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Thursday 1 September 2022
Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Liteef Hughes, 41, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to the distribution of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, Hughes admitted to selling a quantity of crack to a confidential informant at his Beckley residence on April 28, 2022. On May 5, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hughes’ residence, and found quantities of cocaine and crack and $1,667. Hughes admitted to possessing the cocaine and crack, and further admitted that the $1,667 was proceeds obtained from drug trafficking. The investigation revealed that Hughes had distributed cocaine for approximately two and a half years.
Hughes is scheduled to be sentenced on December 22, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.
United States District Judge Frank. W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-105.
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Baton Rouge Man Indicted for Assaulting and Threatening Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KESHAWN KELLY, age 19, a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was charged August 26, 2022, in a two-count indictment by a federal grand jury with influencing federal officials by threat in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 115(a)(1)(B), and assaulting federal officers in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the indictment, KELLY assaulted and threatened several members of the United States Department of Veteran’s Affairs Police. The maximum punishment KELLY faces for influencing federal officials by threat is six years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. The maximum punishment for assaulting federal officers is one year imprisonment, up to a $100,000 fine, up to one year of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $25 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Veteran’s Affairs Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers.
Bakersfield Man Indicted for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Billy Reo Howard, 51, of Bakersfield, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on June 3, 2022, law enforcement officers on routine patrol observed Howard driving a vehicle with expired tags on Garces Highway. When the officers attempted to conduct an enforcement stop, Howard ran a stop sign, drove at a high rate of speed, and failed to yield. As the officers continued behind the vehicle, they saw a firearm being thrown from the driver’s side window. The officers located the firearm, a loaded Bersa .380‑caliber pistol. Howard ran from the vehicle and was eventually located hiding on a nearby property. Howard has several felony convictions for evading a peace officer, possessing a controlled substance for sale, carjacking, and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Delano Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel J. Montoya is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Howard faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Auburn Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking in Androscoggin CountyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: An Auburn man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland today for distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Vincent Steed, 42, to ten years in prison and three years of supervised release. Steed pleaded guilty in December 2021.
According to court records, on two separate occasions in June 2021, Steed sold fentanyl and cocaine from his apartment in Auburn to a confidential informant working with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. At the time, Steed was on supervised release in connection with a 2016 federal drug trafficking conviction. Judge Torresen imposed an additional two years of imprisonment on Steed for violating his conditions of supervised release, to run concurrently.
The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
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Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TREA FRASER, 27, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, the FBI New Haven Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the West Haven Police Department began investigating the narcotics trafficking activity of Fraser and another individual. Between October and December 2020, investigators made controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Fraser. On February 9, 2021, a search of Fraser’s residence revealed quantities of crack cocaine and heroin items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, ammunition, and $3,900 in cash. A search of his vehicle revealed approximately 100 grams of cocaine and a loaded .45 caliber Glock 41 handgun that was reported stolen in Alabama.
Fraser has been detained since his federal arrest on March 1, 2021. On November 17, 2021, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Fraser’s criminal history includes state convictions for firearm and drug offenses, and for witness tampering related to his attempt to have a witness to a shooting incident change his statement.
This matter was investigated by the FBI New Haven Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the West Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: Fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Albuquerque supplement retailer sentenced to three years’ probation for performance enhancing drugsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Tanya Puccini was sentenced on Aug. 30 to three years of probation for introduction and delivery of misbranded drugs. Puccini, 47, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty on Jan. 7.
Puccini was the owner and operator of Allstar Nutrition, a health supplement store in Albuquerque. In December 2017, Puccini began selling Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs), a type of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) that stimulate the growth of certain muscle and bone. These products are prohibited by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency and are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
These drugs were sold in bottles labeled “not for human consumption” and “for research purposes only.” Puccini nonetheless provided verbal, printed and occasionally written instructions to purchasers for personal use of the drugs for fitness gains, such as muscle growth. For example, Puccini provided a written note to a customer in which she represented that the drugs were not “technically” SARMs, but included instructions for using the drugs to promote muscle growth.
Altogether, from December 2017 through June 2021, Puccini made retail sales of at least $107,486 of unapproved PEDs.
“Misbranded drugs that are disguised as dietary supplements and contain potentially harmful hidden ingredients place American consumers at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who endanger the U.S. public health by distributing fraudulent and potentially dangerous products.”
Consistent with a stipulation in the plea agreement, Puccini forfeits her interest in any drug she received or transferred that is or was adulterated or misbranded. The Court will issue a money judgement within 30 days.
The FDA investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case.
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Accounting Specialist Charged with Embezzling more than $270,000 from WFYI Public MediaRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Mindi B. Madison, 52, of Indianapolis, has been charged by information with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Madison will make her initial appearance on September 15, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., in Room 349, at the federal court in Indianapolis.
According to court documents, Madison began working as an Accounting Specialist for WFYI Public Media (“WFYI”) in January 2018. WFYI was owned and operated by Metropolitan Indianapolis Public Media, Inc., and provided television and radio programming throughout Central Indiana. Madison’s co-conspirator, Individual 1, was neither an employee nor a vendor of WFYI.
As an Accounting Specialist, Madison had access to WFYI’s accounting software, and was trusted to present legitimate expenses, claims, invoices, and supporting documentation along with the unsigned WFYI checks to employees at WFYI who had signature authority for their approval and signature. Instead of presenting legitimate claims that arose out of WFYI’s legitimate business expenses for signature and payment, Madison abused her position of trust, and presented at least 156 fake claims and invoices for payment. In effort to conceal the theft from WFYI and their banking institutions, Madison and Individual 1 agreed that Madison would falsify invoices using versions of Individual 1’s name and businesses connected to her.
Madison tendered WFYI checks to Individual 1, and they agreed that Individual 1 would then deposit the checks into Individual 1’s bank accounts. Individual 1 then withdrew Madison’s portion in cash, and they split the illegal proceeds. Both Madison and Individual 1 used WFYI’s stolen funds for their own personal expenditures including but not limited to, rent, restaurants, groceries, fuel, and utilities. In total, Madison embezzled approximately $270,876 from WFYI before her theft was discovered.
If convicted, Madison faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Indianapolis Field Office, made the announcement.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who is prosecuting this case.
An information is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Wednesday 31 August 2022
Woman Sentenced for Stealing over $100,000 from Social SecurityRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – Melody Jean Styszko, 54, now of Eldridge, Missouri, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Utah to 60 months of probation for continuing to accept and spend $104,314 dollars in Social Security Retirement Insurance payments from the United States Social Security Administration that were meant for her late father. Styszko was also ordered to pay $104,314 in restitution back to the Social Security Administration as a condition of her sentence.
According to sentencing documents filed by federal prosecutors, Styszko maintained a joint checking account with her late father before his death. After her father died, Styszko continued to accept her father’s Social Security Retirement Insurance benefits as they were deposited into the same joint account for more than ten years. Over the course of those years, Styszko ultimately spent over $104,314 of those benefits on herself. Styszko spent the benefits even though she admitted that “based on the facts known to [her], [she] was conscious and aware of the high probability that [she] was not entitled to this money.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys from the District of Utah and was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.
Wilmington Woman Sentenced to 31 Months in Federal Prison in CARES Act Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that Ana Soto, 41, of Wilmington and formerly of Newark, was sentenced yesterday to 31 months imprisonment on wire fraud and money laundering convictions. Chief U. S. District Court Judge Colm F. Connolly pronounced the sentence.
Within days of the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Soto began her scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its authorized lenders. Between March 30, 2020, and January 24, 2021, Soto submitted approximately seventeen (17) fraudulent loan applications in order to obtain loans through the small business loan programs established by the CARES Act including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program. These applications were made on behalf of five entities controlled by Soto or her close relations. Each of the loan applications falsely stated the amount of gross revenues, cost of goods sold, and number of employees. In some instances, the loan applications falsely claimed the businesses were in operation at the start of the Coronavirus Pandemic. As a result of these false applications, Soto obtained approximately $246,000, and applied for, but was denied, an additional approximately $500,000 in CARES Act loans.
U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “Today the Court justly held Ana Soto accountable for her crimes. Defendant’s conduct, which took advantage of government programs designed to provide economic support for the American people at the outset of a global pandemic, is particularly deplorable. When the government stepped in to quickly provide relief and reassure its citizens with financial help, Defendant chose to exploit the system to her own advantage. We remain committed to prosecuting those who have done the same. Defendant’s sentence should be a stark reminder that we will bring to justice those who defrauded the government during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
"This is an example of someone who was attempting to take advantage of a program to help Americans during the Covid-19 pandemic," said Special Agent in Charge Thomas J Sobocinski of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office. “We would like to thank our partners at the IRS in helping us to ensure funds provided for Covid-19 programs make it to the people in Delaware who need it the most.”
Ana Soto deliberately and repeatedly carried out a scheme to defraud a program that was implemented to assist people during the pandemic,” said Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation. “Today’s sentencing punishes her and serves as a warning to others that IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners stand ready to investigate those who attempt to fleece the government.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf. U.S. Attorney Weiss thanked the investigators for their diligence and dedication in pursuing this investigation.
Waynesboro Man Sentenced to 151 Months’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Johnathan Fisher, age 40, of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 29, 2022, to 151 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for methamphetamine trafficking and firearms offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Fisher possessed with the intent to distribute over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine on May 7, 2020, in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. Fisher also possessed a Remington .380 handgun and a Stevens 12-gauge shotgun when he knew that his previous convictions prohibited him from possessing a firearm.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Waynesboro Police Department, and the Franklin County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaime M. Keating prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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United States obtains warrant for seizure of $45M airplane owned by Russian energy company PJSC LUKOILRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - The United States obtained a warrant to seize a Boeing 737-7EM aircraft owned by PJSC LUKOIL, a Russian multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in Moscow, Russia. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas authorized the seizure, finding probable cause that the Boeing aircraft was subject to seizure based on violations of federal law.
Earlier this year, the Department of Commerce issued sanctions against Russia in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions impose export controls and license requirements to protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. The Russia sanctions expanded prohibitions on the export, reexport or in-country transfer of, among other things, U.S.-manufactured aircraft to or within Russia without a valid license or license exception.
According to court documents, LUKOIL owns the Boeing aircraft – bearing tail number VP-CLR and manufacturer serial number 34865 – which flew into and out of Russia in violation of the Department of Commerce’s Russia sanctions.
“The FBI will remain focused and faithful to our responsibility to protect our U.S. national security and foreign policy interests,” said Special Agent in Charge James Smith of the FBI – Houston Field Office. “We’ll continue to go after individuals who insist on helping Russia advance its hostile and illegal activities, and we’ll continue to seize their valuable possessions, wherever they may be. We thank Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Department of Commerce for their partnership in this case.”
“Once again, the United States, through its experts at the FBI and the Department of Commerce, has laid open a series of shell companies and sham corporations designed to conceal the ownership and illegal movements of controlled technology,” said Task Force KleptoCapture Director Andrew C. Adams. “The aircraft at the center of today’s affidavit was ultimately the property of Lukoil, though that ownership was obscured through a now-public series of holding companies. With today’s unsealed affidavit, aviation, insurance, and financial services companies are made aware of that nesting doll-structure, and can proactively avoid the provision of services that might aid the movement of this tainted aircraft as the United States pursues its seizure.”
“Today’s actions to enforce the powerful export restrictions placed on Russia are our latest coordinated measures that let Vladimir Putin and his allies know they are isolated and we are watching,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod. “The Commerce Department’s Office of Export Enforcement continues to vigorously enforce the export laws of the United States and stand with the people of Ukraine against Putin’s war of aggression.”
“By aggressively pursuing the seizure of these assets, we have sent a resounding message to sanctions violators and third-party facilitators around the globe that we are committed to targeting any individual or entity that seeks to blatantly skirt the sanctions, export controls and license requirements imposed by the United States in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson, HSI Houston. “Using our broad investigative and enforcement authorities and global reach, HSI will continue to work alongside our federal partners to protect U.S. national security interests and inflict maximum disruptive effects against anyone who violates these sanctions in an effort to support the Russian government.”
The Boeing last flew into the United States in March 2019 when the plane flew from overseas to Houston with LUKOIL officials, including a Russian oligarch – then LUKOIL president and CEO Vagit Alekperov – on board the aircraft. The Boeing is believed to be in Russia and worth approximately $45 million. Since September 2014, LUKOIL has been subject to sectoral sanctions imposed by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The seizure action is being coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2 and run out of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
The FBI’s Houston Field Office, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security and HSI in Houston are investigating the seizure matter. The investigation into additional aircraft is ongoing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Pearson and Brandon L. Fyffe of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and Trial Attorneys Lindsay M. Heck and Sinan Kalayoglu of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are leading the seizure action. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the FBI’s New York Field Office and the Federal Aviation Administration provided significant assistance.
United States Obtains Warrant for Seizure of $45 Million Airplane Owned by Russian Energy Company PJSC LUKOILRead the Press Release
The United States obtained a warrant to seize a Boeing 737-7EM aircraft owned by PJSC LUKOIL, a Russian multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in Moscow, Russia. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas authorized the seizure, finding probable cause that the Boeing aircraft was subject to seizure based on violations of federal law.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Commerce issued sanctions against Russia in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions impose export controls and license requirements to protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. The Russia sanctions expanded prohibitions on the export, reexport or in-country transfer of, among other things, U.S.-manufactured aircraft to or within Russia without a valid license or license exception.
According to court documents, LUKOIL owns the Boeing aircraft – bearing the tail number VP-CLR and the manufacturer serial number 34865 – which flew into and out of Russia in violation of the Department of Commerce’s sanctions against Russia.
The Boeing last flew into the United States in March 2019 when the plane flew from overseas to Houston, Texas with LUKOIL officials, including a Russian oligarch – then LUKOIL president and CEO Vagit Alekperov – on board the aircraft. The Boeing is believed to be in Russia and worth approximately $45 million. Since September 2014, LUKOIL has been subject to sectoral sanctions imposed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The seizure action is being coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2 and run out of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
The FBI’s Houston Field Office, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Houston are investigating the seizure matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Pearson and Brandon L. Fyffe of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and Trial Attorneys Lindsay M. Heck and Sinan Kalayoglu of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are leading the seizure action. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the FBI’s New York Field Office and the Federal Aviation Administration provided significant assistance.
U.S. Citizen Extradited from Costa Rica Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, David Butler, a United States citizen, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in connection with a scheme to defraud investors in a form of investment known as “binary options.” Butler was arrested in April 2022 in Costa Rica and extradited to the United States on July 14, 2022. The guilty plea was held before United States District Judge Joanna Seybert. When sentenced, Butler faces up to 20 years in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), announced the guilty plea.
“Butler’s guilty plea demonstrates that even when crimes are committed from thousands of miles beyond our country’s borders using the latest computer software, neither the foreign nature nor the sophistication of the scheme will shield fraudsters from being brought to justice in a U.S. courtroom,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office is committed to protecting the investing public from financial scams wherever they occur.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Costa Rican government for its assistance with the arrest and extradition of the defendant.
“David Butler and his accomplices employed a complex, multi-million dollar con to deceive investors by using a manipulated ‘binary option’ system. While investors waited for a surefire return on their investment, Butler pocketed the money to guarantee his own future—until he was caught. Butler now understands that his only genuine guarantee is that he will now face the consequences of his criminal schemes,” said Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of IRS:CI in New York.
"As he admitted today, Mr. Butler defrauded his victims for his own personal gain. This case should serve as a reminder to all those who attempt to game our financial systems from afar that the FBI, along with our global law enforcement partners, will bring you back to the United States to face justice in our federal courts," stated Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
As set forth in court filings, between approximately January 2011 and October 2016, Butler and his co-conspirators operated binary options companies, including SpotFN, Binary FN and Janus Options (Binary Options Companies) from Glen Cove, New York, Costa Rica and Kosovo. The Binary Options Companies promised to pay investors, who were located throughout the United States, a predetermined profit based upon particular outcomes in the markets for securities, currencies and other investments. For example, the Binary Options Companies would offer to pay customers a predetermined profit if a particular security or currency was valued at a particular price on a particular day at a particular time.
To induce investments, Butler and his co-conspirators told investors, in telephone calls and emails, that the predetermined profits that the Binary Options Companies had promised them would be based upon the actual prices of securities, currencies and other investments at particular points in time. Unbeknownst to the investors, however, Butler and his co-conspirators used computer software that allowed the Binary Options Companies to manipulate data associated with the investors’ binary options so that the probability of investors earning a profit would favor the Binary Options Companies. At no time did Butler or any other employee of the Binary Options Companies inform the investors that the binary options that they had purchased from the Binary Options Companies could be manipulated to the investors’ disadvantage. As a result of their deception, Butler and his co-conspirators stole more than $2.9 million from investors.
In July 2022, Mr. Peace was selected as the Chairperson of the White Collar Fraud subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). As the leader of the subcommittee, Mr. Peace will play a key role in making recommendations to the AGAC to facilitate the prevention, investigation and prosecution of various financially motivated, non-violent crimes including wire fraud, such as the fraud that the defendant committed.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Bradley T. King is in charge of the prosecution. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Costa Rica to secure the arrest and extradition of Butler to the United States.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Bradley T. King is in charge of the prosecution. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Costa Rica to secure the arrest and extradition of Butler to the United States.
The Defendant:
DAVID BUTLER
Age: 52
San Jose, Costa Rica
Pittsburgh, KansasE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-680 (JS)
U.S. Attorney Charges Former Rockland County Coach with Transporting Minors to Engage in Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging VICTOR BYRNE, 56, with transporting two minors to engage in illegal sexual activity in 2006 and 2008. BYRNE was arrested this morning in Orlando, Florida and presented in Orlando federal court.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Victor Byrne allegedly used his position as a diving coach to sexually exploit young athletes. This case illustrates that the passage of years will not prevent us from holding accountable those who prey on children.”
As alleged in the Indictment filed on August 17, 2022, in White Plains federal court and unsealed today and in statements made today at the presentment in Orlando federal court:[1]
In or about July 2006, VICTOR BYRNE, the defendant, knowingly transported a 16-year-old minor (“Victim-1”) from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Rockland County, New York with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity with Victim-1.
In or about February 2008, VICTOR BYRNE knowingly transported a 16-year-old minor (“Victim-2”) from New Jersey to Rockland County, New York with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity with Victim-2.
From in or about 2001 until at least in or about 2009, BYRNE was a diving coach in Rockland County, New York who coached a team of competitive divers. Victim-1 and Victim-2 were divers for BYRNE. Victim-1 and Victim-2 are adults today, and they are law enforcement officers. Victim-1 is a police officer in New York. Victim-2 is a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations.
The defendant’s criminal conduct occurred repeatedly over a period of years: The defendant began abusing Victim-1 when she was about 14 years old. For Victim-2, the abuse began when she was 16.
Mr. Williams stated that the investigation is ongoing. Mr. Williams requests that any individuals who have information with respect to VICTOR BYRNE contact Homeland Security Investigations Tip Line (866) 347-2423.
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BYRNE, 56, of Orlando, Florida, is charged with two counts of transporting a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. Count One, which charges an offense that occurred in or about July 2006, carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Count Two, which charges an offense that occurred in or about February 2008, carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life.
The statutory mandatory minimum and maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Following today’s presentment, Judge David Baker ordered that BYRNE be detained pending a hearing in Orland federal court scheduled for September 12, 2022.
Mr. Williams praised the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshal Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, and the New York City Police Department Special Victims Unit assigned to the HSI Human Trafficking Task Force in connection with this investigation. He added that the investigation is ongoing.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Middletown Residents Charged with Robbing People's United Banks at Stop & Shop SupermarketsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Special Agent in Charge David Sundberg of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Middletown Police Chief Erik M. Costa, Glastonbury Police Chief Marshall Porter, Newington Police Chief Stephen Clark, and West Hartford Police Chief Vernon Riddick, Jr., today announced that GINO RIZZO, 28, and JALANIA PANTANO, 27, both of Middletown, were arrested yesterday on an indictment charging them with bank robbery offenses.
The FBI and several local police departments have been investigating multiple robberies that occurred this summer at People’s United Bank branches located in Stop & Shop supermarkets in Connecticut. The indictment alleges that Rizzo robbed People’s United Bank branches located in Stop & Shop supermarkets in Glastonbury on July 16 and in Newington on July 18, and that Rizzo and Pantano robbed a People’s United Bank branch located in a Stop & Shop in West Hartford on July 20.
The three-count indictment was returned by a grand jury in Bridgeport on August 17. Rizzo and Pantano appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and were ordered detained.
The charge of bank robbery carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Middletown, Glastonbury, Newington and West Hartford Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Robert Dearington.
Two Men Sentenced to Prison for Participating in Nationwide Grandparent ScamRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Oleksandra “Sasha” Johnson (619) 546-9769
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 31, 2022
SAN DIEGO – Timothy Ingram of North Hollywood, California, and Joaquin Lopez of Hollywood, Florida, were sentenced in federal court today to significant prison terms - nine years and two years in prison, respectively - for their roles in a large-scale criminal enterprise that engaged in extortion and fraud to swindle about $2 million from more than 70 elderly victims across the nation. Ten elderly victims who resided in San Diego County lost over $300,000 to the fraud.
From November 1, 2019, until October 14, 2020, the members of the criminal enterprise targeted elderly Americans, contacting them by phone and feeding them phony stories that their grandchildren were in legal trouble and needed money to cover bail, pay medical expenses for car accident victims, or prevent additional charges from being filed. Members of the conspiracy and their associates obtained money from victims through in-person cash pick-ups, mail or commercial carriers, or wire transfers. Conspirators laundered the proceeds by transferring the funds or converting from fiat currency to cryptocurrency.
According to court documents, Timothy Ingram’s participation in the conspiracy was lengthy and substantial. For nearly a year, he ran a network of money mules who conducted cash pick-ups and received wire transfers from victims who believed they were sending money to help a grandchild or other close relative or friend. Ingram provided the mules with details about the victims, including addresses and names. He coordinated cash pick-ups by his mule network through encrypted messages, instructing the mules on when to approach the victims’ doors, what fake name and occupation to tell the victims, and where to deliver the cash proceeds.
Ingram organized the criminal activity of at least five other participants in California, including co-defendants Anajah Gifford and Jack Owuor. Although most of Ingram’s activity occurred in California, at times, he directed mules to travel out of state to execute the same scheme elsewhere. He also recruited mules to receive wire transfers of victim funds into their bank accounts and provided extensive instruction and supervision over how to withdraw the funds to avoid getting caught. On at least one occasion, Ingram conducted a cash pick-up himself, collecting $42,000 in person from a 76-year-old victim in Burbank, California. In addition to being sentenced to serve 108 months in custody, Ingram was ordered to forfeit $124,700 in proceeds that he personally received from the offense, and to pay $1,932,507.93 to the victims in restitution. Three California victims spoke at the sentencing hearing.
U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo described the scheme as long term, sophisticated, and one of the most evil manipulations she has ever encountered in her 17 years on the bench. The judge commented that the defendant stole not only the financial security of the victims but exploited their fear and trust.
As part of his plea agreement, defendant Joaquin Lopez admitted that he used bank accounts under his control to funnel victim proceeds for co-defendant Tracy Knowles. Lopez, a resident of Florida, was involved in the scheme from February 2020 until October 2020. His participation in the conspiracy was crucial: In exchange for a 20 percent cut, Lopez made bank accounts available to other scheme participants to receive wire transfers from victims and to disperse those proceeds. As part of his sentence, Lopez was ordered to forfeit $62,700 in proceeds he personally received from the offense. In sentencing Lopez, the judge said that one cannot go through life blindly laundering money for criminals without having consequences.
This case was investigated by the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force, which is a collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the District Attorney’s Office and all San Diego County law enforcement agencies. The Elder Justice Task Force was established in February 2021 and is believed to be the first comprehensive law enforcement effort for this purpose anywhere in the country. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch.
“These defendants were crucial members of a sophisticated criminal organization that shamelessly exploited the grandparents’ love for their grandchildren,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “The long-lasting effects of this crime on our seniors and the community cannot be overstated. The victims were financially and emotionally devastated by callous people who thought only of enriching themselves. With the convictions and sentences imposed today, the government is securing justice for the victims who fell prey to this heartless crime.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigators for their excellent work on this case.
“Today's sentencing of two key members of the criminal enterprise targeting our elderly population is a testament to the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force's continued commitment to bringing fraudsters to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “It is the FBI's mission to protect the American people and protecting our seniors from financial crimes is imperative to the well-being and safeguarding of our communities. The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will not stop until all the defendants are held accountable for their involvement in this complex organized crime.”
As of today, six of the eight defendants charged in the case have pleaded guilty. Two defendants are fugitives and remain at large.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 22cr2216-CAB
Tracy Adrine Knowles 30 Orlando, Florida
Fugitive
Adonis Alexis Butler Wong 30 Northbay Village, Florida
Fugitive
Timothy Ingram, aka Bleezy 30 North Hollywood, California
Sentenced today to 108 months in prison
Anajah Gifford 24 North Hollywood, California
In custody. Sentencing set for November 17, 2022
Lyda Harris 74 Laveen, Arizona
Released on bond. Sentencing set for November 17, 2022
Joaquin Lopez 46 Hollywood, Florida
Sentenced today to 24 months in prison
Jack Owuor 25 Paramount, California
Sentenced on August 17, 2022 to 46 months in prison
Tracy Glinton 35 Orlando, Florida
Released on bond. Sentencing set for November 17, 2022
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1962(d) – Conspiracy to Conduct or Participate in an Enterprise
Through a Pattern of Racketeering Activity
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and a fine of not more than the greater of twice the amount of gain or loss associated with the offense or $250,000
AGENCY
Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch
San Diego Elder Justice Task Force, which includes:
San Diego FBI
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
San Diego Police Department
San Diego Sheriff’s Department
Carlsbad Police Department
Oceanside Police Department
Escondido Police Department
Chula Vista Police Department
El Cajon Police Department
La Mesa Police Department
National City Police Department
Coronado Police Department
Two Defendants in ‘Grandparent Scam’ Network Sentenced for RICO Conspiracy Targeting Elderly AmericansRead the Press Release
Two defendants were sentenced today to substantial prison time for their participation in a large-scale “grandparent scam.”
According to court documents, Timothy Ingram aka “Bleezy,” 30, of North Hollywood, California; and Joaquin Lopez, 46, of Hollywood, Florida, were part of a network of individuals who, through extortion and fraud, induced elderly Americans across the United States to pay up to tens of thousands of dollars each to purportedly help their grandchild or other loved one. In spring 2022, Ingram and Lopez each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Today, the court sentenced Ingram to 108 months in prison and Lopez to 24 months in prison.
Members of the network contacted elderly Americans by telephone and impersonated a grandchild, other close relative or friend of the victim. They falsely convinced the victims that their relatives or friends were in legal trouble and needed money to pay for bail, for medical expenses for car accident victims, or to prevent additional charges from being filed. The defendants and their co-conspirators then received money from victims via various means, including in-person pickup, the mail, and wire transfer, and then laundered the proceeds, including through the use of cryptocurrency. Ingram, personally and through others, directed a network of money mules in California. Ingram personally picked up cash from victims and recruited others to participate in the scheme. Lopez also received wire transfers from numerous victims and funneled victim proceeds for co-defendant Tracy Knowles, who remains at large.
“The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to investigate and prosecute criminals who target elderly Americans and take advantage of their concern for loved ones,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We are grateful to our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California and the FBI for their work to advance the department’s efforts against organized elder fraud, and to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.”
“These defendants were crucial members of a sophisticated criminal organization that shamelessly exploited the grandparents’ love for their grandchildren,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman for the Southern District of California. “The long-lasting effects of this crime on our seniors and the community cannot be overstated. The victims were financially and emotionally devastated by callous people who thought only of enriching themselves. With the convictions and sentences imposed today, the government is securing justice for the victims who fell prey to this heartless crime.”
“Today's sentencing of two key members of the criminal enterprise targeting our elderly population is a testament to the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force's continued commitment to bringing fraudsters to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “It is the FBI's mission to protect the American people and protecting our seniors from financial crimes is imperative to the well-being and safeguarding of our communities. The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will not stop until all the defendants are held accountable for their involvement in this complex organized crime.”
The FBI San Diego Field Office and the North County Resident Agency investigated the case with critical assistance from investigators of the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.
Trial Attorneys Lauren M. Elfner and Wei Xiang of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Oleksandra Johnson for the Southern District of California prosecuted the case.
The department’s extensive and broad-based efforts to combat elder fraud seeks to halt the widespread losses seniors suffer from fraud schemes. The best method for prevention, however, is by sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
Twin Falls Man Sentenced to over 11 Years for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Domingo Zapata, 28, of Twins Falls, was sentenced to 136 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, in May of 2021, an undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) learned that Zapata was a member of an internet group dedicated to the posting and sharing of child pornography. On six occasions, the undercover agent saw Zapata post child pornography within the group, including videos depicting prepubescent children engaged in sexual act with adults. Pursuant to a search warrant authorized by a federal judge, HSI obtained the contents of Zapata’s internet account. Within the account, HSI located over 600 images of child pornography. HSI later obtained a search warrant to examine Zapata’s cellphone and located child pornography on the cellphone.
“This case shows our unyielding resolve to identify, arrest, and prosecute those involved in distributing child pornography,” said U.S Attorney Josh Hurwit. “I am grateful for the work of the ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) Task Force, which finds offenders who prey on the most vulnerable members of our society. ICAC’s success in protecting Idaho’s children arises from cooperation between local, state, and federal partners, and particularly in this case HSI, Twin Falls Police Department, and Twin Falls Prosecutor’s Office. This office and our law enforcement partners will continue our critical work to protect Idaho’s children.”
“Today’s sentence of over 11 years will ensure Mr. Zapata can no longer pilfer vile images that re-victimize children every time the ‘send’ button was pressed,” said Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “HSI is a proud participant in the ICAC taskforce as this growing threat can only be addressed through a team approach.”
Chief United States District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Zapata to serve 10 years of supervised release following his prison sentence, to forfeit the cellphone that was used to commit the offense, and to pay $33,000 in restitution to the victims in the images he possessed. As a result of the conviction, Zapata will be required to register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit, of the District of Idaho, commended the cooperative efforts of HSI, Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Twin Falls Police Department, and Twin Falls Prosecutor’s Office which led to charges.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
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Three Texas Men Plead Guilty to Bank Robbery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Roderick Tyree Irvin (28), Christopher Merchant (22), and Hakeem Thomas (26), all of Houston, Texas have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank robbery and bank robbery. They each face a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for the conspiracy offense, and up to, 20 years’ imprisonment for the bank robbery offense.
According to court documents, around 3:00 a.m. on July 29, 2021, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglary at the SunTrust Bank located on Memorial Highway in Tampa. Investigators determined that suspects had attached chains to the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) which was part of the SunTrust Bank building, and then attached those chains to a stolen pickup truck. The suspects then used the truck to attempt to pull the protective outer covering off the ATM machine to expose the cash held inside. The defendants were captured on surveillance video by the ATM.
Responding deputies found a stolen Ford pickup truck, with chains still attached to it, abandoned near the damaged ATM. They followed the trail and using a police helicopter, eventually located three suspects – Irvin, Merchant, and Thomas – hiding nearby in a getaway car. The car attempted to flee from deputies but became disabled when it hit a large rock. The three occupants bailed out of the car and ran away but were all arrested following a brief foot pursuit. Clothing items and other materials used in the ATM burglary were recovered from the car and the three suspects.
Around the same time, law enforcement learned of a similar burglary, an hour earlier, of an ATM which was part of the USF Federal Credit Union building located on E. Fletcher Avenue, in Temple Terrace. Like the SunTrust Bank ATM, the USF Credit Union ATM was first attacked by hand using crowbars, and then heavy chains attached to a pickup truck in an attempt to try and break open the cash vault inside the machine. Deputies also learned that the pickup recovered near the SunTrust Bank had been stolen from a Residence Inn hotel located around the corner from the USF Credit Union. The defendants were captured on surveillance video by that ATM as well.
During the arrest of Irvin, Mitchell, and Merchant, deputies located and seized several cellphones. A federal search warrant was executed on these phones and data was extracted and analyzed by the FBI. In addition to placing the three defendants in proximity to these burglaries, cellular records also placed them and other coconspirators at the scene of, or in the area of, multiple other similar ATM burglaries within the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere. The investigation determined that Irvin, Mitchell, and Merchant and his coconspirators would travel around the district and elsewhere, identify, and then target ATMs attached to Bank and Credit Union buildings. Coconspirators would steal a pickup truck near the Bank or Credit Union and attach heavy chains, which would be used to pull the protective outer covering off the ATM to expose the cash inside.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Safe Streets Task Force, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, and the Temple Terrace Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig Gestring.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Texas Woman Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Texas woman was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
According to court documents, in July of 2021, Melissa Muniz-Garcia, 45, of Falfurrias, Texas, conspired with another individual to distribute 5 kilograms of methamphetamine to a confidential source in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The investigation revealed that Muniz-Garcia had also been involved in smuggling drugs in the Corpus Christi, Texas area. Muniz-Garcia was indicted by a federal grand jury and pled guilty on May 25, 2022.
In addition to the prison sentence, Muniz-Garcia was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
The case is the result of an extensive investigation, dubbed “Don’t Tell On Me Bro,” which began as an operation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the Hattiesburg, Mississippi area. “Don’t Tell On Me Bro” is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Lamar County Sheriff’s Office, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Hattiesburg Police Department, Forrest County Sheriff’s, and Columbia Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.
Texas Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Texas man was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
According to court documents, in July of 2021, Mark Anthony Arellano, 40, of Falfurrias, Texas, conspired with another individual to distribute 5 kilograms of methamphetamine to a confidential source in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The investigation revealed that Arellano had also been involved in smuggling drugs in the Corpus Christi, Texas area. Arellano was indicted by a federal grand jury and pled guilty on May 18, 2022.
In addition to the prison sentence, Arellano was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.
The case is the result of an extensive investigation, dubbed “Don’t Tell On Me Bro,” which began as an operation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the Hattiesburg, Mississippi area. “Don’t Tell On Me Bro” is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Lamar County Sheriff’s Office, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Hattiesburg Police Department, Forrest County Sheriff’s, and Columbia Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.
Texas Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Texas man was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
According to court documents, on December 5, 2020, Jesus Humberto Ferdin, 32, of Laredo, Texas, and a co-defendant traveled to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to enforce payment of $16,000 for the previously delivered 2 kilograms of methamphetamine. The co-defendant arrived wearing a bullet proof vest and carrying a stolen firearm.
In addition to the prison sentence, Ferdin was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.
The case is the result of an extensive investigation, dubbed “Don’t Tell on Me Bro,” which began as an operation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the Hattiesburg, Mississippi area. “Don’t Tell On Me Bro” is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Lamar County Sheriff’s Office, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Hattiesburg Police Department, Forrest County Sheriff’s, and Columbia Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.
South L.A. Man Arrested on Indictment Alleging He Recruited Teenage Girl for Commercial Sex Work Advertised on InternetRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Los Angeles man was arrested today on a five-count federal indictment alleging he recruited a 15-year-old girl for whom he acted as a “pimp” and advertised on the internet for commercial sex work.
Donavin Dwayne Bradford, 31, was arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, one count of sex trafficking of a minor, two counts of sexual exploitation of a child for the purpose of producing a sexually explicit visual depiction, and one count of possession of child pornography.
Bradford pleaded not guilty, was ordered jailed without bond, and an October 25 trial date was scheduled.
According to the indictment that a grand jury returned on August 11, from the summer of 2021 to February 2022, Bradford conspired with Layla Kalani Valdivia, 23, of Ventura, to cause the minor victim to be used for commercial sex acts. Bradford allegedly recruited the victim to work for him as a commercial sex worker. As the victim’s “pimp,” Bradford expected the girl to earn him $1,000 per night and, in exchange, he provided her with clothes and a place to stay, the indictment alleges.
Bradford and Valdivia allegedly advertised the girl for commercial sex work on various websites, and customers who responded to the ads were directed to various hotels and motels where they engaged in commercial sex acts with the victim. Sometimes the minor victim would be required to perform sex acts with Valdivia and a sex client together. Customers allegedly paid Bradford for dates with the victim or she would be required to give Bradford or Valdivia some of her earnings.
The indictment alleges that Bradford assaulted the victim when she tried to stop working for him on two separate occasions. Bradford allegedly also filmed himself engaging in sex acts with the victim.
Valdivia, who also is in federal custody, pleaded not guilty on August 22 to one count of conspiracy and one count of sex trafficking of a minor. An October 18 trial date has been scheduled for her.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of all charges, Bradford would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, Valdivia would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, and both defendants would face statutory maximum sentences of life imprisonment.
“Operation Cross Country”, an FBI-led nationwide effort which ran from August 4 to August 14, focused on identifying and locating victims of sex trafficking and investigating and arresting individuals and criminal enterprises involved in both child sex trafficking and human trafficking. With the support of local partners, FBI Los Angeles identified and located nine potential human trafficking victims, including five adolescents.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office and the FBI Los Angeles Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force coordinated with multiple law enforcement partners and thanks them for their participation and assistance, including: the Los Angeles Police Department; the Inglewood Police Department; the Pomona Police Department; the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office; the Santa Maria Police Department; and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.
Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea Norell of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.
Learn more about Operation Cross Country XII here.
South Carolina Man Sentenced for Unlawful Distribution of Anabolic Steroids and Unapproved Steroid-like DrugsRead the Press Release
The owner of a South Carolina supplement company was sentenced last week to one day and one year of imprisonment for manufacturing and shipping unapproved drugs and anabolic steroids.
John F. Cochcroft, 37, of Lexington, South Carolina, pleaded guilty on May 25, to one count of introduction of a new drug into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud and mislead and one count of manufacturing and possessing with the intent to distribute and distributing anabolic steroids. As part of the plea agreement, Cochcroft agreed to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $200,000 related to proceeds from his sales of illicit products. U.S. District Judge James P. Jones of the Western District of Virginia imposed the sentence.
In pleading guilty, Cochcroft admitted that he operated businesses that marketed products as “dietary supplements” to the body-building and fitness communities to increase muscle mass. He admitted that some of these products contained osterine, a type of synthetic steroid known as a Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (SARM). The FDA has warned against the use of SARMs, including stating in a 2017 warning letter to another firm that SARMs have been linked to life-threatening reactions like liver toxicity, and that they have the potential to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
“Workout supplements containing anabolic steroids and unapproved steroid-like drugs can be dangerous,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to work closely with the FDA to prosecute those who seek profit at the expense of public safety.”
“Cochcroft and his company placed public health at risk by unlawfully distributing unapproved drugs that have been linked to life-threatening conditions,” U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “Marketing and distributing unapproved drugs is not only dangerous, but a federal crime.”
“The FDA oversees the production and sale of prescription drugs to ensure that they are safe and effective. Criminals who attempt to sell medicines outside of FDA’s oversight put consumers’ health at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge George A. Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “Our office will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who endanger the public’s health.”
According to court filings, Cochcroft took steps to mislead and defraud the government and consumers in the sale of these products, including using multiple addresses with fictitious business names, working with Chinese suppliers to mislabel drug products as foodstuff items, and knowingly failing to seek approval for the products. During its investigation, the government seized various products containing anabolic steroids from Cochcroft’s business. Anabolic steroids are Schedule III controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act , Schedule III(e) and have been linked to life-threatening reactions and side effects.
The FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Ramseyer o for the Western District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Speare Hodges of the Department of Justice Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case.
Smithfield Man Convicted of Distributing Fentanyl Analogue That Led to Death – Faces Minimum of 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – A Smithfield man was convicted by a jury today for distributing a mixture and substance containing cyclopropyl fentanyl where death resulted. Shamel Nesbitt, 32, faces a minimum of 20 years in prison for this crime, and could receive a life sentence. Nesbitt’s sentencing is scheduled for November.
“The drug dealers and criminal networks lacing fentanyl into their supply are on notice. We will bring charges and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. When your criminal activity leads to death, you can face up to life in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Nesbitt was investigated in November 2017 by the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office for the distribution of cyclopropyl fentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, where death resulted. The investigation began on November 19, 2017, after Lucas Urbina, 20, was rushed to the hospital by several friends after using a controlled substance and overdosing. A second friend of Urbina’s also suffered an overdose from using the same substance. At that time, hospital staff were able to resuscitate both Urbina and his friend. Urbina’s friend regained consciousness and became stable after a short period of time. He left the hospital and was approached by law enforcement when he was attempting to get into a vehicle. He was searched and law enforcement discovered he had a bag of suspected narcotics along with two syringes.
While Urbina was revived, he never regained consciousness. Urbina died on November 22, 2017.
Sample of Urbina’s blood taken upon admission to the hospital were sent to the toxicology section of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to see what substances were present. Test results showed a lethal level of cyclopropyl fentanyl. Urbina also had low levels of morphine and clonazepam in his blood. Urbina’s death was ruled an accidental overdose.
The bag of suspected narcotics that was found on Urbina’s friend immediately following the overdose was tested at the DEA Lab. It was found to contain a mixture of heroin, cyclopropyl fentanyl, benzoyl fentanyl and caffeine.
Law enforcement immediately began investigating to determine who distributed the narcotics to Urbina and his friends. Text messages and dialed phone numbers showed Urbina was reaching out to someone listed as “Mista” in his phone. Officers were able to quickly link the number to Shamel Nesbitt who had given it to law enforcement as his number when he was cited for a traffic violation a few months earlier. Law enforcement officers were able to access Urbina’s Facebook account and saw he was communicating with another Facebook user with a name of “Chris Nesbitt.” In the Facebook messages between Urbina and Nesbitt, it was clear Urbina was attempting to buy drugs from Nesbitt. Officers got a search warrant for Nesbitt’s Facebook page. They noticed pictures posted by “Chris Nesbitt” were of Shamel Nesbitt. Multiple messages on Nesbitt’s Facebook page reference him by the nickname “Mista.” Law enforcement received a search warrant for Nesbitt’s home and found heroin packaging material, nitrile gloves and marijuana.
Nesbitt made statements to law enforcement that he saw Urbina that day but didn’t sell him any narcotics.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the trial was concluded. U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle presided over the trial. The Smithfield Police Department and the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson and Brandon Boykin 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. 5:19-cr-00226-BO.
Ship Chief Engineer Sentenced to Prison for Discharging Oily Waste in U.S. Waters and Obstructing the Coast Guard's InvestigationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kirill Kompaniets, the Chief Engineer of a foreign flagged vessel, was sentenced to prison for deliberately discharging approximately 10,000 gallons of oil-contaminated bilge water overboard in U.S. waters off the coast of New Orleans last year, and obstructing justice. The illegal conduct was first reported to the Coast Guard by a crew member via social media. The Honorable Nannette Jolivette Brown sentenced Kompaniets to serve a year and a day in prison, pay a $5,000 fine and $200 special assessment and serve six months of supervised release.
Repair operations to correct a problem with the discharge of clean ballast water resulted in engine room flooding. After the leak was controlled, Chief Engineer Kompanietes and a subordinate engineer dumped the oily bilge water overboard while the ship was at an anchorage near the Southwest Passage off the Louisiana coast. The ship’s required pollution prevention devices – an oily-water separator and oil content monitor – were not used, and the discharge was not recorded in the Oil Record Book, a required ship log.
Kompaniets was also charged with obstruction of justice based on various efforts to conceal the illegal discharge. In a joint factual statement filed in Court with his guilty plea, Kompaniets admitted to the following acts of obstruction of justice: (1) making false statements to the Coast Guard that concealed the cause and nature of a hazardous condition, and concealing that the engine room of the vessel had flooded and that oil-contaminated bilge water had been discharged overboard; (2) destroying the computer alarm printouts for the period of the illegal discharge that were sought by the Coast Guard; (3) holding meetings with subordinate crew members and directing them to make false statements to the Coast Guard; (4) making a false Oil Record Book that failed to disclose the illegal discharge; (5) directing subordinate engine room employees to delete all evidence from their cell phones in anticipation of the Coast Guard inspection; and (6) preparing a retaliatory document accusing the whistleblower of poor performance as part of an effort to discredit him.
“The intentional pollution of U.S. waters and the deliberate cover-up are serious criminal offenses that will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Prosecutions such as this one should send a clear message to those that would violate the law and endanger our precious natural resources.”
“The defendant in this case deliberately disregarded procedures designed to protect the environment from contaminants and then attempted to hide his actions,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Today’s announcement emphasizes that both our office and our federal partners are committed to holding accountable all parties whose criminality jeopardizes our environment and places the public and the ecosystem at risk.”
The criminal prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Dall Kammer for the Eastern District of Louisiana and Senior Litigation Counsel Richard A. Udell of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, with assistance provided by District 8 of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Criminal Investigative Service. The investigation is continuing.
Ship Chief Engineer Sentenced to Prison for Discharging Oily Waste in U.S. Waters and Obstructing the Coast Guard’s InvestigationRead the Press Release
Kirill Kompaniets, the Chief Engineer of a foreign flagged vessel, was sentenced to prison for deliberately discharging approximately 10,000 gallons of oil-contaminated bilge water overboard in U.S. waters off the coast of New Orleans last year, and for obstructing justice. The illegal conduct was first reported to the Coast Guard by a crew member via social media. The Honorable Nannette Jolivette Brown sentenced Kompaniets to serve a year and a day in prison, pay a $5,000 fine and $200 special assessment and serve six months of supervised release.
Repair operations to correct a problem with the discharge of clean ballast water resulted in engine room flooding. After the leak was controlled, Chief Engineer Kompanietes and a subordinate engineer dumped the oily bilge water overboard while the ship was at an anchorage near the Southwest Passage off the Louisiana coast. The ship’s required pollution prevention devices – an oily-water separator and oil content monitor – were not used, and the discharge was not recorded in the Oil Record Book, a required ship log.
Kompaniets was also charged with obstruction of justice based on various efforts to conceal the illegal discharge. In a joint factual statement filed in Court with his guilty plea, Kompaniets admitted to the following acts of obstruction of justice: (1) making false statements to the Coast Guard that concealed the cause and nature of a hazardous condition, and concealing that the engine room of the vessel had flooded and that oil-contaminated bilge water had been discharged overboard; (2) destroying the computer alarm printouts for the period of the illegal discharge that were sought by the Coast Guard; (3) holding meetings with subordinate crew members and directing them to make false statements to the Coast Guard; (4) making a false Oil Record Book that failed to disclose the illegal discharge; (5) directing subordinate engine room employees to delete all evidence from their cell phones in anticipation of the Coast Guard inspection; and (6) preparing a retaliatory document accusing the whistleblower of poor performance as part of an effort to discredit him.
“The intentional pollution of U.S. waters and the deliberate cover-up are serious criminal offenses that will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Prosecutions such as this one should send a clear message to those that would violate the law and endanger our precious natural resources.”
“The defendant in this case deliberately disregarded procedures designed to protect the environment from contaminants and then attempted to hide his actions,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Today’s announcement emphasizes that both our office and our federal partners are committed to holding accountable all parties whose criminality jeopardizes our environment and places the public and the ecosystem at risk.”
The criminal prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Dall Kammer for the Eastern District of Louisiana and Senior Litigation Counsel Richard A. Udell of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, with assistance provided by District 8 of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Criminal Investigative Service. The investigation is continuing.
San Diego Corporate and Securities Attorney Indicted for Securities Fraud, Assisting Planned Pump-and-Dump SchemeRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Aaron P. Arnzen (619) 546-8384
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 31, 2022
SAN DIEGO – San Diego-based corporate and securities attorney Andrew Coldicutt is charged in a federal grand jury indictment with securities fraud in connection with a pump-and-dump scheme.
Coldicutt made his first appearance in federal court on Friday, August 26, 2022.
According to the allegations in the indictment, Coldicutt worked with other individuals from 2017 through 2019 to prepare and execute a pump-and-dump stock fraud scheme. Coldicutt thought the individuals with whom he was working were associated with a shady hedge fund. In reality, he was working with undercover FBI agents and sources gathering evidence against Coldicutt, the indictment said.
To carry out his role in the scheme, Coldicutt created a sham company and a business model – which supposedly focused on backyard fruit harvesting - and prepared and filed registration statements with the SEC for an initial public offering of the company’s stock. According to the indictment, the registration statements contained false and misleading information about the company, its business plans, and the people who owned and controlled the company.
“Corporate lawyers and other gatekeepers in the securities industry occupy a position of trust and confidence,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “This investigation and indictment signal the United States’ commitment to protecting the integrity of the stock market, and the innocent investors who are victimized by penny stock fraud schemes.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team for their excellent work on this case.
“Attorney Coldicutt occupied a position of trust. He allegedly betrayed that trust when he chose to ignore the laws and ethical rules of conduct he swore to uphold by attempting to commit stock fraud,” said Stacey Moy, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's San Diego Division. “These types of pump-and-dump schemes hurt not only local investors, but investors across the United States. The FBI will continue to protect the integrity of the stock market and investors impacted by fraud schemes such as this.”
The United States acknowledges the assistance and cooperation of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
DEFENDANT Case Number 22cr1881-JO
Andrew Coldicutt (42 years old) San Diego, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 15, U.S.C., Sec. 77q, 77x – Securities Fraud; Title 15, U.S.C., Sec. 77g, 77x – False Securities Registration Statements; Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1343 – Wire Fraud; Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 981(a)(1)(C) and Title 28, U.S.C., Sec. 2461(c) – Criminal Forfeiture
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and a fine of not more than the greater of twice the amount of gain or loss associated with the offense or $250,000
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Rochester Felon Indicted for Federal Firearm ViolationRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A federal grand jury returned an indictment against a Rochester man for possession of a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents on May 25, 2022, Marcus Anthony Jackson, also known as Homicide, 49, was found in possession of a Taurus G2C 9MM pistol. Because Jackson has multiple prior felony convictions in Olmsted, Hennepin, and Ramsey Counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Jackson is charged with one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. He made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court today, before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Rochester Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew S. Ebert is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Robber of St. Peters liquor store sentenced to 12 years in prisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Wednesday sentenced a man who robbed a liquor store in St. Peters, Missouri to 12 years in prison.
Bobby Andre, of Northwoods, robbed the Cool Spot Liquor store in St. Peters of about $143 on July 31, 2018 at gunpoint, using a blue cloth rag to hide his face. Andre dropped the rag before leaving the store.
DNA from the rag matched Andre’s DNA profile, which was in both Missouri and federal databases due to Andre’s prior criminal convictions.
Andre, now 44, of Northwoods, pleaded guilty in January to a robbery charge and a charge of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the St. Peters Police Department.
Red Lake Man Sentenced to 239 Months in Prison for RapeRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Red Lake man was sentenced to 239 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for aggravated sexual assault, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on November 7, 2020, Paul John Sayers, 30, stopped his truck beside Victim A who was walking on the road. Sayers offered Victim A a ride but instead of taking Victim A to her destination, Sayers drove her to a camper located on a property near a Hemp shop where Sayers worked. When Victim A resisted Sayers’s sexual advances, he hit and strangled Victim A until she passed out. Sayers then raped Victim A. Victim A left the camper after the rape and began walking 20 miles back into town. As part of his guilty plea, Sayers also admitted to unlawful sexual contact with another person.
Sayers pleaded guilty on April 20, 2022, to one count of aggravated sexual assault. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Polachek prosecuted the case.
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Rankin County Woman Found Guilty of Conspiring to Falsify Business and Income RecordsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Pearl woman was found guilty by a federal jury on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, of conspiring to falsify business and income records with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
According to court documents, in December of 2017, Esther Bennett, 49, and co-defendant, Kristy Dier, were intercepted on communications discussing ways to legitimize drug proceeds seized by law enforcement from Kristy Dier. Bennett constructed a false ledger, claiming the seized money was from hair care services that were never provided. After Bennett prepared the ledger, she provided it to Dier, who in turn filed the ledger, along with a Petition to Contest Forfeiture, with the Hinds County Clerk’s office in an attempt to recover the funds.
Bennett will be sentenced on November 29, 2022. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is the result of an extensive investigation, dubbed “Drama Queen,” which began as an operation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the central Mississippi area. “Drama Queen” is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, and the Richland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Keesha Middleton and Glenda Haynes.
Plant City Man Pleads Guilty to Mexican Methamphetamine Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Ubertino Zavala-Perez (58, Plant City) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Zavala-Perez faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement, Zavala-Perez conspired with individuals in Mexico and others to distribute and import methamphetamine from Mexico. On March 30, 2022, Zavala-Perez sold half a kilogram of methamphetamine imported from Mexico to a confidential informant for $3,750. Two days later, Zavala-Perez agreed to sell one kilogram of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. After his arrest, Zavala-Perez admitted to receiving methamphetamine from coconspirators in Mexico and elsewhere in the United States, and further admitted to storing the drugs in a storage unit and at his residence in Plant City.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Plant City Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.
Oswego County Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Tyler Hull, age 39, of Fulton, New York, was sentenced yesterday to serve 33 months in federal prison for conspiring to unlawfully distribute and possess with the intent to distribute eutylone, a Schedule I controlled substance.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Hull admitted that from November of 2020, through December 22, 2020, he participated in a conspiracy to distribute eutylone to others throughout Oswego County. Eutylone is a synthetic cathinone and has pharmacological effects on the central nervous system similar to other schedule I or II substances such as methylone, pentylone, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA.
United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release, which will start after Hull is released from prison.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Oswego County Drug Task Force, comprised of Special Agents of HSI, members of the City of Oswego Police Department, the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, Investigators from the Oswego County District Attorney’s Office, the SUNY Oswego Police Department, and Agents of the U.S. Border Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adrian LaRochelle.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 240 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Lon Cassabon, 52 years old, of Perrysburg, Ohio, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady on his plea of guilty to the distribution of material depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Cassabon was sentenced to 240 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, a Wisconsin investigation of online child exploitation activity on a social media application led to communication with Cassabon in January 2020. At the time, Cassabon was living in Waterloo, Indiana. The investigation revealed that Cassabon was actually an administrator of several groups on this application dedicated to the trading of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and that he was actively distributing sexually explicit images of minors within these groups – which Cassabon later admitted.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Indiana State Police, and the Winnebago County, Wisconsin, Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .
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Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Garfield Heights, Ohio, pleaded guilty in federal court to violations 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.
Kareem Rock, age 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possession with the intent to distribute before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. Rock 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 on February 6, 2021, Pennsylvania State Police troopers stopped Rock and Kimari in a vehicle and seized approximately 590 grams of methamphetamine. Investigators then obtained a search warrant for a hotel room rented by Rock and a co-defendant and seized an additional 200 grams of methamphetamine, 43 grams of fentanyl, and a firearm. Through a joint investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police, investigators determined that Rock supplied two individuals residing in Penfield, Pennsylvania, with methamphetamine on multiple occasions between July of 2020 and February of 2021.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Rock on Jan. 11, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 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.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered that the defendant remain detained.
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.
Niagara Falls Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 FraudRead 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 Leo Benevento, 57, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty to wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell T. Ippolito, who is handling the case, stated that Benevento fraudulently obtained two loans from the Small Business Association under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program, which was designed to provide low-interest loans to qualifying small businesses to help them meet financial obligations and operating expenses in the event of a disaster. Benevento submitted two false applications for loans related to his businesses, “WNY 24 7 Realty” and “Benevento Realty,” grossly inflating annual revenue and grossly underreporting annual expenses for the businesses. As a result of the falsified applications, the SBA approved and funded loans totaling $117,300 under the EIDL Program. Benevento has reimbursed the SBA for the fraudulently obtained loans.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-In-Charge Thomas Fattorusso, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2022, before Judge Arcara.
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Mohave Valley Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Offenses Against MinorsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On August 24, 2022, Kyle Matthew Thompson, 47, of Mohave Valley, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge David G. Campbell to 30 years in prison. On February 24, 2022, a jury found Thompson guilty on two counts of Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with two 15-year-old girls, and two counts of Commission of Sex Offense by Registered Sex Offender.
Thompson, a registered sex offender, had a prior 2013 conviction for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor from Mohave County Superior Court. In November 2016, shortly after his release from state prison, Thompson posed as a Hollywood movie producer and used his social media account to contact the two 15-year-old victims, Victim 1 and Victim 2. On December 26, 2016, Thompson departed on a cross-country trip to meet the minor victims. Thompson engaged in sexual intercourse with Victim 1 the morning after his arrival, and then socialized with the victims, their friends, and their unsuspecting parents. He also repeatedly requested sex acts with Victim 2. Before and during his travel, Thompson engaged in sexually explicit calls and messages with both victims. Thompson impersonated a famous actor in an effort to entice Victim 2 and encourage Victim 2 to engage in sex acts with him. Thompson photoshopped himself into celebrity photos and shared them to his social media account to further bolster his fame-adjacent persona.
“Social media makes children particularly vulnerable to sexual predators,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “This sentence should send a powerful message to anyone who travels with the intent to abuse young people.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by the Talladega County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Phoenix and Birmingham), with the assistance of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service (Birmingham, Alabama) and the Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gayle L. Helart and Alanna R. Kennedy, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-18-08162-PHX-PCT-DGC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-151_Thompson# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Miami Men to be Sentenced for Weapons SmugglingRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Compressed air tanks most commonly are used for filling tires, but Jorge Chica-Giler, 28, found a different use for them—smuggling weapons from Miami to Ecuador. He pled guilty August 29 in Fort Pierce U.S. District Court.
During the hearing before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez, Chica-Giler admitted he conspired to deal in, and smuggle, firearms out of the United States by directing co-conspirators to purchase firearms on his behalf, and by directing co-defendants Rolando Alexei Pupo-Abrahantes and Nicolas Ayala to hide them inside compressed air tanks for shipment to a co-conspirator in Ecuador. Chica-Giler admitted to making eight such shipments, totaling at least 35 firearms, to include several assault-rifles.
They concealed the weapons by taking two 11-gallon tanks, cutting an end off each one, and placing the shrink-wrapped firearms inside. Pupo-Abrahantes then welded the two tanks together to form one 22-gallon tank and concealed the modification by painting the tanks with black spray paint.
Surveillance footage from August 2021 placed Chica-Giler at a Harbor Freight store in Miami. This footage is consistent with the time he purchased other supplies needed for the transport, to include the air tanks, one masonry cutting wheel, and one welding blanket.
Soon after, law enforcement witnessed Chica-Giler and a co-conspirator drop two packages off at a freight forwarding service in Miami. Agents seized and x-rayed the packages pursuant to border search authority, which revealed hidden firearms.
Chica-Giler pled guilty to one count of conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371; one count of dealing in firearms without a license, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 922(a)(1)(A); one count of smuggling firearms from the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 554; one count of delivery of a firearm to a common carrier without written notification, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(e); and one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful alien, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(B).
Chica-Giler’s sentencing is scheduled for November 7 at 2:30 p.m. before Judge Martinez. He faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison. The judge will consider U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors prior to issuing any sentence.
Co-defendants Pupo-Abrahantes and Ayala pled guilty for their role in the weapons transport.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Christopher A. Robinson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Office; and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI Fort Pierce and ATF Fort Pierce investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Hudock and Justin Hoover are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-14035.
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Metro-Atlanta Methamphetamine Supplier Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distribution in Peach CountyRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A metro-Atlanta resident who admitted to distributing methamphetamine in Middle Georgia was sentenced to prison today for his crime.
Victor Penaloza Sanchez, 27, of Cartersville, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 150 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release to run consecutively to a sentence imposed in Cobb County, Georgia, Superior Court Case No. 14-9-1384-52 today after he previously pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine on March 15. Co-defendant Christian Jesus Pineda, 28, of Duluth, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 38 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on June 7 after he previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on March 21. U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III handed down the sentences. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Repeat offenders who brazenly disregard the law by choosing to distribute large amounts of the most deadly and addictive illegal substances into our communities face accountability for their crimes at the federal level,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office is working with law enforcement to identify and bring to justice those individuals who continually commit crimes that harm the overall safety of our neighborhoods.”
“Methamphetamine continues to ravage many communities in our nation,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “Because of the positive results yielded in this case, the sentencing of this repeat offender will put other methamphetamine traffickers on notice that DEA and its law enforcement partners will not tolerate the distribution of this insidious drug.”
According to court documents, a confidential informant (CI) told law enforcement that Sanchez was selling large quantities of methamphetamine. The informant and Sanchez, via multiple text messages and phone calls, agreed to the CI purchasing approximately 500 grams of methamphetamine from Sanchez and that a courier would meet the CI at a gas station in Byron, Georgia, on April 28, 2021, to conduct the transaction. Agents with DEA, Peach County Sheriff’s Office, Byron Police Department and K-9, working with the CI, observed a vehicle driven by Pineda pull into the gas station at the appointed time. The CI approached Pineda, who showed him a clear bag containing a half kilogram of methamphetamine. Sanchez has a previous state conviction for distribution of methamphetamine in Cobb County, Georgia, and was on parole at the time of this incident.
The case was investigated by DEA and the Peach County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Byron Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Keyes prosecuted the case.
Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to over a Decade in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on August 30, 2022, to more than eleven years in federal prison. Jonathan Roy Wright, age 43, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a April 14, 2022 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Information disclosed at sentencing showed that, between October 2020 and October 2021, Wright distributed at least 1,800 grams of ice methamphetamine. Wright also has a serious and long criminal history, having been convicted of several assault-related offenses and eleven prior drug-related offenses.
Wright was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Wright was sentenced to 136 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Wright is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Devra Hake and Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards, and it was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-00007-LTS.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Manchester Man Sentenced to Prison for Distributing Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MATTHEW GASTRINGER, 35, of Manchester, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 28 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl pills.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force began investigating the drug trafficking activities of Phillip Garcia, also known as “Flip,” who was distributing cocaine, as well as fentanyl disguised as oxycodone pills, in the Hartford area through a network of associates. In July 2020, investigators made two controlled purchases of fentanyl pills from Garcia and Gastringer. The investigation further revealed that Garcia supplied Gastringer with fentanyl pills that he sold at profit to customers, and also consumed himself.
Gastringer was arrested on May 12, 2021. On April 28, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl. He has been detained since December 3, 2021, when his bond was revoked.
Garcia pleaded guilty to narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses and awaits sentencing.
The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman and Brian Leaming, through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Man and Woman Charged with Gun and Drug Charges, and Hobbs Act RobberyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Alisha Klinger, 41, Mayville, NY, and Jacob Snow, 36, of Jamestown, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, Hobbs Act Conspiracy, Hobbs Act Robbery, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence and in furtherance of drug trafficking. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 17 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between November 2020, and April 2022, Klinger and Snow conspired with others to sell fentanyl. The indictment also accuses Klinger and Snow of stealing drugs and cash from individuals engaged in illegal drug trafficking and possessing and brandishing firearms while doing so.
The defendants were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and are detained.
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.
The indictment is a result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Maine Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Defrauding ClientsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK - Sean O’Hare, age 54, of South Portland, Maine, pled guilty today to committing wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud his tax preparation clients. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
O’Hare, a former tax preparer and accountant, admitted that he defrauded his clients trusted him to prepare their tax filings and pay their taxes. From September 2015 through September 2016, O’Hare filed quarterly tax returns with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance on behalf of three companies; these returns understated the amount of taxes owed by the companies. O’Hare collected the full amount of taxes owed from the companies and stole the difference between the amount in taxes remitted to New York State and the amount he received from the companies. O’Hare admitted to fraudulently obtaining $131,758, which he has agreed to repay as restitution.
O’Hare’s wire fraud conviction carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. O’Hare is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11, 2023, by Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by USPIS, with assistance from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping.
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 5+ Years in Prison for Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
An MS-13 gang member was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison for a drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Angie Marlyn Valencia, 28, was indicted in November 2021 and pleaded guilty in April 2022 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. She was sentenced Wednesday to 65 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, who also ordered her to forfeit two firearms.
At her sentencing hearing, Judge Starr ruled that the defendant belonged to MS-13, a notoriously violent transnational street gang with the creed, “kill, rob, rape, control.”
In plea papers, Ms. Valencia admitted that she and a co-conspirator, boyfriend Williams Jose Fuentes-Argueta, dealt heroin out of an apartment on Royal Lane in Dallas. On Sept. 16, 2021, while Ms. Valenca acted as lookout, Mr. Fuentes-Argueta sold more than 70 grams of heroin to an undercover Texas DPS officer for $2,700 cash. About two weeks later, the pair teamed up again to sell another 76 grams of heroin to two undercover officers.
Mr. Fuentes-Argueta pleaded guilty in June 2022 to the same charge as Ms. Valencia; he is slated to be sentenced on Oct. 26.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, the Carrolton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal is prosecuting the case.
Lordsburg man sentenced to 45 years in prison for production and possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Gilbert Gallegos was sentenced on Aug. 30 to 45 years in prison. Gallegos, 46, of Lordsburg, New Mexico, pleaded guilty on Jan. 29, 2021, to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to court records, Gallegos coerced an 11-year-old victim to engage in sexual acts, which Gallegos recorded on his cellphone. On May 4, 2020, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), executing a federal search warrant, recovered the videos from Gallegos’ phone, as well as another pornographic video involving two minor victims.
Upon his release from prison, Gallegos will be subject to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
HSI investigated this case with assistance from the Lordsburg Police Department and Las Cruces Police Department as part of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Marisa A. Ong is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
The ICAC Task Force Program is a nation-wide network of task forces including over 90 federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies in New Mexico dedicated to investigating, prosecuting and developing effective responses to Internet crimes against children.
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Large Scale Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to over 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Manuel Lopez Avitia, 45, a Mexican national, was sentenced to 15 years and one month in prison, and five years of supervised release, by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney for numerous narcotics offenses.
In March 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and two counts of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and aiding and abetting. The charges stemmed from the defendant’s role as the leader of a nationwide fentanyl trafficking organization, which distributed approximately 27 kilograms of fentanyl in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania from at least one known stash house in Whitehall Township, PA, and other locations across the country, from May 2017 to March 2019.
“Drug addiction and the distribution operations that enable it are at epidemic levels in Philadelphia, Allentown, Reading and other cities and towns across our District, so we are aggressively prosecuting those responsible for the surge,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Lopez-Avitia and others associated with this organization pumped large quantities of deadly fentanyl into neighborhoods across the country, putting many people’s lives at risk. We want to thank our law enforcement partners in this case for their hard work and dedication.”
“Lopez-Avitia was responsible for trafficking 27 kilograms of fentanyl across our region and the country over a two-year period where illicit fentanyl ravaged our communities,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “Illicit fentanyl continues to plague our streets today; Lopez-Avitia rightly deserves this lengthy federal prison sentence for his drug-trafficking activities.”
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Bensalem Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Francis A. Weber.
Kentucky Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Meth Trafficking in Jasper CountyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Louisville, Kentucky, man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing more than two kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in a rental vehicle after he was stopped on Interstate 44 in Jasper County, Mo.
Quennel A. Young, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 16 years and eight months in federal prison without parole.
On Feb. 14, 2022, Young was found guilty of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute following a one-day bench trial that was held on Feb. 9, 2022.
Young was arrested on July 26, 2020, when he was pulled over by a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper on Interstate 44 in Jasper County after the trooper observed Young commit multiple traffic violations.
The trooper searched Young’s vehicle. When the trooper searched the trunk, he saw the trunk lid liner was not secured tight against the trunk lid sheet metal. He pulled back the corner of the formed liner and found two duct-taped bundles that contained approximately 2.2 pounds of methamphetamine. In a later search of the vehicle, officers found three additional duct-taped bundles of methamphetamine hidden under the center console gear shift cover. All five bundles of methamphetamine weighed a total of approximately 5.59 pounds (2.539 kilograms).
According to court documents, Young has a prior felony conviction for second-degree manslaughter after he and three others attacked the victim, causing the victim to suffer severe head injuries. The victim later succumbed to his injuries and died. Young also has a prior felony conviction for three counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, and a felony conviction for attempted possession of a forged instrument.
Young also has two prior misdemeanor convictions for assault in which he struck a woman in the face. In one of the assaults, Young sent the victim a text message threatening to kill her before appearing at the victim’s home and striking her in the face with such force that the victim required stiches to her lip and a root canal on two teeth as they were knocked back.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Beaver and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Chalifoux. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Joplin, Mo., Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Kansas Woman Indicted for Coercing Minor to Produce Child PornRead the Press Release
WICHTA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a woman with two counts of sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, Brandi Snyder, 34, of Americus is accused of persuading and coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction, and she’s accused of allegedly possessing and distributing child pornography.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Raymond Walker,51, of Wichita was indicted on one count of possession with intention to distribute -methamphetamine, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession of a firearm which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Kalamazoo County Bank Robber Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Matthew Allen Main, 35, of Parchment, Michigan, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison, United States Attorney Mark Totten announced today. Main pleaded guilty to robbing the JPMorgan Chase Bank in Kalamazoo in October 2021 and threatening to pull a gun on the teller if she didn’t give him $50,000. Main also admitted to robbing Community Promise Federal Credit Union in Kalamazoo two days later by threatening to set off bombs around the building if two bank tellers didn’t give him $50,000. Main obtained approximately $9,945.33 from the two robberies.
In imposing the sentence, U.S. District Judge Jane M. Beckering remarked on the violent nature of the threats to the tellers. In addition to the prison term, Judge Beckering ordered Main to pay $9,945.33 in restitution and a fine of $500, and to serve three years on supervised release following his prison term.
“These two Kalamazoo bank robberies and threats of violence against the bank employees are unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “Thanks to the investigative efforts of the FBI and the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, we were able to locate Mr. Main, vindicate the public interest, and deter these sorts of violent robberies in the future.”
“Bank robberies are crimes of violence that traumatize the victims, and the FBI is dedicated to seeking justice for those victims,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “This case is a warning to others that if you commit a bank robbery or any other violent crime in Michigan, you will face serious consequences for your unlawful actions. We are grateful for the close working relationship we have with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety and are thankful for their partnership during this investigation.”
The case was investigated by the FBI – Kalamazoo Resident Agency and the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay M. West handled the prosecution.
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