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Thursday 6 October 2022
Jefferson County Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Big Run, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to violation of federal narcotics laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced today.
Darren Douglas, age 37, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possesses with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. Douglas was one of 47 defendants charged in six related indictments as part of the Return to Sender investigation.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Douglas was a methamphetamine distributor who obtained between 1.5 kilograms and 5 kilograms of methamphetamine as part of a large-scale methamphetamine distribution conspiracy and redistributed it to methamphetamine users.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Douglas on Feb. 8, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a sentence of not less than ten years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The court ordered that the defendant remain on bond pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan D. Lusty and Michael R. Ball are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Jackson Man Sentenced to 30 Months, Ordered to Repay $7.5 million for Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh on Thursday sentenced a business owner from Jackson, Missouri to 30 months in prison for health care fraud and ordered him to repay $7.5 million.
Jamie McCoy, 42, pleaded guilty on Nov. 23, 2020 to three felony counts: health care fraud, making false statements related to health care matters and offering and paying illegal kickbacks for referrals. He admitted owning or operating companies that supplied orthotic braces and other durable medical equipment (DME): AE Wellness LLC, Summit Medical Supply, Patriot Medical Supply and DME Device Co.
McCoy contracted with marketing firms who placed ads on television and online that offered orthotic braces at no cost. The companies sent patient information to a telemedicine doctor who signed an order for medical equipment without evaluating or even communicating with the patient in some cases, McCoy’s plea agreement says. Those leads, consisting of the patient information and the medical equipment order, were then sold to DME companies.
McCoy admitted paying 70% to 80% of his profits to one person who supplied leads to AE Wellness. Another received $35-40 for leads without a doctor’s order and $280-$300 for a “full lead.”
From September 2016 to August 2017, AE Wellness submitted $6 million in reimbursement claims to Medicare for DME and $67,955 to Tricare. Patriot Medical Supplies billed Tricare $23,951. McCoy admitted knowing Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare, which reimburses for health care services provided to current and former members of the military and their families, would not pay for items obtained by paying illegal kickbacks.
After AE Wellness was suspended in 2017 for paying illegal kickbacks, McCoy, AE’s office manager Brandy McKay and Jackson Preston Siples III, who ran day-to-day operations at AE, opened new DME companies. They concealed McCoy’s role, and continued to pay kickbacks for referrals and leads, McCoy’s plea agreement says.
From June 5, 2018 to March 21, 2019, McCoy and McKay submitted $1.8 million in fraudulent reimbursement claims to Medicare and $15,540 to Tricare on behalf of a company known as MC Medical. From March 8, 2018 to March 13, 2019, Siples submitted $6 million in fraudulent reimbursement claims to Medicare and $145,614 to Tricare on behalf of a company known as Integrity Medical Supply. Siples submitted $922,562 in false claims to Medicare from March 5, 2019 to Match 27, 2019 on behalf of Radiance Health Group.
McKay went on to manage a series of companies that continued the scheme.
“Submitting false claims for medically unnecessary equipment diverts funding from the necessary services required to support beneficiaries of federal health care programs,” stated Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable individuals who choose to waste vital taxpayer dollars by participating in health care fraud schemes.”
McKay was sentenced Jan. 18, 2022 to three years in prison and ordered to repay $7.5 million. Siples pleaded guilty in May to the same charges as McCoy and is awaiting sentencing.
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the FBI, the Defense Criminal Investigation Service and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dorothy McMurtry and Derek Wiseman are prosecuting the case.
Inland Empire Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Two-Month ‘Smash-and-Grab’ Robbery Spree Targeting Cellphone StoresRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County man was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for committing 52 smash-and-grab robberies of T-Mobile and AT&T cellphone stores throughout Southern California during a two-month crime spree, using hammers to smash display cases to steal iPhones and other merchandise.
Tony Tyron Lee Stewart, 22, of Highland, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt, who also ordered him to pay $333,122 in restitution.
Stewart, the lead defendant in this case, pleaded guilty on June 9 to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery.
On January 15, 2022, Stewart and two co-conspirators – Rayford Newsome, 21, of Compton; and Jerome Gregory Belser, 21, of San Bernardino – robbed T-Mobile stores in Long Beach, Carson, Inglewood, Encino, and Camarillo.
Stewart and his co-conspirators entered the stores during store hours, carrying hammers with employees and customers present. Once inside the stores, the defendants, wearing ski masks, used the hammers to smash security display cases, threaten employees and customers, and then stole cellphones, watches, and other electronic devices. They then fled the store and made their escape in a car.
After the Camarillo robbery on January 15, the trio – with Newsome driving – fled from police officers when law enforcement attempted a lawful traffic stop. Stewart and his co-conspirators led police on a vehicle pursuit through a residential neighborhood in North Hollywood before Newsome stopped the car.
In addition to these robberies, from November 11, 2021 to January 13, 2022, Stewart and other members of the conspiracy committed smash-and-grab robberies at cellphone stores in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, and Kern counties.
Specifically, the stores robbed were located in South Los Angeles, West Los Angeles, Marina del Rey, Hermosa Beach, East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Pico-Union, Hollywood, Koreatown, Silver Lake, Valley Village, Reseda, Sherman Oaks, Canoga Park, Woodland Hills, Agoura Hills, Mission Hills, San Fernando, Burbank, Pasadena, Alhambra, Monterey Park, Azusa, La Crescenta, South El Monte, Duarte, Monrovia, La Cañada Flintridge, Covina, Hacienda Heights, Lancaster, Norwalk, Downey, Bell Gardens, Cerritos, Bellflower, Rowland Heights, La Habra, Simi Valley, Camarillo, and Tehachapi.
The robberies – several of which occurred on the same date – resulted in a loss of approximately $293,444. In addition, the robberies caused approximately $46,376 in damage to the stores.
Both Newsome and Belser have pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery in this case. On September 9, Judge Kronstadt sentenced Belser to 70 months in federal prison. Newsome’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 5, 2023, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
“Stewart and his co-defendants terrorized cell phone stores throughout Southern California, traumatizing employees and customers in over 50 different stores in just over two months – all for [Stewart’s] own personal gain,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “In almost each of these…robberies, there were between two and four employees present along with multiple customers. Each employee is forced to return to these work locations, provide customer service, and attempt to earn a living a while dealing with the fear and anxiety that they may again be robbed or threatened with a dangerous weapon while at work.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Los Angeles Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin B. Reidy and Kevin J. Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Hot Springs Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
HOT SPRINGS – A Hot Springs man was sentenced yesterday to 151 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Hot Springs.
According to court documents, in July of 2020, detectives with the 18th East Judicial Drug Task Force received information that Richard Allen Stapleton (aka Ricky), age 46, was trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine in Garland County. Later that month, detectives were able to conduct multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Stapleton.
The methamphetamine was tested by the Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory and confirmed to be pure methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The 18th East Judicial District Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations Little Rock, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the 18th East Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office investigated the case investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case.
Hill District Man Charged with Stealing FBI PropertyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of theft of government property, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on Oct. 4 and unsealed today, named Lashawn Norwood, 57, of the City’s Hill District neighborhood, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about September 28, 2021, Norwood willfully and knowingly did embezzle, steal, purloin and convert to his own use property, in a value exceeding $1,000.00 belonging to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Ball is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Greenwood Man Charged with Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Greenwood, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Noah One Star, age 62, was indicted in September of 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on October 4, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between March 30, 2021, and April 3, 2021, One Star, who had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding a year, knowingly possessed a High Standard Sporting Firearms, model Sentinel Mark IV, .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR) caliber, double-action revolver, bearing serial number S31420 and rounds of Western brand .22 WMR ammunition. All had previously been shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce.
The charge is merely an accusation and One Star is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI, the Yankton Sioux Law Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman is prosecuting the case.
One Star was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Grant County woman sentenced for meth chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Betty Arlene Chapman, of Cabins, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 41 months of incarceration for her role in a methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution operation, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Chapman, 44, pled guilty in April 2021 to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute at Least Five Grams of Methamphetamine - Aiding and Abetting.” Chapman admitted to working with others to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine in January 2020 in Grant County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The task force consists of the FBI, West Virginia State Police, Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office, Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Keyser Police Department.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Franklin County Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Child EnticementRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced a man who tried to meet with a 12-year-old girl for sex and then fled from police to 18 years in prison.
Joshua L. Brown, 40, of from St. Clair, Missouri, pleaded guilty Dec. 21, 2021 to a felony charge of coercion and enticement of a minor. He admitted offering drugs to a 12-year-old in exchange for sex, while he was on parole from a child molestation conviction.
On March 3, 2020, Brown used Instagram to contact the girl. He made remarks about the girl’s breasts, requested photographs and referenced engaging in sexual acts with her. The girl told her mother, who contacted the Breckenridge Hills Police Department.
“We are incredibly indebted and grateful to this child - that she did the right thing,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson said during Thursday’s sentencing hearing.
Police took over the girl’s cellphone and Instagram account and began posing as the girl. Brown offered to provide marijuana and methamphetamine if the girl would engage in sexual intercourse. Brown arranged to meet the girl at Sims Park in Breckenridge Hills to engage in sex.
On March 17, 2020, he showed up in a Ford F150 truck at about 12:45 a.m. and sent a message via Instagram to the girl telling her to “leave now” so the two could meet. When a police officer in a marked patrol vehicle activated his emergency lights and tried to stop Brown, he sped off, running three stop signs and two traffic lights before reaching the highway. Brown eventually drove off of Interstate 44 and down a steep embankment before crashing the truck through the gate of a private property owner’s land. Brown then abandoned his truck and fled on foot.
He was arrested in Jefferson County after a brief standoff in January of 2021.
A review of Brown’s Instagram account revealed that the defendant followed a large number of Instagram pages devoted to young girls.
At the time of his initial arrest, Brown was on parole after being sentenced to seven years in state prison in a 2011 case in Jefferson County Circuit Court. He had pleaded guilty to child molestation in the first degree in a case involving a victim under the age of 12.
The Breckenridge Hills Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Four Colombians sentenced for $1.4 million international drug money laundering schemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Gilberto Lopez-Giraldo, Raul Lopez-Giraldo, Guillermo Escobar, and Alexander Duque-Casanova have been sentenced for engaging in a more than $1.4 million drug money laundering conspiracy involving major cities from across the United States to Cali, Colombia.
“Illegal drug proceeds provide the critical lifeblood for drug traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office is committed to disrupting the ability of international drug cartels to profit from their illegal activities by seeking to evade law enforcement detection through money laundering operations conducted within the United States.”
“These criminals thought their scheme would go undetected and they could profit from their criminal activities, but they were wrong,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI, along with our Federal and international partners, is committed to dismantling these organizations no matter where they attempt to operate, and targeting their illicit proceeds is just one of our many tools.”
“This is a victory in the ongoing war against drugs trafficking,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey. “Concealed income will eventually come to light. Coordination with other agencies and leveraging each of our strengths is the key in the fight against drugs trafficking and money laundering. Thanks to the financial expertise and diligence of our agents, these criminals are now off the street and being held accountable for their actions.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Gilberto and Raul Lopez-Giraldo, Escobar, and Duque-Casanova were members of a money laundering crew based in Cali, Colombia, who conspired to coordinate the collection of money from drug traffickers in cities across the United States, including Atlanta, Chicago, and New York. The group laundered the money through a network of bank accounts in the United States and elsewhere.
The money from these accounts was used to purchase electronics and other goods in the United States then resold on the black market in Colombia. The purpose of this scheme was to secretly convert the drug money collected in the United States into Colombian pesos for drug trafficking organizations.
During the investigation, the defendants and their co-conspirators orchestrated the collection of illicit drug proceeds totaling approximately $1,496,817.
For example, during an undercover operation on November 21, 2012, investigators received $149,980 in U.S. currency from two conspirators who arrived in a truck in the parking lot of a store in Duluth, Georgia. The money was wrapped in bundles and hidden in a box inside a garbage bag. Agents conducting surveillance of the meeting followed the truck from the parking lot to a residence in Norcross, Georgia, that was later determined to be a methamphetamine conversion lab. Republic of Colombia authorities lawfully intercepted telephone conversations between the defendants and other conspirators related to the $149,980 in drug proceeds.
The defendants were later indicted on five counts of money laundering in the Northern District of Georgia, and, with cooperation of Colombian officials, arrested and extradited to the United States. On March 7, 2022, the defendants pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and received the following sentences:
- Gilberto Lopez-Giraldo, 51, of Cali, Colombia, has been sentenced to five years, ten months in prison.
- Raul Lopez-Giraldo, 40, of Cali, Colombia, has been sentenced to five years in prison.
- Guillermo Escobar, a/k/a Memo, 54, of Cali, Colombia, has been sentenced to six years, six months in prison.
- Alexander Duque-Casanova, 48, of Cali, Colombia, has been sentenced to three years, ten months in prison.
The Court adjusted the sentence of each defendant downward by 12 months from these terms of incarceration to account for the length of time the defendants spent in custody in Colombia while awaiting extradition to the United States. One co-defendant, Harby Mayor-Mejia, remains at large outside the United States.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation agents in Atlanta, Chicago, and Colombia.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas N. Joy, Laurel Boatright Milam, and Tyler A. Mann prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Fort Wayne Man Convicted by Jury of Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Remon D. Phillips, 39 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was found guilty following a three-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Phillips was found guilty of the single-count Indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm in February 2022.
Phillips will be scheduled for sentencing by separate order of the Court. Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the District Court Judge after consideration of federal statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah E. Nokes and Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
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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Former West Virginia Parole Officer Pleads Guilty to Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
A former Regional Director of Parole Services for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation in Parkersburg, West Virginia, pleaded guilty today in federal court in the Southern District of West Virginia to witness tampering.
According to court documents, David Jones admitted that earlier this year, he deliberately withheld information and lied to state and federal investigators during their investigations of sexual misconduct reportedly committed by a parole officer supervised by Jones. Jones also admitted that, on multiple occasions from 2020 to this year, he repeatedly instructed a witness in the same investigation to lie to federal investigators and to destroy and withhold evidence. Specifically, Jones admitted that he encouraged the witness to delete recordings she had of the parole officer and that he instructed the witness to delete evidence of his own communications with her.
Jones faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. A sentencing date has been set for Jan. 19, 2023.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney William S. Thompson for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Division investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Kathryn E. Gilbert and Nikhil Ramnaney of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Coleman for the Southern District of West Virginia are prosecuting the case.
Former Rhea County Executive Sentenced to 33 Months' Imprisonment for COVID-19 Related FraudRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On October 6, 2022, George Thacker, 59, of Spring City, Tennessee, was sentenced to 33 months in prison by the Honorable Charles E. Atchley, Jr. in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
As part of a plea agreement filed with the court, Thacker agreed to plead guilty to a one-count Bill of Information charging him with wire fraud in relation to COVID-19 relief funds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Thacker was ordered to pay $665,600.00 in restitution and a $15,000.00 fine, and he will be on supervised release for 3 years following his release from prison.
In 2020, the United States Government enacted The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) in an effort to stave off negative economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two related programs – the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program – provided forgivable or low-interest loans to businesses affected by the pandemic.
According to court documents, between May 2020 and February 2021, Thacker submitted three separate fraudulent applications for a total of over $650,000 in PPP and EIDL relief funds. At the time, he served as the elected County Executive for Rhea County, Tennessee, and the owner of Thacker Corporation, a business headquartered in the Eastern District of Tennessee. As part of the loan application process, he certified that he would use the money for specific business-related purposes such as paying Thacker Corporation’s rent and continuing to pay his employees’ salaries. But instead of putting the relief funds to their intended purposes, Thacker used them to enrich himself. Among other things, he used the money to buy Bitcoin, Ether, and other cryptocurrencies and to fund his personal investment accounts.
“COVID-19 relief fraud is a serious crime,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “Mr. Thacker’s scheme to defraud exploited a relief program designed to ease the economic suffering of all American workers and businesses. Today, he is being held accountable for his actions, and the Court’s sentence should demonstrate to any who are tempted to follow in his footsteps that this crime carries with it serious consequences. I commend the hard work of the United States Secret Service and all involved with this prosecution. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to uncovering and prosecuting those who unlawfully exploited the COVID-19 pandemic for personal gain, and we will continue to work together with our federal law enforcement partners to ensure that any who abuse federal relief programs are brought to justice.”
"One of the Secret Service's primary roles is to protect the U.S. financial infrastructure, including pandemic related fraud. At the onset of the pandemic, fraud related to personal protective equipment was of primary concern to all law enforcement. Additionally, the release of Federal funding through the CARES Act and subsequent funding heightened this priority. The Secret Service is committed to combatting financial crime, especially in cases where fraudsters take advantage of American citizens during these trying times. The Secret Service, through its partnership with Federal and State, local law enforcement, and the private sector financial institutions, will continue to make this a primary concern for the Department," said Resident Agent in Charge Juan Alicea of the United States Secret Service (“USSS”) Chattanooga Resident Office.
The prosecution resulted from an investigation by the USSS.
Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Wilson prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
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Former Medical Assistant at Desoto Regional Health System Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Debra Bossier a/k/a Debra Palmer, 48, of Mansfield, Louisiana, entered a guilty plea today to one count of acquiring or obtaining controlled substances by fraud. The hearing was held before United States District Judge Donald E. Walter.
According to evidence presented to the court, Bossier worked as a Medical Assistant at the Desoto Regional Health System (Desoto Regional) in Mansfield, Louisiana. Desoto Regional used an Electronic Medical Records System to document patient encounters and generate electronic prescriptions. Bossier used the Electronic Medical Records System to falsely document telephone encounters to obtain controlled substances by fraud and forgery by generating controlled substance prescriptions for herself, her husband, her daughters, and a daughter’s boyfriend.
The primary controlled substances that Bossier obtained by fraud were Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen 10-325 which is sometimes marketed under the brand name “Norco” and Oxycodone-Acetaminophen 10-325 which is sometimes marketed under the brand name “Percocet.” Bossier also fraudulently generated prescriptions for Adderall, Vyvanse, and Ativan. During the scheme to defraud, Bossier improperly generated over 200 prescriptions.
Once the prescriptions were generated, Bossier would print the prescriptions and mark them with an “E” above the name of the physician who allegedly prescribed the medications and would fill them at Mansfield Drug Company or would provide the fraudulent prescriptions to her family members. The family members would then fill the prescriptions at Mansfield Drug Company. One of the fraudulent prescriptions was filled at Mansfield Drug Company on October 31, 2019. Bossier generated this prescription for 120 tablets of Percocet for herself in the name of Debra Palmer. Percocet contains Oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance.
“Medical providers and their employees have a duty to put patient’s interests ahead of their own and not take advantage of their employment situation for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “The defendant in this case fraudulently obtained multiple controlled substances for herself and others without a valid prescription. This office will continue to hold those accountable who commit such selfish acts.”
Bossier faces a maximum sentence of not more than four years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing has been set for February 10, 2023 at 11:00.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.
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Former Leader of Proud Boys Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential ElectionRead the Press Release
A former leader of the Proud Boys pleaded guilty today to seditious conspiracy for his actions before and during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions sought to stop the transfer of power by disrupting a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Jeremy Bertino, 43, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm, stemming from a court-authorized search of his residence in March 2022. As part of the plea agreement, Bertino has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.
According to court documents, the Proud Boys describe themselves as members of a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world, aka Western Chauvinists.” Bertino joined the Proud Boys in approximately 2018 and was, for a time, the vice president of his local Proud Boys chapter in South Carolina.
As stated in the court documents, on multiple occasions in 2020, Bertino traveled to Washington, D.C., for rallies as a member of the Proud Boys. During one trip, on Dec. 12, 2020, several individuals, including Bertino and other Proud Boys members, were involved in an altercation. During that altercation, Bertino, among others, was stabbed. Bertino was hospitalized, released, and was still recovering outside of the Washington D.C. area from his injuries as of Jan. 6, 2021. Otherwise, he would have traveled to Washington.
In December 2020, Bertino accepted an invitation from Enrique Tarrio, then Proud Boys’ national chairman, to join a new chapter that Tarrio had devised called the “Ministry of Self Defense” (MOSD). In the weeks leading to Jan. 6, Bertino participated in encrypted chats and other communication with members of MOSD leadership. Bertino understood from his discussions with MOSD leadership that they agreed that the presidential election had been stolen, that the purpose of traveling to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, was to stop the certification of the Electoral College Vote, and that the MOSD leaders were willing to do whatever it would take, including using force against police and others, to achieve that objective.
Bertino continued to participate in planning sessions as he recovered from his injures. At least as early as Jan. 4, 2021, he received encrypted chat messages indicating that members of MOSD leadership were discussing the possibility of storming the Capitol. On Jan. 6, Bertino monitored activities through mainstream and social media, as well as posting in the MOSD chats. He posted messages himself to MOSD leaders and members to encourage and assist in the operation, such as advising those on the grounds of the Capitol to “form a spear.” Similarly, Bertino posted to his public social media account, “DO NOT GO HOME. WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF SAVING THE CONSTITUTION.” On the evening of Jan. 6, 2021, Bertino messaged Tarrio and celebrated the achievement, saying, among other things, “You know we made this happen,” and “1776 motherf****r.”
The firearms charge stems from an FBI search of Bertino’s residence on March 8, 2022. While executing a search warrant, agents located six firearms, including an AR-15 style firearm with a scope, and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition. Bertino was barred from possessing firearms and/or ammunition due to a previous conviction.
Bertino was charged in a criminal information that was filed today. Five other members of the Proud Boys, including Tarrio, were indicted on June 6, 2022, on seditious conspiracy and other charges. They have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial. A sixth member of the group, Charles Donohoe, 34, of Kernersville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on April 8, 2022, to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.
Bertino faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and up to 10 years in prison for the firearms charge. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. No sentencing date was set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington, Charlotte, and Columbia, South Carolina Field Offices.
In the 20 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 870 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 265 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Former Leader of Proud Boys Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential ElectionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former leader of the Proud Boys pleaded guilty today to seditious conspiracy for his actions before and during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He and others sought to stop the transfer of power by disrupting a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
Jeremy Bertino, 43, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm, stemming from a court-authorized search of his residence in March 2022. As part of the plea agreement, Bertino has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.
According to court documents, the Proud Boys describe themselves as members of a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world, aka Western Chauvinists.” Bertino joined the Proud Boys in approximately 2018 and was, for a time, the vice president of his local Proud Boys chapter in South Carolina.
As stated in the court documents, on multiple occasions in 2020, Bertino traveled to Washington, D.C., for rallies as a member of the Proud Boys. During one trip, on Dec. 12, 2020, several individuals, including Bertino and other Proud Boys members, were involved in an altercation. During that altercation, Bertino, among others, was stabbed. Bertino was hospitalized, released, and was still recovering outside of the Washington D.C. area from his injuries as of Jan. 6, 2021. Otherwise, he would have traveled to Washington.
In December 2020, Bertino accepted an invitation from Enrique Tarrio, then Proud Boys’ national chairman, to join a new chapter that Tarrio had devised called the “Ministry of Self Defense” (MOSD). In the weeks leading to Jan.6, 2021, Bertino participated in encrypted chats and other communication with members of MOSD leadership. Bertino and other MOSD leaders agreed that the presidential election had been stolen, that the purpose of traveling to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, was to stop the certification of the Electoral College Vote, and that the MOSD leaders were willing to do whatever it would take, including using force against police and others, to achieve that objective.
Bertino continued to participate in planning sessions as he recovered from his injures. At least as early as Jan. 4, 2021, he received encrypted chat messages indicating that members of MOSD leadership were discussing the possibility of storming the Capitol. On Jan. 6, Bertino monitored activities through mainstream and social media, as well as posting in the MOSD chats. He posted messages himself to MOSD leaders and members to encourage and assist in the operation, such as advising those on the grounds of the Capitol to “form a spear.” Similarly, Bertino posted to his public social media account, “DO NOT GO HOME. WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF SAVING THE CONSTITUTION.” On the evening of Jan. 6, 2021, Bertino messaged Tarrio and celebrated the achievement, saying, among other things, “You know we made this happen,” and “1776 motherf****r.”
The firearms charge stems from an FBI search of Bertino’s residence on March 8, 2022. While executing a search warrant, agents located six firearms, including an AR-15 style firearm with a scope, and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition. Bertino was barred from possessing firearms and/or ammunition due to a previous conviction.
Bertino was charged in a criminal information that was filed today. Five other members of the Proud Boys, including Tarrio, were indicted on June 6, 2022, on seditious conspiracy and other charges. They have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial. A sixth member of the group, Charles Donohoe, 34, of Kernersville, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on April 8, 2022, to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers.
Bertino faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and up to 10 years in prison for the firearms charge. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. No sentencing date was set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington, Charlotte, and Columbia, South Carolina Field Offices.
In the 20 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 870 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 265 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Former Columbus vice officer sentenced to prison for depriving a victim’s civil rights through fraudulent arrestRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Columbus vice officer was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 18 months in prison for conspiring to violate an individual’s constitutional rights.
Steven G. Rosser, 46, of Delaware, was convicted following a jury trial in February 2022.
Rosser was employed with the Columbus Division of Police for 19 years and assigned as a detective in CPD’s vice unit from April 2013 until October 2018.
According to court documents and trial testimony, in 2018, Rosser and others conspired to deprive one of the owners of the Dollhouse, a gentlemen’s club on Karl Court, of his civil rights by seizing and searching him and his vehicle without probable cause in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
At trial, the government presented evidence that Rosser was part of a scheme to frame the victim for cocaine possession. The actual amount of cocaine planted on the scene as part of the scheme was a miniscule amount, approximately .017 gram.
After orchestrating the fraudulent arrest, Rosser falsified documentation to conceal the conspiracy activity.
Rosser was indicted by a federal grand jury and arrested in March 2020.
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; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) Superintendent Joseph Morbitzer; and Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force, which includes special agents and officers from the FBI, Ohio Attorney General’s BCI, the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office and the Columbus Division of Police.
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Former Associate Principal and High School Teacher Sentenced to 15 Years for Child Enticement and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JONATHAN SKOLNICK was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for enticing minor children to send him nude and sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves over the Internet. On April 5, 2022, SKOLNICK pled guilty before U.S. Judge Colleen McMahon, who imposed his sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For approximately seven years, Jonathan Skolnick abused his position of trust as an associate principal and teacher in New York City schools by posing as a teenage girl online and successfully enticing minor victims, including his own students, to send him child pornography. This lengthy prison sentence holds Skolnick accountable for his horrific crimes and the extraordinary harm and trauma he caused to many minor victims and their families.”
According to the Indictment, court documents, and based on statements made in open court:
Between in or around August 2012 and in or around June 2018, JONATHAN SKOLNICK worked as a high school teacher at a school in Brooklyn, New York. In or around July 2018, SKOLNICK became an associate principal at a middle school in the Bronx, New York, where he worked until his arrest in September 2019. While in those roles, SKOLNICK posed as a teenage girl online, contacted minor victims by email, social media message, and text message, engaged in sexually explicit conversations with the minor victims, and enticed the minor victims to send him nude and sexually explicit photographs and videos. Many of the minor victims were students at the schools where SKOLNICK worked.
During the time period of his crimes, SKOLNICK used at least 21 different email and social media accounts to contact nearly 100 different individuals and solicit nude and sexually explicit images and videos. When certain minor victims stopped communicating with SKOLNICK, he threatened to release the photographs and images that the minor victims had sent.
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In addition to his prison term, SKOLNICK, 40, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Espinosa and Rebecca T. Dell are in charge of the prosecution.
Fire Service Plus Inc. Agrees to Pay $985,131 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Involving Defective Fire Suppression Foam for the MilitaryRead the Press Release
Fire Service Plus Inc. (FSP), a Georgia-based company, has agreed to pay $985,131 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by supplying fire suppression foam that did not meet military specifications, the Department of Justice announced today.
FSP manufactures commercial and military-grade fire suppression foam. FSP’s military grade foam, known as Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF), was sold under the brand name “FireAde MILSPEC.” The United States alleged that from January 2018 through April 15, 2021, FSP falsely certified that its military-grade fire suppression foam was compliant with applicable military specifications when, in fact, it was lacking the correct percentages of a key chemical. The Navy, Defense Logistics Agency and other federal government agencies purchased barrels of FSP’s military-grade foam to extinguish fires.
“Compliance with applicable military specifications is essential to ensure the safety of our military personnel,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those who knowingly violate the rules and regulations governing the purchase of military grade equipment.”
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) will aggressively pursue allegations against contractors providing substituted or inferior products, which risk the safety of our warfighters,” said Special Agent in Charge Cynthia Bruce for the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, DCIS Southeast Field Office. “I appreciate the work of the investigative team to trace and remove all substandard products from inventory across the government ensuring the performance of this life saving equipment.”
“Fire Service Plus’s alleged actions to provide the Department of the Navy with a substandard fire suppressant that failed to meet contract specifications posed a significant and potentially devastating threat to DON personnel and property,” said Special Agent in Charge Peter Tolentino for the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS extends sincere gratitude to our partners at the DCIS, Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), and Department of Justice for their substantial efforts to protect our nation’s warfighters from harm caused by defective materials that do not meet the high standards of the U.S military. We remain committed to fully investigating allegations of product substitution that threaten the safety and wellbeing of DON personnel.”
“Intentionally selling non-conforming products used in emergency response has the potential to put lives at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Todd Damiani for the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Southern Region. “As evidenced by the settlement agreement with Fire Service Plus, we remain steadfast in our commitment to working with our partners to maintain standards for goods procured to safeguard our nation’s citizens and service members.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) with investigative support from DCIS, NCIS, the Defense Contact Audit Agency-Office of Investigative Support, the Major Procurement Fraud Unit of the Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, CGIS and DOT-IG.
Senior Trial Counsel Art J. Coulter of the Civil Division handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Felon Convicted of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Hampton man yesterday on charges of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Christopher McPherson, 30, of Hampton, was arrested in April 2021 for his charged role in a drug trafficking organization. When he was arrested, he was found in possession of a firearm, cocaine, marijuana, a cutting agent to mix with cocaine, a money counting machine, currency and a cocaine press, which is a device used to press powder cocaine into kilogram sized blocks. Witnesses testified that the firearm in his possession was a tool of the drug trade used to intimidate others and to protect McPherson from other drug dealers. The jury also heard that McPherson was previously convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
McPherson was convicted of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine and marijuana, and of possessing the firearm after having been convicted of a felony. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment when sentenced on February 13, 2023. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Robert C. Young accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Nielsen are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:21-cr-10.
Federal Jury Delivers Guilty Verdict Against Previously Convicted Drug TraffickerRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte federal jury has convicted Lance Richardson Pagan, 52, of Gastonia, N.C., of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and powder cocaine and possession of a firearm by convicted felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr. presided over the two-day trial, which ended on Tuesday.
Michael C. Scherck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Travis Brittain of the Gastonia Police Department (GPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and evidence presented at trial, on January 12, 2022, law enforcement investigating Pagan’s drug distribution activities executed a search warrant at his residence. Trial evidence established that law enforcement seized from Pagan’s bedroom a trafficking amount of cocaine base and powder cocaine, and three handguns. Pagan was previously convicted of a federal drug trafficking offense and sentenced to seven years in prison. As a convicted felon, Pagan is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Pagan is currently in federal custody. At sentencing, Pagan faces a sentence of up to 30 in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
U.S. Attorney King credited today’s outcome to investigations led by the Western District’s OCDETF team, which have resulted in the conviction of more than 70 individuals, and the seizure of over 567 kilograms of cocaine, more than six kilograms of cocaine base, more than 17 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than four kilograms of heroin, over 30 kilograms of fentanyl, 127 firearms, and more $437,000 in cash and other property.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and GPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven R. Kaufman, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, is prosecuting the case.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Five Springfield Illinois Residents for Wire Fraud Related to COVID Relief FundsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A grand jury returned indictments on October 4, 2022, against five Springfield, Illinois, residents, charging them with fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA). They are:
Sean Jackson, 32, was charged with two counts of wire fraud. The indictment alleges the offenses occurred in May and June of 2021 in Sangamon County, Illinois.
Richard Lawuary, 31, was charged with two counts of wire fraud. The indictment alleges the offenses occurred in May and June of 2021 in Sangamon County.
Charles Walker III, 31, was charged with two counts of wire fraud. The indictment alleges the offenses occurred in April of 2021 in Sangamon County. At the time of the indictment, Walker had been released on bond for pending unrelated federal charges.
Shawntelle Lynn, 31, was charged with two counts of wire fraud. The indictment alleges the offenses occurred in April and May of 2021 in Sangamon County. At the time of the indictment, Lynn had been released on bond pending unrelated federal charges.
Randi Lewis, 34; of Springfield, was charged with two counts of wire fraud. The indictment alleges the offenses occurred in March and April of 2021 in Sangamon County.
Each of the individuals has been issued a summons to appear in federal court in Springfield for arraignment. If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for the alleged crimes charged are a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release, and restitution.
Agencies participating in the investigation include the United States Secret Service, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Springfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sierra Senor-Moore is representing the government in the prosecutions.
COVID-19 disaster relief and enhanced unemployment benefits are intended to help people and businesses suffering as a result of the pandemic. If members of the public suspect anyone fraudulently obtained or misused benefits, they should contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NDCF) Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or submit the NCDF Web Complaint Form. The NCDF is a national coordinating agency within the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division dedicated to improving the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of criminal conduct related to natural and man-made disasters and other emergencies, such as the coronavirus (COVID-19). Hotline staff will obtain information regarding complaints, which will then be reviewed by law enforcement officials. More information is available at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Federal Civil Rights forum coming to MorgantownRead the Press Release
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – The enforcement of federal civil rights laws will be the focus of a forum to be held next week in Morgantown.
United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld and his staff will host a half-day event on Tuesday, October 11 to highlight the constitutional rights of citizens and how they are enforced through civil and criminal actions. Hate crimes, disability rights, housing rights, and more will be explained by experts in each of those areas of the law.
“Federal civil rights laws are an important tool in our efforts to make communities in West Virginia safer and more welcoming, but they are often overlooked,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “The forum in Morgantown will allow for the public to hear from experts and learn more about the enforcement of laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, and religion.”
The event will begin at 9 am at the Mon County Center at Mylan Park. It is free and open to the public.
To learn more, go to justice.gov/usao-ndwv.
Fairfield Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — William Josiah Scrivner, 36, of Fairfield, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on March 23, 2022, law enforcement officers observed Scrivner as the driver and sole occupant of a vehicle in the parking lot of the NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield. The officers arrested Scrivner on an outstanding Solano County arrest warrant. A post-arrest search of his person and vehicle resulted in approximately 40 grams of methamphetamine, $551 on his person, and a digital scale in his car. A probation search of Scrivner’s residence resulted in the discovery of two firearms, one of which was stolen, firearm parts and ammunition, additional methamphetamine, and two more scales. Scrivner is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has been convicted of several felonies, including two prior convictions for possession of methamphetamine for sale and a prior conviction for being a felon in possession of ammunition.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Fairfield Police Department, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.
Scrivner is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 23, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Drunk driver sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that on Oct. 5, Anthony Faustine, 42, of Acoma, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Acoma, was sentenced on to five years and 10 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter in Indian Country.
Faustine pleaded guilty on Jan. 26. On April 22, 2020, Faustine attempted to evade law enforcement while driving with a blood alcohol level at twice the legal limit. When Faustine lost control of the vehicle, a passenger, identified in court records as John Doe, was ejected and died from injuries sustained in the crash. The incident occurred on the Pueblo of Laguna.
Upon his release from prison, Faustine will be subject to three years of supervised release.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police and Laguna Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall prosecuted the case.
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Derry Man Sentenced to 132 Months for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material and Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Jason Ellis, 45, of Derry was sentenced to 132 months in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ellis engaged in sexually graphic online conversations with numerous individuals, some of whom appeared to be minors as young as 14 years old. Several of these chats included Ellis soliciting and receiving nude images from apparent minors. Ellis also sent images of his own genitalia to apparent minors. One of the individuals that Ellis was corresponding with online was actually an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old girl. Ellis corresponded with the undercover and expressed his desire to meet her for sexual contact. His chats with the undercover took place over several months and included explicit discussions about sexual acts. Portions of these conversations, as well as the online accounts Ellis had used to communicate with the undercover, were later found on Ellis’ phone during the execution of a search warrant. Also found on Ellis’ phone were over 100 images of child sexual abuse material.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Derry Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey A. Weiland.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Dallas Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Leading Violent Sex Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
A Dallas man who called himself “Macknificent” was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for human trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Tremont Blakemore, 43, was first charged in September 2019. He pleaded guilty in April to sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown, who ordered him to turn over several trophies – including one engraved “Playa of the Year” – to the federal government. She also ordered him to forfeit several Rolex watches and diamond and gold jewelry.
“This defendant systematically brutalized his victims, convincing them that they had no choice but to live life according to his dictates,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “We formed the North Texas Trafficking Task Force – a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement dedicated to ending the scourge of human trafficking – to pursue cases just like this one. We hope that today’s sentence will be a balm to survivors as they work to rebuild their lives.”
"Tremont Blakemore can no longer flaunt a life of luxury through the proceeds he illegally garnered by forcing women into the commercial sex trade industry thanks to the work of our special agents and law enforcement partners of the North Texas Trafficking Task Force who investigated and arrested this violent criminal," said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr. "For the next twenty years, Mr. Blakemore will have time to reflect on the pain he caused those he subjugated for his own selfish gains. Our hope is that the victims he forcefully manipulated will begin the healing process now that he is no longer a threat to society."
In plea papers, Mr. Blakemore admitted to running a large-scale human trafficking organization, using the threat of grotesque violence to force women to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit.
He compelled the women to travel cross-country to engage in commercial sex and posted ads for them on sites like Backpage.com. He demanded that the women to turn all proceeds over to him and required them to seek permission for personal expenditures.
Mr. Blakemore further admitted that when his victims disobeyed his “rules” – leaving the house without his permission, keeping money for themselves, etc. – he used violence to quell them into submission. According to court documents, victims told law enforcement that he slapped, punched, choked, kicked, and burned them with cigarettes.
“I’m going to make an example out of someone soon,” he wrote in a group text message to victims. “I will not continue to tolerate disrespect that’s one of my biggest pet peeves.”
In an effort to appear successful in order to recruit additional victims to his trafficking organization, Mr. Blakemore admitted, he used proceeds of his victim’s sexual encounters to purchase luxury goods, including multiple pieces of diamond and gold jewelry and multiple Rolex watches. He flouted his lifestyle to impress other traffickers, and even sported multiple trophies touting his success as a “pimp.”
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Oakridge Police Department, the Dallas Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, and the North Texas Trafficking Task Force’s law enforcement partners. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Dana and Melanie Smith (fmr.) prosecuted the case.
Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Crime Against Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Norman Leon Geipe II, 39, pleaded guilty today to resisting a federal officer causing bodily injury.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 14, 2021, deputy U.S. Marshals approached Geipe outside a Parkersburg homeless shelter and told Geipe they had an arrest warrant alleging he had failed to register as a sex offender. Geipe physically resisted the attempt to take him into custody and bit the left forearm of one of the deputy U.S. Marshals, breaking the skin and drawing blood.
Giepe is scheduled to be sentenced on January 26, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service and the Parkersburg Police Department.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Troy D. Adams and Joseph F. Adams are 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. 2:21-cr-98.
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Convicted Felon Who Discharged A Gun at Amtrak and House of Mercy Pleads GuiltyRead 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 Alejandro Rivera, 36, of Schenectady, NY, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who is handling the case, stated that in April 2021, Rivera traveled from Schenectady to Rochester, NY, on an Amtrak train. As he was exiting the station, Rivera pulled a 9mm pistol from his waistband and fired the pistol, apparently accidentally, into the wall with multiple people in the area, many of whom ran for cover. Rivera then picked up the spent shell casing from the floor and exited the train station. As he approached the area of Central and Joseph Avenues in Rochester, Rivera fired another round into the air. After leaving the Amtrak station, Rivera went to the parking lot at the House of Mercy on Ormond Street in Rochester, where he got into an argument. After a security guard came out of the House of Mercy to see what was happening, Rivera again fired the 9mm pistol. Rochester Police Officers were called to the scene, but Rivera fled on foot. Approximately a week later, Rivera was arrested by Rochester Police Officers near the Amtrak station.
Following Rivera’s arrest, Rochester Police investigators executed a search warrant at the residence of Rivera’s mother on Joseph Avenue. During the search, they recovered the loaded 9mm pistol. Rivera has four prior felony convictions and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John B. DeVito, New York Field Division, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, and the Amtrak Police Department, under the direction of Chief Sam Dotson.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 6, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci.
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Connecticut U.S. Attorney's Office Celebrates U.S. Attorney's AwardsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony was celebrated this afternoon in New Haven. The ceremony at the City of New Haven’s aldermanic chambers recognized approximately 190 individuals for their investigative efforts and other contributions to 30 significant federal criminal prosecutions and civil cases in Connecticut since 2019. The awards ceremony, typically an annual event, has not been held since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During a time when the COVID-19 pandemic brought much of world to a standstill, the awardees we honor today, and countless other members of federal, state and local enforcement agencies, found a way to continue their critical work, often at great risk to their own health and safety, to ensure that the wheels of justice never stopped turning,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery. “Their important work has positively impacted communities across our state. They have served Connecticut and our nation with distinction, and we are proud to call them ‘partners.’”
In addition to the criminal and civil case awards, U.S. Attorney Avery presented several special awards during the ceremony.
The U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Investigator was presented to recently-retired Special Agent James Wines of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who distinguished himself as an invaluable criminal investigator with the FBI Cellular Analysis Survey Team (“CAST”). Special Agent Wines provided critical cell site analysis and testimony in numerous federal and state investigations and prosecutions, including 28 murder trials in Connecticut and neighboring states.
The U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Partnership was presented to Supervisory Attorney Patrick Ward and Senior Staff Attorneys Robert Ziemiecki and Stephanie Scannell-Vessella of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Attorneys Ward, Ziemicki and Scannell-Vessella have worked closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to defend litigation, including an 850-member class action, brought by medically-vulnerable inmates at FCI Danbury during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The U.S. Attorney’s Outstanding Community Award was presented to Stacy Spell for his superior service as the New Haven Project Manager of Project Longevity, a statewide group violence reduction initiative, and his prior work as a long-time member of the New Haven Police Department and as a community activist.
The Financial Fraud and Public Corruption Unit Award was presented to a team of investigators from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) whose work led to the successful prosecution of Farouq Fasasi and several associates in Connecticut who were involved in lottery scams and romance fraud scams that defrauded primarily elderly victims across the country of more than $5 million. Fasasi and five others were convicted of various charges stemming from the schemes and, in August 2022, Fasasi was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment.
The Major Crimes Unit Award was given to members of the Town of Groton Police Department, FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), who jointly investigated Randall Tilton, a U.S. Navy mechanic who sexually assaulted seven infants and children over an eight-year period, and produced videos and images of his sexual abuse. In June 2021, Tilton was sentenced to 210 years of imprisonment.
The Violent Crimes and Narcotics Unit Award was presented an FBI special agent and FBI Task Force Officers from the New Haven Police Department and Milford Police Department who led “Operation Fantasy Island,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation targeting members and associates of the Island Brothers gang. The Island Brothers trafficked heroin, crack and cocaine in both the New Haven region and the area of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and engaged in violence to protect its turf. Twenty-Five individuals were convicted of various drug and firearm offenses as a result of the investigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut and representing the federal government in civil litigation. The Office is composed of approximately 68 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 57 staff members at offices in New Haven, Bridgeport and Hartford.
Conehatta Man Found Guilty in ShootingRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Conehatta man was found guilty on several federal charges at the conclusion of a jury trial that began October 3, 2022, in U.S. District Court in Jackson, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
According to court documents, Mike Austin Anderson, 36, of the Conehatta Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation used a handgun to shoot another tribal member multiple times.
In June of 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Anderson on the charges of assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a deadly weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Hon. Daniel P. Jordan, III., Chief United States District Judge, presided over the trial and scheduled sentencing in the case for January 12, 2023. Anderson faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. He is currently being held in federal custody.
United States Attorney LaMarca commended the work of the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and the Federal Bureau of Investigation who investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Burns.
Civil War Reenactor Indicted for Planting Pipe Bomb at Cedar Creek BattlefieldRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va. – A federal grand jury in Charlottesville has indicted Gerald Leonard Drake, 63, from Winchester, Va., for mailing threatening letters, stalking, and planting a pipe bomb at the Cedar Creek Battlefield in Middletown, Virginia during a Civil War reenactment event in 2017. In the mailings sent to victims and two newspapers, Drake purported to be a member of Antifa and threatened harm, including referencing the Unite the Right riots in Charlottesville.
The indictment, which was unsealed following Drake’s arrest today, charges him with fifteen criminal offenses including: mailing threatening communications, malicious use of explosives, possession of an unregistered destructive device, unlawful manufacture of a destructive device, use of explosives to commit a federal felony, and stalking.
“This indictment and arrest mark the culmination of a nearly five-year investigation into the perpetrator of the attempted bombing,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “Over that time, career federal prosecutors and federal agents steadfastly investigated and uncovered the identity of the individual who sought to terrorize innocent civilians in the Western District of Virginia. In the aftermath of the riots in Charlottesville, and at a time when people sought to heal, this defendant instead sought to sow political discontent and mayhem. From the local police who secured the scene, to the state police that diffused the bomb, and through to the federal agents who investigated the true identity of the perpetrator, this was truly a quintessential example of law enforcement partnership.”
“The FBI is grateful no one was injured by this explosive device, and no physical harm came to the individuals being threatened. In our mission to protect the American people, law enforcement will continue to take threats to individuals and public places seriously and will hold those responsible accountable for their actions. If you suspect a similar crime is about to occur or have information about one that has, please contact the FBI immediately at 804-261-1044 or via tips.FBI.gov,” said Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division.
As detailed in the indictment, Drake belonged to a reenactment unit that participated in the annual reenactment at Cedar Creek Battlefield until he was removed from his unit in 2014. In later years, Drake volunteered with the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation (CCBF), which is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of history related to the Cedar Creek Battlefield and which hosts an annual reenactment attended by merchants, reenactors, and visitors.
On September 23, 2017, a letter was received at the CCBF visitor center addressed to “Cedar Creek Battlefield people.” The envelope and its letter both bore a printed Antifa symbol depicting a black flag overlayed atop a red flag inside of a circle. The letter claimed the reenactment event “clearly celebrates the war to keep African-Americans in chains,” and warned the reenactment organizers that if the event was not cancelled, the trouble they would inflict on Cedar Creek Battlefield would make the riots that took place in Charlottesville in August look like “a Sunday picnic.”
In response to the letter, the CCBF posted a warning on its website that security had been increased and apologized for the inconvenience.
On October 14, 2017, the CCBF hosted the planned 153rd anniversary and reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek. During the afternoon hours, as the battle was coming to an end, an unexploded pipe bomb was discovered in one of the merchant tents. The pipe bomb contained metal nuts, a mercury switch, a battery, ball bearings, black and red wires, powder, and other items.
Deputies from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene to investigate and seize the explosive device, which was later rendered safe by Virginia State Police. Due to its discovery, however, all remaining reenactment activities were cancelled, and individuals were evacuated from the area.
Following this incident, Drake continued writing letters purporting to be sent by Antifa, including letters to the CCBF, its board members, an individual associated with Civil War reenactments, and news publications. During this same time frame, Drake continued to volunteer with the CCBF.
On November 6, 2017, a letter was received by The Gettysburg Times at its offices in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Once again, the letter and envelope both bore Antifa motifs and warned that if the Gettysburg Remembrance Day Parade allowed confederate flags or confederate men and women to be in the parade, “we will disrupt the whole weekend.” The letter also stated that “we have a new person to make our bombs for us since the Cedar Creek one was a dud,” and “[w]e will also run over people with a couple of trucks and might have a shooter on the rooftop [or elsewhere] along the parade route.” However, the Gettysburg Remembrance Day Parade of 2017 occurred without incident despite these threats.
In 2018, one year after Drake planted the pipe bomb at Cedar Creek Battlefield, he sent another letter to the then-President of the CCBF as well as The Winchester Star, a local newspaper in Winchester, Virginia. In this letter, Drake warned organizers to “cancel this event or you will regret it!” and discussed the various ways in which a “suspicious package” could be smuggled into the event.
On July 3, 2018, the annual Cedar Creek Battlefield reenactment was cancelled due to security concerns. In addition, the president of the CCBF resigned due to tensions caused by Drake’s threats.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Virginia State Police, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, and the Middletown Police Department participated in the investigation.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katie Burroughs Medearis, Melanie Smith, and Cagle Juhan are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
California Man Sentenced to over Seven Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
HOT SPRINGS – A California man was sentenced today to 87 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance Methamphetamine. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Hot Springs.
According to court documents, on or about March 16, 2021, Troopers with the Arkansas State Police (ASP) initiated a traffic stop on a passenger vehicle operated by Uriel Ramirez-Manzanares, age 40. After determining that Manzanares did not have a valid driver’s license, a vehicle inventory was conducted prior to the vehicle being towed. The inventory resulted in Troopers locating and seizing a black bag that contained suspected narcotics and a blue bag that contained approximately $11,084.00 of United States currency. The ASP Troopers subsequently requested the assistance of agents from the 18th East Drug Task Force. During an interview with Manzanares, he admitted that he knew the vehicle contained narcotics and that he was aware of the presence of the United States Currency. Further, Manzanares stated that he was in-route to Hot Springs, Arkansas, to deliver the narcotics and money to an area drug dealer. Further, Manzanares also advised that he had delivered drugs to the Hot Springs area on at least two (2) previous occasions.
One package of suspected narcotics was determined to be 420.94 grams of pure methamphetamine by the Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory. The other packages of narcotics were submitted to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory and determined to be approximately 214 grams of Fentanyl.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Arkansas State Police, the 18th East Judicial District Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations Little Rock, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the 18th East Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office investigated the case investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Achorn prosecuted the case.
Billings man admits attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor in undercover investigationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man who was accused of having sexual conversations through social media with an undercover agent posing as a minor girl and was arrested when he showed up to meet the girl admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Kyle Jason Swindler, 41, pleaded guilty to attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Swindler faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and at least three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Swindler was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in October 2021, law enforcement, acting in an undercover capacity and posing as a 13-year-old girl, communicated through the Internet by social media with a user who turned out to be Swindler. Early in the conversation, the undercover persona identified herself as 13 years old, and Swindler responded, “Ouch you’re a young one.” The conversation became sexual in nature. Swindler and the undercover persona discussed plans to meet in person for a sexual encounter and arranged to meet in a Billings park. Swindler drove to the park, where he was arrested. Law enforcement searched Swindler’s vehicle and found sex-related items. Officers also searched Swindler’s cell phone and recovered the original social media conversation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Hargrove is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County Attorney’s Office and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
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Berkeley County man admits to role in “boot” distribution operationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kyle Allen Finch, of Hedgesville, West Virginia has admitted to his role in a drug conspiracy, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Finch, 23, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Eutylone.” Finch admitted to working with others to distribute large quantities of Eutylone, also known as “boot,” from Maryland to Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, West Virginia from February 2019 to March 15, 2022.
Finch faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Martinsburg Police Department; the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department; the Virginia State Police, Montgomery County; and Maryland State Attorney’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Basketball Tourney Gives Local Kids and Law Enforcement a Chance to Bond Through CompetitionRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Competition was fierce as local kids and law enforcement personnel vied for the title of Fall Classic Youth & Cops Basketball Tournament champion.
Held at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex in Miami Gardens, the fourth-annual tourney consisted of 11 teams, each one comprised of kids and police officers or staff from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (USAO-SDFL).
“It’s not youth against cops; it’s youth with cops,” said J.D. Smith, Chief of Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section, USAO-SDFL.
The tournament was won by the North Miami Beach Police Department, with USAO-SDFL finishing second. But more important than winning was the opportunity for kids and law enforcement to mingle and get to know one another.
“I love seeing the departments come out,” said Chris Browne, assistant U.S. attorney. “Officers spot kids from their communities and get them to come play and show off their talents.”
Kevin Santos, a supervisory contract specialist with USAO-SDFL and former Coral Gables High School basketball player, already knew the kids on his USAO team.
“I have coached all of these kids through the We Are the Academy recreation league,” he said. “All are very talented players. I wanted to give kids from different backgrounds the chance to play and interact with our community law enforcement partners. As soon as they got an opportunity to represent the U.S. Attorney’s Office they jumped at the chance and immediately said yes.”
The idea for this tournament came from a town hall meeting a few years back where some youth said they thought police officers weren’t nice people.
“But they’d had no interaction with police officers,” said Smith. “An event like this humanizes people and helps break down barriers. It gives our youth a glimpse of the person behind the badge so they can see they’re regular folks just like the rest of us. That is why we started this.”
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, Smith is happy the tournament is back. And judging from all of the smiles and high-fives, it seemed everyone else felt the same way.
“It’s great to be back,” said Smith. “It’s fun. This is what it’s all about. You can’t beat it.”
Tournament participation included Miramar Police Department; North Miami Police Department; Miami-Dade Police Department (The U); North Miami Beach Police Department; Miami-Dade Corrections Department; Miami Gardens Police Department; Miami Beach Police Department; United States Attorney’s Office; Miami Police Department; Florida Highway Patrol; and Miami-Dade Police Department Community Affairs.
Special acknowledgement to Miami Gardens Police Department for hosting the event in their city, as well as the police agencies who supplied refreshments to the more than 150 tournament participants.
Cutline information for photo: Members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida basketball team take a quick huddle to design a play during the recent Fall Classic Youth & Cops Basketball Tournament.
Bank CEO Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Taking Bribes in Connection with Loans Guaranteed by the Small Business AdministrationRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that defendant EDWARD SHIN, a/k/a “Eungsoo Shin,” was sentenced to 14 months in prison for his role in defrauding a Pennsylvania-based bank (the “Bank”) while serving as its CEO. SHIN was convicted after a three-week trial before U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan on all counts, which charged SHIN with taking bribes in connection with the Bank’s issuance of loans that were guaranteed by the United States Small Business Administration (“SBA”) and with causing the Bank to issue SBA-guaranteed and commercial loans to companies in which SHIN had a secret financial interest.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As CEO, Edward Shin was entrusted with stewardship of a Pennyslvania-based bank. Instead of promoting and protecting the bank’s interests, Shin used the bank as his own piggy bank, stealing from it to line his pockets and the pockets of his corrupt friends. For violating the trust placed in him, Shin will rightly serve prison time.”
According to the allegations contained in the Criminal Complaint, Indictment, and evidence adduced during trial:
The SBA helps Americans start, build, and grow businesses by guaranteeing certain loans made by banks to help those businesses succeed. Between 2009 and 2013, the Bank offered a range of financial products, including SBA-guaranteed loans to small businesses in the New York-New Jersey area, which the Bank could extend only on the condition that all aspects of those loans complied with SBA regulations and SBA’s standard operating procedures. In particular, SBA regulations and procedures prohibited bank officers, including SHIN, from receiving any payments in connection with SBA-backed loans and prohibited banks from extending such loans to any institution in which a bank officer held an interest.
Notwithstanding these regulations, SHIN, then the CEO of the Bank, secretly solicited and received bribe payments in connection with SBA-guaranteed loans issued by the Bank and caused the Bank to extend SBA-guaranteed and commercial loans to companies in which SHIN had secret ownership interests. Specifically, when the Bank issued business loans that did not involve the use of any actual broker, SHIN nonetheless arranged to have his longtime friend, a real estate and loan broker (the “Broker”), inserted unnecessarily into the transaction solely to generate a broker fee that could be shared with SHIN; in fact, the Broker did no actual work to earn a commission on those transactions but split the “broker’s fee” with SHIN as an illegal kickback.
SHIN also arranged for the Bank to issue SBA-guaranteed loans to several businesses in which he secretly retained an ownership interest, in violation of SBA regulations and procedures. For example, in or about June 2010, the Bank issued an SBA-guaranteed loan for approximately $950,000 to a business in New York, New York. Although documents submitted to the Bank for purposes of securing the loan did not mention SHIN’s financial interest, the business was secretly operated as a partnership between SHIN, the Broker, and another individual. The loan ultimately went into default status, resulting in a loss to the Bank of approximately $591,278.60. On another occasion, in or about 2013, the Bank issued an SBA-guaranteed loan for approximately $1,050,000 to a business in New York, New York. Again, even though the business was secretly operated as a partnership between SHIN and another family member of SHIN’s, the documents submitted to the Bank for purposes of securing the loan did not mention SHIN’s financial interest nor the family member’s relationship to SHIN.
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SHIN, 59, of Ambler, Pennsylvania, was convicted at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud affecting a financial institution, one count of conspiracy to commit bank bribery, one count of conspiracy to commit loan fraud, another count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and one count each of bank bribery and embezzlement of funds by a bank officer. In addition to the prison terms, Judge Cronan sentenced SHIN to three years of supervised release and ordered SHIN to pay forfeiture in the amount of $5,506,050 and a $600 special assessment fee.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, the SBA Office of the Inspector General, and the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Tara La Morte, Anden Chow, and Jessica Greenwood are in charge of the prosecution.
Bangladeshi National Arrested in Malaysia for Operating an International Child Exploitation EnterpriseRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska has unsealed a 13-count indictment charging Zobaidul Amin, 24, for his role in operating a child exploitation enterprise following his arrest in Kuala Lumpur by Malaysian authorities.
Amin, a Bangladeshi national, is charged in the District of Alaska with offenses related to his alleged abuse and exploitation of hundreds of minor victims in the District of Alaska and elsewhere in the United States and abroad in one of the most malicious, digitally facilitated sextortion and child pornography production schemes investigated to date by the FBI.
According to federal court documents, Amin used the Snapchat application to identify and coerce child victims to produce images and videos of sexually explicit and sadistic conduct.
Following coordination with FBI Anchorage, Amin was taken into custody in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Unit D11 of the Royal Malaysia Police on September 19, 2022, and subsequently charged by Prosecutors with the Malaysia Attorney General’s Chambers on 12 counts related to the possession and production of child pornography.
“There are few crimes as damaging and traumatic to a young person as sextortion,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “It is especially evil to target impressionable children using social media apps such as Snapchat to exploit their innocence for pictures and videos. These children have been robbed of their childhood; and their lives and the lives of their families forever altered. This case highlights the immense collaboration and dedication of law enforcement partners across the country who are working tirelessly to identify the victims.”
“Seen as one of the most prolific and malicious sextortion schemes investigated by the FBI to date, this child exploitation enterprise targeted hundreds of minors in the United States and abroad through popular social media platforms,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Children would then be coerced into producing sexually explicit material and terrorized with threats of exposure if they did not continue. The protection of our children extends beyond borders, and this case demonstrates the multi-jurisdictional approach among local, state, federal, and international law enforcement partners to maximize our efforts in the pursuit of justice."
If the public has any further information regarding Amin’s activities, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI’s Anchorage Field Office made today’s announcement. The District of Alaska would like to thank the prosecutors of the Malaysian Attorney General’s Chambers and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their efforts to apprehend Amin.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is investigating the case. Also supporting the investigation are the following agencies:
Royal Malaysia Police; Alaska State Troopers; Anchorage Police Department; Laramie Police Department (Wyoming); Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation; Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office (Oregon)[; Mercer County Sheriff's Office (West Virginia); Raleigh County Sheriff's Office (West Virginia); Kanawha County Sheriff's Office (West Virginia); Guernsey County Sheriff's Department (Oregon); Clay County Sheriff's Office (Florida); Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (Oregon); HSI Wenatchee, WA/Bend, OR; and the FBI Field Offices in Portland, Minneapolis, Seattle, Salt Lake, Denver, Jacksonville, Cincinnati, Detroit, Atlanta, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Newark, and Oklahoma City.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Alexander and Jennifer Ivers are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Aldie Man Pleads Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Aldie man pleaded guilty today to a criminal information charging him with one count of wire fraud.
According to court documents, Kevin Lee, 38, was the controller for a McLean company. By virtue of his position, he had access to all the company’s finances, recordkeeping, and operational accounts. Between October 2018 and August 2021, Lee used his unique access to embezzle more than $7,000,000 through multiple transfers into his personal bank accounts. He disguised these transactions as payments to vendors and by falsifying information in the company’s recordkeeping software. Lee also re-directed money from an existing line of credit in the company’s name to cover revenue shortfalls created by his crime.
Lee is scheduled to be sentenced on January 12, 2023. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Washington Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Peters, with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Monika Moore, is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-135.
Wednesday 5 October 2022
Zionsville Firefighter Paramedic Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing and Possessing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Daniel Stevens, 48, of Whitestown, Indiana, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distribution and possession child sex abuse material.
According to court documents, Stevens was a firefighter paramedic in the Town of Zionsville, Indiana, and was also employed by a local hospital in Indianapolis. Unbeknownst to his employers and without their consent, Stevens used their internet connection to distribute numerous images and videos depicting child sex abuse material to others over social media. Stevens also used his tablet to store thousands of images and videos depicting prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the children depicted in the images and videos were infants, babies, and toddlers. Stevens also viewed and saved material that depicted sadomasochistic sexual abuse of children.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Indianapolis Field Office, made the announcement.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who is prosecuting this case.
The FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. As part of the sentence, Judge Stinson ordered that Stevens be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for ten years following his release from federal prison and ordered Stevens to pay $12,000 in restitution to each of the minor victims depicted in the images and videos he distributed and possessed. Stevens must also register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law.
In fiscal year 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
Winchester Kentucky Man Charged with Assaulting Two Transportation Security Officers at AirportRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Kelvin R. Portwood with forcibly assaulting two Transportation Security Agency (TSA) Officers at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Kelvin R. Portwood, 55, of Winchester, Kentucky, was charged with interference with security screening personnel and two counts of forcibly assaulting, resisting, and impeding officers of the United States government. Portwood was charged by criminal complaint and was arrested on September 30, 2022.
The defendant appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Kentucky for an initial appearance on a criminal complaint on October 2, 2022. If convicted, Portwood faces up to 26 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, the TSA, the U.S. Air Marshal Service, and the Louisville Airport Police, with the assistance of the Clark County Kentucky Sheriff’s Office and the Mount Sterling Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Judd.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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White Earth Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Assaulting a ChildRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A White Earth man was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for assaulting a minor child on the White Earth reservation, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on June 8, 2020, Edward Duane Fairbanks, 30, was caring for a minor child. During the early afternoon hours, Fairbanks intentionally shoved the child into a table, causing a serious head injury. The child was taken to the hospital where doctors diagnosed a large skull fracture and a subdural hematoma. The child had to undergo a craniectomy to relieve pressure on the brain.
Fairbanks was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim. On June 2, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the White Earth Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Deidre Y. Aanstad prosecuted the case.
Western District of New York Takes Part in Department's Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Justice Department announced today the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. Today, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“The participation of this office in the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force provides us with another tool in our toolbox to protect this population of vulnerable community members,” stated U.S. Attorney Ross. “We will work diligently to track down and prosecute all individuals who take advantage of older adults in our community by committing fraud on those individuals.
During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged. These defendants included:
• Martin Hogan, of Montreal Canada, was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and sentenced to serve 111 months in prison. Hogan conspired with multiple co-defendants to defraud elderly victims by placing telephone calls from Canada to victims in the United States, telling them that they had won the Canadian lottery. However, victims were told that they had to first pay the taxes, brokerage fee, and/or custom fees due in connection with the winnings. In total, elderly victims were defrauded out of more than $2,600,000.
• Jennifer Campbell, of Niagara Falls, NY, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Campbell, who was employed as the Office Manager and Chief Compliance Officer at an investment advisory firm based in Buffalo, NY, is accused of accessing client accounts and stealing over $500,000 from several clients and from the firm itself.
• Brian Bartz, of Rochester, NY, was convicted of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, and sentenced to serve 70 months in prison. Bartz was employed as an insurance broker at several different life insurance companies, selling and servicing policies and receiving commissions and bonuses for selling such policies. Bartz submitted approximately 105 fraudulent policy applications in various individuals’ names without their knowledge, utilizing actual names, social security numbers, and dates of birth. In total, the loss amount for Bartz’s schemes was approximately $1,026,668.46.
• Thomas Mann, of Addison, NY, was convicted of wire fraud and sentenced to serve 24 months in prison. Mann was treasurer of the Transport Investment Club, which had approximately 25 investing members, and had sole control over the TIC bank accounts and the TIC investment accounts at brokerage firms. By February 2020, TIC’s investments should have been worth approximately $290,614.05. In actuality, Mann had embezzled all but $707.74 of TIC’s stock holdings.The Department also highlighted three other efforts: expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
The Department announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult, and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland Prosecutes Three Men on Violent Crime Charges Relating to Domestic AbuseRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – In recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland is highlighting the recent prosecution of three defendants, in unrelated cases, for charges arising from separate incidents of domestic abuse, including assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, and malicious destruction of property by fire, respectively.
The guilty plea and sentencings were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Acting U.S. Park Police Chief Christopher Stock; Maryland State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Niles R. Ford of the Baltimore City Fire Department.
“Domestic abuse is a serious problem that tears at the fabric of family and society. Standing together with our local law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not hesitate to use appropriate federal statutes to confront domestic violence and hold abusers accountable.” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron.
United States v. Kyrie Thompson
On September 28, 2022, Kyrie Thompson, age, 28, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to attempted witness tampering and the kidnapping of a female victim who was the mother of his child. As detailed at his plea hearing, in September 2019, when the victim drove her car to Thompson’s residence to drop off their child, Thompson entered the victim’s car and directed the victim to drive to a Maryland address. Once parked, Thompson forced the victim to perform oral sex on him and Thompson recorded the assault on his cellular phone. After the incident, the victim drove Thompson back to his residence and the victim drove home and called the police.
In December 2019, a federal grand jury indicted Thompson for kidnapping. Soon after, Thompson contacted the victim and begged her to change her statement to law enforcement so Thompson could avoid prosecution.
Thompson faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for kidnapping, a maximum of sentence of 20 years of federal imprisonment for attempted witness tampering. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has not scheduled his sentencing hearing at this time.
United States v. Johnnie Currie
According to defendant Currie’s guilty plea, in February 2020, Currie picked up the victim to transport her from her night job to her daytime job. While traveling in the car with Currie, the victim noticed that Currie was irritated and was driving erratically. When Currie and the victim arrived at her daytime job, the business was still locked. While the victim waited for the manager to arrive and unlock the business, the victim and Currie got into an argument. During the argument, Currie threw the contents of a lemonade bottle at the victim and locked the victim in his car against her will. He then drove out of the parking lot, with the victim still trapped in the car. When the victim tried to call her boss on her cell phone, Currie threatened to crash the car and kill the victim.
Currie continued to argue with the victim and told her that if she was happy with him, they would not have any problems. Currie then told the victim to exit the car, but when the victim tried to get out, he locked the doors again and drove off erratically.
Eventually, Currie drove onto the Baltimore-Washington Parkway where he pulled out a box cutter and cut the victim on her thigh. The victim began to cry and called 911. Currie told the victim he would take her to the emergency room. To tend to her wound, the victim wrapped her thigh in a shirt. Currie drove past a Prince George’s County emergency center. The victim again attempted to call 911 and Currie demanded her cell phone. When the victim refused to give Currie her phone, he pulled out a hot cigarette lighter and threatened to ignite the shirt she used to cover her wound. Currie then drove to a Washington, D.C. emergency room where he ordered the victim to get out of the car. The victim limped into the emergency room and received medical attention including 25 stitches. Currie admitted that he confined the victim to the vehicle to maintain control over her and to perpetuate an argument.
On September 21, 2022, U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Johnnie Currie, age 42, of Washington, D.C, to 46 months in federal prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release for assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury related to his assault on an ex-girlfriend. Judge Grimm also ordered that Currie attend domestic abuse counseling.
United States v. Luther Moody Trent
According to court documents, in May 2021, defendant Trent poured gasoline along the exterior of a Baltimore residence of his former girlfriend (Victim 1) while Victim 1 and two other victims were inside the home. The fire caused significant damage to the residence and the adjoining property, however, all three victims were alerted and escaped without injury.
Before the case was prosecuted federally, Trent was interviewed by a local news station about the arson. During that interview, he claimed to have set Victim 1’s residence on fire because he was upset that he could not see Victim 1 within a romantic relationship. Further, Trent compared his actions to Romeo and Juliet and stated that “if I can’t have her, nobody can, or at least no one in Baltimore.”
In August 2022, defendant Trent was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for malicious destruction of property by fire. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander also ordered Trent to pay $612,700.12 in restitution to the owner of the property that was damaged by the fire.
If you are someone you know is a survivor of domestic abuse or would like to report domestic violence, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224 or 1-206-518-9361 (video phone only for hearing impaired callers). You can also contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline online at https://www.thehotline.org/. For additional domestic abuse resources please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/victim-witness-assistance.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the U.S. Park Police, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore City Fire Department for their work in the investigations. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah Grossi, Bijon Mostoufi, and Elizabeth Wright who prosecuted the federal cases.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida Enjoys Success in Protecting Older Adults Through Transnational Elder Fraud Strike ForceRead the Press Release
MIAMI – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida has put a bullseye on those who would defraud elderly Americans through its work with the Justice Department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force.
In fact, the Strike Force is adding 14 additional U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide, bringing the total to 20. These include U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and New York. USAO-SDFL was one of the first to join in 2019. Since that time, the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations have brought successful cases against the largest and most harmful global elder fraud schemes. These organizations also worked with foreign law enforcement to disrupt criminal enterprises, disable their infrastructure, and bring perpetrators to justice.
“The most common scams that target the elderly include impersonating a government official, robocalls, and sweepstakes,” said Juan Antonio “Tony” Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “Age-related health conditions such as dementia or decreased cognitive function can make it difficult for our senior citizens to detect a scam. Preying upon our elderly population is a shameful thing to do and it’s our job to go after these perpetrators and prosecute them to the fullest.”
And go after them is just what the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) plans to do by doubling down on its efforts and increasing available resources.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
From September 2021 to September 2022, DOJ personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants. Over that same time period, USAO-SDFL staff also had great success going after those who would swindle elders out of their money. Below are USAO-SDFL prosecutions that highlight those efforts:
United States v. Johnny Ray Thomas Case No. 22-20332
South Florida resident Johnny Ray Thomas and his Indian co-conspirators, Saher Mash Uppal and Prateek Uppal, operated several fraudulent Information Technology (IT companies), which falsely and fraudulently convinced elderly victims to make payments to the defendants’ companies for purported IT services and software when, in truth, and in fact, the victims received no legitimate services or software from the defendants’ businesses. Defendants and their co-conspirators “cold called” victims to inform them their computers had been hacked or otherwise compromised and convinced the victims to pay thousands for worthless “anti-virus” software and other services. Defendants and their co-conspirators installed remote access software on the victims’ computers in order to install the worthless software, which often consisted of nothing more than “scripts” that generated pop-ups on the victims’ computers notifying them their computers were infected with viruses. Defendants diverted the victims’ funds to corporate and personal bank accounts they controlled for their personal use and benefit and to carry out the conspiracy by paying for Internet marketing and other “leads.” Twelve victims lost over $20,000 each.
United States v. Jamare Mason, Case No. 19-60313
In November 2021 defendants Omar Bailey and Ronaldo Green were found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The two, along with conspirators Jamare Mason, Mario Ricketts, and Kadeem Gordon were involved in a scheme in which the defendants fraudulently redirected Veteran Affairs benefits Social Security Administration benefits from rightful beneficiaries to accounts controlled by the defendants. The scheme was operated from Jamaica and involved stealing personal identifying information of veterans and social security beneficiaries. They then changed the deposit information from the original accounts to accounts that they controlled, providing the Veterans Administration and Social Security Administration with the information to these fraudulently created accounts. They then had the prepaid debit cards and ATM cards to these fraudulently created accounts sent to addresses of conspirators and thereafter used by coconspirators to withdraw funds from the accounts controlled by them. Once withdrawn, the funds were distributed to the conspirators in the United States and also sent to co-conspirators in Jamaica. Green was sentenced on March 2, 2022, to 78 months of imprisonment, five years supervised release and ordered to pay $915,825.97 in restitution. Bailey was sentenced on February 8, 2022, to 24 months of imprisonment, four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $48,000 in restitution. Jamare Mason was sentenced on January 18, 2022, to 78 months of imprisonment, five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,314,986.45 in restitution. Kadeem Gordon’s sentence was reduced for his cooperation and he was sentenced on December 14, 2021, to six months of imprisonment, 5 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $40,667.46 in restitution and Mario Ricketts’ sentence of 13 months imprisonment was reduced on December 21, 2021, to time served based on his cooperation. He was ordered to pay $564,230 in restitution.
United States v. Aisladys Diaz, Case No. 22-20354
Five defendants, Aisladys Diaz, 45, of Miami, her daughter Ailensy Buron Diaz, 29, of Miami, Berto Omar Rodriguez Fonseca, 33, of Cutler Bay, Florida, and husband and wife Yandys Diaz and Yainelis Perez Diaz of Miami, were charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit access device fraud. According to allegations in the indictment, in May 2020 Aisladys Diaz, who was employed as an aide at a nursing home in Homestead, Florida, stole the personal identifying information of two elderly residents who were in her care. Diaz then shared that information with her daughter, Ailensy Buron Diaz, Berto Omar Rodriguez Fonseca, a finance manager at a car dealership in Miami Lakes, and Yandys Perez and Yainelis Perez Diaz, who used the information to purchase numerous new and used vehicles at car dealerships in Miami-Dade County, apply for numerous credit cards, and apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, and an SBA loan under the CARES Act. The loss is approximately $700,000.
United States v. Sherri Lynn Smith, Case No. 21-14023
On August 26, 2022, defendant Sherri Lynn Smith of Broward County was sentenced to 51 months in prison, 4 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $288,865.92 in restitution for stealing from an elderly couple while she was employed as their caretaker. Smith worked for the couple from 2016 through 2019 and had access to the victims’ bank account to assist them in paying their bills. She used that access to embezzle approximately $300,000 out of the victims’ accounts without their knowledge or consent. She accomplished this by writing and forging the victim’s signature on checks made payable to herself, her family members, and her creditors; initiating Zelle electronic money transfers from the victims’ accounts to her own bank account; and making electronic payments from the victims’ accounts to her and her husband’s numerous credit card accounts.
United States v. Sean Kerwin Bindranauth, Case No. 19-10016
On March 21, 2022, defendant Sean Kerwin Bindranauth was sentenced to 180 months in prison for laundering approximately $1 million of victims’ funds that were illegally obtained from romance and investment fraud scams that targeted the elderly. According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, Bindranauth’s conspirators contacted the victims who were generally lonely older women via social media, developed online relationships with the victims, and convinced them to send money to Bindranauth. Once Bindranauth received the money, he sent it from the United Sates to Nigeria using international money transfer companies, initialing direct bank transfers, purchasing gift cards, and relaying the gift card information. Over a dozen seniors and other victims were tricked into sending Bindranauth and his co-conspirators approximately $1 million. Evidence at trial also showed that other victims sent Bindranauth cash via USPS.
United States v. Isaac Grossman, Case No. 19-60300
On February 10, 2022, defendant Isaac Grossman, 47, of Parkland, Florida, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for directing an elder fraud scheme in which he sold stock in his South Florida-based technology company to elderly investors across the country and then misappropriated the funds for his own personal use. From September 2014 through April 2018, Grossman raised approximately $2.4 million in investor funds for his company, Dragon-Click Corp. He told potential investors the company was developing an internet application that would revolutionize internet shopping. He solicited funds by falsely telling potential investors they would double, triple, or quadruple their investments, and that Dragon-Click was on the verge of being sold to a large tech company, such as Google, Apple, or Amazon for more than $1 billion. He said investor funds would be used to complete technical development of the App, pay legal fees, etc. Grossman concealed from investors that he had been permanently barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority from acting as a broker-dealer or associating with any broker-dealer firm. Grossman also had been permanently banned from commodities trading by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Not only did Grossman never use Investor money to develop the App, he instead spent $1.3 million on gambling, diamond jewelry, luxury cars, home mortgage payments, and tuition payments for his children’s private school education. For example, Grossman’s unlawful expenditures included a McLaren MP4-12C, a Chevrolet Corvette, and a 4.81 carat diamond ring.
These cases illustrate just some of the ways elders can be preyed upon. Just knowing some of a criminal’s tactics can make a big difference when it comes to defending against them. As part of the elder fraud efforts, USAO-SDFL staff regularly reach out to the community to raise awareness about scams and exploitation. During their weekly food distribution events around Miami and the surrounding areas they hand out elderly fraud and abuse flyers in addition to groceries.
Another big help is using the tip line. Consumer reporting about fraud and attempted fraud is critical to law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. Anyone age 60 or older who has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available from the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This DOJ Hotline is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying the next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies and provide resources and referrals. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the DOJ’s elder justice efforts can be found on its Elder Justice website at www.elderjustice.gov.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona Joins Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced today that, as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and to bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice, it is joining the Justice Department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, as one of 14 additional U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Since 2019, current Strike Force members — including the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, six U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations — have brought successful cases against the largest and most harmful global elder fraud schemes and worked with foreign law enforcement to disrupt criminal enterprises, disable their infrastructure and bring perpetrators to justice. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat sophisticated fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults. The expansion will increase the total number of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices comprising the Strike Force from six to 20, including all of the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the states of California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and New York.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“I am pleased to announce the District of Arizona’s selection as one of the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force Districts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is dedicated to bringing those who defraud the elderly to justice, whether they commit such crimes in the United States or from abroad,” said Gary Restaino, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona.
The Strike Force expansion will further enhance the Department’s existing efforts to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged. The matters tackled by the Department and its partners ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts also were made over the last year to return money to fraud victims.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, along with its federal partners, successfully prosecuted various cases involving scams targeting the elderly. Notable examples are as follows:
United States v. Joseph Batts et al., CR-18-2216-TUC-RCC – David McIntosh was sentenced to 160 months in prison and ordered to pay approximately $1.8 million in restitution. McIntosh was a leader in an international lottery fraud ring that targeted thousands of elderly victims around the United States. McIntosh’s co-defendant, Joseph Batts, received a sentence of 70 months in prison for his role as a “lead list” distributor. In the related case of United States v. Sheldon Hibbert, CR-19-1973-TUC-SHR, Mr. Hibbert received a sentence of 48 months in prison for his role in laundering portions of the fraudulent proceeds. The District of Arizona has also sought the extradition of co-defendant Ferlando McCoon from Jamaica. Mr. McCoon is currently challenging his extradition to the United States.
United States v. Onovughe Ighorhiohwunu, CR-21-1119-TUC-SHR – Onovughe Ighorhiohwunu was found guilty by a jury for his role as a money launderer in an international romance fraud scheme targeting vulnerable and elderly victims. Ighorhiohwunu received 130 months in prison and was ordered to pay approximately $1.3 million in restitution.
United States v. Koreasa M. Williams, CR-19-1276-TUC-JGZ – Koreasa M. Williams, formerly a licensed insurance agent, embezzled money from elderly insurance clients. Williams was sentenced to 51 months in prison and ordered to pay $330,923 in restitution. In a related case, CR-21-3136-TUC-JGZ, Williams defrauded a separate elderly victim by embezzling over $1.3 million. Williams was sentenced to 136 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution.
United States v. Michael Tagle Santos et al., CR-20-2707-TUC-JGZ – Michael Tagle Santos and Cherry Mae De Los Reyes Santos, husband and wife, were caretakers of an elderly disabled victim. The couple embezzled money from the victim and used the funds for personal expenses. Mr. Santos received 33 months in prison. Mrs. Santos was sentenced to 16 months in prison. The couple was also ordered to pay $362,266 in restitution.
United States v. Jacoby, CR-21-452-PHX-JJT – Michael Jacoby defrauded an elderly widower out of his retirement savings (approximately $1 million) by offering investment management services, but instead taking the money for himself. Jacoby pleaded guilty and is pending sentencing.
United States v. Mehaffey, CR-20-626-PHX-DWL – Brannen Mehaffey operated a money service business exchanging cash for bitcoin. He was charged after the IRS conducted a sting operation where Mehaffey exchanged cash for bitcoin despite believing the cash came from drug sales. Most of Mehaffey’s actual business arose from fraud: perpetrators of schemes, such as romance scams, would direct their victims to send cash or deposit money into Mehaffey’s accounts, and Mehaffey would in turn send bitcoin to the people running the schemes. Mehaffey was sentenced to 41 months in prison and ordered to pay a total of $562,000 in restitution to a number of elderly victims.
As part of the District of Arizona’s elder fraud efforts in addition to prosecution, it engages in outreach to the community and industry to raise awareness about scams and exploitation and preventing victimization. On September 29, 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with its federal partners, the IRS Criminal Investigation and United States Postal Inspection Service, conducted an outreach event entitled “Protect Yourself and Your Money” hosted by the Pima Council on Aging. This event took place at The Katie Dusenberry Healthy Aging Center in Tucson, Arizona. On October 3, 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Secret Service conducted a similar event at the Handmaker Assisted Living Center in Tucson, Arizona. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to provide similar events with its federal partners in the future.
The Department also highlighted national efforts in returning money to victims. In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. [ET]. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website: www.elderjustice.gov.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-169_Elder Justice Release
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Takes Part in Justice Department’s Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Justice Department announced the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. Today, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“Our seniors and their loved ones should never hesitate to seek help from law enforcement when they encounter elder fraud,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “Education and prevention are crucial as we combat this form of exploitation. But when fraud strikes, we are determined to bring these criminals to justice and recover losses for victims.”
During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged.
This past year, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia secured convictions against nine individuals on charges arising from romance and other online scams that coerced seniors and other vulnerable victims into sending money to scheme participants. Five of these individuals pleaded guilty in connection with a romance fraud scheme that defrauded more than 200 victims, many of them elderly, of at least $2.5 million.
As part of the Southern District of West Virginia’s elder fraud efforts, it engages in outreach to the community and industry to raise awareness about scams and exploitation and preventing victimization. It presented a public messaging campaign in conjunction with the observance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: https://youtu.be/Av6XWosOCpU. U.S. Attorney Thompson participated in a virtual town hall focused on elder fraud education and prevention hosted by AARP of West Virginia on September 27, 2022.
The Department also highlighted three other efforts: expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
The Department announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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.
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U.S. Attorney Announces New Initiative for Addressing Environmental Justice and Public Health ConcernsRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- U.S. Attorney Clifford D. Johnson announces a new initiative to address environmental justice and public health concerns. U.S. Attorney Johnson has designated an Environmental Justice Coordinator to coordinate the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to address those concerns. Members of the public may visit the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndin/environmental-justice-public-health for information regarding where to report environmental violations or public health issues; and also how to report such concerns to the Environmental Justice Coordinator.
U.S. Attorney Johnson stated: "Strong and fair enforcement of environmental and public health laws protects our precious natural resources, including Lake Michigan and the Indiana Dunes National Park, and ensures a healthy environment for everyone to live, learn, play, and work. Your reporting of environmental and public health concerns supports environmental protection and environmental justice and helps us protect the community from harmful violations of federal health and safety laws."
The Office’s reporting procedures are part of the Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy, which seeks to advance environmental justice through timely and effective remedies for environmental violations and injuries to natural resources in “underserved communities that have been historically marginalized and overburdened, including low-income communities, communities of color, and Tribal and Indigenous communities.” The Department of Justice enforces the Nation’s civil and criminal environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and hazardous waste laws. The Department also protects natural resources and handles cases relating to tribal rights and resources. Working with its Department of Justice partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office seeks to secure environmental justice for all communities, to ensure that everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, and to protect equal access to a healthy environment in which to live, learn, play, and work.
The Office’s reporting procedures are in addition to other methods of reporting environmental concerns to the federal government, such as the online portal maintained by the United States Environmental Protection Agency: https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations. Additional points of contact for federal agencies may be found on the Office’s website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndin/environmental-justice-public-health .
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Two Georgia Residents Plead Guilty to Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that XAVIER SIMMS and BRYCE MARTIN pled guilty to trafficking firearms from Georgia to New York and conspiring to do the same. SIMMS pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern, and MARTIN pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today, Xavier Simms and Bryce Martin admitted to trafficking guns from Georgia to New York. Their actions contributed to the flow of illegal guns into New York, which too often results in gun violence in our communities. Today’s pleas reflect the commitment of this Office and our law enforcement partners to rid our streets of illegal guns and to prosecute gun traffickers to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to the Complaint, Information against each defendant, and other documents filed in federal court, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:
On April 20, 2022, members of the FBI Westchester Safe Streets Task Force and the City of Yonkers Police Department were investigating illegal firearms activity in the vicinity of Elm and Linden streets in Yonkers, New York. During the course of their investigation, they attempted to interdict members of the conspiracy, including XAVIER SIMMS, BRYCE MARTIN, and a third co-conspirator (“CC-1”). When law enforcement officers approached SIMMS, MARTIN, and CC-1 at a Yonkers deli, CC-1 shot and critically wounded an FBI Task Force Officer at close range. After that, an FBI Special Agent fired his gun at CC-1 and fatally wounded CC-1.
Law enforcement officers recovered four firearms in total from SIMMS, MARTIN, and CC-1 at the Yonkers deli, including a “Ghost Gun” — a type of firearm that is designed to evade law enforcement detection.
SIMMS and MARTIN had previously traveled together with CC-1 from Georgia to New York, arriving in Yonkers on or about April 19, 2022, with multiple firearms to sell. Evidence recovered from their cellphones showed that SIMMS and MARTIN both had access to specialized firearms, including machinegun-style weapons. Once in Yonkers, SIMMS, MARTIN, and CC-1 met with another individual (“Individual-1”) who received from them at least five firearms to sell on consignment.
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SIMMS, 22, of Covington, Georgia, and MARTIN, 23, of Hampton, Georgia, each pled guilty to one count of conspiring to traffic firearms, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of firearms trafficking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(a)(1)(A) and 924(a)(1), which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
SIMMS is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20, 2023. MARTIN is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11, 2023.
The statutory maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the City of Yonkers Police Department. He also thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Shiva H. Logarajah and Kevin T. Sullivan are in charge of the prosecution.
Tucson Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Alexandro Luis Gomez, 30, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced on September 28, 2022, by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 17 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Gomez previously pleaded guilty to Distribution of a Controlled Substance connected to the overdose death of a young man in December 2019. The Court also ordered Gomez to pay $12,727 in restitution to the decedent’s family as compensation for expenses related to the young man’s funeral and burial .
In December 2019, Gomez sold the decedent six pills containing fentanyl for $90, which caused the decedent to overdose and die from fentanyl toxicity.
As part of the law enforcement investigation into Gomez, agents witnessed him selling drugs to two other customers. When Gomez was arrested, he had 462 fentanyl pills and a handgun inside his vehicle. During a search of his residence, agents found drugs of various types, four additional firearms, multiple cellular telephones, and $10,625 in drug proceeds.
“Drug dealers are responsible for the consequences when young Americans die from the poison they sell,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “This lengthy sentence for a $90 sale of six pills should serve both as a deterrent to other traffickers and as an homage to the victim’s family as they mourn his unexpected death.”
The Oro Valley Police Department, the Tucson Police Department, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Forsyth handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-1707-TUC-RM-EJM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-170_Gomez# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Troy Man Sentenced to 46 Months for Distributing and Conspiring to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – David Colon, age 41, of Troy, New York was sentenced yesterday to 46 months in prison for distributing fentanyl.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
In pleading guilty, Colon admitted that from August 31, 2020 through December 15, 2020, he ran a drug trafficking organization that operated in Albany and Rensselaer counties. As the leader of this operation, Colon distributed and agreed with others to distribute approximately 125 grams of fentanyl on multiple occasions throughout Albany and Troy. Colon forfeited $560,548 in seized cash, which represented proceeds of his fentanyl distribution operation.
United States District Judge Mae. A. D’Agostino also sentenced Colon to serve 4 years of post-release supervision.
This case was investigated by the DEA and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Williams.