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Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Monday 12 September 2022
Bucyrus Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Minor and Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND - David L. Holdcraft, 28, of Bucyrus, Ohio, was sentenced on September 8, 2022, to 24 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr., after Holdcraft pleaded guilty to receipt and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, possession of child pornography and sexual exploitation of children in May 2022.
In addition, to the prison sentence, Holdcraft was ordered to serve ten years of supervised release, pay $28,000 in restitution and $15,000 in special and Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA) assessments.
“The cruelty and depravity of this defendant’s actions are unimaginable and individuals such as this defendant are why the Justice Department and all of law enforcement remain dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable among us by prosecuting dangerous predators,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler. “We are grateful to the authorities in this case for their hard work in identifying and apprehending this individual.”
“Finding and investigating child predators is one of the FBI’s highest priorities,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen. “Holdcraft’s conduct is appalling and heinous. This sentence ensures that he will be held accountable for his horrendous actions. We are proud of the work our agents conducted and will remain relentless in our pursuit to ensure children are protected through the FBI’s partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement, providing resources to victims and their families and continuing education and outreach into our communities.”
According to court documents, on February 25, 2022, Mansfield FBI agents executed a search warrant at Holdcraft’s Bucyrus residence after receiving information that Holdcraft was involved in the distribution of child pornography on Wickr and Kik Messenger.
During the execution of the warrant, authorities obtained several electronic devices that were later found to contain hundreds of images and videos that depicted children as young as toddlers engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Investigators also seized a child-sized rubber torso from Holdcraft’s bedroom.
Investigators further determined that Holdcraft was engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with a five-year-old victim and videotaped himself performing sexual acts on the victim.
This case was investigated by the Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Mansfield Resident Agency and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik.
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Browning man admits assaulting another man, causing serious injuryRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Browning man suspected of beating another man in the head on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to an assault charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Dale Ray Racine, 30, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Racine faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other sentencing factors. Sentencing was set for Jan. 26, 2023. Racine was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on Nov. 19, 2021, Racine and another individual assaulted the victim, identified as John Doe, in a Browning residence, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Doe was asleep when he woke to banging on the door and heard people talking. Doe sat up and saw Racine and the other individual rushing toward him. Doe was struck multiple times in the head and once to the hand and leg. Doe was treated for injuries to his head and hand.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.
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Beverly Hills Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Hire Hitman to Kill Woman He Briefly DatedRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Beverly Hills man was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for attempting to hire a hitman to kill a woman he briefly dated and who repeatedly tried to break off their relationship.
Scott Quinn Berkett, 25, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi. Berkett pleaded guilty on June 13 to one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire. He has been in federal custody since his arrest in this case in May 2021.
According to the affidavit in support of a criminal complaint in this case, Berkett met the victim online in 2020, and the woman flew to Los Angeles to meet Berkett in late October 2020. The victim, who described Berkett’s behavior as “sexually aggressive,” tried on several occasions to break off the relationship following the October trip, the affidavit states.
In April 2021, a family member, who had learned that Berkett continued to contact the victim, called and sent text messages to Berkett’s father’s phone, and, on April 20, Berkett appeared to have responded saying, “Consider this matter closed.”
Soon afterward in April 2021, he solicited and paid for murder-for-hire services via a website on the darknet for a group that purportedly offered such services. Berkett provided the darknet group with specific directions and details about his victim. As payment for the victim’s murder, Berkett sent the darknet group bitcoin payments totaling approximately $13,000.
In May 2021, an undercover law enforcement officer, posing as a hitman from the darknet group, contacted Berkett. The undercover officer sent Berkett pictures of the victim. Berkett confirmed that the pictures showed his intended victim and that he had made bitcoin payments to obtain her murder. Berkett further requested proof of her murder and made an additional $1,000 payment to the undercover officer.
“[Berkett’s] crime was not a momentary lapse in judgment, but a premeditated plot to kill the victim because she rejected his advances,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “While attempting to take a life is atrocious enough, [Berkett’s] chosen method of carrying out the crime – using the Dark Web to hire a hitman and cryptocurrency – speak to his sophistication, meticulous planning, and attempts to anonymize his illegal conduct in the commission of this offense, and are aggravating in nature.”
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Kathy Yu of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Berwick Woman Pleads Guilty to Decade-Long Social Security Fraud and Housing Voucher Subsidy FraudRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Berwick woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to Social Security fraud and theft of public money, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, from about March 2009 to February 2020, Andreanna Politano, 59, concealed the presence of her husband in her household to maintain her eligibility to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. SSI benefits are paid to people with limited income who are blind, disabled or elderly. Politano also concealed her husband’s presence from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from about January 2018 to June 2021, during which time she received housing voucher subsidy benefits. Politano’s husband had sufficient income to render her ineligible for the benefits she received.
In multiple reviews of her eligibility for benefits, Politano falsely represented to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that she and her husband had separated in October 2008 and had lived separately since that time. In an interview with law enforcement agents, she admitted concealing her living situation from SSA and HUD because she knew it would make her ineligible to receive benefits.
Politano faces up to five years in prison on the Social Security fraud charge and up to 10 years in prison on the theft of public money charge, a fine of up to $250,000 on each charge, and up to three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation was conducted by SSA’s Office of the Inspector General and HUD’s Office of the Inspector General.
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Bakersfield Man Indicted for Laser Strikes of Sheriff’s HelicopterRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Alejandro Galvan-Silvestre, 23, of Bakersfield, was arrested today, charged with knowingly aiming the beam of a laser pointer at Air One, a Kern County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment on Aug. 25, 2022. It was unsealed today after Galvan-Silvestre’s arrest. According to court documents, on Sept. 5, 2021, Galvan-Silvestre aimed the beam of a laser pointer at Air One.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Galvan-Silvestre faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Friday 9 September 2022
Yakima Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Michael Ryan Shoemaker, 35, of Yakima, Washington, was sentenced in federal court in Yakima for Distribution of Fifty Grams or More of Pure (Actual) Methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Mr. Shoemaker to a total of 120 months in federal prison and ordered Mr. Shoemaker to serve a five-year term of supervised release. Mr. Shoemaker pled guilty on February 2, 2022.
According to court documents, in October 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration Yakima Task Force identified Mr. Shoemaker as a largescale methamphetamine trafficker, operating in the Yakima area. Relying on a confidential source, DEA conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Mr. Shoemaker at his home near downtown Yakima. There, Shoemaker sold the confidential source more than 100 grams of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Waldref commended the efforts of law enforcement for working to keep the Eastern District safe: “The DEA’s Yakima Task Force identified Mr. Shoemaker and quickly put a stop to his distribution of methamphetamine in the Yakima community.” U.S. Attorney Waldref continued, “Today’s sentence removes Mr. Shoemaker from the community for ten years and reiterates the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to vigorously prosecuting those who distribute poison in Eastern Washington.”
“This investigation is another example of the DEA’s commitment to protect our communities, and this sentence should serve as a warning to those who question our resolve in bringing to justice those who choose to distribute illicit narcotics,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Yakima Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Todd Swensen prosecuted the case.
Wolf Point woman who assaulted child sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Wolf Point woman who admitted to assaulting a toddler on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation was sentenced on Thursday to 34 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Shelby Loves Him, 23, pleaded guilty in May to an indictment charging her with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and felony child abuse.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Loves Him had been caring for the victim, a toddler, identified as John Doe, when on Dec. 8, 2021, law enforcement officers were contacted about John Doe being unresponsive at the Poplar Community Hospital. The officers observed bruising and scratches on John Doe’s head, arms and legs. When questioned about events prior to John Doe arriving at the hospital, Loves Him told officers that she had struck John Doe multiple times in the week leading up to an incident on Dec. 8, 2021, when she assaulted him. John Doe was flown to Salt Lake City, Utah, for emergency life-saving surgery and continues to suffer significant impairment.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy A. Johnson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Montana Highway Patrol and Fort Peck Tribes Police Department.
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Wilmington Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Gun in Furtherance of His Drug TradeRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that a Wilmington man was sentenced on September 7, 2022, to 5 years in federal prison for possessing a gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews pronounced the sentence.
According to court documents and statements made in open court, Akil Johnson, 26, was arrested by Wilmington Police Department’s (“WPD”) Safe Streets Task Force following an investigation that led to the discovery of guns and drugs in his house. After surveillance officers saw Johnson selling drugs outside his home, WPD obtained and executed a search warrant for the property.
In Mr. Johnson’s bedroom closet, officers found two loaded handguns, a black Glock 27 and a loaded silver and black Bersa; 33 grams of cocaine; 234 baggies containing a fentanyl and tramadol mixture, weighing about 14 grams; and 250 grams of marijuana. The guns were found together inside of a cloth laundry bag within the closet. Elsewhere in the bedroom, officers found another 500 grams of marijuana, a loaded extended magazine, and drug paraphernalia, including two black digital scales and an Amazon package containing 169 small zip lock bags filled with suspected heroin.
U.S. Attorney Weiss commented on the sentence: “The proliferation of illegal firearms is devasting our neighborhoods. Firearms are particularly dangerous when they are in the hands of illicit drug dealers. I commend WPD’s Safe Streets Task Force for working to keep our communities safe.”
“This sentencing is another example of our unrelenting efforts to hold offenders accountable for illegal firearm possession,” said Wilmington Police Chief Robert J. Tracy. “We continue to work closely with our federal partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to ensure the strongest possible penalties for gun crimes that threaten public safety in our community.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer K. Welsh prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Wilmington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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-71.
Vessel Operator and Chief Engineer Sentenced for Oily Bilge Water Discharge OffenseRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Melanie Pierson (619) 546-7976
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – September 9, 2022
SAN DIEGO – New Trade Ship Management S.A., a vessel operating company, and vessel Chief Engineer Dennis Plasabas were sentenced in federal court today for environmental crimes.
The company and its engineer pleaded guilty August 9, 2022, to maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharge of oily bilge water from the bulk carrier vessel Longshore. New Trade was sentenced to pay a fine of $1.1 million, a term of four years of probation, and ordered to hire an independent monitor to audit environmental compliance during the period of probation; Plasabas was sentenced to a term of 12 months in custody.
In pleading guilty, New Trade and Plasabas admitted that oily bilge water was illegally dumped from the Longshore directly into the ocean without being properly processed through required pollution prevention equipment. Oily bilge water typically contains oil contamination from the operation and cleaning of machinery on the vessel. The defendants also admitted that these illegal discharges were not recorded in the vessel’s Oil Record Book as required by law.
Specifically, on two separate occasions between October and December 2021, Chief Engineer Plasabas, who was employed by New Trade, ordered lower-ranking crew members to use a portable pneumatic pump and hose to bypass pollution prevention equipment by transferring oily bilge water from the vessel’s Bilge Holding Tank to the vessel’s Sewage Tank, from where it was discharged directly into the ocean.
Plasabas then caused the ship’s Master to fail to record these improper transfers and overboard discharges in the vessel’s Oil Record Book. Additionally, to create a false and misleading electronic record as if the pollution prevention equipment had been properly used, Plasabas directed lower-ranking crew members to pump clean sea water into the vessel’s Bilge Holding Tank in the same quantity as the amount of oily bilge water that he had ordered transferred to the Sewage Tank. Plasabas then processed the clean sea water through the vessel’s pollution prevention equipment as if it was oily bilge water to make it appear that the pollution prevention equipment was being properly used when in fact it was not. The electronic records indicate that approximately 9,600 gallons of clean sea water were run through the pollution prevention equipment.
“Today’s sentence sends a strong message that environmental crimes will have serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Unlawful oil discharges have a serious negative impact on the marine environment. We must safeguard our oceans by vigorous enforcement of environmental laws.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and the U.S. Coast Guard for their excellent work on this case.
According to sentencing documents, the use or consumption of oil, including the intentional discharge of unfiltered oily bilge water, accounts for around 37 percent of worldwide ocean oil pollution. By contrast, accidental spills from ships account for 12 percent of oil pollution. As the National Academy of Sciences identified, the upshot of these statistics is that more than 99 percent of the estimated volume of operational discharge is related to noncompliance, because existing regulations restrict operational discharges of oil or limit them to not more than 15 ppm.
Marine mammal and bird species, which must regularly pass through the air-water interface to breathe, are particularly vulnerable to oil exposure. Effects of oil on ocean life may include ingestion of oil, accumulation of contaminants in tissues, DNA damage, impacts to immune functioning, cardiac dysfunction, mass mortality of eggs and larvae, e.g., in fish, loss of buoyancy and insulation for birds, and inhalation of vapors. A 2002 study undertaken in Canada estimated that the intentional discharge of oil from ships kills approximately 300,000 seabirds per year in Atlantic Canada – a yearly seabird mortality equal to that caused by the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska in 1989.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie K. Pierson for the Southern District of California and Senior Trial Attorney Stephen Da Ponte of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 22cr1802-JO
New Trade Ship Management S.A.
Chief Engineer Dennis Plasabas Age: 48 Philippines
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships – Title 33, U.S.C., Section 1908(a)
Maximum penalty: Six years in prison and $250,000 fine (individual); Five years of probation and a fine which is the greater of $500,000 or twice the amount of gross gain or loss (organization).
AGENCY
U.S. Coast Guard
U.S. Attorney’s Eastern Washington COVID-19 Strike Force Announces Indictment of Two West Richland ResidentsRead the Press Release
Indictments Allege that Defendants Collectively Received More Than $800,000 in Fraudulently-Obtained COVID-19 Relief Funding, Seek Forfeiture of West Richland Residence Purchased with Fraudulently-Obtained Funds
Richland, Washington – Today, Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that a federal grand jury has indicted two additional individuals for COVID-19 Fraud as part of the Eastern Washington COVID-19 Strike Force. The Indictments announced today are the most recent charges brought by the Strike Force, which has brought criminal charges against numerous individuals and recovered millions of dollars in fraudulently obtained COVID relief funding.
On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act provided a number of programs through which eligible small businesses could request and obtain relief funding intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic for small and local businesses. One such program, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), provided government-backed loans to small businesses which could be forgiven so long as the proceeds were used for payroll and other eligible expenses. Another program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, provided low interest loans that could be deferred until the conclusion of the pandemic to provide “bridge” funding for small businesses to maintain their operations during shutdowns and other economic circumstances caused by the pandemic. The PPP and EIDL programs have provided billions of dollars in aid, the vast majority of which have not been paid back, including hundreds of millions of dollars disbursed within Eastern Washington.
One indictment announced today charges Jimia Rae Cain, age 52, of West Richland, Washington, with seven counts of fraud in connection with PPP and EIDL loans that she obtained in 2020. The Indictment alleges that Cain used false statements and fraudulent documents to obtain more than $330,000 in CARES Act funding for her purported business. The Indictment further alleges that Cain attempted to secure an additional $280,000 in EIDL funding, but this additional funding was declined.
The second Indictment announced today charges Andrei Borgheriu, age 45, of West Richland, Washington, with three counts of fraud in connection with $500,000 in EIDL funding that he obtained on behalf of his company Artway Transport, LLC. The Indictment alleges that Borgheriu falsely represented that the funding would be used as working capital for his company, but instead that Borgheriu used it for an all-cash purchase of a personal residence in West Richland, Washington. The Indictment alleges that, soon after receiving the EIDL funding, Borgheriu wired nearly all of the EIDL funding to the title company for the purchase of the personal residence. As set forth in the Indictment, the United States therefore also seeks forfeiture of the residence based on allegations that it represents proceeds from the fraudulently obtained EIDL funding.
“COVID-19 relief programs were designed to lift up our community during crisis, and due to the number of people and businesses that requested funding, some deserving small businesses were not able to obtain funding to keep their businesses in operation,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We created the Strike Force in order to ensure that those who misused COVID-19 relief funding are held accountable and to protect the strength and safety of our vital small business community.”
In February 2022, U.S. Attorney Waldref and the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) began working with federal law enforcement agencies to create and launch a COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force that would leverage partnerships between different agencies to aggressively investigate and prosecute fraud against COVID-19 relief programs in Eastern Washington. The Strike Force consists of agency representatives from the USAO, Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs OIG, General Services Administration OIG, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) OIG, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Energy OIG, and others.
“I commend the continuing investigative work performed to date by the Strike Force, including by SBA OIG, FBI, and TIGTA,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “As the Strike Force’s work moves forward, we will continue taking aggressive action to pursue property that was purchased with fraudulently-obtained funds, to ensure that those funds are returned to the public and that wrongdoers are not able to reap the benefit of homes and other property purchased with fraudulently-obtained funds. We also will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute those who abuse and misuse COVID-19 relief funding, and to strengthen our communities by protecting our small and local businesses.”
The fraud charges against Cain carry a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison, while the fraud charges against Borgheriu carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years. This case was investigated by the Eastern District of Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force and by the FBI, SBA OIG, and TIGTA. The United States Attorney also thanks the West Richland Police Department for graciously providing critical support and assistance. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter, Frieda K. Zimmerman, Tyler H.L. Tornabene, and Brian Donovan.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Paterson Police Officers Sentenced to Prison Terms for Roles in Violating Individuals’ Civil RightsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two Paterson, New Jersey, police officers were sentenced today to prison terms for their respective roles in a conspiracy to violate individuals’ civil rights, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden handed down the following sentences in Newark federal court:
- Police Officer Frank Toledo, 33, of Paterson, was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Toledo previously pleaded guilty to a three-count information charging him with conspiracy to violate individuals’ civil rights, using unreasonable and excessive force in violation of individuals’ civil rights, and filing a false police report.
- Police Officer Daniel Pent, 35, of Paterson, New Jersey, was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Pent previously pleaded guilty to an information charging him with conspiracy to violate individuals’ civil rights, using unreasonable and excessive force in violation of individuals’ civil rights, and filing a false police report.
In addition to the prison terms, Judge Hayden sentenced both of the defendants to three years of supervised release.
Three codefendants – Police Officers Jonathan Bustios, Eudy Ramos and Matthew Torres – were sentenced Sept. 8, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencings. He also thanked the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, and the Paterson Police Department Office of Internal Affairs, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jihee G. Suh, Deputy Chief of the Special Prosecutions Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas S. Kearney of the Special Prosecutions Division.
Toledo Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TOLEDO - Mohamed Ismial, 32, of Toledo, Ohio, was sentenced on August 26, 2022, to more than eight years in prison by U.S. District Judge James G. Carr after Ismail pleaded guilty to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, from March 2019 to September 2019, Ismial was involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed various quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine in the Toledo area.
On March 5, 2020, state law enforcement authorities executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence and obtained quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and four firearms.
Ismial pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base on November 18, 2021.
This case was investigated by the Toledo Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert N. Melching.
Three Defendants Sentenced for $2.1 Million Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Mexican nationals and a St. Joseph man were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in a $2.1 million conspiracy that distributed more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Kansas City metropolitan area and in northwest Missouri.
Juan Guzman, also known as Daniel Solorio and as “Flaco,” 41, of Kansas City, Mo., and Maria De La Cruz Nava, 26, of Kansas City, Kan., both citizens of Mexico, and John Paul Gnat, 32, of St. Joseph, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes. Guzman was sentenced to 26 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Nava was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Gnat was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison without parole.
Guzman and Nava were found guilty at trial on Nov. 9, 2021, of participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and in a money-laundering conspiracy over a nearly four-year period from Jan. 1, 2015, to Nov. 14, 2018. In addition to the conspiracies, Guzman and Nava were found guilty of possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Guzman was also found guilty of illegally reentering the United States after having been deported.
Guzman was the supplier for the drug-trafficking conspiracy, selling multiple kilograms of methamphetamine on a regular basis, sometimes daily, to multiple co-conspirators who then distributed methamphetamine to others. Guzman also involved others in storing methamphetamine. The jury found Nava assisted Guzman in his drug trafficking and money laundering activities.
The court found Guzman directly responsible for the distribution of at least 45 kilograms of methamphetamine. Based on a street price of $600 per ounce, the court ordered Guzman to forfeit to the government $954,000, which represents the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking. The court also ordered Nava to forfeit to the government $15,000.
Guzman, Nava, and several others were arrested at Guzman’s residence on Oct. 18, 2018. At the time of their arrest, officers seized two rifles, five handguns (one with an extended drum magazine), ammunition, 688 grams of methamphetamine, cash, and drug paraphernalia – including drug ledgers and drug packaging – from Guzman’s residence.
Gnat pleaded guilty on June 17, 2020, to his role in the drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracies. Gnat admitted that he supplied methamphetamine to several individuals on a daily basis, sometimes pound quantities twice a day, for several months.
Co-defendant Luis Carlos Ramos Caraveo, 27, a citizen of Mexico residing in Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced on July 1, 2022, to 16 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Jacob Dale Walsh, 36, of Denton, Kan., was sentenced on Sept. 1, 2022, to 13 years and seven months in federal prison without parole.
Co-defendants Chanthacone Senthavy, 48, a citizen of Laos residing in Independence, Mo., and Christopher Shawn Sharp, 44, of St. Joseph, each have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bruce Rhoades and Robert M. Smith. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, Midwest HIDTA, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the FBI.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case 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.
Three Convicted Felons Enter Guilty Pleas in Southwest Georgia Cases Involving Firearms, Heroin, MethRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – Three Southwest Georgia residents with lengthy criminal records entered guilty pleas in Albany federal court this week in cases that involved the illegal possession or sale of firearms.
Terry Allen Harris, Jr., 37, of Moultrie, Georgia, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Harris faces a minimum mandatory term of 15 years up to a maximum of life imprisonment and a $10,000,000 fine.
Alexander Brown, Sr. aka Poochie, 48, of Albany, pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin. Brown faces a maximum of 30 years imprisonment to be followed by at least six years of supervised release and a $2,000,000 fine.
Antoine Robert Shell, 33, of Albany, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Shell faces a maximum of ten years imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner is presiding over these cases; all guilty pleas were entered on Sept. 8. Sentencings are expected to occur within 90 days.
“These individuals are all convicted felons with long criminal histories in their respective communities; it’s a high priority for our office to bring repeat offenders with guns to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I want to thank the many law enforcement agencies from the federal, state and local level who worked these cases and are actively at work in our communities to make them safer places for everyone.”
According to court documents, Harris led Crisp County Sheriff’s Office deputies on a high-speed chase on June 24, 2020, after deputies attempted to pull him over for driving 19 miles over the posted speed limit on I-75. Harris exited the interstate, increasing his speed to over 100 miles per hour in a 45 mile-per-hour zone, driving on the wrong side of the road and performing other dangerous maneuvers before ultimately crashing his vehicle into a birdbath and a tree on a residential property. Upon approaching the vehicle, agents observed the magazine to a semi-automatic pistol at Harris’ feet. Harris was taken into custody; a search of the vehicle recovered a Glock 19 Gen4 9mm pistol, seven bags of suspected marijuana, grinders, ledgers, a digital scale, an Altoids can containing approximately 15 grams of methamphetamine and some LSD, 59 rounds of ammunition, three extra magazines and $11,821. Harris has multiple prior serious felonies, including a prior conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Harris had been released from federal prison on May 20, 2020, a little more than a month before this incident.
According to Brown’s plea agreement and court records, GBI began investigating Brown in an undercover capacity in Jan. 2021 for distributing heroin; multiple recorded purchases of narcotics from Brown occurred during the course of the investigation. On Sept. 15, 2021, an undercover agent acting as a person seeking to purchase controlled substances went to Brown’s apartment on Maryland Drive in Albany. Brown offered to get the agent fully automatic AR-15 rifles which he described as ghost guns without serial numbers. Brown advised to take the firearms apart for transport to avoid arrest. Brown opened pictures on his cell phone to show the undercover agent examples of the firearms he was offering. On this occasion, Brown also sold the agent heroin, which tested positive. On Oct. 14, 2021, GBI and FBI agents working jointly purchased a rifle from Brown at a residence on Askew Drive in Dawson, Georgia. A search warrant of the Askew Drive residence occurred on Nov. 2, 2021, where Brown was taken into custody. Agents recovered $12,000, along with drug distribution paraphernalia and heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl. Brown has a criminal history with convictions in Dougherty County, Georgia, Superior Court, including a conviction for possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.
According to court records, an Albany woman reported to police on Feb. 17, 2022, that she heard gunshots while she was inside her home and that she viewed a man holding a gun with a long magazine, shooting at an adult and a child on a 4-wheeler on the 2300 block of Madison Street. Two spent .40 caliber shell casings were found in the street. Officers spotted the suspect, Shell, and a foot pursuit ensued. Dougherty County Sheriff’s deputies assisted in the pursuit and Shell was safely detained. Shell’s bookbag contained a Glock, Model 22, .40 caliber pistol with an extended 30-round magazine and 26 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition, along with multiple bags of marijuana, a digital scale and plastic bags. Shell has a lengthy criminal history including convictions for aggravated assault for shooting someone and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in Dougherty County Superior Court, as well as possession of a firearm by a felon in Cobb County, Georgia, Superior Court.
These cases 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.
Harris’s case was investigated by GBI, the Mid-South Narcotics Task Force and Crisp County Sheriff’s Office.
Brown’s case was investigated by GBI and FBI.
Shell’s case was investigated by ATF and Albany Police Department with assistance from the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah McEwen is prosecuting the Harris and Brown cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Redavid is prosecuting the Shell case.
Three Puerto Rican Males Charged in Cocaine Trafficking IndictmentRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a two-count Indictment charging Pedro Juan Ramos-Ramirez, 27, Gerald Albert Cruz, 26, and Johnny Arias-Rodriguez, 27, all of Puerto Rico, with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine while on Board a Vessel Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States.
According to court documents, on December 29, 2021, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air Marine Operations officers interdicted a "go-fast" vessel operating without navigational lights heading away from the northwestern coast of St. Thomas. While in pursuit of the go-fast vessel, CBP officers noticed two occupants of the vessel throwing what appeared to be black duffel bags into the ocean. CBP officers then attempted to stop the vessel and was forced to disable the engines of the vessel after it failed to comply. The captain and two crew members were detained by CBP, and the duffel bags were recovered from the ocean. The duffel bags contained 73 bricks of cocaine that weighed approximately 75 kilograms.
This investigation is being conducted by Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations and being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter.
St. Louis County Couple Sentenced for Defrauding MedicaidRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Friday sentenced a couple from St. Louis County for falsely claiming to have provided home care to elderly Medicaid recipients.
Qais Meraj, 33, was sentenced to two months in prison, two years of supervised release, a $5,000 fine and was ordered to repay $45,871. Judge Fleissig sentenced Aziza Meraj, 41, to three years of probation including two months of house arrest, a $5,000 fine and ordered her to repay $33,241. She was also ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.
During Aziza Meraj’s sentencing Judge Fleissig called the case “very disturbing,” and cited allegations in court documents of other fraudulent activity by the Merajs, adding, “This is just really inexcusable behavior.”
Qais and Aziza Meraj each pleaded guilty June 8 to one count of making false statements to the Medicaid program. They admitted defrauding the Missouri Medicaid program MO HealthNet by falsely claiming to have provided personal care services for multiple Medicaid clients from February 2019 to March 2021. As a result, Medicaid was billed for services that were never provided.
Qais Meraj admitted being paid $45,871 for services that he had not provided. Aziza Meraj admitted being paid $33,241.
The Merajs worked for different companies during that time as personal care attendants, and were supposed to help clients with meal preparation, grooming, cleaning and managing their medications as a way of keeping those clients out of a nursing home or hospital.
The Merajs forged clients' initials and submitted time sheets that falsely represented that they provided personal care services to one couple when the Merajs were out of the country, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric said in a sentencing memo.
In court, Sestric said, “This crime was motivated by pure greed.” She said the couple has a comfortable net worth, owns a host of investment properties and a gas station and convenience store, but chose to defraud a program intended to help vulnerable, low-income Missouri residents, and to deprive elderly, non-English-speaking Medicaid recipients of necessary services.
When the couple’s failure to help one couple was reported to the Missouri Medicaid Audit and Compliance Office, Aziza Meraj retaliated by impersonating the couple’s daughter and canceling their Medicaid eligibility and food stamps by falsely claiming that they were leaving the country, Sestric said in court. It took several months to get the benefits restored, she said.
"The Merajs were more motivated by personal greed than their duty to provide appropriate and necessary care to vulnerable patients," said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Alongside our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is committed to protecting the integrity of the Medicaid program and to ensuring the appropriate use of U.S. taxpayer dollars."
The HHS-OIG and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric prosecuted the case.
St. Charles Woman Sentenced for Prescription Drug, Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a woman from St. Charles who fraudulently obtained prescription drugs for herself and her children and then sold them to others, including an undercover agent, to two years of probation, including four months of home detention, and 20 hours of community service.
Katie Diana Rooney, 39, pleaded guilty at the start of Friday’s hearing to a health care fraud charge and a charge of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.
Rooney admitted that on numerous occasions from July 11, 2018 to October 2018, she visited a doctor and falsely claimed to need prescription medications for medical conditions that she or her children had. She had already decided to sell some or all of the drugs, including the ADHD drug Adderall, oxycodone and the antianxiety drug alprazolam, to other people, and did so.
During the investigation, Rooney had an undercover law enforcement agent drive her to a pharmacy so she could obtain and then immediately sell the drugs to the agent, Rooney’s plea says.
Rooney and her children were enrolled in Missouri’s Medicaid program, MO HealthNet, and Rooney knew that pharmacies would request and receive reimbursement from Medicaid for the drugs she received, her plea says.
“As the fight against the opioid crisis continues, we remain committed to investigating fraudsters who seek to profit from prescription drug fraud, especially scams involving powerful controlled substance medications,” said Special Agent in Charge Curt L. Muller of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold bad actors accountable.”
The HHS-OIG, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Charles Regional Drug Task force, and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dorothy McMurtry prosecuted the case.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 27 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND -- Valo Neely, 48, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Neely was sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on February 8, 2022, in South Bend, Indiana, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Neely’s residence and recovered four firearms that he possessed. Neely’s criminal history revealed he had previously been convicted of a felony, in fact, several felonies which include unarmed robbery, possession of controlled substances, and illegal possession of a firearm, as such, Neely was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel R. Gabrielse.
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.
Shawnee Man Admits to Downloading Child PornRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN.– A Kansas man is facing prison time after he admitted to downloading child pornographic images from the Internet. Justin Packham, 34, of Shawnee pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, in December 2020, the Shawnee Police Department received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that dozens of child pornography images had been uploaded into Google Drive. An investigation revealed the email account used for the upload belonged to Justin Packham.
In February 2021, Packham was arrested for a parole violation with the State of Kansas Department of Corrections. After obtaining a search warrant for his residence, Shawnee investigators following up on the cybertip found more than 1,000 child pornography photos and videos on various electronic devices and thumb drives. Packham admitted to law enforcement that he’d downloaded the images from the Internet.
Packham is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8 and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Secret Service and the Shawnee Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra is prosecuting the case.
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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 https://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Sacramento Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington –United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Dennis Ray Hopkins, Jr., 42, of Sacramento, California, to 10 years in federal prison for offenses related to trafficking in methamphetamine and heroin and the unlawful possession of firearms. Judge Rice also ordered Hopkins to forfeit his interest in $5,685. Hopkins will also serve five years of supervised release following his release from prison. Hopkins pleaded guilty to the four offenses on March 23, 2022. He has been in federal custody since his arrest on July 29, 2021.
According to court documents, after Hopkins checked out of a Spokane-area hotel in June of 2019, hotel employees found abandoned property in his room that included approximately 600 grams of methamphetamine. No state charges were filed against Hopkins at that time. Two years later, on July 29, 2021, federal agents served a search warrant on another room rented by Hopkins at a Spokane-area hotel. Agents seized over twelve ounces of methamphetamine, nearly five ounces of heroin, and three firearms. As a prior convicted felon and an unlawful user of controlled substances, Hopkins was prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm. As part of his plea agreement, Hopkins accepted responsibility for the abandoned methamphetamine found in 2019 and the methamphetamine, heroin, and firearms seized during the search in 2021.
Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, praised the investigative team for building the case that resulted in the issuance of the 2021 search warrant and Hopkins’ arrest. She also remarked on the importance of interagency cooperation in combating drug trafficking that crosses state lines, especially in cases involving firearms. “Mr. Hopkins had multiple firearms in a Spokane-area hotel along with large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin,” U.S. Attorney Waldref stated. “Where guns and drugs intersect, we will continue to work closely with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to ensure dangerous offenders are held accountable.”
“The FBI is dedicated to combating violent crime through the investigation of drug and firearm violations,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “The FBI and our partners are working every day to protect the communities where we live and work. Mr. Hopkins’s case is a perfect example of the hard work we all do to combat violent crime in Washington state.”
This case was investigated by the Spokane Resident Office of the FBI, with significant assistance from the Spokane Safe Streets Task Force (which includes the FBI, the Spokane Police Department, the Spokane Valley Police Department, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington Department of Corrections, and the United States Border Patrol). The FBI Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force also contributed to this case. The case was prosecuted by Timothy J. Ohms, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Repeat Felon Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm While Impersonating a Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Patrick Hancock, 42, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on December 6, 2021, employees at a Costco in Avon called police after observing Hancock in the store wearing a badge with a gun on his person. Store employees had been alerted to be on the lookout for Hancock, who they believed to be travelling to multiple Costco locations and making purchases with fraudulent checks. Police responded and found Hancock wearing a DEA “Special Agent” badge around his neck and openly carrying a 9mm Glock pistol in a holster on his hip. Officers also found that Hancock was in possession of a baton and two pairs of handcuffs. During an interview, Hancock admitted to law enforcement that he purchased the fake DEA badge on a website to feel like part of something bigger.
Hancock is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has been previously convicted of multiple felony crimes over the past twenty years, for offenses including credit card theft, fraud, illegal firearms possession, and false impersonation of law enforcement.
Hancock’s most recent felony conviction was for being a felon in possession of a firearm in federal court in the Northern District of Indiana. That case stemmed from a 2017 incident where Hancock posed as a federal law enforcement officer and attempted to arrest an employee of an adult nightclub utilizing a false arrest warrant. Over the course of that investigation, law enforcement officers discovered that Hancock illegally possessed a firearm. Hancock was sentenced in the Northern District of Indiana to 41 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Columbus Field Division; and Police Chief Sean Stoops, of the Avon Police Department; made the announcement.
ATF investigated the case in conjunction with the Avon Police Department. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. As part of the sentence, Judge Pratt ordered that Hancock be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Abhishek S. Kambli who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Port Charlotte Man Sentenced to 29 Years in Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Images and VideosRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Robert William Sanchez (36, Port Charlotte) to 29 years in federal prison for producing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of a child. Sanchez was also sentenced to a life term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Sanchez had pleaded guilty on June 22, 2022.
According to court documents, Sanchez produced images and videos of his sexual abuse of a minor. In November 2020, an investigation was launched after the minor reported that Sanchez had harmed her, and that Sanchez had taken pictures and videos of her sexual abuse. On December 11, 2020, officers executed a search warrant at Sanchez’s residence and located his digital camera. A forensic analysis of the camera revealed images and videos of Sanchez sexually abusing a 10-year-old child in May of 2018.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
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 Attorney’s 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.
Out of State man gets significant sentence for traveling to Texas to have sex with local minorRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 59-year-old Michigan resident has been sentenced to nearly 22 years in federal prison following his conviction of coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Raymond Dale Carr Jr. pleaded guilty Jan. 27.
Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen ordered Carr to serve a total of 262 months in prison. He will also be on supervised release for 10 years following his sentence, during which he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Carr will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. In imposing the sentence, the court considered victim impact statements and heard how the victim’s family has been forever changed. The victim herself has made several suicide attempts. She and her family are devastated, according to arguments presented.
Carr met the 11-year-old minor female online. He cultivated a relationship with her and discussed traveling to Texas. Carr and the minor communicated via text message, social media and FaceTime video calls. In September 2020, Carr drove from Michigan to Texas and picked the minor up near her home. He took her to a local motel where he had sexual relations with her which included intercourse and oral sex.
Carr gave the minor a ring and suggested they were going to be married when she came of age. The investigation revealed images of their hands wearing matching rings. Carr even bragged to the victim that he told his children about her but not her age. He believed it might upset his daughter that the victim was younger than her.
Carr knew the victim was under the age of 18 and would not be of age for quite some time. Their communications referenced how much he loved her and how he imagined they had a future together.
Carr has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons to be determined in the near future.
FBI Houston conducted the investigation with the assistance of FBI-Detroit.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Old Forge Man Convicted at Trial of Bribery and Related OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that James J. Peperno, Jr., age 57, of Old Forge, Pennsylvania, was convicted following a jury trial, of conspiracy, federal program bribery, honest services wire fraud, Travel Act, false statement, and perjury offenses. The nine-day trial was held before United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion in Scranton.
Peperno was convicted of soliciting cash payments and debt forgiveness from a local business owner, to provide to Robert Semenza, Jr., the former President of the Old Forge Borough Council. Peperno also was convicted of providing and promising cash and future employment to Semenza, in exchange for Semenza performing and promising to perform official acts, in relation to a state court civil litigation between Old Forge Borough and the local business owner. Semenza advocated on behalf of the local business owner with the Old Forge Borough Council, the Old Forge Borough Solicitor, and Old Forge zoning officials, including by proposing a resolution to the civil litigation that had been prepared by Peperno. Peperno kept the majority of the cash payments paid by the local business owner.
Peperno also was convicted of making false statements and giving perjured testimony in connection with an outstanding restitution obligation owed from a prior federal conviction for mail fraud. Peperno claimed, in a written filing and when testifying under oath, that he did not have any income or access to any bank accounts, despite receiving approximately $6,000 from the local business owner, in the weeks immediately preceding his false statements and perjured testimony. Peperno, who owed approximately $390,000 on his outstanding restitution obligation, had not made any payments towards that debt in approximately one and one-half years.
The jury returned a guilty verdict after approximately seven hours of deliberation. Peperno was convicted of: one count of conspiring to commit federal program bribery and honest services wire fraud; two counts of federal program bribery; two counts of honest services wire fraud; one count of violating the Travel Act; one count of false statements; and two counts of perjury. The jury acquitted Peperno of money laundering charges.
Robert Semenza, Jr., pleaded guilty in June 2021 to federal program bribery, and awaits sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Scranton Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Public Corruption Task Force, which consists of members of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and federal agents from the FBI and Internal Revenue Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phillip J. Caraballo and Jeffrey St John.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the most serious offense is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Ocean Springs Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – An Ocean Springs man was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”).
Jeffery Vo, 29, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court documents, in September of 2021, the DEA received information regarding a possible drug trafficking conspiracy involving Jeffery Vo. Over the course of the investigation, DEA agents were able to purchase large quantities of MDMA pills from Vo which contained methamphetamine.
Vo was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 8, 2022. He pled guilty on May 16, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
Nigerian Man Indicted and Wanted for Defrauding New York State Out of More than $30 Million by Posing as Ventilator Seller During Height of the COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Chidozie Collins Obasi, 29, of Nigeria, was charged by Indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, six counts of mail fraud, and 16 counts of wire fraud, all stemming from a complicated, evolving fraud scheme that initially targeted Americans through a spam email campaign offering illegitimate “work from home” jobs, and then during the COVID-19 pandemic shifted to targeting U.S. hospitals and medical systems by offering non-existent ventilators for sale beginning in March 2020, and finally shifted again in June 2020 to using stolen identity information of American citizens to apply for and obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EID Loans”). The Indictment alleges that Obasi perpetrated this fraud from Nigeria, with the help of co-conspirators in Canada and elsewhere. The defendant and his co-conspirators are alleged to have obtained more than $31,000,000 through this multi-faceted fraud scheme, with the overwhelming majority of that money – more than $30 million – coming from the State of New York for the intended purchase of ventilators.
The scheme alleged in the Indictment began in September 2018, with a spam email campaign that offered phony “work from home” jobs. When a person responded to the phony job offer, Obasi or a co-conspirator posed as a representative of a legitimate company, often a supposed medical equipment supplier based outside the United States, and offered the person a job as the company’s U.S. representative with responsibilities including collecting on outstanding invoices. A co-conspirator in Canada then sent the new “employee” counterfeit checks purportedly from customers of the company, and the new “employee” deposited the checks, took a commission, and wired the rest of the money to a foreign bank account ostensibly owned by the fake company. As alleged in the Indictment, Obasi and his co-conspirators obtained more than $1 million in this manner.
The Indictment further alleges that in approximately March 2020, soon after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States and ventilators were in high demand, Obasi posed as a representative of an Indonesian-based medical supply company offering ventilators for sale, and claimed to have a large stockpile of ventilators manufactured by a German company whose headquarters was in Telford, PA. The defendant allegedly convinced a medical equipment broker in the U.S. to broker sales of these non-existent ventilators, and ultimately deceived the State of New York into wiring more than $30 million for the purchase of ventilators that did not exist. Obasi continued to target other potential customers with this same scam, including hospitals.
Later, in approximately June 2020, the Indictment alleges that Obasi and his co-conspirators took advantage of the EID Loan program by using stolen identities of U.S. citizens to apply for and obtain more than $135,000 in EID Loan proceeds.
Obasi is presently a fugitive, and the United States is seeking to locate and arrest him. Anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts should contact their local FBI Office.
If caught and convicted, Obasi faces a maximum sentence of 621 years in prison, a five-year period of supervised release, and a $5,750,000 fine. Obasi also will be required to make full restitution of the more than $31,000,000 that he obtained by fraud.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael S. Lowe.
An Indictment, Information, or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New York Woman Sentenced to Prison for Interfering with a Flight CrewRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Kelly Pichardo, 32, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to four months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release. Pichardo previously pleaded guilty to Interference with Flight Crew Members. Pichardo was also ordered to pay restitution to American Airlines in the amount of $9,123.00.
In 2021, Pichardo and her co-defendant, Leeza S. Rodriguez, engaged in unruly and intimidating behavior while traveling first class on an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Los Angeles. Their actions caused such a disturbance that the pilot had to divert the flight to Phoenix, Arizona, so Pichardo and Rodriguez could be removed from the plane. Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced pursuant to her guilty plea in this case on November 7, 2022.
“There is a line between boorish behavior on an airplane and criminal activity, and the defendant clearly crossed it,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “First class passengers are not immune from prosecution: defendant’s verbal and physical intimidation disrupted the travel of passengers and crew alike.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case with assistance from the Phoenix Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Hakala, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-00494-PHX-DWL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-154_Pichardo# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Mother and Daughter Pharmacy Owners Charged with Health Care Fraud and Kickback CrimesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A South Florida federal grand jury has charged Mirosis Gonzalez, 58, and her daughter Berioska Sosa, 32, with paying kickbacks in exchange for referrals of Medicare beneficiaries to their pharmacy, then using the referrals to steal millions from Medicare.
Gonzalez and Sosa owned and operated Aviva Care Pharmacy (which did business under the name American Care Pharmacy) in Sunrise, Florida. Gonzalez, who lives in Palm Beach County, was the listed President and Registered Agent of Aviva Care Pharmacy. Sosa, who lives in Broward County, was the listed Manager.
According to the indictment, from August 2016 through May 2020, the defendants paid kickbacks and bribes to marketing and telemedicine companies in exchange for their referring Medicare beneficiaries, as well as doctors’ orders and prescriptions, to Aviva Care Pharmacy. It is alleged that the bribed companies sent, and Aviva accepted, orders for expensive durable medical equipment (DME) and prescriptions for pharmaceutical medication, without considering medical necessity or Medicare reimbursement eligibility. The defendants negotiated the kickback and bribe arrangements with the companies and created sham contracts meant to disguise the bribes as payments for marketing and other services, says the indictment.
According to the allegations, Gonzalez and Sosa submitted over $12 million in false claims to Medicare and Aviva Care Pharmacy received payments totaling more than $8.4 million.
The indictment charges Gonzalez and Sosa with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks, and payment of kickbacks.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert M. DeWitt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, and Omar Perez Aybar, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) announced the charges.
FBI Miami and HHS-OIG Miami investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling the asset forfeiture component of the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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, under case number 22-cr-60193.
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Morgantown man and Detroit man guilty of drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two men were found guilty today by a federal jury of a drug conspiracy that stretched from Detroit to Morgantown, selling methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Aaric Murray, 33, of Morgantown, West Virginia, and Richard Kirkland Johnson, 25, of Detroit, Michigan, were found guilty today of one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances” one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base,” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Offense.” Murray was also found guilty of one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” The crimes occurred from the Spring of 2020 through November 2020 in Monongalia County.
Murray was acquitted of two other firearms charges, and Johnson was acquitted of an aiding and abetting charge.
Murray and Johnson each face up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each of the drug counts and face up to five years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearms count. 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. Attorneys Zelda E. Wesley and Clayton J. Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Federal Prison for Robberies of Tow Truck DriversRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling announced today that Latherio Meadows (age 27) was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for a series of armed robberies on the north side of Milwaukee over a three-week time span.
According to court records, Meadows committed seven armed robberies in September and October 2021. Meadows targeted local tow truck drivers, contacting each of them under the false pretense that he needed a tow or wanted to junk a car. Instead, in each of the robberies, he brandished a firearm and robbed the victims. In all of the robberies, Meadows stole significant sums of cash from the tow truck drivers. In two of the robberies, Meadows stole the victim’s firearm. In one robbery, Meadows physically assaulted the victim.
At sentencing, United States District Court Judge J.P. Stadtmueller emphasized the seriousness of the offenses and the impact of these crimes on the victims.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Milwaukee Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbey M. Marzick.
Following his term of imprisonment, Meadows also will spend three years on supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $10,146.74 in restitution to the victims.
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For further information contact: [email protected]
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Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robberies of Auto Parts StoresRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling announced that on September 9, 2022 that Stacy Chappell (age 44) was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for a series of armed robberies of Milwaukee-area auto parts stores.
According to court records, Chappell committed three armed robberies of auto parts stores in August and September 2020 (two completed robberies and one attempted robbery). Chappell brandished a firearm during the robberies and demanded cash from the employee victims.
At the sentencing hearing, United States District Court Judge J.P. Stadtmueller discussed the impact of these crimes on the victims and the dangerousness of these acts, including the possibility that someone could have been seriously injured or killed. Judge Stadtmueller remarked about the high levels of violence, including armed robberies, in the Milwaukee area, the increased federal prosecution of these crimes, and the need for significant punishment.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Milwaukee Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbey M. Marzick.
Following his term of imprisonment, Chappell also will spend three years on supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $4,600 in restitution.
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Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robberies of Auto Parts StoresRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling announced that on September 9, 2022 that Stacy Chappell (age 44) was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for a series of armed robberies of Milwaukee-area auto parts stores.
According to court records, Chappell committed three armed robberies of auto parts stores in August and September 2020 (two completed robberies and one attempted robbery). Chappell brandished a firearm during the robberies and demanded cash from the employee victims.
At the sentencing hearing, United States District Court Judge J.P. Stadtmueller discussed the impact of these crimes on the victims and the dangerousness of these acts, including the possibility that someone could have been seriously injured or killed. Judge Stadtmueller remarked about the high levels of violence, including armed robberies, in the Milwaukee area, the increased federal prosecution of these crimes, and the need for significant punishment.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Milwaukee Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbey M. Marzick.
Following his term of imprisonment, Chappell also will spend three years on supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $4,600 in restitution.
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For further information contact: [email protected]
(414) 297-1700
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Miami Man Who Used Durable Medical Equipment Company as Front for Health Care Fraud Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Yesterday, a federal district judge in Miami sentenced 42-year-old Daniel Pintado Cazola to 87 months in prison for his role in using a durable medical equipment company to commit Medicare and Medicaid fraud, and trying to conceal his connection to the crime by listing a straw owner in corporate and bank records.
Earlier this year, Pintado Cazola pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, wire fraud, and mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Myers Professional Services was established as a durable medical equipment (DME) company in Ft. Myers, Florida. To conceal Pintado’s role as the true owner who exercised control over the DME company (and the fraud), a nominee or “straw” owner was listed as the owner of Myers Professional Services on its corporate records and bank account. As part of his guilty plea, Pintado admitted that he – and not a straw owner -- purchased lists of Medicare “patients” and then directed a “biller” to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for durable medical equipment that was not being prescribed by a doctor, that was not medically necessary, and that was not being supplied to any Medicare beneficiary or Medicaid recipient. During a three-month period -- from November 2021 and February 2022 – and under Pintado’s direction, Myers Professional Services submitted over $2.3 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid. The DME company was paid over $1.6 million through February 2022, when Pintado was arrested. The proceeds of the fraud were transferred from the Myers Professional Services account to accounts held in the names of shell companies. Then, those proceeds were withdrawn from the shell company accounts by others so that it could not be traced to Pintado.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Omar Pérez Aybar, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Region announced the sentenced imposed by U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom.
“The sentence imposed in this case reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Gonzalez. “This Office will not relent in holding accountable those who steal from government programs that provide health care to the most vulnerable in our society.”
“The magnitude of Mr. Pintado’s criminal behavior, literally, knew no bounds,” said Special Agent in Charge Pérez-Aybar. “His ability to deceptively pilfer the Medicare trust fund meant to protect our most vulnerable population came to an abrupt halt because of the relentless efforts of our agents and prosecutors that continue to bring to justice those that defraud our nation’s health care programs.”
HHS-OIG Miami investigated the case. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aimee C. Jimenez. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster handled asset forfeiture.
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, under case number 22-cr-20097.
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Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to Five YearsRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Jones, Alabama, man was sentenced in federal court today for his possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Daniel Martin Bridge, 39, pled guilty to the charge in March of 2022.
According to court documents, Bridge was the passenger in a vehicle stopped by Mobile County sheriff’s deputies for a traffic violation. During the investigation for the traffic violation, a sheriff’s office drug detecting dog alerted on the vehicle. Deputies searched it and found approximately 45 grams of methamphetamine in the cupholder. Bridge told the deputies that anything they found in the car was his, and the driver had nothing to do with it. He told the deputies the substance was “ice.”
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose sentenced Bridge to 60 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release after his release from custody. As conditions of supervision, Bridge will undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that the defendant pay $100 in special assessments.The case was investigated by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Marion Man Charged with Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Tyler Maus, age 29, of Marion, Iowa, has been charged with being a felon in possession of firearms. The charge is contained in an Indictment unsealed on August 29, 2022, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
The Indictment alleges that, in December 2021, Maus possessed four pistols after having been convicted of four felonies.
If convicted, Maus faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years on supervised release following any imprisonment.
Maus appeared for a detention hearing on September 1 and September 8, 2022, in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was released on bond. Maus’s next appearance for trial is set for October 31, 2022.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and is being investigated by the Hiawatha Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Marion Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 22-49.
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Manpower Owner Sentenced for CW-1 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Saipan – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Servillana Soriano, age 61, from the Republic of the Philippines was sentenced in the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to 1 month in prison and 7 months home detention for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. The Court also ordered 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment, 50 hours of community service, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee. Soriano was previously found guilty by jury verdict on July 6, 2021.
From August 2018 to February 2019, Servillana Soriano agreed with co-conspirators to defraud the United States. The government’s evidence showed that Soriano, in exchange for money, filed fraudulent CW-1 petitions with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for three Bangladeshi men. The petitions indicated that they would be full-time employees of Soriano’s manpower company, RES International, LLC, in Saipan. The co-conspirators, however, never worked for Soriano or her company, and the true purpose of filing the petitions was to get them lawful immigration status in order to remain in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
“This case demonstrates our commitment to enforcing federal immigration laws in the CNMI,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “The CW-1 program is vital to maintaining the CNMI economy. I urge anyone with knowledge of this criminal activity to contact Homeland Security Investigations in Saipan.”
“There are lawful ways for individuals to enter the United States and as Servillana discovered, HSI will thoroughly investigate those who try and circumvent our laws, including those who seek to defraud the U.S. with false claims,” said John F. Tobon, HSI Honolulu. “We continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s offices to protect the integrity of our immigration laws.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Garth Backe, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Local Gun Dealer Convicted of Illegally Trafficking Firearms and Conducting Straw PurchasesRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Nicholas Pilchak (619) 546-9709 or Andrew Haden (619) 546-6961
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – September 9, 2022
SAN DIEGO – Giovanni “Gio” Tilotta, the proprietor of local firearms dealer Honey Badger Firearms, was convicted yesterday of assisting with unlicensed firearms dealing and conducting straw purchases with former San Diego County Sheriff’s Captain Marco Garmo and others. A federal jury found Tilotta guilty of three felony counts following a six-day trial.
This conviction is believed to be the first federal criminal conviction of a civilian retail gun store owner in the Southern District of California in at least 15 years.
Tilotta was convicted of conspiring with Garmo, San Diego jeweler Leo Hamel, and others to make false statements in the acquisition of firearms. According to evidence presented at trial, Garmo and another Sheriff’s deputy falsely claimed to be the actual purchasers of new handguns, while really intending to transfer the weapons to other individuals who were the true buyers—notably including Hamel. Tilotta was also found guilty of aiding and abetting Garmo’s unlicensed firearms trafficking enterprise, in which Garmo bought and resold dozens of firearms both for profit and to bank favors for Garmo’s anticipated campaign for Sheriff of San Diego County.
Garmo pleaded guilty to engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license on September 15, 2020, and is currently serving a prison sentence. Hamel pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting Garmo’s unlicensed dealing on November 22, 2019, and is presently awaiting sentencing.
Tilotta committed these crimes through his licensed firearms dealer, Honey Badger Firearms in Kearney Mesa, despite an explicit warning he received from the California Department of Justice in December 2015 advising him to avoid allowing straw purchases at his business. Emails admitted at trial indicated that, instead, Tilotta directed Hamel and Garmo to create sham emails to cover up the straw purchases they conducted at Honey Badger.
The jury deadlocked on a fourth felony count, which alleged that Tilotta conducted a firearms transfer in violation of California law, and U.S. District Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel declared a mistrial on that count.
According to evidence presented at trial, Tilotta’s specific conduct went beyond knowingly accepting false records for straw purchases. He also backdated firearms transfer records for certain customers without requiring them to present themselves at his business to begin a firearms transfer. As part of this process, Tilotta would himself answer questions designed to determine if a firearms recipient was prohibited from receiving a gun—such as whether they were the subject of a restraining order. Records introduced at trial showed that, rather than requiring certain customers to answer these questions, Tilotta answered them himself, including on behalf of local criminal defense attorney Vikas Bajaj, whom he had never met.
As part of the same transaction, Tilotta sold Bajaj a handgun and an AR-15 style rifle inside Garmo’s Sheriff’s Department office using backdated paperwork. Bajaj pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for his role in that transfer on December 9, 2020. At Tilotta’s trial, the parties stipulated that two San Diego Sheriff’s deputies also received AK-47 style rifles from Tilotta the same day. Tilotta acknowledged delivering those rifles to the deputies inside Garmo’s Captain’s office, in a transfer using backdated paperwork.
“Our firearms laws depend on dealers to act as trusted gatekeepers,” said Attorney for the United States Rebecca G. Church. “Instead, this defendant violated the laws and falsified transfer records. This office will not hesitate to enforce the firearms laws against anyone who seeks to subvert them, including licensed dealers who intentionally break the law.”
Tilotta is set to be sentenced by Judge Curiel on December 5, 2022. Sentencings for the remaining defendants are set on October 3, 2022, for former Sheriff’s Lieutenant Fred Magana; October 24, 2022, for Leo Hamel; and November 7, 2022 for Waiel “Will” Anton.
Church thanked prosecution team as well as the dedicated investigators from the ATF and FBI, for their excellent work on this case. Church added that the U.S. Attorney’s Office wishes to extend its sincerest gratitude to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department for initiating this investigation, and for their assistance and support throughout its course.
“A vast majority of federal firearm licensees (FFL) operate their businesses in compliance with federal laws,” said ATF Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Monique Villegas. “However, when an FFL intentionally chooses to violate those laws, ATF will investigate, as was the case with Giovanni Tilotta and Honey Badger Firearms. This conviction should serve as a deterrent to any other licensee choosing not to follow federal firearm laws.”
“For over three years, Tilotta misused his privilege as a federally licensed firearms dealer to subvert the system and obtain dozens of firearms for individuals who were unable to buy them legally,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “Today's guilty verdict stops many more illegally purchased guns from getting into the wrong hands. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively investigate any corrupt individual who ignores the law for their personal profit to ensure justice is served and our communities are safe.”
U.S. v. Tilotta, et. al, 19-CR-4768-GPC
Defendants
Morad Marco Garmo, 54 years old
Leo Joseph Hamel, 65 years old
Giovanni Vincenzo Tilotta, 41 years old
Fred Magana, 45 years old
Waiel Yousif Anton, 38 years old
Summary of Charges
Title 18, U.S.C., Secs. 371, 924(a)(1)(A) – Conspiracy to Make False Statements in the Acquisition of a Firearm
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine
Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 922(a)(1)(A) – Engaging in the Business of Dealing in Firearms Without a License
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine
Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 924(a)(1)(A) – Making a False Statement in the Acquisition of a Firearm
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine
Investigating Agencies
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF)
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Lexington Man Sentenced to 250 Months for Armed Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Lexington man, Titus Mayhorn, 34, was sentenced on Wednesday to 250 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to Mayhorn’s plea agreement, on July 11, 2021, law enforcement responded to a call of reckless driving, conducted a traffic stop, and found Mayhorn inside the vehicle with a firearm in the front passenger seat. Mayhorn was found to be impaired and arrested for a DUI. Law enforcement then conducted a search of the car and discovered 985 blue pills stamped with M 30, which were later confirmed to be fentanyl. They also discovered a bag of marijuana, cash, and three firearms.
Mayhorn pleaded guilty in May 2022.
Under federal law, Mayhorn 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 five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Mike Murray, Chief of the Versailles Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, ATF, and Versailles Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield
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Leader of Brooklyn-Based Eastern European Organized Crime Syndicate Extradited from Switzerland to Face Racketeering and Other ChargesRead the Press Release
Viktor Zelinger, also known as “Vitya” and “Vityok,” the alleged leader of an Eastern European organized crime syndicate that operated in the Brighton Beach, Sheepshead Bay and Coney Island neighborhoods of Brooklyn and was linked to high-level Russian mafia members known as “Thieves in Law” or “Thieves,” was extradited today from Switzerland to the United States on a nine-count superseding indictment. Zelinger is charged with racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, arson, arson conspiracy, illegal gambling, illegal gambling conspiracy, extortionate collection of credit and two counts of extortionate collection of credit conspiracy. Zelinger, who is a naturalized U.S. citizen with dual Ukrainian citizenship, is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow in federal court in Brooklyn before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), announced the extradition.
“As alleged, Zelinger was a ruthless leader of a violent criminal syndicate that wreaked havoc throughout Brooklyn with seeming impunity, including an arson in the middle of the night that endangered civilians and firefighters. Zelinger’s underlings were arrested by our law enforcement partners and prosecuted by this Office, and now he will learn the serious consequences for his crimes,” stated United States Attorney Peace.
Mr. Peace thanked the Swiss government for its assistance with Zelinger’s arrest and extradition, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), and the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) for its investigation of the charged arson and heroic efforts in rescuing residents trapped in an apartment building as a result of that blaze.
“When Viktor Zelinger stepped onto American soil, all the alleged crimes he is charged with became a reality after years on the run. As a prominent leader in the ‘Thieves in Law,’ Zelinger held the decision-making power in New York further enabling organized crime around the world. This extradition demonstrates DEA’s global reach and perseverance, as well as our commitment to the rule of law. I applaud the DEA Strike Force and all of our law enforcement partners on their diligence throughout this investigation,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Tarentino.
“Today points to just the beginning for Viktor Zelinger as he was returned to the United States to face justice for years of alleged criminal activity. Extortion, narcotics trafficking, assault, and arson—setting fire to an apartment building for vengeance—are just a sample of the charges against Zelinger, the alleged leader of an organized crime mob in Brooklyn. This extradition is true testament to the global reach of IRS Criminal Investigation and our incredible investigative partnerships in the DEA Strikeforce,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Fattorusso.
As alleged in a superseding indictment, the defendant was the leader of a sophisticated criminal organization that engaged in a wide range of activities traditionally associated with organized crime, including extortion, arson, assault, drug trafficking, illegal gambling, loansharking and wire fraud. The organization also reported to and associated with high-ranking members of Eastern European mafia, known as “воры в зако́ не” (pronounced “vory v zakone”), which literally translates to “Thieves in Law” or “Thieves.”
From approximately 2011 to May 2017, members of Zelinger’s syndicate carried out numerous crimes, including arson and extortion, operated high stakes gambling establishments, trafficked in narcotics, assaulted victims, and facilitated loansharking. Zelinger ordered the arson of an apartment building at 2220 Voorhies Avenue in Sheepshead Bay because it housed a rival high-stakes poker game on the ground floor that competed with the defendant’s illegal gambling spot at 2663 Coney Island Avenue. Specifically, Zelinger directed members of the syndicate to break into the Voorhies Avenue building in the early morning hours of May 2, 2016 and set a fire. The second and third floors of the building contained occupied apartments. As a result of the fire, two building residents and five firefighters were injured, with one firefighter suffering career-ending burns, and the building was destroyed.
The defendant’s Coney Island Avenue gambling spot provided poker players with complimentary food and alcohol and “massage girls,” who gave players back and shoulder rubs during the games. Poker players used narcotics, including cocaine and marijuana supplied by members and associates of the syndicate during the games. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were wagered, with individual players sometimes winning or losing tens of thousands of dollars in a single night.
OIA worked with Swiss law enforcement partners to secure Zelinger’s apprehension and extradition, the latter of which was carried out by the United States Marshals Service. Zelinger was apprehended in Switzerland on an extradition request based on charges pending in the Eastern District of New York. The Federal Department of Justice and Police for the Swiss Confederation approved the extradition on August 31, 2022.
If convicted, Zelinger faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment and a maximum of 40 years’ imprisonment for each of the arson counts; a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment for each of the racketeering and extortion counts; and a maximum of five years’ imprisonment for each of the gambling counts.
Ten other defendants previously charged in the government’s case either were convicted at trial of or pleaded guilty to racketeering and related crimes.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorney Victor Zapana is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
VIKTOR ZELINGER (also known as “Vitya” and “Vityok”)
Age: 43
St. Gallen, SwitzerlandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-553 (S-4) (BMC)
Kingfield Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Production and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Kingfield man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for production and possession of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Richard Hinkley, 56, of Kingfield to 20 years in prison and 5 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $16,500 in restitution. Hinkley pleaded guilty on March 11, 2022.
According to court records, between May 2009 and April 2010, Hinkley coerced a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct through online video chat communications. He recorded images of the minor during some of the sessions. The investigation revealed that Hinkley possessed a hard drive that contained images of child pornography including some he had collected using a peer-to-peer network. Some were sexually explicit images of prepubescent children under the age of 12.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: "Child pornography" captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization each time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.com or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Disability and Sex-Based Discrimination by Owner and Operators of Milwaukee Rental PropertyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin joins The Justice Department in announcing on, September 9, 2022 it has filed a lawsuit alleging that the owner and managers of a rental property in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, harassed a tenant because of his sex, including his sexual orientation and his disability, in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
Today’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, alleges that Dennis Parker, the onsite manager of the property, subjected a gay male tenant with a disability to unwelcome harassment, both verbally and through numerous text messages during his tenancy in 2020 and 2021. The complaint also alleges that Parker struck the tenant in the groin and threatened to evict him in retaliation for reporting the harassment to the police. The lawsuit also names as defendants Leaf Property Investments LLC which owns the property, and Sam Leaf, who manages the property. The complaint alleges that Parker managed the property on behalf of these defendants.
The tenant, who later moved out of the property, filed a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) alleging that the defendants had violated the Fair Housing Act. After an investigation, HUD determined that the defendants had discriminated against the tenant in violation of the Fair Housing Act and it issued a charge of discrimination. After the tenant chose to have the matter decided in federal court, HUD referred the matter to the Justice Department.
“We stand ready to use our civil rights laws to combat all forms of sexual harassment in housing, including harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will hold accountable landlords and housing providers who engage in unlawful discrimination and harassment of vulnerable tenants.”
“No tenant should have to choose between having a stable residence or enduring sexual harassment from their landlord or property manager,” said U.S Attorney Richard G. Frohling for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our federal, state, local, Tribal and community partners to combat all forms of sexual harassment in housing and to seeking justice for those impacted by this type of egregious conduct.”
“Housing discrimination has no place in our society,” said HUD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, Demetria L. McCain. “HUD is glad to partner with the Department of Justice to root out housing discrimination of all kinds, including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and disability.”
The lawsuit seeks an order requiring the defendants to pay monetary damages to the tenant and cease discrimination against any tenant based on sex and disability.
The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country. The goal of the initiative is to address and combat unlawful sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative in October 2017, the Justice Department has filed 25 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $9.6 million for victims of such harassment.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals may report harassment or other forms of housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination tip line at 1-833-591-0291, emailing the Justice Department at [email protected], or submitting a report online. Individuals may also report such discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online
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Justice Department Files Discrimination Lawsuit Against Milwaukee Rental PropertyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit alleging that the owner and managers of a rental property in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, harassed a tenant because of his sex, including his sexual orientation and his disability, in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
Today’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, alleges that Dennis Parker, the onsite manager of the property, subjected a gay male tenant with a disability to unwelcome harassment, both verbally and through numerous text messages during his tenancy in 2020 and 2021. The complaint also alleges that Parker struck the tenant in the groin and threatened to evict him in retaliation for reporting the harassment to the police. The lawsuit also names as defendants Leaf Property Investments LLC which owns the property, and Sam Leaf, who manages the property. The complaint alleges that Parker managed the property on behalf of these defendants.
The tenant, who later moved out of the property, filed a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) alleging that the defendants had violated the Fair Housing Act. After an investigation, HUD determined that the defendants had discriminated against the tenant in violation of the Fair Housing Act and it issued a charge of discrimination. After the tenant chose to have the matter decided in federal court, HUD referred the matter to the Justice Department.
“We stand ready to use our civil rights laws to combat all forms of sexual harassment in housing, including harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will hold accountable landlords and housing providers who engage in unlawful discrimination and harassment of vulnerable tenants.”
“No tenant should have to choose between having a stable residence or enduring sexual harassment from their landlord or property manager,” said U.S Attorney Richard G. Frohling for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our federal, state, local, Tribal and community partners to combat all forms of sexual harassment in housing and to seeking justice for those impacted by this type of egregious conduct.”
“Housing discrimination has no place in our society,” said HUD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, Demetria L. McCain. “HUD is glad to partner with the Department of Justice to root out housing discrimination of all kinds, including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and disability.”
The lawsuit seeks an order requiring the defendants to pay monetary damages to the tenant and cease discrimination against any tenant based on sex and disability.
The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country. The goal of the initiative is to address and combat unlawful sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative in October 2017, the Justice Department has filed 25 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $9.6 million for victims of such harassment.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals may report harassment or other forms of housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination tip line at 1-833-591-0291, emailing the Justice Department at [email protected], or submitting a report online. Individuals may also report such discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.
Jury Convicts Man of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – A federal jury in Alexandria, Louisiana has returned a guilty verdict today convicting Bobby Joe Mincey, 30, of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the three-day trial.
In December 2019, Mincey was living with his wife at the time, who was a soldier in the U.S. Army and stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana. During this time, Mincey and his wife and her two minor daughters were living in Base Housing at Fort Polk. On December 6, 2019, the two stepdaughters of Mincey, who were ages 6 and 9 at the time, confided to their mother that Mincey had been sexually abusing them. The mother immediately contacted the Fort Polk Military Police and reported the allegations made by her daughters. Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) consequently began an investigation into the allegations and interviewed both of the female minor victims about the incidents that had taken place. In May 2021, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Mincey with aggravated sexual abuse.
The trial began Wednesday, September 7, 2022. The minor victims testified at trial that Mincey sexually abused them day after day beginning from the time that they were 5 and 6 years old. They testified that Mincey would force them to perform oral sex on him.
“The aggravated sexual abuse of a minor is an incomprehensible act, and these are cases that we will not shy away from prosecuting,” stated USA Brown. “The bravery shown by these minor victims who were willing to stand up to their abuser in court and tell the truth as to what happened to them is nothing short of heroic. These types of crimes will not be tolerated in the Western District of Louisiana. The tireless work by the FBI and U.S. Army, Criminal Investigation Division, for their work in this case is to be commended and we will continue to work to fight for victims such as this.”
Mincey faces a minimum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing has been set for December 9, 2022.
The case was investigated by the FBI and United States Army, Criminal Investigation Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Luke Walker and LaDonte A. Murphy.
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Johnstown Man Pleads Guilty in Large-Scale Meth Distribution RingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to violation of federal narcotics laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced today.
Travis Williams, age 30, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possesses with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. Williams was one of 47 defendants charged in six related indictments as part of the Return to Sender investigation.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Williams was a methamphetamine distributor who obtained between 350 grams and 500 grams of methamphetamine as part of a large-scale methamphetamine distribution conspiracy and redistributed it to methamphetamine users.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Williams on January 19, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. The law provides for a sentence of not less than five years to a maximum of forty years in prison, a fine not to exceed $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense(s) and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The court ordered that the defendant remain on bond pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan D. Lusty and Michael R. Ball are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Jewelry store owner ordered to prison for cash advance fraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 40-year-old Katy man has been sent to federal prison following his conviction of committing wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Santiago Mora pleaded guilty March 3.
Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen imposed a 27-month-term of imprisonment to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
Mora was co-owner with his business partner of Alku Modern Jewelers located in Katy.
During sentencing, the judge heard that Mora failed to deliver pre-paid Rolex watches valued at approximately $3.9 million to a customer. In an effort to pay the customer and others, Mora executed a scheme by which he obtained a total $500,000 in merchant cash advances via wire transfer by impersonating and using the good credit of his business partner.
Mora eventually admitted his fraudulent dealings to his business partner and to using his partner’s identity to apply for and receive multiple merchant cash advances.
Mora was taken into custody in Miami, Florida, in June 2021 after he failed to appear in court for further proceedings.
Mora will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tina Ansari and Grace Murphy prosecuted the case.
Jefferson County Felon Convicted Following Four-Day Trial for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Multiple Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jefferson County felon was found guilty in U.S. District Court following a four-day jury trial of three counts of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, with one count charging 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
According to court documents, Boris Ward, 49, conducted two controlled sales of a half-ounce of methamphetamine in Jefferson County on June 1st and June 13th, 2018. After the two controlled sales, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and other agencies executed a search warrant at Ward’s residence and recovered 10 firearms and over 540 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine. Ward was previously convicted of a 2022 felony drug crime in Jefferson County.
Ward will be sentenced on January 11, 2023. He faces a maximum term of life imprisonment.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bert Carraway and Andrew W. Eichner are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Jacksonville Brothers Indicted for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Jonathan William Brown (25, Duval) with receipt and possession of child sexual abuse files. His brother, Joshua Thomas Brown (27, Duval), has been charged in a separate indictment with possession of child sexual abuse files, including files depicting young children. If convicted on all counts, Jonathan Brown faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. Joshua Brown faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the Browns that the United States intends to forfeit electronic devices used in the commission of the charged offenses. Both brothers have been ordered detained pending trial.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. They will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
There are cases 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.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Sept. 7 was:
Bruce William Ferguson, 65, of Fort Peck, on charges of mail fraud. If convicted of the most serious crime, Ferguson faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Ferguson was released pending further proceeding. The Bureau of Land Management investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-78.
Appearing on Sept. 6 was:
Tyrel Edward Olson, 29, of Miles City, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Olson faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Olson was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-73.
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto on Sept.6 for an initial appearance on a criminal complaint was:
Evirso Ampude, 47, of Box Elder, on charges of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted of the most serious crime, Ampude faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Ampude was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-70.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Indianapolis Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Three ChildrenRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Epigmenio Vazquez Gatica, 35, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. Gatica also admitted to the sexual exploitation of two other children.
In February 2021, a child disclosed that Gatica had been laying on the bathroom floor and filming the child while the child showered. This led to an investigation of Gatica. Law enforcement officers obtained a warrant to search his cellular telephone and were able to access the data. Investigators recovered multiple videos of that child, along with videos of two other children, including videos of the children naked and partially naked while showering or using the bathroom. The three victims include a toddler and a six-year-old, and at times Gatica had care, custody, or supervisory control over each of them. All three children appear to have been unaware they were being recorded. Investigators also recovered sexual exploitation images that Gatica took of one of the children from Gatica’s Google Drive account.
“Predators who are sexually interested in our children abuse our trust and our technology to satisfy their depraved desires,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “We are committed to supporting victims and obtaining the electronic evidence necessary to hold these criminals accountable. The sentence imposed today should put offenders on notice that we will work tirelessly to ensure that criminals who exploit are children are sent to prison where they belong.”
“This sentence should send a warning that there are serious consequences that await those who are engaged in any way with child sexual abuse material,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “Protecting our children from predators is a priority of the FBI and we will continue to work diligently to ensure predators feel the full weight of the law.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. As part of the sentence, Judge Young also ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years following his release from federal prison and must pay $9,000 in restitution to each of the three minor victims.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney MaryAnn T. Mindrum who prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
In fiscal year 2019, when this case was prosecuted, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana prosecuted the second most cases involving sexual exploitation of a child in the country.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
Hollywood Executive and Former White House Staffer Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Defrauding New York Investment Fund of over $30 MillionRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that WILLIAM SADLEIR was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer to six years in prison for his participation in two fraudulent schemes relating to investments made by a New York-based investment fund (the “Fund”) in Aviron Pictures, LLC and its affiliated entities (collectively, “Aviron”). Sadleir previously pled guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one relating to each of the schemes.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “William Sadleir portrayed himself as a successful Hollywood mogul, but behind the scenes he engaged in brazen and calculated schemes to defraud a New York investment fund out of over $30 million using a fake company, fake documents, and even a fake identity. Sadleir went so far as to masquerade as a female advertising executive on maternity leave as part of an effort to cover up his crimes. Today’s sentence holds Sadleir accountable for his crimes, and sends a message that there will be no happy ending for executives who defraud their investors.”
According to the Complaint, Indictment, and other court filings:
The Fund is a publicly traded, closed-end investment fund. Shares in the Fund trade on the New York Stock Exchange. As of in or about December 2019, the Fund had approximately $649.1 million in assets.
WILLIAM SADLEIR was the chairman and chief executive officer of Aviron, and oversaw its operations from in or about 2015 until in or about December 2019. Aviron participated in the distribution of a number of films in the United States, including My All American (2015), Kidnap (2017), The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018), A Private War (2018), Destination Wedding (2018), Serenity (2019), and After (2019).
SADLEIR engaged in two fraudulent schemes relating to an approximately $75 million investment made by the Fund in Aviron.
In one of the schemes (the “Advertising Scheme”), SADLEIR misappropriated millions of dollars that the Fund had invested in Aviron. SADLEIR represented to the Fund that Aviron had invested this money in pre-paid media credits with the advertising placement company MediaCom Worldwide (“MediaCom”), which is a subsidiary of the advertising and media agency GroupM Worldwide. Instead, using the bank account for a sham entity he had created, SADLEIR illicitly transferred over $25 million of those funds out of Aviron. Specifically, SADLEIR created a sham New York-based company called GroupM Media Services, LLC (the “Sham GroupM LLC”) designed to appear to be the legitimate entity, GroupM Worldwide, and a corresponding bank account in the name of that sham entity. SADLEIR then used a significant portion of those illicitly transferred funds for his personal benefit, including to purchase a private residence in Beverly Hills for approximately $14 million. SADLEIR then falsely represented to the Fund that Aviron had purchased an approximately $27 million balance in pre-paid media credits with MediaCom that were available to promote future Aviron films, and pledged a portion of those credits to the Fund as collateral for additional loans. But the claimed credits did not exist. As part of his false representations, SADLEIR also created a fake identity of a purported New York-based female employee of the Sham GroupM LLC named “Amanda Stevens,” who corresponded with a representative of the Fund, assuring the Fund that Aviron had an approximately $27 million balance in pre-paid media credits with the Sham GroupM LLC. But SADLEIR himself posed as Amanda Stevens when engaging in email exchanges with a representative from the Fund, and in that role sought to evade questions about his fraudulent conduct by claiming, among other things, that “Amanda Stevens” (Sadleir) was on maternity leave.
In the other scheme (the “UCC Scheme”), SADLEIR engineered the illicit and fraudulent sale and refinancing of assets worth over $3 million that secured the Fund’s loans to Aviron. The Fund had secured its investment in Aviron by, among other means, obtaining UCC liens in 2017 and 2018 on certain intellectual property and other assets relating to Aviron’s films. In 2019, SADLEIR used the forged signature of one of the Fund’s portfolio managers on releases to remove the Fund’s UCC liens on certain of these secured assets. SADLEIR did so in order to sell or refinance the assets without the Fund’s consent, thus depriving the Fund of its collateral on outstanding loans. Aviron ultimately defaulted on those loans.
Prior to serving as chairman and chief executive officer of Aviron, SADLEIR held senior leadership positions at a variety of businesses, and early in his career served as a special assistant and director of presidential appointments and scheduling to a sitting U.S. president.
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SADLEIR, 68, of Beverly Hills, California, pled guilty to two counts of wire fraud before Judge Engelmayer on January 20, 2022.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Engelmayer sentenced SADLEIR to three years of supervised release, and ordered SADLEIR to pay $31,597,000 in forfeiture and restitution.
Mr. Williams praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission for its cooperation and assistance in this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Lenow and Elizabeth Hanft are in charge of the prosecution.