Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Wednesday 7 September 2022
Brooklyn-Based Manager of Money Laundering Operation Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison in Connection with $5 Million Online Vehicle Sale ScamRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that NATALIA KORZHA and VLADISLAV NECEAEV were sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in connection with a scheme to launder money derived from an online vehicle sale scam that generated at least $5.3 million from dozens of defrauded consumers. KORZHA was sentenced to 48 months in prison and NECEAEV was sentenced to 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres, before whom they previously pled guilty.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Natalia Korzha and Vladislav Neceaev opened or caused others to open fraudulent bank accounts that were used to launder millions of dollars in criminal proceeds from an online vehicle sale scam. Without those fraudulent accounts, online fraudsters would not be able to profit from their illegal schemes. Korzha and Neceaev now face terms of imprisonment and will be required to forfeit their ill-gotten gains.”
In imposing today’s sentences, Judge Torres said that KORZHA and NECEAEV caused “real harm to [the victims’] financial well-being” and noted that victims reported having been hurt “mentally, emotionally and physically.”
As alleged in the Complaint and the Indictments, and based on statements made in court:
From at least March 2019 through approximately March 2021, KORZHA managed a money laundering operation based in Brooklyn that included co-defendant VLADISLAV NECEAEV and others. With KORZHA as coordinator, NECEAEV and other co-conspirators opened numerous bank accounts in the name of shell companies for the purpose of laundering money stolen from consumers who were trying to buy vehicles online. In exchange, the defendants received a cut of the victims’ money.
Other members of the conspiracy, pretending to represent car dealerships, advertised vehicles that they did not own and were not authorized to sell on fake websites with domain names that sounded like legitimate car dealerships or through online marketplaces like Craigslist and eBay. Victims who responded to those advertisements and negotiated a purchase price were instructed by the purported sellers to wire payment to accounts that NECEAEV and other co-conspirators opened. Once the payments cleared, the defendants quickly withdrew the funds before the victims realized they had been defrauded. The victims never received the vehicles or any refunds from the fake sellers. In total, dozens of victims were defrauded of a total of at least $5.3 million.
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In addition to her prison term, KORZHA, 50, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $5,386,538 and pay restitution in the amount of $5,370,180.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, NECEAEV, 28, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years’ supervised release and ordered to forfeit $458,300 and pay restitution in the amount of $458,300.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations and the New York Police Department. He also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division, the United States Marshals Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania, and the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau for their assistance in this investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Lai is in charge of the prosecution.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Following Two-Kilogram Cocaine DealRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with selling two kilograms of cocaine and possessing nearly one kilogram of heroin and a high-powered rifle in East Boston.
Carlos Acosta Estrella, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Dec. 12, 2022. Estrella was indicted along with his mother, Ana Guadalupe Acosta Grajeda, in October 2019.
Estrella and Grajeda were arrested after they were videotaped selling two kilograms of cocaine to a cooperating witness in East Boston. A search of Estrella and Grajeda’s apartment in East Boston resulted in the seizure of nearly one kilogram of heroin, an additional kilogram of cocaine, numerous cellphones, a high-powered tactical shotgun with a laser sight and a box of ammunition for the shotgun.
On June 30, 2022, Grajeda was sentenced to five years in prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
“Opioids continue to take far too many lives and cause irreversible damage and harm in communities across our country every single day,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This destructive duo of mother and son conspired to profit off of pain by pumping multiple kilograms of heroin and cocaine into our neighborhoods. On top of that, Mr. Estrella did so in possession of a dangerous high-powered weapon. This office remains steadfast in our pursuit of those peddling lethal narcotics in our Commonwealth. You will be found and prosecuted.”
“Opioid abuse is at epidemic levels in New England,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “Illegal drug distribution ravages the very foundations of our families and communities here in Massachusetts. Let these arrests serve as an example to those who distribute poisons like heroin and cocaine, that DEA will aggressively pursue and hold you accountable. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners.”
“The Boston Police Department will continue to collaborate with our federal law enforcement partners to target those individuals causing harm to the residents of our city,” said Police Commissioner Michael A. Cox. “These arrests demonstrate the commitment of Boston Police Officers and our law enforcement partners to save lives by stopping the flow of narcotics and illegal firearms into our neighborhoods. I commend their efforts and commit to continue to holding offenders accountable for preying on individuals with substance disorders.”
The charge of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams of heroin provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. The charge of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, to be served from and after the sentence imposed on the underlying drug counts, a maximum sentence of life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences in a criminal case 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, DEA SAC Boyle and BPD Commissioner Cox made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Asotin County Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Spokane – Senior United States District Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson sentenced Justin James Krasselt, age 27, of Clarkston, Washington, to over 273 months in federal prison today for Production of Child Pornography. When combined with the time Krasselt has been in state custody since his arrest, the result is a 25-year prison sentence. At the conclusion of his prison term, Krasselt will spend the rest of his life on federal supervision. Senior Judge Peterson also imposed financial assessments aimed at victim compensation in the amount of $8,000. Krasselt entered a guilty plea on June 7, 2022.
According to court documents, Krasselt shared child pornography within a public chat group on the Kik messaging application in June 2020. An undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent captured the child pornography posted and observed that one of the videos appeared to be produced by Krasselt. Days later, on June 16, 2020, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Krasselt’s Clarkston, Washington, residence. There, agents seized electronic devices, including Krasselt’s phone.
When interviewed by law enforcement, Krasselt admitted to using Kik on his phone and to sending and receiving sexually exploitative images of minors. The investigation and forensic review of Krasselt’s phone, however, revealed that Krasselt had done more than send and receive child pornography. Investigators found ten sexually exploitative videos that Krasselt recorded of an 8-year old girl. During a separate investigation, images and videos of this young child were discovered as far away as Dandenong, Victoria, Australia. A review of the electronic devices in Australia revealed a Kik chat between the foreign suspect and Krasselt. The devices in Australia also contained images and videos depicting Krasselt’s victim, which Krasselt sent through Kik.
“It is chilling how common internet messaging applications like Kik can be used to exploit the most vulnerable among us and how exploitive images can quickly be spread across the world through social media,” U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref stated. “Parents, teachers, conscious members of our community, and law enforcement must work together to ensure that social media applications are not misused to harm children. Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to those who victimize children through social media and otherwise: Our office is committed to prioritizing and aggressively pursuing cases involving child predators and holding them accountable for victimizing the most innocent members of our community.”
Assistant United States Attorney Ann T. Wick, who prosecuted the case, stated, “The victim’s mother said it best in her written statement to Senior Judge Peterson: ‘[Krasselt] took away something from a child that shouldn’t [have] been taken.’” AUSA Wick continued, “While the criminal justice system cannot give it back, the sentence today removed a predator from the streets and ensured that the victim can spend the rest of her childhood free of the man who harmed her.”
“Children are our most vulnerable population, and law enforcement must ensure that those who exploit children are held accountable to the fullest extent,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. He continued, “Advances in technology have emboldened child predators to perpetuate their crimes with ease and share illicit material across the internet. Today’s twenty-five year sentence sends a strong message that child exploitation will not be tolerated. We also hope that this sentence brings some measure of peace to the family.”
This case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States 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. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
· Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
· Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
· Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
· Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
· Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
In a separate, but related investigation, Krasselt pleaded guilty in Asotin County, Washington, Case No. 20-1-00056-02, to three counts of child molestation in the first degree. On November 16, 2020, Krasselt was sentenced to 12 years in state prison in the Asotin County case.
The federal case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Clarkston Police Department and Moscow, ID, Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Ann T. Wick, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Tuesday 6 September 2022
Worcester Postal Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Mail TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A supervisor for the U.S. Postal Service has pleaded guilty in connection with stealing packages containing cocaine on at least eight occasions.
Kevin Dombroski, 43, of Worcester, pleaded guilty on Aug. 30, 2022 in federal court in Worcester to one count of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Jan. 19, 2023. Dombroski was initially charged by criminal complaint on Feb. 9, 2022 and subsequently charged by an Information on June 30, 2022.
Dombroski was employed as Postal Service Supervisor at the Worcester Main Post Office. On eight to 10 occasions, Dombroski stole packages that had been mailed from Puerto Rico to addresses in Worcester he believed would contain cocaine. Specifically, Dombroski removed said packages from the main processing area of the Post Office and took them into a private office where he would open the parcel and remove the narcotics before returning the package back to the floor for delivery. Dombroski then sold the contents to an acquaintance, who paid him $7,500 for each package.
The charge of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area Field Office of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General; and Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Winchester Man Pleads Guilty to Making Straw Purchase of a FirearmRead the Press Release
CHARLOTESVILLE, Va. – A Winchester, Virginia man, who lied when he purchased a firearm that was later used by a close relative in a Southeast D.C. homicide, pleaded guilty today in federal court.
Gerald Kendrick Oxner, 25, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today to a one-count Information charging him with making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
According to court documents, Oxner lied when he purchased a Smith and Wesson 9-millimeter handgun in January 2021 by not disclosing that he was purchasing the weapon for someone other than himself as well as providing a false home address on the required forms. Investigators obtained security camera footage and receipts from the store in Front Royal, Virginia, which show Oxner buying the firearm and using his close relative’s debit card to make the purchase.
Law enforcement later recovered the firearm in Maryland, but its serial number had been obliterated. Through forensic analysis, the serial number was restored, and the firearm was linked to evidence recovered from the scene of a January 25, 2021 shooting in Southeast Washington D.C. where one person was killed and three others were injured. Oxner’s relative was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting.
Oxner further admitted that he made multiple other straw purchases in Virginia, however, when law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence, none of the firearms or related ammunition that he purchased were found in his possession or in the residence. Subsequently, another one of the firearms he bought was found during the execution of an unrelated search warrant in Washington, D.C.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement.
Oxner faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie Smith and Katie B. Medearis are prosecuting the case.
Website Selling Stolen Login Credentials and Other Personally Identifying Information is Seized and Its Operator Faces Federal Charges for Conspiracy and Trafficking in Unauthorized Access DevicesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A website operating as a marketplace for over 5.85 million records of personally identifying information (PII) was seized today by Portuguese authorities and a federal criminal complaint charging the website’s alleged operator has been unsealed. Law enforcement in the U.S. has also seized four domains used by the website: “wt1shop.net,” “wt1store.cc,” “wt1store.com,” and “wt1store.net.”
The federal criminal complaint alleges that Nicolai Colesnicov, age 36, of the Republic of Moldova, operated WT1SHOP, an online market that allowed vendors to sell stolen login credentials and other PII, including approximately 25,000 scanned driver’s licenses/passports, 1.7 million login credentials for various online shops, 108,000 bank accounts, 21,800 credit cards. Colesnicov is charged with conspiracy and with trafficking in unauthorized access devices. The criminal complaint was filed on April 21, 2022, and unsealed today upon the seizure of the website and its domains.
The website seizure and criminal complaint were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office, Criminal Division.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, WT1SHOP provided a forum and payment mechanism for the sale and purchase of stolen PII, using Bitcoin. As detailed in the affidavit, in June 2020 Dutch law enforcement officials obtained an image of the WT1SHOP database that showed there were approximately 60,823 registered users on the site, including 91 sellers and two administrators. As of June 2020, sellers on WT1SHOP had engaged in sales of approximately 2.4 million credentials for total proceeds of approximately $4 million. The credentials sold consisted of login credentials for retailers and financial institutions, email accounts, PayPal accounts, and identification cards, as well as credentials to remotely access and operate computers, servers, and network devices without authorization. Law enforcement’s review of WT1SHOP in December 2021 showed that the number of users and sellers on the website had increased to approximately 106,273 users and 94 sellers with a total of approximately 5.85 million credentials available for sale.
According to the affidavit, law enforcement was able to trace Bitcoin sales made on WT1SHOP, payments made to the webhost of WT1SHOP, email addresses related to WT1SHOP, and associated login information from these accounts to Colesnicov, including determining that Colesnicov was the operator of WT1SHOP based on his logins as the administrator on the WT1SHOP website.
If convicted, Colesnicov faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy and trafficking in unauthorized access devices. 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 FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked the U.S. Department of Justice Office of International Affairs and our law enforcement partners in Portugal, the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of Estonia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Rajeev R. Raghavan, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Committing an Armed Robbery and Two Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Rashaun Onley, age 23, of Washington, D.C., today to 14 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, on federal charges of committing an armed commercial robbery, carjacking, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Onley has been detained since his arrest.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Robert J. Contee III of the Metropolitan Police Department; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Don Hayes of the City of Alexandria, Virginia Police Department; Chief Charles “Andy” Penn of the Arlington County, Virginia Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy; and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.
According to his guilty plea, in the early morning of February 5, 2021, Onley and a co-defendant entered a convenience store in Silver Spring, Maryland, selected some items from the shelves, and approached the counter. Onley grabbed a convenience store employee, Victim 1, by the shirt, struck Victim 1 in the head, led Victim 1 behind the counter, and forced Victim 1 to his knees. Onley then brandished a black semiautomatic handgun and ordered Victim 1 and Victim 2, another employee, to open the cash register. Victim 2 opened the cash register and Onley and the co-defendant removed the cash from the register and fled. Officers with the Montgomery County Police Department (“MCPD”) recovered video surveillance footage showed Onley and his co-defendant committing the robbery.
Also on February 5, 2021, at approximately 4:57 p.m., in Alexandria, Virginia, three men carjacked at gunpoint a dark gray Volkswagen Tiguan with Pennsylvania registration plates (“Volkswagen”). Victim 3, the driver, reported that he had just parked his vehicle when one suspect told Victim 3 to get out of the vehicle, while a second suspect pointed a black handgun at Victim 3. Victim 3 began to get out of the car but was grabbed by a suspect and pulled away from the vehicle. All three suspects fled in the Volkswagen. Victim 3 reported that his iPhone was still inside the vehicle.
As detailed in Onley’s plea agreement, a little more than one hour later, Onley, his co-defendant, and Co-Conspirator 1 carjacked at gunpoint Victim 4, who was driving a Lexus ES300 (“Lexus”) in Silver Spring. Onley approached Victim 4 first with a gun in his hand and stated, “I’m gonna blow you up, give me your money and keys.” Onley’s co-defendant, who also was armed with a gun, approached Victim 4 and demanded his car keys. Co-Conspirator 1 was driving the Volkswagen. Fearing for his life, Victim 4 handed over his property. Onley’s co-defendant drove the Lexus away, while Onley got into the front passenger seat of the Volkswagen and fled the scene. A short time later the Lexus was located abandoned nearby.
According to the plea agreement, approximately two minutes after the carjacking of the Lexus, Onley and the co-defendant approached Victim 5, who was sitting in a Mercedes ML350 sport utility vehicle (“Mercedes”). Onley ordered Victim 5 to “get out” while he pointed a gun at her. Victim 5 exited in fear for her life, while Onley and his co-defendant took Victim 5’s vehicle and fled the scene. MCPD officers interviewed Victim 5 and obtained surveillance footage relating to the carjacking.
Less than 30 minutes later, Onley and his co-defendant were seen arriving in the Volkswagen on surveillance video capturing the outside of the co-defendant’s residence, an apartment building located in Washington, D.C. They both were wearing the same clothing visible in the surveillance videos of the Silver Spring carjacking of the Mercedes and in the robbery of the convenience store. A short time later, Onley exited the building and stood on the front porch, where he removed a mobile phone from his pocket, smashed the phone on the concrete porch, and threw the phone in the front dirt or lawn area of the building. Law enforcement recovered the smashed phone two days later and confirmed that it was the iPhone belonging to Victim 3 that was left inside of the Volkswagen.
Later that evening, the carjacked Mercedes parked in front of the Volkswagen. Onley and his co-defendant came out of the apartment building, went to the driver’s side of the Mercedes, and spoke with the three occupants of the vehicle. After a few minutes, the three occupants exited the Mercedes, got into the Volkswagen, and drove away. Onley and his co-defendant went back into the apartment building.
That same evening, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”) saw the carjacked Volkswagen traveling in Washington D.C. After a pursuit, the occupants of the Volkswagen, including Co-Conspirator 1, bailed out of the vehicle. MPD located and arrested Co-Conspirator 1. The Maryland license plate from the carjacked Mercedes was also located a short distance away.
On February 17, 2021, the Mercedes was recovered from the street in front of the co-defendant’s apartment building.
Late in the evening of February 26, 2021, the co-defendant and Onley were ‘livestreaming’ and posting on social media about being at a hotel party in Arlington, Virginia. Law enforcement established surveillance on Onley and his co-defendant at the hotel and continued to monitor the co-defendant’s social media account, where they were able to see semiautomatic handguns in the hotel room. MCPD officers apprehended Onley and the co-defendant in the hotel room. Prior to being apprehended, the co-defendant threw a bag from the hotel room window, which law enforcement promptly recovered. The contents of the bag included two loaded firearms and 21 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. 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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the City of Alexandria Police Department and the Arlington County, Virginia Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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United States prevails in National Forest disputeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that a federal court has granted summary judgment in favor of the United States as plaintiff in a case involving grazing rights and trespass on National Forest System (NFS) lands.
The case arose after the U.S. Forest Service cancelled a term grazing permit for an allotment on NFS land due to violations of the terms of the permit by the permitholders. The former permitholders failed to remove their livestock from the allotment, contending that they did not need Forest Service authorization to graze livestock.
According to the judgment and other court records, Craig Thiessen previously held a permit to graze cattle on an allotment in the Apache National Forest, administered by the Quemado Ranger District of the Gila National Forest in the District of New Mexico. In January 2017, while being investigated for a violation of the Endangered Species Act associated with trapping a Mexican wolf, Thiessen requested that the permit be transferred to a newly-formed limited liability corporation, Canyon del Buey, LLC, for which Thiessen was identified as Member, Manager, and Registered Agent. On May 24, 2018, a criminal information was filed, charging Thiessen with unlawfully taking a Mexican gray wolf in violation of the of the Endangered Species Act. Thiessen pleaded guilty to knowingly taking threatened wildlife.
On Sept. 18, 2017, Lance Thiessen filed an amended application for a term grazing permit on behalf of Canyon del Buey, LLC, and an Ownership Statement for the LLC listing himself as Manager and his brother, Craig, as a Member. USFS issued the LLC a permit authorizing the grazing of 344 cow-calf pairs on Nov. 21, 2017. That permit was cancelled by USFS on Nov. 29, 2018, for violations of the terms of the permit. Specifically, USFS cited Craig Thiessen’s conviction and misrepresentations made by Lance and Craig Thiessen.
The LLC administratively appealed the decision to cancel the permit, and the decision was affirmed by the Forest Supervisor as the appeal deciding officer. The Regional Forester for the Southwestern Region of the USFS decided to conduct a second-level, discretionary review, and also affirmed the decision. In his July 2, 2019, discretionary review decision, the Regional Forester directed Lance Thiessen, as manager of the Canyon del Buey, LLC, to remove all cattle from the allotment within 60 days, which was Aug. 31, 2019.
The Thiessens, acting on behalf of themselves and the LLC, did not remove the cattle as instructed by the USFS. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, brought a civil action for trespass, ejectment, damages, declaratory judgment and injunctive relief to eject Craig and Lance Thiessen and the Canyon del Buey, LLC, from NFS lands located on the Gila National Forest in the State of New Mexico, to compel the immediate removal of their livestock from NFS lands, to enjoin them from using or occupying NFS lands without lawful authorization, and to recover damages arising from their unauthorized and unlawful use and occupancy of NFS lands.
The court found that the continued grazing on the allotment without a permit violates federal regulations and that the Thiessens and the LLC have trespassed on the allotment. In its decision, the court determined that the Thiessens and the LLC did not own a surface grazing estate on the allotment and that any alleged water rights on the allotment did not give them a right to graze livestock on the allotment. The court permanently enjoins Defendants from trespassing on the Canyon del Buey Allotment, and retains jurisdiction to enforce the Settlement Agreement until Defendants have paid damages to the United States, in its Sept. 1, 2022, order.
The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Cassandra Casaus Currie and Senior Trial Attorney Andrew Smith of the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the Department of Justice.
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United States Attorney Will Thompson to Hold Press ConferenceRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson, along with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Scott Argiro and other law enforcement officials, will hold a press conference at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, to announce the successful prosecution of a drug trafficking organization (DTO).
WHERE: Sidney L. Christie Federal Building
845 Fifth Avenue
Huntington, West Virginia
WHEN: Wednesday, September 7, 2022, at 12 p.m.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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United States Attorney Announces $907,074.64 Health Care Fraud SettlementRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) announced today that Dr. Craig M. Morgan and Eye Consultants of Huntington Inc. have paid $907,074.64 to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid.
From January 13, 2013 through April 12, 2019, Morgan routinely administered vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor injections into the eyes of patients to treat purported wet age-related macular degeneration (Wet-AMD) or other ophthalmological conditions for which treatment with such injections is indicated. These injections were not medically necessary because the patients in question did not have treatable Wet-AMD or any other condition that would have warranted the invasive treatment at the time it was administered.
“This settlement is important because it shows that this office, along with its federal partners, will aggressively seek re-imbursement when taxpayer money is spent wrongly,” Thompson said. “When a person goes to a medical provider, they expect the medical provider to treat them, not for the medical provider to figure out ways to enrich themselves.”
Morgan was identified by HHS-OIG as one of the top outliers for billing the Medicare program across all medical specialists in West Virginia, far exceeding the average of Medicare claims submitted by his peers. The vast majority of payments Morgan received from Medicare were for injections for purported treatment of Wet-AMD.
“Providers who perform medically unnecessary procedures damage the trust of physician-patient relationships and exploit taxpayer-funded programs,” said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon. “HHS-OIG, and our law enforcement partners, are committed to working together to protect the integrity of federal health care programs.”
The case was investigated by HHS-OIG and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in collaboration with the United States Attorney’s Health Care Fraud Task Force, which brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement partners from numerous agencies to coordinate intelligence sharing and prosecution of health care fraud impacting Medicare, Medicaid, and other public health care programs.
“I commend their investigative work and the handling of this case by Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory Neil, Matthew Lindsay, and Jennifer Mankins,” Thompson said.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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U.S. Attorney Hurwit Appoints Leadership TeamRead the Press Release
BOISE – United States Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the appointment of the following individuals to the U.S. Attorney’s Office leadership team today: First Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin D. Whatcott, Executive U.S. Attorney Kate Horwitz, Civil Chief Nick Woychick, Deputy Criminal Chief Chris Atwood, Deputy Criminal Chief Kevin Maloney, Coeur d’Alene Branch Manager Traci Whelan, Pocatello Branch Manager Jack Haycock, and Senior Litigation Counsels Joanne Rodriguez and Syrena Hargrove.
“I have worked alongside each of these talented public servants for many years now,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “They bring a diverse set of backgrounds and experience to our collective mission of upholding the rule of law in Idaho. I could not be more excited to continue to work with each of them in their leadership capacities for the benefit of our great state.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit appointed Justin D. Whatcott as First Assistant U.S. Attorney. Whatcott has served as Criminal Chief since March of 2020 and was appointed as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in September of 2010. Whatcott, a native of Post Falls, Idaho, previously served as a state prosecutor in Latah, Blaine, and Ada Counties, as well as for the Idaho Attorney General’s Office. He is a graduate of the University of Idaho College of Law.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit appointed Kate Horwitz as Executive U.S. Attorney. Horwitz has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Idaho since 2016. Horwitz previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western District of Oklahoma and clerked for the Honorable Robin Cauthron, U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma, and for The Honorable Mary Beck Briscoe and The Honorable Robert Bacharach on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit appointed Nick Woychick as Civil Chief, a position he has held since 2018, and previously held from 2005 to 2010. Woychick has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 1995 and was the Senior Litigation Counsel from 2010 to 2014. Woychick previously externed with the Idaho Supreme Court, clerked for the Honorable Harold L. Ryan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, and worked as a litigation associate at Hawley Troxell Ennis & Hawley in Boise.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit appointed Chris Atwood as Deputy Criminal Chief, a position he has held since 2019. Atwood has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 2015 and previously served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney sponsored by the Treasure Valley Partnership to address gang crimes. Atwood, a native of Blackfoot, Idaho, previously served as an Ada County Deputy Prosecutor, as a District Court law clerk in Ada County, and is a graduate of the University of Idaho College of Law.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit appointed Kevin Maloney as Deputy Criminal Chief. Maloney has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 2002 and supervised the Asset Forfeiture Unit from 2017 to 2022. Maloney previously served as an Ada County Deputy Prosecutor and as legislative counsel for the Idaho Prosecuting Attorney’s Association.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit appointed Traci Whelan as Coeur d’Alene Branch Manager, a position she has held since 2003. Whelan has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 1998, previously served as a Kootenai County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, and has over 30 years of prosecution experience.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit appointed Jack Haycock as Pocatello Branch Manager, a position he has held since 1999. Haycock has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 1991, and previously served as a Deputy Attorney General for the Idaho Attorney General’s Office, as an Ada County Deputy Prosecutor, and as a Judge Advocate General in the United States Air Force.
In addition to these appointments, U.S. Attorney Hurwit re-appointed Joanne Rodriguez as Senior Litigation Counsel, a position she has held since 2018. Rodriguez will retire from the U.S. Attorney’s office at the end of September after almost 40 years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Rodriguez previously was a Deputy District Attorney in Palm Springs, California, for 5 years. She graduated from the University of California at Davis.
“Ms. Rodriguez was one of my first mentors when I joined our office, and I have relied on her wise counsel throughout my career here,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “She has had a distinguished career in public service, and while we will miss her in our office, we wish her all the best in her retirement.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit appointed Syrena C. Hargrove as Senior Litigation Counsel, a change that will take effect on October 1, 2022. Hargrove has served as Appellate Chief since September of 2010 and will retain that position. She was appointed as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in March of 2008. Hargrove previously served as Civil Chief, as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Boise, as an associate for Bredhoff & Kaiser, and as a law clerk for the Honorable Stephen S. Trott and the late T.G. Nelson, both of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Honorable B. Lynn Winmill of the United States District Court for the District of Idaho. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho was created in 1863 when Idaho became a territory. For 159 years it has been responsible for enforcing federal criminal laws and representing the United States and its departments and agencies in civil actions. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho includes the main office in Boise and branch offices in Coeur d’Alene and Pocatello.
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Taunton Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Taunton man has pleaded guilty in connection with illegally possessing and trafficking firearms.
Jaylen Rose, 28, pleaded guilty on Aug. 30, 2022 in federal court in Boston to one count of dealing in firearms without a license and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Dec.1, 2022. Rose was arrested and charged in January 2022.
“Massachusetts has strict requirements for firearms purchases and a thorough vetting process for lawful carriers for a reason. Prohibited individuals, like Mr. Rose, who possess and, moreover, traffic firearms and ammunition pose a very real danger to our communities and exacerbate the rise in violent crime we have seen across our nation,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Keeping illegal firearms off the street and out of the hands of prohibited individuals is fundamental to reducing gun violence in our Commonwealth and beyond. My office will continue its tireless work to keep deadly weapons out of the hands of prohibited individuals so our communities can be safe.”
From in or around December 2020 until Feb. 5, 2021, Rose travelled from Ohio to Massachusetts with firearms acquired in Ohio to resell the firearms for a profit to individuals prohibited from possessing a firearm. In total, Rose facilitated the purchase and resale of between eight and 24 firearms. On Feb. 5, 2021, Rose was stopped while in a vehicle in connection with an outstanding state arrest warrant and was found in possession of a Taurus firearm, an extended magazine, approximately 29 rounds of ammunition and $3,000, among other things. Rose does not possess a license to deal firearms and is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior convictions.
The charge of dealing in firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years 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; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Taunton Police Chief Edward James Walsh made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Swansboro Man Sentenced to More Than 41 Years in Prison for Production and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – A Swansboro man was sentenced today to 500 months of imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for producing and distributing child pornography. William Thomas Bailey, 42, pled guilty to the charges on January 4, 2022.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Bailey was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security in early 2018 after being identified as part of an online group trading child pornography. An email address belonging to Bailey was used to trade child pornography with multiple users in addition, agents discovered an email where Bailey bragged to someone about sexually abusing a very young child.
During the execution of a search warrant over 300 images and videos of child sexual abuse were discovered on his cell phone. In addition, there were 11 images and 1 video depicting the sexual abuse of a 2-year-old toddler created using Bailey’s cell phone. Agents were able to identify the child as someone with whom Bailey had direct contact. During the forensic analysis of Bailey’s phone, agents discovered that Bailey had distributed the child’s images and video multiple times to others seeking out child pornography.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing was concluded. U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle presided over the sentencing. The Department of Homeland Security investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No 4:2020cr00056.
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St. Louis man admits two carjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis pleaded guilty Tuesday and admitted carjacking two people, including a grandmother who struggled to free her granddaughter as her car was stolen.
Darius Eubanks, 28, pleaded guilty via Zoom in front of U.S. District Stephen R. Clark to two carjacking charges and a charge of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
As part of his plea, he admitted that on the afternoon of June 27, 2021, he ordered a man out of a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu at gunpoint at a north St. Louis grocery store, and then drove off in the car.
Later in the day, Eubanks crashed into another vehicle at Labadie Avenue and North Sarah Street in north St. Louis. He walked to a nearby market and pistol-whipped a woman who was placing her granddaughter into a 2005 Hyundai Sonata, knocking the woman to the ground. As the woman struggled to get her granddaughter out of the car, Eubanks began driving off.
Less than 30 minutes later, Eubanks was caught by police near his home in the 5000 block of Palm Avenue with a gun and the grandmother’s car keys.
Eubanks is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 21.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI.
Selling synthetic drugs results in $9.2M forfeiture and prison for sevenRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The seventh and final member involved in a synthetic narcotics distribution network has been ordered to federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Frank Gonzalez, 61, Mesa, Arizona, pleaded guilty Aug. 19, 2020.
Today, U.S. District Judge George Hanks Jr. ordered Gonzalez to serve a total of 28 months in federal prison and to forfeit $117,984. During the hearing, testimony detailed the significant dangers of synthetic cannabinoids including the risk of death, major health problems and the negative impact it has on the community and first responders. The court also heard how there is no standard manufacturing process so users do not know what chemical substance is actually present or how it will affect them.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Hanks noted that the overall operation was fueled by greed and without regard for potential dangers to the community. He recognized the court’s role in deterring others who would engage in similar conduct and the need to protect the public.
In 2015, authorities began investigating a smoke shop in Laredo. During that time, they discovered a nationwide mail order business that Bowles owned and operated which supplied the shop with illegal synthetic cannabinoid products. Call-takers in several states received order requests for the products with names such as Brain Freeze and Death Grip which were delivered to shop owners from California. Payments were often sent to accounts Bowles controlled in Arizona. In addition, he used various business entities to conceal the amount of the income made.
During the investigation, authorities tracked payments from multiple retail smoke shops throughout the United States and identified several bank accounts involved in the scheme. Financial records show that from February 2012 through 2019, the network received over $15.4 million in illicit proceeds.
Bowles, 47, Phoenix, Arizona, was previously sentenced to 192 months in prison, while five others received terms of imprisonment ranging from 63 to 98 months. Forfeitures for all seven convictions totaled $9.8 million.
Synthetic cannabinoids are chemical compounds that mimic the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana but often with sever life-threatening side effects. They can be infused in plant material and ingested with rolling papers, pipes, vaporizers or taken orally. They are usually sold in small foil or plastic bags containing dried leaves and are marketed as incense that can be smoked. They are commonly sold on the street as synthetic marijuana, fake weed, legal and known by popular brand names such as Spice, K2, Kush and Klimaxx.
The Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and FBI conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation dubbed Operation Brain Freeze with the assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety and sheriff’s offices in Zapata County and Maricopa County, Arizona. 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Graciela Lindberg and Lance Watt prosecuted the case.
Rio Rancho bookkeeper pleads guilty to defrauding employerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Christina Joyner, 47, of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, Joyner worked for 25 years as a bookkeeper for Quanz Motor Car Company, doing business as Quanz Auto Body, and was responsible for the financial books of four company locations. From approximately July 2014 through September 2021, Joyner defrauded the company of over $2 million. Joyner was responsible for maintaining the integrity and accuracy of these accounts as well as the accounting system, and was authorized to sign company checks on behalf of Quanz. However, she was not authorized to sign checks issued to herself, apart from normal payroll.
In her plea agreement, Joyner admitted to issuing checks to herself and coded them to give the appearance they were for legitimate business expenses. Joyner then would deposit the checks electronically through a mobile banking app and immediately withdraw the funds the same day.
Joyner also admitted to using company credit cards to make personal, online purchases without the knowledge or authorization of Quanz. Joyner sometimes kept money from cash transactions for her personal use.
Joyner used her position to create fraudulent pay stubs for her husband that were used as proof of income to obtain loans. Joyner emailed reminders to herself to modify entries in the accounting software, and used her position to manipulate the software to conceal her personal use of Quanz funds.
Joyner faces up to 20 years in prison and will be subject to forfeiture of whatever interest she may have in any asset derived from or used in the commission of the offense in this case. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
The Albuquerque Resident Office of the United States Secret Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Brawley is prosecuting the case.
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Raleigh Check Fraud Ringleader Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – A Raleigh, North Carolina man, Carl Edwin Parker, Jr., was sentenced today to 63 months in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On October 20, 2021, Parker pleaded guilty to the charge. As part of sentencing, Parker was further ordered to pay criminal restitution to State Employees’ Credit Union.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, between approximately May 2019 and April 2020, Parker and his co-conspirators stole checks from residential mailboxes and altered them to make them payable to individuals that were recruited to serve as “money mules.” The “money mules” agreed to deposit the altered checks into their bank accounts, after which Parker and his co-conspirators cashed out the stolen funds at area ATMs. Parker and his fraud ring stole checks from more than 100 victims and caused financial losses of more than $150,000. In 2017, Parker was convicted of federal bank fraud for engaging in similar activity in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Parker’s co-conspirators in the current case included Khristopher Taion Stukes, Kauri Maleek Johnson-Chavis, and Jallani Jewels Stewart. Each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in separate related cases. Stewart was sentenced on March 31, 2022, to 57 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release. On January 14, 2022, Johnson-Chavis was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release. On February 10, 2021, Stukes was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release. All three defendants were ordered to pay criminal restitution.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The United States Postal Inspection Service, Atlanta Division, together with the Raleigh Police Department, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, and other local law enforcement partners, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-136-BO.
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Punxsutawney Man Pleads to Transporting Marijuana and CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Punxsutawney, 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.
Darryl Isaacs, age 57, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possesses with intent to distribute quantities of cocaine and marijuana before United States District
Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. Isaacs 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 Isaacs transported approximately 50 kilograms of marijuana and 250 grams of cocaine between distributors based in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Isaacs on Jan. 17, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $1,000,000, 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.
Pennsylvania Man Admits Bank Fraud Conspiracy that Operated in South Jersey and Southeastern PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man today admitted to his role in a bank fraud conspiracy that targeted 12 different financial institutions in southern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Sulaiman Dosunmu, 41, of Darby, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman in Camden federal court to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The defendant was part of a multi-defendant, Nigerian-based criminal organization that engaged in a massive bank fraud conspiracy in several states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Rhode Island, between June 2016 and March 2020. Members of the group acquired numerous business checks that were stolen from the United States mail, altered the payee on the checks to a fraudulent name, and deposited the checks into bank accounts that had been opened with forged foreign passport documents and fraudulent U.S. visas that matched the names on the stolen checks. Once the banks credited all or a portion of the funds to the accounts, but before the checks had cleared, the defendants withdrew the funds from ATMs or purchased money orders, using debit cards associated with the fraudulent accounts. Members of the organization have used over 400 fraudulent accounts opened with fake identity documents to defraud the victim banks. To date, the total loss to the victim banks is approximately $7 million.
Dosunmu admitted using several false identities to open fraudulent bank accounts, making numerous deposits of stolen checks to these accounts, and withdrawing funds from the accounts.
The bank fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bellmawr office and Philadelphia Division Office, under the direction of Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge, Philadelphia Division; U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington, D.C. Division Office, under the direction of Peter R. Rendina, Washington Division Inspector in Charge; the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Cherry Hill Office and Newark Division Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Richard W. Reinhold; Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia Division Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker; Homeland Security Investigations Maryland Division Office, under the direction of James C. Harris, Special Agent in Charge, Baltimore; Homeland Security Investigations Rhode Island Office, under the direction of Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge, Boston Division Office; and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), under the direction of R. Mike Escott, Resident Agent in Charge, Philadelphia Resident Office, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
Five other conspirators have pleaded guilty and one conspirator was convicted in a trial before Judge Hillman in June 2022. Four of these defendants have pending sentencing hearings before Judge Hillman. Charges against five other defendants remain pending before the District Court; the charges and allegations against them are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Askin and Daniel Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Passaic County Woman Admits Embezzling over $3.7 Million from Employer as Company’s Chief Financial OfficerRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J.– A Passaic County, New Jersey, woman today admitted her role in a scheme to embezzle over $3.7 million from her employer while she was the company’s chief financial officer and director of operations, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Amy Aldi, 50, of Wayne, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging her with wire fraud.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From January 2018 through December 2020, Aldi abused her position as chief financial officer and director of operations for a New Jersey-based company to embezzle millions of dollars by withdrawing cash from the company’s operating account and then using the cash for her own personal benefit. Aldi, without authorization, made over 200 cash withdrawals, in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 per withdrawal, totaling more than $3.7 million.
Aldi concealed the theft by falsifying company accounting and financial records, including making false journal entries and altering bank statements issued to the company for the company’s operating account.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss from offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 10, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.
Owner of Tax Preparation Business Pleads Guilty to Tax and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of tax fraud and wire fraud, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Brian A. VanDusen, age 52, of the City’s Hill District neighborhood, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Van Dusen operated a tax preparation company called “Easy Tax Refund” located in the Warner Center. Between 2014 and 2018, Van Dusen and tax preparers employed at his company prepared and transmitted hundreds of false federal income tax returns which falsified Schedule C profit and loss income from a business, resulting in illegal tax refunds.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for January 19th, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for maximum sentence per count of three years in prison and/or a fine of $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued VanDusen on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of VanDusen.
Nine-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Stolen GunRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man has been sentenced to 92 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a gun.
According to court documents, Ivan Laron Edwards, 38, was arrested in March 2021 by Mobile police officers on several active felony arrest warrants, including charges of domestic violence by strangulation. Officers encountered Edwards sitting on the front porch of a house on Pecan Street. When police approached him, Edwards stood up and officers could see that he had a black pistol in his right hand that he was trying to conceal. Edwards then turned around and began running inside the house, dropping the pistol in the process. Officers took Edwards into custody without incident and recovered the gun, a fully loaded Taurus 9mm pistol, which had been reported stolen by its lawful owner in Daphne, Alabama in December 2020. At the time he possessed the pistol, Edwards knew he had been convicted of at least nine prior felony offenses, all in Mobile County. Edwards’s prior felony convictions rendered his possession of the gun illegal under federal law.
United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose ordered Edwards to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment and mental health treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered Edwards to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Roller and Scott Gray prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in August 2020, Charles William Dexter III, 41, recruited a 14-year-old minor to engage in commercial sex acts for his benefit. Dexter arranged for these commercial sex acts using online advertisements, including ads posted on Megapersonals.com, to take place at hotels.
Dexter pleaded guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson to one count of sex trafficking of a minor. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bloomington Police Department, and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Manda M. Sertich and Chelsea A. Walcker are prosecuting the case.
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Man who served in Army under an assumed name sentenced to time served and community service for passport fraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a man who has been living under an assumed name since he used it to enlist in the U.S. Army 37 years ago to 100 hours of community service and the time he’s already served in jail.
DeLeo Antonio Barner, 60, will also be on supervised release for three years.
Barner had already served in the Army under his own name, but was discharged with no opportunity to reenlist, court records show.
Instead, in April of 1985, he enlisted using the name of a fellow St. Louis resident, identified in court documents as “J.S.” As J.S., Barner served in the United States Army until he was honorably discharged. Barner was stationed in Berlin, Germany, for several years while in the Army and stayed there after his honorable discharge.
Barner, using the victim’s name, then began working for security firms in Germany and did so for 33 years, according to court filings. He had six children there, all now living under his assumed name, according to filings.
In his plea agreement, Barner admitted applying for a U.S. passport using the victim’s name, and admitted using that name in at least three renewals of that passport.
In June of 2018, Barner’s victim applied for health insurance but was told that as a veteran, he had to access healthcare through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The victim had never served in the military, however. He told the Veterans Administration police about the use of his identify, triggering the involvement of the Veterans Administration Office of Inspector General and the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service.
In July of 2019, DSS special agents at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin interviewed Barner, who admitted using the identity of J.S. to obtain five U.S. passports, as well as Veterans Administration benefits.
Barner was indicted in March of 2020, and DSS coordinated with German officials and Barner for his surrender at the airport in Berlin on Aug. 27, 2021. Agents from the U.S. Marshals Service then escorted Barner to St. Louis. In total, Barner spent about a week in jail.
Barner pleaded guilty in May to a charge of making a false statement in a passport application
“The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate allegations of crimes related to passport and visa fraud, and protecting the integrity of U.S. passports and visas, the most sought after travel documents in the world,” said Gregory Batman, Chief of DSS’ Criminal Investigations Division. “DSS’ global presence was instrumental in facilitating the return of this individual from Germany.
The Veterans Administration Office of Inspector General and the Diplomatic Security Service Criminal Investigation Division investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle T. Bateman prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to More than Five Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded Gun and Engaging in Covid-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun in Chicago and fraudulently obtaining a small business loan under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act.
TYJUAN LIGHTHALL illegally possessed the gun on Jan. 17, 2019, while riding in a vehicle in the Rogers Park neighborhood on Chicago’s North Side. The gun, which Lighthall had unlawfully purchased from an individual in Indiana for $400, was equipped with an extended magazine capable of holding more than fifteen rounds of ammunition. As a previously convicted felon, Lighthall was not legally allowed to possess a firearm.
Lighthall was free on bond in the firearm case when he engaged in the Covid-relief fraud. In April 2021, Lighthall applied for a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program, which was a source of relief for small businesses under the CARES Act. A PPP loan allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spend a certain amount of the loan on essential expenses, such as payroll, rent, and utilities. Lighthall fraudulently represented to a lender that he was the sole proprietor of a business called “Tyjaun Lighthall,” which purportedly did business under the name “Infinite 5 Creations LLC.” Lighthall submitted the fraudulent application knowing that this business did not exist. After the loan application was approved, the lender deposited $20,833 in Lighthall’s bank account.
Lighthall, 25, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal firearm charge and admitted in a plea agreement that he also engaged in the PPP fraud. U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis imposed a 63-month prison sentence on Sept. 1, 2022, after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Kristen de Tineo, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Richard Eddington, Interim Chief of the Evanston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared C. Jodrey and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Niranjan Emani represented the government.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Attorney Lausch and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving Covid-19 is encouraged to report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or filing a complaint online at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Man Sentenced to 540 Months in Prison for Rogers County MurderRead the Press Release
A Bixby man who killed his stepfather in Rogers County in 2018 was sentenced Tuesday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Claire V. Eagan sentenced Kevin Tyler Foster, 36, to 540 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Foster previously pleaded guilty to second degree murder in Indian Country. On Nov. 15, 2018, Foster drove to a building that housed a trailer where victim Rick Swan was residing. Foster admitted to entering the trailer and shooting the victim multiple times, killing him, then setting fire to the victim’s body.
The victim was discovered by firefighters who had responded to calls about a fire on the property. Deputies with the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office were also on the scene.
According to court documents, deputies learned that the victim and Foster were involved in an intense “family feud” and that the two were scheduled for a hearing in Tulsa County District Court the same day. They also learned the victim had previously told an individual that he was concerned for his safety because of the “feud.”
Witnesses further reported seeing a vehicle on the victim’s property that morning, which was the same make and model driven by Foster.
Using cell phone records and surveillance video, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agents confirmed that Foster was in the Claremore area at the time of the murder. A deer camera that had been set up on the victim’s property was later found that revealed still images of the defendant inside the building at 10:36 am the day of the crime carrying what appeared to be a firearm. A second image showed Foster carrying a red gasoline can, and another showed a fire blaze and illumination on the edge of the screen.
The Rogers County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan H. Heatherman prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced for Attacking his Ex-Girlfriend on Mother’s Day 2021Read the Press Release
A 28-year-old Tulsa man was sentenced in federal court for breaking into a former girlfriend’s home and strangling her in a 2021 Mother’s Day attack, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Stephen J. Murphy III sentenced Anthony Lamont Mason II to 84 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
In May 2022, a jury convicted Mason of one count of assault of a former intimate and dating partner by strangling, suffocating, and attempting to strangle and suffocate in Indian Country and one count of first degree burglary in Indian Country.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma is committed to prosecuting domestic violence cases and protecting victims,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Anthony Mason II will spend seven years in prison for a violent attack on his ex-girlfriend while children were in the home. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chantelle Dial and George Jiang are to be commended for their astute performance at trial and their advocacy for the victim in this case. ”
According to court documents, Mason initially confronted the victim in violation of a protection order the morning of May 9, 2021, while she was out with her child in Broken Arrow. He was upset and asked why she wouldn’t speak to him, who she was allowing into her home, and then questioned her about her phone.
Later that day, Mason broke into the victim’s home and assaulted her. Before Mason broke her door, the victim had been home spending Mother’s Day with several friends, her child, and her child’s friend. After her last adult friend left the residence, the victim received a call from a private number and out of concern, shut the front blinds. She then looked out the window and saw Mason approach the home. The victim tried to call 911, threw her phone under the bed, hid the children in a closet, then returned to the front of the home where Mason had forced his way through the front door, breaking her locks. The victim’s doorbell camera captured 25 seconds of the incident, first showing what looked like a hand covering the camera then the sound of the victim’s screams and terrified pleas for him to stop.
Inside, Mason grabbed the victim by the neck, demanding to know where her phone was located. He dragged her by her hair, strangled her until she nearly blacked out, poured water over her mouth and nose, continuing to obstruct her breathing, and then hit her on the head with a hard, heavy object the victim believed to be a gun. He told the victim if she told anyone, he would kill her, and then moved toward where she had hidden the children. To protect the children, the victim tried to distract the defendant by fleeing from her home, screaming, knowing he would follow and try to stop her. Surveillance video from a nearby home captured Mason chasing the victim from her home and down the street, throwing her to the concrete, then continuing to run from the scene.
During trial, federal prosecutors introduced numerous other domestic violence acts committed by Mason against the victim prior to the May 9, 2021, attack which showed an escalating pattern of violence. The victim reported that Mason had strangled her multiple times since March 2020, broke her driver’s side car window in anger, and broke a window to get into her home when she was not present on Feb. 27, 2021. Video surveillance from Feb. 27, played for the jury at trial, showed Mason in the victim’s home, rifling through her bedroom and flipping over her mattress. Mason also repeatedly violated a March 2021 protective order.
Mason also had prior domestic violence charges brought against him involving other intimate partners, including a conviction in Tulsa County District Court.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chantelle D. Dial and George Jiang prosecuted the case.
Local physician assistant arrested for unlawfully practicing medicineRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas ‐ A 49-year-old Brownsville man has been charged for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicaid by working with a suspended medical license, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery.
Law enforcement took Fernando Mendez into custody this past weekend. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald G. Morgan at 9:30 a.m. today.
According to the indictment, returned Aug. 26 and unsealed today, Mendez was a physician assistant at CCI Therapy Counseling Centers International.
On July 20, 2021, the Texas Medical Board allegedly ordered the immediate suspension of Mendez’s physician assistant license, deeming him to be a “continuing threat to public welfare.” He was then prohibited from practicing medicine, according to the charges.
However, Mendez allegedly continued to evaluate and treat patients at mental health clinics in Brownsville, Harlingen and Pharr and billed Medicaid for services he rendered during his suspension.
The indictment further alleges Mendez attempted to conceal his continued practice of medicine by using identities of other physicians and medical personnel. Specifically, Mendez allegedly created medical records under the identities of other physicians while they were traveling outside of the United States. The charges also allege Mendez submitted false statements to the Texas Medical Board in an effort to conceal his improper practice of medicine.
Mendez is charged with seven counts of health care fraud for which he faces up to 10 years in federal prison. If convicted of any of the four aggravated identity theft charges, he faces another two years which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. All counts also carry as possible fine of up to $250,000.
The FBI, Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, Texas Health and Human Services and Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Lino Lakes Felon Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking, Firearms Violations in Connection to Kidnapping, Torture CaseRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Lino Lakes man has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and firearms violations in connection to the December 2021 kidnapping and torture of a man, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on April 11, 2021, officers with the Worthington Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Jose Angel Chapa-Aguilera, 24. The traffic stop led to a search of the vehicle and officers located in the spare tire compartment a Gucci handbag containing a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic pistol and more than two pounds of methamphetamine sealed inside four zip-lock bags.
According to court documents, on December 20, 2021, at his Brooklyn Park residence, Chapa-Aguilera confronted a man about a drug debt. During the confrontation, Chapa-Aguilera brandished a handgun, ordered the man to the ground, tied his hands behind his back, and proceeded to beat and torture the victim for hours using a heated knife and a pipe. During the torture, Chapa-Aguilera demanded money from the victim and told the victim that he would have to distribute drugs to work off a perceived debt. Before leaving the residence, Chapa-Aguilera barricaded the victim in a crawlspace under the house. The victim was later able to escape and contact law enforcement. The victim suffered extensive injuries, including numerous burns, broken ribs, a large laceration above his eye, and required a blood transfusion. Law enforcement seized approximately three pounds of methamphetamine from Chapa-Aguilera’s residence during a search warrant executed shortly thereafter.
According to court documents, on January 7, 2022, law enforcement located Chapa-Aguilera driving a purple-camouflage Humvee in the Twin Cities. After a high-speed pursuit, officers disabled the vehicle and pulled Chapa-Aguilera from the Humvee. Officers also recovered from the vehicle a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and several 9mm rounds of ammunition.
Chapa-Aguilera pleaded guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on April 11, 2021, and one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine on December 20, 2021. A sentencing date has not been set.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force (VOTF), the Brooklyn Park Police Department, and the Worthington Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter is prosecuting the case.
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Leader of a Large-Scale Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More Than 15 Years on Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Birmingham, Ala. – A federal judge on September 1, 2022, sentenced the leader of a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organization, who operated in the Ross Bridge neighborhood of Hoover, on gun and drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr., and Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Towanda Thorne-James.
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Robert Alan Ozment, 49, of Hoover, to186 months for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possessing several firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Previously sentenced for conspiring with Ozment to distribute and possess with intent to distribute were Gary Daniel Mitchell, 34, of Empire, Alabama, to 72 months; Nikolas Lee Wilson, 43, of Cullman, Alabama, to 60 months; and Donald Thomas Kimbrough, 37, of Bessemer, Alabama, to 70 months. Rodney David Russell, 45, of Birmingham, Alabama, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and awaits sentencing on September 22, 2022.
According to court documents, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation was initiated in early spring of 2020, of a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organization operated by Ozment from his home in the neighborhood of Ross Bridge in Hoover, Alabama.
On March 19, 2020, A search warrant was executed at 2283 Abbeyglen Circle in Hoover, Alabama, a house owned by Ozment. Ozment is a radiology scan technician. Police officers seized in excess of one kilogram of crystal methamphetamine, 5 firearms and $11,676. The firearms included a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol, a Double Tap Defense LLC .45 caliber pistol, a Micro Draco 7.62 caliber rifle, a Spikes Tactical .223 caliber rifle, and a Browning .308 caliber rifle.
Also seized was an oscillating fan with a hidden video camera which was recovered from Ozment’s bedroom. A search warrant was obtained for the video and audio footage. The video captured multiple hand to hand transactions wherein Ozment was engaged in the sale of methamphetamine. The quantities ranged from the sale of multiple ounces of methamphetamine to kilogram quantities. Also observed on the video recordings were instances wherein Ozment possessed firearms while conducting drug transactions. In addition to drug sales captured on video was an instance in which Ozment retrieved his stash of four to six kilograms of methamphetamine. Among the individuals captured in the videos conducting drug transactions were Russell, Mitchell, and Wilson.
On July 13, 2020, agents received information that Ozment had traveled to Atlanta, Georgia to purchase more methamphetamine to sell. Agents executed another Jefferson County search warrant on July 14, 2020, at Ozment’s home in Ross Bridge in Hoover. Ozment was present when agents arrived at the residence. Agents found and seized approximately 142 grams of methamphetamine, a small quantity of cocaine, and four more firearms: an American Tactical Omni Hybrid .223 caliber rifle, a Ruger LCP .380 caliber pistol, a Double Tap .45 caliber pistol, and a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol.
On October 4, 2021, Ozment’s home located at 2283 Abbeyglen Circle, Hoover, Alabama 35226, was forfeited to the United States. The property was valued at $274,000 and encumbered by a mortgage valued at $164,174.
This investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The FBI and DEA investigated the case along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Cross prosecuted the case.
Lawrence Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking and Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican man residing in Lawrence has been sentenced for fentanyl trafficking and illegal reentry into the United States after being deported.
Jefri Paulino, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV on Aug. 31, 2022 to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On Oct. 22, 2021, Paulino pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine and one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Paulino has been in federal custody since his arrest in September 2020.
In September 2020, Paulino agreed to sell a confidential informant approximately one kilogram of fentanyl and 50 grams of cocaine at a restaurant in Haverhill. Paulino was arrested upon his arrival for the drug deal and was found in possession of individual plastic bags that contained approximately one kilogram of fentanyl and 50 grams of cocaine.
Paulino was previously convicted of fentanyl trafficking in 2017 for which he was sentenced to three years in prison and was deported in November 2018.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Office made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Awards $70,000 to State of Louisiana to Analyze Criminal Justice DataRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that the State of Louisiana has received $70,003 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and its component, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, to expand, enhance, and maintain criminal justice data from law enforcement and construct a criminal justice performance retrieval system. The criminal justice performance retrieval system will improve the ability to access statewide criminal justice data for purposes of research, analysis, data sharing and compiling reports to assist Louisiana lawmakers.
The recipient of this award, the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, is a foundation located in Baton Rouge dedicated to improving the operations of the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems and to promoting public safety by providing progressive leadership and coordination within the criminal justice community.
Huntington Woman Sentenced to Prison for Straw Firearm PurchaseRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Whitney Kathlyn Hershey, 35, of Huntington, was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for making false statements in the acquisition of firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Hershey bought a Glock, Model 27, .40-caliber pistol from a Huntington pawn shop on February 14, 2020. Hershey admitted to lying on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473. Hershey certified that she was the purchaser of the firearm when Hershey knew she was buying it for someone else.
Hershey further admitted to stating on the forms that she was the actual purchaser when she was not while buying firearms at Huntington pawn shops on three other occasions: a Ruger AR556 .300-caliber pistol on April 13, 2020; a Century Arms 7.62x39mm pistol on April 14, 2020; and a Taurus Model PT111, G2A 9mm pistol on July 1, 2020.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey 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. 3:22-cr-23.
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Hartford Man Charged with Drug Distribution and Gun Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned a seven-count indictment charging JAHQUAN BLACKWIN, also known as “Mula,” 25, of Hartford, with narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
Blackwin appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Blackwin has been detained since his arrest on August 17.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in June 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force began investigating Blackwin and others for distributing fentanyl and cocaine in the Hartford area. In July and August 2022, investigators made four controlled purchases of fentanyl from Blackwin.
Blackwin was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on August 17. On that date, a search of Blackwin’s Judson Street apartment revealed approximately 300 grams of fentanyl, 600 grams of heroin, 100 grams of crack, 500 grams of cocaine, as well as other drugs. Investigators also found and seized two loaded Polymer 80 handguns (“ghost gun”), one of which was fitted with a high-capacity magazine, and a loaded Glock 43X handgun.
On August 31, 2022, a grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Blackwin with four counts of possession with intent to distribution, and distribution of, fentanyl, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count; one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”) and 100 grams or more of heroin, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.
Fort Mitchell Chiropractic Clinic Agrees to Settle Allegations of Improper Billing for Electro-Acupuncture DevicesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The United States Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday that Lifestyle Resumption Integrative Health ( “Lifestyle Resumption”), a chiropractic clinic located in Fort Mitchell, Ky., and its owner, Klaude Kocan, D.C., have agreed to pay $200,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act, by improperly billing Medicare for services involving electro-acupuncture devices.
According to the Settlement Agreement, between July 2016 and March 2018, Lifestyle Resumption billed Medicare for the implantation of neurostimulator devices – a surgical procedure during which devices are implanted into the central nervous system or targeted peripheral nerves. The United States contends that these bills falsely represented the services provided, because Lifestyle Resumption did not actually perform surgical procedures. Instead, Lifestyle Resumption’s nurse practitioner applied electro-acupuncture devices to patients’ ears by inserting a limited number of needles and using an adhesive. Medicare does not pay for electro-acupuncture devices billed as implantable neurostimulators and did not reimburse for acupuncture at all during the relevant period.
The United States encourages anyone with information about the improper billing of electro-acupuncture devices (common brand names include P-Stim, Stivax, NeuroStim, ANSiStim, E-Pulse, and NSS-2 Bridge), or about other potential fraud, abuse, or mismanagement of Medicare or Medicaid funds, to call the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ hotline at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). False Claims Act allegations can also be brought under the qui tam provision of the Act, which encourages whistleblowers to bring suit on behalf of the United States and potentially share in any financial recovery.
This matter was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement section, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Corndorf and Meghan Stubblebine.
The settlement resolves claims alleged by the United States; there has been no determination of liability.
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Former Stockbroker Sentenced to 6½ Years in Prison for $3.2 Million Investment Fraud, Cheating on Taxes and Grandparent ScamRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A former licensed stockbroker was sentenced today to 78 months in federal prison for committing several felonies, including running a securities fraud scheme in which he targeted low-income Hispanic victims to obtain more than $3.2 million via false promises of high returns from construction loans.
Robert Louis Cirillo, 61, of Chino Hills, was sentenced by United States District Judge David O. Carter, who also ordered him to pay $3,948,835 in restitution.
Cirillo pleaded guilty on June 28 to one count of securities fraud, one count of filing a false tax return, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
From 2014 to 2021, Cirillo deceived more than 100 victims by lying to them that he would be investing their funds in short-term construction loans that would pay large return rates that ranged from 15% to 30% for a period of up to 90 days. As part of the scheme, Cirillo showed actual and prospective victim-investors fabricated bank statements that purported to show the investments’ growth.
In fact, Cirillo never invested the victims’ money and instead used it for his own personal expenses, including credit card payments, a trip to Las Vegas, and two automobiles – a Jeep and an Alfa Romeo.
Cirillo targeted members of the Hispanic community, many of whom were of limited means, for his fraudulent scheme. One victim invested her life savings of $20,000 in Cirillo’s scheme.
Cirillo admitted in his plea agreement to threatening his victims once they began to realize that he had defrauded them. For example, in July 2019, Cirillo said that if one of the victims tried to sue him, that victim could go “for the [expletive] hole in the [expletive] desert. Tell him to test me,” according to court documents.
In a separate scheme that occurred in the spring of 2021, Cirillo participated in a “grandparent scam” in which a senior citizen was tricked into believing that his grandson had been arrested for possession of illegal narcotics, which was false. Cirillo’s co-conspirators convinced the 82-year-old victim to send $400,000 for his grandson’s “bail” to a bank account that Cirillo had opened and controlled. Cirillo used some of that victim’s money for his own personal benefit.
Cirillo also filed false income tax returns for the years 2015, 2016 and 2017 by failing to report a total of more than $3 million in income. For example, on his 2017 federal income tax return, Cirillo reported a total income of $30,985, which failed to include more than $1.9 million in income he received from his investment fraud scheme.
Cirillo’s investment fraud resulted in a total loss of $3,237,262; his conspiracy to defraud the senior citizen resulted a total loss of $400,000; and the total tax loss incurred was $675,898.
In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors argued, “[Cirillo’s] behavior was despicable, particularly because he was engaging in an affinity crime by exploiting members of the Hispanic community, most of whom were of modest means, and some of whom lost their life savings to [him].”
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Charles E. Pell of the Santa Ana Branch Office prosecuted this case.
Former Paramedic Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl TamperingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Massachusetts emergency medical technician (EMT) paramedic has pleaded guilty to tampering with liquid fentanyl vials at the ambulance company at which she worked.
Candice Mangan, 43, of Medford, pleaded guilty on Aug. 30, 2022 in federal court in Boston to one count of tampering with a consumer product. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Dec. 7, 2022. Mangan was charged on June 24, 2022.
From approximately March 2020 to early October 2020, Mangan – a licensed EMT paramedic in Massachusetts – worked part-time as an EMT for an ambulance service company in Massachusetts. On or about Sept. 30, 2020, while working in Needham, Mangan tampered with three fentanyl citrate vials by removing fentanyl citrate and replacing it with saline. The liquid remaining in the three vials contained only approximately 4.4%, 6.8%, and 24.2% of the declared concentration of fentanyl citrate.
“The grave consequences of the opioid crisis extend far beyond street level dealing of heroin and fentanyl, which continues at an alarming pace. Almost every one of the 15 units in the Criminal and Civil Divisions of this Office are handling matters relating to the opioid epidemic,” said United States Attorney Rachael Rollins. “Aside from the obvious opioid related matters handled by our narcotics and organized crime units, we are also prosecuting human trafficking and health care fraud as well as civil rights government fraud and public corruption cases all directly pertaining to opioids. There is no higher priority in my office than doing everything in our power, using every option available on both the civil and criminal sides of this office, to keep people and communities safe from these deadly destructive substances.”
“The FDA oversees the U.S. drug supply to ensure that it is safe and effective, and those who knowingly tamper with medicines put patients’ health at risk,” said Fernando P. McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office. “We will continue to protect the public health and bring to justice health care professionals who take advantage of their unique position and compromise their patients’ health and comfort by tampering with needed drugs.”
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences in a criminal case 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, FDA SAC McMillan and Margret R. Cooke, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard Locker of Rollins’ Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Finds Red Lake Man Guilty of RapeRead the Press Release
DULUTH, Minn. - A Red Lake man was found guilty by a federal jury of aggravated sexual abuse and sexual abuse occurring on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Following a five-day trial before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel, Descart Austin Begay, Jr., 38, was convicted late Friday on two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and two counts of sexual abuse.
As proven at trial, on July 3, 2020, Begay knowingly raped and sexually assaulted Victim A in her home, until she was finally able to break free and escape. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Red Lake Tribal Police Department and the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead is prosecuting the case.
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Fayetteville Man Convicted of Kidnapping, Drug and Gun Offenses – Faces at Least 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – United States Attorney Michael Easley announced that late Friday, Yomere Juan Busbee, 38, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was convicted in federal court following a three-day trial before Chief United States District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The jury found Busbee guilty on all five counts: conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping, including of a minor, conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base (crack), possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and felon in possession of a firearm. Busbee faces a sentence of no less than 20 years and up to life in prison at sentencing.
“This case is about the victims, including a toddler, who suffered at the hands of a violent pimp and drug dealer,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “My office will continue to investigate and prosecute those who are perpetrating violence in our communities.
According to evidence presented at trial, in December 2018, Busbee and two co-defendants, James Calvin McEachern, Jr. and Merianda Gray, held three adult victims, and a two-year-old child in a hotel room against their will for several hours after Busbee, a violent pimp and drug dealer, believed he was missing several hundred dollars and accused the victims of stealing it. During the incident Busbee, McEachern, a fellow drug dealer, and Gray threatened the victims and did not allow them to leave. Several of the victims were physically and sexually assaulted and tased. Eventually, one of the victims was able to get a message to a family member who called authorities. Busbee fled when he learned authorities were on the way, and three of the victims were able to escape. Officers with Fayetteville Police Department were able to retrieve the final victim from the room without incident.
Fayetteville Police Department detectives investigated the kidnapping, and eventually apprehended Busbee at a different Fayetteville hotel on January 17, 2019. A search of Busbee’s vehicle and the hotel room recovered large quantities of heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base (crack), as well as two firearms, one of which was stolen. Gray previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
Investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fayetteville Police Department. Former Assistant United States Attorney Erin Blondel and Assistant United States Attorney Bryan Stephany handled the prosecution of this case for the government.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:2020cr00393.
Essex County Man Admits Using Credit Cards and Checks Stolen from U.S. Mail to Attempt to Defraud Banks of over $250,000Read the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted scheming with others to use credit cards and checks that were stolen from the mail by at least two U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees to make hundreds of thousands of dollars of purchases, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced.
Adeeb Salih, 30, of East Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to documents filed in this and other cases and statements made in court:
Salih obtained checks, including U.S. Treasury checks, and credit cards from Yaseen Salih, 25, and Jahad Salter, 26, who had recruited USPS employees, including Khadijah Banks Oneal, 31, and Ashley Taylor, 28, to steal the credit cards and checks from the mail in exchange for compensation. Once they obtained the stolen credit cards, Adeeb Salih, Yaseen Salih, and Salter fraudulently posed as the accountholders of the stolen cards when calling the banks that issued the cards and used personal identifying information belonging to the accountholders to obtain or change information about the stolen credit cards. They then used the stolen credit cards to make purchases in New Jersey and elsewhere. Adeeb Salih also caused the stolen checks to be deposited into bank accounts that he controlled and withdrew proceeds from those checks from the accounts in the form of cash. This resulted in attempted losses of over $250,000.
Yaseen Salih, Salter, Banks-Oneal, and Taylor previously pleaded guilty for their respective roles in this scheme and are awaiting sentencing.
The charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum punishment of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 10, 2023.
Attorney for the United States Khanna credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Damon Wood, Philadelphia Division; and special agents of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, District of New Jersey; the U.S. Secret Service, New York Field Office; the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Mid-Atlantic Field Division; the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Newark Field Office; the Livingston, New Jersey Police Department; the Newark Police Department; the Essex County Sheriff’s Office; the New Providence, New Jersey, Police Department; and the Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, Police Department, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara F. Merin of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Essex County Man Admits Distributing Crack and Heroin in Stephen Crane VillageRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Raquan Rawls, aka “Bandz,” 24, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge John Michael Vazquez by videoconference to two counts in a superseding indictment charging him with distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base, (Count Eight), and distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin (Count Nine).
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Stephen Crane Village is a public housing complex in Newark, on the border with Belleville. From at least February 2019 through February 2020, law enforcement officers investigated individuals that controlled an open-air drug market that operated within Stephen Crane Village. On Nov. 21, 2019, Rawls and others sold heroin and cocaine base to an individual while under surveillance by law enforcement. On Dec. 13, 2019, Rawls sold heroin to an individual while under surveillance by law enforcement.
The drug charges to which Rawls pleaded guilty both carry a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews; the Belleville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Minichini; special agents and task force officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark; the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura, with the investigation leading to today’s plea. He also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, the Nutley Police Department, the Bloomfield Police Department, the West Orange Police Department, the Verona Police Department, the Orange Police Department and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with this case.
This investigation was part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), where the U.S. Attorney’s Office has partnered with state, federal, county, and local law enforcement to investigate crime in Newark and the surrounding cities. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton.
Eight Charged with Operating Drug Trafficking Organization that Distributed Kilograms of Cocaine Throughout Wayne, Stark and Tuscarawas CountiesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND - First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that eight men in the Canton area were charged in a three-count indictment with operating a drug trafficking organization that distributed kilogram quantities of cocaine throughout Wayne, Stark and Tuscarawas Counties and elsewhere in the Northern District of Ohio.
Named in the indictment are Arnulfo Gomez-Araiza, 40, of Orrville, Ohio; Alejandro Jesus Quezada, 33, of Louisville, Ohio; Adrian Nava Marquez, 32, of Canton. Ohio; Luis Soto-Perez, 27, of Massillon, Ohio; Isidro Gutierrez-Meraz, 32, of Orrville, Ohio; Isidro Gutierrez-Cuevas, 56, of Orrville, Ohio; Vicente Guzman-Bernal, 37, of Dover, Ohio and Joshua Nagle, 40, of Canton, Ohio.
Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Defendant Vicente Guzman-Bernal is charged with an additional count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and defendant Alejandro Jesus Quezada is charged with an additional count of felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, it is alleged that in March 2020, federal, state and local law enforcement authorities began an investigation into a suspected drug trafficking organization led by defendant Arnuflo Gomez-Araiza based in the Wayne and Stark County area.
According to the indictment, the members of the Gomez-Araiza drug trafficking organization are alleged to have distributed, sold and transported kilogram quantities of cocaine in the Northern District of Oho and elsewhere in the state of Ohio. It is alleged that members of the drug trafficking organization received shipments of cocaine, facilitated numerous drug transactions and shipped the drug trafficking proceeds to others throughout the state of Ohio via couriers.
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 Canton, Wayne County MEDWAY Drug Task Force, Canton Police Department, Jackson Township Police Department, Massillon Police Department, Stark County Sheriff’s Office, Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office, Dover Police Department and the FBI TOC-W Task Force. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel.
Dubois Man Pleads Guilty in Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Dubois, 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.
Brandon Coder, age 33, pleaded guilty last Wednesday 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. Coder 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 Coder received parcels that were shipped from California to the Western District of California containing a total of between 1.5 kilograms and five kilograms of methamphetamine. Coder also mailed parcels containing United States currency to California at the direction of Derek Hillebrand, the leader of the drug trafficking organization.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Coder on Jan. 18, 2023, at 1:00 p.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 detained 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.
Dorchester Man Sentenced for Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dorchester man was sentenced on Sept. 1, 2022 in federal court in Boston for trafficking over 13 kilograms of cocaine.
Anthony Coplin, 57, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to time served (approximately five years in prison) and four years of supervised release. On April 13, 2022, Coplin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Coplin was one of 52 defendants tied to the Columbia Point Dawgs (CPD) who were charged in five separate indictments in June 2015 for drug trafficking offenses. CPD, also known as “the Point,” was Boston’s largest and most influential citywide gang. The criminal organization started in the 1980s in the former Columbia Point Housing Development (now Harbor Point) and, over the years, gang members established drug trafficking crews throughout Boston. CPD was responsible for the distribution of multiple kilogram quantities of heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and oxycodone throughout Boston and Maine. Coplin was involved in the distribution of over 13 kilograms of cocaine in Massachusetts. Coplin is the final defendant to be sentenced in the case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin R. Hayden; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy E. Moran, Michael J. Crowley and John T. Dawley of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted 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.
Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Devonte Jamer McItyer, 27, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, McItyer admitted to selling approximately 1 ounce of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Huntington on October 2, 2019. Following the transaction, a law enforcement officer pulled over a vehicle in which McItyer was a passenger. The officer found approximately 142 grams of methamphetamine under McItyer’s seat. McItyer admitted to placing the drugs there for later distribution. McItyer further admitted to possessing a loaded Smith & Wesson .40-caliber pistol also found in the vehicle.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force, and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams 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 No. 3:21-cr-243.
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Delaware County Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Sexually Exploiting a Child, and Distributing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Jeremie Hoyt, age 42, of Davenport, New York, was sentenced today to serve 25 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a child and distributing and possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
As part of his previous guilty plea, Hoyt admitted that he used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct, and that in August of 2019 and November of 2020 he produced a sexually explicit photograph and video of the child. Hoyt further admitted that he later distributed the sexually explicit image and video over the Internet to other users on a messaging application and that he still possessed the sexually explicit image and video on his iPad when law enforcement searched his home in April 2021.
United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 30 year term of supervised release, which will start after Hoyt is released from prison, and ordered Hoyt to pay a $500 special assessment. Hoyt will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Hoyt’s case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Investigators of the New York State Police, Computer Crimes Unit (CCU), and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney's offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Convicted Sex Offender Charged with Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury last week charged a convicted felon with illegal firearm possession, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Mickey French.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Edward Olin Jones, 66, of Hanceville, with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the indictment, on March 16, 2022, Jones unlawfully possessed a Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver, a Röhm .22 caliber revolver, a Winchester 12-gauge shotgun, a Weatherby .300 Weatherby Magnum rifle, a Remington .300 Winchester Magnum rifle, and a Remington .22 caliber rifle. Jones is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions. In December 2017, Jones was convicted in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County for Sodomy, First Degree and Sexual Abuse, First Degree.
The maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison.
ATF investigated the case along with the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Colorado Springs Company and Owner Pay $400,000 to Resolve Allegations That They Submitted False Claims for Aquatic TherapyRead the Press Release
DENVER—The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced today that Dynamic Physical Therapy, LLC (“Dynamic”), a physical therapy company, and its owner, Emad Yassa, have agreed to pay the United States $400,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by falsely billing federal health care programs for aquatic therapy services.
Dynamic is a physical therapy company that operates two clinics in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Dynamic is owned by Mr. Yassa, who also practices as a physical therapist at the Dynamic clinics. Dynamic submitted bills for physical and aquatic therapy services to Medicare and other federal health care programs.
In 2019, a former employee of Dynamic filed a sealed civil “whistleblower” lawsuit under the False Claims Act alleging that Dynamic, at the direction of Mr. Yassa, was billing Medicare for medically unnecessary physical therapy services and for services that had not actually been provided. The lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Colorado under the “qui tam,” or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. Those provisions permit private parties to sue on behalf of the United States to bring claims based on the submission of false claims to the government and allow the whistleblower to receive a share of any funds recovered through the lawsuit. The whistleblower provisions encourage people with knowledge of fraud against the federal government to come forward when they believe fraud is being committed.
After the whistleblower complaint was filed, Mr. Yassa signed a “Stipulation and Final Board Order” with the State of Colorado’s Physical Therapy Board In the stipulation, Mr. Yassa admitted that, from mid-2014 to mid-2017, he “routinely and improperly billed insurance companies, Medicare, and Medicaid for individual aquatic therapy sessions for his patients when they had actually participated in group aquatic therapy sessions,” and also “routinely failed to document in his patients’ records that they had participated in group aquatic therapy sessions.”
In an investigation, the United States uncovered evidence indicating that Dynamic had also submitted false claims to TRICARE, a health care program for uniformed service members, retirees, and their families. The evidence indicated that Dynamic had falsely represented to TRICARE that its physical therapy services had been provided by an authorized physical therapy provider, when, in fact, they had been provided by an unauthorized physical therapy assistant.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“We will aggressively pursue any kind of health care provider who relies on fraud to obtain payments from our federal healthcare programs,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “We also appreciate the efforts of whistleblowers who bring fraudulent billing practices to light.”
“Medicare monies for physical therapy are intended to support services that restore function, improve mobility, and relieve pain for beneficiaries,” stated Special Agent in Charge Curt L. Muller with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Our agency and law enforcement partners readily employ our resources to identify and investigate billing that diverts crucial funds inappropriately from federal health care programs.”
"The Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), along with our law enforcement partners, will diligently investigate individuals and companies that pilfer taxpayer resources and degrade the quality of the health care provided to America's warfighters," said Michael Mentavlos, Special Agent in Charge, of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. "Today's outcome reflects DoD's commitment to hold those who commit fraud against TRICARE and other U.S. Government healthcare programs accountable."
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica E. Matthews.
Dynamic Physical Therapy LLCCocaine Dealer Going to Prison for Drug ConspiracyRead 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 Timothy Granison, 43, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, was sentenced to serve 32 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. McGrath, who handled the case, stated that Granison was a member of a drug trafficking organization led by Jason Siplin that distributed large quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine out of a Glenwood Avenue drug house. Over the course of the conspiracy, Granison regularly obtained bulk quantities of cocaine from Jason Siplin, which he then sold to his own customers. On May 19, 2021, investigators intercepted telephone calls between Granison and co-conspirator Dkeidron Dublin, during which the two discussed Granison resupplying Dublin with cocaine sometime that afternoon. At approximately 3:23 p.m., surveillance officers observed Granison pull up to Dublin’s Birch Crescent residence in Rochester. Dublin came out of the residence and got into Granison’s vehicle. Investigators then surrounded the vehicle and took Granison and Dublin into custody. During the execution of search warrants on the vehicle and Dublin’s residence, 31 grams of cocaine and $1,241.00 in cash was recovered.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian J. Ratajczak, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
# # # #Buffalo Man Going to Prison for Selling Butyryl Fentanyl That Caused the Deaths of Two PeopleRead 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 Nino Buggs, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, butyryl fentanyl and U-47700, was sentenced to serve 168 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Cullinane, who handled the case, stated that in March 2017, multiple law enforcement agencies at the state, county and local levels began investigating the drug trafficking activities of Buggs following the drug overdose death of two individuals identified as M.B. and H.W. On March 20, 2017, Buggs sold a quantity of fentanyl, butyryl fentanyl, and U-47700, which was injected intravenously by M.B at a residence in Tonawanda, NY. On March 21, 2017, M.B. was discovered unconscious and unresponsive. The Tonawanda Police Department and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene, but M.B. was pronounced dead. An examination concluded that M.B. died as a result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, butyryl fentanyl, U-47700, and clonazepam. On August 22, 2017, H.W. purchased a bundle of heroin from Buggs. That evening, H.W. intravenously injected the heroin. On August 24, 2017, Buffalo Police responded to a rescue call at a Richmond Avenue residence. Upon arrival, officers found H.W. deceased on the living room couch. An examination concluded that H.W. died as a result of heroin intoxication.
On August 24, 2017, investigators executed a search warrant at Buggs’ Roesch Avenue residence and seized quantities of heroin, crack cocaine, and cocaine, as well as cell phones, a scale containing suspected drug residue, a strainer with suspected drug residue, diluent, drug packaging, and ammunition.
The sentencing is result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia; the Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James P. Stauffiger; and the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia.
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