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22 November 2022
Canton City Officials and Former Canton City Engineer Indicted in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A federal grand jury in Jackson returned an indictment in December 2021 charging three City of Canton officials, and the former city engineer, with criminal conspiracy charges relating to bribery and wire fraud. That indictment was unsealed yesterday as two of the defendants, Eric Gilkey and Andrew Grant, pleaded guilty to conspiring with Cleveland Anderson and Rudolph M. (“Rudy”) Warnock, Jr. in the bribery scheme.
According to court documents, Warnock is charged with having directed payments and rewards to Anderson, Gilkey, and Grant in exchange for preferential treatment that resulted in lucrative city engineering contracts for Warnock. The “gratuities” supplied by Warnock included thousands of dollars in cash, concert tickets, and football tickets in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Gilkey, 55, and Grant, 38, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bribery. They are scheduled to be sentenced on February 23, 2022, and face a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.
Anderson is charged with two counts of Conspiracy to Commit Bribery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. If convicted, Anderson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as to each count.
Warnock is charged with two counts of Conspiracy to Commit Bribery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, and one count of Wire Fraud in violation of the Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. If convicted, Warnock faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as to the Conspiracy to Commit Bribery Charges. Warnock faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison as to the charges relating to Wire Fraud.
Warnock and Anderson will make their initial court appearances on a future date before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca of the Southern District of Mississippi; and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating 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.
Camden County Resident Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Defrauding COVID-19 Relief Programs and Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, resident was sentenced to 41 months in prison for his role in fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) benefits, fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits, and illegally possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Stephen Bennett, 46, of Berlin, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams to an information charging him with one count of bank fraud conspiracy, one count of wire fraud, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Williams imposed the sentence on Nov. 21, 2022, in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In 2020, Bennett conspired with Rhonda Thomas, 38, of Sicklerville, New Jersey, to submit one PPP application and one EIDL application for a company controlled by Bennett. The applications stated that the company had 16 employees, gross revenues of $1.73 million, and an average monthly payroll of $144,000, when in fact the company had no employees, revenue, or payroll. Bennett and Thomas also submitted forged tax forms and altered bank statements as part of the PPP loan application. Based on the misrepresentations, the loans were approved in the amount of $510,000. Bennett paid kickbacks of over $150,000 to Thomas and used the rest of the fraudulently obtained PPP and EIDL loan proceeds to pay for personal expenses.
Also in 2020, Bennett defrauded the Pennsylvania Department of Labor by submitting 74 unemployment insurance claims under a temporary federal unemployment insurance program that provided benefits for individuals who were not eligible for other types of unemployment, such those who were self-employed, independent contractors or gig economy workers. Bennett collected personal identification information (PII), including names, residential addresses, and Social Security numbers, of other individuals and used the PII to submit fraudulent applications for unemployment benefits, resulting in the payment of $425,339 in benefits to Bennett.
In May 2021, law enforcement officials executing a search warrant at Bennett’s home found a .9 millimeter semiautomatic pistol with no serial number (commonly referred to as a “ghost gun”) and a magazine loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition. Bennett is a previously convicted felon.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Williams sentenced Bennett to five years of supervised release, fined him $15,000, and ordered him to pay restitution of $942,141.
Thomas pleaded pleaded guilty before Judge Williams on June 28, 2022, to an information charging her with one count of bank fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 16, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Patricia Tarasca, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Regional Office, special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott; special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire in Philadelphia, special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman and Jason M. Richardson, Attorney in Charge of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
California Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Send Meth Through the MailRead the Press Release
A California man was sentenced November 17, 2022, to 10 years in federal prison. Wesley Wood, age 43, from San Marcos, California, received the prison term after a May 26, 2022, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Wood admitted he conspired to distribute multiple pounds of methamphetamine to Sheldon, Iowa in the U.S. Postal Service.
Wood was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Wood was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Wood is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and investigated by United States Postal Inspection Service and the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4056.
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Brooklyn Woman Pleads Guilty to Multifaceted COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that TATIANA DANIEL pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. DANIEL participated in a scheme to commit COVID-19 pandemic fraud by (1) defrauding New York City’s COVID-19 Hotel Room Isolation Program; (2) selling fabricated COVID-19 test results, both positive and negative; (3) committing unemployment benefits fraud; and (4) obtaining fraudulent COVID-19 loans from both the United States Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program. DANIEL pled guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. DANIEL’s case is assigned to United States District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As she admitted today, Tatiana Daniel repeatedly took advantage of resources offered to aid people and businesses in crisis. Daniel’s misconduct included selling fabricated COVID-19 test results, which likely put members of the public at risk of contracting the deadly virus from one of Daniel’s customers. Daniel now faces possible prison time for her illegal and dangerous actions.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Information, court filings, and statements made during plea proceedings:
From March 2020 through September 2021, DANIEL conspired to commit COVID-19 pandemic fraud through a variety of different means.
First, DANIEL defrauded the COVID-19 Hotel Room Isolation Program (the “Program”). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City created the Program. Funded by New York City and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Program provided free hotel rooms for qualifying individuals throughout New York City. The Program was open to (a) healthcare workers who needed to isolate because of exposure to COVID-19; (b) patients who had tested positive for COVID-19; (c) individuals who believed, based on their symptoms, that they were infected with COVID-19; and (d) individuals who lived with someone who had COVID-19. As stated on the City’s website describing the Program, such individuals “may qualify to self-isolate in a hotel, free of charge, for up to 14 days if you do not have a safe place to self-isolate.” Those who wished to book a hotel room through the Program could either call a phone number or use an online hotel booking platform.
DANIEL defrauded the Program in at least two respects. First, she secured free Program hotel rooms for herself by falsely claiming to be a healthcare worker — specifically, a respiratory therapist. Second, she sold at least approximately 144 nights’ worth of fraudulently obtained hotel rooms to customers who were ineligible for the Program. In connection with this scheme, DANIEL used Facebook to advertise the sale of Program hotel rooms, to communicate directly with potential purchasers of Program hotel rooms, and to communicate with a co-defendant who worked at a call center that handled phone calls and certain reservations for the Program for several months in 2020. For instance, at one point, DANIEL wrote to her co-defendant, “We gotta relocate that bitch they keep asking for employee ID.”
Second, DANIEL operated a fraudulent document mill, through which DANIEL sold, among other things, fabricated COVID-19 test results, both positive and negative, in July and August 2021. These fabricated test results included the names of purported medical personnel, and contained misspellings (e.g., “postive”).
Third, between May 2021 and September 2021, DANIEL submitted fraudulent applications for COVID-19 loans, through both the PPP and EIDL programs, resulting in the disbursement of thousands of dollars in pandemic loan funding to DANIEL and a co-conspirator.
Fourth, between March 2020 and September 2021, DANIEL conspired to fraudulently obtain more than approximately $97,000 in unemployment benefits in New York State for both herself and others. She did so by making misrepresentations about herself, and by stealing the identities of more than 10 individuals and collecting unemployment benefits issued for the benefit of those individuals. In addition, DANIEL filed unsuccessful unemployment benefits applications in other states.
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DANIEL, 28, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Under the terms of her plea agreement, DANIEL has agreed to forfeit $109,655 and to pay restitution of $401,206.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. DANIEL is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Kaplan on March 29, 2023, at 2:30 p.m.
DANIEL’s three co-defendants are currently scheduled to proceed to trial before Judge Kaplan on January 17, 2023.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of agents, investigators, and analysts from the New York City Department of Investigation, the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Williams also thanked the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Intelligence Analysts for their support and assistance in this investigation. He also expressed gratitude to the New York City Police Department, the New York State Department of Labor, and the DOL-OIG Atlanta Regional Office for their assistance.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Neff is in charge of the prosecution.
Brookline Man Arrested for Unlawful Possession of MachinegunRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brookline man has been arrested for illegally possessing a machinegun.
Stewart Silvestri, 24, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of unlawful possession of a machinegun and was detained on Nov. 18, 2022 following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein.
“The alleged conduct here is incredibly serious. Mr. Silvestri allegedly possessed eight unserialized and untraceable ghost guns. These dangerous weapons are nearly impossible to trace and directly contribute to the ongoing plague of gun violence we see across the nation and in our Commonwealth. Moreover, two of the firearms Mr. Silvestri allegedly possessed were machineguns capable of causing extreme harm, destruction and even mass casualties in the blink of an eye,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Firearms, including ghost guns, are deadly weapons and those who illegally possess them are a potential threat to the safety of our neighborhoods. We will identify and prosecute these individuals and seek pre-trial detention whenever possible if it will result in keeping those that pose this type of danger off our streets.”
“The illegal possession of fully automatic “ghost guns” is a federal crime that ATF takes very seriously as it threatens the safety of our communities.” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division. “ATF will continue to work tirelessly with our local state and federal partners to investigate and arrest those who illegally possess firearms.”
According to the criminal complaint, on Oct. 15, 2022, law enforcement responded to multiple calls for an erratic driver on Route 95 in Rowley, Mass., who had pulled into a weigh station. Upon arriving at the weigh station, law enforcement approached the driver – Silvestri – who stated he had just come from an armory in New Hampshire. When asking for his license and registration, law enforcement observed Silvestri allegedly sitting on what appeared to be firearms. According to the charging document, a subsequent search of the vehicle recovered eight privately made firearms (also known as ghost guns), hundreds of rounds of ammunition and numerous firearm parts. Two of the firearms were fully automatic pistols, classified as machineguns.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins; ATF SAC Ferguson; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Boston Man Arrested for Distributing 7,000 Pills Containing Fentanyl and Fentanyl AnalogueRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was arrested yesterday for a drug distribution offense involving fentanyl and a fentanyl analogue known as para-fluorofentanyl.
Melvin Cordero, 40, was indicted on one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and p-fluorofentanyl. Cordero was arrested yesterday morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston yesterday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley, was detained pending a hearing set for Nov. 30, 2022.
According to the indictment, on or about March 15, 2022, Cordero distributed fentanyl and fentanyl analogue in the Boston area. At Cordero’s detention hearing on Nov. 22, 2022, it was specifically alleged that Cordero sold approximately 7,000 pills containing fentanyl and p-fluorofentanyl to a government agent. It was further alleged that Cordero attempted to sell a pill press to an undercover officer, and that officers seized the pill press after Cordero’s arrest.
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and p-fluorofentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA New York Field Office, the Boston Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Birney man charged with murder of man on Northern Cheyenne Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Birney man suspected of killing another man near Lame Deer, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, in June was arraigned today on murder and firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Terence Arturo Limberhand, 31, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with first degree murder, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and possession of a stolen firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Limberhand faces mandatory life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the murder charge and a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. Judge Cavan ordered Limberhand detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleges in the indictment that on June 21 near Lame Deer, Limberhand unlawfully killed the victim, identified as John Doe, with malice aforethought and premeditation and that Limberhand possessed a firearm in furtherance of first-degree murder. The indictment further alleges that on June 28, Limberhand possessed a stolen firearm.
The FBI investigated the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
PACER case reference. 22-129.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Billings man arraigned on child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man indicted on child pornography charges appeared for arraignment today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Jeffrey Eugene Herbert, 34, pleaded not guilty to an indictment filed on Nov. 18 charging him with production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. If convicted of the most serious crime, Herbert faces a mandatory minimum 15 years to 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. Herbert was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in the indictment that in June in Billings, Herbert coerced a minor, identified as Jane Doe 1, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the production of child pornography. The indictment further alleges that in April 2019, Herbert distributed child pornography and that in January 2008, he possessed child pornography.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI investigated the case.
PACER case reference. 22-133.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Belgrade woman sentenced to 16 months in prison for embezzling more than $800,000 from employerRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Belgrade woman who admitted to stealing more than $800,000 from her employer while she worked as an accountant and controller was sentenced today to 16 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Renae Swanson, 59, pleaded guilty in May to wire fraud.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. Judge Christensen also ordered Swanson to pay $804,413 restitution.
The government alleged in court documents that from 2012 until 2019, Swanson embezzled $804,413 while working as an accountant and controller for Williams Plumbing & Heating. Swanson fraudulently altered the payroll process, resulting in her increasing the amount of money she received from the business.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
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Barnstable Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Barnstable man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to child exploitation offenses.
Atticus J. Bernard, 22, pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2022 to two counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Feb. 17, 2023. Bernard was arrested and indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2021. He has remained in federal custody.
On two separate occasions in November 2019 and October 2020, Bernard sexually exploited two minor girls under the age of five-years-old and who were known to him. Bernard documented the abuse and exploitation and possessed the child sexual abuse material on his cell phone. A search of Bernard’s phone in January 2021 revealed numerous photos of Bernard exploiting the minor victims on the reported dates.
The charges of sexual exploitation of children each provide for mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; and Barnstable Police Chief Matthew Sonnabend made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Antisemitic Assailant Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Hate CrimesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SAADAH MASOUD pled guilty today to one count of participating in a conspiracy to commit hate crime acts in connection with MASOUD’s repeated physical attacks of Jewish victims in New York City between 2021 and 2022. MASOUD was first arrested in this case on June 14, 2022. MASOUD pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Saadah Masoud deliberately targeted three victims because of their religion and nation of origin. There is no place in this country for this offensive and hateful conduct. This Office is dedicated to seeking justice for victims of hate crimes and will aggressively prosecute those who spread hate by criminal means.”
According to the Indictment, other public filings, and statements made in court:
From at least in or about May 2021 through at least in or about April 2022, MASOUD and others conspired to commit hate crime acts in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere. In furtherance of the conspiracy, MASOUD assaulted at least three victims based upon the victims’ actual and perceived religion and national origin. Specifically, as part of his guilty plea, the defendant admitted to committing the following acts of violence that were motivated by the victims’ Jewish or Israeli identity or perceived identity:
- On or about April 20, 2022, in Manhattan, MASOUD assaulted a victim who was wearing an Israeli flag.
- On or about June 2, 2021, in Brooklyn, MASOUD and a co-conspirator assaulted a victim who was wearing clothing traditionally associated with the Jewish religion, including a yarmulke, while the victim was sitting outside the victim’s own home.
- On or about May 20, 2021, in Manhattan, MASOUD assaulted a victim who was wearing a Star of David necklace.
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MASOUD, 29, of Staten Island, New York, pled guilty to one count of participating in a conspiracy to commit hate crime acts, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. MASOUD is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department’s Hate Crime Task Force and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Keenan and Mitzi Steiner are charge of the prosecution.
21 November 2022
메릭 갈랜드 미 법무부 장관은 영어 미숙자들이 보다 쉽게 정부 서비스를 접할 수 있도록 개선하는 노력을 각 기관에 요청하였습니다Read the Press Release
주: 본 보도 자료는 여러 언어로 번역되었습니다. 아래 첨부물을 참고하십시오.
미 연방법무부는 각 기관들로 하여금 영어능력이 미숙한 (LEP) 사람들이 보다 쉽게 서비스를 접하도록 하는 각종 언어장벽 완화 노력과 규정들을 재검토 해 달라는 요청공문을 오늘 보내었습니다.
메릭 갈랜드 법무부 장관은 “우리나라의 모든 사람들은 무슨 언어를 쓰는지에 불구하고 연방기관이 운영하거나 지원하는 프로그램과 활동에 실제적으로 접하여 사용할 수있는 자격을 가진다”라며 “법무부는 개개인이 공공 서비스 이용할 때, 경제, 사회 및 시민생활 참여면에서 언어장벽이 개인들에게 완전한 기회를 제공하지 못하는 문제를 개선하도록 연방 파트너들과 함께 맞서 해결해 나갈 것”이라고 약속했습니다.
이 각서는 행정명령 13166, 즉 “영어 미숙자들에 대한 서비스 접근 개선 방침”에 근거하여 각 연방기관들이 언어 장벽 완화를 위한 관련 제도 개선을 노력함에 있어, 어떻게 개선하고, 현대화하며, 이를 시행하는가 하는 행동 방침을 제시합니다. 이 각서가 설명하듯 미 법무부 민권국은 사법접근성보장국 사무실의 지원을 받아 (1) 각 기관들이 그들의 언어 접근 정책과 계획에 추가적인 검토가 필요할른지, (2) 각 기관들이 연방 자원, 프로그램 및 서비스들에 대한 정보를 발표할 때 영어 미숙자들에게도 효율적으로 전달하고 있는지, (3) 1964년 공민권법 제6장의 요건과 그 법령 시행에 따라 실질적인 언어 접근성을 제공해야 하는 의무에 대한 일환으로 각 기관들이 연방 경제보조 수령자들을 위한 지침의 갱신 또는 수정을 고려하였는지, 그리고 (4) 각 기관들이 영어 미숙자들도 쉽게 사용할 수 있도록 디지털 통신매체를 조정할 수 있는지 등을 파악하는 공동노력에 앞장설 것입니다.
이 각서는 법무부의 2022년 – 2026년도 전략적 계획에서 언어 장애 완화을 위한 노력을 확대하려는 데에 새로운 초점을 두고 있는 점을 포함하여, 영어 미숙자들을 돕고자 하는 기존의 노력을 더욱 진전시킵니다. 메릭 갈랜드 법무부 장관은 2022년 5월에 아나 폴라 노게즈 머카도 씨를 사법접근성보장국 내의 언어접근성 조정관으로 임명하여 본 부서가 솔선수범하고 있음을 보여주도록 하였습니다. 이 후 사법접근성보장국은 언어 접근팀을 확장하였고 부서의 언어 접근성 실무그룹을 통해 기술지원 및 연수를 많은 조직 부서에 제공함으로서 모든이의 언어 접근성 향상을 끊임없이 추구하고 있습니다. 민권국은 연방법의 지침에 따라 www.LEP.gov 웹사이트를 지속적으로 운영하고 있는데 이를 통하여 영어 미숙자들에게 언어지원 서비스를 확장, 향상하는 데 도움되는 각종 자원과 정보를 제공하고 있습니다.
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司法部长梅里克·加兰发布一份备忘录以改善英语能力有限人士获得服务的机会Read the Press Release
注：本新闻稿被翻译成多种语言，请参阅以下附件。
司法部今天发布一份备忘录，要求联邦机构审查其提供的语言支援操作和政策，以便加强联邦政府与英语能力有限人士的接触。
“所有在这个国家的人，无论他们讲什么语言，都应该获得参与联邦机构开展或支持的计划和活动的实质机会。”司法部长梅里克·加兰 (Merrick B. Garland) 表示，“司法部致力于与我们的联邦伙伴合作，解决政府服务中的语言障碍问题，这些语言障碍剥夺了个人完全参与经济、社会和公民生活的机会。”
根据行政令13166号《改善英语能力有限人士获得服务的机会》，该备忘录概述了联邦机构改进、现代化和履行其语言支援职责的行动方案。如备忘录所述，在司法支援办公室的协助下，民权司将带头开展协作工作以确定：(1) 各机构能否进一步更新其语言支援政策和计划；(2) 各机构能否有效地把有关联邦资源、计划和服务的信息发送到英语能力有限人士；(3) 各机构能否就1964年《民权法》第六章及其实施条例规定下有关提供实质性语言协助的职责，而考虑更新或修改其对联邦财政援助受益人的指引；和(4) 各机构能否调整其数字通讯以便开放予英语能力有限人士。
该备忘录是建立于司法部现有与英语能力有限人士接触的工作上，其中包括司法部 2022-2026年战略计划中对扩大获取语言支援的新重点。2022年5月，司法部长加兰任命安娜·保拉·诺格斯·梅尔卡多 (Ana Paula Noguez Mercado) 为司法支援办公室的司法部语言支援协调员，确保司法部能以身作则。此后，司法支援办公室更扩大了其语言支援团队，并带领司法部的语言支援工作组，在各部门继续改善对所有人士的语言支援的同时，亦提供了跨部门的技术协助和培训。民权司会依从联邦法继续维护 www.LEP.gov网站以提供资源和信息帮助扩大和改善对英语能力有限人士的语言支援服务。
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司法部長梅裏克·加蘭發佈一份備忘錄以改善英语能力有限人士獲得服務的機會Read the Press Release
注：本新聞稿已翻譯成多種語言，請參閲以下附件。
司法部今天發佈一份備忘錄，要求聯邦機構審查其提供的語言支援操作和政策，以便加強聯邦政府與英語能力有限人士的接觸。
“所有在這個國家的人，無論他們講甚麼語言，都應該獲得參與聯邦機構開展或支持的計劃和活動的實質機會。”司法部長梅裏克·加蘭 (Merrick B. Garland) 表示，“司法部致力於與我們的聯邦夥伴合作，解決政府服務中的語言障礙問題，這些語言障礙剝奪了個人完全參與經濟、社會和公民生活的機會。”
根據行政令13166號 《改善英語能力有限人士獲得服務的機會》，該備忘錄概述了聯邦機構改進、現代化和履行其語言支援職責的行動方案。如備忘錄所述，在司法支援辦公室的協助下，民權司將帶頭開展協作工作以確定：(1) 各機構能否進一步更新其語言支援政策和計劃；(2) 各機構能否有效地把有關聯邦資源、計劃和服務的信息發送到英語能力有限人士； (3) 各機構能否就1964年《民權法》第六章及其實施條例規定下有關提供實質性語言協助的職責，而考慮更新或修改其對聯邦財政援助受益人的指引；和(4) 各機構能否調整其數字通訊以便開放予英語能力有限人士。
該備忘錄是建立於司法部現有與英語能力有限人士接觸的工作上，其中包括司法部 2022-2026年戰略計劃中對擴大獲取語言支援的新重點。2022年5月，司法部長加蘭任命安娜·保拉·諾格斯·梅爾卡多 (Ana Paula Noguez Mercado) 為司法支援辦公室的司法部語言支援協調員，確保司法部能以身作則。此後，司法支援辦公室更擴大了其語言支援團隊，並帶領司法部的語言支援工作組，在各部門繼續改善對所有人士的語言支援的同時，亦提供了跨部門的技術協助和培訓。民權司會依從聯邦法繼續維護 www.LEP.gov 網站以提供資源和信息幫助擴大和改善對英語能力有限人士的語言支援服務。
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وزير العدل ميريك غارلاند يصدر مذكرة تدعو لتحسين الوصول إلى الخدمات للأفراد محدودي الكفاءة في اللغة الانجليزيةRead the Press Release
ملاحظة: تمت ترجمة هذا البيان الصحفي إلى لغات مختلفة. راجع المرفقات أدناه.
أصدرت وزارة العدل الأمريكية اليوم مذكرة تطلب من الوكالات الفيدرالية مراجعة ممارساتها وسياساتها الخاصة بإتاحة الوصول إلى مُساعدات لغوية، وذلك لتعزيز تعامل الحكومة الفيدرالية مع الأفراد ذوي القدرات المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية .
قال وزير العدل ميريك ب. غارلند: "كل الناس في هذا البلد، بغض النظر عن اللغة التي يتحدثون بها، يستحقون فرصًا حقيقيةً للوصول إلى البرامج والأنشطة التي تديرها أو تدعمها الوكالات الفيدرالية". وأضاف الوزير: "إنّ وزارة العدل ملتزمة بالعمل مع شركائنا الفيدراليين لمواجهة الحواجز اللغوية في الخدمات الحكومية والتي من شأنها حرمان الأفراد من فرص كاملة للاشتراك في الحياة الاقتصادية والاجتماعية والمدنية."
وتحدد هذه المذكرة مسار عمل الوكالات الفيدرالية لتحسين وتحديث وتنفيذ مسؤولياتها فيما يتعلق بإتاحة الوصول إلى مُساعدات لغوية بموجب الأمر التنفيذي 13166، "تحسين فرص الوصول إلى الخدمات للأشخاص محدودي الكفاءة في اللغة الإنجليزية." وكما ورد في المذكرة، ستقود شعبة الحقوق المدنية، بمساعدة من مكتب الوصول إلى العدالة، مجهودا مشتركا لتحديد: (1) ما إذا كان بإمكان الوكالات مواصلة تحديث سياساتها وخططها المتعلقة بإتاحة الوصول إلى مُساعدات لغوية؛ (2) ما إذا كانت الوكالات تصل بشكل فعال إلى الأفراد ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية عند نشر المعلومات عن الموارد والبرامج والخدمات الفيدرالية؛(3) ما إذا كانت الوكالات قد نظرت في شأن إدخال تحديثات أو تعديلات على التوجيهات المقدمة إلى الجهات المتلقية للمساعدة المالية الفيدرالية فيما يتعلق بالتزاماتها بتوفير فرص حقيقية للوصول إلى مُساعدات لغوية، بموجب شروط الباب السادس من قانون الحقوق المدنية لعام 1964 ولوائحه التنفيذية؛ و(4) ما إذا كانت الوكالات قادرة على تكييف اتصالاتها الرقمية للترحيب بالأفراد ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية.
وتستند هذه المذكرة إلى الجهود المبذولة من قِبَلِ وزارة العدل للتعامل مع الأفراد محدودي الكفاءة في اللغة الإنجليزية، بما في ذلك التركيز الجديد على توسيع نطاق تسهيل الوصول إلى مُساعدات لغوية، في إطار المخطط الاستراتيجي للوزارة للفترة 2022-2026. وفي مايو 2022، عين وزير العدل غارلاند السيدة آنا باولا نوغيز ميركادو كمُنسّقة في مجال إتاحة الوصول إلى مُساعدات لغوية لدى مكتب الوصول إلى العدالة، في حرص على أن تكون الوزارة نموذجا يُحتذى به. وقد قام مكتب الوصول إلى العدالة منذ ذلك الحين بتوسيع نطاق فريق إتاحة الوصول إلى مُساعدات لغوية التابع له، كما أنه يقود فريق العمل المعني بإتاحة الوصول إلى مُساعدات لغوية التابع للوزارة لتقديم المساعدة التقنية والتدريب للمكوِّنات التي تواصل تحسين وصول الجميع إلى المُساعدات اللغوية. وتُواصل شعبة الحقوق المدنية إدارة الموقع www.lep.gov الذي يوفر الموارد والمعلومات للمساعدة في توسيع وتحسين خدمات المساعدة اللغوية للأفراد محدودي الكفاءة في اللغة الإنجليزية ، وفقا للقانون الفيدرالي.
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Wheeling man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Ronald Shaw, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has admitted to distributing methamphetamine, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Shaw, also known as “Fuzz,” 51, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine within 1000 feet of a Protected Location.” Shaw admitted to having more than 50 grams of methamphetamine near Overbrook Playground in Ohio County in October 2022.
Shaw faces at least five years and up to 80 years in prison and a fine of up to $10 million. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Waterloo Felon Sent Back to Federal Prison for Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
A Waterloo man who possessed a firearm less than a year after he was released from federal prison for possessing a firearm illegally was sentenced today to more than two additional years in federal prison. Dereon Equwan Davenport, also known as Dereon Galloway, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 18, 2022 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
At Davenport’s guilty plea hearing and other hearings in his cases, Davenport admitted that he was convicted in U.S. District Court of possession of a firearm by a drug user in 2019. The district court sentenced Davenport to 21 months’ imprisonment for that crime, and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons released Davenport from custody in December 2020. In July 2021, while Davenport was on supervised release with the U.S. Probation Office for his 2019 firearms crime, Davenport was arrested during a traffic stop in Waterloo and a loaded, chambered firearm was found in a pocket in his pants. In November 2021, Davenport was arrested in Cedar Falls and later convicted of harassing a public official and driving while under suspension. While on supervised release, Davenport also used controlled substances multiple times, failed to undergo required drug testing and treatment, failed to maintain employment, and did not notify the probation office of his whereabouts.
Davenport was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Davenport was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment, which consists of 21 months of imprisonment for the new firearms conviction and a consecutive 12 months of imprisonment for violating the terms of his supervised release in his 2019 firearms case. Davenport must also serve a new three-year term of supervised release after the prison term imposed in the new case. There is no parole in the federal system.
Davenport is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department.
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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 22-CR-2005 and 18-CR-2055.
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U.S. Postal Carrier and Co-Conspirator Are Charged for Extensive Mail Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two criminal indictments were unsealed in federal court today following the arrest of a U.S. Postal Carrier and a co-conspirator for their involvement in an extensive mail theft scheme, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which oversees Charlotte, Jeff Krafels, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG) for the Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office (MAAFO), which oversees Charlotte, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
Kiara Padgett, 28, of Waxhaw, N.C., is charged with one count of bank fraud conspiracy and 10 counts of mail theft by a postal employee. A separate indictment charges Terrell Alexander Hager Jr., 23, of Charlotte, with one count of bank fraud conspiracy and seven counts of possession of stolen mail.
According to allegations contained in Padgett’s indictment, Padgett was employed by the U.S. Postal Service as a mail carrier with a postal route in West Charlotte. From August 2021 to November 2022, Padgett allegedly used her position as a postal carrier to steal incoming and outgoing checks of businesses and individuals, which she then sold to other individuals located in Charlotte and Maryland. The indictment alleges that the total face value of the checks Padgett stole was more than $8.3 million. The indictment further alleges that between August 2021 and June 2022, Padgett received payments for her role in the scheme totaling at least $13,698.
The indictment filed against Hager alleges that, between August 2021 and November 2022, Hager and his co-conspirators obtained stolen checks from Padgett. The co-conspirators allegedly deposited the stolen checks into bank accounts Hager and others controlled, and then made cash withdrawals before the financial institutions detected the fraud. Over the course of the scheme, Hager and his co-conspirators allegedly deposited more than $27,000 in stolen checks and money orders. Hager also allegedly posted online for sale over 400 stolen checks totaling over $7.3 million. The checks posted by Hager were allegedly stolen from Padgett’s postal route in West Charlotte. According to today’s court proceedings, Hager was on probation with the state of North Carolina when he committed the fraud.
Padgett was released on bond following her court hearing. If convicted, Padgett faces a maximum prison term of 30 years and a $1 million fine for the bank fraud conspiracy charge, and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the 10 counts of theft of mail by a postal employee.
Hager remains in federal custody. If convicted, he is facing a maximum prison term of 30 years and a $1 million fine for the charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the seven charges of possession of stolen mail.
The details contained in this indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The USPIS, USPS-OIG, and CMPD investigated the case. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny G. Sugar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Resolves Kennewick Restaurant’s Violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)Read the Press Release
Owners of restaurant agree to pay damages for denying service to a disabled customer and to take remedial measures at multiple restaurants state-wide
Kennewick, WA – Today, United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref announced that the owners of the Rock Wood Fired Pizza, located in Kennewick, (“The Rock Kennewick”) have agreed to take remedial measures over the next three years and pay thousands in compensatory damages to resolve violations of Title III of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). In today’s settlement, the owners of The Rock Kennewick admitted that in November of 2021 they denied service to the disabled individual, because that individual required the use of a service animal, in direct violation of the ADA. The Rock Kennewick fully and promptly cooperated with the investigation and agreed to take concrete remedial measures to comply with the ADA.
According to the settlement, the owners of the Rock Kennewick admitted that at the time of the violation they did not have any written Title III ADA policy or formal ADA training for employees at any of their restaurants. Consequently, the settlement requires the owners of The Rock Kennewick to pay $11,000 in compensatory damages to the disabled individual. The settlement further requires The Rock Kennewick, and the three other “The Rock Wood Fired Pizza” restaurants under the same ownership, to undertake the following:
- implement and utilize a written Title III ADA and service animal policy;
- require annual employee training addressing the requirements of the ADA;
- institute a grievance procedure for customers, potential customers, or employees regarding any alleged ADA violations;
- conspicuously post notices to customers and employees, both online and at their restaurants, that service animals are welcome; and
- submit reports to the United States Attorney’s office every six months for the next three years certifying full compliance with all remedial terms of the agreement and self-reporting any allegations of violations of the ADA so they can be fully investigated.
If the owners fail to fully and promptly institute and comply with all of these measures, the United States Attorney’s Office can file an ADA complaint against the owners for their admitted ADA violation, and any additional ADA violations, seeking up to $75,000 in penalties per violation (in addition to the $11,000 in compensatory damages paid to the aggrieved disabled person). The United States Attorney Office also would be able to seek additional and court ordered remedial measures.
“Persons with disabilities have every right under the law to enjoy the same freedoms and accommodations as everyone,” stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “The ADA ensures those rights for persons with disabilities in our communities, and, as today’s settlement shows, my office is committed to vigorous enforcement of the ADA. Today’s settlement sends an important message that compliance with the ADA is essential to making Eastern Washington safe and strong for all.” U.S. Attorney Waldref continued, “we want to thank the owners of the Rock Wood Fired Pizza for their cooperation with our investigation, for fully admitting to their conduct, compensating the disabled person they wronged, and for their genuine commitment to ensuring that going forward discrimination against disabled individuals, including those with service animals, will not occur at any of their restaurants state-wide.”
The family of the aggrieved disabled customer filed an ADA complaint online at ADA.gov. The complaint was forwarded to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, which investigated and, upon confirming the allegations, reached today’s settlement with the owners of The Rock Kennewick, requiring the owners to take remedial action not only in their Kennewick store but in their three other stores located throughout Washington.
“We are so thankful that this individual and their family had the courage and tenacity to come forward, report this discrimination, and assist in our investigation – we could not investigate and address these sorts of ADA violations without people coming forward when they see or experience discrimination,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We encourage people to report suspected ADA violations at ADA.gov, just as this individual did. For all suspected civil rights violations – including unlawful discrimination of any kind as well as ADA violations in Eastern Washington – we further encourage people to email my office at [email protected] or call our Civil Rights Complaint Line at (509) 835-6306,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref.
The settlement was the result of a complaint filed on ADA.gov and the resulting investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington. The full settlement agreement, including the required Service Animal Policy, is available at the bottom of this page. Assistant United States Attorney Tyler H.L. Tornabene of the Eastern District of Washington handled this matter on behalf of the United States.
U.S. Attorney's Office and Federal Partners Receive National Investigation of the Year Award from the National Health Care Anti-Fraud AssociationRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee announces that members of its staff and participating federal partners received a national commendation for their work in Operation HealthWrong, a long-term, multi-defendant health care fraud prosecution. At its annual conference, the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association (“NHCAA”) selected Operation HealthWrong as its nationwide Investigation of the Year.
NHCAA’s mission is to protect and serve the public interest by increasing awareness and improving the detection, investigation, civil and criminal prosecution, and prevention of health care fraud and abuse. Each year, the organization issues a national award for the Investigation of the Year and recognizes award recipients at its annual training conference. This year, the successful investigation and prosecutions of multiple defendants arising from Operation HealthWrong received the award.
Operation HealthWrong, a long-term investigation of a telemarketing and pharmacy scheme, resulted in the indictment of seven individuals (including a medical doctor and two pharmacists) and related organizations they controlled. All but one of the individuals entered guilty pleas to offenses related to the investigation, and a jury found the remaining defendant, Peter Bolos, guilty of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, mail fraud, and criminal misbranding following a month-long trial last year in the United States District Court in Greeneville, Tennessee.
In May 2022, the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer imposed sentences in the case that ranged from 14 years in federal prison to probation. The Court also ordered over $100 million in restitution and forfeiture, and the United States recovered over $26 million at or prior to the completion of sentencings. Additional details about individuals prosecuted, and the sentences imposed, can be found in the following press releases: Bolos sentencing and Bolos defendants sentencing.
NHCAA recognized the following members of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee for their work on the case: former Assistant United States Attorney T.J. Harker, Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener, Legal Assistants Barbra Pemberton and April Denard, and IT Specialist Bryan Brandenburg.
Federal partners receiving recognition included the Department of Justice Consumer Protection Branch (former Assistant Director John Claud and Trial Attorney David Gunn), the United States Department of Health and Hunan Services, Office of Inspector General (Supervisory Special Agent Robert Turner), the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (Special Agent John Lyons), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Special Agent Reanna O’Hare and Financial Analyst LeAnn Lanz), the United States Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (Special Agent Brian Kriplean), the United States Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General (Supervisory Special Agent Wayne VanVarick), and the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (Special Agent Timothy Jones).
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Tổng Chưởng Lý Merrick Garland đưa ra bản ghi nhớ nhằm cải thiện việc tiếp cận các dịch vụ cho những người có trình độ Anh ngữ hạn chếRead the Press Release
Ghi Chú: Thông cáo báo chí này đã được dịch sang nhiều ngôn ngữ khác nhau. Xem những bản đính kèm dưới đây.
Bộ Tư pháp hôm nay đã đưa ra một bản ghi nhớ yêu cầu các cơ quan liên bang xem lại việc thực hành và các chính sách tiếp cận ngôn ngữ của họ để tăng cường sự tương tác của chính phủ liên bang với những người có trình độ Anh ngữ hạn chế (LEP).
"Tất cả mọi người trên đất nước này, dù nói bất kỳ ngôn ngữ nào, đều được hưởng sự tiếp cận có ý nghĩa đối với các chương trình và hoạt động được thực hiện hoặc hỗ trợ bởi các cơ quan liên bang," Tổng chưởng lý Merrick B. Garland cho biết. “Bộ Tư pháp cam kết sẽ cùng làm việc với các đối tác liên bang để giải quyết những rào cản ngôn ngữ trong các dịch vụ của chính phủ đã không cho mọi người đủ cơ hội để tham gia vào đời sống kinh tế, xã hội và dân sự.”
Bản ghi nhớ này phác thảo một phương hướng hành động để các cơ quan liên bang cải tiến, hiện đại hóa và thực hiện trách nhiệm của mình trong vấn đề tiếp cận ngôn ngữ theo Sắc Lệnh Hành Pháp 13166, "Cải Thiện Khả Năng Tiếp Cận Các Dịch Vụ dành cho Những Người Có Trình Độ Anh Ngữ Hạn Chế." Như đã nêu trong bản ghi nhớ, Ban Dân quyền, với sự hỗ trợ của Văn Phòng Tiếp Cận Công Lý, sẽ đi đầu trong nỗ lực hợp tác để xác định: (1) liệu các cơ quan có thể cập nhật thêm các chính sách và kế hoạch về tiếp cận ngôn ngữ hay không; (2) liệu các cơ quan có đang tiếp cận các cá nhân LEP một cách hữu hiệu khi phổ biến thông tin về tài nguyên, chương trình và các dịch vụ của liên bang hay không; (3) về mặt nghĩa vụ cung cấp sự tiếp cận ngôn ngữ có ý nghĩa, theo những yêu cầu trong Tiêu đề VI của Đạo Luật Dân Quyền năm 1964 và các quy định thực hiện, liệu các cơ quan đã suy xét đến việc cập nhật hoặc sửa đổi hướng dẫn dành cho những người nhận hỗ trợ tài chính của liên bang hay không; và (4) liệu các cơ quan có thể thay đổi truyền thông kỹ thuật số của họ cho phù hợp với việc chào đón các cá nhân LEP hay không.
Bản ghi nhớ này được soạn thảo dựa trên những nỗ lực hiện tại của Bộ Tư Pháp để tương tác với các cá nhân LEP, bao gồm mục tiêu mới là tăng cường hỗ trợ cho việc tiếp cận ngôn ngữ trong Kế Hoạch Chiến Lược 2022-2026 của Bộ. Vào tháng Năm năm 2022, Tổng Chưởng Lý Garland đã bổ nhiệm Ana Paula Noguez Mercado làm Điều Phối Viên Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ của Bộ tại Văn Phòng Tiếp Cận Công Lý, để đảm bảo rằng Bộ đang nêu gương dẫn đầu. Văn phòng Tiếp Cận Công Lý từ đó đã mở rộng thêm nhóm tiếp cận ngôn ngữ và đang hướng dẫn Nhóm Công Tác về Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ của Bộ để cung cấp hỗ trợ kỹ thuật và huấn luyện cho các thành phần trong khi họ vẫn tiếp tục cải thiện khả năng tiếp cận ngôn ngữ cho tất cả mọi người. Ban Dân Quyền vẫn tiếp tục duy trì trang www.LEP.gov, là trang mạng cung cấp các tài nguyên và thông tin để giúp mở rộng và cải thiện những dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ cho các cá nhân LEP, theo đúng luật liên bang.
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Memorandum
Two Maryland Men Convicted After a Two-Week Trial for Federal Charges Related to an Armed Heroin and Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy Operating in Washington CountyRead the Press Release
Baltimore – A federal jury convicted Jarvis Antonio Coleman-Fuller, age 35, of Hagerstown, Maryland and Eric Tyrell Johnson, a/k/a E, age 38, of Owings Mills, Maryland, late on November 17, 2022, on federal charges related to a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically fentanyl and heroin in Washington County, Maryland.
The guilty verdict was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Washington County Sheriff Douglas Mullendore; Chief Paul “Joey” Kifer of the Hagerstown Police Department; and Washington County States’ Attorney Charles P. Strong.
According to the evidence presented at their two-week trial, beginning in about April 2019 and continuing to about November 2019, the defendants and their co-conspirators conspired to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the Washington County area. During the investigation, law enforcement seized narcotics, including at least 1.3 kilograms of fentanyl, five firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and more than $12,534 in cash. Witnesses testified that Johnson and Coleman-Fuller distributed fentanyl and illegally possessed firearms. Johnson and Coleman-Fuller both had previous felony convictions and were prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. The trial evidence also proved that Coleman-Fuller possessed a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes.
Eight co-defendants have previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing.
Coleman-Fuller and Johnson each face a mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years in federal prison and up to 40 years in prison for the drug charges and up to 10 years in federal prison and up to life in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Coleman-Fuller also faces a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence, and up to life in federal prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties, after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for Coleman-Fuller and Johnson for March 10, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.
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 is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, HSI, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington County Narcotics Task Force, and the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution Mr. Barron also thanked the Baltimore County Police Department and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the case. Mr. Barron commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christina A. Hoffman, Joan C. Mathias, and Adeyemi Adenrele, who are prosecuting this case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn.
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Two Kankakee County Men Convicted of Carjacking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A federal jury returned guilty verdicts on November 18, 2022, against Anycco M. Rivers, 24, of the 1100th block of E. Merchant Street in Kankakee, and Ladonta A. Tucker, 30, of the 7400th block of E. Second Street in Sun River Terrace, for carjacking and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Rivers was further convicted of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Sentencing for Rivers and Tucker has been scheduled for April 17, 2023, at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois.
Over four days of testimony, the government presented evidence to establish that, on March 17, 2022, in Kankakee County, Illinois, Rivers and Tucker stole a vehicle at gunpoint, with Rivers discharging the firearm at nearby bystanders as the men fled the scene. Following a car and foot pursuit through Bourbonnais, Bradley, and Kankakee, Illinois, police apprehended Rivers and Tucker.
Rivers and Tucker remain in the custody of Jerome Combs Detention Center in Kankakee. At sentencing, Rivers and Tucker both face statutory penalties of up to 15 years in prison for carjacking. Tucker faces an additional five years in prison for carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and Rivers faces an additional ten years in prison for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The firearm penalties run consecutive to the carjacking penalties.
The case investigation was conducted by Bourbonnais Police Department, Bradley Police Department, Kankakee Police Department, Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Ritzer and William Lynch represented the government at trial.
The 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.
Two Estonian citizens arrested in $575 million cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two Estonian citizens were arrested in Tallinn, Estonia November 20, 2022, on an 18-count indictment charging conspiracy, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment was returned by a grand jury sitting in the Western District of Washington on October 27 and unsealed today following the arrests.
According to the indictment, Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turõgin, both 37, are alleged to have induced hundreds of thousands of victims to purchase contracts in a cryptocurrency mining service called HashFlare and to invest in a virtual currency bank called Polybius Bank. Victims paid more than $575 million to the defendants’ companies. The defendants then used shell companies to launder the fraud proceeds and to purchase real estate and luxury cars.
“New technology has made it easier for bad actors to take advantage of innocent victims—both in the U.S. and abroad—in increasingly complex scams,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The department is committed to preventing the public from losing more of their hard-earned money to these scams and will not allow these defendants, or others like them, to keep the fruits of their crimes.”
“The size and scope of the alleged scheme is truly astounding. These defendants capitalized on both the allure of cryptocurrency, and the mystery surrounding cryptocurrency mining, to commit an enormous Ponzi scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown of the Western District of Washington. “They lured investors with false representations and then paid early investors off with money from those who invested later. They tried to hide their ill-gotten gain in Estonian properties, luxury cars, and bank accounts and virtual currency wallets around the world. U.S. and Estonian authorities are working to seize and restrain these assets and take the profit out of these crimes.”
“Mr. Potapenko and Mr. Turõgin are charged with defrauding investors out of more than half a billion dollars” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Ultimately, their elaborate Ponzi scheme fell apart and they conspired to conceal and launder the money which they took from the victims of their scheme. Thanks to our partnership with the Estonian authorities, the two defendants will answer for the massive fraud they are accused of perpetrating.”
According to the indictment, Potapenko and Turõgin claimed that their business, HashFlare, operated a massive cryptocurrency mining operation. Cryptocurrency mining is the process of using computers to generate cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, for profit. The defendants offered contracts under which customers could pay a fee to rent a percentage of HashFlare’s mining operations in exchange for the virtual currency produced by their portion of the operation. HashFlare’s website enabled customers to see the amount of virtual currency their mining activity had supposedly generated. Customers from around the world, including from western Washington, bought more than $550 million worth of HashFlare contracts between 2015 and 2019.
HashFlare allegedly did not have the virtual currency mining equipment it claimed to have. In fact, according to the indictment, HashFlare’s equipment performed Bitcoin mining at a rate of less than one percent of the computing power it purported to have. When investors asked to withdraw their mining proceeds, the defendants were not able to pay with the mined currency as promised. Instead, the defendants either resisted making the payments, or paid off the investors using virtual currency the defendants had purchased on the open market—not currency they had mined. HashFlare closed its operations in 2019.
In May 2017, Potapenko and Turõgin offered investments in a company called Polybius, which they said would form a bank specializing in virtual currency. The defendants promised to pay investors dividends from Polybius’ profits. The men raised at least $25 million in this scheme and transferred most of the money to other bank accounts and virtual currency wallets they controlled. Polybius never formed a bank or paid any dividends.
The indictment also charges the defendants with conspiring to launder their criminal proceeds by using shell companies and phony contracts and invoices. The indictment alleges that the money laundering conspiracy involved at least 75 real properties, six luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency wallets, and thousands of cryptocurrency mining machines.
Both defendants appeared in court in Tallin, and are being held pending extradition to the U.S.
The men are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 16 counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each of these crimes is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI is investigating the case.
The United States thanks the Cybercrime Bureau of the National Criminal Police of the Estonian Police and Border Guard for its support with this investigation. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided extensive assistance to the investigation.
This investigation and arrests demonstrate the great coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Estonian law enforcement. Estonia has been a crucial ally to disrupt this cyber-enabled crime, and the United States thanks the Estonians for their continued assistance and coordination.
Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson and Jehiel I. Baer of the Western District of Washington, and Trial Attorneys Adrienne E. Rosen and Olivia Zhu of DOJ’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are prosecuting the case.
Individuals who believe they may have been a victim in this case should visit www.fbi.gov/hashflare for more information.
1hashflare_indictment.pdfTwo Estonian Citizens Arrested in $575 Million Cryptocurrency Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
Two Estonian citizens were arrested in Tallinn, Estonia, yesterday on an 18-count indictment for their alleged involvement in a $575 million cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
The indictment was returned by a grand jury in the Western District of Washington on Oct. 27 and unsealed today.
According to court documents, Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turõgin, both 37, allegedly defrauded hundreds of thousands of victims through a multi-faceted scheme. They induced victims to enter into fraudulent equipment rental contracts with the defendants’ cryptocurrency mining service called HashFlare. They also caused victims to invest in a virtual currency bank called Polybius Bank. In reality, Polybius was never actually a bank, and never paid out the promised dividends. Victims paid more than $575 million to Potapenko and Turõgin’s companies. Potapenko and Turõgin then used shell companies to launder the fraud proceeds and to purchase real estate and luxury cars.
“New technology has made it easier for bad actors to take advantage of innocent victims – both in the U.S. and abroad – in increasingly complex scams,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The department is committed to preventing the public from losing more of their hard-earned money to these scams and will not allow these defendants, or others like them, to keep the fruits of their crimes.”
“The size and scope of the alleged scheme is truly astounding. These defendants capitalized on both the allure of cryptocurrency, and the mystery surrounding cryptocurrency mining, to commit an enormous Ponzi scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown for the Western District of Washington. “They lured investors with false representations and then paid early investors off with money from those who invested later. They tried to hide their ill-gotten gain in Estonian properties, luxury cars, and bank accounts and virtual currency wallets around the world. U.S. and Estonian authorities are working to seize and restrain these assets and take the profit out of these crimes.”
"The FBI is committed to pursuing subjects across international boundaries who are utilizing increasingly complex schemes to defraud investors,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Victims in the U.S. and abroad invested into what they believed were sophisticated virtual asset ventures, but it was all part of a fraudulent scheme and thousands of victims were harmed as a result. The FBI thanks our national and international partners for their efforts throughout the investigation to help bring justice for the victims.”
According to the indictment, Potapenko and Turõgin claimed that HashFlare was a massive cryptocurrency mining operation. Cryptocurrency mining is the process of using computers to generate cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, for profit. Potapenk and Turõgin offered contracts which, for a fee, purported to allow customers to rent a percentage of HashFlare’s mining operations in exchange for the virtual currency produced by their portion of the operation. HashFlare’s website enabled customers to see the amount of virtual currency their mining activity had supposedly generated. Customers from around the world, including western Washington, entered into more than $550 million worth of HashFlare contracts between 2015 and 2019.
According to the indictment, these contracts were fraudulent. HashFlare allegedly did not have the virtual currency mining equipment it claimed to have. HashFlare’s equipment allegedly performed Bitcoin mining at a rate of less than one percent of the computing power it purported to have. When investors asked to withdraw their mining proceeds, Potapenko and Turõgin were not able to pay the mined currency as promised. Instead, they either resisted making the payments, or paid off the investors using virtual currency the defendants had purchased on the open market—not currency they had mined. HashFlare closed its operations in 2019.
In May 2017, Potapenko and Turõgin offered investments in a company called Polybius, which they promised would form a bank specializing in virtual currency. They promised to pay investors dividends from Polybius’s profits. The men raised at least $25 million in this scheme and transferred most of the money to other bank accounts and virtual currency wallets they controlled. Polybius never formed a bank or paid any dividends.
The indictment also charges Potapenko and Turõgin with conspiring to launder their criminal proceeds by using shell companies and phony contracts and invoices. The money laundering conspiracy allegedly involved at least 75 real properties, six luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency wallets, and thousands of cryptocurrency mining machines.
Potapenko and Turõgin are both charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 16 counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, Potapenko and Turõgin each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case.
The United States thanks the Cybercrime Bureau of the National Criminal Police of the Estonian Police and Border Guard for its support with this investigation. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided extensive assistance to the investigation.
This investigation and today’s arrest demonstrate the great coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Estonian law enforcement. Estonia has been a crucial ally to disrupt this cyber-enabled crime, and the United States thanks the Estonians for their continued assistance and coordination.
Trial Attorneys Adrienne E. Rosen and Olivia Zhu of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Wilkinson and Jehiel I. Baer for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case.
Individuals who believe they may have been a victim in this case should visit www.fbi.gov/hashflare for more information.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Des Moines Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fentanyl Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IOWA – Michael Allen James, age 39, of Des Moines, was sentenced to 240 months in prison for distributing a controlled substance which resulted in death on Friday, November 18, 2022. On August 5, 2022, Gregory Michael Williams, age 38, was sentenced to 168 months in prison for distributing a controlled substance which resulted in death. Both men were sentenced by Chief United States District Court Judge Stephanie Rose after pleading guilty.
On November 8, 2020, Williams purchased two Oxycodone pills from James. Williams then distributed the pills to C.C.. Later, C.C. and his fiancée, K.F., ingested the pills, and both overdosed. C.C. was revived on scene and survived. K.F. was brought to the hospital and later pronounced dead. The Oxycodone pills were counterfeit and contained fentanyl.
Investigators with the Des Moines Police Department Vice-Narcotics Unit reviewed phone records and conducted interviews, including of the victims’ friends and family, which led officers to identify Williams and James. In November 2020, Williams was arrested in possession of a firearm after he held his children at gunpoint. In December 2020, officers executed a search warrant at James’ house and located marijuana, cash, and 100 rounds of ammunition. James was prohibited for possessing ammunition because he is a felon.
U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the Des Moines Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory E. Weiser, with assistance from Victim Witness Specialist Charlotte Kovacs.
Twelve Defendants Charged in 5 Indictments with Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine in the Central ValleyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Due to the efforts of federal and local law enforcement agencies working together over the course of the past 18 months on an investigation targeting local criminal street gangs in Bakersfield, 12 defendants were indicted for drug trafficking and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
On Nov. 17, 2022, a federal grand jury returned an 11-count indictment against William Arthur Poush, 43, of Bakersfield; Rosa Fernandez, 43, of Bakersfield; Timothy Robert Hingston, 39, of North Hollywood; Spencer Matthew Hopper, 35, of Montrose; and Dale Vincent Perez, 39, of Bakersfield. According to court documents, on Jan. 20, 2022, and Feb. 24, 2022, Poush and Fernandez sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. On May 11, 2022, Poush sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl pills to a confidential informant. On Aug. 13, 2022, Hingston and Hopper distributed over 500 grams of methamphetamine and over 400 grams of fentanyl to Poush, and Poush possessed that same quantity with intent to distribute. On Aug. 19, 2022, Poush and Perez conspired to possess with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine, and Perez possessed that same quantity with intent to distribute. And on Sept. 1, 2022, Poush possessed over 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Bakersfield residents Dale Wesley Hubbard, 49, and Darlene Crystal Viera, 40, charging them with conspiring and distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl. According to court documents, Hubbard and Viera sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine and over 40 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant on May 3, 2022; and sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on May 25, 2022.
A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Bakersfield residents Manuel Yanes, 25, and Jorge Luis Yanes, 28, charging them with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, on June 29, 2022, and on July 22, 2022, Manuel Yanes agreed to sell over 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant and Jorge Yanes delivered that same amount of methamphetamine to a confidential informant.
A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Bakersfield residents Luis Mauricio Castenon, 33, and Bryan Steven Reyes, 28, charging them with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, on July 16, 2020, Castenon sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. On Dec. 10, 2021, Castenon and Reyes conspired to distribute and did distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant, and on April 15, 2022, Reyes sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant.
A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against David Garcia, 35, of Bakersfield, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, during a traffic stop, officers learned that Garcia was on parole and subject to search terms. A search of his vehicle yielded a stolen, loaded firearm and over 50 grams of methamphetamine.
These cases are the product of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bakersfield Police Department, the Kern County Probation Department, the Kern County District Attorney’s Office, and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Massey is prosecuting the cases.
If convicted, the defendants face various maximum sentences between 10 years and life in prison and $250,000 to $10 million in fines. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Tucson Couple Sentenced to 5 Years for Stealing $5 Million from InvestorsRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On November 15, 2022, Michael Feinberg, 73, and Betsy Feinberg, 80, both of Tucson, Arizona, were sentenced by United States District Judge James A. Soto to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In April 2022, a jury found the Feinbergs guilty of multiple counts of securities and wire fraud.
Michael and Betsy Feinberg operated Catharon Software Corporation as husband and wife. The Feinbergs claimed they had produced revolutionary software called VDelta that would generate enormous returns for investors and philanthropists. For almost 15 years, the Feinbergs lured investors with false promises about the software’s completion, release date, and capabilities. Their victims included friends and associates recruited through various community organizations in Sedona, Arizona, where the Feinbergs resided at the time. In addition to paying themselves salaries, the Feinbergs used investor money for a wide variety of personal expenses, including their home mortgage.
A restitution hearing to address the approximately $5 million in victim losses is scheduled for December 13, 2022.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case with assistance from the Arizona Corporation Commission. The Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-01786-JAS-DTF
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-216_Feinbergs# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Television personalities sentenced to years in federal prison for fraud and tax evasionRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Todd and Julie Chrisley have been sentenced to 12 and seven years, respectively, in federal prison after a jury convicted them of bank and tax fraud offenses following a nearly three-week jury trial.
“Over the course of a decade, the defendants defrauded banks out of tens of millions of dollars while evading payment of their federal income taxes” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Their lengthy sentences reflect the magnitude of their criminal scheme and should serve as a warning to others tempted to exploit our nation’s community banking system for unlawful personal gain.”
“As this sentencing proves, when you lie, cheat, and steal, justice is blind to your fame, fortune, and position,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is proud to work with our law enforcement partners at the IRS and the U.S. Attorney's office to pursue and prosecute individuals that are driven by greed to evade the law.”
“The Chrisleys defrauded financial institutions and the Federal Government through tax evasion and other fraudulent means in an effort to minimize their tax liability, but project an image of wealth,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “This sentencing serves notice that no matter a person’s celebrity status, there are severe consequences for defrauding the American tax system.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Todd and Julie Chrisley conspired to defraud community banks in the Atlanta area to obtain more than $36 million in personal loans. The Chrisleys, with the help of their former business partner, submitted false bank statements, audit reports, and personal financial statements to Georgia community banks to obtain the loans. The Chrisleys spent the money on luxury cars, designer clothes, real estate, and travel – and used new fraudulent loans to pay back old ones. After spending all the money, Todd Chrisley filed for bankruptcy and walked away from more than $20 million of these fraudulently obtained loans.
Later, while earning millions from their TV show, Todd and Julie Chrisley, along with their accountant, Peter Tarantino, conspired to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. Throughout the conspiracy, the Chrisleys operated a loan-out company. To evade collection of half a million dollars in delinquent taxes owed by Todd Chrisley, the Chrisleys opened and kept the corporate bank accounts only in Julie Chrisley’s name. But after the IRS requested information about bank accounts in Julie Chrisley’s name, the Chrisleys transferred ownership of the corporate bank account to a relative to further conceal their income from the IRS.
In addition, the Chrisleys failed to file tax returns or pay any taxes for the 2013, 2014, 2015, or 2016 tax years. As a part of the tax evasion scheme, Tarantino was convicted of filing two false corporate tax returns for the loan-out company, which falsely claimed that the company earned no money and made no distributions in 2015 and 2016.
The Chrisleys also attempted to obstruct justice before being charged as well as during the trial. After learning of the grand jury investigation, Julie Chrisley submitted a fraudulent document in response to a grand jury subpoena to make it appear that the Chrisleys had not lied to the bank when they transferred ownership of the loan-out company’s bank account to their relative.
On June 7, 2022, a jury convicted the Chrisleys on all counts of a superseding indictment, including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit tax evasion. The jury convicted Julie Chrisley of an additional charge of obstruction of justice. Tarantino was also convicted of multiple tax-related violations.
U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross sentenced the defendants as follows:
- Todd Chrisley, 54, of Brentwood, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
- Julie Chrisley, 49, of Brentwood, Tennessee, has been sentenced to seven years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
- Peter Tarantino, 60, of Alpharetta, Georgia, has been sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
As part of sentencing, the Court ordered both Todd and Julie Chrisley to pay restitution and will determine the exact amount at a later date.
This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas J. Krepp, Annalise K. Peters, Alex R. Sistla, Sekret T. Sneed, Vivieon K. Jones, and Amy Palumbo prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Statement on Shooting at Club Q in Colorado SpringsRead the Press Release
Colorado Springs - The Denver FBI Field Office, the ATF Denver Field Division, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado are aware of the situation regarding the shooting in Colorado Springs at Club Q, and we will review all available facts of the incident to determine what federal response is warranted. The FBI is providing assistance to the Colorado Springs Police Department.
“On behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice, we offer our deepest condolences to the victims and their families, and our sorrow for the tragedy that has unfolded here. We will work closely with District Attorney Michael Allen, with local law enforcement, Mayor Suthers, and the Colorado Springs community to ensure the person who did this is brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan.
St. Louis County Man Admits $740,000 Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Blackjack, in St. Louis County, Missouri on Monday admitted submitting a series of fraudulent applications totaling nearly $980,000 to a pandemic relief loan program.
Terrell Alexander, 46, admitted submitting 10 fraudulent applications to obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans and advances from the Small Business Administration seeking nearly $980,000. The loans were designed to help the owners of businesses that had been negatively affected by the pandemic. Alexander was able to collect over $740,000 in EIDL funding.
Alexander submitted applications with fraudulent information about the size and ownership of the businesses, the number of employees and revenue. Some of the businesses existed but others were fictional or inactive. He used Social Security numbers belonging to others on applications, including one belonging to a child. He also used a fake name and fraudulent driver’s license on other applications and real people’s names and information, sometimes with their knowledge.
Alexander pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge John A. Ross to ten counts of wire fraud, five counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of unlawful transfer of an identification document and one count of theft of government property.
At his sentencing, set for March 3, Alexander could face up to 30 years in prison. He will also be ordered to repay the money.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke is prosecuting the case.
Sexual Predator Sentenced to 151 Months in Federal Prison for Sending Child Sexual Abuse Material to Undercover Agent Acting as a 13-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Coenraad Cromhoudt, 48, of Cayuga, Indiana, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to distribution and receipt of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, on July 24, 2021, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents were conducting undercover chat operations on the social media application Kik, in a chatroom known to be used by adult men looking for underage girls to exchange child sexual abuse material. An adult male later identified as Cromhoudt initiated a short conversation with a special agent posing as a 13-year-old girl living in Arizona.
On August 1, 2021, Cromhoudt sent another message inquiring about age and other information. Knowing that the “girl” was thirteen, the chat quickly turned sexual in nature. During this chat, Cromhoudt sent the “girl” naked pictures of himself, videos of pre-pubescent girls being sexually abused by adult men, and adult pornography. Cromhoudt said some of the videos depicted him abusing the children. In court, Cromhoudt admitted he sent the sexually explicit videos to the “girl,” in part, to convince “her” that he had had previously had sex with children and they enjoyed it.
Over the next two months, Cromhoudt routinely sent sexually explicit messages, videos, and photos during chats with the “girl.” Cromhoudt even tried planning to meet in Arizona to have sex with the “13-year-old girl.”
On October 28, 2021, agents executed a search warrant at Cromhoudt’s residence in Cayuga, Indiana. Cromhoudt was interviewed by investigators and admitted to receiving sexually explicit files using Kik and said he shared the files with others. He also acknowledged that he was the person chatting with the undercover special agent. In addition to the numerous videos Cromhoudt sent to the undercover agent in the Kik chat, Cromhoudt also possessed child sexual abuse material in a Google account, including a video of an adult male raping an infant girl.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, R. Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent in Charge of the HSI Chicago Field Office, and Superintendent Douglas G. Carter, Indiana State Police made the announcement.
HSI and the Indiana State Police investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon. As part of the sentence, Judge Hanlon ordered that Cromhoudt be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 15 years following his release from federal prison and must also register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina M. Korobov who prosecuted this case.
In fiscal year 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
Seffner Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Raul Gonzalez (63, Seffner) has pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft. Gonzalez faces a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison.
According to the plea agreement, Gonzalez applied for a United States passport on January 31, 2019. He used the identity of his deceased twin brother, Miguel Angel Gonzalez Rodriguez, in his passport application. Gonzalez also presented a driver license in his brother’s name and a baptism certificate bearing his deceased brother’s name and identity. United States Department of State investigators became aware of the possibility of fraud in this application and began an investigation. Their investigation revealed that Miguel Gonzalez was born on the same date as Raul Gonzalez but that Miguel had died a few days later due to dehydration and gastroenteritis. Further investigation revealed that this same “Miguel Gonzalez,” with the same date of birth and other similar identifiers, had applied over different points in time for Social Security, SNAP, and Medicaid/Medicare benefits. This purported “Miguel Gonzalez” then obtained over $145,000 from those various federal benefits programs using that false identity. As part of his plea agreement with the United States, the defendant has agreed to pay restitution to those agencies for those losses.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, Social Security – Office of Inspector General, and further assistance from the Florida Highway Patrol and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Santa Clarita Man Sentenced to Nearly 6½ Years in Prison for Stealing $1.7 Million from Investors via His Real Estate ‘Coupon Bond’ ScamRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Santa Clarita resident who invested in real estate and sold “coupon bonds” that promised regular interest payments on top of principal repayment was sentenced today to 77 months in federal prison for defrauding investors out of more than $1.7 million.
Matthew Skinner, 45, was sentenced by United States District Judge Percy Anderson, who also ordered him to pay $1,744,946 in restitution.
Skinner pleaded guilty on June 1 to one count of securities fraud.
In 2014, Skinner founded a company called Empire West Equity Inc. and later established another business named Simple Growth LLC. Skinner used social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube to promote himself, falsely claiming to be an experienced and successful real estate investor with more than $200 million in deals under his belt.
After Empire West experienced financial troubles – Skinner was unable to pay his staff and investors – he established Simple Growth in 2018 and falsely told investors who purchased Simple Growth coupon bonds “that their money would be used to purchase real estate that [Skinner] and Empire West would develop and resell at a profit,” according to court documents.
Skinner did not intend to purchase, develop or resell real estate, and that he instead used investor funds to pay older investors, his employees and himself. Instead, Skinner used investor funds from those entities and accounts to pay for personal trips, his mortgage, his utility bills, cosmetic surgery, and alimony payments to his ex-wife.
Simple Growth raised approximately $1,744,946 from more than 20 investors – none of whom received any of their money back.
“Several of the victims were elderly and were seeking safe investment opportunities,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “Several of the victims described how [Skinner} repeatedly lied to them and made-up excuses of why he was unable to make the quarterly interest payments.”
The FBI investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Mitchell of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
San Francisco Man Sentenced to Thirteen Years for Transporting DrugsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Ricardo Jiminez-Noveno, 29, of San Francisco, California, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to a term of 156 months’ imprisonment following his conviction for possession of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as cocaine and marijuana, with the intent to distribute. After he completes his prison sentence, Jiminez-Noveno will also serve five years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On November 4, 2021, Esteban Dejesus Huerta Rocha, along with Jose Alfredo Ek-Poot and Jiminez-Noveno, were traveling east on Interstate 80 near Grand Island when they were stopped by a trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol for driving at 87 mph in a 75-mph zone. Rocha was the driver, Jiminez-Noveno was the front seat passenger, and Ek-Poot was seated in the back. When the trooper approached the car, he could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the car and he saw a bag of marijuana inside the car. When troopers searched the car, a mason jar containing marijuana was located in the front passenger door compartment. A backpack containing a methamphetamine pipe was discovered on the front passenger floorboard. Rocha was searched and he had a small bag of cocaine in his pocket. In the trunk, troopers found approximately 8.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 5.5 pounds of marijuana, and 10.8 ounces of cocaine.
Jiminez-Noveno pleaded guilty on August 30, 2022. Rocha pleaded guilty on July 6, 2022. On October 7, 2022, Rocha was sentenced to a 135-month term of imprisonment, and five years of supervised release. Ek-Poot is set for a trial beginning on January 23, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Rochester Man Sentenced to More Than 14 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking and Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Julio A. Rodriguez, 31, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 174 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who handled the case, stated that stated that Rodriguez was part of a group of individuals that ran a drug house at 192 Weaver Street in Rochester, selling fentanyl from the house in 2019 and 2020. On February 25, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at the Weaver Street residence. During the search, they recovered approximately 11 grams of fentanyl, materials used to process and package controlled substances for street-level distribution, two digital scales, a strainer, five bags of new and unused small Ziploc bags, a bag of small black rubber bands, medical masks and latex gloves, and $10,445 in cash, all of which consisted of proceeds from the distribution of fentanyl.
Rodriguez admitted selling a quantity of fentanyl that caused an 18-year-old female to suffer a fatal overdose in 2018. The victim and a group of her friends obtained fentanyl from Rodriguez at the Weaver Street drug house. The victim returned to her home in Ontario County, used the fentanyl, and died in her bedroom from a fentanyl overdose.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David M. Smith.
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Robins Air Force Base Service Member Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Robins Air Force Base service member pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in federal court today resulting from a Project Safe Childhood (PSC) investigation instigated by a parent who reported sexually explicit Snapchat communications between the defendant and her middle schooler.
Justin Wayne Pallett, 28, of Warner Robins, pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material today before U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self III. Pallett faces a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment to be followed by five years to life of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine. In addition, Pallett will have to register as a sex offender upon his release from federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for March 7, 2023.
According to court documents, the mother of a 13-year-old female alerted authorities in Nov. 2020 that her daughter had exchanged sexually explicit messages and images with a 26-year-old male, later determined to be Pallett. Pallett was an active-duty service member assigned to Robins Air Force Base at the time of the offense. Pallett and the girl communicated via Snapchat and Facebook Messenger. Pallett was engaged in similar sexually explicit communication with numerous other underage females on Snapchat.
On March 25, 2021, agents with the U.S. Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, executed a search warrant at Pallett’s home in Warner Robins, seizing numerous electronic devices belonging to the defendant. A forensic analysis of Pallett’s devices found 178 images and six videos of child sexual abuse material; 14 of the images matched images from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) database. Some of the images contained prepubescent minors under the age of 12 years old.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force, Office of Special Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will R. Keyes is prosecuting the case.
Raleigh County Man Sentenced to Prison for Witness RetaliationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – David Stanley, 46, of Bolt, was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for retaliation against a government witness.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from July 2021 through August 11, 2021, Stanley sent multiple intimidating and threatening messages through Facebook Messenger to a witness in the federal criminal case of Stanley’s brother.
The brother, Charles Stanley, 52, of Shady Spring, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the destruction of an energy facility and was sentenced to two years and six months in prison on June 22, 2022. According to court documents and statements made in court, Charles Stanley admitted to working with others to steal multiple pieces of specialized mining equipment in May and June, 2019, from the energy facility, located in Boone and Lincoln counties, resulting in more than $5,000 in damage.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Kathleen Robeson, John File and Negar Kordestani prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-144.
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Providence Brothers Charged in Federal Court as ATF, Postal Service Agents Seize Five Firearms, Including Four “Ghost Guns”Read the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Two Providence brothers previously convicted in New York state court on violent crime charges are facing federal charges following the seizure of five firearms, including four “ghost guns,” and ammunition during searches of their residences as part of a Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) investigation, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Both Lucas Soriano, 41, and Rafael Soriano, 44, are charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with possession of firearms and ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year; Lucas Soriano is also charged with making false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer when attempting to purchase a firearm and with causing false records to be kept by a federally licensed firearms dealer.
Since July 2022, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Postal Inspectors have been investigating individuals who are believed to be using the United States mail in furtherance of violating federal firearm laws. Additionally, ATF Agents have been focusing on individuals who are prohibited from possessing firearms, as well as individuals who are engaging in firearm-trafficking activities by illegally manufacturing and distributing guns.
According to court documents, a number of retailers that specialize in the advertising and sale of firearm parts, ammunition and firearm accessories allegedly shipped orders through the U.S. Postal Service to both Lucas and Rafael Soriano at their mother’s address, located in the same dwelling where Rafael also resides. These orders contained items that are commonly used to manufacture privately made firearms that lack serial numbers and other manufacturer or importer markings, rendering them difficult for law enforcement to trace.
During the course of this PSN investigation, ATF also learned that in June 2022, a federally licensed firearm dealer in Rhode Island denied Lucas Soriano application to purchase a firearm after he allegedly falsely claimed on ATF forms that he had not been previously convicted of a crime, when in fact he had.
On Friday, ATF agents and Postal inspectors executed court-authorized search warrants at the residences of both men. Law enforcement seized three “ghost guns,” an additional 9mm firearm, and assorted ammunition from Lucas Soriano’s apartment, and seized one “ghost gun,” two ammunition magazines with 37 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and a bag containing various loose ammunition from Rafael Soriano’s residence.
Both men made initial appearances in U.S. District Court on Friday. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
According to court records, Rafael Soriano was previously convicted in New York state court on robbery charges and in federal court in Rhode Island on drug-trafficking charges; Lucas Soriano was convicted in New York state court on armed robbery and a firearm charge.
The cases in federal court are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
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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Prior Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Francis C. Bynoe, 35, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie M. Kocher, who is handling the case, stated that on September 29, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Bynoe’s Rochester residence, seizing four firearms, ammunition, quantities of cocaine and a substance containing fentanyl, heroin, and para-fluorofentanyl (a fentanyl analogue), and items commonly used to cook cocaine into cocaine crack. In April 2012, Bynoe was convicted of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree and as a result is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 6, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Geraci.# # # #
Prior Felon Arrested on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Robert Bibbins, 50, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography after having previously been convicted of a child pornography offense. The charges carry a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in 2015, Bibbins was convicted of a child pornography offense in New York State Court and sentenced to a jail term and 10 years probation. In 2020, Bibbins violated probation and was sentenced to serve one to three years. On September 19, 2022, he was released after having served two years. Three days later, during a routine search, parole officers discovered an internet-capable cellular phone secreted in a trash can at the half-way house where Bibbins was living. An initial review recovered images of children in sexually explicit poses, as well as naked children. A full forensic examination uncovered multiple images of child pornography.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Stansbury.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Pinon Man Sentenced to 202 Months for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On November 14, 2022, Kelly Joyce, 38, of Pinon, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 202 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Joyce previously pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder.
On March 2, 2020, Joyce, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, shot and killed the victim. The crime occurred in Pinon.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Besancon, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-08093-PCT-DWL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-215_Joyce# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Peoria Man Sentenced to Forty Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois, man, Datreon Linwood, 25, of the 1400 block of West Covington Court, was sentenced on November 17, 2022, to serve 40 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. Linwood is required to serve a three-year term of supervised release following his imprisonment.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the government presented evidence that in March 2022 officers conducted a traffic stop of Linwood to investigate a hit and run accident that occurred a month prior. During the traffic stop, officers located a semi-automatic handgun in the front pocket of the hooded sweatshirt Linwood was wearing. The .40 caliber pistol was loaded with a live round of ammunition in the chamber and was equipped with a high-capacity extended magazine loaded with an additional 28 rounds of live ammunition. The firearm was previously reported as stolen in November 2016.
A federal complaint was filed against Linwood in March 2022, and he was indicted a week later. Linwood entered a guilty plea in July 2022. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.
The statutory penalties for possession of a firearm by a felon at the time of Linwood’s offense were up to 10 years’ imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and a possible fine of up to $250,000.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in conjunction with the Peoria Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Linwood 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
Pennsylvania man who received more than $1 million via mail through government imposter scheme sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Bristol, Pennsylvania, man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 36 months in prison for multiple counts of mail fraud and mail fraud conspiracy. He was also ordered to pay more than $1.1 million in restitution.
Sagarkumar Suresh Patel, 29, conspired with others to cause victims to mail bulk amounts of cash by pretending to be federal government officials.
According to court documents, co-conspirators would call victims and identify themselves as law enforcement officers or attorneys working with the federal government. They would threaten victims by falsely informing them they had active warrants for their arrest, and that their bank accounts and social security numbers had been compromised.
Co-conspirators would tell the victims that to avoid losing money from their bank accounts they needed to withdraw large sums of cash from their bank.
The victims were told to insert the cash between the pages of several reading magazines and then place each magazine in a bubble-wrapped envelope before placing the wrapped magazines in a cardboard box. Victims mailed packages to Walgreens and other mail depositories to aliases used by Patel.
In June 2021, Dublin police officers intercepted a package mailed to Patel at the Walgreens on Hospital Drive that contained $22,000 in cash inserted into magazines. When officers searched Patel’s vehicle, they discovered another magazine package containing $25,000 in cash, $30,000 in a white plastic bag that was wrapped in bubble wrap, a plastic Donatos pizza bag that contained $31,500 and a Southern First bank bag that contained $22,500.
“I listened to three of the victims who participated in today’s sentencing hearing, said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “As each of them made clear, the defendant’s illegal actions nearly wiped out all of their life savings. The defendant’s actions caused so much pain and despair to numerous people. A sentence of imprisonment was definitely warranted in this case. This office will continue to work with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue and prosecute those who engage in this type of criminal activity.”
Patel was charged federally in June 2021 and pleaded guilty in November 2021.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Dublin Police Chief Justin Paez announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth F. Affeldt is representing the United States in this case.
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North Texas Couple Charged with $684,000 Paycheck Protection Program FraudRead the Press Release
A North Texas couple has been charged with defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program out of more than $684,000, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Patrick Kasong Muyej, 48, and Chisanga Mable Scot, 43, were indicted on one count each of conspiracy to commit conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Mr. Muyej was also charged with eight counts of money laundering and one count of theft of government funds while Ms. Scott was charged with one count of false use of a passport.
According to the indictment, the pair allegedly submitted fraudulent applications for $1.85 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans on behalf of businesses that did not qualify for the loans.
In application paperwork, they allegedly falsified the business’s number of employees – listing individuals who they did not employ – and manufacturing the businesses’ monthly payroll.
They allegedly used the same bank statement in support of multiple loan applications but doctored the name of the account holder on each one to match the name of the PPP loan applicant.
In total, they received two PPP loans totaling $684,158.33. Mr. Muyej is also alleged to have laundered that money.
In addition, Mr. Muyej also took advantage of Covid relief by fraudulently obtaining unemployment insurance benefits from the State of Nevada in August 2020.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, Mr. Muyej and Ms. Scott face up to 20 years in federal prison on the count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Mr. Muyej also faces up to 20 years in prison on each count of money laundering and up to ten years for the count of theft of government funds. Ms. Scott faces up to 10 additional years on the count of false use of a passport.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marty Basu is prosecuting the case.
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP provided forgivable loans to small businesses to cover payroll, rent, and certain other expenses.
New York Man Sentenced by Federal Court in Rhode Island Fraud Scheme Targeting SeniorsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Jason Hatcher, 40, of New York, NY, was sentenced today to nearly three years in federal prison for his participation in a conspiracy that defrauded more than a dozen Rhode Island seniors who unknowingly fell victim to a so-called “grandparent scam,” announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Fourteen known victims, who ranged from seventy-nine to ninety-four years of age, were contacted by telephone by callers impersonating family members or attorneys. These callers falsely told the victims that a loved one, generally a grandchild, had been arrested after being involved in a motor vehicle accident, and needed cash bail. The victims were directed to gather cash for these fake bail payments and told to provide the money to a courier who would be sent to their home. Different members of the conspiracy played various roles to carry out the scam; Hatcher travelled around Rhode Island and met face-to-face with many of the victims to collect the cash payments.
Rhode Island victims were scammed out of approximately $394,033.
Hatcher pleaded guilty on July 5, 2020, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to thirty-three months in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. Hatcher was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $394,033.
Two co-defendants in this matter, Bryan Valdez-Espinosa, 22, and Diego A. Alarcon, 22, of Union City, NJ, pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and are awaiting sentencing in U.S. District Court in Providence.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys G. Michael Seaman, Christine D. Lowell, and Lee H. Vilker.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Warwick, Cranston, East Providence, Johnston, Hopkinton, Cumberland, Coventry, North Kingstown, Barrington, and Smithfield Police Departments for their assistance with the investigation.
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New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Robert “Bobby” Ingrao, age 75, of Lodi, New Jersey, pled guilty today to conspiring to distribute cocaine, and to possessing 9 kilograms of cocaine and intending to deliver it to co-conspirators in Schenectady, New York.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
Ingrao admitted that on March 31, 2021, he and co-conspirators drove to Schenectady in two cars in order to take possession of a third vehicle, a blue Jeep Grand Cherokee. The blue Jeep contained a hidden compartment, or “trap,” in its trunk area.
One of Ingrao’s co-conspirators then drove the blue Jeep from Schenectady to the New York City/northern New Jersey area. At some point between the evening of March 31 and the morning of April 2, Ingrao’s co-conspirators placed 9 kilograms of cocaine in the blue Jeep’s hidden compartment.
On the morning of April 2, 2021, Ingrao drove the blue Jeep north from the New York City/northern New Jersey area, knowing that its hidden compartment contained 9 kilograms of cocaine, and intending to deliver that cocaine to other co-conspirators in Schenectady.
New York State Police conducted a traffic stop of Ingrao in Greene County, as he was driving the blue Jeep alone, north on Interstate 87. Troopers then discovered 9 kilograms of cocaine in the blue Jeep’s hidden compartment.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 22, 2023. Ingrao faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, as well as at least 5 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Three defendants still face charges in this case:
- Richard “Richie” Sinde, age 57, of Fort Lee, New Jersey;
- Jeffrey C. Civitello Sr., age 51, of Schenectady; and
- Jeffrey C. Civitello Jr., age 23 of Schenectady.
They are scheduled to go on trial on April 17, 2023, before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. As to these remaining defendants, the charges in the indictment are merely accusations. These defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the DEA’s Capital District Drug Enforcement Task Force, which includes DEA Special Agents and investigators from state and local police agencies, including the Saratoga Springs Police Department, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.
Missouri Man Pleads Guilty to Using Violence Against Witnesses with Knowledge of the Disappearance, Murder of a Joplin WomanRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Another defendant has pleaded guilty to using physical force against two individuals to stop them from communicating with law enforcement about the kidnapping and murder of a Joplin, Missouri, woman, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson of the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Lane Ryan Bronson, 29, pleaded guilty to tampering with a witness, victim, and informant by using and threatening physical force. If a federal judge approves the stipulated sentence, Bronson will serve 19 years in federal prison. The judge will make the final determination at a sentencing hearing to be held at a later date.
Bronson admitted that on Aug. 13, 2020, he directed Chloe Stith, 22, to lure the two victims to her car where she restrained them and blindfolded them with duct tape. Stith and Bronson then drove the victims to a secluded location. They uncovered the victims’ eyes, and Bronson told one victim that he heard she had been talking about Jolene Walker Campbell’s disappearance. Bronson then assaulted the male victim while he was still restrained and defenseless.
Bronson’s brother Tre Ackerson, 28, is alleged to have kidnapped Walker Campbell in Joplin, traveled into Oklahoma, and murdered the woman between July 4 and July 5, 2020. Ackerson and Breanna Sloan, 23, then allegedly left her body in a rural Mayes County, Oklahoma, field. Sloan drove the vehicle and initially lured the victim by offering her a ride. On Nov. 17, 2022, Sloan pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting Ackerson to kidnap the victim, ultimately leading to her murder. Ackerson is set for trial in January and is innocent until proven guilty.
Bronson and Ackerson’s mother Kimberly Grissom, 48, and Jacob Scribner, 35, are also awaiting further proceedings in federal court. They are charged with conspiracy to retaliate against a witness, victim, and informant.
In total, seven defendants have now pleaded guilty to various charges from kidnapping to witness tampering.
The defendants are from the Joplin, Missouri, area.
The FBI led the investigation with the support of the Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Police Department, Mayes County Sheriff’s Office, and Joplin Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin G. Bish and George Jiang are prosecuting the case.
Milwaukee Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Defraud Medicare and Medicaid.Read the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 18, 2022, David Guerrero, Jr., was sentenced to 32 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to defraud Medicare and Medicaid. Guerrero was also ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution to Medicare and Medicaid.
Court records in the case established the following. Guerrero worked at two Milwaukee-area medical clinics. Beginning in 2016, Guerrero engaged in a years’ long scheme to refer patients to pharmacies owned by his co-defendant, Alexander Shister, for expensive compound pain creams in exchange for illegal kickback payments. Although he is not a licensed medical provider, Guerrero used his access to private medical records at the clinics to identify patients who could plausibly need the pain creams and then ordered the pain creams from Shister’s pharmacies without the patients’ knowledge or consent. As a result of the scheme, Medicare and Medicaid paid Shister’s pharmacies about $1 million for medically unnecessary pain creams, including creams not even received by patients. Guerrero received over $100,000 in kickbacks from Shister for his role in the scheme. In addition, Guerrero engaged in another kickback scheme with a medical laboratory company, receiving over $150,000 in kickbacks in exchange for ordering urine drug tests that doctors at the clinics generally did not approve or review. In August 2022, Guerrero pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. Shister has previously plead guilty for his role. His sentencing is set for January 13, 2023.
At sentencing, United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller emphasized the seriousness of Guerrero’s crime, including the length of the fraudulent scheme and the significant losses suffered by the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Judge Stadtmueller further noted that Guerrero violated the trust of patients by using their private medical information without their knowledge or consent in order to implement the scheme and earn his kickback payments.
“Medicare and Medicaid only pay for medications and services that are actually needed to treat patients, not items ordered by individuals working in the medical field to line their own pockets,” said United States Attorney Haanstad. “Guerrero took advantage of his access to patients’ private medical information to order millions of dollars of unnecessary pain creams and drug tests, all so that he could earn hundreds of thousands of dollars of illegal kickbacks. This office is committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to prevent kickback schemes and other frauds against the Medicare and Medicaid programs.”
“The billing of medically unnecessary medications and tests, as well as the payment of kickbacks to induce those referrals to a federal health care program is illegal,” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “The OIG is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold those who seek to defraud federally funded health care programs accountable.”
"The defendant thought he could get away with criminal activity, accessing patient’s medical records without their knowledge and using that information for personal financial gain,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle. “Working with his co-defendant, they conspired to receive significant payments of nearly $1 million from Medicare and Medicaid for unnecessary medical products. They also received over $150,000 in kickbacks from a medical lab. The FBI continues to stand with our local, state, and federal partners to identify, investigate, and bring these offenders to face justice.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Proctor and Michael Carter handled the prosecution.
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Michigan City Man Sentenced to 87 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND –Santana Miller, 37 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Miller was sentenced to 87 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in April 2022, Miller possessed a handgun and a rifle while in Michigan City. At that time, he was on federal supervised release for a controlled substance conviction. Miller’s criminal history revealed he has four prior felony convictions and is therefore prohibited from possessing these firearms.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Michigan City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank E. Schaffer.
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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