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21 November 2022
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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Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to over 21 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Bradley Gulledge, 42, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to a total of 262 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine in two federal cases
According to court documents, on August 29, 2018, Gulledge was arrested in Indianapolis when officers executed a search warrant at his residence and located over 280 grams of pure methamphetamine, digital scales, and multiple firearms. On September 10, 2018, after Gulledge posted bond in Marion County, Gulledge was located by law enforcement officers during the execution of another search warrant and found to be in possession of over 150 grams of pure methamphetamine and a firearm.
Gulledge has multiple prior felony convictions in Indiana, including convictions for dealing in cocaine or narcotic drugs and for unlawful firearm possession by a serious violent felon.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Superintendent Douglas Carter, Indiana State Police, R. Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Chicago, and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office, made the announcement.
The Indiana State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI investigated the cases. The sentence was imposed by Chief U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. As part of the sentence, Judge Pratt ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela S. Domash who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
McNary Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Abusive Sexual Contact of a ChildRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On November 7, 2022, Keenan Sherman Johnson, 26, of McNary, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Steven P. Logan to 180 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Johnson, an enrolled member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, previously pleaded guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child.
In October 2018, the victim disclosed to her school counselor that Johnson had repeatedly sexually abused her several years before. When interviewed, Johnson admitted committing some of the acts, and apologized.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer E. LaGrange, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-08128-PCT-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-214_Johnson# # #
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.Mason County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Matthew Ryan Harper, 22, of Point Pleasant, pleaded guilty today to distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 9, 2021, Harper used the Snapchat social media platform to distribute a video of a prepubescent minor female engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Harper admitted to distributing videos containing child pornography on three additional occasions in June 2021. Harper communicated with others on Snapchat and the Omegle online chat website about obtaining and trading child pornography during this time.
Harper further admitted to possessing 100 images and 38 videos of child pornography on January 25, 2022. Some of the images depicted toddlers.
Harper is scheduled to be sentenced on February 27, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Harper must also register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Julie White is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-60.
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Maryland Livestock Brokers Sentenced to 30 Months’ Imprisonment for Exporting Dairy Cattle Through Fraudulent Health CertificatesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on November 17, 2022, Daniel Gutman, age 40, and Benjamin Gutman, age 40. both residents of Maryland, were each sentenced by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 30 months in prison for a conspiracy to defraud and commit offenses against the United States. Collectively, they were ordered to pay $1,938,646.42 in fines and forfeiture.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Daniel Gutman and Benjamin Gutman are brothers who own and operate a livestock exporting business known as Gutman Brothers Dairy Cattle (“Gutman Brothers”), with operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Federal law requires cattle transported in interstate and foreign commerce to be tested for certain diseases prior to shipment, including Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, Leucosis, and Bovine Viral Diarrhea. The United States Department of Agriculture certifies that U.S. agricultural and food products shipped to international markets meet both U.S. and foreign requirements. When it comes to dairy cattle, this process relies upon the services of USDA-accredited veterinarians and the animal exporters to whom these veterinarians provide services.
The USDA’s investigation revealed that Daniel Gutman and Benjamin Gutman, with the assistance of Dr. Donald Yorlets, a USDA-accredited veterinarian, conspired to carry out a scheme to defraud foreign customers and the USDA. They did so by submitting non-authentic, bovine blood samples for the detection of disease to a USDA-accredited testing laboratory located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and by issuing false and fraudulent health certificates for the untested animals. In addition, Yorlets also falsely claimed in health certificates that cattle had tested negative for Bovine Tuberculosis when, in fact, the required caudal skin fold test had not been administered. Furthermore, Yorlets submitted these false and fraudulent health certificates to a USDA Veterinary Services Endorsement Office. The USDA’s endorsement of these health certificates permitted dairy cattle to be shipped in interstate and foreign commerce.
Yorlets signed international health certificates for Gutman Brothers dating back to 2014. With his assistance, Daniel and Benjamin Gutman shipped close to 20,000 head of dairy cattle to buyers in foreign countries, making millions of dollars in profits.
Previously, Daniel and Benjamin Gutman pleaded guilty conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with the scheme. Likewise, on August 31, 2020, Yorlets pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal information charging him with conspiracy to defraud the United States. Yorlets currently awaits sentencing.
“Trade and commerce with our foreign and domestic partners require that all parties conduct themselves in a fair, legal, and transparent manner. Without trust in the system, there can be no trade. The Gutman brothers have broken this trust and damaged relations with our partners," said William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge of HSI’s Philadelphia office. “Thankfully, special agents with HSI and the USDA who focus on trade-based investigations were able to uncover this criminal conspiracy that impacted both the United States and our partner nations.”
“We appreciate the ongoing commitment and concerted efforts of our law enforcement partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Investigative and Enforcement Services to investigate a long running scheme affecting the exportation of healthy animals from the U.S. and the illegitimate issuance of required health certificates based on fraudulent test results” said Special Agent-in-Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “In order to ensure integrity in international commerce, USDA, OIG will continue to dedicate resources and prioritize work that disincentivizes those who seek to take short cuts in order to increase their own profit margins while at the same time demeaning the value and safety of American agricultural products.”
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ravi Romel Sharma and Philip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case. Now retired Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Douglas Daniel previously worked on the case. Assistance was provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI Legal Attaché for Qatar and Kuwait.
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Kalamazoo Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to over A Decade in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN —U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Jonker sentenced Treshawn Kalian Bible, age 23, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, to 125 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. This is the third time in four years that Bible has been convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and today’s sentence was enhanced because Bible possessed his firearm in connection with drug trafficking. Judge Jonker observed that Bible is “enmeshed in gang culture” and “needs to stop.” Addressing the broader community, Judge Jonker said that a “message needs to go out: there really is a serious cost” to this type of behavior.
“Bible had an opportunity to reject a life of violence, but instead treated his federal firearms conviction as a badge of merit,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “He chose the path of guns and drugs, which led him directly back to prison, this time for more than a decade. Let today’s sentence serve as a reminder that my office has no tolerance for armed drug dealers.”
Bible is known to law enforcement as a member of the “Belmont Gangsters” in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and refers to himself as “FedBaby,” a moniker he had tattooed on his arm as an apparent homage to his 2019 federal gun conviction.
In late 2021, just weeks after Bible was released from prison in that case, police received reports of his involvement in multiple shootings in the Kalamazoo area—two resulting in injuries, and one resulting in death. During a traffic stop in December 2019, police found him with a stolen, loaded revolver, and two digital scales with drug residue on them. On Bible’s phone, police found drug dealing text messages, along with a video showing that he’d been illegally handling firearms since the day after he left from prison.
“The Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team is committed to stopping violent offenders from continuing to endanger the public through outreach, enforcement, and partnerships with city, county, state, and federal partners,” said Captain Rafael Diaz of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. “The sentence imposed in this case represents the culmination of many hours of work and collaboration to keep the community safe.”
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team, and the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick J. Castle and Davin Reust.
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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Houston Area Tax Return PreparerRead the Press Release
The United States filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas today seeking to bar a Houston area tax return preparer from preparing federal income tax returns for others.
The complaint alleges that Hollins Ray Alexander prepared over 5,200 federal income tax returns during 2020-2022 at a business called “Speedy Title & Tax Service” or “Tax Firm.” According to the complaint, in a number of these tax returns, the defendants significantly overstated the customers’ tax refunds by fabricating or inflating business losses and/or by falsely claiming education credits to which the customers were not entitled.
By repeatedly understating his customers’ tax liabilities, the complaint alleges, Alexander caused harm to the United States of more than an estimated $2.5 million in tax revenue from 2020 to 2022.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information.
In the past decade, the Department of Justice Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Justice Department Secures Settlement with Firearm Manufacturer to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination ClaimsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with Aero Precision LLC, a Washington state firearm manufacturer. The settlement resolves the department’s determination that Aero Precision had a policy of unlawfully screening out certain non-U.S. citizen job candidates, including asylees and refugees, in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Under governing law, asylees and refugees have the same eligibility to work in jobs involving access to sensitive defense-related information as U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, and would have to pass the same background check as other employees if an employer requires one.
“Asylees and refugees in the United States are authorized to work and are entitled to fair access to employment opportunities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring that all employers, regardless of their industry, have a fair hiring process that does not subject workers to unlawful discrimination.”
The department’s investigation determined that from at least April 2020 until September 2020, Aero Precision routinely implemented a hiring policy that screened out eligible candidates who were not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. Firearm manufacturers in the United States are subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which regulate specific exports of defense articles and services. Absent State Department authorization, employers subject to these regulations must limit access to certain sensitive information to “U.S. persons,” which are defined as U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, asylees and refugees. The ITAR thus does not authorize or require employers to exclude asylees and refugees from consideration and hire only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. By limiting hiring to just U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, Aero Precision placed unnecessary hiring restrictions on its workforce.
Under the settlement, Aero Precision must train staff on the requirements of the INA’s anti-discrimination provision, review its policies to ensure compliance with relevant law and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation.
Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Find more information on how employers can avoid citizenship status discrimination on IER’s website. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a free webinar; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with University of California, Berkeley to Make Online Content Accessible to People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a proposed consent decree in federal court to resolve allegations that the Regents of the University of California on behalf of the University of California, Berkeley (collectively, UC Berkeley) violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because much of UC Berkeley’s free online content is inaccessible to individuals with hearing, vision, and manual disabilities. The proposed consent decree was filed together with a complaint setting forth the allegations of discrimination.
“By entering into this consent decree, UC Berkeley will make its content accessible to the many people with disabilities who want to participate in and access the same online educational opportunities provided to people without disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This decree will provide people with disabilities access to the numerous free online courses, conferences, lectures, performances and other programming offered by UC Berkeley and its faculty, providing lifelong learning opportunities to millions of people.”
UC Berkeley makes conferences, lectures, sporting events, graduation ceremonies and other university events available to the public on its websites and on other online platforms, including its YouTube and Apple Podcasts channels. It also makes courses available on its UC BerkeleyX platform. Much of this online content is not accessible to people with disabilities because it lacks captions and transcripts for individuals who are deaf and alternative text describing visual images for individuals who are blind. It is also formatted in a way that does not allow individuals with disabilities to access the content using screen readers or other assistive technology.
Under the three-and-a-half-year long consent decree, which requires court approval, UC Berkeley will make all future and the vast majority of its existing online content accessible to people with disabilities. This includes BerkeleyX courses, university websites and video and podcast content on its YouTube, Apple Podcasts and other third-party platforms. UC Berkeley will also revise its policies, train relevant personnel, designate a web accessibility coordinator, conduct accessibility testing of its online content and hire an independent auditor to evaluate the accessibility of its content.
“Through this consent decree, the Department of Justice demonstrates its commitment to ensuring compliance with the ADA by providing individuals with disabilities a full and equal opportunity to participate in and enjoy the benefits of UC Berkeley’s services, programs and activities in equal measure with people without disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds for the Northern District of California.
For more information on the ADA, please call the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with University of California, Berkeley to Make Online Content Accessible to People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO –The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a proposed consent decree in federal court to resolve allegations that the Regents of the University of California on behalf of the University of California, Berkeley (collectively, UC Berkeley) violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because much of UC Berkeley’s free online content is inaccessible to individuals with hearing, vision, and manual disabilities. The proposed consent decree was filed together with a complaint setting forth the allegations of discrimination.
“By entering into this consent decree, UC Berkeley will make its content accessible to the many people with disabilities who want to participate in and access the same online educational opportunities provided to people without disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This decree will provide people with disabilities access to the numerous free online courses, conferences, lectures, performances, and other programming offered by UC Berkeley and its faculty, providing lifelong learning opportunities to millions of people.”
“Through this consent decree, the Department of Justice demonstrates its commitment to ensuring compliance with the ADA by providing individuals with disabilities a full and equal opportunity to participate in and enjoy the benefits of UC Berkeley’s services, programs, and activities in equal measure with people without disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds for the Northern District of California.
UC Berkeley makes conferences, lectures, sporting events, graduation ceremonies, and other University events available to the public on its websites and on other online platforms, including its YouTube and Apple Podcasts channels. It also makes courses available on its UC BerkeleyX platform. Much of this online content is not accessible to people with disabilities because it lacks captions and transcripts for individuals who are deaf and alternative text describing visual images for individuals who are blind. It is also formatted in a way that does not allow individuals with disabilities to access the content using screen readers or other assistive technology.Under the three-and-a-half-year long consent decree, which requires court approval, UC Berkeley will make all future and the vast majority of its existing online content accessible to people with disabilities. This includes BerkeleyX courses, university websites, and video and podcast content on its YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and other third-party platforms. UC Berkeley will also revise its policies, train relevant personnel, designate a web accessibility coordinator, conduct accessibility testing of its online content, and hire an independent auditor to evaluate the accessibility of its content.
For more information on the ADA, please call the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt.
Justice Department Grant Establishes New Center to Improve Conditions and Environments in JailsRead the Press Release
The Office of Justice Programs (OJP)’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) announced today a grant award of almost $2 million to establish the Department of Justice Jails and Justice Support Center to help create and maintain safe environments for people in the custody of the nation’s jails and those who work in jail facilities.
“It is the responsibility of our corrections systems — jails and prisons alike — to keep individuals in their custody safe and to treat them with dignity and respect,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “We are pleased to work with our partners to ensure that the professionals operating our nation’s jails have the tools and training they need to safeguard the rights and well-being of individuals incarcerated in their facilities.”
More than 3,000 jails are in operation across the United States, with 10.3 million admissions in 2019 and an average daily census of 734,500. Jail administrators face a multitude of challenges, including high population turnover, limited resources and a broad mix of sentenced and unsentenced individuals. Of particular concern is mortality in jails. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics found that 1,200 people died in local jails in 2019.
This award aims to establish a center that will be a centralized hub for providing resources and technical assistance support to help jails maintain safe and humane environments for people who are detained, for their visitors and for those who work there. It will also provide jail staff with specialized trainings, core competency development, expert assessments and consultation on issues related to jail administration, and other professional development resources. The center will be the first of its kind to maximize the core missions, resources and capabilities of both BJA and NIC to expand Justice Department support for jail administrators who identify and seek to address challenges in their systems.
“Millions of people cycle through America’s jails each year, bringing with them a host of challenges, but also presenting opportunities to address the health and well-being of those who enter and leave the system,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “This new resource will help jail professionals address the urgent problems they face daily and ensure that conditions inside their facilities are safe, humane and constitutionally sound.”
Shaina Vanek, who served as NIC Acting Director for over five years before leaving recently for a detail at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, was instrumental in conceptualizing and designing the center. The award to establish the center is being made to CNA. The National Sheriffs’ Association, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the American Jail Association and the National Association of Counties are partners in the effort. These organizations represent jail administrators and sheriffs’ departments across the country and will use their combined talent and expertise to support the center’s mission.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
The National Institute of Corrections advances public safety by shaping and enhancing correctional policies and practices through leadership, learning and innovation. More information about NIC can be found at www.nicic.gov.
Justice Department Awards Almost $160 Million to Support Forensic ScienceRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) announced today almost $160 million in grant awards to support crime laboratories, fund forensics research, decrease DNA backlogs and help investigators locate missing persons and identify human remains. The funding is administered by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and National Institute of Justice (NIJ).
“Forensic science can play an indispensable role in solving crimes, absolving the innocent and finding the missing — all of which helps deliver justice to victims and their families,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The Justice Department is pleased to support the thousands of dedicated professionals who investigate cases, staff our nation’s crime labs and work so hard to help ensure the fair and effective operation of our criminal justice system.”
The awards announced today will support DNA analysis, build the capacity of the nation’s crime labs to examine forensic evidence, help solve cold cases and enable coroners, medical examiners and law enforcement officials to locate missing persons and identify human remains. Grants will also expand the base of knowledge about the utility of forensic tools employed by investigators.
“One of the most urgent challenges facing criminal justice professionals today is earning and retaining the confidence of the communities they serve, a goal that forensic science, with all its untapped potential, can help us achieve,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “These investments will give our state, local and Tribal partners the resources they need to solve crimes, improve the clearance rate for serious offenses like murder and sexual assault and bring long-awaited answers to victims and their families.”
“Building a strong forensic science infrastructure is a critical first step in the pursuit of justice and it is vital to ensuring the integrity of our justice system,” said NIJ Director Dr. Nancy La Vigne. “The National Institute of Justice is proud to help strengthen our nation’s forensic network by widening our understanding of the application of scientific methods and techniques to public safety.”
BJA and NIJ are distributing millions of dollars in awards to state and local jurisdictions throughout the United States and territories. Below is a list of funded grants. Descriptions of individual awards can be found by clicking on the links.
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BJA is awarding $25 million under the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program (Formula) and Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Program (Competitive) to improve forensic science and medical examiner/coroner services, including services provided by laboratories operated by states and units of local government.
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BJA is awarding $7.5 million under the Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA Program to increase the capacity of state and local prosecution offices to address and close violent crime cold cases.
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BJA is awarding $2 million under the Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner System Program to strengthen the medical examiner-coroner system in the United States by supporting forensic pathology fellowships and providing resources necessary for medical examiner and coroner offices to achieve and maintain accreditation.
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BJA is awarding $100 million under the DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction Program to increase the capacity of publicly funded forensic DNA and DNA database laboratories to process more DNA samples, thereby helping to reduce the number of forensic DNA and DNA database samples awaiting analysis and/or prevent a backlog of forensic and database DNA samples.
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BJA is awarding $4.5 million under the Missing and Unidentified Human Remains Program to provide funding to eligible applicants for services focused on reporting and identifying missing persons and unidentified human remains cases in the United States.
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BJA is awarding $2.8 million under the Forensics Training and Technical Assistance Program to provide support to the forensic science grant programs administered by the BJA (an estimated 500-plus grantees). These programs provide states and localities with resources and tools to improve the quality of their forensic science services in order to meet the challenges of crime and justice and to improve overall public safety.
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NIJ is awarding $11.7 million under the Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes to support projects that will increase the body of knowledge to guide and inform forensic science policy and practice, or lead to the production of useful materials, devices, systems or methods that have the potential for forensic application.
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NIJ is awarding $1.3 million under the Research and Evaluation for the Testing and Interpretation of Physical Evidence in Publicly Funded Forensic Laboratories to produce practical knowledge that has the potential to improve the examination and interpretation of physical evidence in forensic science laboratories.
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about these and other OJP awards can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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Jury convicts out of state woman in murder for hire caseRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A federal jury sitting in McAllen has convicted a 52-year-old woman for conspiracy to commit murder for hire, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The jury deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Viola Elizabeth Garcia, Oxnard, California, following a four-day trial.
During trial, the jury heard that in 2018, Mexican Mafia gang members arranged for the murder of an individual residing in Mission. An inmate who was serving a sentence for an attempted murder in 1999 contracted a Colonia Chiques gang member on parole in Oxnard, California, to execute the murder in exchange for $20,000.The gang member recruited and conspired with three additional individuals including Garcia who was his mother. Testimony revealed she agreed to travel from California to Texas to commit the murder in exchange for payment.
On Aug. 30, 2018, Garcia and co-conspirators forcibly entered the victim’s residence in
Mission and attempted to execute the murder. Their attempt was unsuccessful and they tried to flee from the scene. At that time, Garcia led responding law enforcement officers on a high speed chase until she crashed the vehicle.
The jury also heard that in July 2018, they attempted to murder the same victim.
At trial, Garcia admitted she traveled to Texas in July and August 2018 with the co-conspirators while they were in possession of firearms. She also admitted to being present and witnessing gunshots fired in the July 2018 murder attempt.Garcia attempted to convince the jury that she was unaware of any agreement or attempt to commit murder and claimed the purpose of the trip was to transport co-conspirators to visit family members and to look at potential real estate for her daughter who resided in Arizona.
They did not believe those claims and found her guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa presided over trial and set sentencing for Jan. 30, 2023. At that time, Garcia faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $??? maximum fine.
Garcia will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and police departments in Mission and Oxnard, California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roberto Lopez Jr., Cahal P. McColgan and Sarina S. DiPiazza are prosecuting the case.Jury convicts out of state woman in murder for hire caseRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A federal jury sitting in McAllen has convicted a 52-year-old woman for conspiracy to commit murder for hire, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The jury deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Viola Elizabeth Garcia, Oxnard, California, following a four-day trial.
During trial, the jury heard that in 2018, Mexican Mafia gang members arranged for the murder of an individual residing in Mission. An inmate who was serving a sentence for an attempted murder in 1999 contracted a Colonia Chiques gang member on parole in Oxnard, California, to execute the murder in exchange for $20,000.
The gang member recruited and conspired with three additional individuals including Garcia who was his mother. Testimony revealed she agreed to travel from California to Texas to commit the murder in exchange for payment.
On Aug. 30, 2018, Garcia and co-conspirators forcibly entered the victim’s residence in
Mission and attempted to execute the murder. Their attempt was unsuccessful and they tried to flee from the scene. At that time, Garcia led responding law enforcement officers on a high speed chase until she crashed the vehicle.The jury also heard that in July 2018, they attempted to murder the same victim.
At trial, Garcia admitted she traveled to Texas in July and August 2018 with the co-conspirators while they were in possession of firearms. She also admitted to being present and witnessing gunshots fired in the July 2018 murder attempt.
Garcia attempted to convince the jury that she was unaware of any agreement or attempt to commit murder and claimed the purpose of the trip was to transport co-conspirators to visit family members and to look at potential real estate for her daughter who resided in Arizona.
They did not believe those claims and found her guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa presided over trial and set sentencing for Jan. 30, 2023. At that time, Garcia faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
Garcia will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and police departments in Mission and Oxnard, California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roberto Lopez Jr., Cahal P. McColgan and Sarina S. DiPiazza are prosecuting the case.
Jamestown Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Drugs Which Cuased Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Bradley D. Knapp, 43, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that during the conspiracy, Knapp bought and sold heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine for profit and his own use, utilizing Facebook to conduct his drug trafficking activities. Knapp also used a West 9th Street residence in Jamestown to facilitate the manufacture, packaging, and distribution of the illegal drugs. On August 12, 2020, Knapp sold approximately a gram of heroin/fentanyl to an individual identified as M.H. The next day, on August 13, 2020, M.H. took approximately .5 grams of the heroin/fentanyl, overdosed, and stopped breathing. M.H. received multiple doses of Narcan and was revived.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 28, 2023, before Judge Arcara.
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International Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Transporting Thousands of Kilograms of Cocaine to United StatesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — An international drug trafficker who partnered with Mexican drug cartels to purchase and transport thousands of kilograms of cocaine to Chicago and other parts of the United States has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison.
LUIS EDUARDO GONZALEZ GARCIA established a sophisticated network of warehouses and front companies posing as legitimate businesses to distribute the cocaine and launder millions of dollars in proceeds. The warehouses were located in Chicago and the nearby suburbs of Naperville, Arlington Heights, and Plainfield, as well as in Texas and Georgia. At Gonzalez Garcia’s direction, the warehouse operators set up front companies and registered them with local governments as if they were legitimate businesses. The companies, which claimed to sell furniture, snack food, laundry detergent, or other items, often operated their own websites and hired employees to conceal the distribution of cocaine through the warehouses. The drugs and cash were primarily concealed in box pallets containing the types of goods the front companies purported to sell and then transported from Mexico on semi-trailer trucks driven by unwitting drivers. A “dirty” pallet in a typical shipment could contain up to 100 kilograms of cocaine or up to $1.5 million in cash.
From 2012 to 2017, Gonzalez Garcia was responsible for the distribution of thousands of kilograms of cocaine throughout the U.S. and the laundering of more than $50 million in narcotics proceeds.
Gonzalez Garcia, 55, of Monterey, Mexico, pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal drug conspiracy and money laundering charges. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Ronald A. Guzman on Nov. 16, 2022, fined Gonzalez Garcia $1.5 million.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Robert J. Bell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
“By successfully laundering tens of millions of drug proceeds back down to himself and his cartel partners in Mexico, defendant not only undoubtedly enriched himself but also enriched the Mexican drug cartels – some of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the world,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean J.B. Franzblau argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Anyone who is considering partnering with the cartels to move their products from Mexico to the streets of this country must know that they will face the severest of consequences.”
Indianapolis Drug Dealer Sentenced to 130 Months in Federal Prison for Armed Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Jacob Wall, 29, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on January 14, 2020, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers saw a vehicle driven by an individual, later identified as the Wall, engage in a narcotics transaction at a gas station near Lynhurst Avenue, in Indianapolis. Officers stopped the vehicle after witnessing Wall commit several traffic infractions.
When officers approached the vehicle, they saw plastic baggies sticking out of a backpack in the back seat. A K9 officer arrived and indicated there were drugs in the vehicle. Officers searched and found two baggies containing 893 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana, pills, a .45 caliber Glock M30 semiautomatic handgun, ammunition, and a digital scale. Officers also found several baggies of marijuana in a box inside the vehicle, which they later learned were the drugs Wall was selling at the gas station. Wall was arrested at the scene of the traffic stop.
Wall was previously convicted in Marion County, Indiana, of multiple felony offenses, including burglary, criminal gang activity, and battery. Wall is prohibited under federal law from prohibiting firearms due to these felony offenses.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office, made the announcement.
DEA investigated the case. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. As part of the sentence, Judge Magnus-Stinson ordered that Wall be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for two years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Abhishek S. Kambli who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Huntington Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Melissa Dawn Lockhart, 49, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 25, 2021, Lockhart sold approximately 5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at her Huntington residence.
Lockhart is scheduled to be sentenced on February 21, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-73.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kilan Nicks, also known as “Low,” 26, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl, and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 6, 2022, Nicks sold approximately 4 grams of fentanyl and 29 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a Roby Road apartment in Huntington. On June 7, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a McVeigh Avenue residence in Huntington while Nicks was present. Nicks admitted to possessing a Taurus 9mm pistol and approximately $3,635 found during the search. Nicks further admitted that the firearm was for his protection and the cash was proceeds from his distribution of drugs.
Nicks also admitted to conspiring with other individuals to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area from February 2022 until around June 2022. Nicks traveled to California and Arizona and acquired methamphetamine and fentanyl that he transported back to the Southern District of West Virginia for distribution as part of the conspiracy. Nicks maintained the Roby Road apartment and an 18th Street residence to store and distribute the drugs. Nicks further admitted to selling a total of 37.5 grams of fentanyl and 200 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in the Huntington area over 10 separate transactions during the conspiracy.
On June 7, 2022, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at the 18th Street residence and a residence in Chesapeake, Ohio. Nicks admitted to possessing 690.71 grams of fentanyl and a Radical Firearms, M4 5.56mm rifle seized at the 18th Street residence, and to possessing a Masterpiece Arms, Defender 9mm pistol, and a blender containing fentanyl residue seized at the Chesapeake residence.
Nicks is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2023, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-118.
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Honduran Man Sentenced to Prison for Document FraudRead the Press Release
A man who used a false identification document and a false social security number was sentenced today to more than two months in federal prison.
Jose Lindolfo Henriquez-Arriaga, age 39, a citizen of Honduras illegally present in the United States and residing in Charles City, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 26, 2022, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of identification documents and one count of misuse of a social security number.
At the guilty plea, Henriquez-Arriaga admitted he used a fraudulent Social Security card and a fraudulent Permanent Resident Card, also known as a “green card,” both bearing his name, to prove his authorization to work in the United States when he completed employment and tax forms in June 2021 at a business in Alden, Iowa. The number on the Social Security card was unassigned and the number on the Permanent Resident Card was assigned to a Korean female.
Henriquez-Arriaga was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Henriquez-Arriaga was sentenced to 77 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Henriquez-Arriaga is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-68.
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Holyoke Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Holyoke man associated with the CJNG (Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion) drug cartel has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges involving fentanyl.
Josue Rivera Rodriguez, a/k/a “Bori,” 45, pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2022 to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, two counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of distribution of 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Feb. 6, 2023. Rodriguez was arrested and charged in April 2021.
“The CJNG cartel is one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in Mexico. Mr. Rodriguez conspired to bring CJNG’s violent drug trafficking operations into our Commonwealth. Because of the exceptional work of our law enforcement partners, he failed,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Not only did he distribute considerable quantities of fentanyl on behalf of the cartel into our communities, agents also seized deadly firearms from his home – including a fully automatic AR-15 machinegun and several handguns fitted with laser sight. These weapons are far too excessive and powerful for any claim of self-defense. They are designed for destruction and harm. Stopping the flow of illegal narcotics from entering into our communities remains the most critical step in combating violent criminal activity directly at its source.”
"Josue Rivera Rodriguez trafficked deadly fentanyl all over Massachusetts including Watertown, Revere, Holyoke, and Springfield for one of the largest and most violent transnational criminal organizations operating in Mexico and the United States. Equally troubling is what we found when we took him into custody— a cache of high-powered weapons, including an AR-15 assault rifle, a bullet proof vest, and even a police hat with insignia,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “This case illustrates the FBI’s commitment to removing large-scale drug traffickers like Rodriguez who are a clear and present danger to our communities from our streets before they can ruin any more lives.”
“DEA is committed to investigating those involved with drug trafficking in Massachusetts,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “As we all know, drug trafficking in our communities, along with the gun and physical violence that often accompanies it, is a serious threat to our families and communities. This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen. DEA and its local, state and federal partners are dedicated to bringing to justice those that commit these crimes.”
Rodriguez was recorded delivering $35,000 to a cooperating witness and using a code indicating that the money was intended for the CJNG cartel. Thereafter, on three occasions in 2020 and 2021, Rodriquez was recorded distributing over 750 grams of fentanyl to the cooperating witness.
At the time of his arrest in April 2021, approximately 300 grams of fentanyl; an AR-15 assault rifle; five semi-automatic pistols, including handguns capable of carrying large-caliber ammunition and fitted with a laser sight; a bullet-proof vest; a police hat with insignia; packaging materials; cellphones; a money counter; and $1,900 cash was seized from Rodriguez’s residence.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and distribution of 400 grams or more of fentanyl provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 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.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta, DEA SAC Boyle and Holyoke Police Chief Manny Febbo made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Gang Member Sentenced to Prison Resulting from Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Investigation in Southwest GeorgiaRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – A documented member of the Bloods criminal street gang organization with ties to California was sentenced to serve 30 years in prison for directing the distribution of methamphetamine in Southwest Georgia.
Calvin Westbrook aka Lo Cal, 39, of Albany, formerly of Los Angeles, was sentenced to serve 360 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on Nov. 18 after he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner handed down the sentence.
According to court documents, agents began investigating Westbrook’s activities brokering methamphetamine and fentanyl in 2020. Westbrook, a documented member of the Bloods criminal street gang, was recorded discussing details with his sources of supply in Atlanta about purchasing five kilograms of methamphetamine for a customer in South Carolina and two kilograms of methamphetamine for himself on Nov. 13, 2020. Westbrook directed co-defendant Tyshambriya Gervin, 29, of Albany, to engage co-defendant Kashambriya Chester, 23, of Albany, to move the methamphetamine from Atlanta to Albany so Westbrook would not be “riding dirty.” On Nov. 16, Gervin and Chester drove together to Atlanta, where they met up with Westbrook to conduct the methamphetamine transaction. On the return trip to Atlanta, Gervin and Chester were taken into custody in Cordele, Georgia, in possession of two kilograms of methamphetamine. Westbrook was driving in another car ahead of them. Westbrook was taken into custody on Dec. 15.
While in the Tift County Jail, Westbrook was recorded making threats to harm a witness. Westbrook also posted threats on social media and directed a co-defendant in this event, Diamond Thomas, 23, of Albany, to assist in his efforts. Thomas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to tamper with a witness and was sentenced to 24 months of probation on June 2, 2022.
Co-defendants Gervin and Chester both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On June 2, 2022, Gervin was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release and Chester was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case was investigated by GBI, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Georgia State Patrol (GSP).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah McEwen.
Founder and Former Chief Investment Officer of Infinity Q Pleads Guilty to Securities FraudRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JAMES VELISSARIS, the founder and former chief investment officer of Infinity Q Capital Management (“Infinity Q”), a New York based investment adviser that ran a mutual fund and a hedge fund that purported to have approximately $3 billion in assets under management, pled guilty to securities fraud. VELISSARIS made false and misleading statements to investors and others concerning Infinity Q’s process for valuing certain over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivative positions that made up a substantial portion of the holdings of the mutual and hedge funds and also fraudulently mismarked those securities in ways that did not reflect their fair value. VELISSARIS committed the mismarking scheme in order to inflate the value of the investment funds as reported to investors, to attract and retain capital, and to increase his own compensation. In order to avoid detection of the scheme, VELISSARIS provided both Infinity Q’s auditor and the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) with falsified or altered documents, including providing the auditor with altered term sheets that served to provide fabricated support for the fraudulently inflated values. Today’s plea was taken by U.S. District Court Judge Denise Cote.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates this Office’s resolve to pursue even the most sophisticated of financial crimes. James Velissaris thought he could get away with mismarking some of the most esoteric derivative products on Wall Street by manipulating sophisticated financial models and computer code. This case has exposed that fraud and shown that Velissaris lied to his investors in order to line his own pockets with inflated fees. Velissaris will now be held accountable for his actions.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, other publicly available information, and statements made in court:
Background
VELISSARIS was the founder and chief investment officer of Infinity Q, an investment adviser that ran both a mutual fund (the “Mutual Fund”), started in about 2014, and a hedge fund (the “Hedge Fund,” and collectively the “Investment Funds”), started in about 2017. As of 2021, the two funds purported to have approximately $3 billion in assets under management. Infinity Q was headquartered in New York, New York, and employed a small staff, including a chief compliance and chief risk officer (“Employee-1”).
A major component of both the Mutual Fund and the Hedge Fund’s holdings were over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivative positions that involved customized contracts that allowed the counterparties to take positions on the volatility, or price movement, of underlying assets or indices. VELISSARIS, through Infinity Q, represented to its investors that it valued these OTC derivative positions based on fair value, and that in order to do so, it utilized the services of an independent third-party provider. In particular, Infinity Q represented to investors and other stakeholders that it used Bloomberg Valuations Service (“BVAL”) to independently calculate the fair value of these positions, in accordance with the terms of the underlying derivative contracts. These OTC derivative positions comprised hundreds of millions of dollars of the Investment Funds’ portfolios.
VELISSARIS’ Scheme to Lie to Investors and Inflate Derivative Swap Positions
In fact, however, VELISSARIS defrauded Infinity Q’s investors by taking an active role in the valuation of Infinity Q’s positions and by modeling the positions in ways that were not based on the actual terms of the underlying contracts and were inconsistent with fair value. VELISSARIS’ input into the BVAL valuation process was inconsistent with Infinity Q’s representations about the independence of the process and allowed VELISSARIS to fraudulently mismark positions in BVAL. VELISSARIS engaged in the mismarking of positions in BVAL by making false entries in BVAL’s system including by secretly altering the computer code employed by BVAL that caused BVAL to alter and disregard certain critical terms. Altering and disregarding terms in this fashion caused BVAL to report values that were artificially inflated and, often, much higher than fair value.
By manipulating OTC derivative positions in BVAL in this way, VELISSARIS caused numerous positions in the Investment Funds to have anomalous and, at times, impossible valuations. For example, at times, VELISSARIS made manipulations in either the Mutual Fund and/or the Hedge Fund that caused certain identical positions that were held by both the Mutual Fund and the Hedge Fund (namely, a position where all the material terms are the same) to have substantially divergent values. In other cases, some of VELISSARIS’ manipulations caused certain positions held by the Investment Funds to have impossible values, such as where, under the true terms of the swap, the value adopted by VELISSARIS could only be true if volatility were negative – a condition which is mathematically impossible.
Ultimately, after VELISSARIS’ mismarking scheme was uncovered in or about February 2021, Infinity Q liquidated the Investment Funds and sold its OTC derivative positions. These positions were sold for hundreds of millions of dollars less than their purported market values in BVAL, thereby resulting in substantial losses to the investors in the Investment Funds.
VELISSARIS Lies to Auditors and Obstructs the SEC’s Investigation
In order to hide this scheme and prevent its detection, VELISSARIS lied to numerous outside stakeholders and regulators. First, in order to prevent Infinity Q’s outside auditor (the “Auditor”) from discovering the fraud, VELISSARIS provided the Auditor with falsified term sheets from counterparties that he had altered to change the true terms of certain OTC derivative positions. In particular, in connection with a number of audits, the Auditor selected certain OTC positions that it would independently value in order to confirm the reasonableness of Infinity Q’s values from BVAL. In order to ensure that the Auditor would not arrive at materially different results when independently valuing positions that VELISSARIS had manipulated in BVAL, VELISSARIS altered the terms of certain deal documents and provided them to the Auditor. After receiving these falsified documents and relying on them in its independent evaluation, the Auditor confirmed the reasonableness of VELISSARIS’ valuations in BVAL.
Furthermore, beginning in May 2020, the SEC opened an inquiry and later an investigation into Infinity Q’s valuation practices. In connection with that investigation, VELISSARIS provided false and misleading information to the SEC. For example, when the SEC asked for original documents that had been provided to investors, VELISSARIS altered the documents before providing them to the SEC, including certain alterations that would help hide his mismarking scheme. For example, Infinity Q’s original investor materials stated that “[o]nce a price is established for a portfolio security, it shall be used for all Funds that hold the security.” As explained above, this was untrue, and on numerous occasions, manipulations in BVAL made by VELISSARIS caused the same positions in the Mutual Fund and the Hedge Fund to have substantially different values. To conceal the falsity of Infinity Q’s disclosures, VELISSARIS, along with Employee-1, removed this line from investor documents that were provided to the SEC.
In June 2020, the SEC requested that Infinity Q provide additional materials, including documents regarding Infinity Q’s valuation committee and all of its meeting minutes. Infinity Q’s investor materials had represented that Infinity Q had a valuation committee, including VELISSARIS, that the committee would meet monthly or more often, and that VELISSARIS would be responsible for preparing minutes of such meetings. In fact, however, VELISSARIS had not kept notes of any such meetings. Accordingly, days before responding to the SEC, VELISSARIS made up notes purporting to be from valuation committee meetings in 2019 and 2020 and submitted them to the SEC.
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VELISSARIS, 38, of Atlanta, Georgia, pled guilty to one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only. Sentencing has been scheduled for March 3, 2023, in front of Judge Cote.
Mr. Williams praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He further thanked the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for their cooperation and assistance in this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Graham, Daniel Loss, and Daniel Tracer are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Union Officer and Employee Found Guilty of Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, and EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – After a four-week jury trial before Senior United States District Judge Helen Gillmor, a federal jury today found husband and wife Defendants Brian Ahakuelo (age 61) and Marilyn Ahakuelo (age 59) each guilty of conspiracy, wire fraud, and embezzlement for crimes committed while they were employed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (“IBEW”) Local 1260. Brian Ahakuelo, who served as IBEW’s Business Manager and Financial Secretary, was additionally convicted of money laundering. Judge Gillmor ordered Brian Ahakuelo detained in custody pending their sentencing, which is set for March 28, 2023. Marilyn Ahakuelo was permitted to remain released on bail. A third defendant, Jennifer Estencion, was found not guilty on all charges.
At trial, the evidence showed that Brian Ahakuelo hired family members at high salaries and authorized the use of union funds for personal purposes, including extravagant travel for himself and those loyal to him. In the case of one family member hired by Brian Ahakuelo, little legitimate work was performed. The evidence at trial also showed that Brian and Marilyn Ahakuelo used union funds to purchase personal trips to the mainland, and that Brian Ahakuelo engaged in self-dealing by using union funds to purchase a truck already owned by Marilyn Ahakuelo while allowing her to continue to use it. When his activities largely depleted the union’s coffers, Brian Ahakuelo, with the help of Marilyn Ahakuelo and other union employees, rigged a vote on a resolution to increase membership dues. The voter fraud caused members to pay an additional $3.7 million in dues over approximately eighteen months.
“The extensive testimony and voluminous documentary evidence produced during this trial supports the just and important verdict of guilt returned by the jury as to Brian and Marilyn Ahakuelo,” said United States Attorney Clare E. Connors. “The Department of Justice is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that our labor leaders carry out their fiduciary duty to members, and that when the evidence reveals otherwise, they face criminal consequences in a court of law.”
“A famous union organizer named Thomas Donahue once said that the only effective answer to organized greed is organized labor. Obviously, Mr. Donahue never met Mr. and Mrs. Ahakuelo,” said Special Agent in Charge Bret Kressin, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “Unfortunately, organized greed can be found anywhere, but wherever people like the Ahakuelos choose to work their schemes, there IRS-CI will be also.”
“The vast majority of union officers and employees rigorously follow the law and serve their unions honorably. Brian Ahakuelo, along with his wife, Marilyn Ahakuelo, are the rare exceptions. Brian Ahakuelo betrayed the trust of the union membership who rightfully expected him, as a union official, to protect and safeguard their union’s funds and assets for the benefit of the union and not for his personal interests. The Office of Labor-Management Standards will always find those rare exceptions who choose to break the law and the faith of their union members and bring them to justice,” said Ed Oquendo, District Director, Los Angeles District Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards.
“The Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General is grateful to the team of investigators from our Department and at the federal level, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s prosecutors for their commitment and dedication in achieving a just verdict in this case,” Attorney General Holly T. Shikada said. “We will continue to work collaboratively to hold individuals who defraud those they are elected to represent accountable.”
Brian Ahakuelo and Marilyn Ahakuelo were convicted of one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years and 42 counts of wire fraud, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years. Brian and Marilyn Ahakuelo also were convicted of embezzlement of a labor union asset (six counts and three counts, respectively), which each carry a maximum sentence of five years. Brian Ahakuelo alone was convicted of 19 counts of money laundering, which each carry a maximum sentence of ten years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This conviction is the result of an investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-CI, Department of Labor – Office of Labor Management Standards, and State of Hawaii Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael F. Albanese and W. KeAupuni Akina prosecuted the case.
Former U.S. Postal Service Employee Pleads Guilty to Federal Mail CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Earnestine White, 48, of Evans, pleaded guilty today to delay or destruction of mail. White admitted to failing to process mail while a U.S. Postal Service employee assigned to the Post Office in Cottageville, Jackson County.
According to court documents and statements made in court, White was employed as a clerk at the Cottageville Post Office from 2017 through 2021. While employed at the Cottageville Post Office, White was responsible for accepting and processing mail dropped off by customers and for ensuring customers received incoming mail. White admitted that from about September 2020 until September 21, 2021, she knowingly delayed the mail by failing to forward mail to its proper location that came into her possession through her employment with the United States Postal Service.
White is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,00 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Blackwell is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-162.
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Former Tribal Official Sentenced to Prison for Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former Tribal government official of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation) was sentenced today to six years and three months in prison for a bribery scheme involving soliciting and accepting bribes and kickbacks from a contractor providing construction services on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, which is the home of the MHA Nation.
According to court documents, from November 2014 through November 2018, Frank Charles Grady, 54, of Billings, Montana, was an elected representative on the Tribal Business Council, the governing body of the MHA Nation. Beginning around 2016 and continuing through 2017, Grady solicited and accepted bribes and kickbacks totaling more than $260,000 from a contractor operating on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. In exchange for the payments, Grady used his official position to help the contractor’s business, including by awarding contracts, fabricating bids during purportedly competitive bidding processes, advocating for the contractor with other Tribal officials, and facilitating the submission and payment of fraudulent invoices.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl for the District of North Dakota, and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI Minnesota Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Andrew Tyler and John J. Liolos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Greenley for the District of North Dakota are prosecuting the case.
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22-1246
Former Tribal Official Sentenced to Prison for Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
A former Tribal government official of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation) was sentenced today to six years and three months in prison for a bribery scheme involving soliciting and accepting bribes and kickbacks from a contractor providing construction services on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, which is the home of the MHA Nation.
According to court documents, from November 2014 through November 2018, Frank Charles Grady, 54, of Billings, Montana, was an elected representative on the Tribal Business Council, the governing body of the MHA Nation. Beginning around 2016 and continuing through 2017, Grady solicited and accepted bribes and kickbacks totaling more than $260,000 from a contractor operating on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. In exchange for the payments, Grady used his official position to help the contractor’s business, including by awarding contracts, fabricating bids during purportedly competitive bidding processes, advocating for the contractor with other Tribal officials, and facilitating the submission and payment of fraudulent invoices.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl for the District of North Dakota, and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI Minnesota Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Andrew Tyler and John J. Liolos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Greenley for the District of North Dakota are prosecuting the case.
Former Supervisory Correctional Officer Sentenced for Abusing a Hawaii Inmate and Leading a Conspiracy to Cover up the BeatingRead the Press Release
A former supervisory correctional officer at the Hawaii Community Correctional Center was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison for his role in the assault of an inmate and his leadership of a multi-year conspiracy to cover up the abuse.
“The defendant had a non-violent inmate in his custody and care, and he abused both the inmate and the Constitution by permitting lower-ranking officers to commit an unjustified assault,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “His subsequent decision to orchestrate a multi-year cover-up is an affront to the principles of honesty and integrity that our society expects from law enforcement. His sentence makes clear that no one is above the law, and that when officers violate the civil rights of people under their supervision – through violence or obstruction – they will be held accountable.”
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, on June 15, 2015, Jonathan Taum, 50, supervised his two co-defendants and a third correctional officer while they transported an inmate across the facility. The inmate became frightened in the course of the transfer, and Taum’s fellow officers took the non-violent inmate to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked him in the face, head, and body. As the other officers beat the inmate, Taum verbally encouraged them to continue. The inmate’s jaw, orbital socket and nose were broken in the course of the assault. In the months and years that followed, Taum led the officers in a cover-up conspiracy that included writing false reports, submitting false statements to internal affairs and providing false testimony to disciplinary board members.
“Protecting the civil rights of everyone in the community, including inmates, is at the heart of our system of justice,” said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors for the District of Hawaii. “Supervisors in our correctional facilities are held to a higher standard of responsibility and as this case demonstrates, we will prosecute those who criminally violate the civil rights of those in their custody.”
“This case highlights how the FBI will vigorously investigate and hold accountable any individual who violates the civil rights of an inmate,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill of the FBI Honolulu Field Office. “We are committed in ensuring that every citizen—whether free or incarcerated—can exercise their protected liberties without fear of violence. This case should deter others in a position of power from such behavior in the future.”
Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Connors and Special Agent in Charge Merrill made the announcement.
The FBI Honolulu Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Nolan for the District of Hawaii, Special Litigation Counsel Chris Perras and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Former Political Staffer Admits Role in Scheme to Defraud Campaigns and Political Action CommitteesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County man who previously served as a staff member in the New Jersey Senate today admitted his role in a conspiracy to falsely inflate the invoices that a political consultant submitted to various campaigns, political action committees, and IRS 501(c)(4) organizations, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Antonio Teixeira, 43, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of tax evasion.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2014 to 2018, Teixeira conspired with Sean Caddle, and Caddle’s political consulting firms, to defraud various campaigns, political action committees, and 501(c)(4) organizations of $107,800. Teixeira then failed to report this illicit income on tax forms that he filed with the IRS during those same years.
Caddle was hired by a former New Jersey state senator to create the PACs and 501(c)(4)s so that they could raise and spend money to advocate on a variety of issues, including supporting particular candidates in local races around New Jersey. Teixeira served as the senator’s chief of staff and wielded influence over the consultants that the campaigns and organizations hired and the budgets that each of these organizations would receive.
Teixeira and Caddle conspired to falsely inflate the invoices that Caddle’s consulting firms submitted to the campaigns, PACs and 501(c)(4)s with phony campaign-related expenditures. Caddle and Teixeira were fraudulently padding the invoices because they agreed to split the difference between Caddle’s actual campaign expenditures and the overage charged to the organizations. Caddle paid a portion of Teixeira’s share to him in cash and funneled the remainder to Teixeira via checks made to out to Teixeira’s relatives in order to conceal that campaign money was being kicked back to Teixeira. In total, Teixeira received more than $100,000. Although Teixeira pocketed these fraudulent proceeds and used the money for personal expenses, he never reported the money on the tax forms that he filed with the IRS during the course of the scheme.
The wire fraud conspiracy charge carries a statutory maximum prison sentence of 20 years, while the tax evasion charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison. Both charges are also punishable by a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the scheme, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for March 27, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy L. Tomlins, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Farrell, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit, and Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee M. Cortes Jr.
Former Federal Agent Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Accepting Bribes to Help Figure Associated with Organized CrimeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former special agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was sentenced today to 121 months in federal prison for accepting cash payments and other benefits to help an organized crime-linked person, including taking official action designed to help two foreign nationals gain entry into the United States.
Felix Cisneros Jr., 48, of Murrieta, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who also ordered him to pay a fine of $30,000. Judge Klausner also entered a forfeiture order of $133,000 against Cisneros.
On May 3, at the conclusion of a five-day trial, a federal jury found Cisneros guilty of 30 felonies: one count of conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official, one count of bribery, 26 counts of money laundering and two counts of subscribing to a false tax return. Cisneros been in federal custody since the trial’s conclusion.
Over an 18-month period that started in September 2015, Cisneros accepted cash, checks, private jet travel, luxury hotel stays, meals and other items of value from a person identified in court documents as “Individual 1,” who was associated with a criminal organization. Cisneros received approximately $100,000 in checks and gifts from Individual 1 in 2015 and 2016.
Cisneros accepted the cash and other bribes while employed as a special agent with HSI, which is an agency within the United States Department of Homeland Security. In exchange for the bribes, Cisneros performed a series of official acts at the behest of Individual 1, including:
- Accessing a DHS database for information about a German national identified as W.R., and telling Individual 1 he removed a “hit” on W.R., “thus indicating derogatory information had been removed”;
- Placing an alert in a law enforcement database for an address associated with an illegal marijuana grow operation so Cisneros could learn of law enforcement interest and warn Individual 1;
- Obtaining an official DHS letter signed by an HSI assistant special agent in charge to allow the parole of Individual 1’s brother-in-law into the United States from Mexico, and later providing updates about the brother-in-law’s asylum application; and
- Collecting information on an associate of Individual 1 whose home had been searched by law enforcement and later providing Individual 1 with information about the investigation.
Cisneros also underreported his total income on his federal income tax returns by at least $20,000 for the year 2015 and at least $73,404 for the year 2016.
The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Morse and Juan M. Rodriguez of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Former Dodge County Attorney Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights ViolationRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Oliver J. Glass, 47, of Fremont, Nebraska, pleaded guilty to a Criminal Information charging him with Conspiracy to Commit Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law. Glass faces a maximum possible punishment of 1 year imprisonment, $100,000 fine, or both. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. ordered a Pre-Sentence Investigation and set sentencing for February 17, 2023, at 1:30 p.m.
As admitted to in the plea agreement:
Oliver J. Glass was appointed as the Dodge County Attorney in 2011 and was subsequently elected in 2014 and in 2018. In 2020, Glass’s wife filed for divorce. On March 6, 2020, Glass learned that his wife had been dating an individual identified in the Information as Victim 1.
Between March 6, 2020, through on or about December 22, 2020, Glass conspired with other individuals who are unnamed in the Information to deprive Victim 1 of his rights protected by the Constitution, specifically, his right against unreasonable search and seizure protected by the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution by conspiring to unlawfully stop or arrest Victim 1. Glass and others utilized their restricted access to the Nebraska Criminal Justice Information System (NCJIS) to obtain information about Victim 1. A supervisor in the Fremont Police Department advised other officers that Victim 1 was dating Glass’s wife and to be on the lookout for Victim 1 and provided other officers with Victim 1’s information, vehicle description, and license plate number. An officer within the Dodge County law enforcement community, while acting as a private investigator, used his law enforcement credentials to obtain access about Victim 1’s criminal history that was not publicly available. Members of law enforcement in Dodge County would drive by Victim 1’s apartment looking for Victim 1 without a legal justification or criminal predicate.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Fayette County Attorney Sentenced to Probation with Home Detention for Defrauding ClientsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on November 16, 2022, John William “JW” Eddy, age 40, of Fayette County, Pennsylvania was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo to five years of probation, including 21 months of home detention with electronic monitoring, for misappropriating funds from clients of his law practice between 2016 and 2020.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Eddy ran a private law practice, Eddy Law Office. As an attorney representing members of the public in the practice of law, Eddy was required to maintain a trust account for client funds, also known as an Interest on Lawyer Trust Account or “IOLTA.” This account was to be used for the securing of client funds, such as proceeds from legal settlements, fees advanced for services not yet performed, or money for court fees. Eddy admitted that between 2016 and 2020 he misappropriated $242,975.89 of client funds entrusted to him.
Eddy pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud on February 9, 2022. Prior to his guilty plea, Eddy made full restitution to his victims in the amount of $242,975.89, equal to the amount of client funds that he misappropriated.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.
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Fall River Man Charged with Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River man has been charged in connection with robbing a TD Bank branch in downtown Boston.
William Sequeira, 59, was charged with one count of bank robbery and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, on Sept. 30, 2022, a white male – later identified as Sequeira – entered the TD Bank branch on Union Street in Boston. Once inside, Sequeira allegedly approached a teller and stated, “give me all the $100s in the drawer,” and “give me all the money before I blow your brains out.” Sequeira fled on foot after obtaining money from the teller. It is alleged that surveillance footage of the robbery and subsequent interviews positively identified Sequeira as the robber.
On Oct. 5, 2022, law enforcement surveilling the Back Bay area in an effort to locate Sequeira spotted him entering a Citizens Bank branch on Boylston Street in Boston. There, it is alleged that Sequeira approached the teller, said “Give me hundreds,” and then threatened to shoot the teller if they did not move fast enough. Sequeira was immediately apprehended.
The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 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.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Fall River Police Department and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.