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9 November 2022
Bristol Man and Girlfriend Charged with Committing Numerous Violent Robberies Across ConnecticutRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment today charging LONNY CROSS, 44, and REBECCA BARBERA, 40, both of Bristol, with conspiring to commit numerous violent robberies across Connecticut in September and October of this year. Cross is also charged with a narcotics distribution offense.
As alleged in court documents, the FBI and Connecticut State Police have been working with state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate more than 30 robberies of gas station convenience stores, mini-markets and liquor stores that occurred from September 5 to October 13 in North Branford, Waterbury, Wolcott, Plymouth, New Haven, North Haven, Orange, West Haven, Wethersfield, Bristol, Southington, Naugatuck, Watertown, Franklin, Norwich, Waterford, Groton City, Stonington, Ledyard, Darien, Norwalk, Stratford and Seymour. Several of the robberies occurred on the same day, often minutes apart. Surveillance videos from the stores show what appears to be the same suspect, identified as Cross, entering the stores, brandishing a knife or gun, and robbing the stores. Witnesses to several of the robberies reported that they saw the suspect flee in a dark-colored sedan.
The indictment alleges that Cross would travel to a victim-store with Barbera, who would enter the store to determine the number of employees and customers in the store, exit the store, and then report that information to Cross. Cross would then enter the store, display a knife or firearm while threatening employees, and steal cash and other items.
On October 14, 2022, investigators conducted court-authorized searches of Cross’s and Barbera’s residence, and a black 2014 Chevrolet Impala that Cross was known to drive. The search of the residence revealed clothing consistent with clothing worn by the suspect in several of the robberies, as well as 54 bags of suspected heroin, a quantity of suspected crack cocaine, and narcotics paraphernalia. A search of the car revealed 120 bags of suspected heroin, approximately 14 grams of crack, and a knit hat matching the description of one worn by the suspect during a robbery the day before. Cross, who was on state parole, was arrested on state charges on that date. He has been detained since his arrest.
Barbara was arrested on October 28 on a federal criminal complaint and is currently released on a $10,000 bond.
The indictment charges Cross and Barbera with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Cross is also charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”) and heroin, an offense that also carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI, Connecticut State Police, Orange Police Department, Port Chester (N.Y.) Police Department, and numerous other police departments from the municipalities where the robberies occurred, with the assistance of Connecticut State Parole. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah P. Karwan.
Boyle County Man Sentenced to 360 Months for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— A Danville, Ky., man, Casey Scott Armstrong, 47, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for production of child pornography.
Armstrong’s plea agreement confirms that, in March 2021, Armstrong began sharing methamphetamine with a minor female and, in May 2021, Armstrong began engaging in sexual acts with the same minor, later producing two videos of himself engaging in sex with the minor. The plea agreement also confirms that Armstrong gave methamphetamine and engaged in sex with another minor female in August 2021.
Armstrong pleaded guilty in August 2022.
Under federal law, Armstrong must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Filed Office; and Chief Tony Gray, Danville Police Department jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Danville Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Roth and Mary Melton.
This case was prosecuted 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 Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Bowling Green Federal Grand Jury Returns Three Indictments Charging Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green returned three indictments today separately charging three men with drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. made the announcement.
According to court records:
Forrest Holmes, age 60, of Henderson County, Kentucky, was charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Holmes had previously been convicted in the Henderson Circuit Court of several felonies, including first-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), manufacturing methamphetamine, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, convicted felon in possession of a handgun, and tampering with physical evidence. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Rickey Sutton, age 28, of Daviess County, Kentucky, was charged in a superseding indictment with two counts of distribution of fentanyl, and once count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Sutton had previously been convicted in the Daviess Circuit Court for the felonies of convicted felon in possession of a firearm, receiving stolen property (firearm), and tampering with physical evidence. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Alan C. Rogers, age 55, of Livingston County, Kentucky, was charged with one count of possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of firearms, and possession of a firearm with an altered/obliterated serial number. Rogers had previously been convicted in the Livingston Circuit Court of the felony of complicity to first-degree possession of a controlled substance. If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Daviess County/Owensboro HIDTA Drug Task Force, the FBI, the ATF, and the Kentucky State Police are investigating the cases.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jo Lawless and Mark J. Yurchisin II.
These cases are 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Black Hawk Man Found Guilty of Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal jury in Rapid City, South Dakota, has convicted Stephen Fontenot, Jr., age 40, of Black Hawk, South Dakota, of Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, and Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography. The verdict was returned on November 3, 2022.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years up to life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, five years up to lifetime of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Fontenot was indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2021.
Evidence at trial established that Fontenot was arrested as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2021 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting internet predators. Following multiple sexually explicit chats and text messages with a person Fontenot believed to be a 12-year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover agent, Fontenot proceeded to negotiate a time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. When Fontenot went to the pre-determined location to meet the minor, he was instead met by law enforcement agents and placed under arrest.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, Homeland Security Investigations, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date will be set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Bentonville Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Bentonville man was sentenced today to 96 months in prison without the possibility of parole on one count of Transportation of Child Pornography. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, in September 2021, the Rogers Police Department received a Cyber Tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in reference to suspected child pornography being uploaded to a Google account. Further investigation revealed that the email address associated with the Google account was assigned to Keith Alan Miller, age 36, and that the account contained child pornography belonging to Miller.
Miller was indicted in April of 2022 and entered a plea of guilty in June of 2022.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Rogers Police Department and the Arkansas Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Williams prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Joel Ivan Caquias Aviles, 22, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to serve 30 months of imprisonment for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford also ordered Aviles to serve a three-year term of supervised release after his incarceration.
According to court records, Aviles was arrested on March 23, 2022 during the execution of search warrants at the Highlander Motel in Rutland, Vermont. Aviles was located in Room 15 of the Motel. A search of that room resulted in the seizure of approximately 37 grams of cocaine base, 168 bags of fentanyl, over $5,000 in cash, and a Glock 9mm handgun. A Burlington Police Department identification technician examined the Glock handgun, and located Aviles’ fingerprints on the firearm. In 2019, Aviles was convicted of two felonies related to violations of the Pennsylvania Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act. Those prior felony convictions prohibited Aviles from possessing a firearm.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Rutland City Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Vermont State Police, the Bennington Police Department, the Weathersfield Police Department, the Rutland County Sheriff’s Department, the Ludlow Police Department, the Rutland Town Police Department, the Vermont Department of Corrections, and the Burlington Police Department.
The prosecutor was Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Aviles was represented by Devin McLaughlin, Esq.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn
23-Year-Old Funds Lavish Lifestyle Through FraudRead the Press Release
When 23-year-old J. Nicholas Bryant realized couldn’t afford the lavish lifestyle he wanted – complete with luxury limo rides, fully-stocked charter flights, and a private outing on a 90-foot yacht – he turned to fraud, he admitted in court today, according to U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Mr. Bryant, now 26, pleaded guilty to wire fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge D. Gordon Bryant, Jr. on Wednesday, November 9, 2022.
“Like many of his peers, Nicholas Bryant apparently coveted the life of the rich and famous. Unlike his peers, he wasn’t about to let a lack of funds get in the way of his fantasy,” said U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham.
According to plea papers, Mr. Bryant admitted that from 2020 through 2021, he defrauded at least 50 unsuspecting victims by booking luxury goods and services and then manipulating online payment platforms like QuickBooks and Veem to make it appear that payments were forthcoming. On at least one occasion, he convinced a victim company that his “secretary” – a woman who did not exist – would make payments on his behalf. Knowing that the software would generate payment confirmations immediately, but would take several days to notify victims of cancelled payments, Mr. Bryant satisfied vendors and business owners that payments were forthcoming when due.
In this manner, he obtained more than a dozen private jet flights, a half-day sail on a 90-foot yacht, numerous high-end hotel rooms, extravagant steak and champagne dinners, and five luxury vehicles worth more than $500,000. He also racked up a bill for substantial materials and labor on a $980,000 home and pool.
To lend an air of legitimacy to his schemes, Mr. Bryant convinced victims that his parents were wealthy oil and gas investors and that he himself was employed by a number of fictious companies. He assumed identities of fictious persons, communicated with victims under assumed names, and even created sham websites to further his scheme. In at least once instance, he convinced the owner of an oil and gas company, who had previously worked with and trusted him, to front roughly $150,000 to open a fictitious oil well.
Mr. Bryant now faces up to 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing has not yet been set.
The U.S. Secret Service’s Lubbock Resident Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division, the Lubbock Police Department, the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office, the Brownwood Police Department, Texas Parks & Wildlife of Coleman County, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana, and the Cody Police Department in Wyoming conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey is prosecuting the case.
17 Domain Names Linked to Online Scams Seized and FrozenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Seventeen domain names linked with work-from-home and reshipping scams were seized Thursday and shut down by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FBI.
The websites were being used to commit identity theft, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud and mail and wire fraud via the scams, according to a court affidavit used to initiate the seizures.
Scammers tricked some job seekers into receiving stolen goods, merchandise or money often obtained via identity theft or credit card fraud and reshipping those items to another address controlled by the scammers. Many of these unsuspecting victims believed they were accepting jobs with a legitimate company and performing a legitimate job function. Others were told to make purchases with their personal credit cards that were not reimbursed.
Scammers use the job seekers to help insulate themselves from law enforcement. They also often use fictional company names, addresses and domains to avoid detection and thwart negative news or reviews posted online by previous victims.
The investigation began in February of 2021, when a scammer used someone else’s credit card to order a virtual reality headset and had it shipped to a home in Hazelwood, Missouri. The victim reported the theft to the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, which conducted a preliminary investigation and then forwarded the information to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
A postal inspector learned that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the home’s occupant sought and obtained work-from-home employment as a “Quality Control Inspector” with Local Post for International Customers LLC or “LocalPost.”
The occupant was paid $20 to photograph a package and its contents and then reship the items to another address using a shipping label provided by LocalPost.
The Hazelwood woman allowed investigators to use her credentials to log on to the LocalPost online dashboard, where records showed 25 packages shipped to the Hazelwood address, including a $1,500 laptop fraudulently purchased with a St. Louis County man’s credit card.
Investigators found multiple links suggesting the scammers were located in Russia.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received 64 complaints associated with the scammers. A Texas victim was hired as a “Logistics inspector” by the company Navois USA LLC to make purchases with their own credit card. The victim spent about $32,000 that was not reimbursed.
The Federal Trade Commission received 56 complaints about the websites.
The U.S. Attorney's Office.“Although the scammers who defrauded an untold number of people are hiding from justice in foreign countries, we’ve shut off their ability to perpetuate the scams by shutting down these websites,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler Fleming. “This case should serve as a warning to them, and to those who may be tricked into participating in similar scams in the future. Anyone approached with a work-from-home opportunity should thoroughly investigate their prospective employer before sharing any personal information. Both the Federal Trade Commission and the AARP have information on spotting and reporting such scams, and victims can report these crimes to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service via www.uspis.gov/report or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, www.ic3.gov.”
Acting Inspector in Charge Kai Pickens, who heads the United States Postal Inspection Service’s St. Louis Field Office, stated, “The seizure of these domains is the result of a successful joint prevention effort between the Postal Inspection Service and the FBI. Protecting consumers from mail fraud operations that utilize websites to re-ship stolen goods is a vital part of our agency’s mission.”
“This is yet another type of cyber fraud that criminals, often overseas, are using to victimize hard-working Americans,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “To avoid the vast majority of online scams, make it a habit to ‘Always Doubt and Check It Out.’ With this type of scheme, do an internet search of the ‘business’ addresses provided and then call the phone number of that location to verify.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Derek Wiseman is handling the case.
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8 November 2022
Wilmington Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing GunRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that a Wilmington, Delaware man was sentenced to 37 months in prison last week for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Andrews pronounced the sentence.
According to statements made in open court, Khalil Rodriguez-Fitzgerald, 27, possessed a Glock model 19x handgun from February 8, 2021, until February 11, 2021. The gun, which was straw purchased in North Carolina on February 7, 2021, was transported north, and delivered to the defendant in New Jersey on February 8, 2021. Rodriguez-Fitzgerald is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his criminal history.
At the sentencing hearing, the government argued that Rodriguez-Fitzgerald should be subject to additional jail time because, in addition to possessing the Glock, his social media and phone contents demonstrated that Rodriguez-Fitzgerald was buying guns, giving guns to gang members, and selling drugs for months before he was arrested. The Court agreed that the defendant’s conduct warranted a sentence greater than called for by the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Rodriguez-Fitzgerald has also been indicted in the Superior Court of Delaware for gang participation and weapons charges for his involvement with a local gang referred to as Northpak. The Superior Court indictment charged a number of other members of Northpak with committing shootings and murders in New Castle County between 2018 and 2021. The government noted at the sentencing hearing that Rodriguez-Fitzgerald frequently communicated with and supplied firearms to members of Northpak, and he bragged about committing acts of violence himself within his social media.
U.S. Attorney Weiss commented about the sentence, “Mr. Rodriguez-Fitzgerald poses a clear and present danger to our community. First, he contributed to the violence in our streets by possessing guns himself and by supplying guns to gang members. These illegal firearms were then used to intimidate and harm members of rival gangs. Second, when law enforcement attempted to apprehend defendant, he eluded capture by driving on Concord Pike at speeds approaching 100 miles per hour, thereby endangering innocent bystanders. For these reasons, the government requested a sentence of 57 months, more than two years above the prescribed guideline range. My office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to combat the gang violence plaguing our community.”
“From start to finish in this case, there is a flagrant disregard for law, order, and human life,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Baltimore Field Division Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby. “The firearm this criminal possessed was straw purchased, bought with the intention of giving it to someone who cannot legally have it. He pushed drugs and guns into the community and aided other gang members in obtaining guns that are destined to threaten the safety of Delaware’s citizens. This kind of remorseless criminal behavior will not be tolerated by ATF and our law enforcement partners.”
The charges in this case were the result of a joint investigation involving the ATF, the Wilmington Police Department, and the Delaware Department of Justice to address the violence caused by Northpak and its associates. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer K. Welsh prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 21-cr-11.
West Warwick Man Arraigned on Federal Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A West Warwick man appeared in federal court today on federal firearm and drug charges, brought after West Warwick Police, investigating allegations of domestic violence that occurred at the man’s residence, discovered and seized seven firearms, nearly a kilo of cocaine, and more than one-half million dollar in cash, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
It is alleged in charging documents that, in the early morning of October 31, 2022, Geovhan Rashaine Thomas, 35, held a woman against her will, repeatedly verbally and physically assaulting her and threatening to shoot her. The alleged victim told police that, about an hour after the incident began, as she was being allowed to leave the residence with her two children who witnessed the alleged assaults, Thomas retrieved a firearm from a bedroom. The woman alleged to police that she previously saw Thomas handle firearms inside his residence on numerous occasions.
West Warwick Police sought and executed a state arrest warrant charging Thomas with forceable confinement, domestic assault, domestic disorderly conduct, and obstructing an emergency call to police. Members of the West Warwick/Coventry Police Departments Regional SWAT team also executed a court-authorized search of Thomas’ residence and allegedly seized seven firearms, five of which were loaded, one of them with no visible serial number; 827.6 grams of cocaine; and approximately $575,000 in cash.
Thomas, already being held in state custody on domestic violence charges, appeared today in U.S. District Court, charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and being a felon in possession of firearms. A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
According to court records, Thomas was previously convicted in Rhode Island state court on unrelated drug charges.
The matter is being prosecuted in U.S. District Court by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey P. Veroni.
The West Warwick Detective investigating this matter is assigned to the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Virginia Man Sentenced as Part of Massive Scheme to Steal Pandemic Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Pound, Virginia man, who conspired with at least 37 others to steal pandemic unemployment benefits, was sentenced yesterday to 36 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $18,160 in restitution.
Danny L. Mullins, 50, was convicted following a two-day jury trial in August 2022 of conspiracy to defraud the United States, fraud in connection with federal emergency benefits, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mullins received more than $18,000 in fraudulent benefits by conspiring with others, including his sister, Veronica Mullins, and conspiracy leaders Danielle Chytka, Greg Tackett, and Jeffrey Tackett, to input his personally identifiable information to the Virginia Employment Commission in order to receive pandemic unemployment benefits to which he was not entitled.
In all, the conspiracy involved submitting fraudulent claims for approximately 37 individuals, including multiple inmates incarcerated in southwest Virginia regional jails, all of whom were not eligible to receive pandemic unemployment benefits, and causing at least $499,000 in false claims to be paid.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.
The Department of Labor - Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation - Washington, D.C. Field Office, and the Norton Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel J. Murphy and Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Agreement to Ensure Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder at Fayette County Detention CenterRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – United States Attorney Carlton S. Shier, IV, announced Tuesday that an agreement has been reached with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s Department of Community Corrections, to ensure that people who take medication to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) can remain on their medication while in custody at Fayette County Detention Center (FCDC), as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The agreement resolves a U.S. Attorney’s Office ADA compliance review of FCDC, in which it was determined that, as a matter of policy, the facility did not provide most individuals with OUD with methadone and buprenorphine, medications that treat OUD. The settlement agreement requires FCDC to revise its policies to provide access to all three forms of medications to people with OUD and ensure that decisions about treatment are based on an individualized determination by qualified medical personnel.
“Eastern Kentucky has long been on the front lines of the opioid epidemic and our office remains committed to a comprehensive approach to fighting this public health crisis, including enforcement of the ADA’s requirements safeguarding treatment,” said U.S. Attorney Shier. “Access to medications that treat opioid use disorder saves lives, and we commend the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s Department of Community Corrections for working collaboratively with our office to implement a policy that ensures access to this important treatment for the people in its custody.”
OUD is considered a disability under the ADA, which requires that jails and prisons maintain the medications of individuals in treatment for their OUD. Methadone and buprenorphine (including brand names Subutex and Suboxone) are approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat OUD. According to the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), methadone and buprenorphine help diminish the effects of physical dependency on opioids. When taken as prescribed, these medications are safe and effective.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Pond, as part of an ongoing effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to enforce the ADA, seeking to eliminate discriminatory barriers to treatment for OUD. It is the Department of Justice’s twenty-eighth agreement resolving allegations of ADA violations arising from OUD treatment and the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s second this year.
To find out more about the ADA or this settlement agreement, access the Department’s ADA website at http://www.ada.gov. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts or to report a potential violation of the ADA or other federal civil rights laws, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao-edky/civil-rights
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U.S. Attorney Will Thompson to Honor Longtime Charleston YWCA CEO Debby WeinsteinRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will recognize Debby Weinstein at a 2:30 p.m. event on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, for her decades of service to the community as CEO of the Charleston YWCA.
WHAT: Event honoring retiring Charleston YWCA CEO Debby Weinstein
WHERE: YWCA Shanklin Center for Senior Enrichment, 515 Elizabeth Street, Charleston
WHEN: Tuesday, November 8, 2022, at 2:30 p.m.
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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Two men admit to harboring over 31 peopleRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two men illegally residing in Laredo have pleaded guilty to harboring illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Angel Garcia-Garcia, 27, Veracruz, Mexico, and Selvin Antonio Gomez-Garranza, 22, Choluteca, Honduras, pleaded guilty to their roles in conspiring to conceal, harbor or shield 31 non-U.S. citizens.
As part of their pleas, Garcia-Garcia and Gomez-Garranza admitted on April 8, they transported undocumented individuals to a stash house. Gomez-Garranza also admitted to being a caretaker.
Authorities executed a search warrant and discovered 31 people inside the house. They additionally found three ledgers with approximately 350 names listed.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana will impose sentencing at a future date. At that time, both face up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Not U.S. citizens, both are expected to also face removal proceedings.
Garcia-Garcia and Gomez-Garranza have been and remain in custody pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Isaac is prosecuting the case.
Two drug runners for drug trafficking organization connected to CJNG cartel sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two men who served as drug runners for a Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) cartel connected drug trafficking organization were sentenced to prison today following an extensive wiretap investigation, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. In sentencing 28-year-old Armando Fierro-Ponce to eight years in prison, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour noted that he had acted as a debt collector for the organization, obtaining guns and making threats of violence against those who owed the group money.
“A wiretap investigation captured the criminal conduct of these two defendants, and the roles they played in the organization. Fierro-Ponce discussed obtaining firearms and threatening those in debt to the organization,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “Fortunately, law enforcement was listening, and able to intervene before threats of kidnapping and assault became a reality. Now, both men are heading to prison for their part in an organization that trafficked pound quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, and potentially deadly fentanyl pills throughout King, Snohomish, Lewis, and Pierce Counties.”
Fierro-Ponce was among nineteen people indicted in July 2020, following an 18-month investigation of the drug trafficking organization. The drug trafficking group disguised methamphetamine in candles to smuggle it into the Pacific Northwest. When the candle wax was melted, the methamphetamine was then processed into crystal meth and sold.
During the two months that law enforcement was monitoring phones of the drug organization, there were multiple times when Fierro-Ponce was heard discussing firearms and violent debt-collection activities. Law enforcement responded to these threats by flooding the area near the potential victim with law enforcement, warning the potential victim and/or making arrests to prevent the violence.
A second drug runner for the organization, 27-year-old Edgar Luna-Garcia, was sentenced to five years in prison. Luna-Garcia was trusted by the organization with large loads of methamphetamine and was called on to clean out a stash house following a shooting.
Neither Fierro-Ponce nor Luna-Garcia have legal status in the United States and likely will be deported following their prison terms.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Tacoma Resident Office in partnership with Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement Team (TNET), Kent Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, SeaTac Police Department, Thurston County Narcotics Team (TNT), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amy Jaquette and C. Andrew Colasurdo.
Two Maryland Men Plead Guilty to Armed Home Invasion and Attempted Robbery in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jose Gonzalez Pacheco, aka Jose Gonzalez, 48, and Kenneth Demetrius Harris, aka Kenneth Vann, 43, both of Silver Spring, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges stemming from their roles in an armed robbery in Northeast Washington.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Pacheco and Harris each pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of threatening to kill or injure a victim. They are to be sentenced on Feb. 16, 2023, by the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper.
As part of their pleas, Pacheco and Harris admitted that on the afternoon of July 16, 2021, they entered a male victim’s apartment in the 1400 block of New York Avenue NE, knowing that he operated an illegal marijuana “dispensary” from that location. They intended to rob him of marijuana and cash. Upon entering the apartment, Pacheco and Harris – both of whom were armed with 9mm semi-automatic handguns – discovered that the victim’s wife, female friend, and infant child were also in the apartment.
The male victim attempted to wrestle Harris’s gun away, at which point Harris choked and punched the male victim. While Harris had the male victim in a headlock, Pacheco pointed a handgun at the male victim’s wife, friend, and infant child and told the male victim to calm down before someone got hurt. When the male victim relented, he, his wife, and his friend were bound and gagged with duct tape and zip ties, and the infant child was placed in a baby swing. The male victim was able to remove the duct tape from his mouth and call for help, and a neighbor called 911. MPD officers responded to the scene and arrested Pacheco and Harris before they could escape. Both defendants have been detained without bond since their arrest.
In announcing the pleas, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI and MPD. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Genevieve de Guzman and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory V. Cole and James B. Nelson, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Tulsa Man Pleads Guilty to 2021 Shooting of a 13-Year-Old BoyRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man who shot and killed a 13-year-old during an argument at Parkview Terrace apartments in Tulsa pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Christian James Harrison, 20, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty to second degree murder in Indian Country.
“Christian Harrison took the life of a 13-year-old boy. Today, he has been held accountable for this terrible crime. My thoughts are with the child’s family and friends,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Our children are meant to outlive us, not be struck down in senseless acts of violence. Law enforcement officials will continue to pursue justice for victims of violent crime to make our neighborhoods safer for all children.”
On Dec. 22, 2021, an argument occurred between Harrison, who was 19 years old at the time, and the victim’s older brother. The brother had been visiting his girlfriend at Harrison’s apartment. Shortly after, the young man returned with his 13-year-old brother—the victim, and another child to continue the argument. They found Harrison outside near the apartment mailboxes. During the argument, Harrison pulled out a firearm. The older brother asked Harrison if he was going to use the gun rather than fight. Harrison answered “yes” and shot at the group approximately seven times. Three bullets struck the victim. Harrison fled from the crime scene.
At approximately 6 pm, the Tulsa Police Department responded to shots fired at the apartment complex. Officers found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds. He was later pronounced dead at a Tulsa hospital.
Several witnesses identified Harrison as the shooter. On Dec. 28, 2021, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service and FBI located and arrested Harrison outside a vacant trailer in Locust Grove.
The FBI, Tulsa Police Department, and Cherokee Nation Marshal Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven J. Briden is prosecuting the case.
Tampa Man Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in Prison for Producing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material and Engaging in Child Sex Tourism in ColombiaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Hugo Espinosa Chavez (59, Tampa) to 21 years and 10 months’ imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for using a minor child to produce images depicting sexual abuse, traveling to Colombia to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a child, and possessing images of this child being sexually abused. Espinosa Chavez is a dual citizen of both Colombia and the United States. He is also required to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $3,000. Espinosa Chavez had pleaded guilty on July 6, 2022.
According to court documents, from May through December 2020, Espinosa Chavez coerced, persuaded, and used a 15-year-old indigent child who lived in Colombia to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing photos of this conduct. In return, Espinosa Chavez gave the child money and other gifts. Espinosa Chavez located the 15-year-old child victim on Facebook and began communicating with the child via Facebook Messenger. Espinosa Chavez demanded nude photos of the child, offering money in exchange for photos of the child’s buttocks and genitals.
On December 12, 2020, Espinosa Chavez traveled from the United States to the Republic of Colombia for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with the child. Espinosa Chavez ultimately sexually abused the child victim, again offering money and gifts in exchange for sex. On other occasions, Espinosa Chavez took sexually explicit pictures of the child on his personal cellphone. In return, the child victim was given 60,000 Colombian pesos (about $17 in U.S. currency) for the initial pictures the victim had sent. When the pictures were taken in person, Espinosa Chavez paid the child a small amount of cash in exchange for taking pictures and enduring the sexual abuse perpetrated by Espinosa Chavez. Espinosa Chavez continued to demand more sexual acts from the child and would only pay the child if the specific requests were met. When the child victim resisted and did not fully cooperate, Espinosa Chavez said, “I feel cheated.”
On October 2, 2021, Espinosa Chavez was arrested on these federal child sex charges. During an interview with law enforcement, he admitted that he had paid the child money in exchange for sexually explicit photos, he knew the child was a minor, and he had sexually abused the child while in Colombia.
“This predator used social media as a weapon to manipulate a minor into engaging in the creation of illicit sexual material, then traveled internationally to sexually abuse the child in person,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt. “Children today are more vulnerable than ever, but thanks to the diligence of our special agents here in Tampa, with the substantial assistance of HSI Bogota special agents, the Colombian National Police, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, another child predator has been put behind bars.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Tampa, with substantial assistance from HSI Bogota and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance in the investigation. The United States thanks Colombian authorities for their valuable assistance. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Laundering Drug Trafficking ProceedsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a suburban Chicago man to seven years in federal prison for laundering illegal narcotics proceeds on behalf of drug traffickers in Mexico.
In the summer and fall of 2017 and the spring of 2018, HUAZHI HAN, 43, of North Riverside, Ill., schemed with other individuals in the United States and Mexico to facilitate the receipt of approximately $1.5 million in narcotics proceeds in the United States. Han picked up the drug money from others in the Chicago area and used the cash to purchase and then re-sell electronic devices. Han and another individual then caused the laundered money to be sent back to drug traffickers in Mexico.
In November 2017, Han attempted to receive approximately $100,000 in narcotics money from a drug dealer. At the time, Han was in possession of approximately $200,000 in cash, a firearm, and two loaded magazines. Law enforcement then searched Han’s residence and discovered a money counter, multiple firearms, more than $1.1 million in cash concealed in cookie tins inside of a drop ceiling in the basement, and approximately $200,000 in cash in vacuum-sealed packaging in the basement closet. In June 2018, law enforcement arrested Han after he received approximately $192,000 in money that was represented to Han to be drug money. At that time, Han was again in possession of a loaded firearm and extra magazine.
After a two-week trial in March, 2022, a federal jury convicted Han on all four charges against him, including one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of attempted concealment money laundering, one count of conducting a financial transaction with funds represented to be drug proceeds, and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. In addition to the guilty verdicts, the jury returned a special verdict as to the forfeiture of criminally derived property, finding that Han should forfeit approximately $1.5 million in cash, four handguns, a 2016 Mercedes-Benz automobile, a 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan, and an iPhone.
U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood sentenced Han on November 4, 2022, to 84 months on Counts I-III, and 60 months on Count IV, to run concurrently. She also imposed a three-year term of supervised release.
The conviction was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and Robert J. Bell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Substantial assistance was provided by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago, Chicago Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Treasury, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard M. Rothblatt and Alexandra Morgan.
Substitute Teacher Arrested on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Marc Hoffman, 25, of Fairport, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession and receipt of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on September 19, 2022, the Fairport School district received information that Hoffman, a substitute teacher in the district at the time, contacted a minor on social media asking for sexually explicit photos. The minor was not a Fairport student. The district alerted law enforcement officers and terminated Hoffman. Subsequent investigation determined that Hoffman allegedly communicated online with multiple minor victims, one as young as 13-years-old. Those communications included the exchange of sexually explicit photos. Investigators seized Hoffman’s cell phone, which was found to contain some of these alleged communications, as well as images of child pornography.
Hoffman made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and was released on conditions.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Stansbury.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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St. Louis Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Threatening to Blow up a St. Louis SynagogueRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a man to 30 months in prison for threatening to blow up a St. Louis synagogue in 2021.
Cody Steven Rush, 30, pleaded guilty in August to use of a telephone and instrument of interstate commerce to make a threat. He admitted calling the St. Louis office of the FBI multiple times on Nov. 5, 2021 and threatening to blow up the Central Reform Congregation in St. Louis. Rush said he would take action the next morning, when people were inside. Rush said he hated Jewish people.
In a third call, Rush gave his location, which was on the same street as the CRC. When authorities called Rush back, he again made threats.
Officers with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI found Rush, who told them, “I am feeling suicidal and homicidal. I just feel like killing Jews.” He was arrested without incident.
Rush’s lawyer, Lucille Liggett, said in Tuesday’s sentencing hearing that Rush has mental health issues, suffered a brain injury and has PTSD.
Judge Autrey ordered Rush to undergo a mental health evaluation in prison and upon his release.
“Cody Steven Rush has already proven he is capable of violence with his criminal history. He attempted to burn down his own family’s home and a neighbor’s home on separate occasions,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Today’s sentencing is a clear warning that anyone who threatens the civil rights of others stands to lose his or her own freedom.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department.
Springfield Man Sentenced for Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a scheme to launder the proceeds of various telephone fraud scams.
Utkarsh Thakur, 29, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. Thakur was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,535,518. On April 25, 2022, Thakur pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy.
Between January and August 2021, Thakur’s co-conspirators called victims over the phone pretending to be individuals in positions of authority, such as law enforcement, and threatening the victims in order to obtain money. For example, Thakur’s co-conspirators threatened that the victims would be arrested or lose public assistance benefits if they did not mail cash to fictitious individuals at addresses in Massachusetts. Thakur obtained fake identification cards in the names of those fictitious individuals, retrieved the cash mailed by the victims and transported the cash to others involved in the scheme. In total, Thakur laundered more than $1.5 million in victim funds and kept a portion of those funds for himself.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by many local law enforcement partners, including the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office and the Sharon and Bellingham Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to the sexual exploitation of a 14-year-old victim.
Jared Neal Gonzales, 25, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to one count of using a minor to produce child pornography.
By pleading guilty today, Gonzales admitted he was in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. Gonzalez also admitted they used a cell phone to record themselves having sexual intercourse. On at least two occasions, at Gonzales’s request, the child victim used her cell phone to send him videos of the couple engaged in sexual intercourse.
Under federal statutes, Gonzales is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the FBI and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
South Florida Man Charged with COVID-19 Relief Fraud Allegedly Spends Loan Money on Exotic Sport CarsRead the Press Release
MIAMI — Andre Lorquet, 38, of Miami made his first appearance today in federal magistrate court and was charged with fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief loans and grants under the Paycheck Protection Program, the Economic Injury Disaster Relief Program, and the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant.
According to allegations in the indictment, Lorquet submitted fraudulent applications seeking more than $4.7 million in COVID-19 relief funds. In the applications, Lorquet falsified his revenue and payroll and submitted fraudulent IRS tax forms. In addition, Lorquet is alleged to have submitted documents pretending to be, and in the name of, a certified tax preparer.
According to the charges, Lorquet received approximately $4.4 million in COVID-19 relief funds from the fraudulent scheme and is alleged to have used the proceeds to purchase—among other things—a Tesla Plaid, a Tesla Model S, a Lamborghini Urus, and a Porsche Panamera GTS.
The indictment charges Lorquet with four counts of wire fraud, four counts of money laundering, and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he faces up to 22 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael E. Buckley, acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI, Miami Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Bailyn is prosecuting it and Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
An Indictment is only an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
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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SnapChat Sale of Fentanyl-Laced Pills Leads to Federal Prison Term for Harrisonburg ManRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va. – Abdallah Amer Ali, 21, of Harrisonburg, Virginia, was sentenced today to 13 years in federal prison after selling a fatal dose of fentanyl to a 16-year-old in Harrisonburg.
Ali pleaded guilty in June 2022 to one count of distributing a measurable quantity of fentanyl.
“In 2021, more than 100,000 Americans died from drug poisonings, with nearly three-fourths of those deaths involving opioids, and we are on pace to surpass that this year,” said United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh. “Our country is in the midst of a staggering crisis and we must approach it comprehensively by prosecuting those who poison our communities and providing support and services to those fighting drug addiction disorder. Fighting this epidemic from both ends is the only way forward.”
“Many of the people who died from fentanyl had no idea they even took it. The drug cartels are using social media to relentlessly expand their business and deceptively sell fake pills directly to young people,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Division. “We will not stand for criminals such as this, who are duping our youth and fueling the overdose crisis in our area. This case is an example of how the DEA and our law enforcement partners are working to put an end to such unscrupulous criminal behavior and keep our communities safe.”
According to court documents, in October 2019, using the messaging app SnapChat, Ali arranged to sell what the teenage victim believed were Percocet pills, also known as “percs.” Although he advised the teenager to not ingest all of them at once, Ali stopped short of letting him know that the pills also contained the lethal opioid, fentanyl. Unaware that his pills were fentanyl-laced, the teenager ingested the pills, overdosed, and died early the next morning.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Washington Division, Jarod Forget, announced the sentence today.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Bassford and Jonathan Jones prosecuted the case.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Harrisonburg Police Department, and the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
San Jose Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Traffic Methamphetamine in Solano CountyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Esteban Gerardo Ramirez, 32, of San Jose, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to possess and distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between Sept. 13, 2021, and March 8, 2022, Ramirez conspired with his co-defendant, Marsha Garma Phillips, 46, of Fairfield, to distribute methamphetamine in Solano County. Supplied by Ramirez, Phillips sold over 5 pounds of methamphetamine to a confidential source. Ramirez and Phillips were arrested in Fremont on March 8, 2022, when they were found in possession of an additional 2 pounds of methamphetamine.
This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force and the Fairfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.
Ramirez faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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.
San Antonio Couple Sentenced in Restaurant Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Mexican national man and his wife, both residing in San Antonio, were sentenced in federal court today for a scheme to defraud business investors of over $1 million and failing to properly declare their income to the Internal Revenue Service.
Juan Enrique Kramer, 46, was sentenced to three years in prison, forfeiture of $59,589 in proceeds, restitution of $1,171,497 payable to the victims of his wire fraud, and restitution of $727,936 to the IRS. Adriana Pastor, 47, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and is also liable for the $727,936 to the IRS. Both Kramer and Pastor were also sentenced to three years of post-release supervision.
According to court documents, Kramer and other co-conspirators promoted a “turn-key” business venture to Mexican nationals, consisting of a chain of Mexican food restaurants throughout the United States and Mexico known as “Las Quesadillas.” Kramer charged buyers a set fee ranging from $105,000 to $250,000 and promised to perform all tasks necessary for establishing a fully functional restaurant, including finding and renting a suitable location; obtaining all permits; providing assistance in obtaining visas for buyers; completing construction; training employees; and handling all legal fees and incorporation issues.
The defendants took funds from buyers but failed to provide the promised services. Instead, they used the funds for personal gain or to provide partial payments to previous customers who were demanding their money back. In addition to partial refunds, Kramer would also offer stakes in other businesses as an alternative to repayment. If buyers refused, Kramer would threaten to sue them for breach of contract. The defendants perpetrated their scheme on at least eight different victims resulting in a total loss of more than $1 million.
“Investment fraud schemes such as what Kramer and Pastor engaged in are specifically designed to take advantage of vulnerable, trusting individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Today’s sentences underscore that this is unacceptable criminal conduct and violators will be held accountable.”
Kramer and Pastor did not declare any of the investor income to the IRS. In 2016, Pastor signed a tax return which falsely stated a net income loss. In 2017 and 2018, the couple did not file any tax returns whatsoever, despite still running restaurants and taking in investor money.
On February 1, 2022, Kramer pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of failure to file an individual tax return. On February 22, 2022, Pastor pleaded guilty to one count of aiding or assisting in filing a false tax return. Two co-defendants who remain are pending sentencing.
“With Kramer and Pastor came a scheme that caused harm and created victims to citizens in two nations. Our efforts to coordinate with our law enforcement partners at home and abroad help ensure justice is served and criminals pay the price regardless of international borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington, of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “These two are con artists who swindled people out of money.”
The IRS-CI and the FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Texas State Securities Board.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Chung, Matthew W. Kinskey and Antonio Franco Jr. prosecuted the case.
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Residential Builder Pleads Guilty to Defrauding CustomersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Centreville man pleaded guilty today to defrauding customers who hired his company to build or remodel their residences.
According to court documents, from at least May 2017 through about April 2018, Pedro Felipe Valdes Sanchez, 57, devised and executed a scheme to defraud homeowners in and around McLean. Valdes contracted with several couples to build custom homes for them at a fixed price. He induced his customers to make payments to him by falsely representing that he would use the money to perform specific work on the customers’ properties. In the end, Valdes performed minimal work on these customers’ homes, sometimes only demolishing the existing residence on the customers’ property. Valdes also convinced one customer to lend him money by misrepresenting his company’s financial situation. He sometimes used client funds for personal expenses and routinely used funds from one client to fund another client’s projects.
Valdes is scheduled to be sentenced on February 14, 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 of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heidi B. Gesch and Russell L. Carlberg 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. 1:22-cr-194.
Prison Killer Who Stomped on Victim’s Head and Threw Him Down the Stairs Sentenced to 28 YearsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A federal prison inmate was sentenced to 28 years in prison today for murdering a fellow inmate at the Milan Correctional Facility, in Milan, Michigan, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Jonathan Hemingway, Warden, Milan Federal Correctional Institution.
United States District Court Judge Paul D. Borman sentenced Jason Dale Kechego, 41, formerly of Detroit, Michigan, following his conviction for Second Degree Murder after a jury trial. The 28-year sentenced was imposed to run consecutively to the ten-year sentence of imprisonment he was already serving for possessing a stolen firearm.
According to court records, on January 2, 2019, Kechego, along with co-defendant Adam Taylor Wright, 42, killed fellow inmate Christian Maire. Kechego and Wright repeatedly kicked and stomped Maire in the head, and Wright prevented corrections officers from intervening while Maire was allegedly being repeatedly stabbed by co-defendant Alex Albert Castro. Court records further allege, that Kechego, along with his two co-defendants, then threw Maire’s body down a flight of stairs. They then celebrated his death. Maire died from multiple stab wounds (28 total) and blunt force trauma to the head from being thrown down the stairs. Kechego and his co-defendants also assaulted and seriously injured three other Milan inmates during their rampage.
Wright pleaded guilty to second degree murder in February 2022 and was recently sentenced to 292 months for his role in the killing. Co-defendant Alex Castro, 42, is currently awaiting trial set for February 2023.
“We are committed to protecting the public, prisoners, and correctional staff from dangerous people like Jason Kechego. This lengthy additional sentence will not only keep him off the streets for decades, but also sends a message that we will hold individuals accountable for the crimes they commit both inside and outside of prison walls,” said U.S. Attorney Ison.
"The safety and security of employees and inmates are undermined whenever a violent act occurs in federal prison," said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Detroit Field Office. "The length of Mr. Kechego's sentence is a warning to anyone who commits a violent act in prison that they will be held accountable for their crimes."
This case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frances Lee Carlson and Andrew R. Picek.
Previously Convicted Evansville Child Sexual Abuser Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE – Wesley Owen Bowles, Jr., 59, of Evansville, Indiana, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to receipt of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, on March 20, 2020, law enforcement investigators learned about the transmission of suspected child pornography using Google applications. An investigation eventually led law enforcement officers to Bowles. Between March 1, 2019, and October 13, 2020, Bowles received and downloaded more than 600 images to his Google accounts depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct including images depicting a prepubescent minor or a minor under the age of twelve years and images involving sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence. The Court also imposed a sentencing enhancement because of the defendant’s pattern of sexually abusing or exploiting children. In 1999, Bowles was convicted of sexual abuse of a child in Dubois County, Indiana.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Indianapolis, made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case. The Evansville Police Department provided invaluable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young following Bowles’ guilty plea. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that Bowles be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from prison. Bowles must also register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Shellenbarger who prosecuted this case.
This investigation was conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a partnership of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies led by the Indiana State Police. The Task Force is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting crimes involving the technology-facilitated sexual exploitation of children and the trafficking of child sexual abuse material. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. 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.
Powell County Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Beattyville, Ky., man, Byron Wathen, 47, was sentenced in federal court on Tuesday, to ten years in prison, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to his plea agreement, on March 11, 2022, law enforcement found Wathen passed out, laying on his steering wheel at a car wash. During the incident, law enforcement located a pill pocket that contained a crystal substance and, elsewhere in his vehicle, a black bag containing 70 grams of methamphetamine, scales, and $6,613 in cash.
Wathen pleaded guilty in August 2022.
Under federal law, Wathen must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release, his three-year term of supervision by the U.S. Probation Office will commence.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Grant Faulkner, Chief of Police, Stanton Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Stanton Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield.
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Portland Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Large Quantities of Methamphetamine and Counterfeit Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A Portland, Oregon man with a prior drug trafficking conviction was sentenced to federal prison today after he was found driving on Interstate 5 in Southern Oregon with more than ten pounds of methamphetamine, nearly three pounds of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, and two firearms.
Jonathan James Lawson, 29, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on March 6, 2021, law enforcement learned Lawson was traveling from Southern California to Josephine County, Oregon with a large quantity of drugs. The next day, law enforcement spotted Lawson driving northbound on Interstate 5 near Grants Pass, Oregon and conducted a traffic stop. Inside Lawson’s vehicle, officers located a large tool case containing approximately ten pounds of methamphetamine, 700 grams of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, body armor, and a revolver. Officers located an additional 480 grams of fentanyl pills, ammunition, drug paraphernalia, and a second firearm elsewhere in the vehicle.
On May 4, 2021, Lawson was charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Later, on March 15, 2022, Lawson was charged by criminal information with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On May 9, 2022, he pleaded guilty to the single charge.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) task force, Grants Pass Police Department, and Oregon State Police. It was prosecuted by Marco Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Pontiac Man Arrested in ICE Enforcement Action Convicted of Armed Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Pontiac man was convicted yesterday by a federal jury in Detroit on charges of possessing cocaine and marijuana with the intent to distribute those drugs, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a person who is unlawfully in the United States, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining Ison in the announcement was James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Robert Lynch, Field Office Director ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit.
A four-day trial, conducted before United States District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds, resulted in the conviction of Edgar Rangel-Tapia, 27. Tapia faces a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of life when he is sentenced, likely early next year.
According to the evidence presented at trial, ICE ERO deportation officers were executing a search warrant for documents in April 2021. Tapia was the only person home at the time. During a protective sweep, agents saw a safe full of drugs and cash, and a shotgun behind a dresser. They then contacted the FBI, who secured a second search warrant for drugs, firearms, and related materials. The FBI recovered additional ammunition and a firearm, as well as over $9,000 cash in and around the safe in defendant’s bedroom. Investigators also found two hand-held scales (commonly used to weigh drugs for street sale), materials for packaging drugs for sale, and Tapia’s cellphone, which contained text messages relating to drug transactions.
Tapia entered the United States unlawfully and therefore cannot legally possess firearms.
“Our office will vigorously pursue armed drug dealers who traffic cocaine and other drugs into our community,” said Ison. “We will do all we can to stop them from continuing to destroy the lives of our friends, neighbors, and loved ones who suffer from their illegal conduct.”
“This case is an excellent example of how federal law enforcement agencies work together to fulfill our joint mission to free our communities from criminals who use firearms and trafficking illegal drugs,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “We remain committed to working with law enforcement agencies at all levels to disrupt drug trafficking and to remove illegal guns from the streets of Southeast Michigan."
“I’m incredibly proud of these officers and their commitment to public safety,” said ICE ERO Detroit Field Office Director Robert Lynch. “They, along with the other members of U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement Detroit Field Office, work tirelessly to identify and remove individuals, like Rangel-Tapia, from the community who disregard our laws and endanger the public.”
This investigation was led by agents of the FBI Oakland County Gang and Violent Crimes Task Force which includes Oakland County Sheriff's Office, Troy Police Department, Southfield Police Department, Bloomfield Township Police Department, Michigan State Police, Franklin-Bingham Farms Police Department, with the assistance of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trevor Broad and David Portelli.
Philadelphia man admits to role in drug trafficking enterpriseRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Brian Jones, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has admitted to his role in a drug distribution enterprise, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Jones, also known as “B,” 63, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Heroin, Fentanyl, Cocaine Base, and Cocaine Hydrochloride.” Jones admitted to working with others in a drug distribution operation in Berkeley County and elsewhere from June 2019 to October 2020.
Jones faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. 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 Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the West Virginia State Police; the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; and the West Virginia Air National Guard investigated. The Eastern District of Pennsylvania U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Kent County Sheriff’s Office assisted.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Find the related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/22-people-indicted-drug-trafficking-enterprise-spanned-several-states
Pennsylvania Man Admits Bank Fraud Conspiracy that Operated in South Jersey and Southeastern PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man today admitted his role in a bank fraud conspiracy that targeted 12 different financial institutions in southern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Muritala Adeowo, 57, of Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before U.S. district Judge Noel L. Hillman in Camden federal court to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Adeowo was part of a multi-defendant, Nigerian-based, multi-layered criminal organization that engaged in a bank fraud conspiracy in several states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Rhode Island, between June 2016 and March 2020. Members of the group acquired numerous business checks that were stolen from the United States mail, altered the payee on the checks to a fraudulent name and deposited the checks into bank accounts that had been opened with forged foreign passport documents and fraudulent U.S. visas that matched the names on the stolen checks. Once the banks credited all or a portion of the funds to the accounts, but before the checks had cleared, the defendants withdrew the funds from ATMs or purchased money orders, using debit cards associated with the fraudulent accounts. Members of the organization have used over 400 fraudulent accounts opened with fake identity documents to defraud the victim banks. To date, the total loss to the victim banks is approximately $7 million.
Adeowo admitted that he obtained fraudulent foreign passports for some of the conspirators that were used to open fraudulent accounts at the victim banks. Adeowo also admitted that he obtained stolen business checks from other conspirators that were then altered to change the payee on the check to match the fraudulent identity documents of the conspirator who would be depositing the check. On Aug. 25, 2020, Adeowo was arrested at his residence. Federal agents executed a federal search warrant and seized several stolen business checks that were found in Adeowo’s bedroom.
The bank fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for March 16, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bellmawr office and Philadelphia Division Office, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Raimundo Marrero; U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington, D.C., Division Office, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Damon Wood; Homeland Security Investigations, Cherry Hill Office and Newark Division Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel; Homeland Security Investigations, Philadelphia Division Office, under the Direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker; Homeland Security Investigations, Maryland Division Office, under the direction of James R. Mancuso, Special Agent in Charge, Baltimore, Maryland; Homeland Security Investigations Rhode Island Office, under the direction of Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge, Boston Division Office; and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), under the direction of R. Mike Escott, Resident Agent in Charge, Philadelphia Resident Office, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
Six other conspirators have previously pleaded guilty, and one conspirator was convicted in a trial before Judge Hillman in June 2022. Five of these defendants have pending sentencing hearings before Judge Hillman. Charges against four other defendants remain pending – the charges against them are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Askin and Daniel Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Out of state trucker ordered to prison for carrying cocaineRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 54-year-old man has been sent to federal prison following his conviction of trafficking 75 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Legusta Juaquim Rodan, De Valls Bluff, Arkansas, pleaded guilty Aug. 1.
Today, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ordered Rodan to serve 87 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Rodan participated in a pattern of conduct in narcotics trafficking as opposed to being caught up in a one time event.
On Sept. 10, 2020, law enforcement inspected Rodan’s vehicle at the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint. At that time, they discovered 75.5 kilograms of cocaine and 400 kilograms of marijuana in his tractor trailer.
The trailer contained wooden pallets full of cartons of raspberries. After a K-9 alerted to a drug scent, authorities found 43 bundles of drugs hidden below the pallets and cartons of fruit.
Rodan will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Lindenmuth prosecuted the case.
Omaha Man Sentenced to Life for Sex Trafficking MinorsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Carney Turner, 42, of Omaha, Nebraska, and Julisha Biggs, 20, of Omaha, Nebraska, were sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for a conspiracy to sex traffic minors. Chief Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Turner to life imprisonment on one count of conspiracy to sex traffic minors, three counts of sex trafficking of a minor, and two counts of enticement of a minor.
Chief Judge Rossiter sentenced Biggs to 87 months’ imprisonment for her role in the sex trafficking conspiracy. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After her release from prison, Biggs will serve 5 years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Co-Defendant Sidney Marker is scheduled to be sentenced for her role in the conspiracy on November 14, 2022, at 10:00 AM.
Law enforcement began investigating in September 2020 after discovering electronic messages between a minor female and Turner during a separate sex trafficking investigation. The minor female was interviewed and reported that she had been sex trafficked by Turner for approximately three months and that Turner had kept money from the sex sales. In October 2020, a second minor female reported that she had been sexually assaulted by a man in a hotel room after Turner brought her to the hotel and paid her to meet with the man. In November 2020, a third minor female was reported missing from her foster home and law enforcement observed that she was being posted in online sex advertisements by a phone number associated with Turner.
Evidence uncovered by law enforcement showed that Turner, Marker, and Biggs resided together in an apartment in Ralston, Nebraska. Turner recruited, advertised, and arranged commercial sex sales for minors between approximately January 2020 and February 2021. The sex sales took place at hotels in and around Omaha, as well as at the apartment, which had been leased by Marker. At least one of the minors also stayed at the apartment for a period of time. Marker provided vehicles to transport the minors to hotels for commercial sex acts and assisted with renting hotel rooms. The minor who had been reported missing in November 2020 had been recruited by Biggs to come work for Turner.
“Criminals, like these sentenced today, are more concerned with their own greed than the horrific circumstances they seek to expose minors to,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Kansas City Katherine Greer. “This sentencing should send a strong message that HSI and our law enforcement partners are committed to seeking, dismantling and bringing to justice those who seek to perpetrate sex trafficking and child exploitation crimes against minors.”
A spokesperson for the Omaha Police Department stated that they are pleased to see such strong sentences against sex trafficking. “It is important to send the message that sex trafficking will not be tolerated and the criminals who participate in it will be severely punished. The Omaha Police Department will continue to work with their federal partners to rescue the survivors of trafficking and will tirelessly pursue their traffickers.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Russell added, “I appreciate the commitment and effort of Homeland Security Investigations, the Omaha Police Department and my staff in working together on these difficult and important cases while bringing justice to those who prey and traffic upon vulnerable children.”
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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Omaha Police Department, and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.
Oklahoma Doctor Sentenced to Serve More Than Four Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Drug Distribution and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – On October 25, 2022, MELVIN LEE ROBISON, 68, of Lake City, Colorado, was sentenced to serve 54 months in federal prison for illegal drug distribution and health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma, U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzales for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez for the Drug Enforcement Administration – Dallas Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General’s Dallas Regional Office.
"Medical doctors take an oath to help those in times of need," said U.S. Attorney Troester. "Dr. Robison prescribed addictive, dangerous, and powerful controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose and abused the medical system to line his pockets for financial gain. This conduct violated his oath and federal law. My office remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable doctors who fuel the opioid crisis and exploit their oath for money."
"Health care fraud continues to be one of the most widespread and common forms of fraud our nation faces," said Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. "It is shameful how Mr. Robison recruited patients to join him in his fraudulent scheme by offering them kickbacks from his illegal profits. We will continue to go after perpetrators like this with every resource available to us."
"As we continue to lose lives by the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs, we look to our medical professionals for sound guidance, professionalism, and integrity," stated Special Agent in Charge Chávez. "Dr. Robison broke that oath for one sole purpose: greed. Today’s conviction is a testament to the work of our investigators, prosecutors, and law enforcement partners who will continue to protect the lives of our loved ones."
"It is particularly egregious that Dr. Robison used stolen taxpayer money to travel abroad and then furthered his scheme by fraudulently billing Medicare while he was there," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Meadows. "HHS/OIG and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those who steal from the American taxpayers to afford their own selfish lifestyles on the backs of honest Americans."
On June 20, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a 159-count Indictment against Robison, who during the relevant time period ran the Robison Family Clinic in Sayre, Oklahoma. Robison was charged with numerous counts of drug distribution—specifically, dispensing opioids and other drugs outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose—along with multiple counts of Medicare/Medicaid fraud based on, amongst other things, services he billed for while out of the country and services he billed for related to care of patients in nursing homes without performing the services or supervising those who provided them. On December 19, 2019, a Superseding Indictment was filed, charging Robison with five additional counts.
During the pendency of Robison’s prosecution on these drug and health care fraud charges, he was also charged in the Southern District of Florida on June 11, 2021, with one count of conspiracy to pay healthcare kickbacks.
On October 25, 2022, Robison pled guilty to two counts of the Superseding Indictment, charging him with the illegal distribution of controlled substances and health care fraud. As to the health care fraud, Robison admitted to fraudulently billing Medicare at a higher rate for services that were performed by a nurse practitioner instead of himself. Robison also pled guilty to a single count of conspiracy to pay healthcare kickbacks in his Florida case, as well. U.S. District Judge Timothy DeGiusti then sentenced Dr. Robison to serve a 54-month sentence on his two Oklahoma-based charges, and another 24 months on his Florida case, to be run concurrent to his Oklahoma sentences. Robison was also ordered to pay a fine of $13,362.00, to pay restitution of $112,384.61 to the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services, and to forfeit $202,597.18. In imposing the sentence, Judge DeGiusti specifically noted the detriment to the community in that the number of prescriptions from controlled substances far exceeded the population of Sayre, Oklahoma, where Robison practiced medicine.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, the remaining counts against Robison were dismissed at sentencing.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oklahoma State Board of Osteopathic Examiners, the Board of Medicolegal Investigations – Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General’s Dallas Regional Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Oklahoma City Field Office. The Florida case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – West Palm Beach Field Office, as well as the Florida Department of Financial Services-Division of Investigative and Forensic Services, Bureau of Insurance Fraud.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Anderson prosecuted the case on behalf of the Western District of Oklahoma. Alexandra Chase prosecuted the case on behalf of the Southern District of Florida.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
New Jersey Woman Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Camden, NJ pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Beatrice Ortiz, age 34, pleaded guilty to a lesser-included offense at Count Two of the Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, on or around October 25, 2018, Ortiz possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for April 5, 2023. The law provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, 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 Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation- Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and the Cambria County Drug Task Force conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Ortiz.
Minneapolis Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possession of a Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possessing a stolen firearm, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on August 27, 2021, Michael James Jackson, 39, was speeding through red lights in a vehicle with his girlfriend in North Minneapolis when officers with the Minneapolis Police Department spotted and pursued the speeding vehicle. Jackson abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot while his girlfriend remained in the front passenger seat on the side of the road. Jackson fired 15 shots into the air from a stolen Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol approximately 50 yards from the stopped vehicle and the responding officers.
Prior to August 27, 2021, Jackson had been convicted of several felonies, including terroristic threats, aggravated robbery, and assault.
On July 8, 2022, Jackson pleaded guilty before Senior Judge Michael J. Davis to one count of possession of a stolen firearm.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea A. Walcker prosecuted the case.
Michigan City Man Sentenced to 52 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Sergio Adams, 33 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr., on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Adams was sentenced to 52 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, in November 2021, police responded to an alert and recovered a handgun that had been possessed by Sergio Adams . At the time of this offense, he was on supervised release. A search of Adams’ criminal history revealed he has three prior felony convictions, any one of which prohibit him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Michigan City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank E. Schaffer.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Mexican Springs man sentenced to six and a half years in prison for manslaughterRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Quinten Smith, 22, of Mexican Springs, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced on Nov. 7 to six years and six months in prison for manslaughter in Indian Country. Smith pleaded guilty on May 16.
On Sept. 24, 2021, Smith and other family members went to the home of the victim, identified as John Doe, to confront him for allegedly assaulting Smith’s mother. When they arrived at the home, a physical altercation ensued. During the fight, Smith stabbed the victim multiple times in the back with a pocketknife. Smith and the others fled the home immediately.
John Doe, who was also an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was found deceased in his home later that day. The killing occurred on the Navajo Nation.
Upon his release from prison, Smith will be subject to three years of supervised release.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Navajo Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall prosecuted the case.
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Massachusetts Man Charged in Rhode Island After Federal Agents Seize More Than Three Pounds of Crystal MethRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Lawrence, MA, man has been ordered detained in federal custody on drug trafficking charges after DEA Task Force agents and Boston Police detectives allegedly interrupted the delivery of more than three pounds of crystal methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
It is alleged in charging documents that Rhode Island DEA Task Force agents developed information that Hector Gonzalez Michel, 31, was preparing to deliver a substantial quantity of crystal meth to a person in Boston who allegedly supplied the drug to others. Gonzalez Michel was approached by Rhode Island and Boston DEA task force agents and Boston Police Detectives as he arrived outside a Boston residence where, it is alleged, he was to have delivered the drugs. It is alleged that he was found to be carrying 3.4 lbs. of crystal methamphetamine stored inside a small cooler.
Gonzalez Michel made an initial appearance in federal court in Providence on Friday, charged by way of a criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in excess of 500 hundred grams and distribution of controlled substances in excess of 500 grams. A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey P. Veroni.
The Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force is comprised of personnel from the DEA; Rhode Island State Police; the East Providence, Cranston, Coventry, Newport, North Kingstown, Pawtucket, Providence, South Kingstown, Warwick, West Warwick, and Woonsocket and Amtrak Police Departments; and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.
Members of the DEA Boston Task Force Group 5 assisted in the investigation and arrest of Gonzalez Michel.
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Maryland Heights Man Admits Sex with Teen He Met OnlineRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Maryland Heights, Missouri on Tuesday pleaded guilty to a federal crime and admitted having sexual contact with a 15-year-old that he’d met online.
Daniel J. Todd, 33, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. Todd, who was then 32, communicated over social media with a 15-year-old girl between October of 2021 and February of 2022. After they arranged to meet, Todd picked up the victim from her home in St. Charles County on Dec. 4, 2021 and took her to his home, where he committed statutory sodomy. Todd admitted lying to the victim, telling her that he was 24. He also admitted acknowledging in communications with her afterwards that sexual contact between them is “technically rape and I could be arrested.”
Todd initially lied to law enforcement in an April 5, 2022 interview, denying any sexual contact with the girl. When confronted with their communications, he admitted having sexual contact with the minor despite knowing it was against the law.
As part of Todd’s plea, both prosecutors and Todd’s lawyer agreed to ask for 10 years in prison and a lifetime term of supervised release when he’s sentenced on February 9, 2023, but the decision is ultimately up to Judge Autrey.
The case was investigated by the St. Charles County Cybercrime Task Force, the Maryland Heights Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
Martinsburg woman sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kristin Leanne Price, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 87 months of incarceration for her role in a firearms trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Price, 28, pleaded guilty in April 2022 to one count of “False Statements During Purchase of Firearm.” Price admitted to falsifying forms to purchase a 9mm pistol from a licensed dealer in Berkeley County in June 2020.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Two Loaded Firearms as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man who illegally possessed two loaded firearms and an extended magazine as a convicted felon, fled from police, and then punched a police officer in the head has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
On March 29, 2020, JONATHAN KNOX, 26, of Chicago, was a passenger in a vehicle engaged in a traffic stop with Chicago Police Department officers. Knox exited the vehicle and fled from law enforcement with one firearm in his hand and another concealed in the lining of his jacket. During the pursuit, Knox threw the firearm in his hand into the backyard of a nearby residence. Knox punched the officer multiple times in the back of the head while the officer was trying to detain Knox in the yard of that same residence. Officers recovered both firearms a short time later. Knox pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm.
On November 4, 2022, U.S. District Judge Ronald A. Guzman imposed a 120-month prison sentence.
“The unlawful possession of firearms has crippled communities across the Chicagoland region. The consequences of picking up an illegal firearm must be severe enough such that a convicted felon who decides to do so understands the serious consequences that this decision entails,” argued Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Schwartz in the government’s sentencing memorandum.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; John S. Morales, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Assistance was provided by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Attorney Lausch and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Man Awaiting Murder Trial Sentenced to Almost Nine Years for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
The man accused by the state of murdering rapper Mo3 was sentenced today to 105 months in federal prison for a firearm crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Kewon Dontrell White, 23, pleaded guilty in May to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Karen Gren Scholer.
In to plea papers, Mr. White, who had been previously convicted of felony offenses involving unauthorized use of motor vehicles and evading arrest and detention, possessed a 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Law enforcement discovered the pistol in his pants pocket on Aug. 16, 2020.
When they observed Mr. White commit a traffic violation on his dirt bike while driving down West Pleasant Run Road in Lancaster, Texas, officers attempted to pull him over. The defendant ignored their lights and sirens and fled the scene. Officers gave chase. Mr. White then crashed his dirt bike and fled on foot. Officers pursued and detained him a short time later.
Mr. White has also been charged by Dallas County with the murder of 28-year-old rapper Melvin Nobel, also known as M03. That case remains pending. Mr. White is presumed innocent on the state charges until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the Duncanville and Lancaster Police Departments. The U.S. Marshal’s Service assisted in the arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myria Boehm and Abe McGlothin prosecuted the case.
Man Admits Stealing Dozens of Catalytic Converters from Around St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from East St. Louis on Tuesday admitted stealing 39 catalytic converters from trucks and vans around the St. Louis area.
Matthew Jennings, 31, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel to one felony count of conspiracy to transport and sell stolen goods. He admitted that beginning in December of 2019, he and his co-defendant, D’Ante Carter, stole catalytic converters from vehicles in the St. Louis area and sold them for scrap.
Jennings admitted stealing a total of 39 catalytic converters and trying to steal three more, primarily from pickup trucks and vans parked overnight at landscaping companies, other commercial businesses and an organization that helps those with disabilities.
Carter acted as lookout and Jennings used a reciprocating saw to cut the converters, which contain trace amounts of precious metals, free from the vehicles. The men then sold the converters to a recycling company in Illinois, their plea agreements say.
Jennings is scheduled to be sentenced February 10. The charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
Carter, 38, of Florissant, was sentenced to nine months in prison in September and ordered to pay $46,001 in restitution to victims. He also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge.
The FBI and the St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Creve Coeur, Bridgeton, Maryland Heights, O’Fallon, Missouri and Webster Groves police departments investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware prosecuted the case.
Man Admits Involvement in 21-Carjacking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man pleaded guilty to five felony charges Monday and admitted being involved in a conspiracy believed responsible for 21 carjackings in the St. Louis area.
Detrich Lamon Williams Jr., 20, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk to all five charges he is facing: carjacking conspiracy, two counts of carjacking, brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Williams admitted as part of his plea that he was among a group of teenagers from the Castle Point neighborhood in St. Louis County that was involved in a series of carjackings in St. Louis and St. Louis County between July and October of 2020. Police believe the group committed a total of 21 carjackings, Williams’ plea says.
In many of the carjackings, Williams got out of a car driven by someone else and stole the victims’ vehicles at gunpoint. Several victims said the carjacker used a pistol with a green laser sight.
In his plea, Williams admitted stealing a Toyota Camry at gunpoint on Aug. 17, 2020, and then leading police on a high-speed chase that began in St. Louis and ended near Castle Point only after police used spike strips to disable the Camry.
On Sept. 26, 2020, Williams and another person, who was armed with a pistol, stole a 2017 Volvo S60 sedan from a pizza delivery driver.
On Oct. 11, 2020, Williams approached a woman who had just parked and exited her vehicle at the South County Mall, fired a shot in the air and stole the woman’s purse and 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee, he admitted in his plea.
Later that same day, Williams was with three others in St. Louis when they spotted a Jeep Cherokee. Williams and the driver stayed in the vehicle while the others confronted the owner of the Jeep, and one of the others shot the Jeep’s owner before the group fled, Williams’ plea says.
Williams’ sentencing has been set for January 31. He faces at least 17 years in prison for the brandishing and discharge counts, due to their mandatory minimum sentences, that will be consecutive to the other three charges.
The case was investigated by the Webster Groves Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce is prosecuting the case.
Major indictment targets southeastern drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: A newly unsealed federal indictment charges nearly three dozen defendants for their involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy centered in south Georgia and reaching into the Caribbean.
The primary conspiracy charge in USA v. Morales-Jimenez et. al, dubbed Operation Carpet Ride, carries a statutory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to life, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Conviction on the charge also carries a minimum of five years of supervised release following any prison term, and there is no parole in the federal system.
“The painstaking investigation in Operation Carpet Ride spans nearly six years and thousands of miles as it tracked illegal drugs flowing into the United States to the Southern District of Georgia and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our law enforcement partners have done outstanding work in identifying, investigating and disrupting this drug trafficking organization.”
Operation Carpet Ride, investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), identified drug trafficking operations in Bulloch, Burke, Candler, Effingham, Evans, Liberty, Richmond, and Tattnall counties, and elsewhere, from as early as January 2016. As described in the 49-count indictment, the conspiracy is alleged to have imported large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and other drugs for distribution in the Southern District.
Each defendant in USA v. Morales-Jiminez et. al is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 5 Kilograms or More of Cocaine; 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; 28 Grams or More of Crack Cocaine; Hydrocodone; Oxycodone; and Marijuana. Other individual charges in the indictment include drug possession and distribution, maintenance of a drug-involved premises, and illegal firearms possession and use.
Those named in the indictment include:
- Daniel Morales-Jimenez, a/k/a “Danny Hill,” 45, of Puerto Rico;
- Pedro Castro-Vasquez, a/k/a “Chipo,” 50, of Puerto Rico;
- Sonic Torres-Garcia, 24, of Kissimmee, Fla.;
- Kristine Albright-Ramos, 35, of Puerto Rico;
- Alexys Rivera-Cuevas, 28, of Gainesville, Fla.;
- Luis Diaz-Albright, 20, of Puerto Rico;
- Paola Morales Rosario, 24, of Kissimmee, Fla.;
- Clarence Bess, a/k/a “Cash,” 41, of Jacksonville, Fla.;
- Laverne Pullins Jr., 70, of Jacksonville, Fla.;
- Demarr Clayton Lee, 52, of Miami, Fla.;
- Tony Deshawn Slater, 51, of Claxton, Ga.;
- Domanek Laquan Mincey, 44, of Glennville, Ga.;
- Anthony Craig Johnson, a/k/a “Pookie,” 56, of Claxton, Ga.;
- Andre Delerrain Anderson, 48, of Claxton, Ga.;
- Phillip Dwayne Walden, 45, of Statesboro, Ga.;
- Corey Ontavious Hendrix, 44, of Claxton, Ga.;
- Enrique Humbra Denson Sr., 49, of Statesboro, Ga.;
- Enrique Humbra Denson Jr., 29, of Reidsville, Ga.;
- Kevin Derrell Ponder, 45, of Claxton, Ga.;
- Terran Harvel Tigner, 35, of Glennville, Ga.;
- Troy Sinclair Tigner, 35, of Glennville, Ga.;
- Nicholas Rashon Fillmore, 42, of Hinesville, Ga.;
- Marquese Shavel Palmer, 30, of Claxton, Ga.;
- Michael Lynn Jinks, 47, of Glennville, Ga.;
- Tony Anthony Warren, 38, of Claxton, Ga.;
- Lance Boyette Ford, 39, of Glennville, Ga.;
- Heather Elaine Barbee, 43, of Sylvania, Ga.;
- Sean Christopher Brown, 43, of Savannah;
- Jarvis Charles Hagan, 31, of Claxton, Ga.;
- Kenneth Bacon Hall, 51, of Glennville, Ga.;
- Caleb Earl Riggs, 37, of Claxton, Ga.; and,
- Gerald Walter Dasher, 52, of Glennville, Ga.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Puerto Rico State Police; the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Tattnall County Sheriff’s Office; the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office; the Evans County Sheriff’s Office; the Barceloneta Police Department; the Claxton Police Department; and the Glennville Police Department; and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank M. Pennington II and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.