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Wednesday 7 September 2022
Merriam Woods Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Sexual Exploitation of Two ChildrenRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Merriam Woods man was sentenced in federal court today for the sexual exploitation of two child victims.
Billy Rae Clark, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 17 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Clark to 30 years of supervised release following incarceration.
On April 12, 2022, Clark pleaded guilty to two counts of the sexual exploitation of a child. Clark admitted that he secretly recorded a 15-year-old minor, identified in court documents as Jane Doe 1, while she was in the bathroom taking a shower. Clark positioned his cell phone in the bathroom so that it faced the shower and used it to record video of the child victim. Jane Doe 1 discovered the cell phone and the video; she reported it to another person, who then contacted law enforcement.
When investigators searched Clark’s cell phone, they also found 19 images of a second child victim, an 11-year-old identified in court documents as Jane Doe 2, including images of child pornography.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the Taney County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Members of Bronx Street Gang Charged with Murder, Attempted Murder, Assault, Racketeering, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Keechant Sewell, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and Ricky J. Patel, the Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) in New York, today announced charges against ten alleged members of a street gang known as “ABG” in the Bronx, New York. HENRY JONES, a/k/a “Dew Man,” DAIVON MORGAN, a/k/a “Leeky,” ROBERTO ESPINOSA, a/k/a “Taco,” AMIER WILSON, a/k/a “Smula,” DAVION TRUSTY, a/k/a “Saint,” ELIJAH PERKINS, a/k/a “Eli,” JAMIE WILKINS, a/k/a “OJ,” XAVIER ARAU, a/k/a “X,” JUAN REYES, a/k/a “Gunplay,” and CASSIUS MILLER, a/k/a “Cash,” all of whom are members of ABG, were charged in a Superseding Indictment with racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses. JONES, MORGAN, WILSON, TRUSTY, PERKINS, WILKINS, ARAU, and REYES were also charged with engaging in violent crimes in aid of racketeering. JONES and MORGAN are additionally charged with aiding and abetting the February 8, 2019, murder of Darren Scruggs in the Bronx. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil.
JONES, PERKINS, WILKINS, ARAU, and MILLER were already in custody in connection with charges contained in a previous indictment related to this prosecution. AMIER WILSON and REYES are in federal custody in connection with charges filed in other prosecutions. TRUSTY and ESPINOSA are in state custody and will be transferred into federal custody. MORGAN was arrested this morning in the Bronx.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, ABG was an extremely violent street gang that brutalized the Bronx by shooting and slashing their victims. Among ABG’s many victims was Darren Scruggs, who we allege was gunned down at the age of 19 by Roberto Espinosa with the assistance of Daivon Morgan and Henry Jones. With this Superseding Indictment, ABG’s members will face justice for these serious alleged acts of violence.”
NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said: “Targeting and dismantling gangs and crews, and preventing the violence so often associated with their illegal activities, continues to be among the highest priorities for the NYPD and our law enforcement colleagues. I thank and commend the NYPD and HSI investigators, along with the prosecutors from the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, for their hard work on this important case. We vow to remain relentless in our efforts to identify and arrest anyone who involves themselves in such behavior.”
Ricky J. Patel, the Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of HSI, said: “Today’s charges are yet another step towards making our city a safer place for everyone. The individuals charged today are alleged to have committed numerous acts of senseless violence in the name of loyalty to their gang. This superseding indictment demonstrates HSI’s continued commitment to working together with our partners to dismantle the violent gangs that are terrorizing our communities.”
According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment filed today in federal court:[1]
From at least in or about 2017 to in or about the present, ABG was a criminal enterprise centered in the Bronx, New York. ABG primarily operated in the vicinity of the Mitchel Houses in the vicinity of 135th and 138th Streets and Lincoln and Willis Avenues. In addition to their local affiliation, many of ABG’s members also affiliated with the national Crips gang. In order to make money for the gang, protect the gang’s territory, and promote the gang’s standing, members of ABG engaged in, among other things, narcotics trafficking and violence, including murder. To that end, ABG members sold crack cocaine and marijuana, promoted their gang affiliation on social media, possessed firearms, and engaged in shootings as part of their gang membership and narcotics trafficking.
For years, ABG engaged in disputes with rival crews in the Bronx, which resulted in numerous acts of violence. Among the many shootings that resulted from those rivalries was the murder of Darren Scruggs on February 18, 2019. On that date, HENRY JONES and DAIVON MORGAN assisted ROBERTO ESPINOSA when he shot and killed Scruggs. In addition, ELIJAH PERKINS shot at rival gang members on October 30, 2018, and committed another shooting on August 21, 2021, with assistance from AMIER WILSON. Separately, WILSON carried out a shooting on March 25, 2022, during which he struck a victim. JAMIE WILKINS also carried out a different shooting on October 28, 2021, and JONES committed a shooting on November 7, 2021, with assistance from JUAN REYES.
ABG’s rivalries also resulted in multiple slashings. For example, on May 8, 2020, REYES, PERKINS, and XAVIER ARAU beat and slashed a victim. Then on February 20, 2021, MORGAN slashed a victim across the face at the direction of TRUSTY.
ABG members also participated in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics in New York. All defendants named in the Superseding Indictment participated in a conspiracy with other individuals to distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine from at least in or about 2017 up to and including the present.
Between in or about 2017 and the present, the defendants also possessed, used, brandished, and discharged firearms in furtherance of the narcotics conspiracy in which they all participated. JONES, MORGAN, WILSON, PERKINS, WILKINS, and REYES are further charged with engaging in violent crimes in aid of racketeering, and using, brandishing, and discharging firearms in furtherance of these crimes of violence based on the shootings described above.
* * *
A chart containing the names of the defendants who were charged today and the charges and maximum penalties they face is attached.
The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants would be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the NYPD, HSI, and the New York City Department of Corrections.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jamie Bagliebter, Christopher Brumwell, Courtney Heavey, and Alexandra Rothman are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant
Age
Charges
Maximum Penalties
HENRY JONES, a/k/a “Dew Man”
25
Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy; Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Use of a Firearm Resulting in Death; Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
Mandatory life in prison
DAIVON MORGAN, a/k/a “Leeky”
23
Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy; Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Use of a Firearm Resulting in Death; Assault with a Deadly Weapon in Aid of Racketeering; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
Mandatory life in prison
ROBERTO ESPINOSA, a/k/a “Taco”
21
Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy
Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum 20 years in prison (10 years to run consecutive to any other sentence)
AMIER WILSON, a/k/a “Smula”
23
Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy; Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum 40 years in prison (30 years to run consecutive to any other sentence)
DAVION TRUSTY, a/k/a “Saint”
23
Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Assault with a Deadly Weapon in Aid of Racketeering; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy
Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum 20 years in prison (10 years to run consecutive to any other sentence)
ELIJAH PERKINS, a/k/a “Eli”
22
Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy; Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum 40 years in prison (30 years to run consecutive to any other sentence)
JAMIE WILKINS, a/k/a “OJ”
23
Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy; Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum 30 years in prison (20 years to run consecutive to any other sentence)
XAVIER ARAU, a/k/a “X”
21
Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Assault with a Deadly Weapon in Aid of Racketeering; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy
Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum 20 years in prison (10 years to run consecutive to any other sentence)
JUAN REYES, a/k/a “Gunplay”
24
Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy; Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum 30 years in prison (20 years to run consecutive to any other sentence)
CASSIUS MILLER, a/k/a “Cash”
22
Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy
Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum 20 years in prison (10 years to run consecutive to any other sentence)
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Member of Large Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Aron Winter Mosquera-Castro, age 28, of Houston, Texas was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute heroin, unlawful travel in aid of a racketeering enterprise, and unlawful use of a communications facility. The Court further sentenced him to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
On June 23, 2021, following a three-day trial, a jury found Mosquera-Castro, guilty of the above charges for his role in a drug distribution ring obtaining heroin from Houston and operating in East Baton Rouge and Ascension parishes. Mosquera-Castro acted as an interpreter for the source of the heroin, negotiated prices with the locals receiving the heroin, and thereafter transported it from Houston, Texas to Ascension Parish for further distribution. Mosquera-Castro is the eighteenth and final member of the drug trafficking organization to be convicted in this matter.
This operation was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Louisiana State Police, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Gonzales Police Department, and Baton Rouge Police Department. This matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Piedrahita, Jennifer Kleinpeter and William Morris.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Maryland Man Facing Federal Charge for Threatening a Member of CongressRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A criminal complaint has been filed charging Justin Kuchta, age 39, of Annapolis, Maryland, with a federal charge for sending messages over the Internet that threatened to injure a United States Member of Congress. The complaint was filed on September 6, 2022 and unsealed today. Kuchta is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore today at 2:30 p.m. before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth P. Gesner.
The criminal complaint was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Chief J. Thomas Manger of the United States Capitol Police; and Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
“You have the right to your own opinions, but not the right to threaten a federal official’s life,” said United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron. “We’ll continue prosecuting these threats to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Kuchta made threats to murder a U.S. Member of Congress. The affidavit alleges that a U.S. Member of Congress’ district office in Texas reported that on July 18, 2022, it received a threatening message via an event management website. The message stated “Thank you for the address!!! I’m coming to murder all of you Satanist f*ckers!!! Especially the chuckle-f*ck Zodiak [sic] Killer [Member of Congress 1]!! That fat fake f*cker ass will be the first on the gallows!! SEE ALL OF YOU F*CKERS REALLY SOON!!! With my fresh militia and weapons!!! Thanks for the info f*ckers!!!” According to the affidavit, the Member of Congress’ Washington office reported that a similar message was sent on July 22, 2022, using the same event management website.
As detailed in the affidavit, an investigation revealed that the IP address was registered to a private high-speed network operated by the State of Maryland. Network records revealed that the IP address originated from a Virtual Private Network and computer assigned to Kuchta. Kuchta was subsequently interviewed by Special Agents with the U.S. Capitol Police at his place of employment in Annapolis, Maryland.
If convicted, Kuchta faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for interstate communication containing a threat to injure. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the United States Capitol Police and the Maryland State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, and its efforts to protect national security, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/anti-terrorism.
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Marijuana Trafficker Sentenced for Drug-Related MurderRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man was sentenced today to 45 years in prison for murdering another man in retaliation for robbing him of an ounce of marijuana, and trying to convince a witness to lie for him to cover it up.
According to court documents, Melvin Palma Flores, 20, was a marijuana dealer who carried firearms for protection while dealing drugs. Evidence presented at trial from Palma Flores’s social media accounts showed that Palma Flores posted images depicting the marijuana he sold, his cash proceeds, and the multiple guns and ammunition that he used to protect his drugs and his money. On October 25, 2019, the victim, X.B., arranged for his two associates to purchase marijuana from Palma Flores. In reality, X.B. intended for his associates to rob Palma Flores. When the associates showed up to Palma Flores’s home in Alexandria, one of them stole the marijuana from Palma Flores and brought it back to X.B.
Palma Flores then planned his retaliation against X.B. for setting up the robbery. Palma Flores, who was carrying a firearm, met with two of his associates and traveled to X.B.’s apartment complex in Alexandria. X.B., who was unarmed, was sitting on the staircase outside of his apartment. Palma Flores discharged his firearm multiple times, striking X.B. in the right arm and in the top of the head, causing X.B.’s death.
Following his arrest in February of 2020, Palma Flores wrote a letter to his girlfriend instructing her to lie about the events that occurred on the night of the murder and to influence others to lie about the incident to law enforcement—specifically, to try to frame another person for the murder.
In December 2021, Palma Flores was convicted by a federal jury of first-degree murder by firearm in relation to drug trafficking, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and witness tampering
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police; and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael P. Ben’Ary and Katherine E. Rumbaugh prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:20-cr-142.
Man involved in catalytic converter thefts sentenced to 9 months in prisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Wednesday sentenced a man involved in the theft and sale of 39 catalytic converters to nine months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution of $46,001.
D’Ante Carter, 38, acted as lookout as another man stole the catalytic converters, which contain trace amounts of precious metals. From January to September of 2020, the pair cut the converters free from vehicles, primarily targeting trucks and vans parked at landscaping companies, other commercial businesses and an organization that helps those with disabilities. The men sold the converters to a recycling company in Illinois, Carter admitted in his plea agreement.
Carter pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in February.
Another man, Matthew Jennings, 31, was indicted in April on the same charge and has pleaded not guilty. His case is pending.
The FBI and the St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Creve Coeur, Bridgeton, Maryland Heights, O’Fallon, Missouri and Webster Groves police departments investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware prosecuted the case.
Maine Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Maine man has pleaded guilty to travelling to have sex with a minor and possessing child pornography.
Patrick Plummer, 30, of Parsonsfield, Maine, pleaded guilty on Sept. 1, 2022 in federal court in Boston to one count of attempted enticement of a minor, one count of intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a person under 18 years of age and one count of transportation of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Dec. 20, 2022. Plummer was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in January 2021 and subsequently indicted in February 2021.
“Protecting the safety, innocence and wellbeing of our children is some of the most important work we do,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “As the United States Attorney, and the guardian of my 13-year-old niece, this case is another heinous reminder of the real-life dangers of the internet and the predators that lurk online with the intention of targeting, exploiting and sexualizing our children. We will continue to hold predators like Mr. Plummer accountable and fight to keep them removed from our communities.”
“What Patrick Plummer admitted to is abhorrent. This child predator traveled here from Maine to sexually assault what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, while in possession of over a hundred images and videos depicting other children, some toddlers, being sexually abused,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Sexual assaults against children remain an ongoing, pervasive problem, and we will continue to do everything we can to identify and apprehend the individuals responsible for these atrocious acts.”
Plummer communicated via various messaging applications with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl and devised a plan to meet the purported child in Georgetown, Mass. to have sex. On Sept. 26, 2020, Plummer drove from Maine to a predetermined location in Georgetown. Officers arrested Plummer on scene, and found him in possession of four cell phones, a computer and a spring-release knife. Forensic analysis of the electronic evidence seized from Plummer’s car revealed over 7,000 images and videos of child pornography on at least three of the devices.
Plummer admitted that he had traveled from Maine to meet the purported 13-year-old girl; that he was talking to approximately 10 underaged girls; and that child pornography would be found on his devices. Plummer further admitted that he shared these images with other individuals through Kik Messenger.
The charge of attempted enticement of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison. The charge of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison. The charge of transportation of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison. All three charges carry a minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta and Georgetown Police Chief Donald C. Cudmore made the announcement today. The Essex County District Attorney’s Office and the Salisbury and Newbury Police Departments provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Macon State Prisoner Sentenced to 300 Months for Brokering Kilogram Meth Deal, Attempting to Have Drugs Smuggled into Georgia PrisonsRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – An incarcerated individual who attempted to have a controlled substance smuggled into Georgia prisons and brokered a methamphetamine deal with an undercover GBI agent was sentenced to serve 25 years in federal prison for his crimes.
Brannon McCoy, 27, of Jasper, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 300 months in prison to be followed by eight years of supervised release (to be served consecutively to current state sentences) after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of using a communications device to facilitate drug trafficking crimes. Co-defendant Jose Lainez-Zamora, 21, of Brookhaven, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 96 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III handed down the sentences on Sept. 6.
“Let me be clear that incarcerated individuals working to undermine the safety and security of our prisons and our communities will face accountability for their crimes at the federal level,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office is working closely with local, state and federal law enforcement to combat prison crime and corruption; safer prisons make for safer communities.”
“Illegal drug dealing – inside or outside prison – will not be tolerated. This already incarcerated offender decided to not take his current sentence seriously and continue to commit crimes behind the wire. We are committed to working with our state and federal partners to investigate drug trafficking and smuggling and bring these offenders to justice,” said GBI Director Michael Register.
According to court documents, a confidential informant (CI) told GBI agents in Aug. 2020 that McCoy, who was incarcerated at Macon State Prison, was trying to find someone to help him smuggle a controlled substance analogue called “spice” into Georgia prisons. A GBI undercover agent began communicating with McCoy on social media, posing as an individual who was willing to assist McCoy with smuggling illegal drugs into Georgia prisons. During the course of the investigation, McCoy brokered a deal to sell the undercover agent one kilogram of methamphetamine and coordinated the address, time and instructions on meeting the drug courier. As arranged by McCoy, the undercover agent met with co-defendant Lainez-Zamora at a Brookhaven apartment complex. Lainez-Zamora was taken into custody in possession of nearly one kilogram of 100% pure methamphetamine and in possession of a loaded handgun with a magazine containing 17 rounds of ammunition. Lainez-Zamora told agents he had been distributing methamphetamine; a search of his apartment recovered a half kilogram of methamphetamine and $51,920 in cash. McCoy has a lengthy criminal history to include three prior convictions for serious drug felonies in the Superior Court of Pickens County, Georgia.
The case was investigated by GBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom prosecuted the case.
Long Island MS-13 Gang Members Face Additional Racketeering Charges, Including for the 2016 Murder of a Central Islip ManRead the Press Release
Today, in federal court in Central Islip, a 29-count superseding indictment was unsealed charging eight members and associates of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the “MS-13,” with multiple racketeering offenses, including predicate racketeering acts involving murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and related narcotics and firearms offenses. The defendants will be arraigned on a later date before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack.
Two of the defendants, Kevin Torres, also known as “Inquieto” and “Quieto” (Torres), and Oseas Gonzalez, also known as “Manota” and “Cordero” (Gonzalez), have now been charged with the September 5, 2016 murder of Marcus Bohannon, in Central Islip. Racketeering charges and related offenses were also added against Gonzalez and Victor Lopez-Morales, also known as “Persa” (Lopez-Morales), in connection with the October 14, 2016 murder of Carlos Ventura-Zelaya; and against David Sosa-Guevara, also known as “Risky” (Sosa-Guevara), in connection with a May 23, 2020 assault against a rival gang member at the Nassau County Correctional Facility. Finally, the superseding indictment charges an additional defendant, Kevin Cuevas Del Cid, also known as “Creeper,” “Malcriado,” “Sombra,” “Vinky” and “Dabura” (Del Cid), in connection with his participation in the May 21, 2016 murder of Kerin Pineda, and the October 10, 2016 murder of Javier Castillo.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Rodney K. Harrison, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), and Patrick Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the superseding indictment.
“The superseding indictment demonstrates the resolve of this Office and the Long Island Gang Task Force to bring to justice the MS-13 gang members responsible for each and every one of the appalling and senseless murders they have committed in our communities on Long Island and elsewhere,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “It is my hope that these latest charges bring some consolation to the families of the victims.”
“We are making a positive impact in the communities once terrorized by these MS-13 members, but we are seeing signs the gang is attempting to rebuild. Along with our law enforcement partners on our Long Island Gang Task Force, we remain determined to prevent that from happening, but we cannot do it alone. We need the public to remain vigilant and contact us with any information they have to prevent another rash of MS-13 murders,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
“These MS-13 members are calculated, manipulative and have no regard for human life,” stated SCPD Commissioner Harrison. “I commend the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Long Island Gang Task Force for their relentless pursuit to hold these individuals accountable. The unsealing of this indictment sends a clear message to gang members who think they are enhancing their gang’s reputation by committing heinous crimes—you will be held accountable.”
“These eight new indictments for murder of individuals connected to MS-13 is another clear example of how the Long Island Gang Task Force continues to bring these criminals to justice. The dedicated investigators that comprise the task force from multiple law enforcement agencies are the most experienced and professional in their departments. I would like to thank them for their continued diligence by keeping all of our communities safe,” stated NCPD Commissioner Ryder.
Bohannon murder
As detailed in the superseding indictment, as well as in court filings, Torres and Gonzalez have been charged in connection with the murder of Bohannon, who was shot and killed shortly after midnight on September 5, 2016. Prior to the murder, on the evening of September 4, 2016, members of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside (Sailors) clique and Hollywood Locos Salvatruchas (Hollywood) clique of the MS-13 met at a house in Central Islip. Torres, who was the leader of the Sailors clique for all of New York, told the other gang members who were gathered at the house, including Gonzalez, a member of the Hollywood clique, that they would be going out that night hunting for rival gang members to kill. The MS-13 members separated into several cars and drove around Central Islip and Brentwood looking for people they could target as rivals. While Gonzalez and his fellow MS-13 members were driving through Central Islip, they observed Bohannon walking along Lowell Avenue. Suspecting that the victim was a member of the rival Bloods gang, Gonzalez and another MS-13 member, both armed with handguns, got out of the vehicle, approached the victim and started shooting. After shooting the victim numerous times, Gonzalez handed his gun to the other MS-13 member who fired several more shots into the victim after his own gun had jammed. Bohannon died from his wounds.
Ventura-Zelaya murder
The superseding indictment also adds charges against Gonzalez and Lopez-Morales in connection with the October 14, 2016 murder of Carlos Ventura-Zelaya, in Roosevelt. Ventura-Zelaya had been marked for death by the MS-13 because of his suspected membership in the rival 18th Street gang. On the day of the murder, Gonzalez observed the victim at a deli in Roosevelt and alerted other members of the Hollywood clique. Gonzalez then picked up several fellow gang members, including Carlos Alfaro, also known as “Russo” (Alfaro), to assist in the murder. The group next drove to the home of Lopez-Morales, who gave them a handgun. After obtaining the weapon, Gonzalez drove the group back in the direction of the deli to look for and kill the victim. Once they spotted Ventura-Zelaya walking on Hudson Street in Roosevelt, Alfaro, who was armed with the gun, and another MS-13 member got out of the car, approached him and Alfaro fired multiple times, striking and killing the victim.
Pineda and Castillo murders
Del Cid is charged in this superseding indictment with the May 21, 2016 murder of Kerin Pineda, the October 10, 2016 murder of Javier Castillo, and conspiring to distribute cocaine and marijuana. Del Cid, who was 16-years’ old at the time of these murders, was initially charged as a juvenile in a sealed proceeding before being transferred to adult status by order of the Court following a juvenile transfer hearing before the United States Circuit Judge Joseph F. Bianco sitting by designation.
Members of the Sailors and Hollywood cliques murdered Pineda after suspecting him to be a member of the 18th Street gang. On the day of the murder, Del Cid, who was a member of the Sailors clique and seeking promotion in the gang, helped to lure Pineda to a secluded wooded area near the Merrick-Freeport border where he and other MS-13 members were lying in wait armed with machetes. When the victim arrived, Del Cid, and other MS-13 members, including Ever Morales-Lopez, also known as “Kyen,” “Lenky” and “Inke,” Jose Jonathan Guevara-Castro, also known as “Suspechoso,” and Gonzalez surrounded and attacked Pineda, stabbing, slashing and hacking him to death with machetes. While this was taking place, Torres and Sosa-Guevara, the leaders of the Sailors and Hollywood cliques, respectively, were driving around the area in two separate cars looking out for any police presence. Lopez-Morales was in the car with Sosa-Guevara. After Pineda was killed the MS-13 members buried him in a hole that had been dug the day before. Pineda’s remains were recovered more than a year later.
Castillo was also killed based on his suspected membership in the 18th Street gang. Del Cid, Torres and more than a half dozen other members of the Sailors clique participated in the Castillo murder. On the night of October 10, 2016, the MS-13 members lured Castillo to Cow Meadow Park in Freeport. They brought him to an isolated marsh area along the water where he was viciously attacked with machetes. After killing Castillo, the MS-13 members dug a hole and buried the body, which was not recovered until one year later. Many of the participants in the Castillo murder were previously charged in a separate case, two of whom have pleaded guilty.
Additional Charged Crimes
Finally, the superseding indictment charges Sosa-Guevara with assaulting a rival gang member while in prison. On May 23, 2020, Sosa-Guevara and several other MS-13 members got into an altercation with an inmate who was a member of the Bloods street gang. Sosa-Guevara and the other MS-13 members armed themselves with sharpened metal objects and attacked the victim beating and stabbing him repeatedly until corrections officers intervened and stopped the assault. The victim sustained multiple lacerations and stab wounds, and later recovered from his injuries.
In the underlying indictment, Torres was charged with the 2016 murder of 19-year-old Oscar Acosta in Brentwood; Lopez-Morales and Gonzalez were charged with the 2016 murder of 19-year-old Josue Amaya-Leonor in the Roosevelt Preserve; and Lopez-Morales and Sosa-Guevara were charged with the 2017 murder of 15-year-old Angel Soler in Roosevelt.
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This superseding indictment is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members and associates of the MS-13, a violent, transnational criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members and associates with carrying out more than 60 murders in the district, and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders, members and associates in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, SCPD, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, Hempstead Police Department, Rockville Centre Police Department and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Jared Rosenblatt of the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.
New Defendant:
KEVIN CUEVAS DEL CID (also known as “Creeper,” “Malcriado,” “Sombra,” “Vinky” and “Dabura”)
Age: 22
Freeport, New YorkPreviously Indicted Defendants Facing Additional Charges:
OSEAS GONZALEZ (also known as “Manota” and “Cordero”)
Age: 30
Charlotte, North CarolinaVICTOR LOPEZ-MORALES (also known as “Persa”)
Age: 34
Roosevelt, New YorkDAVID SOSA-GUEVARA (also known as “Risky”)
Age: 31
Roosevelt, New YorkKEVIN TORRES (also known as “Inquieto” and “Quieto”)
Age: 26
Freeport, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 20-CR-251 (JMA)
Lawrence Woman Convicted in Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence woman has been convicted by a federal jury in Boston of drug trafficking offenses in connection with her role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
Danybelkis Vasquez-Rodrigue, 28, was convicted on Aug. 30, 2022 following a five-day trial of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Dec. 13, 2022. Vasquez-Rodrigue was indicted in January 2021 along with co-conspirator Saury Rodriguez-Ruiz.
“Ms. Vasquez-Rodrigue was involved in a conspiracy that pumped fentanyl into our communities and profited off of the immense harm and pain it caused,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Drug traffickers across the United States pose a serious, existential threat to public safety. Last year in our Commonwealth alone, opioids stole the lives of more than 2,000 people. Those who make a living off poisoning our communities, like Ms. Vasquez-Rodrigue, will be identified, prosecuted and held accountable. This conviction should make that point clear.”
“Removing Danybelkis Vasquez-Rodrigue from the streets, along with the deadly poison peddled by this drug trafficking organization in the city of Lawrence will prevent them from continuing to endanger public health and safety,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “This case is indicative of the success that can be attained when agencies combine resources to put drug traffickers out of business and behind bars, as we work together to dismantle criminal enterprises that profit from flooding our neighborhoods with illicit drugs.”
In November 2020, law enforcement began an investigation into Rodriguez-Ruiz, who had been identified as a Lawrence-based drug supplier. On Nov. 24, 2020, Rodriguez-Ruiz distributed nearly one kilogram of fentanyl to a cooperating witness. In exchange for the fentanyl, Vasquez-Rodrigue collected $42,000 from the cooperating witness. Vasquez-Rodrigue then transmitted those drug proceeds to the fentanyl supplier in Mexico via small payments to multiple individuals through local money remitting businesses.
On May 26, 2022, Rodriguez-Ruiz pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 9, 2022.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Strike Force including the Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea E. Porter and Stephen W. Hassink of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Las Cruces man charged with armed robberyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office announced today that Myles Delando Luciano made an initial appearance in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with interference with commerce by threats or violence. Luciano, 26, of Las Cruces, will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for Sept. 9.
According to the complaint, on July 27, Luciano and Joshua Lopez, 25, also of Las Cruces, allegedly attempted to walk out of a Lowes Home Improvement Store with an air conditioner without paying for the item. When two store employees and an off-duty U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agent tried to stop them, Luciano allegedly pointed what appeared to be a handgun at the employees and fled in a vehicle. It was later discovered that the pistol was a pellet gun.
Las Cruces Police (LCPD) officers located the vehicle and attempted to stop Luciano and Lopez. Luciano and Lopez allegedly led LCPD on a high-speed chase, ending in a parking lot on Telshor Boulevard in Las Cruces. The pellet gun was located inside the vehicle.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Luciano faces up to 20 years in prison.
Joshua Lopez, who is also charged in the complaint, currently has an outstanding arrest warrant in connection with this case. Anyone with knowledge of Lopez’s whereabout can provide information at 1-800-CALL FBI.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from LCPD. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Y. Armijo and Ryan Ellison are prosecuting the case.
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Kalispell woman admits running money mule business, sending money overseasRead the Press Release
MISSOULA —A Kalispell woman accused of operating a money mule business in which she collected money from various wire fraud schemes around the United States and then sent the funds overseas for a fee admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Theresa Anne Chabot, 57, pleaded guilty to unlicensed money transmitting businesses. Chabot faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. A sentencing date was set for Jan. 5, 2023 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Chabot was released pending further proceedings.
A plea agreement filed in the case recommends that 29 other counts charged in an indictment be dismissed at sentencing, that Chabot be responsible for complete restitution estimated by the government at approximately $5.2 million and that Chabot forfeit a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe.
The government alleged in court documents that from about May 2017 until February 2021, Chabot, through her business, Avalanche Creek, LLC, collected money from various wire fraud schemes around the United States into her bank accounts. When doing so, Chabot operated as a money transmitting business and was required to register Avalanche Creek with the Department of Treasury. The government further alleged that Chabot opened more than 50 bank accounts. Banks closed numerous accounts after reviewing the activity, and at least 15 banks directly informed Chabot the accounts were being closed due to fraud, violation of bank policies and other misuse. Despite the repeated bank account closures, Chabot would open new bank accounts that enabled her to receive proceeds. Chabot received a fee, which in some instances totaled approximately 10 percent of the proceeds deposited into her bank accounts. Chabot would then forward the remaining funds overseas, including to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation.
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Kalispell couple sentenced to more than 30 months in prison in scheme to steal mail and use stolen credit cards to defraud businessesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Kalispell couple convicted in a scheme to steal hundreds of pieces of mail from rural mailboxes in Lincoln and Flathead counties and use credit cards found in the stolen mail to defraud businesses were sentenced to prison terms today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Michael Thomas Kullberg, 34, was sentenced to 31 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Kullberg pleaded guilty in May to theft of mail, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Kullberg’s wife, Jennifer Don Smith, 38, was sentenced to 32 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Smith pleaded guilty in May to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Both Kullberg and Smith were ordered to pay $2,302 restitution, which consisted of the fraudulent charges and reimbursement for stolen mail.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that on at least two occasions in March and April 2020, Kullberg, while wearing a GPS unit for a previous felony conviction, stole mail and packages from rural mailboxes of at least 300 residents in the Eureka, Libby, Kila and Marion areas. Kullberg also stole at least two credit cards from the incoming mail, and used them, while wearing his GPS unit, to make fraudulent charges at various businesses Eureka and Kalispell. Smith conspired with her husband to use stolen credit cards taken from the victims’ mail and personally tendered the cards. The investigation found that the stolen mail was dumped along roadways, ditches and other public areas. Dozens of residents reported the loss of packages, letters, bills, outgoing checks and personal identifying information. Kullberg later denied that he stole mail or used anyone else’s credit card without permission. When asked why his GPS unit placed him at the scene of the thefts, Kullberg explained he was driving around fighting with Smith in the car.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Eureka Police Department and Montana Probation and Parole.
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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Texas Tax PreparerRead the Press Release
The United States filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas today to bar a Houston area tax return preparer from preparing federal income tax returns for others.
The suit was brought against Jonathan Perry, individually and doing business as X-Pert Tax Services and as JONATHAN PERRY. The complaint alleges that during 2017-2022, over 4,000 federal income tax returns were filed with the IRS using electronic filing identification numbers that the IRS issued to Perry. According to the complaint, in a substantial number of these tax returns, the defendants significantly overstated the customers’ tax refunds by fabricating employee business expenses, household help income, business losses and/or by falsely claiming education credits and fuel excise tax credits to which the customers were not entitled.
By repeatedly understating his customers’ tax liabilities, the complaint alleges, Perry and his tax preparation businesses cost the United States more than an estimated $4.4 million in tax revenue from 2017 to 2022.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. (More information can also be found here.) The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer, has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers, and offers information on how to avoid “ghost” tax preparers, whose refusal to sign a return should be a red flag to taxpayers. The IRS also has a checklist of things to remember when filing income tax returns in 2022.
In addition, IRS Free File, a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $73,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronical federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free. The IRS has tips on how seniors and individuals with low to moderate income can get other help or guidance on tax return preparation, too.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Justice Department Secures Relief Against American Airlines for Air Force Reserve VeteranRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it had resolved a claim that American Airlines (American) violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) by underfunding the 401(k) retirement account of Thomas P. Harwood III, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, after he returned to work from various military obligations. Mr. Harwood is a Major General (O-8) (Ret.) who joined the U.S. Air Force in 1981, served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve from 1991 until his retirement in 2016, and has worked for American Airlines as a commercial pilot since 1992.
“Federal law requires employers to promptly reemploy servicemembers after their military service obligations, and also requires them to promptly restore their retirement benefits as if they had no break in employment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “Employers who violate the civil rights of those who serve in the military will be held accountable. This settlement demonstrates the Justice Department’s ongoing commitment to protecting the rights of servicemembers who sacrifice to serve our country.”
Following the conclusion of Maj. Gen. Harwood’s military service obligations in 2016, including one that had begun in 2013, American both underfunded the make-up contributions it owed to his 401(k) account upon his return and deposited them well after the 90-day limit provided by federal regulations. Under the terms of the settlement, American has agreed to compensate Harwood $15,671 in monetary damages and provide USERRA training to all employees in its 401(k) department.
Congress enacted USERRA to encourage non-career service in the military by reducing employment disadvantages; to minimize the disruption to the lives of persons performing military service, their employers, and others, by providing for the prompt reemployment of such persons upon the completion of their service; and to prohibit discrimination and retaliation against servicemembers if they pursue a claim under USERRA.
The Department of Labor (DOL) referred this matter to the department following an investigation by its Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. The Employment Litigation Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division handled the case and continues to work collaboratively with the DOL to protect the jobs and benefits of military members. The Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at www.justice.gov/crt-military/employment-rights-userra and www.justice.gov/servicemembers, as well as on the Department of Labor’s website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.
Iowa Plastic Surgeon Agrees to Pay $800,000 to Resolve Allegations of Inappropriate Billing and False ClaimsRead the Press Release
Dr. Ronald Bergman and his medical practice, Bergman Cosmetic Surgery, P.C., of Des Moines, Iowa, have agreed to pay $800,000 to the United States and the State of Iowa to resolve allegations that Bergman wrongfully billed Medicare and Medicaid for services rendered by others and billed Medicare for medically unnecessary and unreasonable applications of skin substitute products.
Specifically, the government alleged that from 2013 to 2020, Bergman submitted inappropriate claims for payment to government healthcare programs in three ways. First, the government alleged that Bergman submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid in his own name when, in fact, the services were rendered by auxiliary personnel, and when there was insufficient physician involvement for the claims to be billed in Bergman’s name. Second, the government alleged that Bergman submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid in his own name when, in fact, the services were rendered by medical fellows without Bergman, as the teaching physician, being physically present. Third, the government alleged that Bergman submitted claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary and unreasonable applications of skin substitute products.
“Our federal healthcare system depends on accurate and honest billing by medical providers,” said United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax. “We are committed to ensuring that physicians and other providers are held to account for inappropriate billing practices.”
“We expect health care providers who serve Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to refrain from harming the integrity of the programs on which their patients rely. Billing in any fashion that results in overpayment from the programs threatens that integrity,” said Special Agent in Charge Curt L. Muller with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
“In coordination with fellow law enforcement agencies, HHS-OIG ceaselessly works to examine allegations involving inappropriate billing and HHS beneficiaries.”
This civil matter arose from an action brought under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Pursuant to that Act and the settlement agreements, the whistleblower will share in the United States’ financial recovery.
The claims asserted against Bergman are allegations only; there was no determination or admission of liability.
This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Melissa A. Carrington and Matthew K. Gillespie.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 19-cv-3050-CJW.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Inmate at United States Penitentiary at Canaan Charged with Assault with A Dangerous Weapon and Possession of Contraband in PrisonRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that an inmate at the United States Penitentiary, Canaan, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Scranton for assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of contraband in prison.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Isiah Robinson, age 36, with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm and possessing contraband in prison. The charges stem from an incident in October 2020 in which Robinson stabbed another inmate with a prison made weapon commonly known as a “shank.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for each charge is 10 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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Indictment Charges Hartford Man with Illegally Possessing and Selling FirearmsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging JAIME DIAZ, 29, of Hartford, with illegally possessing and selling firearms.
The indictment was returned on August 31 and Diaz was arrested today. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was released on a $25,000 bond.
As alleged in the indictment and statements made in court, between August 2020 and November 2021, Diaz purchased approximately 17 handguns from two Connecticut firearm dealers. After obtaining the firearms, he sold them to others in exchange for cash, as well as narcotics.
It is further alleged that, on November 30, 2021, ATF special agents interviewed Diaz and seized the only firearm that remained in his possession. A second firearm that Diaz purchased was recovered by the Hartford Police Department from an individual charged with drug trafficking. The remaining guns have not been located.
The indictment charges Diaz with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of dealing in firearms without a license, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham.
This prosecution 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. In May 2021, the Justice 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.
Indianapolis Woman Convicted of Felonies and Sentenced for Falsely Seeking COVID 19 Relief Loans for Non-Existent BusinessesRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Brooke Bowie, 29, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 8 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to four felony counts of making and using false documents in an attempt to fraudulently obtain COVID‑19 related disaster loans.
According to court documents, Bowie submitted four separate applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) following the onset of the COVID‑19 pandemic. In all four applications for EIDL loans, Bowie claimed to run a business with some variant of the name “Icie Beauty 4 Life” with between $20,000 and $80,000 in revenue for the prior year. Bowie changed the spelling of the business on each loan application, as well as the nature of the business, and the number of purported employees.
Bowie’s applications were fraudulent because the purported business had no employees or revenue, and, in fact, did not even exist. In addition, Bowie stated on her EIDL loan applications that she had no pending felony charges. On the contrary, Bowie had numerous pending felony charges at the time of the applications. Indiana’s State Board of Accounts denied all four of Bowie’s EIDL loan applications due to suspicion of fraud.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Indianapolis Field Office, made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker. As part of the sentence, Judge Barker ordered that Bowie be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following her release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley A. Blackington who prosecuted this case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID‑19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID‑19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Illinois Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Operating $20 Million Nationwide Retail Crime RingRead the Press Release
An Illinois man was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison for running a multi-million dollar retail crime scheme, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
A federal jury found Artur Gilowski, 48, of Barrington, IL, guilty of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and conspiracy to commit mail fraud at a trial in March. He was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn, who ordered him to forfeit several pieces of real property in Illinois and hundreds of dollars seized from various bank accounts.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Gilowski’s coconspirators stole tens of thousands of products – valued at over $20 million – from brick-and-mortar retail stores across the United States, then shipped them to Mr. Gilowski, who sold the stolen goods on various e-commerce websites, generating more than $11 million in profits.
The thieves traveled across the country in vehicles registered under false names and used “booster skirts” (garments with concealment pouches for stolen goods) and electronic transmitters designed to disrupt retailers’ anti-theft and loss-prevention measures. Using aliases, they rented storage lockers where they kept the stolen items until they could be shipped to interstate and foreign customers via the U.S. Postal Service, UPS, and FedEx.
Mr. Gilowski created a network of numerous online seller profiles, multiple bank accounts, and various companies registered in other people’s names to conduct the unlawful online sale scheme and funnel the proceeds of his illicit operation to himself.
The evidence also showed that Mr. Gilowski received over a million dollars in cash from his crime ring – including $97,000 that was found in the center console of Mr. Gilowski’s truck – which led one of Mr. Gilowski’s coconspirators to testify at trial that Mr. Gilowski “treated money like trash.”
“Mr. Gilowski and his coconspirators swiped thousands of products from retail shelves, then resold stolen goods online,” U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham said after the verdict. “We are proud to hold these defendants accountable for their crimes, and are grateful to the jury for their careful consideration of our case.”
“Organized retail crime leads to consumers having to pay higher prices for goods, fewer job openings, and a decrease in consumer spending on legitimate goods that small-business owners and other retailers depend on for survival,” said Deputy Special Agent in Charge Christopher Miller, HSI Dallas. “Working alongside the U. S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Arlington Heights (Illinois) Police Department, we were able to secure today’s conviction, and take another step in our ongoing fight against organized retail crime so consumers and retailers don’t have to bear the brunt of those impacts.”
Five of Mr. Gilowski’s coconspirators pleaded guilty prior to trial.
At this week’s sentencing hearing, the judge ruled that a sentencing enhancement was warranted because Mr. Gilowski lied on the stand. At trial, the defendant falsely told the jury that the phone found in his own vehicle –which contained highly inculpatory text messages– didn’t belong to him, but to a coconspirator, who Mr. Gilowski said left the phone in his car to register GPS coordinates to conceal a purported extramarital affair.
The Arlington Heights Police Department in Illinois conducted the investigation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fabio Leonardi and Camille Sparks prosecuted the case.
Harrison County man indicted on firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Brock Corel Pearson, of Meadowbrook, West Virginia, was indicted today on a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Pearson, 40, was indicted today on one count of “Unlawful Possession of Firearm.” Pearson, a person prohibited from having firearms, is accused of having a 9mm pistol in March 2022 in Harrison County.
Pearson faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer T. Conklin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Harrison County man indicted on drug chargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Robert Edward Maxwell, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was indicted today on multiple drug and firearms charges, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Maxwell, 43, was indicted today on one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine,” one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl,” one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine,” and one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Maxwell is accused of distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl in November 2021 in Harrison County. Maxwell, a person prohibited from having firearms because of a prior conviction, is also accused of having a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol.
Maxwell faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1 million for each of the drug charges and faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearms charge. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Harrison County man indicted on drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jack F. Gibbins, III, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was indicted today on a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Gibbins, 44, was indicted today on one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine.” Gibbins is accused of selling more than five grams of methamphetamine in July 2021 in Harrison County.
Gibbins faces at least five and up to 40 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $5 million. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office; and the Bridgeport Police Department investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Harrisburg Man Sentenced to 30 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug Delivery Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Juan Diaz, age 38, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for a drug delivery resulting in death.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Diaz previously pleaded guilty to selling a mixture of heroin and fentanyl that killed a Cumberland County man on March 3, 2018. First responders found the victim deceased in his Mechanicsburg apartment surrounded by empty heroin bags stamped with the word “Venom.” The Cumberland County Drug Task Force and the Harrisburg City Police Vice Unit were able to trace the sale of fatal drugs to Diaz through a series of undercover drug operations.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mechanicsburg Police Department, Cumberland County Drug Task Force, and the Harrisburg City Police Department.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Gresham Man Faces Federal Charges After Overdose Death of Portland TeenagerRead the Press Release
A Gresham, Oregon, man is facing federal charges for selling fentanyl that resulted in the overdose death of a 17-year-old Portland teenager.
Duane Robert Hill, 38, has been charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, an investigation leading to Hill began on June 16, 2022, when the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT), including members of the Portland Police Bureau’s (PPB) Narcotics and Organized Crime Division (NOC) and special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), responded to the overdose death of a 17-year-old teenager in Portland. Investigators found one full and one-half blue “M-30” pill on the victim’s desk along with small amounts of an unknown crystal substance and a white powder residue. Lab reports later confirmed that the pills recovered were counterfeit Oxycodone pills manufactured with fentanyl. Investigators believe the teen died of a fentanyl overdose.
Further investigation uncovered evidence that Hill is the third-level supplier of the fentanyl pills found in the teen’s room and that are believed to have caused the teen’s death. It was determined that Hill had been distributing fentanyl pills in quantities ranging from 10 to 100 pills in and around Portland for nearly a year. Hill sold the counterfeit pills for between $4 and $5 apiece. One week after the teen’s death, investigators set up and conducted a controlled purchase of more than three dozen M-30 pills from Hill.
Today, on September 7, 2022, investigators executed a search warrant on Hill’s Gresham residence. When PPB’s Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) entered the residence, Hill attempted to flush pills down the toilet. He was arrested without incident. More than 200 M-30 pills were found in Hill’s residence and vehicle along with a 9mm handgun, a scale, assorted drug packaging materials, and $4,480 in cash. A portion of the fentanyl pills recovered from Hill’s toilet were rainbow-colored.
Hill made his initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim You. He was detained pending further court proceedings.
This case was investigated by the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA Interdiction Team, PPB NOC, and HSI with assistance from the Oregon State Police Crime Laboratory. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott M. Kerin is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Rainbow fentanyl has appeared recently in several forms in cities across the country. Versions seized recently in the Portland area resemble thick pieces of brightly-colored sidewalk chalk or small multi-colored pills sometimes referred to as “skittles.”
If you are in immediate danger or encounter fentanyl in any form, please call 911.
If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 8am and 11pm Pacific Time daily.
Seized fentanyl in resealable bags. Seized multi-color fentanyl in clear resealable bags. Seized rainbow-colored fentanyl in a clear resealable bag. Seized 9mm handgun.Grand Jury Indicts Buffalo Man for Assaulting an FBI AgentRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Tyler Collins, 27, of Buffalo, NY, with assaulting a federal officer. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, on July 12, 2022, at approximately 4:00 p.m., Collins attempted to enter the FBI-Buffalo Division main office but was denied entry by the security guards inside of the front door. At the time, three federal agents were walking back to the main office and encountered Collins, who they observed was yelling into the intercom system. Collins was heard yelling expletives while physically banging on the FBI building’s door demanding entry. One of the federal agents attempted to calm Collins, at which time Collins punched the federal agent, physically assaulting him. One of the other federal agents discharged pepper spray, in an attempt to subdue Collins, who then fled on Elmwood Avenue. Collins was later taken into custody that evening after he was found walking on Delaware Avenue.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Gang member sentenced to federal prison for meth traffickingRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A member of a violent white supremacist street gang has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison after pleading guilty to trafficking methamphetamine.
Donnie Lee Curtis Jr., 37, of Tunnel Hill, Ga., was sentenced to 144 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and To Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen also fined Curtis $1,500 and ordered him to serve five years of supervised release after completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Drug-trafficking felons are a malignant source of a significant amount of the violent crime in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we will make our streets safer by identifying and removing these criminals from our neighborhoods.”
Curtis’ co-defendant, Robert Lewis Coney Jr., 50, of North Augusta, S.C., faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to life, after also previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and To Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine.
As described in court documents and testimony, Curtis and Coney were identified as methamphetamine traffickers during an investigation in 2021 initiated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. With assistance from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the two were arrested during a drug deal in the parking lot of a motel in Grovetown, Ga., on May 19, 2021.
In subsequent searches of their vehicle and hotel rooms in Grovetown and in Trenton, S.C., authorities seized large amounts of high-grade methamphetamine and multiple firearms. Curtis, a member of the Aryan Brotherhood criminal street gang who was on felony probation on state drug charges at the time of his arrest, was identified as Coney’s source of supply for the illegal drugs.
“Residents in Augusta and elsewhere can sleep better tonight knowing that this violent ‘meth’ distributor can no longer peddle insidious drugs on the streets,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “The DEA and its law enforcement partners presented a united front to protect our communities by bringing these dangerous drug traffickers to justice.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah L. Johnson.
Fremont Man Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug ConvictionRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Trayton Jay Jackson, 25 of Fremont, Nebraska was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Jackson to 120 months’ imprisonment. After completing his term of imprisonment, Jackson will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release as there is no parole in the federal system.
On May 4, 2021, Fremont police officers conducted a traffic stop in Fremont after observing a vehicle traveling at night with no working taillights and no rear license plate. Jackson was identified as the driver and couldn’t produce any paperwork for the vehicle. During the stop Jackson admitted that he had marijuana in the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. A search of Jackson at the Fremont jail revealed another 3 baggies of methamphetamine on his person, with the total weight being over 50 grams.
This case was investigated by the III CORPS Drug Task Force.
Fourteen Charged for Roles in Youngstown Area Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
YOUNGSTOWN – First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that fourteen individuals were charged today in a forty-six-count indictment with operating a drug trafficking organization that allegedly distributed crack cocaine, cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and fentanyl analogues throughout the Youngstown area.
Eleven of the fourteen individuals named in the indictment were arrested today by federal, state and local law enforcement authorities.
Named in the indictment are Terrence Chauncy May, 46, of Youngstown, Ohio; Thomas May Jr, 42, of Youngstown, Ohio; Terri Chauncy May, 22, of Youngstown, Ohio; Terris Chailyn May, 20, of Youngstown, Ohio; Key-Shaun Davis, 21, of Youngstown, Ohio; Hope Butler, 22, of Youngstown, Ohio; Wesley Allen Pierce May, 23, of Youngstown, Ohio; Christina May, 38, of Youngstown, Ohio; Ronald Falkowski, 51, of Berlin Center, Ohio; Carlo Demain, 28, of Struthers Ohio; Jason Stiner, 38, of Canfield, Ohio; Nyasia Iris Lopez, 27, of Struthers, Ohio; Shanika Simmons, 38, Youngstown, Ohio and Allison Grossen, 35, Youngstown, Ohio.
Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogues. In addition, the indictment charges various members of the drug trafficking organization with using a communication facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, distribution of cocaine base (crack), distribution of fentanyl analogue and fentanyl, distribution of heroin and fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl and distribution of tramadol and fentanyl. Defendant Thomas May, Jr is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the indictment, from February 2020 to January 2022, it is alleged that Defendant Terrence Chauncy May obtained large quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine and narcotics, which he then supplied to other members of the drug trafficking organization to be further distributed in the Youngstown area.
In addition, the indictment alleges that Defendants Terrence Chauncy May, Hope Butler, Terris Chailyn May and Key-Shaun Davis maintained multiple premises in Youngstown for the purposes of distributing and storing drugs.
The conspirators are also accused of using cell phones and coded language to obscure and disguise their drug trafficking activity.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum; in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force in a joint investigation with Mahoning County Sheriff's Office, Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force, Youngstown Police Department, Boardman Police Department, Campbell Police Department, Austintown Police Department and the Mahoning County Juvenile Court.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Katz.
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Former Puerto Rico Legislator Sentenced to 57 Months for Bribery and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former Puerto Rico legislator was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for engaging in a bribery and kickback scheme. He was also ordered to pay $190,000 in restitution.
Nelson Del Valle Colón, 56, of Dorado, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty in the District of Puerto Rico to federal program bribery on March 31, 2022. According to court documents, Del Valle Colón was elected to be a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives in 2016. He thereafter hired Mildred Estrada-Rojas, 55, and her daughter, Nickolle Santos-Estrada, 33, both of Bayamón, Puerto Rico, to work in his legislative office. In exchange for their employment and their salaries, however, Estrada and Santos paid biweekly kickbacks to Del Valle Colón of between approximately $500 and $1,300 from early 2017 until approximately July 2020.
According to statements made in connection with their pleas, Del Valle Colón, Estrada, and Santos admitted that the biweekly kickbacks were paid in a variety of ways. Estrada and Santos generally paid their biweekly cash kickbacks in envelopes that they provided to Del Valle Colón in offices in the Capitol building in Old San Juan. Estrada sometimes paid her kickback to Del Valle Colón over ATH Móvil, a mobile phone cash transfer application.
Estrada is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 28. Santos is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 16. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph González of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s San Juan Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Anderson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico are prosecuting the case.
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Former Puerto Rico Legislator Sentenced for Bribery and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
A former Puerto Rico legislator was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for engaging in a bribery and kickback scheme. He was also ordered to pay $190,000 in restitution.
Nelson Del Valle Colon, 56, of Dorado, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty in the District of Puerto Rico to federal program bribery in March. According to court documents, Del Valle Colon was elected to be a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives in 2016. He thereafter hired Mildred Estrada-Rojas, 55, and her daughter, Nickolle Santos-Estrada, 33, both of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, to work in his legislative office. In exchange for their employment and their salaries, however, Estrada and Santos paid biweekly kickbacks to Del Valle Colon of between approximately $500 and $1,300 from early 2017 until approximately July 2020.
According to statements made in connection with their pleas, Del Valle Colon, Estrada, and Santos admitted that the biweekly kickbacks were paid in a variety of ways. Estrada and Santos generally paid their biweekly cash kickbacks in envelopes that they provided to Del Valle Colon in offices in the Capitol building in Old San Juan. Estrada sometimes paid her kickback to Del Valle Colon over ATH Móvil, a mobile phone cash transfer application.
Estrada is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 28. Santos is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 16. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph González of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s San Juan Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Anderson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico are prosecuting the case.
Former Defense Attorney Sentenced to Six Months in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Bribe the Elected State AttorneyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Ernest Maloney Page, IV (46, Madison) to six months in federal prison for conspiring to bribe the elected State Attorney for the Third Judicial Circuit. The court also ordered Page to serve an 18-month term of supervised release. Page had pleaded guilty on September 3, 2020.
According to court documents, Page represented a client facing two separate driving under the influence (DUI) cases in the Third Judicial Circuit. The client managed a tractor dealership in Live Oak. Page arranged a meeting with then-State Attorney Jeffrey Siegmeister to discuss the client’s pending DUI cases. Page informed Siegmeister that the client had a tractor dealership, and Siegmeister told Page he wanted to purchase a tractor. Page encouraged Siegmeister to visit the client at his dealership.
In August 2017, Siegmeister told Page that he would give favorable treatment to the client for one of his pending DUI cases for a bribe in the form of a $10,000 discount on the tractor, and that he would give favorable treatment to the client on both pending DUI cases for a bribe in the form of a $20,000 discount on the tractor. Page relayed this information to his client, who indicated he wished to accept the offer and agreed to provide the $20,000 discount to Siegmeister. Page then told Siegmeister his client had accepted the offer.
Siegmeister arranged for the client to resolve the DUI charges by pleading to reckless driving charges, which were traffic misdemeanors.
On September 20, 2017, Siegmeister’s wife went to the tractor dealership and met with the client, who discounted the retail price of the tractor and accessories by $10,000, consistent with his agreement to pay Siegmeister a bribe facilitated by Page. The client also notated the sales paperwork to falsely state that the Siegmeister’s provided a cash down payment of $10,150, when no such down payment was made.
On September 28, 2017, Siegmeister signed an Offer of Plea, authorizing the client to plead no contest to the misdemeanor charges of reckless driving with alcohol. On the same day, the client’s plea was entered and the client was sentenced to 12 months’ probation.
In March 2020, Page admitted to the FBI that he had facilitated a bribe to Siegmeister in the amount of a $20,000 discount on a tractor in exchange for a lenient resolution of two DUI cases.
Siegmeister previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use a facility of commerce for unlawful activity, that is bribery and extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion, wire fraud, and filing a false tax return. His sentencing hearing is set for October 12, 2022.
“The actions taken by Ernest Page put lives at risk,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Sherri Onks. “As an officer of the court, he facilitated corruption within the judicial system by offering items of value in exchange for reduced or dropped charges for one of his clients, who was accused of serious crimes that endangered the community. These crimes will not be tolerated by the FBI, and we will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to hold individuals in positions of authority within the justice system accountable. We specifically thank the IRS – Criminal Investigation team for their invaluable partnership in the case.”
“This action demonstrates our collective efforts to enforce the law and ensure public trust. In today’s economic environment, it’s more important than ever that the American people feel confident that everyone is playing by the rules,” said IRS Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne. “The IRS is proud to have shared its hallmark expertise with FBI in following the money trail in this and other criminal schemes. IRS Criminal Investigation agents will continue to be on the front lines to fight corruption and tax fraud.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Karase and David B. Mesrobian.
Former Dansville Teacher Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Derek Hagen, 29, of Batavia, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to production of child pornography and possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that between January 2018, and July 21, 2021, Hagen engaged in a pattern of prohibited sexual conduct with Victim 1, a minor between the ages of 4 and 8, during which Hagen photographed and videoed himself subjecting Victim 1 to sexual contact. Hagen then distributed the images of Victim 1 to other individuals over the internet.
In addition, between May 2018, and July 19, 2018, Hagen was employed as an Assistant Teacher at the Brockport Childhood Development Center in the infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms. During this time, he produced and possessed sexually explicit images of children entrusted to his care. The children ranged in age from six months to five years. Hagen produced these images while changing diapers and assisting children who were learning to use the bathroom. Hagen distributed the images of these children to other individuals over the internet. Hagen also possessed approximately 50,000 images and videos of child pornography that he received from others via the internet.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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Final Two Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Multi-State Drug RingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Concluding a case that secured convictions against all 19 defendants, an Ohio man and a Huntington woman were sentenced to prison for their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and other illegal drugs in the Huntington area.
Brayan Luces, 25, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and five kilograms or more of cocaine.
Kimberly Ann Combs, 45, of Huntington, was sentenced to six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of oxycodone.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from May to July 2021, Luces regularly shipped a minimum of 1 kilogram of fentanyl and 1 kilogram of cocaine to Huntington. The fentanyl and cocaine were transported by vehicle and provided to an individual on consignment. After the drugs were sold in the Huntington area, Luces would receive the drug proceeds, which were transported by vehicle to Columbus.
On July 22, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Luces’ residence in Columbus and seized 13 kilograms of fentanyl, 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately $26,484 in cash, two firearms, and various magazines and ammunition.
Combs admitted that she bought 104 30-milligram oxycodone pills from co-defendant William Raeshaun Byrd at his Huntington residence on July 23, 2021. When Combs left Byrd’s residence, law enforcement officers stopped her vehicle and recovered the oxycodone pills. Combs further admitted that she received oxycodone pills from Byrd on at least 10 other occasions in June and July 2021, and provided some of those pills to another individual.
This successful prosecution disrupted a conspiracy that distributed a variety of drugs including fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base (also known as “crack”), oxycodone, and heroin. Law enforcement officers seized more than 47 pounds of fentanyl, 6.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 4.5 pounds of cocaine and 2 pounds of heroin as well as 14 firearms and more than $335,000 in cash.
“Tremendous dedication and teamwork removed massive volumes of deadly drugs from one of our most vulnerable and hard-pressed communities,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “It is critical that we target the supply side as we reduce overdose deaths and obstacles to recovery, and this is a prime example of an effective prosecution toward that end.”
"This investigation demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement at all levels to investigate and prosecute those who pollute local neighborhoods with dangerous drugs,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “This investigation effectively dismantled a multi-state drug trafficking organization that chose to set up operations in the Huntington area. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to rid the streets of these criminals and make our communities safer for all citizens.”
The other defendants were sentenced to the following prison terms after pleading guilty to various felony offenses:
- William Raeshaun Byrd, 32, of Huntington, to 15 years for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 5 kilograms or more of cocaine;
- Marvin Jerome Calvin, 41, of Huntington, to six years and six months for distribution of fentanyl;
- Mark Anthony Chandler, 31, of Huntington, to four years and four months for possession with intent to distribute cocaine;
- Donald Duane Cole, 52, of Huntington, to five years and 10 months possession with intent to distribute cocaine base;
- Robert Lamont Congleton, 42, of Huntington, to six months for being a felon in possession of a firearm;
- Reginald Jerome Hairston, 45, of Huntington, to four years and four months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine;
- Marcus Allen Johnson, 37, of Huntington, to two years using a communication facility to facilitate a felony drug offense;
- Erica Antoinette Kirker, 35, of Huntington, to seven years and six months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl;
- Aaron Scott Midkiff, 27, of Huntington, to six years and five months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine;
- Edward Shane Midkiff, 35, of Huntington, to three years and one month for distribution of methamphetamine;
- Scott Lee Midkiff, 36, of Huntington, to 17 years for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl;
- William Edward Nellons Jr., 38, of Huntington, to three years and 10 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl;
- Leonard Brandon Joe Rice, 36, of Louisa, Kentucky, to two years for using a communication facility to facilitate a felony drug offense;
- Dennis Wayne Snyder, 32, of Hurricane, to seven years for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine;
- Ricky Lee Taylor, 58, of Charleston, to two years for using a telephone to facilitate a felony controlled substance offense;
- Christopher Leon Vest, 34, of Huntington, to 12 years and six months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine;
- Dillon Andrew Young, 29, of Sissonville, to two years and six months for use of a communications facility in committing, causing, and facilitating a felony controlled substance offense.
Thompson commended the investigative work of the FBI and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force consists of officers with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus, Ohio also assisted in the investigation.
“I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans for their tenacious prosecution of this case that ensured guilty pleas from each and every defendant,” Thompson said.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentences.
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-109 and 3:22-cr-7.
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Felon Sentenced to over 6 Years in Federal Prison After Being Found Illegally in Possession of an AR-15 Rifle in a Downtown Indianapolis Parking GarageRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Antoine Hopkins, 33, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on May 16, 2021, at approximately 2:12 am, an off-duty Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officer working at a downtown Indianapolis parking garage was approached by a witness who had observed Hopkins with a rifle and heard threats made towards her. The officer heard a shot and was able to identify Hopkins as the individual with the rifle. The firearm was determined to be a Springfield AR-15 rifle loaded with two thirty-round magazines.
At the time he was in possession of the AR-15 in the parking garage, Hopkins was completing a term of imprisonment at a residential reentry center, or halfway house, following a March 2019 federal conviction for a prior instance of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hopkins also has prior felony convictions in Indiana for resisting law enforcement, possession of cocaine, and carrying a handgun without a license. Each of these prior felony convictions prohibits Hopkins from lawfully possessing a firearm.
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 (ATF), Columbus Field Division; and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Police Chief Randal Taylor made the announcement.
ATF investigated the case in conjunction with IMPD. Sentence was imposed by U.S. District Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela S. Domash who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and 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.
District of Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Terrell Roberson, 31, of Washington, D.C., has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.
Roberson entered the guilty plea on Sept. 6, 2022, the day his trial was to begin in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. No sentencing date was set. Roberson faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, followed by up to lifetime supervised release. In addition, he will be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, in September 2015, Roberson used his personal email account to distribute a video depicting the rape of a prepubescent child. Roberson distributed the video to a man who was previously prosecuted and who lived in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York, in exchange for access to cloud storage accounts containing child pornography. For the next 14 months, they exchanged dozens of emails with log-in information for cloud storage accounts associated with child pornography and discussed their sexual interest in children.
HSI discovered the online activity in 2019 after receiving a tip from the Norfolk, Virginia, Police Department. The police department had received a report from a citizen who stated that she discovered child pornography on her husband’s cellphone. Subsequent investigation led to the discovery of Roberson’s communications. HSI agents were able to locate and interview Roberson, who admitted to communicating with the other man and sending him child pornography.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge Gordon commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Norfolk Police Department. Finally, they commended the work of Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo, of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Miranda, who prosecuted the case.
District Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for 2022 Slaying on I-295 and 2020 AssaultRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gregory Johnson, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for killing a woman on Interstate 295 in February 2022 and for threatening a different woman with a gun in 2020, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Johnson pleaded guilty in June 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of second-degree murder, carrying a pistol without a license, and assault with a dangerous weapon. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 13 ½ to 22 years. The Honorable Robert Okun accepted the plea and sentenced Johnson accordingly. Following his prison term, Johnson will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence in the 2020 assault, Johnson messaged the victim, the mother of his infant child, on Aug. 31, 2020, stating that he wanted to see her. As the victim drove toward her house with their daughter in the backseat, Johnson followed in his vehicle. As they approached a narrow, residential street in Northeast Washington, Johnson swerved in front of her and forced her to stop. He then exited his vehicle, loaded a handgun, and pointed it at the victim, demanding that she give their daughter to him. The victim was able to maneuver her car away from Johnson and she fled to safety with the child.
Separately, in the 2022 murder, Johnson picked up Passion Pleasant and drove with her down I-295 on the morning of Feb. 5, 2022. Johnson was wearing a GPS ankle monitor as a condition of his release in the previous assault case. At some point during the drive, Johnson produced a firearm and shot Ms. Pleasant five times in the chest, fatally wounding her. She left the vehicle and collapsed on the shoulder of the highway, where she was assisted by several passing motorists. Ms. Pleasant, 32, and a mother of six children, succumbed to her injuries on the highway and died a few minutes later.
Johnson was arrested on the scene of the murder on Feb. 5, 2022. He has been detained ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Amy Trotto, Forensic Child Interview Specialist Tracy Owusu, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak, Robert Platt, Yasmin Emrani, and Eliot Folsom, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy Inside Stillwater PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A former corrections officer has pleaded guilty to her role in a methamphetamine distribution organization within the Minnesota Correctional Facility (MCF)-Stillwater, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Faith Rose Gratz, 24, a former MCF – Stillwater corrections officer, and co-defendant Axel Rene Kramer, 34, an inmate who is currently serving a 288-month sentence for second degree murder, conspired with each other to distribute methamphetamine within MCF – Stillwater, Minnesota’s largest high security prison facility. As part of the conspiracy, Kramer obtained wholesale quantities of prepackaged methamphetamine from sources of supply outside the prison. After Kramer and another co-conspirator inmate worked with the drug suppliers to arrange meet up times and locations, Gratz would pick up the drug packages. Gratz used her position as a prison guard to smuggle the drugs into the secure facility and then provide the drugs to Kramer while she was on duty guarding him. Gratz did this on approximately six different occasions. Gratz also smuggled into the prison multiple cell phones that she provided to Kramer. Kramer used the cell phones to communicate with people inside and outside the prison and to facilitate his drug distribution network from within the prison.
According to court documents, Gratz and Kramer exchanged hundreds of text messages with each other. The messages included communications about the drug distribution conspiracy as well as discussions about their romantic relationship. Gratz also warned Kramer about upcoming searches of inmates’ cells.
On April 8, 2022, after recovering Kramer’s cell phone, law enforcement officers confronted Gratz about the drug distribution operation. Officers searched Gratz’s car and recovered a half pound of methamphetamine.
Gratz pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Bayport Police Department, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Jacobs is prosecuting the case.
Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking and Threatening Massachusetts WomanRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Connecticut man has pleaded guilty to threatening, harassing and intimidating a Massachusetts woman through social media and email.
Marshall Nicholas Fain, 31, of New Haven, Conn., pleaded guilty on Aug. 31, 2022 in federal court in Boston to one count of cyberstalking and one count of transmitting threats through interstate commerce. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Dec. 21, 2022. Fain was arrested and charged on Feb. 2, 2022.
“People deserve to end relationships without fear. Too often, women are the targets threatening, controlling and/or violent behavior. In response to the end of his two-year relationship with the victim, Mr. Fain terrorized her for several months, making her fear for her life and the lives of her family. In the face of aggressively disturbing and intimidating threats this woman bravely notified federal authorities of Mr. Fain’s abusive behavior. Thanks to this woman’s enormous strength and courage, Mr. Fain must now answer for the fear and pain he caused,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Threats of violence, regardless of whether they’re made in person or sent from behind a keyboard, are illegal and will not be tolerated by my office. Stalking and threatening others online are serious crimes that deeply impact victims’ mental, emotional and physical welfare. The internet does not offer you anonymity – perpetrators will be identified, prosecuted and held accountable.”
“The victim in this case did not let fear silence her. She courageously came forward and worked with the FBI to help bring Mr. Fain’s campaign of torment to an end,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.” Words can and do lead to violence, and the FBI would like to take this opportunity to urge victims of online threats to report the crime because we will not hesitate to investigate these cowardly acts.”
Fain was in a relationship with the victim for approximately two years, until the relationship ended in August 2021. Soon after, in September 2021 and continuing through December 2021, Fain sent the victim multiple private messages through email and social media threatening to kill the victim and members of her family.
Fain created multiple social media and email accounts which he used to harass and threaten the victim anonymously. Specifically, Fain used anonymous Instagram and Facebook accounts to send the victim messages that said, among other things, “I’ll kill you” and “You gonna get yours if it’s the last thing I do.” Fain also used anonymous email addresses to send the victim threatening messages that said, among other things, “I’m gonna find you and kill you if it’s the last thing I do,” “By now you know I don’t give a f*** about my own life so I really don’t mind taking yours,” and “When the time is right you gonna be one of the girls going missing. Ima torture the f*** out of you when I catch you.”
The charge of stalking by electronic means provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of transmitting threats through interstate commerce provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Haven Division provided valuable assistance in the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gotlob of Rollins Major Crimes Division is prosecuting the case.
Colorado Company and Owner Agree to Pay $625,000 for Alleged False Claims Related to Buy American Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that Instec Inc. (Instec), located in Boulder, Colorado, and Dr. Zhong Zou, Instec’s owner and president, have agreed to pay $625,000 to resolve allegations that the company and Zou violated the False Claims Act by failing to comply with the requirements of the Buy American Act (BAA) when selling scientific instruments to federal agencies and national laboratories.
The BAA was enacted in 1933 to protect U.S. manufacturing by creating a preference for domestic products when the federal government purchases supplies. The United States alleged that Instec and Zou knowingly violated the BAA by falsely certifying that goods sold to the government pursuant to contracts containing domestic-preference requirements were of domestic origin, when these good were actually manufactured in China.
“Those who contract with the government must comply with all applicable terms,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement demonstrates the department’s commitment to protect American businesses by enforcing domestic preference requirements.”
“When companies commit to manufacture their goods in the United States, then shirk that commitment, they violate the law and undermine American manufacturing jobs, too,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado is committed to enforcing the Buy American Act and pursuing companies that violate it.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado with assistance from the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General and the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID).
“Federal contractors cannot simply dispense with contractual requirements designed to protect American industry,” said Department of Energy Inspector General Teri L. Donaldson. “I applaud the investigators as well as the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado for their efforts in reaching this settlement.”
“This settlement demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), along with our law enforcement partners, to aggressively pursue those who defraud the United States government,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory Shilling of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. “This type of activity undermines the procurement process, and those responsible will be held accountable.”
“The Buy American Act promotes American businesses and protects U.S. economic interests,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Robert Steinau for the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG). “This agreement reflects NASA OIG’s commitment to work with our law enforcement partners in identifying and holding accountable those who engage in deliberate disregard of contractual requirements.”
“This settlement highlights the resolve of Army CID and our law enforcement partners to hold government contractors accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge L. Scott Moreland of the U.S. Army CID’s Major Procurement Fraud Field Office. “The ability to protect and defend the assets of the U.S. Army is always our top priority
The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Jason M. Crawford of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Licht for the District of Colorado.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought by a former Instec employee under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. These provisions allow a private party, known as a relator, to file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. In this case, the relator will receive $124,500 as part of the settlement. The case is captioned United States ex rel Swanton v. Zou, et al, No. 20-cv-01742 (D. Colo.).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Colorado Company and Owner Agree to Pay $625,000 for Alleged False Claims Related to Buy American ActRead the Press Release
DENVER – The Department of Justice announced today that Instec, Inc., located in Boulder, Colorado, and Dr. Zhong Zou, Instec’s owner and president, have agreed to pay $625,000 to resolve allegations that the company and Zou violated the False Claims Act by failing to comply with the requirements of the Buy American Act when selling scientific instruments to federal agencies and national laboratories.
The Buy American Act was enacted in 1933 to protect U.S. manufacturing by creating a preference for domestic products when the federal government purchases supplies. The United States alleged that Instec and Zou knowingly violated the Act by falsely certifying that scientific instruments sold to the government pursuant to contracts containing domestic-preference requirements were of domestic origin, when these goods were actually manufactured in China. These instruments, including microscopy, spectroscopy and electrical probing tools with advanced precision thermal controls, were sold to multiple federal agencies and national laboratories, including the Department of Energy, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Army, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
“Those who contract with the government must comply with all applicable terms” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement demonstrates the department’s commitment to protect American businesses by enforcing domestic preference requirements.”
“When companies commit to manufacture their goods in the United States, then shirk that commitment, they violate the law and undermine American manufacturing jobs, too. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado is committed to enforcing the Buy American Act and pursuing companies that violate it,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, with assistance from the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID).
“Federal contractors cannot simply dispense with contractual requirements designed to protect American industry,” said Department of Energy Inspector General Teri L. Donaldson, “I applaud the investigators as well as the DOJ and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado for their efforts in reaching this settlement.”
“This settlement demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, DCIS, along with our law enforcement partners, to aggressively pursue those who defraud the United States Government,” said Gregory Shilling, Acting Special Agent in Charge, of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. “This type of activity undermines the procurement process, and those responsible will be held accountable.”
“The Buy American Act promotes American businesses and protects U.S. economic interests,” said Robert Steinau, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, NASA Office of Inspector General. “This agreement reflects NASA OIG’s commitment to work with our law enforcement partners in identifying and holding accountable those who engage in deliberate disregard of contractual requirements.”
“This settlement highlights the resolve of Army CID and our law enforcement partners to hold government contractors accountable for their actions. The ability to protect and defend the assets of the United States Army is always our top priority,” said Special Agent in Charge L. Scott Moreland of the U.S. Army CID Major Procurement Fraud Field Office.
The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Jason M. Crawford of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Licht for the District of Colorado.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought by a former Instec employee under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. These provisions allow a private party, known as a relator, to file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. In this case, the relator will receive $124,500 as part of the settlement. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Swanton v. Zou, et al, No. 20-cv-01742 (D. Colo.).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Collinsville osteopathic physician sentenced to a year in prison for illegally prescribing drugRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Wednesday sentenced an osteopathic physician from Collinsville, Illinois to a year in prison for illegally prescribing an anti-anxiety drug.
Matthew Steven Miller, 43, wrote prescriptions for the drug Xanax for six people who were not his patients between 2016 and 2018. Miller had not examined them, knew they didn’t have a legitimate medical need for the drug and knew the drug would be sold or abused, Assistant U.S. Attorney Dorothy McMurtry wrote in a sentencing memorandum. Miller also did not document the prescriptions and didn’t determine if the Xanax was contraindicated due to existing medical conditions or possible adverse interactions with other medications.
Miller wrote the prescriptions despite not being licensed by Missouri’s Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and lacked a Drug Enforcement Administration registration number necessary to do so.
Miller pleaded guilty in June to one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and one count of making a false statement concerning a health care matter.
He was taken into custody immediately after Wednesday’s hearing.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General and the South Central Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dorothy McMurtry is prosecuting the case.
Cocaine Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that Carlos Juan Camacho Quinones, 36, of Newark, was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Andrews pronounced the sentence.
According to court documents and statements made in open court, the Defendant was arrested in March 2021 after he was surveilled for several months receiving and transporting U.S. mail packages that contained suspected cocaine. Quinones pled guilty in October 2021.
U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “Trafficking in large quantities of drugs threatens the safety and security of our communities. The sentence imposed is necessary to keep our communities safe and deter others from participating in illegal drug trafficking. Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, is committed to fully investigating and prosecuting these serious drug crimes.”
“Mr. Quinones trafficked significant amounts of dangerous narcotics via mail packages for distribution, posing a danger to citizens," stated Baltimore FBI Special Agent in Charge, Thomas J. Sobocinski. "Through our robust law enforcement partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Delaware, the FBI remains committed to disrupting the flow of deadly drugs into our communities, and to hold drug traffickers accountable.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Ibrahim prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FBI.
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-68.
Cincinnati man pleads guilty to offenses relating to straw purchases of pistolsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to federal crimes related to making straw purchases of firearms.
Jermaine Pulley, 30, admitted to making false statements during purchases of firearms, including by lying about the identity of the true buyer on ATF Form 4473, which a buyer must fill out when purchasing a firearm from a federal firearms licensee (FFL). Pulley also admitted to conspiring with Nylisha Hill, 22, to do so.
He and Hill were indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2022.
According to court documents, Pulley was prohibited from possessing firearms under the terms of his probation. To circumvent this restriction, Pulley would provide Hill with cash to purchase firearms on his behalf, and the defendants would then make false representations to FFLs to the effect that Hill, not Pulley, was the true purchaser of the firearms.
The defendants visited two area FFLs on Oct. 12, 2021, in an attempt to purchase multiple firearms.
Pulley admitted to attempting to pay for a firearm at Cincinnati-area FFL Shoot Point Blank – Cincy West. During the attempted purchase, Pulley told a store associate that he was paying for the firearm but that it was for Hill’s use, and he refused to fill out ATF Form 4473. The associate declined the sale, saying he believed it to be a straw purchase and warning the defendants that it was a felony for Hill to purchase a firearm for Pulley or anyone else.
Later that same day, at a different FFL, Hill successfully purchased two pistols at Pulley’s direction, falsely representing that she was the true buyer. Shortly after Hill purchased the firearms, Pulley directed her to go back into the store to buy two more. This additional purchase was denied.
Making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Conspiring to commit a felony offense against the United States carries a potential penalty of five years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia is representing the United States in this case.
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Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Multi-State Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Treydan Leon Burks, 32, of Charleston, was sentenced to seven years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine after participating in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in Kanawha County.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Burks obtained large quantities of methamphetamine from out-of-state for distribution in and around Charleston. Burks admitted to distributing between 3 and 11 pounds of methamphetamine between late 2020 and Sept. 28, 2021. Burks and co-defendant Brian Dangelo Terry pooled money in order to obtain the drugs, used couriers to transport drugs and drug proceeds, and distributed the drugs to lower-level dealers and users.
Burks further admitted that he, Terry, James Edward Bennett III and Douglas Johnathan Wesley armed themselves at Burks’ residence in Rand on July 4, 2021, and drove to Charleston’s West Side where they intended to shoot another man. Alerted to the plot, police in marked cruisers converged on the area. The four men abandoned their vehicle in a Lee Street parking lot due to the increased police presence. Federal agents executed a search warrant on the vehicle and recovered four loaded firearms, including an AR-style semi-automatic rifle with a drum magazine.
This case is part of a long-term investigation of methamphetamine distribution that resulted in 17 individuals being charged with various drug and firearm offenses in three separate indictments. Burks, Terry, Bennett, and 11 others pleaded guilty. Wesley, Timothy Wayne Dodd and Leo Antoine Smith were convicted at trial.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha and Putnam County Sheriff’s Departments, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Josh Hanks and Alex Hamner prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:21-cr-172, 2:21-cr-171 and 2:21-cr-211.
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Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Joe Butler, 34, of Charleston, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 8, 2021, Butler aided and abetted Rance McNeil in the distribution of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at McNeil’s residence in Charleston. In early 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted several controlled buys involving Butler and McNeil. On May 18, 2021, DEA agents executed a search warrant at McNeil’s residence and seized large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine as well as more than $20,000 in drug proceeds. Butler admitted to working as a runner for McNeil, who had been distributing bulk quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin. McNeil was sentenced to 14 years in prison on March 15, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the DEA.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-258.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition as a FelonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm and ammunition as a felon was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison.
Federico Luna, age 23, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 4, 2022 guilty plea to one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon. Luna had previously been convicted of reckless use of a firearm, harassment in the first and third degree, assault, and criminal mischief in the second degree.
Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that Luna sped through a residential area in Cedar Rapids while leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase. During the chase, he threw a backpack out of the window of the car. That backpack contained a loaded firearm, false U.S. currency, and pills. Luna abandoned the car and attempted to flee on foot before he was taken into custody.
Luna was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Luna was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Luna is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake, and it was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 21-CR-64.
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Camden Man Admits String of Armed Robberies and CarjackingsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden man admitted his role in conspiracies that involved committing armed carjackings and robbing multiple gas stations in southern New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Kamau Bradshaw, 20, of Camden, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to commit armed robberies, one count of committing an armed robbery, and one count of conspiring to commit armed carjackings. Bradshaw and another defendant, Paul Rogers, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Sept. 17, 2021.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Sept. 14, 2021, two masked individuals carrying an AR-style rifle robbed a gas station in Pennsauken, New Jersey. One of the robbers wore a gray Nike hooded sweatshirt and scuffed tan work boots. The second robber wore a tan hooded sweatshirt with “REACTIVE” printed on the sleeves and striped boxer shorts. They obtained cash and cigarettes while brandishing the firearm. Shortly after the robbery, two individuals were seen returning to a residence in Camden with a large duffle bag. On Sept. 17, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at the Camden residence and recovered, among other items, a duffle bag, an AR-style rifle, a gray Nike sweatshirt, scuffed tan work boots, and a tan hooded sweatshirt with “REACTIVE” printed on the sleeves. Bradshaw and Rogers were present when law enforcement agents executed the search warrant, at which time Bradshaw was wearing striped boxer shorts consistent with those worn by one of the robbers during the robbery.
Bradshaw admitted his role in eight gas station robberies or attempted robberies in addition to the Sept. 14, 2021, robbery in Pennsauken, including robberies in Haddon Township on Aug. 30, 2021; Pennsauken on Aug. 30, 2021; Bridgeton on Aug. 31, 2021; Brooklawn on Aug. 31, 2021; Vineland on Aug. 31, 2021; Pennsauken on Sept. 1, 2021; Haddon Township on Sept. 1, 2021; and Haddon Township on Sept. 16, 2021. Two of the gas stations were victimized more than once. At each gas station, at least one member of the conspiracy brandished what appeared to be an assault weapon in order to threaten the gas station attendant.
For several of the robberies, Bradshaw and his conspirators used a car they obtained by committing an armed carjacking in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Members of the carjacking conspiracy traveled from Camden to Philadelphia and brandished what appeared to be an assault weapon in order to force a driver and passenger from an automobile. They returned to Camden with the victims’ car, which they proceeded to use to drive to and from some of their gas stations robberies.
The complaint against Rogers remains pending. The charges and allegations against him are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The count of conspiracy to commit robbery and the robbery count to which Bradshaw pleaded guilty each carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of conspiracy to commit armed carjacking to which Bradshaw pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, Bridgeton City Police Department, Brooklawn Borough Police Department, Camden County Police Department, Haddon Township Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Oaklyn Police Department, Pennsauken Township Police Department, Vineland Police Department, and the Philadelphia Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Cambria County Woman Distributed MethRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Blandburg, 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.
Danielle Gillam, age 43, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possesses with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand.
Gillam 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 Gillam was a methamphetamine distributor who obtained between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine as part of a large-scale methamphetamine distribution conspiracy and redistributed it to methamphetamine users.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Coder on Jan. 19, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a sentence of not less than ten years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The court ordered that the defendant remain on bond pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan D. Lusty and Michael R. Ball are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Broome County Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK - Nezir “Nick” Boljevic, age 57, of Broome County, New York, was sentenced today in federal court in Utica to 12 months and 1 day in prison after previously pleading guilty to one felony count of willful failure to pay federal payroll taxes, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Thomas Fattorusso, Executive Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), New York Field Office.
In his guilty plea, Boljevic admitted that from 2007 through 2017, while he owned and operated Vestal Diner in Vestal, New York, he failed to make payroll tax payments to the government with respect to his employees, including for Social Security and Medicare taxes. Boljevic withheld the payroll taxes from his employees’ paychecks but did not report the withholdings or turn the money over to the Internal Revenue Service. To avoid IRS collection efforts, Boljevic repeatedly put Vestal Diner in the names of a series of nominee owners with different Employer Identification Numbers for tax purposes, even though Boljevic remained the true owner and operator of Vestal Diner. In total, Boljevic failed to pay approximately $322,516.51 in payroll taxes to the Internal Revenue Service between 2007 and 2017. Boljevic no longer owns or operates Vestal Diner.
The defendant will serve a three-year term of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence, and he was ordered to pay $322,516.51 in restitution to the IRS.
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Beaty.