rey Gonzalez
The indictment alleges that the 10 individuals were members of a Tucson-based firearms trafficking organization. The investigation leading to their indictment involved a series of firearms transactions that resulted in firearms being seized in the Republic of Mexico.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
All 10 individuals charged in the indictment face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela W. Woolridge, Matthew C. Cassell, and Craig Russell, District of Arizona, Tucson, are handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-1857-TUC-JCH-BGM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-196_Trujillo, et al.# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Two Venezuelans Apprehended Near St. Croix Sentenced in Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine on Board a Vessel CaseRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Francisco Rodriguez-Infante, age 28, and Johnny Rodriguez-Rodriguez, age 30, two of eleven Venezuelan nationals apprehended at sea off the coast of St. Croix, were sentenced on October 27, 2022 to 41 months imprisonment followed by 2 years supervised release by U.S. Judge Wilma Lewis on the charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. In addition, they must pay a $100 special assessment fee and are subject to deportation.
According to court documents, on the evening of September 25, 2019, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Donald Horsley intercepted a suspicious 55-foot vessel named La Gran Tormenta displaying Venezuelan nationality indicia approximately 38 nautical miles south of St. Croix. Occupants of the La Gran Tormenta failed to respond to USCG’s efforts to engage in questioning of the crew, and upon detection, the La Gran Tormenta changed course and began jettisoning packages. Crew members from the USCG Cutter Donald Horsley subsequently retrieved two bales from the water. The two jettisoned bales contained packages with brick-shaped objects which were subsequently laboratory tested and found to contain approximately 49 kilograms of cocaine hydrocholoride (powder cocaine).
After requesting and receiving permission to stop the vessel from Venezuela, the flag state, USCG personnel attempted a right-of-visit boarding which was ineffective because crew on the La Gran Tormenta disregarded the USCG’s instructions. Eventually, USCG personnel obtained control of the La Gran Tormenta through use of an entanglement tactic which stopped the vessel’s engine. A USCG counter-drug boarding team later encountered 11 persons, including the defendants.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Customs and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams on the Conviction of Timothy SheaRead the Press Release
"Timothy Shea and his co-defendants orchestrated a crowdfunding scheme to purportedly raise funds to erect a border wall between Mexico and the United States. We Build The Wall’s public campaign promised that 100% of the funds raised would be used to build the wall, which induced over 100,000 victims to donate. Shea and his co-defendants lied. And they stole over $25 million from their victims.
Months ago, this Office stated our belief in the powerful and compelling evidence that showed Shea’s guilt. Today, a unanimous jury has convicted Shea on all counts in the indictment. I commend the prosecutors of this Office for their perseverance in ensuring justice was done."St. Charles County Man Admits Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Charles County on Friday admitted possessing and sharing child pornography online.
James Schoggins, 41, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel to one felony count of possession of child pornography.
Schoggins admitted possessing videos and images on his laptop computer of a teenage girl, dating back to when she was 13 or 14. Schoggins told the minor what type of images and videos to send to him and engaged in sexual communications with her, his plea says.
He also possessed 421 other videos and 148 images of child pornography.
Schoggins sent child pornography via Kik Messenger and recommended a way to share child sexual abuse material. Claiming to be a 17-year-old male, Schoggins communicated via WhatsApp with someone claiming to be 16 and exchanged nude pictures with her.
After Schoggins accessed multiple images containing child pornography on his Snapchat account, Snapchat reported him to the National center for Missing and Exploited Children, triggering an investigation by law enforcement.
Schoggins is scheduled to be sentenced February 3. He could face up to 20 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the St. Charles County Cybercrime Task Force and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is handling 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.
Springfield Man Sentenced for Trafficking Heroin Laced with FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for drug trafficking offenses involving fentanyl.
David Cruz, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to three years in prison and three years of supervised release. On May 23, 2022, Cruz pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
In January 2021, Cruz sold 9,816 bags of fentanyl laced heroin, with a total weight of 120 grams, to a cooperating witness. In March 2021, a total of 55,703 bags – with a combined weight of 600 grams – of fentanyl laced heroin was seized from Cruz.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Holyoke Police Department, and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of Rollins’ Springfield Office prosecuted the case.
Spring Hill Man Found Guilty of Manufacturing and Aiding in Passing of Counterfeit Bills Throughout North FloridaRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Derrick Kamran Collins (31, Spring Hill) has been found guilty of manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes (FRN), aiding and abetting the passing of counterfeit FRN, and possession of counterfeit FRN. Collins faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count and forfeiture of funds that represents the illicit proceeds from the offenses.
According to court documents, from 2017 to March 2019, Collins acted as the source of supply for counterfeit FRN for various individuals throughout the Middle District of Florida. Collins was part of a scheme to pass the counterfeit FRN in order to defraud businesses. After successfully passing counterfeit FRN at businesses, individuals would pay Collins a portion of the proceeds. On March 26, 2019, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that contained multiple people, including Collins, at the River City Marketplace shopping center for suspicion of passing counterfeit FRN. During a search of the vehicle, officers recovered multiple counterfeit $100 FRN throughout the vehicle and in the glove box. Subsequently, law enforcement was able to determine Collins as the source of supply for the counterfeit FRN that were passed by various individuals in the North Florida area, including at the River City Marketplace.
On November 21, 2019, the New Port Richey Police Department (NPRPD)
conducted a traffic stop at approximately 1:00 a.m. on a Dodge Charger driven by the registered owner, Collins. Upon making contact with Collins, law enforcement observed signs of impairment. During a subsequent DUI investigation, Collins refused to participate in field sobriety exercises and was arrested for DUI. During an inventory search in order to tow the vehicle from the area, the NPRPD located several sheets of counterfeit $100 bills in various stages of manufacturing in the trunk of the vehicle, and computer media. In the vehicle’s glove box, officers located completed counterfeit FRN and illicit proceeds from the passing of counterfeit FRN, bundled together.
This prosecution was part of a long-term investigation into counterfeit FRN being passed in the areas of New Port Richey and North Florida. To date, Collins is the fourth individual prosecuted in connection with this activity. In February 2020, Charles Alexander Coriaty, III (Tampa) was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for passing counterfeit FRN supplied by Collins and was ordered to pay restitution to the businesses that he defrauded. In June 2020, Brett Lawrence Rozenburgh (Tampa) was sentenced to 13 months’ imprisonment for passing counterfeit FRN supplied by Collins and was ordered to pay restitution to the businesses that he defrauded. In September 2020, Samantha Jade Falcone (Tampa) was sentenced to 2 years’ federal supervision for passing counterfeit FRN supplied by Collins and was ordered to pay restitution to the businesses that she defrauded.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the New Port Richey Police Department, and the United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Mai Tran.
Spokane Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Senior United States District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson sentenced Bobby Charles Owens, 46, of Spokane, Washington, to 12 years in federal prison for persuading a minor girl to produce sexual images of herself and then meeting her in person for the purpose of engaging in sex with her. Judge Peterson also ordered Owens to serve the remainder of his life on federal supervision after he is released from prison. Owens pleaded guilty earlier this year.
According to court documents and proceedings, Owens used Facebook to solicit the minor girl to engage in sexual misconduct with him. Knowing that the girl was between 14 and 18, Owens met her in person for the purpose of having sex with her, after requesting that she take and send him sexual images of herself. Owens was charged with child sex trafficking and child pornography crimes.
Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, praised the victim’s bravery and commended the FBI’s sensitive and victim-centered approach to its investigation. “Children must be safe from sexual predators, whether they are online or in person,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “FBI and the Spokane Police Department, along with victim specialists and forensic examiners all took care to put the minor’s needs at the forefront of their investigation. Protecting children from harm, especially sexual exploitation online and IRL (in real life), is critical to building a safe and strong Eastern Washington community.”
“It is difficult to think of an act more despicable than victimizing a child,” said Richard Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Seattle Field Office. “I especially appreciate the professionalism of the investigators who worked on this case. I hope today’s sentence provides some comfort to a young person who endured a situation no one should ever have to face.”
Project Safe Childhood Coordinator David M. Herzog added, “Above all, I commend the victim on having the strength to come forward and shine a light on Mr. Owens’ misconduct. Today this strong, brave young woman can turn the page on this chapter in her life and look forward to a bright future.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States 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.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
This case was investigated by the Spokane Resident Office of the FBI, with significant assistance from the Spokane Police Department. The case was prosecuted by David M. Herzog, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm Charges Related to Gun Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that MARQUIS JEROME POLLARD, 42, of Yemassee, South Carolina, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the Spring of 2021, ATF Task Force officers learned that Pollard used straw purchasers to obtain firearms in South Carolina, and sold the firearms in Connecticut. On April 19, 2021, investigators made a controlled purchase of a 9mm Glock handgun and a drum magazine from Pollard and Quinn Mooring in New Haven in exchange for $1,500. The firearm was one of five 9mm handguns that had been purchased by an individual at a pawn shop in Port Royal, South Carolina, in the month prior to the transaction in Connecticut.
Pollard was arrested on May 3, 2021, in South Carolina. At the time of his arrest, he possessed three handguns.
Pollard’s criminal history includes a state felony conviction for second degree burglary, as well as other offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Pollard was charged by indictment in both the District of Connecticut and in the District of South Carolina. The South Carolina case was transferred to Connecticut for further prosecution.
Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for January 20, 2023, at which time Pollard faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Pollard has been detained since his arrest.
On January 13, 2022, Mooring, of New Haven, pleaded guilty of possession of a firearm by a felon. He awaits sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), West Haven Police Department and New Haven Police Department. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman. The South Carolina case was handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carra J. Henderson in the District of South Carolina.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Simulation Training Shows Community Stakeholders What it’s Like for Former Inmates to Reintegrate into SocietyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Many criminal justice professionals have tried this exercise and struggled. It’s not easy, but a recent Re-Entry Simulation training held at Riverside House in Miami gave community stakeholders a look at what it’s like for former inmates trying to make it in society.
Sponsored by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, this simulation used real-life situations to test the patience and resolve of staff from Riverside House (a halfway house), churches, and other non-profit organizations. Each attendee was faced with common hurdles to re-entry such as trying to re-enter the work force, complying with supervision obligations, finding affordable housing, and just getting their lives in order.
Stations such as quick loan, pawn shop, social services, counseling, drug testing, church, career center, and others lined the walls of the conference room and participants had to visit them for either tasks or assistance. The simulation was broken into four 20-minute segments, which equaled four weeks in the life of a returning citizen. All tasks had to be completed each week or the participant wound up in jail.
The difficulty of the simulation came as a surprise to participants.
“The first couple of weeks are very tough,” said Candido Tejado, Riverside House facility director. “It gets better as it progresses but it’s frustrating in the beginning. We were laughing before it started because you know, it’s a simulation, but we ended up getting upset. There was a lot of misinformation and catch-22s. How can you move forward?
Simulation Moderator and Chief of the Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office J.D. Smith gave encouragement to the participants as the weeks played out.
“This is the reality,” he said. “You’re learning first-hand. Welcome to the club. I learned that too. You can do this. Don’t give up on yourself.”
If this is the reality, with the barriers and frustration when trying to re-enter society, it’s no wonder some reoffend. That is why trainings like this are great for community members to experience. Perhaps it will lead to more empathy and the feeling of walking in someone else’s shoes.
“I think the participants learn the barriers and hurdles that our folks face when transitioning back into society,” said Smith. “Society requires you to pay your debt, but when you get out of prison, society makes you pay again. When they get out of prison, society sets up barriers when we should be knocking down those barriers. This is eye opening.”
Riverside House Chief Operating Officer David McSherry did this simulation one time before, but on this day he manned a Career Center table.
“People like me come to work, go home, and live a normal life,” he said. “But Riverside residents cannot come and go as they please. It’s important to see these situations from both sides. We all have the same passion to serve our reintegration population and it’s important to show empathy to those doing that.”
Scranton Man Sentenced to 57 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jean Hernandez, age 33, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 57 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for a drug trafficking offense.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Hernandez previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine. As part of his guilty plea, Hernandez admitted to that in between April and May of 2021, he had knowingly received multiple mail packages each containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine at his Scranton residence, with the intent that the cocaine would later be distributed.
In addition to the fifty-seven-month imprisonment sentence, Judge Mannion ordered Hernandez to serve four years of supervised release upon his release from prison.
The matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Scranton Police Department, and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney James Buchanan prosecuted the case.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Scranton Man Sentenced to 12 Months’ Imprisonment for Passing Counterfeit United States Currency at Luzerne County CasinosRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Askia Riddick, age 25, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for passing counterfeit federal reserve notes.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Riddick passed a total of $1,800 in counterfeit federal reserve notes at the Mohegan Sun Casino and the Mt. Airy Casino between November and December of 2021.
Judge Mannion also ordered that Riddick serve two years of supervised release upon his release from custody, and that Riddick pay $1000 in restitution for related conduct to the Wind Creek Casino located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the New Jersey State Police, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office (NJ), and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Buchanan prosecuted the case.
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Scranton Man Sentenced to 12 Months’ Imprisonment for Passing Counterfeit United States Currency at Luzerne County CasinosRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Askia Riddick, age 25, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for passing counterfeit federal reserve notes.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Riddick passed a total of $1,800 in counterfeit federal reserve notes at the Mohegan Sun Casino and the Mt. Airy Casino between November and December of 2021.
Judge Mannion also ordered that Riddick serve two years of supervised release upon his release from custody, and that Riddick pay $1000 in restitution for related conduct to the Wind Creek Casino located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the New Jersey State Police, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office (NJ), and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Buchanan prosecuted the case.
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San Antonio Woman Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio woman was sentenced on Wednesday to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay $124,780 in restitution for her part in a multi-year tax evasion scheme.
According to court documents, Cynthia J. Moak, 67, evaded paying taxes for 2009 through 2012, by falsifying her income tax returns. Among other methods, Moak applied for non-profit status for one of her companies and then solicited charitable donations that she converted to her use.
On January 14, 2020, Moak pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion.
“Every U.S. taxpayer is obligated to pay their fair share,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Ms. Moak does not get to scam her way out of paying taxes while others follow the law. The sentence of 33 months is indicative of this office’s resolve to address tax evasion, ensure fairness to all taxpayers and protect the U.S. Treasury.”
“While not common, it takes an incredibly deceitful person to perpetuate the type of scam that Cynthia Moak orchestrated,” said Special Agent in Charge, Ramsey E. Covington, of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Houston Field Office. “IRS-CI continues to be relentless in our mission to investigate tax crimes and dismantle these types of illicit scams to bring criminals like Moak to face justice.”
IRS-CI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. Harris prosecuted the case.
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Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty to Charges for Swindling Victims Who Thought They Were Investing in ‘Magic Mike’ Stage ShowRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Rhode Island man has pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges, admitting he defrauded investors out of more than $4.2 million in connection with the “Magic Mike Live” stage show in Las Vegas, the Justice Department announced today.
John A. Santilli Jr., 48, of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, pleaded guilty late Thursday to one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud.
According to his plea agreement, Santilli managed and partly owned Aloris Entertainment, LLC, which acquired an interest – through securities called “Class A Units” – in Mike’s Mobile Detailing, LLC, the company that operates the “Magic Mike Live” stage show, which is based on two “Magic Mike” movies that chronicle the life of a male stripper.
From June 2016 to February 2020, Santilli raised funds from victims by soliciting investments in “Aloris Magic Mike LP,” a different business that he falsely told investors owned the Class A Units. Santilli lied to investors, telling them that, in return for their investment, they would receive “shares” in Aloris Magic Mike LP that corresponded to a particular number of Class A Units and entitled them to a percentage of the profits from “Magic Mike Live.” To bolster his false claims, Santilli used a doctored legal document that made it appear that Aloris Magic Mike LP was a shareholder of Mike’s Mobile Detailing.
Santilli misappropriated a significant portion of his victims’ investments, including by withdrawing more than $1 million at casinos across the United States, where he used investors’ money for gambling. To raise more funds, Santilli falsely told his victims that new investment opportunities had arisen, resulting in Santilli selling shares in his businesses that corresponded to nearly double the number of Class A Units of Mike’s Mobile Detailing that his company actually owned.
In total, Santilli caused approximately $4,258,679 in losses to his victims.
United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin scheduled an April 20 sentencing hearing, at which time Santilli will face a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Alexander B. Schwab of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
Previously Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Machine GunRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A convicted felon pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally possessing a handgun and a “Glock switch” device which allows a semi-automatic handgun to function as an automatic. Glock switches are defined as machine guns under federal law.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
According to court documents, Jeremiah Neal, 30, of Louisville, illegally possessed a handgun equipped with a Glock switch on April 14, 2022. Neal was also a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Neal pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and to illegal possession of a machine gun. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2023, and he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the ATF with the assistance of the Kentucky Department of Probation and Parole.
Assistant United States Attorney Josh Porter is prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Major Role in Beckley-Philadelphia Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Hassan Abdullah, also known as “San,” 28, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to interstate travel with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license. Abdullah admitted to a role in a conspiracy to traffic over 140 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 17, 2020, Abdullah traveled from Philadelphia to Beckley with co-defendants Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh,” Derrick Woodard, also known as “D,” and Shyheem Woodard-Smith, also known as “Peanut” and “Nut,” and obtained firearms that were later sold for a profit in Philadelphia. Abdullah admitted to obtaining these firearms with the other traffickers from a Beckley gun store.
Abdullah further admitted to obtaining over 140 firearms with Jones, Woodard-Smith and Woodard from early 2020 until at least mid-2021. Approximately 45 of those trafficked firearms were recovered at crime scenes primarily in Philadelphia, and have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses.
Abdullah is scheduled to be sentenced on February 10, 2023 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Woodard previously pleaded guilty to interstate travel with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license. Seven other co-defendants have pleaded guilty to making false statements in acquisition of firearms, admitting to making straw purchases in the conspiracy. An additional seven individuals have pleaded guilty to firearms offenses related to the same interstate gun trafficking conspiracy.
“The illegal trafficking of firearms has harmful, real-world consequences both here in the Southern District of West Virginia and in communities throughout our nation,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “This office is committed to halting the flow of illegally obtained firearms and the violence they fuel. I commend the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the ongoing prosecution of this large-scale case by Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani.”
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing.
Jones and co-conspirator Shakyrah Ross are scheduled for trial on November 29, 2022. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-46.
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