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1 December 2022
Baraboo Woman Sentenced to 60 Months for Possessing Methamphetamine for DistributionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Pa Kou Yang, 33, Baraboo, Wisconsin was sentenced on November 17, 2022 by U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 60 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Yang pleaded guilty to this charge on August 12, 2022.
As a part of a long-term investigation, law enforcement officers obtained evidence that Christopher Fernette, Carl Rabe, and Dillan Boydston distributed significant amounts of methamphetamine in western Wisconsin. Investigators also learned that Fernette purchased methamphetamine from multiple people, including a source-of-supply in Minnesota and an individual named Pa Yang.
On February 18, 2021, during a traffic stop by a Crawford County Sheriff’s deputy in Onalaska, Wisconsin, Yang admitted to possessing methamphetamine and turned over approximately 100 grams of methamphetamine.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson told Yang that she adopted a lifestyle of criminal conduct.
On June 29, 2022, Judge William M. Conley sentenced Fernette to 10 years in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Judge Conley also ordered Fernette to forfeit $17,200.
On July 20, 2022, Judge Conley sentenced Rabe to 96 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver.
On November 3, 2022, Judge Conley sentenced Boydston to 84 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
The charges against these defendants were the result of an investigation conducted by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Prairie du Chien Police Department, Richland-Iowa-Grant Task Force, Dakota County (Minnesota) Drug Task Force, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma prosecuted the cases.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks at the White House Tribal Nations SummitRead the Press Release
Good morning. I am very pleased to join you at this year’s Tribal Nations Summit.
I want to thank President Biden for bringing us together today, as well as Secretary Haaland for hosting us. Secretary Haaland has been an indispensable partner to the Justice Department, and I am so grateful for her leadership. I am honored to serve alongside her.
I’m also grateful to the Tribal leaders who have traveled from near and far to attend this Summit.
I deeply appreciate this opportunity to reaffirm the Justice Department’s commitment to honoring and strengthening our nation-to-nation partnerships, and to working together to keep Tribal communities safe.
And I want to reiterate the Justice Department’s intention to approach that work with respect, humility, and sincerity.
At the Justice Department, we know that open and honest dialogue is essential to fulfilling our shared goals.
We welcome opportunities to hear directly from Tribal leaders. We also appreciate the diversity of thought and perspectives among sovereign Tribal nations.
That is why the Department takes seriously our duty to consult with Tribes, and we are committed to making those consultations as productive as possible.
This year, we held six formal consultations, including our 17th Annual Consultation on Violence Against Women. Hosted for the very first time in Alaska, this consultation has had a record number of participants and Tribal leader testimonies.
We also conducted sessions to receive feedback on improving the Department’s longstanding consultation policy.
These discussions produced recommendations for improvement, all of which were accepted and incorporated into an updated Tribal Consultation Policy that I am proud to announce today. This marks the first update to the Consultation Policy since 2013.
We have revised the Policy to explicitly state that consultations need not be limited to one session, or even one concentrated block of sessions. We heard from you that sometimes a more iterative process is needed, and we listened.
We also heard feedback that Tribal leaders may wish to delegate representation for formal consultations or expand representation to include subject matter experts. We have revised the Policy to establish a process for such representations.
I am grateful to the more than 100 Tribal governments that aided our work to update the Consultation Policy.
I am confident that these and other revisions to the Policy will lead to better consultations, to the benefit of Tribal communities everywhere.
Establishing and maintaining strong lines of communication is essential, and it is critical to our shared efforts to address disproportionate rates of violence in Tribal communities.
Native American families and communities have endured persistently high levels of violence.
Women and girls have borne the brunt of that violence.
And the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous People has shattered the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities.
This is unacceptable.
The Justice Department is committed to partnering with Tribal communities, governments, courts, and law enforcement agencies to help reduce crime and support victims.
Our prosecutors and law enforcement components are an essential part of that work.
In July, the Deputy Attorney General directed every one of our U.S. Attorneys with Indian Country jurisdiction to more proactively address both existing and emerging public safety issues in those areas.
As part of that effort, each U.S. Attorney’s Office with Indian Country jurisdiction is working to develop new updated operational plans that aim to better promote public safety in Tribal communities.
This important work is being done alongside the ATF, DEA, FBI, and U.S. Marshals Service, as well as with state, local, Tribal, and territorial agencies. We expect the updated operational plans to be finalized by the end of this year.
Separately, and consistent with our obligations under Savanna’s Act, every U.S. Attorney’s office with Indian Country jurisdiction has developed regionally tailored guidelines specific to cases involving missing or murdered Indigenous People.
Moving forward, these guidelines will be reviewed and updated annually to ensure that they meet the evolving needs of Tribes.
The Department also continues to break down barriers to criminal justice information that Tribes have faced for years.
We are expanding our Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information, or TAP. This program allows Tribal governments to access, enter, and exchange data with national crime information systems, including those maintained by the FBI.
In September, we announced the selection of an additional 16 Tribes that will participate in TAP, bringing the total to 123. During this Administration, we have grown participation in TAP by 23 percent.
And thanks to the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act earlier this year, TAP is now a permanent, required program.
This change will not just improve coordination with law enforcement at every level – it will help keep Tribal communities safe.
Data entered under TAP has resulted in the registration of convicted sex offenders; the entry of domestic violence-related protection orders; the identification and arrest of fugitives; and the prevention of firearm purchases, to name just a few examples.
As the Department prioritizes preventing and disrupting violence in Tribal communities, we are simultaneously working to improve the assistance that victims and witnesses receive in the aftermath of a crime.
This year, our grant-making programs – including the Office on Violence Against Women, the Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services – announced more than $246 million in grants that will support public safety efforts in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
This total – an increase from the last two years – includes more than $116 million awarded through the Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Program. These funds will be used to serve crime victims in almost 200 Tribes and villages.
We also released the newest version of the Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance – the first update in 10 years.
Among other revisions, the new revisions provide additional guidance on how best to assist victims who are members of vulnerable populations. For the first time, this guideline specifically addresses victims from American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
In addition, Marlys Big Eagle, a long-time victims’ services provider in the district of South Dakota, is now serving as the Department’s first Native American Outreach Services Liaison.
In that role, she will work to ensure that victims of crime have a voice during every step of the criminal justice process where the federal government has jurisdiction.
The Justice Department recognizes that addressing the public safety challenges of this moment will require more than just strong partnerships with Tribes.
It will also require greater coordination within the federal government.
We are grateful for our continued partnership with the Department of the Interior. As called for by Executive Order 14053, DOJ coordinated with DOI to develop a comprehensive strategy for preventing and responding to violence against Native Americans.
Now, we are executing that strategy. For example, just this week, the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs entered into a Memorandum of Understanding that updates the operational agreements between these two agencies for the first time since 1993.
This MOU will strengthen information sharing processes and expand avenues for collaboration between the agencies during criminal investigations.
The changes, which reflect Tribal feedback, will make our investigations both more efficient and more effective.
Finally, and in addition to meeting the public safety challenges facing Tribal communities, the Justice Department is ensuring that its civil rights work accounts for Tribal interests.
Protecting the civil rights of all individuals was a founding purpose of the Department. It remains an urgent priority.
For example, earlier this Fall, the Department filed a lawsuit against the owners and operators of a hotel and bar in South Dakota for violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against Native American customers.
The Justice Department is working hard to make good on our commitment to improve the wellbeing of Tribal communities. In just a few minutes, you will hear even more about that from Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, who has been integral to our efforts to support Tribes.
But we know that we cannot do this work without you.
As we fulfill our public safety obligations to Tribal communities, we promise to do so as partners.
This means establishing and maintaining strong lines of communication.
This means listening to you, as leaders of your governments and representatives of your citizens.
And it means incorporating your insights into our processes.
I am grateful for your partnership. I am humbled by your trust. And I am honored to work alongside you as we build a better future.
Thank you very much.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/attorney-general-merrick-b-garland-delivers-remarks-white-house-tribal-nations-summit
Aryan Brotherhood Gang Member Sentenced to 20 Years for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
A meth trafficker was sentenced this week to 20 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Robert Aristotle Pandolfi, a 51-year-old California man living in Texas, pleaded guilty in July to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk.
According to plea papers, on March 11, 2021, a sheriff’s deputy in Amarillo stopped a vehicle in which Mr. Pandolfi was a passenger. A drug detection canine alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle after a free air sniff. Deputies searched the car and located ten bundles of methamphetamine in the car’s spare tire compartment.
In an interview, Mr. Pandolfi – a confirmed member of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang – admitted to buying drugs in California and trafficking them across state lines. He told officers that he had made at least five prior trips to transport methamphetamine.“One of our major investigative efforts is to target individuals and criminal enterprises that peddle illicit narcotics that propel violence and threaten the vitality of the communities in which we live,” said HSI Dallas Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Melton of the Oklahoma/Texas Panhandle Division. “Through our trusted partnerships with local, state and federal law enforcement, we will deploy every available resource to dismantle these organizations, ensuring those involved in pushing these addicting drugs are brought to justice. The conclusion of this case and subsequent sentencing is a direct correlation of the impact of our strength when our law enforcement partners work together.”
The defendant has also been charged by the state of Kentucky with possession of a controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence, drug paraphernalia, speeding, and reckless driving. At Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Judge Kacsmaryk ruled that Mr. Pandolfi’s federal sentence would run consecutive to any sentence imposed in that case. (In the state case, Mr. Pandolfi is presumed innocent until proven guilty.)
Homeland Security Investigations and the Potter County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Pinkham prosecuted the Northern District of Texas case.Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to over 25 Years in Prison for Firearm and Drug Related OffensesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Lorenzo Joshua Johnson, Jr., 41, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced to 27.25 years in federal prison after he was convicted at trial of drug trafficking and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon on April 8, 2022. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“The collaborative efforts of our partners in the Gainesville Gun Violence Initiative continue to produce impactful results, and we will continue working tirelessly to make North Florida safer,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This sentence ensures that our community will be safer and sends a message that there are real and severe consequences for federal firearm offenses.”
Johnson will serve concurrent sentences of 5 years for the Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and 27.25 years for the Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon charges. Johnson’s prison sentence will be followed by 10 years of supervised release
“On behalf of the Gainesville Police Department, I want to express my appreciation to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the successful prosecution of this case,” said Chief Lonnie Scott, Gainesville Police Department. “The collaboration exhibited by the law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation is an exemplar of the power of teamwork. Thank you all for helping to keep our community safe.”
“We are more effective in our efforts to combat gun violence when we work together with our fellow law enforcement partners and will continue to make public safety a number one priority for our community,” said Alachua County Sheriff Clovis Watson, Jr.
On December 5, 2019, detectives with the Gainesville-Alachua County Drug Task Force conducted a surveillance operation in the Porter’s neighborhood in Gainesville, Florida, after receiving citizen complaints about narcotics activity. These complaints included specific information about Johnson being one of the primary drug dealers in the neighborhood. During the surveillance operation that day, detectives observed Johnson engaging in hand-to-hand transactions and collecting cash from other street-level dealers. They also observed Johnson to be wearing a distinctive backpack and driving a white Chevrolet Impala. Towards the end of the surveillance operation, detectives called in marked patrol units to detain several suspects who had been observed engaging in suspected drug transactions, to include Johnson. A search of Johnson’s person revealed over $600 cash and the key to the white Chevrolet Impala he had been seen driving. Johnson was arrested that day for driving on a suspended driver’s license, he bonded out of jail while the investigation into the Impala was still ongoing.
A certified narcotics detection K-9 conducted an open-air sniff of the Impala, which was parked nearby, and positively alerted to the odor of narcotics. The Impala was towed and later searched pursuant to a search warrant. During the search, detectives located the backpack Johnson had been wearing and discovered it to contain a loaded Bersa 9 millimeter pistol with cocaine residue on the slide, two bags containing about one ounce of marijuana, a small baggie containing crack cocaine, a baggie containing over ten grams of tablets (later determined to contain a mixture of methamphetamine and Eutylone), two smart phones, empty baggies, digital scales, and personal documents belonging to Johnson. One latent fingerprint recovered from one of the digital scales was identified to Johnson. Detectives confirmed that Johnson is a multi-time convicted felon. An arrest warrant was obtained for state charges relating to the drugs and firearm recovered from the Impala, and it remained outstanding until Johnson was arrested on November 10, 2020. At that point, the case was brought to the attention of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms adopted the case for federal prosecution and conducted additional investigation, to include execution of a federal search warrant for Johnson’s DNA, which was compared to DNA recovered from the Bersa firearm by an analyst at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. A mixed DNA profile recovered from the firearm was determined to include Johnson as a possible contributor. Johnson had multiple prior felony convictions, including Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Sell, Sale of Cocaine, Possession of Cocaine x2, Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer x2, Resisting an Officer with Violence x2, Child Abuse, Burglary Structure, Felony Criminal Mischief, and Felony Driving on Suspended License. Johnson had served two state prison sentences, including seven years in prison from 2010 to 2017. Johnson was determined to qualify as an Armed Career Criminal, which provided for an enhanced sentence, including a fifteen-year minimum mandatory term of imprisonment.
This sentencing resulted from the collaborative work of the Gainesville Police Department, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Elsey.
The Gainesville GVI was established in April 2019, by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida in an effort to stem the escalating gun violence in Gainesville and the surrounding area. As GVI partners, the State Attorney’s Office for the Eight Judicial Circuit, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Gainesville Police Department, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Alachua Police Department, the University of Florida Police Department, and the Florida Department of Corrections share this commitment to protecting public safety.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Arizona Man Charged with Shipping More Than 1 Kilogram of Fentanyl Pills Through the U.S. MailRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – An Arizona man was charged on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022, in a six-count superseding indictment related to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that sought to distribute and possess over 1 kilogram of fentanyl tablets designed to look like oxycodone pills in the Northern Ohio area.
Solomon Odubajo, 37, of Tempe, Arizona, was officially charged in the superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Odubajo’s co-conspirator in the drug trafficking scheme, Laysalle Scales, 24, of Cleveland, Ohio, previously pleaded guilty in July 2022 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 70 months in prison.
According to court documents, in April 2022, Postal Inspectors with the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) obtained a search warrant for a parcel suspected of containing drugs that had been mailed from Arizona to a residence in Garfield Heights, Ohio. Investigators searched the package and found it to contain over 1 kilogram of fentanyl tablets designed to look like oxycodone pills.
Authorities launched an investigation into the origins of the parcel and determined that Odubajo had mailed it from Arizona and then traveled to Ohio to retrieve it. During his arrest, Odubajo was found to be in possession of a firearm, and evidence confirmed that Odubajo’s DNA was also present on the firearm. Odubajo is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous conviction for drug trafficking in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.
The case against Odubajo is scheduled to be tried before a federal jury on March 20, 2023.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James P. Lewis.
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Allentown Man Stopped by PSP on I-80 Sentenced for Possessing CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Luis Morales was sentenced to five years (60 months) in prison for possessing with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Morales, age 48, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. Judge Ranjan ordered that Morales serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Morales possessed with intent to distribute 1,987 grams of cocaine in a car travelling on Interstate 80 westbound in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 10, 2020. The cocaine was found during a traffic stop conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police. Morales was on state parole at that time following a 2017 Pennsylvania state conviction and 3-year to 6-year prison sentence for cocaine trafficking.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller and Special Assistant United States Attorney/Mercer County Assistant District Attorney Shane T. Crevar prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pennsylvania State Police and the Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation leading to the conviction and sentence in this case.
30 November 2022
Wolf Point woman admits role in kidnapping and assault of minor girl on Fort Peck Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Wolf Point woman suspected in the 2021 kidnapping and assault of a minor girl in Wolf Point, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, today admitted to her role in the kidnapping, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Lavanchie Patricia Goodbird, 30, pleaded guilty to kidnapping of an individual under 18. Goodbird faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and not less than five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Chief Judge Morris set sentencing for April 6 and continued Goodbird’s detention.
The government alleged in court documents, that on Sept. 15, 2021 in Wolf Point, a group of individuals lured a 15-year-old girl out of her house and kidnapped her. That evening, after drinking alcohol, Goodbird drove the group to the victim’s house. Goodbird was under the impression that the group was going to the victim’s house so that one of the individuals in the group could fight the victim. The victim was lured out of the house and the situation escalated. Some of the individuals in the group assaulted the victim in her front yard. When eyewitnesses yelled that they were going to call the police, some of individuals kidnapped the victim because they wanted to continue assaulting her. Goodbird drove the vehicle and transported the victim to a vacant lot where some in group beat the victim again.
Five other codefendants have pleaded not guilty to charges and are pending trial. The codefendants are Cheri Cruz Granbois, Elmarie Amelia Weeks, Dylan Troy Jackson, Kaylee Jade Jackson and Patti Jo Annunciata Mail.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy A. Johnson is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Fort Peck Law Enforcement, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office and Wolf Point Police Department.
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Wolf Point man arraigned on kidnapping of a minor, assault chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Wolf Point man suspected in the kidnapping and assault of a minor girl in Wolf Point, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, was arraigned today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Dylan Troy Jackson, 21, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with kidnapping of an individual under 18, assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a minor. The indictment alleges that on Sept. 15, 2021 in Wolf Point, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Jackson, along with codefendants, kidnapped and assaulted an individual identified as Jane Doe, who was under the age of 18. If convicted of the most serious crime, Jackson faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and not less than five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Jackson was detained pending further proceedings.
The FBI, Fort Peck Law Enforcement, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office and Wolf Point Police Department investigated the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
PACER case reference. 22-77.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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West Palm Beach Man and Others Indicted for Laundering Gambling and Prostitution Proceeds and Evading TaxesRead the Press Release
MIAMI— A federal magistrate judge has unsealed an 18-count superseding indictment charging West Palm Beach, Fla., resident Dion De Cesare, 52, and five others with operating an illegal sports gambling business, conspiracy to use cellular telephones to carry out gambling and prostitution activities, conspiracy and substantive money laundering, and evading taxes.
The superseding indictment alleges that from around April 2008 and continuing to around November 2022, De Cesare and his front company, HERE LLC, used two commercial establishments, Whispers All Girls Staff and NXT, both of which provided an array of prostitution services to customers.
In addition, from May 2015 through September 2021, De Cesare allegedly conspired with others, including his co-defendants Josh Peasley, 62, of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Kelly Lizza, 41, of West Palm Beach, to operate a sports gambling business through dldsportsbook.com, a website out of Costa Rica where wagers on sporting events take place.
The superseding indictment also alleges that from 2011 to 2017, De Cesare owned Renegades, a restaurant and nightclub in West Palm Beach where between 2011 and 2013, and 2015 to 2016, he and his business partner failed to pay personal and payroll taxes which resulted in a substantial amount of tax debt due.
De Cesare allegedly conspired with Peasley, Lizza, and co-defendants Aundrey Aarons, 41, and Mark Paolantonio, 62, both of West Palm Beach, to launder his gambling proceeds by having gamblers who owed him money pay through third party entities and individuals. Nine West Palm Beach properties and one vehicle are subject to criminal forfeiture according to the superseding indictment.
De Cesare faces up to 50 years in prison for gambling, prostitution and money laundering. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is a charging instrument containing allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office; Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO); and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI, West Palm Beach Office; IRS-CI, Miami Field Office; and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Dispoto and Trial Attorney Francesca Bartolomey from the Tax Division at the Department of Justice are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Laserna and William Zloch are handling asset forfeiture.
You may find related court documents and information 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.
West Haven Man Admits Attempting to Travel to the Middle East to Join and Fight for ISISRead the Press Release
AHMAD KHALIL ELSHAZLY, 25, of West Haven, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham(ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Special Agent in Charge David Sundberg of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in approximately September 2018, Elshazly, a U.S. citizen, expressed a desire to travel to Syria and the surrounding area to fight on behalf of ISIS. In numerous conversations online and in person, he pledged allegiance to ISIS and its leader, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. For example, in October 2019, Elshazly sent a message pledging allegiance (bayat) to the new leader of ISIS, saying “I pledge my allegiance...to the Khilafah (the successor of the leadership) of the Muslims Abu Ibrahim Al Husseini Al Hashami Al Qurashi…” (after Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi’s death).
On December 14, 2019, Elshazly paid $500 to a person he believed was an ISIS facilitator who would be able to smuggle him out of the U.S. to Turkey. He further believed that travelling to Turkey would enable him to connect with ISIS members overseas who, in turn, would assist him with traveling to ISIS within Syria. On December 15, 2019, Elshazly was arrested after he arrived in Stonington, Connecticut, where he expected to board a boat to begin his trip.
“There is no higher priority than the security of our nation,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “My office works closely with our law enforcement partners to prevent and apprehend those who wish to cause violence and other harm, both in the U.S. and abroad, before they are successful. Much of this vitally important work is done behind the scenes and without public recognition. I thank the FBI’s JTTF and all the agencies involved in this investigation.”
“Today, the diligent efforts of law enforcement has culminated in a guilty plea of a conspirator of potential terrorist crimes against the people of the United States,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sundberg. “Our top priority of the FBI remains the disruption of would be terrorists and the havoc they attempt to cause here and abroad. Justice has been served.”
Elshazly has been detained since his arrest. The charge of conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
This matter has been investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) with the assistance of the Stonington Police Department, New Haven Police Department and Connecticut State Police. The FBI’s JTTF includes participants from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department, Norwich Police Department, Hartford Police Department, Stamford Police Department, Norwalk Police Department, Town of Groton Police Department, UConn Police Department, Yale Police Department, and New York Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret M. Donovan and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and Daniel Gardner of from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Waterbury Man Charged with Theft of Pandemic Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that OLAJUWON HARRINGTON, also known as “OJ Harrington,” 30, of Waterbury, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with fraud and identity theft offenses related to his alleged theft of pandemic unemployment benefits.
Harrington appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and was released on a $50,000 bond.
As alleged in court documents, in March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was signed into law. The CARES Act created a new temporary federal unemployment insurance program for pandemic unemployment assistance (“Pandemic Unemployment Assistance”). Pandemic Unemployment Assistance provided unemployment insurance (“UI”) benefits for employed individuals who are not eligible for other types of UI due to their employment status. The CARES Act also created a new temporary federal program called Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (“FPUC”) that provided additional weekly benefits to those eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or regular UI. The Connecticut Department of Labor (CT-DOL) administers UI benefits for residents of Connecticut.
It is alleged that, using identifying information of real persons (“victims”) without their knowledge, Harrington and/or others submitted to CT-DOL numerous fraudulent applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. Relying on the applications, CT-DOL awarded unemployment assistance in the form of debit cards in the names of the victims and mailed the debit cards to addresses provided in the applications. Thereafter, Harrington obtained the debit cards issued in victims’ names and unlawfully used the cards for his own benefit.
The complaint charges Harrington with access device fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, and aggravated identify theft, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General and the Connecticut Department of Labor. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
United States and State of Wisconsin Reach Settlement with Container Life Cycle Management on Air Emissions and Waste Management ViolationsRead the Press Release
The United States and State of Wisconsin announced a settlement with Container Life Cycle Management LLC (CLCM) today that addresses Clean Air Act (CAA) and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) violations at the company’s container reconditioning facilities in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, area. The company will pay a $1.6 million civil penalty to be split evenly between the United States and the State.
In a complaint filed with the proposed settlement, the United States alleged violations of the CAA, most notably at CLCM’s St. Francis facility, for failure to control emissions of volatile organic compounds as required by the EPA-approved Wisconsin state implementation plan. The complaint also alleges RCRA violations related to storage and handling of hazardous waste at the company’s facilities in St. Francis and Oak Creek, Wisconsin and its then-operating facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“Today’s settlement benefits public health and the environment by ensuring proper handling of hazardous wastes at Container Life Cycle Management’s container reconditioning facilities and will significantly limit harmful emissions of volatile organic compounds,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
“Today’s settlement will help us protect nearby residents and improve the region’s air quality,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This is a good example of EPA working cooperatively with our state partners to ensure environmental compliance and secure emissions reductions.”
Highlights of the settlement include:
- The company has installed and must continuously operate a regenerative thermal oxidizer to control air emissions of volatile organic compounds at the St. Francis facility. The company will also construct additional emissions capture systems within the facility and conduct performance testing.
- At the Oak Creek facility, the company must install and continuously operate a new digital data recorder to record the temperature of the drum reclamation furnace afterburner. The company must maintain the afterburner temperature at or above 1,650 degrees and conduct performance testing.
- The company must implement a container management plan, or CMP, for a two-year period established by the consent decree. The CMP provides for storage of heavy and non-empty containers in RCRA-compliant hazardous waste storage areas. Certain reporting requirements continue beyond the initial two-year period.
The proposed settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. To view the consent decree or to submit a comment, visit https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI Seeking to Identify Potential Victims in Connection with Online Child Exploitation CaseRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) are seeking to identify potential victims of an online child exploitation scheme which originated in Northeast Louisiana in 2021.
The defendant in this investigation, Gary Landon Harper, has been charged by federal indictment with production of child pornography, under 18 U.S.C. § 2251, receipt of child pornography, under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2), possession of child pornography, under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B), and enticement of a minor, under 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). The defendant may also be known by the following online usernames: “lilharp,” “oleharp,” “Millwright2011,” and “olecountry1234.” The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
If you, your family member, or anyone that you know has had contact with this individual or any of the above-listed usernames while using the online applications Snapchat or Cash App between 2019 and 2021, please contact the FBI via email at: [email protected].
For additional resources and information, please visit: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/sextortion.
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Two Men Sentenced to Life for Shootout on Crowded San Francisco Street That Killed One and Injured FourRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Robert Manning and Jamare Coats were sentenced today to life in federal prison for a murder committed in a March 23, 2019, shootout in front of San Francisco’s Fillmore Heritage Center that also wounded four innocent bystanders, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge William Alsup.
Manning, 31, and Coats, 29, both of San Francisco, were each convicted by a federal jury on August 15, 2022, of murder in aid of racketeering and of being a felon in possession of a firearm. At trial, evidence showed that Manning and Coats were active members of an established criminal street gang called Mac Block. The gang operated in San Francisco’s Western Addition, and its members engaged in racketeering activities, including murder, attempted murder, robbery, drug dealing, and other crimes. Evidence at trial established that Mac Block qualified as a criminal racketeering enterprise under the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering Activity (VICAR) statute.
The trial evidence focused on the events of the evening of March 23, 2019, outside of the Fillmore Heritage Center located in San Francisco’s Fillmore District. Manning and Coats, each a prior convicted felon, were armed with firearms at the time. On a crowded sidewalk in front of the Heritage Center, Coats and an associate engaged in a shootout with the murder victim, a young man, which involved the firing of at least 24 shots. Coats and the associate, with the aid of Manning, shot and killed the victim. During the shootout, four bystanders who were not involved in the dispute were struck by bullets.
In memorandums filed for sentencing, the government detailed the evidence at trial of the murder. On the evening of the murder, Manning and Coats and other Mac Block members and associates were inside the Heritage Center where a funeral repass was occurring. The victim acted disrespectfully towards them, branding a firearm and threatening Mac Block members and associates. Manning became the most agitated in response. He, Coats, and others left the Center and hurried several blocks south to parked cars. Manning opened his car, provided the associate with a semi-automatic pistol and kept an automatic Glock firearm for himself. Coats continued to his own car parked nearby in Mac Block territory and drove it to the Heritage Center, where he parked. Manning stormed back to the front of the Heritage Center and angrily pushed towards the victim, fighting to get past peacemakers who were trying to resolve the conflict. Coats got out of his car carrying a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol and approached. The peacemakers attempted to push Coats back as he pushed forward towards the victim. Coats, Manning, and the associate were able to spread out around the victim. The victim fired a shot, and Coats ducked into an alcove. The associate exchanged gunfire with the victim. The victim went to the ground, and the associate ran. Coats then began shooting at the victim. He fired four shots in quick succession at the victim, paused several seconds, then fired two more times. The six shots fired by Coats all occurred after the victim and the associate had both stopped shooting.
The victim did not survive his wounds. One uninvolved bystander who was shot in the crossfire is now paralyzed from the waist down and expected to remain so for life. Three other innocent passersby were shot. Victim impact statements illustrate that despite surviving “minor” gunshot wounds, the shooting dramatically changed lives of some passersby and those of their families.
Coats was convicted of committing a VICAR murder as a principal, and Manning was convicted of aiding and abetting the VICAR murder. For their VICAR murder convictions, each defendant faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison. U.S. District Judge Alsup also sentenced them to 10 years for each defendant’s felon in possession of a firearm conviction, with those sentences running concurrent to their life sentences. The defendants were in custody at their sentencing hearings and will begin to serve their sentences immediately.
The Organized Crime Strike Force of the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Francisco Police Department.
Two Kentucky Real Estate Professionals Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging Farmland AuctionRead the Press Release
Two Kentucky real estate professionals pleaded guilty today for their roles in a conspiracy to rig bids at an estate auction for farmland and timber rights.
According to a plea agreement filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Barry Dyer and Mackie Shelton pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to rig bids at a 2018 auction for hundreds of acres of farmland and a tract of timber rights. Dyer and Shelton demanded and accepted a $40,000 payoff from competing auction participants to stop bidding, artificially suppressing the sales price of the farmland.
“The farming industry is vital to the nation’s economy and relies on competitive pricing for the land where crops are grown. Today’s guilty pleas help ensure the integrity of farmland auctions,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “With support from our law enforcement partners, the Antitrust Division will continue to hold accountable anyone who conspires to line their own pockets at the expense of this competitive process.”
“American farmers are part of the backbone of our country’s economy, and they deserve to run their businesses in a fair market, untainted by corruption,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to protecting the farming industry from bid rigging and other schemes that undermine the success of others and the spirit of competition.”
Dyer and Shelton were charged with a single-count violation of the Sherman Act. A criminal violation of the Sherman Act carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine. A federal district court judge will determine the defendants’ sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated and prosecuted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Section, with the assistance of the FBI’s International Corruption Unit and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky. 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.
Two Kentucky Real Estate Professionals Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging Farmland AuctionRead the Press Release
Two Kentucky real estate professionals pleaded guilty today for their roles in a conspiracy to rig bids at an estate auction for farmland and timber rights.
According to a plea agreement filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Barry Dyer and Mackie Shelton pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to rig bids at a 2018 auction for hundreds of acres of farmland and a tract of timber rights. Dyer and Shelton demanded and accepted a $40,000 payoff from competing auction participants to stop bidding, artificially suppressing the sales price of the farmland.
“The farming industry is vital to the nation’s economy and relies on competitive pricing for the land where crops are grown. Today’s guilty pleas help ensure the integrity of farmland auctions,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “With support from our law enforcement partners, the Antitrust Division will continue to hold accountable anyone who conspires to line their own pockets at the expense of this competitive process.”
“American farmers are part of the backbone of our country’s economy, and they deserve to run their businesses in a fair market, untainted by corruption,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to protecting the farming industry from bid rigging and other schemes that undermine the success of others and the spirit of competition.”
Dyer and Shelton were charged with a single-count violation of the Sherman Act. A criminal violation of the Sherman Act carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine. A federal district court judge will determine the defendants’ sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated and prosecuted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Section, with the assistance of the FBI’s International Corruption Unit and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky. 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.
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Two Central Wisconsin Men Charged with Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned an indictment today charging Devin Needham, 36, Wausau, Wisconsin, and Ari Lor, 30, Appleton, Wisconsin, with possessing methamphetamine for distribution. The indictment is announced by United States Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea.
The indictment charges Needham and Lor with possessing 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that they possessed the methamphetamine on June 20, 2022. Lor were arrested on that day in Wausau, and Needham was arrested in Wausau on August 23, 2022. They are in custody at the Marathon County Jail.
If convicted, Needham and Lor face a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison. The charge against them is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of investigators from the FBI, Marathon County Sheriff's Office, Wausau Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin State Patrol, Everest Metro Police Department, and Wisconsin’s National Guard Counterdrug Program, with assistance from the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group and the Marathon County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner is handling the prosecution.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Tucson Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Yesterday, United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps sentenced Oscar Sun Acuna, Jr., 36, of Tucson, Arizona, to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Additionally, Acuna forfeited a .40 caliber handgun and ammunition. Acuna previously pleaded guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death in connection with the overdose death of a young woman in May 2020.
In May 2020, Acuna sold two pills containing fentanyl to the victim and her boyfriend for $30. At his arrest, the defendant was in possession of a loaded handgun, 73 fentanyl pills, hundreds of dollars in cash, and Narcan.
In a press release earlier this month, the DEA announced as part of its One Pill Can Kill public service campaign, that six out of every 10 fentanyl-laced pills tested so far in 2022 contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl (https://www.dea.gov/alert/dea-laboratory-testing-reveals-6-out-10-fentanyl-laced-fake-prescription-pills-now-contain).
Homeland Security Investigations and the Tucson Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefani Hepford, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-01564-TUC-JGZ (MSA)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-219_Acuna# # #
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.
Troy Sex Offender Sentenced for Attempting to Entice a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Lawrence Belcher, age 37, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 188 months in prison for attempting to coerce and entice a child to engage in sexual acts with him. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
In previously pleading guilty, Belcher admitted that between January and April 2022, he sent sexually explicit text messages to someone he believed to be a 13-year-old boy. Belcher asked to meet the child in person in order to engage in sexual acts with the child in his car. On April 14, 2022, Belcher traveled to a motel parking lot in Schenectady County in order to meet and have sex with the child. Belcher was encountered by law enforcement upon his arrival and arrested; he has been in custody since April 14.
Belcher has a prior misdemeanor conviction for sexually abusing a child younger than 14 years old, and was a registered sex offender at the time of his arrest in April. He also has two misdemeanor convictions for failing to comply with New York State sex offender registry requirements.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release to begin after Belcher is released from prison. Belcher will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes FBI Special Agents and members of state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Rotterdam and Colonie Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Barnett as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Lying About Origin of Chinese-Made ProductsRead the Press Release
A Grand Prairie man pleaded guilty Wednesday to lying to the federal government about where his company’s products were manufactured, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Suhaib Allababidi, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. His company, 2M Solutions Inc., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of filing false or misleading export information.
According to court documents, Mr. Allababidi, the owner and president of 2M, admitted that the company – which provided security cameras, solar-powered light towers, digital video recorders, and other electronics to various U.S. government agencies – claimed that its products were manufactured in the United States, when in actuality they were manufactured in the People’s Republic of China by Chinese companies.
In order to secure contracts with U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security, Mr. Allababidi represented that 2M was “a USA Manufacturing Company.” In actuality, 2M did little to no manufacturing but instead regularly purchased products from Chinese companies, removed labels indicating the true country of origin, and replaced them with labels indicating they were manufactured in 2M’s Grand Prairie facility. On its packaging, 2M included logos including the American flag in the shape of a map of the U.S. and the words “Made in the USA.”
By falsely representing that its products were manufactured in the United States, 2M was able to secure contracts subject to the Buy America Act (BAA), a law which generally prohibits United States Government agencies from purchasing products made outside the United States with some limited exceptions.
2M repeatedly certified to the government that its products were BAA-compliant and took various steps to conceal their Chinese origin. On one occasion, when products were to be shipped directly from a Chinese company to the government agency, a 2M employee sent the Chinese company an email reminding them, “we do not want any Chinese characters or stickers on the shipment” and adding that such stickers “will cause many problems for us.”
2M also pled guilty to submitting false information in relation to products exported to foreign customers. In contravention of export laws, the company submitted false information to the Automated Export System, a government-run platform that collects export information and distributes it to multiple federal agencies to assure compliance. The company falsified the description of items exported, misrepresented the ultimate recipient of the items, and falsely stated that no export license was needed for shipments that required a license.
“The federal government takes pride in purchasing products made in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “This defendant’s lies undermined the Buy America Act and with it, American manufacturing.”
“Today's outcome demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the DoD procurement process,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory P. Shilling, DCIS Southwest Field Office. “We will continue to aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who put the DoD supply chain at risk.”
Mr. Allababidi now faces up to five years in federal prison. 2M faces fines of up to $1 million or twice the amount of criminally-derived property, whichever is greater.
The Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the U.S. Department of Commerce - Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, the General Services Administration’s Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Weimer prosecuted the case with the assistance of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Team Telecom Recommends the FCC Deny Application to Directly Connect the United States to Cuba Through Subsea CableRead the Press Release
The Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector, aka Team Telecom or the Committee, today recommended that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) deny an application by ARCOS-1 USA Inc. and A.SurNet Inc. subsea cable system (ARCOS-1 Cable System) to modify the system by adding an additional segment directly connected to the United States through a new landing station in Cojimar, Cuba.
“The United States supports an open, interoperable, secure, and reliable internet around the world, including in Cuba. Unfortunately, the Cuban government does not share that view,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “As long as the Government of Cuba poses a counterintelligence threat to the United States, and partners with others who do the same, the risks to our critical infrastructure are simply too great.”
As submitted to the FCC, the ARCOS-1 Cable System application would have allowed for the only direct, commercial subsea cable connection between the United States and Cuba. This raised national security concerns, as the cable-landing system in Cuba would be owned and controlled by Cuba’s state-owned telecommunications monopoly, Empresa de Telecommunicaciones de Cuba S.A. (ETECSA). The Government of Cuba – which the United States recognizes as authoritarian and a foreign adversary of the United States – could access sensitive U.S. data traversing the new cable segment through its control of ETECSA.
The Committee’s recommendation was based on factors including the following:
- The Government of Cuba has long represented a significant counterintelligence threat to the United States by virtue of its espionage and other intelligence activities targeting the United States. Directly connecting an undersea cable from the United States to Cuba, where a Cuban state-owned company would have exclusive use of the cable, control over that cable’s Cuban landing station, and remote access to traffic on it, could advance the Cuban government’s intelligence objectives by giving it direct access to the U.S. persons’ communications and sensitive data traversing the cable.
- This risk of access is not limited to U.S. traffic destined for Cuba. There are several ways in which traffic destined for places outside Cuba, which otherwise would not traverse Cuban networks, could nonetheless be misrouted by ETECSA or otherwise re-routed over this cable into Cuban territory and the Cuban government’s hands.
- These risks are exacerbated by the Cuban government’s relationships with other foreign adversaries, including the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation. The Cuban government could share any information collected from this cable with those foreign adversaries – thereby advancing additional counterintelligence efforts by foreign adversaries against the United States.
Subsea fiber optic cable systems are a critical national security asset and carry most of the world’s internet, voice and data traffic between continents. Although the United States supports the Cuban people’s access to an open, interoperable, secure, and reliable internet, the Committee found that this particular license application pertains to a cable landing that presents unacceptable risks to U.S. national security and law enforcement interests that cannot be mitigated.
The Committee was established pursuant to Executive Order 13913 and is led by the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Foreign Investment Review Section. The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense are fellow members of the Committee. The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration filed the recommendation on behalf of the Executive Branch.
More information concerning the Committee’s recommendation is available on the FCC’s International Bureau Filing System (IBFS), under Docket Number SCL-MOD-20210928-00039
St. Louis County Woman Sentenced to 2+ Years in Prison, Ordered to Repay $357,000 in Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Wednesday sentenced a woman from St. Louis County, Missouri to 27 months in prison for committing a $357,000 fraud involving a pandemic relief program.
Judge Pitlyk also ordered Rose Ann Shaw, 65, of Ladue, to repay the money, which she had fraudulently obtained via Paycheck Protection Program loans. The PPP loans were designed to help save jobs at small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shaw lied about the number of employees and the companies’ payroll in her applications on behalf of three companies that she’d set up.
On May 11, 2020, Shaw applied for a PPP loan on behalf of Shaw Investments LLC, falsely claiming it had seven employees and an average monthly payroll of $44,400. She received a $111,000 loan.
On May 29, 2020, Shaw submitted a PPP loan application on behalf of Shaw Brokerage Real Estate Investment Firm LLC, falsely claiming the company had seven employees and an average monthly payroll of $54,256. She received a $135,638 loan.
In August of 2020, Shaw submitted an application for Vision LLC, falsely claiming it also had seven employees and an average monthly payroll of $44,400. She got another $111,000.
Shaw pleaded guilty on February 28 to one count of bank fraud.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll prosecuted the case.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 5+ Years in Prison for Soliciting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge U.S. District Ronnie L. White on Wednesday sentenced a man from St. Louis County, Missouri who sought nude pictures from an undercover police officer to five years and three months in prison.
Robert L. Payne, 77, will also be on supervised release for life after he gets out of prison and has been banned from parks, playgrounds and other places where children gather.
Payne had repeatedly been watching and trying to talk to boys at Fenton City Park, 1215 Larkin Williams Road. St. Louis County police responded to complaints about Payne, and spotted Payne at the park each day between March 1 and 4, 2021. On March 2nd, Payne moved his vehicle in the park about eighteen times, including backing into a space to allow him to watch the Lindbergh High School boys’ lacrosse team practice. On March 3, Payne tried to talk to about 10 to 12 young males near the basketball courts.
On March 8, 2021, a police officer pretending to be a 16-year-old played basketball at the park and then used a trashcan near Payne, who was sitting in his parked red 2003 Ford Ranger. Payne began talking to the officer, offered to perform oral sex on him and gave the officer his contact information.
Payne later contacted the officer and repeatedly offered to engage in sex acts with him before requesting a picture of the purported teen’s genitals.
Payne pleaded guilty in August to a felony charge of solicitation of child pornography.
In 2018, the Sunset Hills Police Department investigated Payne over allegations that he’d approached a 16-year-old male at Minnie Ha Ha Park and offered to perform oral sex on him. Payne later pleaded guilty to a harassment charge and was ordered to stay away from the park.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting 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. 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.
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Retaliatory Drug MurderRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Wednesday sentenced a man from St. Louis County to 25 years in prison for a retaliatory drug murder in 2020.
Cevone Weeden, now 26, fired at least 12 shots at Joel Phillips, 22, in the parking lot of a McDonald’s at 1420 Hampton Avenue in St. Louis on August 20, 2020.
Weeden’s co-defendant, Herschell Perkins, 37, was sentenced November 2 to 15 years in prison.
Two days before the murder, Phillips arranged to buy fentanyl from Weeden, his source of supply of the drug, but instead robbed him and then blocked Weeden’s phone number.
Weeden enlisted another person to call Phillips and arrange to buy fentanyl to lure Phillips out into the open so Weeden could retaliate.
Perkins drove Weeden to the McDonald’s and the pair watched Phillips for nearly two hours. Perkins then picked Weeden up after the murder.
Phillips was found dead in the driver’s seat of his vehicle, along with $1,814 in cash, a gun, a phone and 156 capsules containing a mixture of drugs including the fentanyl Phillips stole from Weeden.
Weeden and Perkins both pleaded guilty on August 1. Weeden pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime that resulted in the death of Phillips. Perkins pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the firearm charge.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Spencer Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Spencer man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Worcester to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Joseph Michael Smith, 60, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography before U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni who scheduled sentencing for March 6, 2023. Smith was arrested and charged in November 2021 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2022.
Investigators received several tips that CSAM was shared from messenger accounts tied to Smith’s address. During a search of Smith’s residence on Nov. 10, 2021, a USB drive was seized, and a forensic analysis revealed 35 videos depicting children as young as two-years-old being sexually abused, as well as over 300 images on child sexual exploitation that had downloaded to, and deleted from, the USB drive.
The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Spencer Police Chief David Darrin made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
South Burlington Man Pleads Not Guilty to Felon in Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Andrew Lane, 36, of South Burlington, was arraigned yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington on an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of two firearms. Lane pleaded not guilty. Chief U.S. District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford ordered that Lane be held without bail pending trial.
According to court records, on October 14, 2022, law enforcement executed federal search warrants for the Lane’s South Burlington residence, a Burlington apartment, and Lane’s 2017 BMW 540i. From a hidden compartment beneath the center console of the BMW, which was parked next to Lane’s South Burlington residence, law enforcement recovered two loaded firearms: a semi-automatic 9mm handgun and a .38 caliber revolver. Lane is prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of his prior felony convictions. In the search of the South Burlington residence, law enforcement also recovered approximately $36,000 in U.S. currency.
The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the indictment is merely an accusation and that Lane is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.
If convicted, Lane faces up to fifteen years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, and recognized the helpful assistance of the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force, South Burlington Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Burlington Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
Lane is represented by Michael J. Straub, Esq. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew C. Gilman.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn
South Burlington Man Charged with Making a False Statement in Connection with Acquisition of Handgun Found at Massachusetts Homicide SceneRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office stated Cameron Yee, 21, of South Burlington, was arrested yesterday based upon a one count indictment charging him with making a materially false statement in connection with his acquisition of a Glock handgun from a South Burlington federally licensed firearm dealer. Yee will be arraigned on the indictment this afternoon at 2:30 before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle.
Court filings state that Yee purchased a Glock .40 on October 11, 2022, and the weapon was recovered less than 24 hours later at the scene of a shootout in Springfield, Massachusetts, that resulted in the death of two men. According to Court records, when Yee acquired the gun he falsely stated to the gun store that he was the actual purchaser/transferee, when he actually was purchasing the weapon on behalf of a man who supplied him with money to make the purchase.
The indictment is an accusation only and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If Yee is convicted of the charged offense, he will face a maximum possible prison sentence of 10-years, but the sentence would be informed by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives lead the investigation, in coordination with the South Burlington, Vermont, and Springfield, Massachusetts Police Departments.
Michael P. Drescher is the Assistant United States Attorney. Yee is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn
Somerset County Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for $1.6 Million COVID-19 Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining $1.6 Million in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Insurance Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jordan C. Larkins, 32, of Somerset, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of money laundering. Judge Quraishi imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From May 2020 through July 2020, Larkins perpetrated a scheme to defraud PPP lenders and the SBA by submitting three fraudulent PPP loan applications to three different lenders and 11 fraudulent EIDL applications to SBA. The fraudulent applications resulted in a total loss of $1.64 million to the lenders and the SBA. Larkins misused the funds by, among other things, transferring funds to a foreign bank and paying various personal expenses.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentence Larkins to three years of supervised release and order restitution in the amount $ 1.64 million.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Raimundo Marrero, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the IRS–Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins; and special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Fatime Meka Cano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Six charged federally in connection with drug distribution ring operating in Skagit and Whatcom CountiesRead the Press Release
Seattle – Six members of a drug distribution conspiracy operating in Skagit and Whatcom counties were charged federally today with various drug and firearms crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Enoc Martinez Lopez, aka “Victor,” 27, of Marysville, Washington, was the main supplier of drugs to other co-conspirators. He is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances (including heroin and fentanyl), and distribution of fentanyl. Martinez Lopez appeared in U.S. District Court today, and has a detention hearing scheduled for tomorrow.
The other defendants will make their initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Seattle over the next few days.
“Drug trafficking organizations are spreading fentanyl pills throughout our district – from rural areas to urban centers,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “I commend the coordinated efforts in Whatcom and Skagit Counties to expeditiously interdict these potentially deadly drugs.”
The criminal complaint details how various defendants interacted with supplier Martinez Lopez and other drug customers. In April 2022, investigators initially saw Martinez Lopez meeting with defendant Adam Wisniewski, 41, of Bellingham, Washington at the Silver Reef Casino in Whatcom County. Wisniewski was later arrested with more than 1,000 fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder and a firearm. Wisniewski was arrested a second time in June 2022 with two firearms and fentanyl pills. Wisniewski is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, as well as two counts of illegal possession of firearms. Wisniewski cannot legally possess firearms due to a felony drug possession conviction (2011) in Whatcom County Superior Court.
Defendant Manuel Garcia Munoz, 21, of Marysville, Washington is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of heroin for a June 2022 sale of heroin.
Defendant Casey Landis, 39, of Bellingham, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute including methamphetamine and fentanyl. In October 2022, Landis left a fanny pack on a counter at Silver Reef Casino that was found to contain fentanyl and meth. An analysis of Landis phone revealed extensive drug trafficking text messages with drug supplier Martinez Lopez and with drug customers.
Defendant Jesse Witteveen, 37, of Maple Falls, Washington, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. The criminal complaint alleges that on November 1, 2022, Witteveen tried to flee from police and tossed a bag of drugs out of his car window before he was taken into custody in rural Whatcom County. A search of Witteveen’s car and residence turned up fentanyl pills, meth, multiple cell phones, firearms parts, and ammunition.
Finally, defendant Corbin Saunders, 43, of Bellingham, is charged with unlawful possession of firearms. Saunders is the owner of a Tesla that was observed leaving a known drug involved residence in Bellingham. The vehicle was stopped, and a drug dog alerted that it detected the odor of drugs in the vehicle. Using a court authorized search warrant, law enforcement recovered methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin. The Tesla also contained an AR-15 style rifle and a 9mm handgun. Corbin Saunders cannot legally possess firearms due to felony convictions for theft and forgery and convictions for possession of heroin and methamphetamine, all in Whatcom County Superior Court.
“The results of today’s sweeping law enforcement operations show that the DEA, in close collaboration with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, continue our collective commitment to safeguard our communities from the dangers of fentanyl poisoning by individuals who attempt to sell fake pills, often times doing so while armed,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This successful joint law enforcement operation has ensured these dangerous drugs, weapons, and dealers have been taken off our streets, ultimately making the communities we all live in safer places for everyone.”
Since the beginning of the investigation and through yesterday's takedown, law enforcement has seized: 11.5 kilos of fentanyl pills, 2.8 kilos of fentanyl powder, 5.7 kilos of cocaine, 1.6 kilos of heroin and 8.7 kilos of crystal meth, more than $186,000 in cash and nine firearms.
The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bellingham Resident Office (DEA), working with the Whatcom County Drug and Gang Task Force, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, the Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington State Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force, the CBP Air & Marine Operations, the Lummi Police Department, the Everson Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs.
Cocaine whatcom_drug_case_complaint.pdfSeventeen New York City and State Public Employees Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining Pandemic Relief LoansRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), and Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (“SBA-OIG”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging RODNEY SMITH, DENISE GANT, EBONY SIMON, PHYA SCOTT, PRISCILLA JACKSON, SHARON CHARLES, YOLANDA LAWRENCE, YOLANDA RATCLIFF, and ZHANE RATCLIFF with conspiring to commit wire fraud by submitting fraudulent SBA loan applications, as well as Complaints charging BRANDON BOYLE, DELILAH CUMMINGS, VASHAWN FOREMAN, TREVOR GORDON, DIONE HALL, TONI MCCULLOUGH, JAROD OTTLEY, RONETTE SHORT, EDWIN SKEPPLE, and WALTER SUSSWELL individually with wire fraud for submitting fraudulent loans under the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program and/or its Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). Most of the defendants were arrested this morning. BOYLE, CUMMINGS, FOREMAN, GORDON, HALL, MCCULLOUGH, OTTLEY, SHORT, SKEPPLE, and SUSSWELL will be presented this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron in Manhattan federal court. SMITH, GANT, CHARLES, LAWRENCE, YOLANDA RATCLIFF, and ZHANE RATCLIFF will be presented this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal court. SIMON, SCOTT, and JACKSON are not in custody.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Scheming to steal Government funds intended to help small businesses weather a national emergency is offensive. And, as public employees, these folks should have known better. This Office will continue to prosecute those who use fraud to line their pockets with taxpayer money.”
IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Thomas M. Fattorusso said: “Of those arrested today are civil servants, NYPD employees, and a Captain for the Department of Corrections. These are individuals who held positions of trust and had strong, stable jobs while so many people struggled during the pandemic. The message that these arrests are sending should be a clear one. Nobody is above the law and while the pandemic has receded from the headlines, IRS-CI’s commitment to bringing those who defrauded these programs to justice remains unwavering.”
SBA-OIG Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite said: “It is especially egregious when individuals that hold positions of public trust engage in criminal activity. OIG is committed to rooting out bad actors and protecting the integrity of SBA programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”
According to the 11 Complaints unsealed today in Manhattan federal court and publicly available information:[1]
RODNEY SMITH, DENISE GANT, EBONY SIMON, PHYA SCOTT, PRISCILLA JACKSON, SHARON CHARLES, YOLANDA LAWRENCE, YOLANDA RATCLIFF, and ZHANE RATCLIFF, together with others known and unknown, conspired together to obtain fraudulent SBA loans. GANT, SIMON, SCOTT, YOLANDA RATCLIFF, and ZHANE RATCLIFF were each employees of the New York City Police Department (the “NYPD”); LAWRENCE was an employee of the New York City Human Resources Administration; JACKSON was an employee of the Metropolitan Transit Authority; and CHARLES was an employee of a non-profit organization in New York City. During the summer of 2020, they each conspired with SMITH and others to submit fraudulent applications for loans to the SBA’s EIDL program. The fraudulent loan applications submitted in the names of the defendants made similar false claims about gross revenues and number of employees, and many of the applications claimed that the defendants operated hair and nail salons. Many of the defendants paid kickbacks to SMITH and/or other members of the conspiracy after their fraudulent loans were funded.
BRANDON BOYLE, DELILAH CUMMINGS, VASHAWN FOREMAN, TREVOR GORDON, DIONE HALL, TONI MCCULLOUGH, JAROD OTTLEY, RONETTE SHORT, EDWIN SKEPPLE, and WALTER SUSSWELL each submitted one or more fraudulent applications for loans under the SBA’s PPP and/or EIDL program. BOYLE and SUSSWELL worked for the NYPD; CUMMINGS, MCCULLOGH, and FOREMAN worked for the New York City Department of Education; SKEPPLE worked for the New York City Department of Corrections; GORDON had recently retired from the New York City Department of Corrections; OTTLEY worked for the New York City Department of Transportation; and SHORT worked for the New York City Administration for Children’s Services. Frequently, the applications for these defendants, which were submitted at various times in 2020, were on behalf of purported sole proprietorships in the defendants’ own names. In support of their fraudulent loan applications, the defendants claimed six-figure gross revenues for businesses that actually earned far less, if they existed at all. Many defendants claimed employees that they did not actually have, and many spent the proceeds of their loans on personal expenses, including in-person gambling at casinos, online gambling, personal stock investments, home furniture and electronics, and luxury clothing items.
Across all of these schemes, the defendants collectively stole more than $1.5 million from the SBA and financial institutions that issued SBA-guaranteed loans and intended or attempted to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars more.
* * *
RODNEY SMITH, 54, DENISE GANT, 52, EBONY SIMON, 45, PHYA SCOTT, 51, PRISCILLA JACKSON, 41, YOLANDA LAWRENCE, 48, and ZHANE RATCLIFF, 27, all of Brooklyn, New York, SHARON CHARLES, 56, of Queens, New York, and YOLANDA RATCLIFF, 48, of Inwood, New York, are each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. Each of those charges carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. SMITH is also charged with a single count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence. VASHAWN FOREMAN, 40, DIONE HALL, 55, and WALTER SUSSWELL, 28, all of Queens, New York, DELILAH CUMMINGS, 37, TREVOR GORDON, 66, TONI MCCULLOUGH, 39, and RONETTE SHORT, 40, all of Brooklyn, New York, BRANDON BOYLE, 31, of New York, New York, JAROD OTTLEY, 57, of Valley Stream, New York, and EDWIN SKEPPLE, 40, of West Nyack, New York, are each charged with wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and agents from the IRS-CI and the SBA-OIG. Mr. Williams also thanked the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau and the New York City Department of Investigation for their assistance in the investigation of these cases.
The cases are being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kedar S. Bhatia, Rebecca T. Dell, and Derek Wikstrom are in charge of the prosecutions.
The charges contained in the Complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Complaints and the descriptions of the Complaints set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Prince George’s County Felon Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robberies of Convenience StoresRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Tiffany Renea Edmundson, age 34, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, yesterday to 94 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for three armed commercial robberies and for violating her supervised release for a previous federal conviction on the same commercial robbery charge. Judge Grimm also ordered Edmundson to pay $1,035 in restitution to the victim businesses.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to her plea agreement, beginning late on August 30, 2020, to the early morning hours of August 31, 2020, Edmundson robbed three Prince George’s County convenience stores at gun point. In each robbery, Edmundson stole cash and in the third robbery she also stole approximately $535 in lottery tickets. Following the third robbery, PGPD identified the vehicle used in the robbery as a white Hyundai Sonata bearing a Virginia license plate.
Approximately 15 minutes after the third robbery was reported, officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the Sonata, but the driver refused to stop and sped away, with police following. The Sonata subsequently crashed in the 3100 block of Bellbrook Court in Temple Hills, Maryland. Police pursued Edmundson as she ran away, tossing a blue/black book bag towards the rear of a nearby house. Edmundson was arrested and the book bag was recovered. The bag contained a cell phone, stolen lottery tickets, cash and a Maryland driver’s license that displayed Edmundson’s name. Edmundson was wearing clothing that matched the description given by the victims of the clothing worn by the person who committed the robberies. On September 3, 2020, a search warrant was executed for the Sonata, which was leased to Edmundson. Law enforcement recovered a neon yellow and orange glove and a black ski mask with a silver spider web pattern, that matched the mask and gloves worn during the robberies.
Law enforcement recovered a total of approximately $323 in cash from the Sonata, from Edmundson’s person, and from her book bag.
At the time of the robberies, Edmundson was on federal supervised release for a previous armed robbery conviction. The conditions of her supervised release included mandatory conditions that she not commit any new crime and that she not own, possess, or have access to a firearm. By committing the convenience store robberies, Edmundson violated those conditions of her supervised release.
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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Engelking and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Portland Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempting to Defraud Covid Relief Programs While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland woman was sentenced to federal prison today for violating the terms of her post-prison supervised release by submitting two fraudulent applications for loans intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tiairre Travonne Chaney, 35, was sentenced to six months in federal prison followed by a 24-month term of supervised release.
According to court documents, in September 2015, Chaney was charged by criminal information with one count of wire fraud after she submitted 35 fraudulent income tax returns and caused the IRS to pay her more than $155,000 in unwarranted tax refunds. One month later, Chaney pleaded guilty to the single charge and, in February 2016, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Chaney was released from prison in November 2016.
By June 2018, Chaney was found to have violated her supervised release conditions by failing to pay restitution, failing to file true and correct taxes, and failing to report to her probation officer. As a result, she was placed on GPS monitoring for 30 days. In December 2019, Chaney violated her supervision terms a second time by again failing to report to her probation officer and pay restitution and also failing to obtain lawful employment. She was sentenced to three months in prison and her 33-month term of supervised release was reimposed.
In January and May 2021, Chaney violated her supervised release a third time by submitting to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) two fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs)for Tncw Baked Goods, LLC, a straw entity she formed after the onset of the pandemic. In her applications, Chaney falsely denied being on supervised release and denied her felony conviction. In the second application, she falsely claimed Tncw Baked Goods, LLC, realized gross revenues of $45,663 in 2020 when in fact it had done no business whatsoever.
This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). It was prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Ponte Vedra Beach Contract Postal Carrier Indicted on Theft of Mail ChargeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an
indictment charging Kori Ann Moreno (26, Ponte Vedra Beach) with theft of mail over an eight-month period. If convicted, Moreno faces up to five years in federal prison and payment of restitution to the victims in the case. She was arrested on November 29, 2022, by agents from the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General and subsequently released on a bond.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 United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Philadelphia Attorney Pleads Guilty to Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Conrad Benedetto, 66, of Philadelphia, PA, and who is an attorney licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone to multiple tax fraud charges in connection with his scheme to avoid paying the appropriate amount of personal and business taxes over to the IRS for several years in connection with his Philadelphia law practice.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges of failure to file a tax return and failure to collect or pay employment tax, both arising from an investigation that revealed that from tax years 2013 to 2015, Benedetto filed false personal tax returns understating his law practice’s gross receipts; for tax years 2016-2018, the defendant failed to file personal tax returns; and for 2017, failed to truthfully account for, or pay over to the IRS, federal income and FICA taxes withheld from the wages of his law firm’s employees.
“As the sole owner and operator of his law practice, the defendant had a fiduciary obligation to file taxes in a timely and accurate manner,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Further, as an attorney, he had a duty to conduct himself with professionalism and integrity; instead, he chose the greedy path. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will investigate and hold responsible those who would attempt to cheat the United States tax system.”
“Mr. Benedetto had a responsibility to do what honest taxpayers do every year: file accurate tax returns and pay over the taxes they owe. However, even being an attorney, he elected not to do so, which ultimately led to today’s guilty plea,” said Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation. The Special Agents of my office, together with the Department of Justice, will continue to investigate and prosecute those who intentionally violate our tax laws.”
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joan Burnes.
Pensacola Man Sentenced to Twenty-Six Years in Federal Prison for Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Charles E. Posey, Jr., 33, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 26.5 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to federal drug trafficking and firearms offenses. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Those who repeatedly commit serious crimes are deserving of significant prison sentences,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This career criminal has demonstrated his unwillingness to abide by the law, committing repeated drug crimes. Given the outstanding work of our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners, he will no longer be distributing drugs in our community.”
During his plea in federal court, Posey admitted being present at a residence in Pensacola on December 3, 2020, which contained over $20,000 in United States currency, ten firearms, and large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. Posey’s white Lexus was also present on scene, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives located large amounts of methamphetamine and marijuana within it along with a Glock .40 caliber pistol with an attached “drum” acting as an extended magazine with 27 live rounds inside.
“This sentencing is great news for the Florida Panhandle communities,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Assistant Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Harrell. “A dangerous felon – a repeat drugs and firearms offender -- will be locked up for a long time, thanks to our incredible partnership with Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Office-Northern District of Florida.”
Posey is a multi-convicted felon who has been to state prison previously. His prior state convictions also involve drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
Posey’s prison sentence will be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Kaitlin Weiss.
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.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Parkersburg Man Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Benjamin Michael Nash, 38, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation for attempting to possess with intent to distribute quantities of methamphetamine and psilocybin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Nash admitted that he traveled from Parkersburg to California in July 2020 and obtained controlled substances to sell in the Parkersburg area. On July 28, 2020, Nash shipped a package containing the controlled substances from Santa Cruz, California, to a 19th Street address in Parkersburg.
On August 8, 2020, a United States Postal Service employee working in the Parkersburg Post Office stopped delivery of the package and forwarded it to law enforcement after smelling suspected marijuana. Officers obtained a search warrant to open the package and found it contained approximately 875.4 grams of a methamphetamine mixture, 50 boxes of candy bars made with the psychedelic drug psilocybin weighing approximately 1.9 kilograms, 19 pounds of marijuana, and smaller amounts of cannabis oil, flower, resin and seeds. Nash admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine, marijuana and psilocybin candy bars.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. The Court had previously granted Nash pre-sentencing release to allow him to participate in a residential substance abuse program at Recovery Point. The Court later postponed sentencing so Nash could finish the program. The Court at sentencing cited Nash’s successful competition of that program and his subsequent promotion to his current position as a peer mentor supervisor at Recovery Point.
“Mr. Nash should be commended for his hard work in taking advantage of the opportunities that the Court afforded him to recover from his addiction,” United States Attorney Will Thompson said. “It is readily apparent that Mr. Nash has suffered from addiction most of his adult life. While his addiction certainly did not excuse his criminal conduct, I certainly hope he continues down his personal path to recovery.”
Thompson also commended the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Parkersburg Narcotics and Violent Crimes Task Force for their investigative work, and Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks for the prosecution of the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-194.
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Out of state man ordered to prison for stalking local victimRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 47-year-old Colorado man has been sent to federal prison following his conviction of stalking and threatening a woman with releasing sexually-explicit images unless she moved with him across the country, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Moses Cano pleaded guilty Sept. 20.
Today, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown ordered Cano to serve 46 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard how the victim was still emotionally distraught about Cano, has changed how she interacts with others and has moved. Judge Brown heard that the victim chose not to be present at the hearing so not to give Cano the satisfaction of seeing her again. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Cano, while on supervised release, would not be able to contact the victim directly or indirectly or contact any of her friends or family that he knows based on their relationship.
Cano and the victim dated for a brief amount of time. At the end of that relationship, Cano made threats to her if she did not agree to come to Colorado with him. The victim refused. In retaliation, he then sent sexually-explicit images of the victim to her place of employment and several of her friends.
At the time of his plea, he admitted he took over her Facebook account and used it to send the images and other messages to her contacts.
In distress, the victim contacted authorities.
Cano will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Matagorda County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack prosecuted the case.
Orange Park Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Images and Videos over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Charles LeLande Boston (32, Orange Park) to six years in federal prison for receiving child sex abuse images. Boston was also ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender. In addition, Boston was ordered to pay $23,000 in restitution to the victims of his offense. He was arrested on August 12, 2021, and ordered detained pending the outcome of this case. He had pleaded guilty on July 28, 2022.
According to court documents, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) conducted an online investigation on a file-sharing network for files containing materials depicting the sexual abuse of children. In January, March, and April 2021, a CCSO detective connected with a computer that had files depicting the sexual abuse of children available for sharing over the internet. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and CCSO later executed a search warrant at the residence connected to that computer and Boston was determined to be the owner of the computer. An examination of Boston’s computer revealed a folder of downloaded files from the internet containing approximately 80 files depicting the sexual abuse of children.
“Sexual predators who victimize children have no place in our society or in our communities,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Thanks to our outstanding partnership with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, we were able to stop another pedophile from targeting our children.”
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
It 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.
North Dakota Felon Charged with Threatening to Murder a United States OfficialRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A North Dakota man has been charged in a criminal complaint with threatening to murder a United States official, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on September 14, 2018, Robert Philip Ivers, 69, of West Fargo, North Dakota, was convicted by a federal jury of threatening to murder a federal judge and interstate transmissions of threats and was sentenced to a prison term of 18 months, followed by three years of supervised release. On August 1, 2019, Ivers was released from Bureau of Prisons custody and began his term of supervised release under the supervision of a Unites States Probation Officer.
According to court documents, on September 1, 2020, Ivers left a profanity-laced voicemail on his probation officer’s telephone, which constituted a violation of the terms of Ivers’ conditions of supervised release. On November 17, 2022, during a revocation hearing, Ivers was sentenced to additional prison time and additional supervised release time. The conditions of Ivers’ supervised release included the immediate surrender his Minnesota driver’s license, and that he maintain appropriate communication with probation officers. At the conclusion of the hearing, Ivers was escorted to an interview room where he quickly became agitated and pounded his fists on a table, broke a chair leg, and threw his paperwork while continuously screaming the word “hate.” When Ivers left the room, he extended his middle fingers at one of the probation officers and yelled “I’m going to get some [expletive] to [expletive] kill you!”
Ivers is charged with one count of threatening to murder a United States official. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance later today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Marshals Service.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa M. Kirkpatrick and Allison K. Ethen.
A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Britain Man Involved in Theft of 14 Guns from Portland Firearm Dealer Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KENNEY COTTO, 25, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for firearm offenses stemming from his participation in the burglary of a Portland firearms dealer in December 2020.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning of December 31, 2020, Cotto and Christopher Matos burglarized Central Connecticut Arms, a federally-licensed firearms dealer in Portland, and stole 14 firearms. On January 5, 2021, investigators searched an SUV that Cotto and Matos used during the burglary and recovered clothing that Cotto wore during the burglary, a hammer and tire iron Cotto and Matos used to break into Central Connecticut Arms, and other evidence. Investigators also found Matos’s DNA at the crime scene, and a subsequent search of his residence revealed clothing he wore during the burglary.
On January 4, 2021, Hartford Police arrested Cotto on unrelated firearm and drug possession charges. He has been detained since his arrest.
To date, three of the firearms stolen from Central Connecticut Arms have been recovered by law enforcement. Two were recovered by the FBI in an unrelated narcotics investigation, and the third was seized by Waterbury Police after it was fired into the air during an altercation. The remaining 11 firearms are unaccounted for.
On April 21, 2022, Cotto pleaded guilty to theft of firearms from a licensee, and unlawful possession of firearms by a felon.
Matos, 34, of New Britain, pleaded guilty to the same charges and, on October 31, 2022, was sentenced to 100 months of imprisonment.
Judge Dooley ordered Cotto and Matos to pay $21,528.91 in restitution.
This investigation was conducted by ATF and the Portland, New Britain, Berlin and East Longmeadow (Mass.) Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.
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.
Nashville Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Armed Methamphetamine Trafficking in KentuckyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Nashville, Tenn., man, Marlon Jermaine Johnson, 39, was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to evidence at trial, on November 18, 2019, Johnson led law enforcement officers with the Knox County Sheriff’s Department on a high-speed chase, through residential streets in Corbin, before crashing into a gate and a parked car. Johnson then fled on foot, into a cemetery, where he was ultimately apprehended. During a search of his vehicle, law enforcement located more than a kilogram of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm.
Johnson was convicted in July 2022.
Under federal law, Johnson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. He will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years after his release from prison.
Carlton S. Shier IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville Field Division; and Sheriff Mike Smith, Knox County Sherriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and Operation UNITE. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Trimble.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Minneapolis Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Making Threats Against Hennepin County Government Officials, Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for making threats against Hennepin County employees and illegally possessing a firearm as a felon, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on June 24, 2021, the Hennepin County District Court issued an arrest warrant for Peter Robert Berry, 60, after he failed to appear in court for a hearing. Berry called an employee of Hennepin County Community Corrections to ask questions about his court appearance. During the call Berry became angry and began yelling and threatened to “shoot up the place.” That same day, Berry left a voice message for a Hennepin County Probation Officer in which Berry demanded a call back before he starts “killing everybody.” On June 25, 2021, Berry called a Hennepin County Service Center employee who informed him of the active warrant for his arrest due to his failure to appear in court. Upon learning about the warrant, Berry stated that he was going to “come down and kill everybody, all the judges, clerks, and deputies.” On June 29, 2021, Berry left a voice message for a Hennepin County Public Defender in which Berry expressed his dissatisfaction with the representation he received in his criminal case and threatened that people were going to die and stated that he knew where the public defender lived.
According to court documents, on July 10, 2020, and on April 7, 2021, Berry unlawfully possessed three firearms, including a Beretta .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Smith and Wesson 9 mm pistol, and a Diamondback DB15 rifle. Because Berry has prior felony convictions in Hennepin, Dakota, and Ramsey Counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Berry was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud. On June 22, 2022, Berry pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm as a felon and one count of interstate transmission of a threat.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison K. Ethen prosecuted the case.
Maryland man sentenced for role in drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Alan Clark Tolliver, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced today to 74 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Tolliver, 42, pleaded guilty in December 2021 to one count of “Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Hydrochloride.” Tolliver admitted to having cocaine hydrochloride in March 2021 in Berkeley County.
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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; Customs and Border Protection; FBI-New York Safe Streets Task Force; and the New Jersey State Police investigated. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania assisted.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Prison Term for Stalking Former Co-WorkerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ranjith Keerikkattil, 34, of Catonsville, Maryland, who left the United States after he was found guilty of stalking a junior co-worker, and was finally re-arrested four years later, has been sentenced to an 11-month prison term.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Keerikkattil was found guilty of the stalking charge on July 9, 2018, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert A. Salerno released Keerikkattil following the verdict, pending sentencing. The judge ordered him to appear the next morning to have a GPS monitoring device installed. However, he failed to appear, and left the United States, ending up in Australia, where he remained a fugitive for over four years. A grand jury subsequently indicted him on July 11, 2018, on a felony charge of violating the Bail Reform Act. He was finally arrested on Oct. 4, 2022, at Dulles International Airport in Virginia. He has pleaded not guilty to the felony Bail Reform Act charge and faces trial on Jan. 4, 2023.
The Honorable Judge James A. Crowell IV sentenced the defendant on Nov. 29, 2022, to the maximum of 12 months of incarceration; however, all but 11 months of the time was suspended on the condition that Keerikkattil successfully complete five years of supervised probation. Keerikkattil will also be required to stay away from the victim, her family, trial witnesses and the consulting firm, as well as be prohibited from possessing a firearm while serving the five years of supervised probation.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, the criminal conduct began in May 2015, while Keerikkattil was a senior consultant at a consulting firm in Rosslyn, Virginia. The victim, who resided at the time in the District of Columbia, had begun her first job out of college in 2015 as a business technology analyst for the firm. Keerikkattil was her first mentor on her first project. After the victim performed countless evening and weekend hours on the project, Keerikkattil, told her that he only brought her onto the project to get close to her and that he was merely giving her busy work. He ignored her wishes to keep their relationship strictly professional and continued to pursue her. After she repeatedly tried to resolve the matter herself, she reported Keerikkattil, on June 1, 2015, to her human resources counselor.
Keerikkattil was fired on June 19, 2015, for not being forthcoming about his conduct during the firm’s internal investigation of the matter. He blamed the victim for his termination and then began a stalking campaign in retaliation. His acts included publishing false allegations about the victim on the Internet and through mass e-mails to the victim and former company employees in order to seriously frighten and defame her. When ignored, he escalated his actions. Almost two months after being fired, he sat in a café that was frequented by company employees, including the victim. He was able to obtain eye contact with the victim on one occasion inside this café, frightening her even more. The victim’s attorney notified Keerikkattil, instructing him not to have any further contact with her, but he continued to text her.
With the victim continuing to ignore him, Keerikkattil decided to take a plane almost 3,000 miles to Seattle and then rent a car and travel an additional three hours to pay an unannounced visit to the victim’s parents in a remote suburb of Portland, Oregon. On Oct. 24, 2015, he knocked on the door to the victim’s childhood home, which was at the bottom of a long driveway, and asked her father for directions to the nearby parks. It took a moment for the father to piece things together. Once he was able to figure out whom the defendant was, he slammed and locked the door and called 911. Keerikkattil texted the victim shortly thereafter, “Was nice meeting your dad today.” An arrest warrant was obtained shortly thereafter, and Keerikkattil was arrested on Dec. 19, 2015, and charged with stalking.
At the sentencing hearing, the court also considered a statement from another female victim who had claimed that Keerikkattil had stalked her in 2012-2013, where he filed similar lawsuits against her and “doxed” her on the Internet. The Government referenced this prior alleged stalking behavior during its argument, drawing the court’s attention to the striking similarities between the two victims and how Keerikkattil chose to torment them.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Lynda Randolph and Stephanie Siegerist, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ethan Carroll and Kristina Wolf, who assisted in investigating the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Giovannelli, who prosecuted and tried the case to verdict and through sentencing.
Man from Las Cruces pleads guilty to carjacking resulting in serious bodily injuryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Jesus Manuel Castaneda-Villa pleaded guilty on Nov. 29 to carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury. Castaneda-Villa, 32, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on Dec. 3, 2021, the victim allegedly met with Castaneda-Villa, her ex-boyfriend, in a La Quinta hotel in Las Cruces. After the two began to argue, Castaneda-Villa threw a toolbox at the victim. He demanded her car keys, threatened to put a “bullet through your head,” then pointed a firearm at her and took her purse and cell phone. As Castaneda-Villa was going through her purse, the victim jumped from an open window to escape. Castaneda-Villa then fled in the victim’s vehicle.
During her escape, the victim broke her right wrist, which caused her extreme physical pain and resulted in the protracted impairment of her ability to use her right hand.
By the terms of the plea agreement, Castaneda-Villa faces 11 years and eight months in prison.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Las Cruces Police Department, New Mexico State Police and District Attorney's Office for the 3rd Judicial District of New Mexico. Assistant United States Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and Matilda McCarthy Villalobos are prosecuting the case.
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Man Caught with Gun and Drugs in St. Louis Sentenced to 9+ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Wednesday sentenced a man who was caught with a gun and cocaine base after fleeing from St. Louis police to nine years and two months in prison.
Montez Jackson, 33, of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty in July to two felonies, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and being a felon in possession of a firearm, and admitted being caught with the gun and drugs.
On July 19, 2020, officers with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department saw an Audi sedan run a stop sign in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood. They began following the car, checked the license plate and learned it was unregistered. The Audi then sped away, running another stop sign before colliding with another vehicle.
Jackson left the driver’s seat and ran off. He was caught after a lengthy chase.
Police found a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine and 29 grams of cocaine base, packaged for sale, in the car that Jackson admitted possessing.
Jackson has six five drug convictions and two convictions for firearms offenses.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kourtney M. Bell prosecuted the case.
Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to fentanyl distribution charges.
Rafael Sierra-Baez, 42, pleaded guilty on Nov. 28, 2022 to distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for March 28, 2023. Sierra-Baez was arrested and charged on May 19, 2022.
On five separate occasions between Feb. 22, 2022 and May 4, 2022, Sierra-Baez sold suspected fentanyl to a law enforcement cooperating witness in Methuen.
The charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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 Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Jury Convicts Armed Fentanyl Trafficker of Causing Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Justin Kelly (35, New Port Richey) guilty of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams of fentanyl resulting in death, distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, three counts of possession/distribution of fentanyl, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Due to his six prior felony convictions for cocaine distribution in two separate cases, Kelly faces a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 17, 2023. Kelly had been indicted on June 24, 2021.
According to evidence presented at trial, Kelly was a supplier of fentanyl in Pasco County. He used addicts to sell the drug for him and yielded profits of thousands of dollars per day. In the early hours of November 18, 2020, “E.L.” was found face down in his kitchen in New Port Richey by his wife, while his stepchildren were asleep a few feet away. Detectives from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office learned that a dealer named Steven Kinney had supplied the fentanyl. Kinney identified Kelly as his supplier and made recorded purchases of fentanyl from him. Search warrants executed at Kelly’s motel room and a storage unit resulted in the seizures of additional fentanyl, cash, kilogram presses, digital scales, and an M&P 15 rifle. Cellphone records corroborated that Kelly was the supplier of the fentanyl that Kinney had distributed to “E.L.” before he died.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tarpon Springs Police Department. 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Stoia and Dan Baeza.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Van Lee Harrell, 35, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 12, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Marshall Avenue residence in Huntington where Harrell was living. Officers found approximately 8.6 grams of crack, three firearms, ammunition and digital scales in Harrell’s bedroom. Harrell admitted to possessing the crack and further admitted that he had been distributing drugs.
Harrell is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force, and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-148.
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Houma Man Charged with Failure to Account for and Pay TaxesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RENE CLEMENT (“CLEMENT”), age 75, of Houma, Louisiana, was charged with failing to account for and pay federal income taxes and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (“FICA”) taxes, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7202.
According to court documents, CLEMENT conducted a business under the name Vinyl Products, LLC. During the fourth quarter of the year 2017, CLEMENT collected federal income taxes and FICA taxes in the approximate sum of $28,809.73 from his employees but did not account for or pay any of that money to the Internal Revenue Service.
If convicted, CLEMENT faces a maximum sentence of five (5) years. Upon release from prison, CLEMENT also faces a term of supervised release up to (3) three years, and/or a fine of $10,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571. A mandatory special assessment fee of $100 is also applicable.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the work of the Internal Revenue Service on this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni.