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22 November 2022
Murrieta Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Misusing COVID-Relief Business Loans on Personal Expenses Such as Luxury CarsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Riverside County man was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for using hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for personal expenses such as luxury cars after he obtained a COVID-business relief loan for more than $7 million on behalf of his pothole-repair company.
Oumar Sissoko, 59, of Murrieta, was sentenced by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered him to pay $499,827 in restitution.
On April 15, at the conclusion of a three-day trial, a jury found Sissoko guilty of four counts of wire fraud.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020 and is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized more than $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
Sissoko obtained a $7.25 million loan for his downtown Los Angeles-based company, Road Doctor California LLC, after submitting a PPP loan application in April 2020.
In the loan application, Sissoko claimed that Road Doctor was in the process of hiring 450 full-time employees and would have average monthly payroll expenses of $2.9 million. When he applied for the loan, Sissoko acknowledged the funds would be used to retain workers and maintain payroll, or make mortgage interest payments, lease payments and utility payments.
In the days after the PPP loan was funded on May 1, 2020, Sissoko misappropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars of the loan proceeds to use for impermissible purposes, including purchasing a Mercedes-Benz for $113,000, paying off a loan on a BMW, and buying an Apple computer for more than $5,000.
The illegal uses of the loan also included a non-refundable down payment of approximately $100,000 to purchase a company located in New Hampshire and the attempted transmission of approximately $150,000 to accounts in the African nation of Mauritania associated with a mineral-exploration company for which Sissoko purported to serve as CEO.
On March 24, a federal jury deadlocked on the charges against Sissoko and a mistrial was declared. A second trial resulted in Sissoko’s criminal conviction.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn S. Small of the Major Frauds Section and DOJ Trial Attorney Theodore Kneller of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan S. Galatzan, Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section, is providing substantial assistance, including with the seizure and forfeiture of two luxury automobiles purchased with PPP loan funds.
Anyone with general information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Multiple Defendants Sentenced in Major Organized Crime Operation Spanning Multiple StatesRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – Three defendants were sentenced this week in federal court for conspiracy to commit drug trafficking offenses after a major, multi-state organized crime operation, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina.
MICHAEL DALE BLACKMON, age 40 of Benson, North Carolina, and JEFFERY SCOTT JONES, age 59, of Wilkesboro, North Carolina, were sentenced to a 114-month term of imprisonment and a 192-month term of imprisonment, respectively, by the Honorable William L. Osteen, Jr., United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina on November 21, 2022. In addition to prison time, JONES was ordered to serve five years of supervised release and to pay a $4,000 fine, and BLACKMON was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay a $3,000 fine. They were charged under indictment along with five co-defendants in case number 1:22CR177 for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. TAMMY LYNN WAGONER, age 48, of Wilkesboro, North Carolina, was sentenced today to a 120-month term of imprisonment for the same offense. In addition to prison time, WAGONER was ordered to serve five years of supervised release. BLACKMON, JONES, WAGONER, and their 4 other codefendants were indicted separately from an additional 14 individuals for the same offenses, with the others being indicted in case number 1:22CR25. Those defendants were also charged under federal indictment on February 22, 2022, with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846 and 841(b)(1)(A), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C). Defendants in this case have received sentences of 41 to 300 months’ imprisonment, with additional sentencings scheduled for February, 2023.
According to court records, beginning in 2020, several local and federal law enforcement agencies began an investigation into a multi-jurisdictional drug trafficking organization that was coordinating shipments of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin into the Middle District of North Carolina. The poly-drug trafficking organization, based in Mexico, was operating in several jurisdictions within the United States, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and California. Members of this organization had previously been convicted in the Middle District of North Carolina for drug trafficking through multiple jurisdictions across various states.
“I am thankful for the work of our law enforcement partners in taking down a drug trafficking organization that has impacted so many communities in North Carolina and our neighboring states,” said U. S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston. “The impact of illegal drug trafficking reaches all corners of our community, and the pursuit of these organizations remains a top priority in the Department of Justice.”
The investigation was jointly undertaken by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and sheriffs’ offices and police departments across North Carolina. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jake Pryor.
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
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Mother Accused of Using Children to ‘Mule’ Fatal FentanylRead the Press Release
An Albuquerque mother who allegedly concealed a deadly dose of fentanyl inside her children’s luggage has been charged with a federal drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Magdalena Silva Banuelos, 46, was indicted on distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.
According to court documents, she allegedly gave her boyfriend the fentanyl that killed him.
At a detention hearing in New Mexico on Nov. 17, prosecutors revealed that Ms. Banuelos and her boyfriend, who was also her sons’ father, were in an on-again, off-again relationship.
On May 31, she allegedly put the boys, ages 8 and 10, onto a flight from Albuquerque to Texas's Dallas Love Field Airport to visit their dad.
Surveillance video shows that the father picked up the boys from the gate, rifled through their luggage, and then entered the airport restroom at around 10:26 p.m. A few minutes later, he overdosed and died in a restroom stall, just steps away from his sons.
From inside the stall, investigators recovered a Clinique brand makeup container containing more than a gram of fentanyl.
They also recovered text messages between the victim and defendant, suggesting that the defendant knew the victim planned on ingesting the fentanyl and was aware of the risk it posed.
“Hey you need to be careful,” she wrote a few hours before he died.
“Yes ma’am. Very slow and easy,” he replied.
“Just one and then wait you’ll see,” she said. “Just one.”
“Ok cool. Thank you. Will do,” he said.“No passing out on the kitchen floor,” she responded. “Seriously you could od. No dying on the kitchen floor… It’s going to f**k you up!!!
At the hearing, the prosecutor argued the defendant allegedly “used her minor children to mule drugs.” Ms. Banuelos was ordered detained pending trial.
“I feel for these children. To lose one parent due to the actions of the other is a calamity for a child,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “This defendant allegedly concealed fentanyl – a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin – in her own minor sons’ luggage. This drug has stolen too many futures and ruined too many lives. The Justice Department remains determined to hold accountable those who spread it.”
“This arrest and detention is yet another example of the devastation that fentanyl continues to reap on families throughout the country. The actions of Ms. Banuelos risked the lives of her minor children by concealing a highly potent drug in their luggage during a flight from Albuquerque to Dallas”, said Acting Special Agent in Charge W. Guy Baker of the DEA Dallas Field Division. “The DEA will continue to work side-by-side with our state and local partners in investigating drug related poisonings and overdose deaths to hold those accountable for their actions.”
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, she faces up a mandatory minimum of 20 years and up to life in federal prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Coker is prosecuting the case with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.
Moldovan National and Technical Mastermind of xDedic Marketplace Extradited from SpainRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg along with Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Tampa Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge David Walker, FBI-Tampa Division, announces the arrest and extradition from Spain of Alexandru Habasescu (30, Moldova). Habasescu is charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit access device fraud and substantive counts of access device fraud, for his role as an administrator of the xDedic Marketplace. If convicted on all counts, Habasescu faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the defendant that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture of the proceeds and facilitating property of the fraud.
Habasescu was taken into custody by Spanish authorities in Tenerife, Canary Islands on March 14, 2022, and extradited to the United States pursuant to the extradition treaty between the United States and Spain.
According to public documents, the xDedic Marketplace, established around October 2014, illegally sold login credentials (usernames and passwords) to compromised servers and social security numbers belonging to U.S. citizens. Habasescu, who resided in Chisnau, Moldova, acted as the lead developer and technical mastermind for the Marketplace.
Under U.S. law, fraudulently obtained passwords and social security numbers are considered unauthorized access devices. Once purchased, criminals used these credentials to facilitate a wide range of illegal activity that included tax fraud, credit card fraud, and ransomware attacks. In total, Marketplace offered over 700,000 compromised credentials for sale—including at least 150,000 in the United States and at least 8,000 in the State of Florida. The victims span the globe and all industries, including local, state, and federal government infrastructure, hospitals, 911 call centers and emergency services, major metropolitan transit authorities, accounting and law firms, pension funds, and universities.
The xDedic Marketplace operated across distributed infrastructure and utilized Bitcoin in order to hide the locations of its underlying servers and the identities of its administrators, buyers, and sellers. Buyers could search for compromised computer credentials on xDedic by desired criteria, such as price, geographic location, and operating system. On January 24, 2019, seizure orders were executed against the domain names of the xDedic Marketplace, effectively ceasing the website’s operation. The international operation to dismantle and seize this infrastructure was the result of close cooperation with law enforcement authorities in Belgium and Ukraine, the European law enforcement agency Europol, the National High Tech Crime Unit from the Dutch National Police and the German Bundeskriminalamt provided assistance in the operation to seize xDedic’s infrastructure.
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.
The U.S. investigation was led by the IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI-Tampa Division, with assistance from the IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Cyber Crimes Unit from the Washington D.C Field Office. Substantial assistance was also provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The investigation is being overseen by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Jones and Carlton Gammons. Asset forfeiture will be handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.
Mobile Man Sentenced to 97 Months in Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – The Hon. Callie V. S. Granade has sentenced Christopher Porter Seals to 97 months’ imprisonment in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy. The sentence consists of a five-year mandatory minimum for the amount of fentanyl involved and an additional 37 months resulting from Seals’ violation of his supervised release conditions from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents, Seals possessed over 100 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl which he intended to distribute.
U. S. Attorney Sean P. Costello said, “Fentanyl remains one of the most significant threats to public safety, and I commend the work of our law enforcement partners at DEA and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office for their dedicated work to keep this drug off the streets. We will continue our partnership and our coordinated efforts to mitigate this deadly threat through aggressive investigation and prosecution.”“The successful prosecution and sentencing of Christopher Seals sends a message to all who engage in the distribution of illegal drugs: we will work together to see that anyone involved in this illicit trade will be brought to justice, face federal charges and a lengthy prison sentence” said Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Towanda Thorne-James.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in partnership with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasee Heisterhagen prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Missoula meth trafficker sentenced to eight years in prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula man who admitted to selling methamphetamine in the community for more than a year was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Devin Neil Farley, 40, pleaded guilty in August to distribution of meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen resided.
In court documents, the government alleged that Farley was involved in distributing meth throughout 2021 and early 2022. Farley sold a total of three ounces in two separate transactions to a confidential informant in April 2021. In November 2021, Farley was stopped in a vehicle and was in possession of a handgun, fentanyl pills and meth. And in March 2022, Farley was found in a hotel room with another handgun, additional fentanyl pills and meth.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, Missoula Police Department, Flathead Tribal Police and Northwest Drug Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Minnesota Man Sentenced in South Dakota Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that a Minneapolis, Minnesota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on November 21, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Philavanh Soukhanouvong, a/k/a “Joe,” 46, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Soukhanouvong was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in October of 2021. He pleaded guilty on August 30, 2022.
Beginning at an unknown date and continuing to on or about October of 2021, in the District of South Dakota and elsewhere, Soukhanouvong, a/k/a “Joe,” knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed with others known and unknown, to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, in the Sioux Falls area. The methamphetamine involved in this conspiracy was being sourced in Mexico and Soukhanouvong was receiving it in multiple-pound quantities.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Soukhanouvong was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mexican National Sentenced to More Than 12 Years for Role in Methamphetamine Importation ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Ubertino Zavala-Perez (59, Plant City, Florida) to more than 12 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Zavala-Perez pleaded guilty on August 31, 2022.
According to court documents, Ubertino Zavala-Perez conspired with individuals in Mexico and others to distribute and import methamphetamine from Mexico. On March 30, 2022, Zavala-Perez sold half a kilogram of methamphetamine imported from Mexico in a controlled purchase for $3,750. On April 1, 2022, Zavala-Perez agreed to sell one kilogram of methamphetamine in another controlled purchase. A search of his residence, including a storage shed on the property revealed two loaded firearms and additional quantities of methamphetamine. The defendant further admitted to storing his methamphetamine in an off-site storage unit and inside a shed located on his residence. Inside the shed, law enforcement discovered freeze-dried bags containing methamphetamine. After his arrest, Zavala-Perez admitted to receiving methamphetamine from co-conspirators in Mexico and elsewhere in the United States.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Plant City Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.
Meriden Man Sentenced to Nearly 8 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KERVIN DIAZ, 39, of Meriden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 95 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad determined that Harvey Lapan, of East Haven, illegally distributed a variety of prescription and non-prescription drugs, including oxycodone, steroids and cocaine. The investigation also revealed that Diaz coordinated shipments of kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico and also received from cocaine from another source in New York, and distributed the cocaine to New Haven-area drug sellers, including Lapan. In March 2020, Lapan purchased 250 grams of cocaine from Diaz, and in May 2020, he purchased 500 grams of cocaine from Diaz.
Diaz and his girlfriend, Alba Nieves, distributed cocaine and marijuana from Diaz’ business, Nino’s Mini Market, located on Washington Avenue in New Haven, and from Nieves’ business, Middletown Café, located on Middletown Avenue in New Haven.
Diaz was arrested on August 24, 2020. On that date, a search of his and Nieves’ Meriden residence revealed narcotics trafficking paraphernalia, including a large scale hydraulic press, an electronic money counter, and 10 digital scales, many of which that contained cocaine residue. Investigators also seized from the residence a loaded high capacity 9mm gun magazine, and $5,130 in cash.
Diaz has been detained since his arrest. On February 28, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Lapan and Nieves pleaded guilty to related charges. Lapan awaits sentencing. On May 19, 2022, Nieves was sentenced to three years of probation.
his investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Pierpont, Jr., Amanda S. Oakes, and Conor M. Reardon.
Mercer County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Participating in Armed Robbery Spree Spanning Multiple Counties in New Jersey and PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 144 months in prison for his role in a string of armed robberies of businesses in New Jersey and Pennsylvania in May and June of 2019, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Omar Feliciano-Estremera, 45, of Trenton, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to a five-count information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, three substantive counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm which was discharged during a crime of violence. Judge Sheridan imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Feliciano and his conspirator, who is now deceased, committed a string of armed robberies in May and June of 2019 of businesses located in Mercer County, New Jersey, Union County, New Jersey, and Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The conspirator entered the businesses, brandished a handgun, and demanded money from the store clerks working the register. After stealing the money, the conspirator fled the scene with the assistance of Feliciano, who acted as the getaway driver. While fleeing the scene of one of the robberies, in Union County, New Jersey, the conspirator fired a handgun at passing witnesses, shortly before being picked up by Feliciano. Feliciano admitted to conspiring to commit eight robberies and aiding and abetting three robberies, including the Union County robbery at which a firearm was discharged.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced Feliciano to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked officers of the Hamilton Township, Trenton, Rahway, Morrisville, Bristol Township, and Lawrence Township Police Departments for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
McKees Rocks Felon Sentenced to Prison for Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A former resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 57 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release on his conviction of violating a federal firearm law, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on D’Avery Williams, age 25.
On October 18, 2021, law enforcement encountered Williams, who was known to have an active arrest warrant. When officers approached Williams, he fled. After detaining him, officers located a bag that Williams possessed while in flight. Within the bag, officers recovered a loaded handgun and suspected controlled substances. At the time of the offense, Williams had already been convicted of two felony firearm offenses and a drug offense. Under federal law, felons are prohibited from the possession of firearms and ammunition.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the McKees Rocks Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Williams.
Mason City Man Found Guilty of Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Mason City, Iowa man who possessed large amounts of child pornography was convicted by a jury on November 17, 2022, after a 4-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.
Brandon Manning, age 41, from Mason City, Iowa, was convicted of two counts of possession of child pornography. The verdict was returned following more than four hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that Manning possessed thousands of images and videos of child pornography, including pornography of children under the age of 12 years old, on an SD card in a cellphone he attempted to destroy when being served with a search warrant on March 12, 2022, and on an internal hard drive for a laptop that was found in his home, hidden in his bedroom.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Manning remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Manning faces, for each count, a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years up to life of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was investigated by the Mason City Police Department and the State of Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-3002.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Al-Salaam I. Hale, age 46, of Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 60 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for distributing heroin.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Hale was intercepted during a DEA wire investigation communicating with coconspirators regarding heroin trafficking in the Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania area. Hale also sold heroin to a confidential informant who was working with agents as part of the investigation. The investigation determined that Hale was responsible for distributing between 100 and 400 grams of heroin.
The DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley was the prosecutor.
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.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Long Island MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 27 Years in Prison for Murder of Brentwood Teen and Subsequent ShootingRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Nelson Argueta-Quintanilla, also known as “Mendigo”, a member of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the “MS-13,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown to 327 months in prison for his role in the murder of Oscar Acosta, whose body was found on the grounds of an abandoned psychiatric hospital in Brentwood, and a subsequent attempt to shoot and kill rival gang members on Lukens Avenue in Brentwood. The defendant, a self-admitted member of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside (Sailors) clique, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to racketeering and admitted to his involvement in the Acosta murder and Lukens Avenue shooting, as well as narcotics trafficking on behalf of the MS-13.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Rodney K. Harrison, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the sentence.
“Demonstrating the defendant’s complete disregard for human life, today’s sentence is a fitting punishment for a brutal murder followed by another reckless shooting,” stated U.S. Attorney Peace. “This Office and our law enforcement partners remain committed to holding violent actors, including gang members, accountable for the fear, destruction, and death they bring to our communities.”
Argueta-Quintanilla and other MS-13 members targeted Acosta for death because he previously had associated with the MS-13, but later began associating with the rival 18th Street gang. On April 29, 2016, a group of MS-13 members, including the defendant, gathered in a wooded area near an elementary school in Brentwood where they learned a fellow MS-13 member was meeting Acosta to smoke marijuana. When Acosta arrived in the woods, the defendant and the other gang members repeatedly struck Acosta with a large tree branch, knocking him unconscious. They then called the leader of the Sailors clique who arrived at their location with additional members of the gang. The MS-13 members decided to move Acosta to a more isolated area. They tied his hands and feet together and carried Acosta into the trunk of a car. Two cars of gang members, one with Acosta’s body in the trunk, ultimately drove to a secluded wooded area in Brentwood behind several warehouses and adjacent to the grounds of an abandoned psychiatric hospital. Once they arrived, the MS-13 members carried Acosta, still alive, into the woods. Once in the woods, the defendant and three other MS-13 members took turns striking Acosta with a machete. The MS-13 members then put Acosta in a shallow grave, covered him with dirt, and fled the area. On September 16, 2016, while searching for the victim of a different MS-13 murder, law enforcement found Acosta’s body, which was in a shallow grave, and his hands and feet were still bound.
Separately, on the evening of August 10, 2016, the defendant agreed with other Sailors clique members to drive around Brentwood hunting for rival gang members to kill. After observing a number of men standing outside of a house on Lukens Avenue, who they believed were members of the rival gang Goon Squad, the defendant and another MS-13 member, armed with .45 and .40 caliber handguns, respectively, got out of their car, approached the house and opened fire at the group. The defendant fired multiple shots with the .45 caliber handgun. One of the .40 caliber bullets fired by the other MS-13 member traveled through the bedroom wall of an adjacent house and struck the headboard of an elderly woman’s bed. Fortunately, no one was injured in the shooting.
On May 2, 2018, the defendant was arrested on a federal warrant in connection with this case. At the time, he was in immigration custody and had been since June 27, 2017.
Today’s sentencing is the latest accomplishment in a series of federal prosecutions by the USAO-EDNY targeting members and associates of the MS-13, a violent, transnational criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders, and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members and associates with carrying out more than 60 murders in the district, and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders, members, and associates in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, SCPD, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, Hempstead Police Department, Rockville Centre Police Department, and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys John J. Durham, Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci, and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
NELSON ARGUETA-QUINTANILLA (also known as “Mendigo”)
Age: 25
Residence: formerly of Central Islip and Brentwood, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 16-CR-403 (S-7) (GRB)
Lincoln Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Esequiel Guerrero, 36, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln. United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Guerrero to 180 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of methamphetamine mixture, a mixture or substance containing cocaine and a mixture or substance containing marijuana. After serving his sentence, Guerrero will be placed on supervised release for five years. There is no parole in the federal system.
Information provided to law enforcement indicated that Guerrero was involved in the distribution of at least five kilograms, (11 pounds), of methamphetamine mixture in the Lincoln area between August of 2020 and February of 2021. Guerrero served as a Spanish-language translator during negotiations for the sale of methamphetamine from sources in Texas and Mexico to distributors in the Lincoln area. Law enforcement further determined that at least two ounces of methamphetamine seized from a vehicle during a traffic stop in February of 2021 was intended to be provided to Guerrero and one of his partners.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.
Leader of Drug Conspiracy Sentenced to 20 Plus Years in Federal Prison and Fined $100,000Read the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A Bowling Green man was sentenced yesterday to 20 years and 10 months in prison and fined $100,000, for conspiring with multiple people to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Director Tommy Loving of the Bowling Green/Warren County Drug Task Force, and Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police made the announcement.
According to court documents, Tyrecus J. Crowe, 30, conspired and agreed with Andre Graham, Raymond Derouse, Brandon Cherry, Nathan Jackson, and others, to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture. Crowe was one of the leaders of this conspiracy and was responsible for ordering and arranging the transportation of approximately 34.32 kilograms of methamphetamine. Approximately 17 kilograms of methamphetamine was seized in Texas on July 2, 2020, and approximately 17 kilograms of methamphetamine was seized in Simpson County, KY, on August 30, 2020. Both of these methamphetamine shipments were headed to Bowling Green, KY.
Crowe also made a considerable amount of money from the conspiracy and purchased a trucking business, a tow truck business, and a home with a cash down payment of approximately $130,000. Crowe made numerous jail phone calls which were recorded. In one of these phone calls, Crowe admitted to making and spending over $1,000,000 in Las Vegas and that he never knew “cleaning money” would be so hard.
Crowe is the last defendant of the conspiracy to be sentenced. The other defendants in the case who were previously sentenced, received the following sentences:
Andre Graham – 12 years in prison;
George Sanchez – 17 years in prison;
Jeremy Quezada – 10 years in prison;
Raymond Derouse Jr. – 12 months and 1 day in prison;
Nathan Jackson – 7.25 years in prison;
Brandon Cherry – 8 years in prison; and
Michael Padilla – 7 years in prison.
“The investigation of this case and the sentences imposed on the defendants reflect the unwavering commitment of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to prevent illicit narcotics from entering our communities and harming our citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Bennett. “I am thankful for the outstanding work of the FBI’s Bowling Green Resident Agency, the Bowling Green/Warren County Drug Task Force, and the Kentucky State Police.”
“Drug trafficking is a multibillion-dollar criminal enterprise that targets our friends, our neighbors and even our family members,” said Special Agent in Charge Cohen. “The sentences handed down to Crowe and his co-conspirators illustrate the danger these networks are to our community. FBI Louisville will continue to diligently work alongside our partners to investigate and dismantle these criminal organizations.”
“Complex investigations and prosecutions like this help make our community a safer place to live,” said Director Loving. “The Bowling Green/Warren County Drug Task consists of state, local and federal partners working together as a team which is the key to successful investigations. Working with our local U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office brings these major drug traffickers to justice.”
The FBI Louisville Field Office’s Bowling Green Resident Agency, the Bowling Green/Warren County Drug Task Force, and the Kentucky State Police DESI/West investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. Yurchisin II and Corinne Keel prosecuted the case.
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Key West Labor Staffing Conspirator Pleads Guilty to Immigration FraudRead the Press Release
A former Key West resident pleaded guilty today to an immigration conspiracy related to the operation of several Key West labor staffing companies.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from January 2016 through at least January 2021, Oleksandr Morgunov, formerly of Key West, helped operate Paradise Choice LLC, Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC, Tropical City Services LLC and Tropical City Group LLC, all of which were labor staffing companies in southern Florida. The staffing companies facilitated the employment of individuals in hotels, bars and restaurants in Key West and other locations, even though the employees were not authorized to work in the United States.
Morgunov acknowledged that he and his co-conspirators defrauded the IRS out of more than $7.9 million in employment taxes.
Morgunov is scheduled to be sentenced on January 31, 2023. He faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison for conspiring to harbor aliens and induce them to remain in the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigation are investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Jessica A. Kraft and Nicholas J. Schilling, Jr., of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Clark of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Kalamazoo Man Arrested and Charged with Federal Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan filed a criminal complaint to arrest and charge Tyrone Henderson, 50, of Kalamazoo, Michigan for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine; felon in possession of firearms; and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. After a preliminary hearing and detention hearing on Friday, before Magistrate Judge Sally J. Berens, Henderson was bound over and detained pending the return of an indictment by the Grand Jury. Henderson made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on November 15, 2022.
“Given the extreme danger posed by fentanyl, we are in a fight to save lives,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “According to the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team, this is the largest seizure of fentanyl in the Kalamazoo area. My office, in coordination with our local and federal partners, is committed to disrupting the distribution of fentanyl, illegal drugs, and guns into our communities.”
According to court documents, the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET), a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force, has been investigating Henderson for his involvement with fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution in Kalamazoo. KVET obtained a warrant to search Henderson’s residence. A search of the residence yielded 2.3 kilograms of pure fentanyl, 1.3 kilograms of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, 516 grams of heroin, and 489 grams of methamphetamine. Much of the methamphetamine seized from Henderson’s residence was in pill form, disguised to look like the party drug ecstasy. Henderson’s residence also contained four assault rifles; multiple magazines; ammunition; a loaded, stolen handgun; digital scales; presses; and, other implements used for processing narcotics. Henderson has multiple prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing firearms. For more information, please see the continuation in support of the criminal complaint available on the public docket. United States v. Henderson, No. 1:22-MJ-472 (SJB), ECF No. 1-1 (W.D. Mich.)
“The Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team is committed to reducing gun violence often fueled by the illegal distribution of controlled substances most notably Fentanyl,” said KVET Captain Rafael Diaz. “This case represents many hours of investigation and collaboration with our federal partner, the DEA. And we look forward to continuing that relationship to support the greater Kalamazoo area in reducing the damaging effects of lost lives due to gun violence and overdoses.”
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten of the Western District of Michigan, Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Detroit Field Division, and Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Acting Chief David Boysen made the announcement.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team are investigating the case. A photograph of some of the items seized from Henderson’s residence is below.
Under the United States Constitution, the government must present felony cases to a grand jury and obtain indictments to proceed with prosecution. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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KC Man Sentenced for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing methamphetamine to distribute.
Scott D. Walker, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 11 years and three months in federal prison without parole.
On March 1, 2022, Walker pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
On Aug. 7, 2020, Independence, Mo., police officers and U.S. Marshals Service arrested Walker at an Independence residence on a warrant for violating his supervised release. Walker was previously convicted in federal court in the District of Kansas for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and for possessing firearms and ammunition in relation to a drug-trafficking crime, for which he was sentenced to 13 years and four months in federal prison without parole. Walker was released from incarceration on July 19, 2019, and he was serving a five-year sentence of supervised release at the time of his arrest in this case.
Walker was taken into custody without incident and officers searched his backpack, which contained approximately 196 grams of methamphetamine, a Rohm .22 short caliber revolver, and $5,520 in cash.
Walker also admitted that approximately 84 grams of methamphetamine and cash recovered from an earlier incident at another residence belonged to him. Walker admitted to distributing large quantities of methamphetamine.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess E. Michaelsen. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Justice Department, FTC and State of Wisconsin File Complaint to Stop Deceptive Sales Practices of Timeshare Exit Services Aimed at Elderly ConsumersRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the State of Wisconsin, today announced a civil enforcement action against 16 defendants for allegedly using deceptive sales practices nationally to sell timeshare “exit services” to senior citizens.
The defendants include five individuals – Christopher Carroll, George Reed, LouAnn Reed, Scott Jackson and Eduardo Balderas – and 11 related companies and trusts they run and operate – Consumer Law Protection LLC, Consumer Rights Council, Premier Reservations Group LLC, Resort Transfer Group LLC, Square One Development Group Inc., Square One Group LLC, Timeshare Help Source LLC, Farmington Allegiance LLC, Mainline Partners LLC, the Jake and Avery Irrevocable Trust dated Sept. 11, 2019, and the Maggie and Lucy Irrevocable Trust dated Sept. 11, 2019.
According to a complaint filed in the Eastern District of Missouri, the defendants promised to assist consumers in exiting their timeshare contracts in exchange for large fees, but usually failed to deliver on their promises. The complaint alleges that the defendants, at high-pressure sales presentations at hotels and restaurants in multiple states, convinced consumers to sign up for timeshare exit services by falsely claiming that consumers could not exit timeshare contracts on their own, that the defendants were affiliated with legitimate companies, and that the consumers’ heirs would be stuck with large fees unless they signed defendants’ contracts. The complaint further alleges that the defendants failed to notify consumers of their rights under federal and state law to cancel their contracts with defendants within three business days. According to the complaint, the defendants deceived consumers – who were mostly seniors – into paying more than $90 million to the defendant companies for services that were not delivered. The complaint states that, through these actions, the defendants violated the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair and deceptive conduct, the FTC’s rule concerning cooling-off period for sales made at home or other locations, which requires disclosures about the right to cancel purchases, and certain Wisconsin state laws concerning fraudulent misrepresentations and direct marketing.
The complaint seeks monetary relief, civil penalties and injunctive relief to stop defendants from continuing to make deceptive claims in connection with the sale of timeshare exit services. The defendants’ timeshare exit services are also the subject of lawsuits filed by the Alaska and Missouri Attorneys General in June 2022.
This matter is being handled by Trial Attorneys Ellen Bowden McIntyre and Amy Kaplan and Assistant Director Lisa K. Hsiao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Samantha Denny and William Hodor of the FTC. Lewis W. Beilin represents the State of Wisconsin.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice. For more information about the FTC, visit its website at https://www.FTC.gov.
Jacksonville Man Indicted on Aggravated Identity Theft and Fraud Charges Involving Identification DocumentsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Jerry Cintron Colon (42, Jacksonville) with aggravated identity theft, false representation of a Social Security number (SSN), and fraud involving identification documents. If convicted, Colon faces up to 15 years in federal prison for the fraud count, and up to 5 years’ imprisonment on the false SSN representation count, and a consecutive mandatory minimum penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft count. Colon was arrested and made his initial appearance in federal court on November 21, 2022, and was released on 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 Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Jury Convicts Southern Illinois Man of Online Sextortion Scheme Targeting Teen Girls on FacebookRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – On Friday, November 18, 2022, a federal jury found Michael A. Ferris, 44, of
Mill Shoals, Illinois, guilty of twenty-five felony counts of extortion, cyberstalking, and production, distribution, and possession of child pornography involving nine minor victims.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from at least March 2020 until
November 2020, Ferris targeted teenage girls on Facebook and engaged in a pattern of extortion, commonly known as “sextortion.” His victims ranged in age from 11 to 17 years old, and traveled from across the country to confront him at trial.As part of his scheme, Ferris created fake Facebook personas appearing to be teenage girls. He also joined Facebook groups meant for teenagers and survivors of sexual abuse. Ferris sent unsolicited messages to teenage girls under the guise of being a peer looking to make a new friend. If the teens responded, Ferris tried to convince them to send a nude photograph or answer personal questions about themselves. Ferris then used that information as leverage to coerce them into sending more explicit photos, answering more sexual questions, or performing sexual acts on themselves or others while Ferris watched on video chat. If his victims refused to comply, or pleaded to stop, Ferris harassed and threatened them until they kept going, usually threatening to send the girls’ photos or answers to personal questions to their friends, parents, police, or child protective services. Even after Ferris’ victims complied with his demands, he would often still distribute their sexually explicit images to friends and family.
“Ferris preyed upon some of the most vulnerable people in the community, children, by using shame and fear to gain power over them,” said United States Attorney Rachelle Crowe. “Fortunately, those minor victims and their families came from across the country to testify and hold Ferris accountable for his disturbing demands. Discussions with children about their social media use and who they can talk to about problems online helps to combat predators like Michael Ferris.”
“I commend those that bravely came forward to testify to help get Ferris off our streets and away from other children he might harm,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge R. Sean Fitzgerald.
“HSI and our law enforcement partners will continue to work within our communities to aid and assist victims of these crimes and bring the predators to justice.”The investigation was conducted by agents from Homeland Security Investigations—Springfield with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations domestic and international offices, Jackson County Oregon Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Illinois Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police, and
Aurora Missouri Police Department. Victim and Witness Support was provided by the United States Attorneys’ Office from the Southern District of Illinois, the Eastern District of Missouri, and
Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ali Burns and Luke Weissler prosecuted the case.Iowa Nurse Pleads Guilty to Stealing Fentanyl from Elderly PatientsRead the Press Release
An Iowa nurse who stole fentanyl from elderly patients pled guilty on November 21, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City. Ryan William Thornton, age 27, from Clear Lake, Iowa, was convicted of acquiring fentanyl by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge.
In a plea agreement, Thornton admitted that he diverted liquid fentanyl, that was supposed to be dispensed to patients, for his own personal use by removing fentanyl from the patients’ IV pumps with a syringe.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Thornton remains free on bond pending sentencing. Thornton faces a possible maximum sentence of 4 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 1 year of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was investigated by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals Investigations Division Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-3034.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Indianapolis Drug Dealer Sentenced to over 12 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine and HeroinRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Dorian Hayden, 26, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 150 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on February 13, 2020, officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) obtained a search warrant for Hayden’s Indianapolis apartment on Baneberry Lane. Hayden was a suspected drug trafficker. The officers went to Hayden’s apartment. When they arrived, they saw Hayden exit his apartment, enter a vehicle, and drive away. The officers stopped Hayden’s vehicle because they knew Hayden had a suspended driver’s license. Hayden was ordered out the vehicle. While placing Hayden in custody, the officers seized two loaded Glock handguns from Hayden’s pants pocket along with a key to his apartment.
On that same day, a search warrant was executed at Hayden’s apartment. The officers found 1.6 kilograms of methamphetamine, 49.64 grams of heroin, cutting products, multiple digital scales, $38,468 in U.S. currency, two metal industrial presses, a digital money counter, and a loaded semiautomatic pistol. Hayden admitted in his guilty plea that he had intended to sell the methamphetamine and heroin.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Columbus Field Division; Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office; and Randal Taylor, Police Chief of IMPD made the announcement.
ATF, DEA, and IMPD investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker. As part of the sentence, Barker ordered that Hayden be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle P. Brady who prosecuted this case.
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.
Georgia Woman Convicted for Role in International Conspiracy to Launder Proceeds of “Boiler Room” FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Rachael Maia Winslow (55, Roswell, Georgia) guilty of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Winslow faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing will be set at a later date. Winslow was indicted on May 20, 2020.
According to the testimony and evidence presented at trial, Winslow was a member of an international conspiracy to launder funds generated via boiler room fraud. The boiler rooms sold foreign victims what they were led to believe were legitimate investments, such as shares or stock in reputable companies such as Facebook, Chesapeake Energy, or Toys R Us. In fact, the investments were worthless, and the boiler rooms defrauded victims of over $14 million dollars, at least $4.7 million of which passed through accounts controlled by Winslow.
Winslow formed shell companies in various states, and then opened bank accounts in the names of those shell companies for the purpose of receiving fraud proceeds from victim-investors. Fraud proceeds were then wired back overseas and used to pay expenses and boiler room workers and otherwise perpetuate the scheme. Fraud proceeds were also wired to accounts controlled by coconspirators in the money laundering operation in the United States and overseas, including to Winslow’s overseas accounts, to compensate them for their roles in the conspiracy and otherwise for their personal enrichment. Winslow participated in this scheme while living in Barcelona, Spain, and in Miami, Florida.
The testimony and evidence presented at trial also proved that certain assets the United States is forfeiting from the defendant, specifically, $525,595.62 seized from an account in the name of Guardian Holdings, LLC, and $222,013.19 seized from an account in the name of First Assured Contact, LLC, are traceable proceeds of the offense.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachelle DesVaux Bedke and David W.A. Chee.
Four Defendants Indicted for Securities Fraud, Conducting International Pump-and-Dump Scheme, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Owen Roth and Aaron P. Arnzen
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – November 22, 2022
SAN DIEGO – Canadian resident David Stephens and California residents Donald Danks, Jonathan Destler, and Robert Lazerus are charged in a federal grand-jury indictment with securities fraud in connection with a pump-and-dump scheme, and Danks is additionally charged with money laundering, arising from their alleged manipulation of the market for shares of Quebec-based Loop Industries, Inc.
Danks, Destler, and Lazerus are scheduled to appear in federal court on November 28, 2022.
According to the allegations in the indictment, in 2014, Stephens acquired control over a publicly-traded “shell” entity whose free-trading shares were held in various offshore nominee entities, and in 2015 worked with Danks and Destler to conduct a reverse-merger of the shell with Loop, thereby generating publicly tradable Loop shares. Without disclosing his controlling interest in all, or nearly all, freely tradeable Loop shares, Stephens directed sales of shares on the open market and transferred large blocks to Danks, a Loop board member, and Destler, a controlling shareholder. In turn, Danks and Destler made material false statements and omissions about their interests in Loop, failed to disclose those interests, and directed and conducted transactions in Loop stock. Danks and Destler worked with Lazerus to promote the stock, including by having Lazerus successfully persuade an elderly investor to purchase millions of dollars of shares in 2017. Stephens, Danks, Destler and Lazerus then divided the proceeds from the sales among themselves.
The indictment further alleges that Lazerus, assisted by Danks and Destler, sought to promote Loop shares by passing material, non-public information about Loop to an investor, who was in fact an undercover agent for the FBI. Finally, the indictment alleges that Danks used more than $500,000, procured as a margin loan from Loop shares, to finance the purchase of a home in Southern California.
“Securities fraud schemes victimize investors and degrade the integrity of the securities markets,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “This indictment reflects a commitment by this office and its agency partners to keep a vigilant watch for market manipulation and hold those who violate our securities laws accountable.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team, the FBI, and the Securities and Exchange Commission for their excellent work on the case.
“Today’s indictment sends a strong message that the FBI will aggressively pursue anyone who thinks they can get away with defrauding innocent investors for their personal gain,” said Stacey Moy, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “The FBI is committed to investigating allegations of significant financial crime and market manipulation, and in doing so, will work to restore public trust in a fair market.”
The Securities and Exchange Commission has also taken civil action against the named defendants.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 22cr2701-BAS
David Stephens Age: 66 Alberta, Canada
Donald Danks Age: 65 Newport Beach, CA
Jonathan Destler Age: 59 Los Angeles, CA
Robert Lazerus Age: 66 Solana Beach, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 371
Securities Fraud –Title 18, U.S.C. Secs. 78(b), 78ff & Title 17, C.F.R. Sec. 240.10b-5
Money Laundering – Title 18 U.S.C., Sec. 1956(a)(1)(B)(i)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and a fine of not more than the greater of twice the amount of gain or loss associated with the offense or $250,000.
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
United States Securities and Exchange Commission Boston Regional Office
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Substitute Teacher and Coach Going to Prison for 20 Years on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Steven Gasiorek, 37, of Cheektowaga, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison and 10 years supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge Williams M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that between March 2014, and April 16, 2019, Gasiorek worked as a substitute teacher and athletic coach at John F. Kennedy Middle and High Schools in Cheektowaga, NY. During that time, Gasiorek pretended to be a teenage girl living in California and used a fictitious Instagram account in the name of LEXIGURL1015 to communicate with numerous minor males and receive child pornography from them. Gasiorek knew the victims he was communicating with were minors, and he served as a teacher or coach to some of the victims he received child pornography from.
On April 16, 2019, during the execution of a search warrant at Gasiorek’s residence, a laptop computer and external hard drive were seized. A forensic examination recovered images and videos of child pornography depicting many minor males, of which 29 have been positively identified. The victims lived in Cheektowaga, Lancaster, Virginia, Texas, and Florida. In total, Gasiorek possessed over 600 images and videos of child pornography.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Stansbury, the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Gould, the West Seneca Police Department, under the direction of Chief Edward Baker, and the Fauquier County, Virginia, Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Jeremy Falls.
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Former Santa Rosa County Deputy Sheriff Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Scott P. Haines, 50, of Milton, Florida, was sentenced to one year and a day in federal prison, following his previous guilty plea on the charge of making material false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation during an elder exploitation investigation. United States Attorney Jason R. Coody announced the sentence.
“Criminal conduct by those sworn to uphold the law represents a betrayal of the public trust,” stated U.S. Attorney Coody. “The corrupt acts of an individual law enforcement officer can erode the public’s trust in the legions of brave men and women who faithfully honor their oaths’ and place their lives on the line each day to keep our communities safe. We will vigorously investigate and prosecute any officer who betrays their sworn oath and the public’s trust.”
During his plea in federal court, Haines admitted that he became personally involved in the real property management and finances of an elderly woman in Santa Rosa County and deposited rental payments from tenants of the elderly woman into his own bank account without authority to do so. When confronted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Haines made material false statements regarding his involvement with the rental properties, the depositing of rental payments into his personal account, and his knowledge and involvement with the Last Will and Testament of the elderly woman of which he became a beneficiary.
"Police officers are given immense trust and responsibility, and are therefore held to a higher standard,” said Sherri E. Onks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division, “so there are serious consequences when one tarnishes the badge by breaking the law. Scott Haines disgraced the uniform when he abused his authority to victimize an elderly individual for his own personal gain, and his sentencing affirms that the FBI has zero tolerance for officials who prey on the citizens they have sworn to protect.”
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office cooperated fully with the FBI/FDLE investigation and immediately relieved Haines of his duties prior to the filing of criminal charges.
Haines will be required to serve one year on federal supervised release following his incarceration. He was formally adjudicated guilty by the United States District Court and is now a felon. Haines previously relinquished his criminal justice certifications.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg prosecuted the case.
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.
Former Mississippi Sheriff and Deputy Indicted on Bribery ChargesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A federal grand jury in Jackson has returned indictments charging the former sheriff of Noxubee County and one of his deputies with receiving bribes, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, former sheriff Terry Grassaree and former deputy Vance Phillips are charged with using facilities in interstate commerce, namely, the internet and a cellular phone, for the purpose of committing the offense of bribery. Grassaree is also charged with lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The defendants made their initial court appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge F. Keith Ball of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. The cases are set for trial on January 9, 2023. If convicted, Grassaree faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and Phillips faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Purdie is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Bookkeeper and Husband Sentenced to Federal Prison for Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Desiree Madiedo (45, Brooksville) to serve one year and one day in federal prison for wire fraud. Earlier, on November 8, 2022, Judge Jung sentenced Desiree Madiedo’s husband, Christopher Madiedo (47, Brooksville), to 30 months in federal prison for his role in the wire fraud scheme. As part of their sentences, the court also ordered the Madiedos to pay full restitution in the amount of $342,155 to the victim company and entered an order of forfeiture in the same amount, representing the proceeds of the couple’s wire fraud scheme. Desiree Madiedo was found guilty on June 3, 2022. Christopher Madiedo was found guilty on September 8, 2022.
According to court documents, Desiree Madiedo was hired in 2004 by Company 1, a worldwide agribusiness, to work in the company’s Tampa office. There, she initially worked as a receptionist and was later assigned to work in the company’s accounting and office management department where she handled the Tampa office’s accounts receivable and accounts payable. Around 2014, Desiree Madiedo’s duties and responsibilities were expanded to include administration and reconciliation of Company 1’s credit card account. Around the same time, she caused Company 1 to establish an automatic monthly payment to be made from its bank account to cover charges made by Company 1 employees against its credit cards. From then and until around January 2018, the Madiedos utilized Desiree Madiedo’s company credit card to purchase approximately $342,155 in personal items and services, which were not valid business-related expenditures.
In an effort to conceal the purchases of personal items and services by herself and her husband, Desiree Madiedo continued to collect and reconcile all of the other Company 1 employees’ expense account reports, enter appropriate business expenditures made by the employees into Company 1’s books and records, and ensure that the entire outstanding balance due the credit card company—which included charges made by the Madiedos against the company’s credit card account for personal items and services—was paid in full.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay G. Trezevant. Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench is handling the asset forfeiture.
Former Bellevue Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Selling Stolen Items on AmazonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A Florida resident has pled guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced today.
The plea of guilty was entered by Thac Duc Le, age 37, formerly of Venetia, PA, currently from Davie, Florida.
According to the information presented to the Court, during the period April, 2013 through August, 2016, Le operated a business in Bellevue, PA, called Last Call Entertainment. While Last Call was a second hand reseller of small electronics goods, Le also participated in buying health and beauty products (makeup, lipstick, etc.), over the counter medications (ibuprofen, aspirin, dietary supplements) and a wide variety of miscellaneous products (teeth whitening strips, electronic toothbrushes, pet products, small electronics like calculators, etc.), all purchased from walk-in sellers. These walk-in sellers were almost always addicted to various drugs and had shoplifted the products they were offering for sale to Le from local retail merchants. The Court heard of evidence that Le paid these walk-in sellers pennies on the dollar and in turn resold these stolen items on Amazon and that Amazon in turn paid him, by electronic funds transfers, more than $400,000 during the time period of the Indictment.
Chief Judge Mark Hornak accepted Le’s plea of guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Le was released on bond after assuring the Court that he would return for sentencing.
The Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, together with a number of local police departments, conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case, and others that remain pending.
Former Amtrak Employee and Her Husband Plead Guilty to Charges for Fraudulently Obtaining Nearly $1 Million in COVID Jobless ReliefRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Amtrak employee pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for conspiring with her husband to steal nearly $1 million in COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and for fraudulently obtaining more than $63,000 in sickness benefits while she worked at Amtrak.
Lizette Berrios Lathon, 45, of Moreno Valley, pleaded guilty to a three-count information charging her with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and wire fraud.
Lathon’s husband, Kenneth Andrew Lathon, 48, also of Moreno Valley, pleaded guilty to a three-count information charging him with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to her plea agreement, from 2014 until the present day, Lizette Lathon, in addition to her one-time duties as a service attendant for Amtrak, operated at least three tax preparation businesses: Miracle Tax Service, which was located on Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile; Hardcore Corp., which did business as “Hardcore Taxes;” and Lathon LLC. The latter two companies were located in Moreno Valley.
Lathon and her husband took advantage of the expanded eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits made possible by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law in 2020. The CARES Act also established the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, which provided additional UI benefits to qualified individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic including people who did not otherwise qualify for UI such as business owners, self-employed workers, independent contractors, and those with a limited work history.
In some instances, Lizette Lathon submitted fraudulent applications with the California Employment Development Department (EDD) for UI benefits using names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth that she obtained from former clients of her tax preparation businesses without the permission of those former clients. On the applications, she falsely asserted inflated income for the named claimants – many of whom had never lived in California – to receive the maximum benefit amount.
As a result of the fraudulent claims she filed, EDD authorized Bank of America to issue debit cards in the names of Lizette Lathon’s former clients, but the cards were mailed to addresses she and her family controlled. She and her husband then used the debit cards to make cash withdrawals at ATMs and to make purchases at retail stores.
During the conspiracy, which lasted from the spring of 2020 until March 2021, Lathon and her husband caused at least 44 fraudulent unemployment claims to be filed, resulting in losses to EDD and the United States Treasury of approximately $998,630.
Lizette Lathon, who was employed at Amtrak from 2000 to 2021, also schemed to defraud the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) out of sickness benefit payments by filing forged and false claims that stated she was being treated by a medical professional for pain and anxiety. Through this scheme, which lasted from September 2014 to January 2020, she fraudulently obtained approximately $63,047 in sickness benefit payments.
Kenneth Lathon admitted in his plea agreement to possessing a .22-caliber rifle and 12-gauge shotgun that bore no identifiable serial number despite his criminal history, which includes felony convictions in California state court for theft, cocaine possession, and fraud.
United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin scheduled an April 13, 2023 sentencing hearing for the defendants, at which time Lizette Lathon will face a statutory maximum sentence of 42 years in federal prison, and Kenneth Lathon will face a statutory maximum sentence of 32 years in federal prison.
This matter is being investigated by the United States Railroad Retirement Board Office of Inspector General; Amtrak Office of Inspector General; the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; the United States Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration; the California Employment Development Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Byron R. Tuyay of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting these cases.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Florissant Woman Admits $100,000 Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –A woman from Florissant on Monday pleaded guilty to federal charges and admitted fraudulently obtaining two pandemic-era loans totaling more than $101,000.
Lakenya M. Hobbs, 40, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White to one count of bank fraud and one count of wire fraud.
Hobbs admitted scheming to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program, which provided forgivable loans to small businesses to help them save jobs during the pandemic. The loans were based on payroll expenses and the number of employees, among other factors.
On March 12, 2021, Hobbs submitted a loan application to Banterra Bank containing false and fraudulent information that triggered the issuance of a $81, 223 check. Hobbs did not use the money to save jobs but instead at electronic stores and restaurants and for airfare. She also took some out in cash. On Oct. 1, 2021, she applied for loan forgiveness, falsely stating in the application that she’s used the PPP money for payroll. She was granted forgiveness.
On May 27, 2021, Hobbs submitted a loan application to Harvest Small Business Finance. She falsely inflated her gross income on the application and got a $20,344 loan. On Nov. 29, 2021, she applied to have her loan forgiven. She was also granted forgiveness for this loan.
At her sentencing February 22, Hobbs could face up to 30 years in prison. She will also have to repay the money.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Festus Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Embezzling $854,000Read the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a man who embezzled $845,000 to 33 months in prison.
Ryan S. Kent, 44, of Festus, Missouri, used a series of schemes starting in 2017 to take the money while employed as a maintenance supervisor at a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in St. Louis.
Beginning in July 2017, Kent bought supplies and equipment with his personal debit or credit card and doctored the receipts to inflate the amount of purchase before submitting them to his company. He would also submit fictitious invoices and sought reimbursement for costs that he never incurred traveling to pick up parts or equipment. He also bought supplies at Home Depot, returned them and then sought reimbursement from the company, his plea agreement says.
Kent used the money for personal bills, to redo his backyard, for travel to Las Vegas to gamble and to buy a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado and a 2021 Cadillac Escalade.
Kent pleaded guilty in August to a felony wire fraud charge. As part of the sentencing hearing Tuesday, Judge Ross ordered Kent to repay the money. He also banned Kent from casinos.
“People who embezzle should know their crime will eventually come to light despite their best attempts at covering their tracks. In this case, Ryan Kent’s employer contacted the FBI when an internal investigation revealed possible fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Kent will now have time to ponder how his selfish greed earned him 33 months in federal prison.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman.
Fenton Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Stealing $1.2 Million from InvestorsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a Fenton, Missouri man who bilked investors out of $1.2 million to four years in prison and ordered him to repay the money.
Harish Sunkara, 51, falsely told investors that he had won contracts with the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport worth between $750,000 and $950,000. His company, Pace Solutions, had actually won a $49,500 contract to provide the airport with IT training software. But from Sept. 2, 2020 through at least Nov. 16, 2021, Sunkara used forged, altered and fraudulent versions of the legitimate contract documents, including the forged signature of the airport’s contract administrator, to dupe investors.
In what Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman called a “long-running scheme to defraud,” six investors lost amounts ranging from $51,800 to $645,000, for a total of $1,271,800.
On multiple occasions when investors wired him money, he sent all or part of it to Las Vegas casinos. Between 2020 and 2021, Sunkara spent at least $5.5 million at casinos in eastern Missouri and Nevada.
Sunkara was taken into custody in the courtroom to begin serving his sentence.
Sunkara pleaded guilty in August to two counts of aggravated identity theft.
“Harish Sunkara knowingly defrauded and stole money from people who trusted him. For his selfish greed, he received the ultimate payment of four years in federal prison,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Unfortunately, fraudsters exploit people they already know because of the existing trust. This type of tactic is so common, it is known as ‘affinity fraud.’ “
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
Felon Who Threatened Law Enforcement Sentenced for Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 4 years in prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to court documents, in March 2021, Thomas Liddle, 28, and a co-conspirator made death threats to a Norfolk Police Detective/FBI Task Force Officer (TFO) and his family. Specifically, Liddle and his co-conspirator sent text messages to the TFO’s cell phone threatening to kill him, his wife, and his family. The messages indicated the conspirators knew where the TFO lived and worked. The TFO also received threatening calls.
In December 2021, there was an arrest warrant for Liddle for failing to appear in court. The Norfolk Police Department (NPD) received a tip concerning Liddle’s location. NPD observed Liddle in the driver’s seat of a parked vehicle. When Liddle was being arrested, officers observed a firearm in the pocket of Liddle’s pants. Liddle had been previously convicted in 2014 in Norfolk of robbery, burglary, and use of a firearm, thereby making his possession of a firearm illegal. After the arrest, Liddle admitted he was present when the threatening calls were made to the TFO and admitted he identified the TFO for his conspirator to make the threats.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Michael Goldsmith, Interim Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe DePadilla prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-11.
Federal Jury Convicts Olmsted County Man for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and Possession of Cocaine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury convicted an Olmsted County man for conspiring to distribute controlled substances and for possession with intent to distribute cocaine after being arrested with four kilograms of cocaine in his rental car, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel, Christopher Allen Edwards, 39, was convicted on November 17, 2022, of one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
According to the evidence presented at trial, in early 2021, law enforcement received information that Edwards was dealing drugs in the Rochester area. Law enforcement determined that Edwards and his co-conspirator, Chloe Michelle Johnson, 25, were dealing a variety of drugs throughout Rochester and Southeastern Minnesota, from May 2021 through October 16, 2021, the date of their arrest.
In October 2021, law enforcement tracked Edwards’ rental vehicle as he traveled to Austin, Texas, and back to Minnesota in a quick turnaround road trip. On October 16, 2021, law enforcement stopped Edwards and Johnson in Edwards’ rental car once they drove back into Olmsted County. Edwards was caught with four kilograms of cocaine in his backpack in his rental car. That same day, law enforcement executed search warrants on Edwards’ and Johnson’s residences and found various amounts of cocaine packaged for distribution, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.
On May 12, 2022, Johnson pleaded guilty to her role in the drug trafficking conspiracy. She is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2023.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan H. Nelson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor tried the case.
Fairhope Man Sentenced to 30 Months and Ordered to Pay $1.2 Million in Restitution in PPP Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – The Hon. Terry F. Moorer has sentenced Jason Carl Pears of Fairhope, Alabama, to 30 months’ imprisonment following his August 2022 guilty plea to two counts of Wire Fraud and one count of Money Laundering. The sentence arises from Pears’ abuse of assistance programs provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
According to court documents, Pears obtained two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of two companies: The Jason Made It Company and Nanny For A Week. Pears utilized false tax forms, altered checks, and falsified loan documents to obtain the loans. After successfully securing over $1.2 Million in PPP loan funds, Pears spent the money on luxury goods and real estate, among other things.
U. S. Attorney Sean P. Costello said, “Crime doesn’t pay, especially when criminals steal from federal programs for people in real need. Our partners in law enforcement are continuing their efforts to investigate and identify anyone who took advantage of these programs to steal taxpayers’ money, and my office will keep prosecuting the selfish fraudsters who cheat the system.”“Paycheck Protection Program fraud should strike fear into the hearts of the citizens of South Alabama. The PPP was devised to assist honest people through some of the toughest of financial times and Mr. Pears took advantage of the program to purchase lavish gifts for himself. The 30 months imprisonment and order to pay $1.2 million dollars in restitution should send a clear message to anyone thinking of committing fraud against any government program.” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown.
“Many deserving businesses were unable to benefit from the Paycheck Protection Program because people like Mr. Pears submitted false documents and stole funds he was not entitled to receive,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation and our Federal partners are committed to investigating and prosecuting those who illegally took funds from the program.”
The case was investigated by a joint taskforce of Special Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration - Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasee Heisterhagen prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.Eagle Butte Man Sentenced on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm was sentenced on November 21, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Joseph Elsey, age 34, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Elsey was indicted for Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm by a federal grand jury in December of 2022. He pleaded guilty on August 11, 2022.
On July 11, 2021, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services officers found a revolver, methamphetamine, and methamphetamine paraphernalia in Elsey’s vehicle in Eagle Butte. Elsey admitted he owned the pistol. Elsey had been convicted of aggravated assault in 2016, and this conviction made it illegal for him to possess firearms. Elsey was also prohibited from possessing firearms because he was a habitual user of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Dewey County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Elsey was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Duo sentenced to 40 years in prison for carjacking resulting in deathRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Stetson Shane Barnes, 30, of Loving, New Mexico, and Donald Alfred Busch, 34, of Carlsbad, New Mexico, were each sentenced to 40 years in prison following a conviction for their parts in a carjacking resulting in death.
On Nov. 12, 2021, after a nearly two-week trial, a federal jury convicted Barnes and Busch of conspiracy to commit carjacking, carjacking resulting in death, and being felons in possession of firearms and ammunition. Busch was also found guilty of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
On the night of May 27, 2019, Barnes, Busch and Tyson Lee Terrell traveled to the victim’s home in Loving with an accomplice, Jehra Lynn Hedgecock, 33, of Carlsbad. The group had conspired to steal a motorcycle from the victim, identified in court records as J.S.
Upon the group arriving at the victim’s residence in Hedgecock’s truck, Hedgecock knocked at the front door in an attempt to lure J.S. outside. Meanwhile, Busch located the motorcycle he wanted to steal under the victim’s carport and began pushing it away. As the victim emerged from his home, Barnes, Busch and Hedgecock all pointed firearms at him. Jurors heard testimony that Busch ordered J.S. back into his home while holding him at gunpoint.
While Busch continued to push the motorcycle off the victim’s property, Hedgecock and Barnes got into Hedgecock’s truck. As they began to drive away, Barnes fired twelve shots from the truck into the residence, the last of which struck and killed J.S. The victim’s father testified that J.S. called him to ask for help, and that he was on the phone with J.S. when he heard gunshots ring out. According to courtroom testimony, J.S. was taking cover in the back room of his home when he was struck by the last bullet fired by Barnes.
After the shooting, Hedgecock stopped the truck on the side of the road where Barnes helped Busch to load the motorcycle in the back of the truck, and the conspirators fled. Hedgecock’s truck was found burning in a ravine outside Carlsbad the following day and J.S.’s motorcycle was later recovered from Barnes’ property.
Hedgecock pleaded guilty on July 22, 2021, to one count of conspiracy, one count of carjacking resulting in death and one count of using, brandishing and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of such crime. Sentencing for Hedgecock is scheduled for Jan. 10, 2023.
Terrell pleaded guilty on Jan. 20 to one count of conspiracy. On July 22, Terrell was sentenced to four years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from New Mexico State Police and the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Y. Armijo and Ry Ellison are prosecuting this case.
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Dominican Man Sentenced to 18 Months’ Imprisonment for Evading Tobacco Excise TaxesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Dominguez, age 58, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 18 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to evade federal excise taxes on imported large cigars. Dominguez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Dominguez owned and operated the Dominican-based cigar manufacturer Victor Sinclair Cigars. Dominguez previously admitted that he conspired to evade the excise taxes imposed on the importation of Victor Sinclair manufactured cigars from 2009 to 2012. Dominguez’s co-conspirators included his U.S. importers, Donna Venturini and Hope Carbone, both of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. During the conspiracy, Dominguez, Venturini, and Carbone collected approximately $3.9 million in excise taxes from U.S. purchasers of Victor Sinclair manufactured cigars. By using fraudulent invoices, the co-conspirators paid only approximately $2.1 million to the government, unlawfully retaining approximately $1.8 million for themselves. As part of his sentence, Dominguez was ordered to pay restitution.
Venturini and Carbone also pleaded guilty. They were sentenced to two years of probation in August 2022.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Department of Treasury, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlo D. Marchioli, Joseph J. Terz, and Michael A. Consiglio prosecuted the case.
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Detroit Man Sentenced for Distributing Heroin, Fentanyl, and Cocaine BaseRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on November 21, 2022, Deamontae Luchie, 29, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss to 31 months’ imprisonment and a 3-year term of supervised release for distributing heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base between December 2019 and January 2020.
According to court records, in December 2019 and January 2020, investigators with the Burlington Police Department conducted three controlled purchases of narcotics from Luchie.
On December 24, 2019, in the vicinity of North Champlain Street in Burlington, Vermont, Luchie sold fentanyl and heroin as well as cocaine base to a confidential source, who was cooperating with law enforcement. On January 6, 2020, in the vicinity of Champlain Street in Burlington, Vermont, Luchie sold heroin and fentanyl to a confidential source. And on January 8, 2020, in the vicinity of Summit Street in Essex, Vermont, Luchie sold heroin and fentanyl to a confidential source. Following his arrest on January 15, 2020, Luchie admitting to travelling from Detroit, Michigan to Burlington, Vermont to sell narcotics in the Burlington, Vermont area.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Burlington Police Department as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration, Burlington Resident Office, in the investigation and prosecution of Luchie.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew C. Gilman. Luchie was represented by Mohammed A. Nasser, Esq., Jeremy D. Bowie, Esq., and Mark D. Oettinger, Esq.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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
Denver Man Sentenced to 9.5 Years in Prison for Possession of a Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Frederick McCoy, age 39, of Denver, has been sentenced to 9.5 years in federal prison for possession of a stolen firearm.
According to an earlier plea agreement, on February 22, 2022, Denver police officers arrested the defendant on an outstanding warrant. Officers discovered the defendant had a fanny-pack strapped to his chest containing a Sig Sauer .40 caliber handgun, loaded with ammunition. The handgun had further been reported stolen out of Denver on October 3, 2021. The defendant knew or had reason to know that the gun and the ammunition in it were stolen.
Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced the defendant on November 21, 2022. Judge Moore also sentenced the defendant to three years of 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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the Denver Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Albert Buchman.
CASE NUMBER: 22-cr-118
Denver Man Pleads Guilty to 10 Armed Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Jerome Bravo, age 39, of Denver, has pleaded guilty to ten counts of bank robbery and three counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to the plea agreement, the defendant robbed ten banks in Denver, Aurora, and Arvada between January 6, 2021, and March 31, 2021. In the January 6th robbery, the defendant was armed with a black handgun, pointed it at a teller, and stated, "Don't move, I'm going to shoot you." After taking money from the drawer, he jumped back over the counter and left the bank. On February 4, 2021, and February 8, 2021, the defendant and a codefendant ran into two banks yelling and screaming, waiving and pointing their handguns at people in the banks. The defendant demanded the teller open her drawer as he vaulted over the counter. Out of fear, the teller complied and removed money from her drawer and gave it to the defendant and his codefendant. In a second bank robbery on February 8, 2021, the defendant and codefendant ran into the bank brandishing handguns, vaulted the counter, and demanded money from the teller. The teller was in fear for her life and safety and gave the robbers the money in her drawers and from the machine. After obtaining the money, the defendant and codefendant vaulted the counters and ran out of the bank. On February 18, 2021, the defendant and codefendant entered the branch brandishing handguns, yelling “get down,” and warning that they weren’t “playing.” The defendant and codefendant also threatened to shoot the occupants of the bank. The defendant vaulted over the counter and emptied out several teller drawers, actually physically taking the drawer units.
Judge Daniel D. Domenico presided over the change of plea hearing on November 22, 2022. The defendant will be sentenced February 21, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. Codefendant Jonathan Gullete is in custody and facing trial on February 27, 2023.
This was investigated by the FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Denver Police Department, Aurora Police Department and Arvada Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Dunn.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
CASE NUMBER: 21-cr-226
Convicted Felon Going to Prison on New Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jason David Willis, 50, of Gasport, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography following a prior conviction, was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that in 2011, Willis was sentenced to serve 132 months in prison following his conviction on a federal child pornography charge. On May 18, 2021, an acquaintance of Willis’ brought his iPhone to the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office and stated that contained child pornography. The following day, on May 19, 2021, a U.S. Probation Officer searched the iPhone and observed two videos in the “recently deleted” folder on the phone that were produced by Willis on October 24 and October 28, 2020. Both videos depicted explicit images of a 17-year-old minor female. Further review of the iPhone revealed internet history for at least one website containing child pornography.
At the time of his second arrest, Willis was on federal supervised release from his previous conviction and a registered sex offender.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Stansbury, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Felicetti, and the U.S. Probation Department, under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Timothy C. Englerth.
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Cleveland Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Assaulting Mail Carrier with a FirearmRead the Press Release
AKRON – A Cleveland man was sentenced on Monday, Nov. 21, 2022, to seven years and one day in prison by U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi after he pleaded guilty to assaulting a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier and crashing the carrier’s vehicle.
“This defendant used a deadly weapon to commit a violent crime against a mail carrier simply trying to do their job,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler. “Violent actions like this will not be tolerated in our communities, and we will continue to seek severe penalties for similar behavior.”
“The safety and well-being of Postal Service employees has always been a top priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” said Postal Inspector In Charge Lesley Allison. “This sentence is a perfect example of the steadfast commitment to keeping the heroes who serve our communities safe while performing their duties.”
According to court documents, on June 21, 2021, Quentell Allen, 27, approached a USPS employee, who was delivering mail on an official route, brandished a pistol at the carrier’s head and demanded that the carrier exit the vehicle. Allen then physically removed the carrier from the vehicle, entered the driver’s seat and purposefully drove it into another vehicle.
Allen pleaded guilty to one count of forcibly assaulting an officer/employee of the United States and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in July 2022.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly L. Galvin and Margaret A. Kane.
Clarksville Home Business Owner Convicted of Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A federal jury yesterday convicted a Clarksville, Tennessee man of filing false tax returns that omitted income he earned from his business, announced U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, David Haley, 65, of Clarksville, owned Haley & Associates Mechanical Contractors, a heating and plumbing business. From 2014 through 2017, Haley & Associates was hired as the subcontractor on commercial projects in middle Tennessee and was paid more than $1,000,000 for each year. Generally, the contractors that hired Haley & Associates paid via check and reported the payments to the IRS via Forms 1099-MISC as non-employee compensation. Even though Haley personally received a portion of the company’s earnings as business income and nonemployee compensation, Haley reported earning no income on his 2014-2017 tax returns. Haley’s failure to report that income on his tax returns for tax years 2015 through 2017 caused the IRS a loss of approximately $186,290.
Haley was convicted of three counts of filing false tax returns for tax years 2015, 2016, and 2017. The jury acquitted Haley of one count of filing a false tax return relating to his 2014 tax filing.
Haley will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing false tax returns. U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell, Jr. will determine any sentence after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn W. Booth and Trial Attorney Mitchell T. Galloway of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
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Cincinnati Man Sentenced to 262 Months for Methamphetamine and Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Cincinnati man, Tamar Pope, 36, was sentenced Tuesday to 262 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, as well as aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams of methamphetamine.
According to his plea agreement, Pope supplied more than 30 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and 15 pounds of fentanyl to a conspiracy that distributed these substances in Northern Kentucky and Southern Ohio. Law enforcement seized significant amounts of methamphetamine from various conspiracy members in Kentucky and Ohio during the investigation.
Pope has four previous convictions for drug trafficking and had been released from prison in 2019.
Pope pleaded guilty to the current charges in June 2022.
Five other defendants have already been sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy. Robert Pflug was sentenced to 144 months; Holly McHenry was sentenced to 180 months; Thomas Powers was sentenced to 48 months; Travis Lelesch was sentenced to 84 months; and Allie Skirvin was sentenced to 202 months.
Under federal law, each Defendant must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence. Pope 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; Keith Martin, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Detroit Field Division; Bryan Allen, Chief of the Villa Hills Police Department; and Christopher Fangman, Chief of the Newport Police Department, jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Villa Hills Police Department, and the Newport Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke.
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Carter Lake Man Sentenced to 41 Months for Business RobberiesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Mario Quiroga, 22, of Carter Lake, Iowa, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for one count of Interference with Interstate Commerce by way of Robbery. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Quiroga to 41 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $466.00 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing his term of imprisonment, Quiroga will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On July 21, 2021, Quiroga robbed three businesses in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha in a span of about 90 minutes. Following the robbery spree, Quiroga engaged officers with the Omaha Police Department in a high-speed pursuit, driving over 90 miles per hour attempting to flee the scene.
Quiroga first robbed a Walgreens in Council Bluffs brandishing an airsoft gun at approximately 3:28 a.m. on July 21, 2021. At 4:21 a.m. the same morning, Quiroga robbed a Kwik Shop on Q Street in Omaha. Sixteen minutes after that robbery, Quiroga robbed a QuikTrip on L Street in Omaha. Officers identified Quiroga’s vehicle as a suspect vehicle in the area of this robbery, and that is when Quiroga sped up and fled the area. Officers were able to identify Quiroga and take him into custody at his residence in Carter Lake on August 6, 2021.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Omaha Police Department.
Carson Man Sentenced to More Than 18 Years in Federal Prison for Making Sexually Explicit Videos of 15-Year-Old VictimRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Bay man who – along with three other accomplices – victimized a 15-year-old girl by creating sexually explicit videos of her has been sentenced to 220 months in federal prison, the Justice Department announced today.
Leprinceton Dewon Burks, 38, of Carson, was sentenced on Monday afternoon by United States District Judge Terry J. Hatter Jr., who also placed Burks on lifetime supervised release once Burks completes his prison sentence.
In June 2021, at the conclusion of a four-day trial, a jury found Burks guilty of two counts of conspiracy to produce child pornography, two counts of production of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
From July 2011 to August 2011, Burks and three accomplices filmed the victim participating in various sex acts. Burks was visible in the videos that law enforcement recovered from his laptop computer as well as the laptop and cellphone of a co-conspirator.
“The videos show that [Burks] was an enthusiastic participant in this exploitation and when questioned by law enforcement, he said that he thought it was ‘funny,’” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum.
Burks is the final defendant to be sentenced in this case. In August 2015, a federal grand jury charged Burks and three co-defendants in an indictment for sexually exploiting the victim. Each of Burks’ co-defendants pleaded guilty in 2016 to criminal charges in this case and have been sentenced to federal prison terms.
- Darrius Marques Sutton, 32, of Compton, is serving a 160-month prison sentence;
- Darius Dajohn Burks, 34, of Los Angeles, Leprinceton Burks’ brother, is serving a sentence of six years in federal prison; and
- Edwin Donnell Franklin, 35, is serving a four-year federal prison sentence.
The FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Devon Myers of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section prosecuted this case.