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6 October 2022
Billings man admits attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor in undercover investigationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man who was accused of having sexual conversations through social media with an undercover agent posing as a minor girl and was arrested when he showed up to meet the girl admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Kyle Jason Swindler, 41, pleaded guilty to attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Swindler faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and at least three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Swindler was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in October 2021, law enforcement, acting in an undercover capacity and posing as a 13-year-old girl, communicated through the Internet by social media with a user who turned out to be Swindler. Early in the conversation, the undercover persona identified herself as 13 years old, and Swindler responded, “Ouch you’re a young one.” The conversation became sexual in nature. Swindler and the undercover persona discussed plans to meet in person for a sexual encounter and arranged to meet in a Billings park. Swindler drove to the park, where he was arrested. Law enforcement searched Swindler’s vehicle and found sex-related items. Officers also searched Swindler’s cell phone and recovered the original social media conversation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Hargrove is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County Attorney’s Office and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
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Berkeley County man admits to role in “boot” distribution operationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kyle Allen Finch, of Hedgesville, West Virginia has admitted to his role in a drug conspiracy, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Finch, 23, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Eutylone.” Finch admitted to working with others to distribute large quantities of Eutylone, also known as “boot,” from Maryland to Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, West Virginia from February 2019 to March 15, 2022.
Finch faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Martinsburg Police Department; the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department; the Virginia State Police, Montgomery County; and Maryland State Attorney’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Basketball Tourney Gives Local Kids and Law Enforcement a Chance to Bond Through CompetitionRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Competition was fierce as local kids and law enforcement personnel vied for the title of Fall Classic Youth & Cops Basketball Tournament champion.
Held at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex in Miami Gardens, the fourth-annual tourney consisted of 11 teams, each one comprised of kids and police officers or staff from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (USAO-SDFL).
“It’s not youth against cops; it’s youth with cops,” said J.D. Smith, Chief of Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section, USAO-SDFL.
The tournament was won by the North Miami Beach Police Department, with USAO-SDFL finishing second. But more important than winning was the opportunity for kids and law enforcement to mingle and get to know one another.
“I love seeing the departments come out,” said Chris Browne, assistant U.S. attorney. “Officers spot kids from their communities and get them to come play and show off their talents.”
Kevin Santos, a supervisory contract specialist with USAO-SDFL and former Coral Gables High School basketball player, already knew the kids on his USAO team.
“I have coached all of these kids through the We Are the Academy recreation league,” he said. “All are very talented players. I wanted to give kids from different backgrounds the chance to play and interact with our community law enforcement partners. As soon as they got an opportunity to represent the U.S. Attorney’s Office they jumped at the chance and immediately said yes.”
The idea for this tournament came from a town hall meeting a few years back where some youth said they thought police officers weren’t nice people.
“But they’d had no interaction with police officers,” said Smith. “An event like this humanizes people and helps break down barriers. It gives our youth a glimpse of the person behind the badge so they can see they’re regular folks just like the rest of us. That is why we started this.”
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, Smith is happy the tournament is back. And judging from all of the smiles and high-fives, it seemed everyone else felt the same way.
“It’s great to be back,” said Smith. “It’s fun. This is what it’s all about. You can’t beat it.”
Tournament participation included Miramar Police Department; North Miami Police Department; Miami-Dade Police Department (The U); North Miami Beach Police Department; Miami-Dade Corrections Department; Miami Gardens Police Department; Miami Beach Police Department; United States Attorney’s Office; Miami Police Department; Florida Highway Patrol; and Miami-Dade Police Department Community Affairs.
Special acknowledgement to Miami Gardens Police Department for hosting the event in their city, as well as the police agencies who supplied refreshments to the more than 150 tournament participants.
Cutline information for photo: Members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida basketball team take a quick huddle to design a play during the recent Fall Classic Youth & Cops Basketball Tournament.
Bank CEO Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Taking Bribes in Connection with Loans Guaranteed by the Small Business AdministrationRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that defendant EDWARD SHIN, a/k/a “Eungsoo Shin,” was sentenced to 14 months in prison for his role in defrauding a Pennsylvania-based bank (the “Bank”) while serving as its CEO. SHIN was convicted after a three-week trial before U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan on all counts, which charged SHIN with taking bribes in connection with the Bank’s issuance of loans that were guaranteed by the United States Small Business Administration (“SBA”) and with causing the Bank to issue SBA-guaranteed and commercial loans to companies in which SHIN had a secret financial interest.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As CEO, Edward Shin was entrusted with stewardship of a Pennyslvania-based bank. Instead of promoting and protecting the bank’s interests, Shin used the bank as his own piggy bank, stealing from it to line his pockets and the pockets of his corrupt friends. For violating the trust placed in him, Shin will rightly serve prison time.”
According to the allegations contained in the Criminal Complaint, Indictment, and evidence adduced during trial:
The SBA helps Americans start, build, and grow businesses by guaranteeing certain loans made by banks to help those businesses succeed. Between 2009 and 2013, the Bank offered a range of financial products, including SBA-guaranteed loans to small businesses in the New York-New Jersey area, which the Bank could extend only on the condition that all aspects of those loans complied with SBA regulations and SBA’s standard operating procedures. In particular, SBA regulations and procedures prohibited bank officers, including SHIN, from receiving any payments in connection with SBA-backed loans and prohibited banks from extending such loans to any institution in which a bank officer held an interest.
Notwithstanding these regulations, SHIN, then the CEO of the Bank, secretly solicited and received bribe payments in connection with SBA-guaranteed loans issued by the Bank and caused the Bank to extend SBA-guaranteed and commercial loans to companies in which SHIN had secret ownership interests. Specifically, when the Bank issued business loans that did not involve the use of any actual broker, SHIN nonetheless arranged to have his longtime friend, a real estate and loan broker (the “Broker”), inserted unnecessarily into the transaction solely to generate a broker fee that could be shared with SHIN; in fact, the Broker did no actual work to earn a commission on those transactions but split the “broker’s fee” with SHIN as an illegal kickback.
SHIN also arranged for the Bank to issue SBA-guaranteed loans to several businesses in which he secretly retained an ownership interest, in violation of SBA regulations and procedures. For example, in or about June 2010, the Bank issued an SBA-guaranteed loan for approximately $950,000 to a business in New York, New York. Although documents submitted to the Bank for purposes of securing the loan did not mention SHIN’s financial interest, the business was secretly operated as a partnership between SHIN, the Broker, and another individual. The loan ultimately went into default status, resulting in a loss to the Bank of approximately $591,278.60. On another occasion, in or about 2013, the Bank issued an SBA-guaranteed loan for approximately $1,050,000 to a business in New York, New York. Again, even though the business was secretly operated as a partnership between SHIN and another family member of SHIN’s, the documents submitted to the Bank for purposes of securing the loan did not mention SHIN’s financial interest nor the family member’s relationship to SHIN.
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SHIN, 59, of Ambler, Pennsylvania, was convicted at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud affecting a financial institution, one count of conspiracy to commit bank bribery, one count of conspiracy to commit loan fraud, another count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and one count each of bank bribery and embezzlement of funds by a bank officer. In addition to the prison terms, Judge Cronan sentenced SHIN to three years of supervised release and ordered SHIN to pay forfeiture in the amount of $5,506,050 and a $600 special assessment fee.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, the SBA Office of the Inspector General, and the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Tara La Morte, Anden Chow, and Jessica Greenwood are in charge of the prosecution.
Bangladeshi National Arrested in Malaysia for Operating an International Child Exploitation EnterpriseRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska has unsealed a 13-count indictment charging Zobaidul Amin, 24, for his role in operating a child exploitation enterprise following his arrest in Kuala Lumpur by Malaysian authorities.
Amin, a Bangladeshi national, is charged in the District of Alaska with offenses related to his alleged abuse and exploitation of hundreds of minor victims in the District of Alaska and elsewhere in the United States and abroad in one of the most malicious, digitally facilitated sextortion and child pornography production schemes investigated to date by the FBI.
According to federal court documents, Amin used the Snapchat application to identify and coerce child victims to produce images and videos of sexually explicit and sadistic conduct.
Following coordination with FBI Anchorage, Amin was taken into custody in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Unit D11 of the Royal Malaysia Police on September 19, 2022, and subsequently charged by Prosecutors with the Malaysia Attorney General’s Chambers on 12 counts related to the possession and production of child pornography.
“There are few crimes as damaging and traumatic to a young person as sextortion,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “It is especially evil to target impressionable children using social media apps such as Snapchat to exploit their innocence for pictures and videos. These children have been robbed of their childhood; and their lives and the lives of their families forever altered. This case highlights the immense collaboration and dedication of law enforcement partners across the country who are working tirelessly to identify the victims.”
“Seen as one of the most prolific and malicious sextortion schemes investigated by the FBI to date, this child exploitation enterprise targeted hundreds of minors in the United States and abroad through popular social media platforms,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Children would then be coerced into producing sexually explicit material and terrorized with threats of exposure if they did not continue. The protection of our children extends beyond borders, and this case demonstrates the multi-jurisdictional approach among local, state, federal, and international law enforcement partners to maximize our efforts in the pursuit of justice."
If the public has any further information regarding Amin’s activities, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI’s Anchorage Field Office made today’s announcement. The District of Alaska would like to thank the prosecutors of the Malaysian Attorney General’s Chambers and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their efforts to apprehend Amin.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is investigating the case. Also supporting the investigation are the following agencies:
Royal Malaysia Police; Alaska State Troopers; Anchorage Police Department; Laramie Police Department (Wyoming); Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation; Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office (Oregon)[; Mercer County Sheriff's Office (West Virginia); Raleigh County Sheriff's Office (West Virginia); Kanawha County Sheriff's Office (West Virginia); Guernsey County Sheriff's Department (Oregon); Clay County Sheriff's Office (Florida); Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (Oregon); HSI Wenatchee, WA/Bend, OR; and the FBI Field Offices in Portland, Minneapolis, Seattle, Salt Lake, Denver, Jacksonville, Cincinnati, Detroit, Atlanta, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Newark, and Oklahoma City.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Alexander and Jennifer Ivers are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines 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.
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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Aldie Man Pleads Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Aldie man pleaded guilty today to a criminal information charging him with one count of wire fraud.
According to court documents, Kevin Lee, 38, was the controller for a McLean company. By virtue of his position, he had access to all the company’s finances, recordkeeping, and operational accounts. Between October 2018 and August 2021, Lee used his unique access to embezzle more than $7,000,000 through multiple transfers into his personal bank accounts. He disguised these transactions as payments to vendors and by falsifying information in the company’s recordkeeping software. Lee also re-directed money from an existing line of credit in the company’s name to cover revenue shortfalls created by his crime.
Lee is scheduled to be sentenced on January 12, 2023. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Washington Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Peters, with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Monika Moore, is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-135.
5 October 2022
Zionsville Firefighter Paramedic Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing and Possessing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Daniel Stevens, 48, of Whitestown, Indiana, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distribution and possession child sex abuse material.
According to court documents, Stevens was a firefighter paramedic in the Town of Zionsville, Indiana, and was also employed by a local hospital in Indianapolis. Unbeknownst to his employers and without their consent, Stevens used their internet connection to distribute numerous images and videos depicting child sex abuse material to others over social media. Stevens also used his tablet to store thousands of images and videos depicting prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the children depicted in the images and videos were infants, babies, and toddlers. Stevens also viewed and saved material that depicted sadomasochistic sexual abuse of children.
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.
The FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. As part of the sentence, Judge Stinson ordered that Stevens be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for ten years following his release from federal prison and ordered Stevens to pay $12,000 in restitution to each of the minor victims depicted in the images and videos he distributed and possessed. Stevens must also register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law.
In fiscal year 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
Winchester Kentucky Man Charged with Assaulting Two Transportation Security Officers at AirportRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Kelvin R. Portwood with forcibly assaulting two Transportation Security Agency (TSA) Officers at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Kelvin R. Portwood, 55, of Winchester, Kentucky, was charged with interference with security screening personnel and two counts of forcibly assaulting, resisting, and impeding officers of the United States government. Portwood was charged by criminal complaint and was arrested on September 30, 2022.
The defendant appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Kentucky for an initial appearance on a criminal complaint on October 2, 2022. If convicted, Portwood faces up to 26 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, the TSA, the U.S. Air Marshal Service, and the Louisville Airport Police, with the assistance of the Clark County Kentucky Sheriff’s Office and the Mount Sterling Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Judd.
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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White Earth Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Assaulting a ChildRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A White Earth man was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for assaulting a minor child on the White Earth reservation, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on June 8, 2020, Edward Duane Fairbanks, 30, was caring for a minor child. During the early afternoon hours, Fairbanks intentionally shoved the child into a table, causing a serious head injury. The child was taken to the hospital where doctors diagnosed a large skull fracture and a subdural hematoma. The child had to undergo a craniectomy to relieve pressure on the brain.
Fairbanks was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim. On June 2, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the White Earth Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Deidre Y. Aanstad prosecuted the case.
Western District of New York Takes Part in Department's Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Justice Department announced today the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. Today, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“The participation of this office in the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force provides us with another tool in our toolbox to protect this population of vulnerable community members,” stated U.S. Attorney Ross. “We will work diligently to track down and prosecute all individuals who take advantage of older adults in our community by committing fraud on those individuals.
During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged. These defendants included:
• Martin Hogan, of Montreal Canada, was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and sentenced to serve 111 months in prison. Hogan conspired with multiple co-defendants to defraud elderly victims by placing telephone calls from Canada to victims in the United States, telling them that they had won the Canadian lottery. However, victims were told that they had to first pay the taxes, brokerage fee, and/or custom fees due in connection with the winnings. In total, elderly victims were defrauded out of more than $2,600,000.
• Jennifer Campbell, of Niagara Falls, NY, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Campbell, who was employed as the Office Manager and Chief Compliance Officer at an investment advisory firm based in Buffalo, NY, is accused of accessing client accounts and stealing over $500,000 from several clients and from the firm itself.
• Brian Bartz, of Rochester, NY, was convicted of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, and sentenced to serve 70 months in prison. Bartz was employed as an insurance broker at several different life insurance companies, selling and servicing policies and receiving commissions and bonuses for selling such policies. Bartz submitted approximately 105 fraudulent policy applications in various individuals’ names without their knowledge, utilizing actual names, social security numbers, and dates of birth. In total, the loss amount for Bartz’s schemes was approximately $1,026,668.46.
• Thomas Mann, of Addison, NY, was convicted of wire fraud and sentenced to serve 24 months in prison. Mann was treasurer of the Transport Investment Club, which had approximately 25 investing members, and had sole control over the TIC bank accounts and the TIC investment accounts at brokerage firms. By February 2020, TIC’s investments should have been worth approximately $290,614.05. In actuality, Mann had embezzled all but $707.74 of TIC’s stock holdings.The Department also highlighted three other efforts: expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
The Department announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult, and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available 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 professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland Prosecutes Three Men on Violent Crime Charges Relating to Domestic AbuseRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – In recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland is highlighting the recent prosecution of three defendants, in unrelated cases, for charges arising from separate incidents of domestic abuse, including assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, and malicious destruction of property by fire, respectively.
The guilty plea and sentencings were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Acting U.S. Park Police Chief Christopher Stock; Maryland State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Niles R. Ford of the Baltimore City Fire Department.
“Domestic abuse is a serious problem that tears at the fabric of family and society. Standing together with our local law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not hesitate to use appropriate federal statutes to confront domestic violence and hold abusers accountable.” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron.
United States v. Kyrie Thompson
On September 28, 2022, Kyrie Thompson, age, 28, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to attempted witness tampering and the kidnapping of a female victim who was the mother of his child. As detailed at his plea hearing, in September 2019, when the victim drove her car to Thompson’s residence to drop off their child, Thompson entered the victim’s car and directed the victim to drive to a Maryland address. Once parked, Thompson forced the victim to perform oral sex on him and Thompson recorded the assault on his cellular phone. After the incident, the victim drove Thompson back to his residence and the victim drove home and called the police.
In December 2019, a federal grand jury indicted Thompson for kidnapping. Soon after, Thompson contacted the victim and begged her to change her statement to law enforcement so Thompson could avoid prosecution.
Thompson faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for kidnapping, a maximum of sentence of 20 years of federal imprisonment for attempted witness tampering. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has not scheduled his sentencing hearing at this time.
United States v. Johnnie Currie
According to defendant Currie’s guilty plea, in February 2020, Currie picked up the victim to transport her from her night job to her daytime job. While traveling in the car with Currie, the victim noticed that Currie was irritated and was driving erratically. When Currie and the victim arrived at her daytime job, the business was still locked. While the victim waited for the manager to arrive and unlock the business, the victim and Currie got into an argument. During the argument, Currie threw the contents of a lemonade bottle at the victim and locked the victim in his car against her will. He then drove out of the parking lot, with the victim still trapped in the car. When the victim tried to call her boss on her cell phone, Currie threatened to crash the car and kill the victim.
Currie continued to argue with the victim and told her that if she was happy with him, they would not have any problems. Currie then told the victim to exit the car, but when the victim tried to get out, he locked the doors again and drove off erratically.
Eventually, Currie drove onto the Baltimore-Washington Parkway where he pulled out a box cutter and cut the victim on her thigh. The victim began to cry and called 911. Currie told the victim he would take her to the emergency room. To tend to her wound, the victim wrapped her thigh in a shirt. Currie drove past a Prince George’s County emergency center. The victim again attempted to call 911 and Currie demanded her cell phone. When the victim refused to give Currie her phone, he pulled out a hot cigarette lighter and threatened to ignite the shirt she used to cover her wound. Currie then drove to a Washington, D.C. emergency room where he ordered the victim to get out of the car. The victim limped into the emergency room and received medical attention including 25 stitches. Currie admitted that he confined the victim to the vehicle to maintain control over her and to perpetuate an argument.
On September 21, 2022, U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Johnnie Currie, age 42, of Washington, D.C, to 46 months in federal prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release for assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury related to his assault on an ex-girlfriend. Judge Grimm also ordered that Currie attend domestic abuse counseling.
United States v. Luther Moody Trent
According to court documents, in May 2021, defendant Trent poured gasoline along the exterior of a Baltimore residence of his former girlfriend (Victim 1) while Victim 1 and two other victims were inside the home. The fire caused significant damage to the residence and the adjoining property, however, all three victims were alerted and escaped without injury.
Before the case was prosecuted federally, Trent was interviewed by a local news station about the arson. During that interview, he claimed to have set Victim 1’s residence on fire because he was upset that he could not see Victim 1 within a romantic relationship. Further, Trent compared his actions to Romeo and Juliet and stated that “if I can’t have her, nobody can, or at least no one in Baltimore.”
In August 2022, defendant Trent was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for malicious destruction of property by fire. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander also ordered Trent to pay $612,700.12 in restitution to the owner of the property that was damaged by the fire.
If you are someone you know is a survivor of domestic abuse or would like to report domestic violence, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224 or 1-206-518-9361 (video phone only for hearing impaired callers). You can also contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline online at https://www.thehotline.org/. For additional domestic abuse resources please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/victim-witness-assistance.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the U.S. Park Police, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore City Fire Department for their work in the investigations. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah Grossi, Bijon Mostoufi, and Elizabeth Wright who prosecuted the federal cases.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida Enjoys Success in Protecting Older Adults Through Transnational Elder Fraud Strike ForceRead the Press Release
MIAMI – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida has put a bullseye on those who would defraud elderly Americans through its work with the Justice Department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force.
In fact, the Strike Force is adding 14 additional U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide, bringing the total to 20. These include U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and New York. USAO-SDFL was one of the first to join in 2019. Since that time, the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations have brought successful cases against the largest and most harmful global elder fraud schemes. These organizations also worked with foreign law enforcement to disrupt criminal enterprises, disable their infrastructure, and bring perpetrators to justice.
“The most common scams that target the elderly include impersonating a government official, robocalls, and sweepstakes,” said Juan Antonio “Tony” Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “Age-related health conditions such as dementia or decreased cognitive function can make it difficult for our senior citizens to detect a scam. Preying upon our elderly population is a shameful thing to do and it’s our job to go after these perpetrators and prosecute them to the fullest.”
And go after them is just what the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) plans to do by doubling down on its efforts and increasing available resources.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
From September 2021 to September 2022, DOJ personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants. Over that same time period, USAO-SDFL staff also had great success going after those who would swindle elders out of their money. Below are USAO-SDFL prosecutions that highlight those efforts:
United States v. Johnny Ray Thomas Case No. 22-20332
South Florida resident Johnny Ray Thomas and his Indian co-conspirators, Saher Mash Uppal and Prateek Uppal, operated several fraudulent Information Technology (IT companies), which falsely and fraudulently convinced elderly victims to make payments to the defendants’ companies for purported IT services and software when, in truth, and in fact, the victims received no legitimate services or software from the defendants’ businesses. Defendants and their co-conspirators “cold called” victims to inform them their computers had been hacked or otherwise compromised and convinced the victims to pay thousands for worthless “anti-virus” software and other services. Defendants and their co-conspirators installed remote access software on the victims’ computers in order to install the worthless software, which often consisted of nothing more than “scripts” that generated pop-ups on the victims’ computers notifying them their computers were infected with viruses. Defendants diverted the victims’ funds to corporate and personal bank accounts they controlled for their personal use and benefit and to carry out the conspiracy by paying for Internet marketing and other “leads.” Twelve victims lost over $20,000 each.
United States v. Jamare Mason, Case No. 19-60313
In November 2021 defendants Omar Bailey and Ronaldo Green were found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The two, along with conspirators Jamare Mason, Mario Ricketts, and Kadeem Gordon were involved in a scheme in which the defendants fraudulently redirected Veteran Affairs benefits Social Security Administration benefits from rightful beneficiaries to accounts controlled by the defendants. The scheme was operated from Jamaica and involved stealing personal identifying information of veterans and social security beneficiaries. They then changed the deposit information from the original accounts to accounts that they controlled, providing the Veterans Administration and Social Security Administration with the information to these fraudulently created accounts. They then had the prepaid debit cards and ATM cards to these fraudulently created accounts sent to addresses of conspirators and thereafter used by coconspirators to withdraw funds from the accounts controlled by them. Once withdrawn, the funds were distributed to the conspirators in the United States and also sent to co-conspirators in Jamaica. Green was sentenced on March 2, 2022, to 78 months of imprisonment, five years supervised release and ordered to pay $915,825.97 in restitution. Bailey was sentenced on February 8, 2022, to 24 months of imprisonment, four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $48,000 in restitution. Jamare Mason was sentenced on January 18, 2022, to 78 months of imprisonment, five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,314,986.45 in restitution. Kadeem Gordon’s sentence was reduced for his cooperation and he was sentenced on December 14, 2021, to six months of imprisonment, 5 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $40,667.46 in restitution and Mario Ricketts’ sentence of 13 months imprisonment was reduced on December 21, 2021, to time served based on his cooperation. He was ordered to pay $564,230 in restitution.
United States v. Aisladys Diaz, Case No. 22-20354
Five defendants, Aisladys Diaz, 45, of Miami, her daughter Ailensy Buron Diaz, 29, of Miami, Berto Omar Rodriguez Fonseca, 33, of Cutler Bay, Florida, and husband and wife Yandys Diaz and Yainelis Perez Diaz of Miami, were charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit access device fraud. According to allegations in the indictment, in May 2020 Aisladys Diaz, who was employed as an aide at a nursing home in Homestead, Florida, stole the personal identifying information of two elderly residents who were in her care. Diaz then shared that information with her daughter, Ailensy Buron Diaz, Berto Omar Rodriguez Fonseca, a finance manager at a car dealership in Miami Lakes, and Yandys Perez and Yainelis Perez Diaz, who used the information to purchase numerous new and used vehicles at car dealerships in Miami-Dade County, apply for numerous credit cards, and apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, and an SBA loan under the CARES Act. The loss is approximately $700,000.
United States v. Sherri Lynn Smith, Case No. 21-14023
On August 26, 2022, defendant Sherri Lynn Smith of Broward County was sentenced to 51 months in prison, 4 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $288,865.92 in restitution for stealing from an elderly couple while she was employed as their caretaker. Smith worked for the couple from 2016 through 2019 and had access to the victims’ bank account to assist them in paying their bills. She used that access to embezzle approximately $300,000 out of the victims’ accounts without their knowledge or consent. She accomplished this by writing and forging the victim’s signature on checks made payable to herself, her family members, and her creditors; initiating Zelle electronic money transfers from the victims’ accounts to her own bank account; and making electronic payments from the victims’ accounts to her and her husband’s numerous credit card accounts.
United States v. Sean Kerwin Bindranauth, Case No. 19-10016
On March 21, 2022, defendant Sean Kerwin Bindranauth was sentenced to 180 months in prison for laundering approximately $1 million of victims’ funds that were illegally obtained from romance and investment fraud scams that targeted the elderly. According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, Bindranauth’s conspirators contacted the victims who were generally lonely older women via social media, developed online relationships with the victims, and convinced them to send money to Bindranauth. Once Bindranauth received the money, he sent it from the United Sates to Nigeria using international money transfer companies, initialing direct bank transfers, purchasing gift cards, and relaying the gift card information. Over a dozen seniors and other victims were tricked into sending Bindranauth and his co-conspirators approximately $1 million. Evidence at trial also showed that other victims sent Bindranauth cash via USPS.
United States v. Isaac Grossman, Case No. 19-60300
On February 10, 2022, defendant Isaac Grossman, 47, of Parkland, Florida, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for directing an elder fraud scheme in which he sold stock in his South Florida-based technology company to elderly investors across the country and then misappropriated the funds for his own personal use. From September 2014 through April 2018, Grossman raised approximately $2.4 million in investor funds for his company, Dragon-Click Corp. He told potential investors the company was developing an internet application that would revolutionize internet shopping. He solicited funds by falsely telling potential investors they would double, triple, or quadruple their investments, and that Dragon-Click was on the verge of being sold to a large tech company, such as Google, Apple, or Amazon for more than $1 billion. He said investor funds would be used to complete technical development of the App, pay legal fees, etc. Grossman concealed from investors that he had been permanently barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority from acting as a broker-dealer or associating with any broker-dealer firm. Grossman also had been permanently banned from commodities trading by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Not only did Grossman never use Investor money to develop the App, he instead spent $1.3 million on gambling, diamond jewelry, luxury cars, home mortgage payments, and tuition payments for his children’s private school education. For example, Grossman’s unlawful expenditures included a McLaren MP4-12C, a Chevrolet Corvette, and a 4.81 carat diamond ring.
These cases illustrate just some of the ways elders can be preyed upon. Just knowing some of a criminal’s tactics can make a big difference when it comes to defending against them. As part of the elder fraud efforts, USAO-SDFL staff regularly reach out to the community to raise awareness about scams and exploitation. During their weekly food distribution events around Miami and the surrounding areas they hand out elderly fraud and abuse flyers in addition to groceries.
Another big help is using the tip line. Consumer reporting about fraud and attempted fraud is critical to law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. Anyone age 60 or older who has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available from the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This DOJ Hotline is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying the next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies and provide resources and referrals. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the DOJ’s elder justice efforts can be found on its Elder Justice website at www.elderjustice.gov.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona Joins Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced today that, as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and to bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice, it is joining the Justice Department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, as one of 14 additional U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Since 2019, current Strike Force members — including the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, six U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations — have brought successful cases against the largest and most harmful global elder fraud schemes and worked with foreign law enforcement to disrupt criminal enterprises, disable their infrastructure and bring perpetrators to justice. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat sophisticated fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults. The expansion will increase the total number of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices comprising the Strike Force from six to 20, including all of the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the states of California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and New York.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“I am pleased to announce the District of Arizona’s selection as one of the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force Districts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is dedicated to bringing those who defraud the elderly to justice, whether they commit such crimes in the United States or from abroad,” said Gary Restaino, U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona.
The Strike Force expansion will further enhance the Department’s existing efforts to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged. The matters tackled by the Department and its partners ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts also were made over the last year to return money to fraud victims.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, along with its federal partners, successfully prosecuted various cases involving scams targeting the elderly. Notable examples are as follows:
United States v. Joseph Batts et al., CR-18-2216-TUC-RCC – David McIntosh was sentenced to 160 months in prison and ordered to pay approximately $1.8 million in restitution. McIntosh was a leader in an international lottery fraud ring that targeted thousands of elderly victims around the United States. McIntosh’s co-defendant, Joseph Batts, received a sentence of 70 months in prison for his role as a “lead list” distributor. In the related case of United States v. Sheldon Hibbert, CR-19-1973-TUC-SHR, Mr. Hibbert received a sentence of 48 months in prison for his role in laundering portions of the fraudulent proceeds. The District of Arizona has also sought the extradition of co-defendant Ferlando McCoon from Jamaica. Mr. McCoon is currently challenging his extradition to the United States.
United States v. Onovughe Ighorhiohwunu, CR-21-1119-TUC-SHR – Onovughe Ighorhiohwunu was found guilty by a jury for his role as a money launderer in an international romance fraud scheme targeting vulnerable and elderly victims. Ighorhiohwunu received 130 months in prison and was ordered to pay approximately $1.3 million in restitution.
United States v. Koreasa M. Williams, CR-19-1276-TUC-JGZ – Koreasa M. Williams, formerly a licensed insurance agent, embezzled money from elderly insurance clients. Williams was sentenced to 51 months in prison and ordered to pay $330,923 in restitution. In a related case, CR-21-3136-TUC-JGZ, Williams defrauded a separate elderly victim by embezzling over $1.3 million. Williams was sentenced to 136 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution.
United States v. Michael Tagle Santos et al., CR-20-2707-TUC-JGZ – Michael Tagle Santos and Cherry Mae De Los Reyes Santos, husband and wife, were caretakers of an elderly disabled victim. The couple embezzled money from the victim and used the funds for personal expenses. Mr. Santos received 33 months in prison. Mrs. Santos was sentenced to 16 months in prison. The couple was also ordered to pay $362,266 in restitution.
United States v. Jacoby, CR-21-452-PHX-JJT – Michael Jacoby defrauded an elderly widower out of his retirement savings (approximately $1 million) by offering investment management services, but instead taking the money for himself. Jacoby pleaded guilty and is pending sentencing.
United States v. Mehaffey, CR-20-626-PHX-DWL – Brannen Mehaffey operated a money service business exchanging cash for bitcoin. He was charged after the IRS conducted a sting operation where Mehaffey exchanged cash for bitcoin despite believing the cash came from drug sales. Most of Mehaffey’s actual business arose from fraud: perpetrators of schemes, such as romance scams, would direct their victims to send cash or deposit money into Mehaffey’s accounts, and Mehaffey would in turn send bitcoin to the people running the schemes. Mehaffey was sentenced to 41 months in prison and ordered to pay a total of $562,000 in restitution to a number of elderly victims.
As part of the District of Arizona’s elder fraud efforts in addition to prosecution, it engages in outreach to the community and industry to raise awareness about scams and exploitation and preventing victimization. On September 29, 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with its federal partners, the IRS Criminal Investigation and United States Postal Inspection Service, conducted an outreach event entitled “Protect Yourself and Your Money” hosted by the Pima Council on Aging. This event took place at The Katie Dusenberry Healthy Aging Center in Tucson, Arizona. On October 3, 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Secret Service conducted a similar event at the Handmaker Assisted Living Center in Tucson, Arizona. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to provide similar events with its federal partners in the future.
The Department also highlighted national efforts in returning money to victims. In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through 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 next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. 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. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website: www.elderjustice.gov.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-169_Elder Justice Release
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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.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Takes Part in Justice Department’s Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Justice Department announced the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. Today, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“Our seniors and their loved ones should never hesitate to seek help from law enforcement when they encounter elder fraud,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “Education and prevention are crucial as we combat this form of exploitation. But when fraud strikes, we are determined to bring these criminals to justice and recover losses for victims.”
During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged.
This past year, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia secured convictions against nine individuals on charges arising from romance and other online scams that coerced seniors and other vulnerable victims into sending money to scheme participants. Five of these individuals pleaded guilty in connection with a romance fraud scheme that defrauded more than 200 victims, many of them elderly, of at least $2.5 million.
As part of the Southern District of West Virginia’s elder fraud efforts, it engages in outreach to the community and industry to raise awareness about scams and exploitation and preventing victimization. It presented a public messaging campaign in conjunction with the observance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: https://youtu.be/Av6XWosOCpU. U.S. Attorney Thompson participated in a virtual town hall focused on elder fraud education and prevention hosted by AARP of West Virginia on September 27, 2022.
The Department also highlighted three other efforts: expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
The Department announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through 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 next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. 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. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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U.S. Attorney Announces New Initiative for Addressing Environmental Justice and Public Health ConcernsRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- U.S. Attorney Clifford D. Johnson announces a new initiative to address environmental justice and public health concerns. U.S. Attorney Johnson has designated an Environmental Justice Coordinator to coordinate the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to address those concerns. Members of the public may visit the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndin/environmental-justice-public-health for information regarding where to report environmental violations or public health issues; and also how to report such concerns to the Environmental Justice Coordinator.
U.S. Attorney Johnson stated: "Strong and fair enforcement of environmental and public health laws protects our precious natural resources, including Lake Michigan and the Indiana Dunes National Park, and ensures a healthy environment for everyone to live, learn, play, and work. Your reporting of environmental and public health concerns supports environmental protection and environmental justice and helps us protect the community from harmful violations of federal health and safety laws."
The Office’s reporting procedures are part of the Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy, which seeks to advance environmental justice through timely and effective remedies for environmental violations and injuries to natural resources in “underserved communities that have been historically marginalized and overburdened, including low-income communities, communities of color, and Tribal and Indigenous communities.” The Department of Justice enforces the Nation’s civil and criminal environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and hazardous waste laws. The Department also protects natural resources and handles cases relating to tribal rights and resources. Working with its Department of Justice partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office seeks to secure environmental justice for all communities, to ensure that everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, and to protect equal access to a healthy environment in which to live, learn, play, and work.
The Office’s reporting procedures are in addition to other methods of reporting environmental concerns to the federal government, such as the online portal maintained by the United States Environmental Protection Agency: https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations. Additional points of contact for federal agencies may be found on the Office’s website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndin/environmental-justice-public-health .
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Two Georgia Residents Plead Guilty to Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that XAVIER SIMMS and BRYCE MARTIN pled guilty to trafficking firearms from Georgia to New York and conspiring to do the same. SIMMS pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern, and MARTIN pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today, Xavier Simms and Bryce Martin admitted to trafficking guns from Georgia to New York. Their actions contributed to the flow of illegal guns into New York, which too often results in gun violence in our communities. Today’s pleas reflect the commitment of this Office and our law enforcement partners to rid our streets of illegal guns and to prosecute gun traffickers to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to the Complaint, Information against each defendant, and other documents filed in federal court, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:
On April 20, 2022, members of the FBI Westchester Safe Streets Task Force and the City of Yonkers Police Department were investigating illegal firearms activity in the vicinity of Elm and Linden streets in Yonkers, New York. During the course of their investigation, they attempted to interdict members of the conspiracy, including XAVIER SIMMS, BRYCE MARTIN, and a third co-conspirator (“CC-1”). When law enforcement officers approached SIMMS, MARTIN, and CC-1 at a Yonkers deli, CC-1 shot and critically wounded an FBI Task Force Officer at close range. After that, an FBI Special Agent fired his gun at CC-1 and fatally wounded CC-1.
Law enforcement officers recovered four firearms in total from SIMMS, MARTIN, and CC-1 at the Yonkers deli, including a “Ghost Gun” — a type of firearm that is designed to evade law enforcement detection.
SIMMS and MARTIN had previously traveled together with CC-1 from Georgia to New York, arriving in Yonkers on or about April 19, 2022, with multiple firearms to sell. Evidence recovered from their cellphones showed that SIMMS and MARTIN both had access to specialized firearms, including machinegun-style weapons. Once in Yonkers, SIMMS, MARTIN, and CC-1 met with another individual (“Individual-1”) who received from them at least five firearms to sell on consignment.
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SIMMS, 22, of Covington, Georgia, and MARTIN, 23, of Hampton, Georgia, each pled guilty to one count of conspiring to traffic firearms, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of firearms trafficking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(a)(1)(A) and 924(a)(1), which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
SIMMS is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20, 2023. MARTIN is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11, 2023.
The statutory maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the City of Yonkers Police Department. He also thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Shiva H. Logarajah and Kevin T. Sullivan are in charge of the prosecution.
Tucson Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Alexandro Luis Gomez, 30, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced on September 28, 2022, by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 17 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Gomez previously pleaded guilty to Distribution of a Controlled Substance connected to the overdose death of a young man in December 2019. The Court also ordered Gomez to pay $12,727 in restitution to the decedent’s family as compensation for expenses related to the young man’s funeral and burial .
In December 2019, Gomez sold the decedent six pills containing fentanyl for $90, which caused the decedent to overdose and die from fentanyl toxicity.
As part of the law enforcement investigation into Gomez, agents witnessed him selling drugs to two other customers. When Gomez was arrested, he had 462 fentanyl pills and a handgun inside his vehicle. During a search of his residence, agents found drugs of various types, four additional firearms, multiple cellular telephones, and $10,625 in drug proceeds.
“Drug dealers are responsible for the consequences when young Americans die from the poison they sell,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “This lengthy sentence for a $90 sale of six pills should serve both as a deterrent to other traffickers and as an homage to the victim’s family as they mourn his unexpected death.”
The Oro Valley Police Department, the Tucson Police Department, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Forsyth handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-1707-TUC-RM-EJM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-170_Gomez# # #
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.
Troy Man Sentenced to 46 Months for Distributing and Conspiring to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – David Colon, age 41, of Troy, New York was sentenced yesterday to 46 months in prison for distributing fentanyl.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
In pleading guilty, Colon admitted that from August 31, 2020 through December 15, 2020, he ran a drug trafficking organization that operated in Albany and Rensselaer counties. As the leader of this operation, Colon distributed and agreed with others to distribute approximately 125 grams of fentanyl on multiple occasions throughout Albany and Troy. Colon forfeited $560,548 in seized cash, which represented proceeds of his fentanyl distribution operation.
United States District Judge Mae. A. D’Agostino also sentenced Colon to serve 4 years of post-release supervision.
This case was investigated by the DEA and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Williams.
Trafficking over 250 kilos of meth in gas tank lands San Benito man in prisonRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A 45-year-old San Benito resident has been sent to federal prison following his conviction of possession with intent to distribute liquid meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Pedro Rodriguez III pleaded guilty July 14.
Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera ordered Rodriguez to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Rodriguez’s extensive criminal history.
On Jan. 11, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Rodriguez after he switched lanes without signaling. They soon discovered he had several pending state arrest warrants and took him into custody.
Authorities searched his vehicle and found approximately 253.2 kilograms of liquid meth hidden inside an auxiliary gas tank. Rodriguez admitted he knew the meth was inside the gas tank and had agreed to transport the narcotics from South Texas to Dallas.
Rodriguez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the San Benito Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez prosecuted the case.
Three Long Beach Men Charged in $2.6 Million Robbery of Beverly Hills Jewelry Store in Daylight Smash-and-Grab TheftRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury today indicted three Long Beach men who allegedly participated in the daylight smash-and-grab robbery of a Beverly Hills jewelry store in which more than $2.6 million worth of merchandise was stolen.
The two-count indictment returned today charges Long Beach residents Jimmy Lee Vernon III, 31, Ladell Tharpe, 37, and Deshon Bell, 20, with conspiracy and interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act).
According to the indictment, on March 23, the defendants and other co-conspirators drove in tandem in three vehicles headed from Long Beach to Beverly Hills. Once outside the victim jewelry store, Vernon and other co-conspirators allegedly got out of a Kia vehicle, smashed the store’s exterior glass cases multiple times, and then stole merchandise worth at least $2,674,000.
Vernon and the others then ran out of the store to a nearby alley, leaving behind their Kia vehicle – which had been reported stolen out of Long Beach four days before the robbery, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in this case. During the robbery, Vernon’s cellphone fell out of his sweatpants pocket while he smashed the jewelry’s store’s window, was left behind and later recovered by law enforcement, the affidavit states.
Bell allegedly waited in a car near the victim jewelry store and served as the getaway driver for Vernon and the other co-conspirators.
The defendants allegedly stole property consisting of approximately 19 bracelets, seven pairs of earrings, four necklaces, a pair of obelisks, eight rings, and 20 watches.
On March 25, Tharpe posted on his Instagram account numerous photographs that included large stacks of money and a message praising his “robbery gang,” according to the indictment.
Law enforcement arrested the defendants last month. Vernon is in federal custody, was ordered jailed without bond, and his arraignment is scheduled for October 13 in United States District Court. Tharpe is in state custody and are expected to be remanded to federal custody in the coming weeks. Bell was released on $15,000 bond and his arraignment in federal court is scheduled for October 20. A juvenile, who is not charged in the federal indictment, also was arrested in connection with the robbery, and is charged in Los Angeles Superior Court with commercial burglary.
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 both charges, each defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count.
The FBI and the Beverly Hills Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Kevin B. Reidy of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Texas Woman and Riverside County Man Charged with Illegally Transporting and Selling Live Jaguar Cub that Later Was AbandonedRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury today indicted a Texas woman who allegedly illegally sold a live jaguar cub for approximately $30,000 to a Riverside County man who soon afterward re-sold the cub, which was ultimately abandoned on the doorsteps of an animal rescue center.
Trisha Denise Meyer, a.k.a. “Mimi,” 40, of Houston, is charged in a four-count indictment with interstate transportation of an endangered species in the course of commercial activity, interstate sale of an endangered species, trafficking prohibited wildlife species, and trafficking endangered species.
Also charged in the indictment returned today is Abdul Rahman, a.k.a. “Manny Rahman,” 34, of Murrieta, who is charged with interstate transportation of an endangered species in the course of commercial activity, trafficking prohibited wildlife species, and trafficking endangered species.
The criminal charges against Meyer and Rahman allege violations of the Endangered Species Act, under which jaguars are protected, and the Lacey Act, which prohibits wildlife trafficking.
Local and federal law enforcement agents in Houston are currently searching for Meyer. Rahman will be summonsed to appear in United States District Court in Riverside on November 9.
According to the indictment, Meyer sold Rahman a live jaguar (Panthera onca) cub in spring 2021. Prior to the sale, Meyer posted on Instagram photographs and videos of herself with the cub, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint in this case. The cub’s sale price was approximately $30,000 and the animal was transported – for an additional $1,000 fee – from Texas to California.
Rahman owned the jaguar for one to two months before selling it for $20,000 to another buyer, identified in court documents as “H.G.” This individual lived in a house with a pregnant wife or girlfriend and later decided to allow the animal to be taken to a rescue center after someone expressed concerns about having a juvenile jaguar and a newborn infant in the same house, the affidavit states.
The person who expressed concerns about the jaguar – identified in court documents as “R.A.” – later told law enforcement that he and his roommate put the jaguar in a large dog kennel and drove it to an animal rescue center in Alpine. They dropped off the jaguar at the facility’s entrance on September 17, 2021, at approximately 9:50 p.m. The event was captured on security cameras and law enforcement was notified.
The jaguar remains at the animal sanctuary in Alpine.
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, Meyers would face a statutory maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison and a $700,000 fine. Rahman would face a statutory maximum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a $600,000 fine.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph O. Johns of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Texas Man Sentenced to over 21 Years for Sex Trafficking A Minor from Texas to FloridaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven today sentenced Jamel Muldrew (34, Houston, Texas) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for sex trafficking a minor, enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, use of a facility of interstate commerce in aid of racketeering, and interstate transportation of a person for prostitution. As part of his sentence, the court also ordered Muldrew to pay $27,740 in restitution to Victim 1, to forfeit electronic devices used in the commission of the offense, and to register as a sex offender. Muldrew had pleaded guilty on March 10, 2022.
According to court documents, on April 9, 2021, law enforcement coordinated an operation in Tampa to identify victims of human trafficking, rescue those victims, and identify and arrest their traffickers. As part of this operation, an undercover officer arranged with the minor victim to engage in prostitution in exchange for $800 at a local hotel. Muldrew arrived at the hotel driving the minor victim and was arrested on state charges. At the time of his arrest, officers recovered multiple fictious identity cards on Muldrew’s person, for both himself and the minor victim. The subsequent investigation revealed that Muldrew had been trafficking the minor victim across the country to engage in prostitution. Specifically, from February until April 2021, Muldrew had trafficked the minor victim for the purpose of commercial sex in Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, where he was ultimately arrested.
“This heinous predator trafficked his minor victim around the country to engage in prostitution, including in Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa. “The success of this investigation is a direct result of the outstanding law enforcement partnerships we have in the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force, to include the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston (Texas) Police Department, as well as non-governmental organizations such as Selah-Freedom.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Houston Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilyssa M. Spergel and Carlton C. Gammons.
This case was brought as part of the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force of the Middle District of Florida, which is one of 13 task forces in the country to receive grant funding from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Task Force is a collaboration of local, state, and federal law enforcement agents working together with organizations to detect, investigate, and prosecute human trafficking in the Tampa Bay area. This includes trafficking of minors, forced labor, transnational sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of adults by force, fraud, or coercion. More information about the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/humantrafficking. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Tampa Man Sentenced to 18 Months for Felonious Possession of Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States District Judge Mary Scriven has sentenced Antwan Brown (22, Tampa) to 18 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Brown had pleaded guilty on July 12, 2022. Brown was also ordered to forfeit a Taurus 9mm pistol and eighteen rounds of 9 mm ammunition used in the commission of the offense.
According to court documents, on February 23, 2022, Brown, a convicted felon, was in possession of a Taurus 9mm pistol and 18 rounds of 9 mm ammunition during an Instagram live video. As pictured below, Brown was brandishing the firearm online while traveling in a vehicle in Hillsborough County.
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.
This case was investigated by the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Beckman.
Steinhatchee Church Deacon Convicted of Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA –Jonathan High, 30, of Steinhatchee, Florida, has been convicted of two counts of use of a child to produce child pornography. The guilty verdict, returned yesterday, at the conclusion of a one-day bench trial, was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. Prior to the trial, High pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
In August 2021, law enforcement officers received a Cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a user of a cloud storage account uploaded files constituting child pornography. An investigation revealed the account belonged to High. Law enforcement officers obtained a search warrant for High’s cell phones and desktop computer, and after an examination of their contents, confirmed that High was in possession of multiple child pornography images and videos that depicted prepubescent boys engaged in sex acts or exposing their genitals in a lascivious manner. Further investigation revealed that some of these images and videos were produced by High personally; High produced separate video recordings of two young boys using the bathroom in a Perry, Florida church where High served as a deacon.
High’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 9, 2023, at 1:30 p.m., at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Allen Winsor. High faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison and a combined maximum of 70 years in prison for all three counts.
This conviction was the result of a joint investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Justin M. Keen and Kaitlin Weiss prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
St. Paul Man Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison for his Role in Illegal Gun Buying ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A St. Paul man was sentenced to 40 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a firearms straw purchasing conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between May 11, 2021, and October 17, 2021, Gabriel Lee Young-Duncan, 28, participated in a conspiracy to illegally purchase multiple firearms, including one that was used in the Seventh Street Truck Park Bar shooting on October 10, 2021. Young-Duncan and a co-conspirator agreed to work together to illegally acquire firearms by making false statements to Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) throughout the Twin Cities. Specifically, the co-conspirator would purchase the firearms, stating on the ATF Form 4473 that the co-conspirator was the actual buyer, and then transfer the firearms to Young-Duncan, who would keep the firearms, or further transfer them to third parties.
According to court documents, Young-Duncan and his co-conspirator worked together to illegally obtain dozens of firearms, including four Glock 9mm semiautomatic pistols and two Mossberg 9mm semiautomatic pistols.
Young-Duncan was sentenced earlier today in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank. On May 25, 2022, Young-Duncan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make false statements in the purchase of firearms.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez prosecuted the case.
Springfield Woman Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking, Firearms and Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield woman has been sentenced for her role in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed heroin and crack cocaine across western Massachusetts and into Vermont.
Nia Dinzey, a/k/a “Nia Moore-Bush,” 32 was sentenced on Oct. 3, 2022 by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 86 months in prison and four years of supervised release. On July 13, 2022, Dinzey pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, and 500 grams or more of cocaine; five counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and/or crack cocaine; two counts of money laundering conspiracy; seven counts of money laundering; one count of conspiracy to engage in the unlicensed dealing of firearms; one count of engaging in the unlicensed dealing of firearms; one count of aiding and abetting the crime of engaging in the unlicensed dealing of firearms; and one count of aiding and abetting the crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Nia Dinzey was arrested and charged in January 2018 and subsequently charged in a superseding indictment in December 2018 along with other members and associates of a Springfield-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that allegedly distributed heroin and crack cocaine. Dinzey pleaded guilty to all counts in July of 2022.
“Trafficking drugs and firearms onto our streets fuel violence, trauma and chaos in our neighborhoods. This type of behavior will not be tolerated in our Commonwealth,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Ms. Dinzey and her co-conspirators jeopardized the protection, health and safety of our communities and she will now have several years to focus on improving herself and finding better alternatives to crime.”
Nia Dinzey and her husband, Dinelson Dinzey, obtained narcotics in the Springfield area, transported them to Vermont themselves or via couriers and distributed the drugs in the Barre area. The two then conspired to launder the drug proceeds through bank accounts allegedly held by co-defendant Daphne Moore in trust for Nia Dinzey. The DTO would make cash deposits of its Vermont drug proceeds into the accounts. To obtain the proceeds, Nia Dinzey and, allegedly, Moore would facilitate withdrawals of those funds from the accounts in Massachusetts. Additionally, Nia Dinzey, her husband and others also conspired to engage in the unlicensed dealing of firearms and in a May 5, 2017 firearms sale. According to court documents, six firearms involved in this conspiracy were traced to individuals connected to Vermont or New Hampshire.
Dinelson Dinzey previously pleaded guilty and, in October 2019, was sentenced to 19 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. Moore has pleaded not guilty and is pending trial.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. The case was investigated by the ATF’s Springfield Area Firearms Enforcement Task Force with assistance of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, ATF’s Burlington Field Office, the Massachusetts State Police and the Vermont State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Curley of Rollins’ Springfield Office prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
South Dakota Takes Part in the United States Department of Justice’s Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS – The Justice Department has announced the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. This week, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“Crimes that target older Americans are among the most deplorable. We take very seriously any allegations that older South Dakotans have been targeted. These crimes take many forms, often through mass-marketing scams, lottery schemes, or other false claims designed to gain access to financial accounts,” South Dakota U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell said. “Our office, in conjunction with our partner investigating agencies, is committed to finding these criminals and bringing them to justice.”
During the past year, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants across the nation, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged.
This past year, the South Dakota U.S. Attorney’s Office has prosecuted and civilly pursued various cases in which older Americans were targeted. In one, Nathan Peachey and John Rick Winer were prosecuted along with several co-conspirators for a sophisticated scheme that robbed victims of their life savings, retirement income, and other funds. They lied to their victims with claims that they were investing funds that were to be used for charitable and humanitarian projects. Instead, the money was stolen and laundered through a network of entities and banks around the world. Peachey was sentenced to 25 years, and Winer was sentenced to nearly 22 years in federal prison. They were also ordered to pay approximately $11 million in restitution.
In another case, the South Dakota U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted Robert “Larry” Lytle and two conspirators for marketing and selling fraudulent medical devices, often to older Americans, falsely promising that they were cure-alls for virtually every ailment. Lytle was sentenced to 12 years, Ronald D. Weir, Jr., was sentenced to 2 years, and Irina Kossovskaia was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison. They were ordered to pay millions in restitution to hundreds of victims. Those prison sentences were handed down in 2018, and the South Dakota U.S. Attorney’s Office has continued to vigorously pursue collection efforts. In recent months, $1,222,075 was received from various members of Lytle’s family after litigation commenced targeting assets that were transferred by Lytle to his family or their business entities. To date, $2,305,893.52 has been recovered to repay victims.
As part of the South Dakota U.S. Attorney’s Office’s elder fraud efforts, it engages in outreach to the community and industry to raise awareness about scams and exploitation and preventing victimization.
Nationally, the Department has highlighted three other efforts: the expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims, and efforts to combat grandparent scams. With regard to the Department’s continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice, the Department is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force by adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices to the effort. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department hs notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member, or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcement’s efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. 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 next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. 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. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
Six admit to cocaine trafficking following searchRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Several men have pleaded guilty for their roles in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Mexican citizens Jose Bernardo Gonzalez-Gomez, 55, and Jose Santiago Luna-Duran, 45; Arlando Garcia-Garcia, 40, and Martin Vela-Alanis, 58, both legal permanent residents of Edinburg; and Oscar Obed Manzanares, 21, and Martin Adrusbel Vela, 35, both of Edinburg, pleaded guilty today for their respective roles in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.
On March 22, Manzanares traveled into the United States from Mexico in a GMC truck and parked it at a local business in McAllen. Luna-Duran then took the vehicle to a property in Edinburg.
There, authorities observed individuals exchange items between the GMC and a Ford pickup truck. Garcia-Garcia drove the Ford to a separate residence on a property where Vela and Vela-Alanis resided. Upon his arrival, he removed a large duffel bag from the truck. Gonzalez-Gomez was also present at that time.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence and recovered a duffel bag containing 15 bundles of a white powdery substance. They also found over $90,000 and a black and gold Colt Model 1911 pistol.
Luna-Duran returned to the business where authorities ultimately detained him as well as Manzanares. A search of the GMC vehicle resulted in an additional discovery of over $238,000 in bulk cash.
Laboratory analysis later confirmed the bundles tested positive for cocaine and had a weight of approximately 15 kilograms.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa will impose sentencing Dec. 15. At that time, each conspirator faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office and police departments in Hidalgo, Mission, McAllen, Alton, Pharr and Palmview. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter I. Brostowin is prosecuting the case.
Six People Indicted on Federal Charges Following Investigation of Fentanyl Distribution OperationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Six people have been indicted in the District of Columbia on federal charges accusing them of operating a Fentanyl pill distribution organization in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division.
Collin Edwards, 28, of Largo, Maryland, Garnell Lucas, 32, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Justin James White, 27, of Cary, North Carolina, Laura Garvin, 29, of Annapolis, Maryland, Bilaal Briggs, 32, of Washington, D.C., and Chase Cole, 29, of Washington, D.C., were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute Fentanyl and cocaine. Edwards remains at large. The other defendants were arrested on Sept. 20 and 21, 2022. They have pleaded not guilty to charges and remain detained pending further court proceedings.
The indictment was unsealed today. In addition to the drug count, Edwards and White were indicted on charges alleging that they fraudulently applied for and obtained unemployment insurance benefits by submitting illegally obtained personal identifying information to various states, including California, Maryland, and North Carolina. Both were indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, all six defendants distributed Fentanyl and cocaine from at least June 2020 through at least March 2022. According to court filings, the defendants are alleged to have operated a drug distribution organization that used a pill press machine to press Fentanyl into counterfeit prescription pills which the organization then distributed unlawfully, including to consumers who were unaware they were consuming Fentanyl.
Edwards and White also are accused of carrying out the unemployment insurance fraud scheme from at least June 2020 until at least May 2021. According to the indictment, Edwards, White, and others illegally obtained, from an unknown database, a large trove of personal identifying information from individuals throughout the United States. They then allegedly used this information to fill out unemployment insurance applications, using fraudulent user profiles that directed payments to electronic bank accounts and physical debit cards that they controlled.
Charges in a complaint or indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marnee Rand, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Wasserman assisted in the investigation.
Sharon, PA Drug Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing 3 Guns and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Le’Var Brown, formerly of Sharon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for committing firearm and ammunition crimes, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Brown, age 33, currently of Eastman, Georgia, was sentenced by United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. Brown was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
On October 1, 2021, Brown possessed three guns, including a loaded Romarm/Cugir Mini Draco semi-automatic pistol, and corresponding ammunition at his residence in Sharon, Pennsylvania, and at his girlfriend’s residence in Sharon. Prior to that date, in 2018, Brown was convicted of a felony heroin and crack trafficking crime and had also been convicted of additional prior crimes.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation of this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Seven Individuals Indicted for Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On September 29, 2022, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned seven separate indictments charging seven individuals with Social Security Fraud.
The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau are investigating the cases.
“The seven defendants arrested yesterday stole thousands of dollars in Social Security benefits that didn’t belong to them- they stole from the government, from victims, and even from victims that had passed away. We remain steadfast in our commitment to bring to justice unscrupulous individuals who illegally seek personal financial gain,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
“These arrests represent our commitment to hold individuals responsible for defrauding Social Security programs. As evidenced by the more than one-million-dollar fraud loss in these collective cases, our collaborative efforts help to protect taxpayer funds and preserve much needed programs,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “I thank the FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, and the Puerto Rico Police Department for their assistance. I also appreciate the high level of support that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has shown us in seeking prosecution of those who commit Social Security fraud and I thank Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Bonano for her outstanding work.”
The defendants and the charges are:
- Sonia I. Vargas-Rodríguez was the owner and representative of Hogar Sendero de Amor, Inc. (HSA), an elderly care facility located in Mayagüez, PR. She had S.R. and R.F under her care. They both passed away in 2013 and 2014 respectively, and the defendant failed to report their deaths to the SSA and continued collecting their Social Security checks. In addition, the Puerto Rico Family Department closed HSA in June of 2014 due to claims of negligence and abuse.
- Counts one and two- Wire Fraud. The defendant sent electronic transmissions of fraudulent Representative Payee Reports to SSA for S.R. and R.F.
- Count three- Theft of Government Property. The defendant received $114,590.40 illegally from the SSA.
- Yahaita Cruz-Cintrón
- Count one- Theft of Government Property. The defendant received $196,772.75 from the SSA illegally.
- Count two- False Statement. The defendant provided false statements to the SSA in a Work Activity Report; said she worked in the Continental United States for eight years when the reality was that she didn’t work.
- Count three- Health Care Fraud. The defendant received illegally $164,694.03 in Medicare Payments.
- Norberto Berríos-Rodríguez
- Count one- Theft of Government Property. The defendant received $129,346.30 from the SSA illegally.
- Count two- False Statement. The defendant provided false statements to the SSA in a Work Activity Report. He stated that he started working in August 2021 but, in fact, he had been working since before that date.
- Count three- Concealment or Failure to Disclose Event to SSA. The defendant failed to disclose that he was working and continued receiving the SSA benefits.
- Count four- Health Care Fraud. The defendant received illegally $33,608.00 in Medicare Payments.
- Pedro Medina-Medina
- Count one- Theft of Government Property. The defendant received $159,254.40 from the SSA illegally.
- Count two- False Statement. The defendant provided false statements to the SSA in a Work Activity Report. He stated that he only worked part-time for the years 2015 to 2017 knowing that he worked full-time since 2009.
- Count three- Concealment or Failure to Disclose Event to SSA. The defendant failed to disclose that he was working and continued receiving the SSA benefits.
- Count four- Health Care Fraud. The defendant received illegally $22,673.14 in Medicare Payments.
- Luis A. Soto-Torres
- Count one- Theft of Government Property. The defendant knowingly and willfully embezzled, stole, purloined, and converted to his own use $122,483.90 from the SSA, which payments were made payable to M.S.C. and the defendant knew he was not entitled to receive.
- Marialices Cora-Martínez
- Count one- Theft of Government Property. The defendant knowingly and willfully embezzled, stole, purloined, and converted to her own use $59,079.30 from the SSA, which payments were made payable to L.L.M. and the defendant knew she was not entitled to receive.
- Janice Rodríguez-Méndez
- Count one- Theft of Government Property. The defendant knowingly and willfully embezzled, stole, purloined, and converted to her own use $18,784.00 from the SSA, which payments were made payable to A.R.L. and the defendant knew she was not entitled.
If convicted, the defendants face the following maximum penalties: 10 years of imprisonment for Theft of Government Property and Health Care Fraud; 5 years of imprisonment for False Statements and Concealment or Failure to Disclose Event to SSA; and 20 years of imprisonment for Wire Fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
During fiscal year 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted for Social Security fraud a total of eight additional cases via Information, six of which have been sentenced, for a total loss amount of $529,334.80.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa D. Bonano-Rodríguez is prosecuting these cases.
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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Santa Ana Man Charged with Using Stolen Identities to Apply for More Than $1 Million in Pandemic-Related Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A federal grand jury today returned an eight-count indictment charging an Orange County man with defrauding California’s unemployment insurance program by using personal information stolen from people with similar names to apply for $1.25 million in COVID-19 unemployment benefits.
Nhan Hoang Pham, 36, of Santa Ana, was charged with three counts of mail fraud in relation to benefits connected to presidentially declared emergency, one count of wire fraud in relation to benefits connected to presidentially declared emergency, and four counts of aggravated identity theft. Pham is currently in state custody on unrelated charges, and he is expected to be arraigned on the federal indictment following his release later this month.
The indictment alleges that Pham, from approximately July 2020 through April 2021, submitted fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance after acquiring personal identifying information – such as dates of birth and Social Security numbers – from individuals with identical or similar names who lived in California, Texas and Michigan. Pham allegedly submitted 24 fraudulent applications to the California Employment Development Department (EDD), which administers unemployment insurance benefits for residents of California, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits to individuals who were unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pham directed that unemployment benefit cards issued by Bank of America on behalf of the EDD be sent to mail drops he controlled in Anaheim, according to the indictment, which alleges that Pham and co-schemers used the benefit cards to withdraw cash from ATMs across Orange County.
Pham allegedly filed applications that fraudulently sought $1,255,350 in unemployment benefits, and the total loss in this case is approximately $408,496.
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 the charges in the indictment, Pham would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each of the four fraud counts. Additionally, the aggravated identity theft charges carry a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence.
The United States Secret Service; the United States Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General; the California Employment Development Department, Investigation Division; the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Investigation; and the Santa Ana Police Department conducted the investigation into Pham
Assistant United States Attorney Daniel S. Lim of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Rockford Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Traffic Heroin and CocaineRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for trafficking heroin and cocaine.
TERVARIE LOTTIE, 34, pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to distribute a kilogram or more of heroin, conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin and cocaine with intent to distribute.
U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey imposed the prison sentence on Sept. 29, 2022, after a hearing in federal court in Rockford.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Ashley T. Johnson, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Kristen de Tineo, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the ATF; Carla Redd, Chief of the Rockford Police Department; Gary Caruana, Winnebago County Sheriff; and J. Hanley, Winnebago County State’s Attorney. The federal investigation was conducted by the FBI-led Rockford Area Violent Gang Task Force, which includes the above law enforcement agencies and the Loves Park and Freeport Police Departments. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Talia Bucci.
Lottie admitted in a plea agreement that he led a drug-trafficking organization that distributed heroin to other drug dealers and street-level customers in the Rockford area in 2017. Lottie and co-defendant TYSHON WATSON, of Rockford, shared a cell phone that the organization’s street-level customers contacted to arrange to buy heroin. On days when Watson had the phone, Watson sold heroin to those customers and provided proceeds to Lottie. On days when Lottie had the cell phone, Lottie personally sold heroin to the street-level customers. Lottie also personally sold larger quantities of heroin to other drug dealers in the Rockford area.
Another member of the drug-trafficking organization – co-defendant JOHNIA WILSON, of Rockford – recruited certain individuals to buy heroin from the organization, with Wilson brokering transactions between Lottie and the buyers. Wilson also helped Lottie collect drug-trafficking proceeds owed to the organization. As part of the conspiracy, Lottie maintained an apartment in Rockford that he used as a “trap house” to store and package heroin for sale, distribute to customers, and meet with Watson and Wilson.
Lottie separately conspired with another co-defendant – DEVONTE GORDON, of Rockford –to possess cocaine. As part of that conspiracy, Lottie arranged for Gordon to purchase two kilograms of cocaine from one of Lottie’s narcotics suppliers in 2017.
The three co-defendants were previously sentenced to federal prison terms. Gordon was sentenced to 87 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine; Watson was sentenced to 57 months for conspiracy to distribute heroin; and Wilson was sentenced to 36 months for conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Rochester Man Sentenced to 72 Months for Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Christopher Archambault, 56, of Rochester, was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 24, 2020, after conducting surveillance of a residence in Weare, NH believed to be the site of drug activity, officers of the New Hampshire State Police conducted a motor vehicle stop of a car in which Mr. Archambault was a passenger. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of a black cloth bag concealed in the cushion of the back passenger seat, which contained 250.6 grams of fentanyl, packaged for distribution in smaller baggies. Mr. Archambault admitted that the drugs belonged to him.
“We will prosecute drug dealers who poison the community with dangerous narcotics to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “This federal sentence reflects the recognized danger that narcotics, and those who sell them for a profit, pose to our state. Our office is working closely with our law enforcement partners to disrupt illegal drug distribution in a concerted effort to prevent the harm that narcotics such as fentanyl are causing New Hampshire residents.”
“DEA is committed to investigating individuals who are responsible for distributing lethal drugs like fentanyl to the citizens of New Hampshire,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Let this sentence be a warning to those traffickers who distribute this poison in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. DEA’s top priority is combatting the opioid epidemic by working with our local, county, state and federal partners to bring to justice anyone who distributes deadly drugs.”
This matter was investigated by New Hampshire State Police with the assistance of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Gingrande and Cam Le.
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Rancher Sentenced for Running $244 Million “Ghost Cattle” ScamRead the Press Release
A cattle rancher in Washington was sentenced yesterday to 11 years in prison for defrauding Tyson Foods Inc. (Tyson) and another company (Company 1) out of more than $244 million by charging the victim companies for the purported costs of purchasing and feeding hundreds of thousands of cattle that did not exist.
According to court documents, Cody Allen Easterday, 51, of Mesa, used his company, Easterday Ranches Inc., to enter into a series of agreements with Tyson and Company 1 under which Easterday Ranches agreed to purchase and feed cattle on behalf of Tyson and Company 1. Per the agreements, Tyson and Company 1 would advance Easterday Ranches the costs of buying and raising the cattle. Once the cattle were slaughtered and sold at market price, Easterday Ranches would repay the costs advanced – plus interest and certain other costs – retaining the difference as profit.
“The Criminal Division is committed to holding those who carry out fraudulent schemes accountable, especially those that are complex, long-running, and seriously affect our nation’s food industry and commodities market,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Between approximately 2016 and November 2020, Easterday submitted and caused others to submit false and fraudulent invoices and other information to Tyson and Company 1. These false and fraudulent invoices sought and obtained reimbursement from the victim companies for the purported costs of purchasing and raising hundreds of thousands of cattle that neither Easterday nor Easterday Ranches ever purchased, and that did not actually exist.
As a result of the fraud scheme, Tyson and Company 1 paid Easterday Ranches over $244 million for the purported costs of purchasing and feeding over 265,000 ghost cattle. Easterday used the fraud proceeds for his personal use and benefit, and for the benefit of Easterday Ranches, including to cover approximately $200 million in commodity futures contracts trading losses that Easterday had incurred on behalf of Easterday Ranches. In connection with his trading, Easterday also defrauded the CME Group Inc. (CME), which operates the world’s largest financial derivatives exchange, by submitting falsified paperwork, which resulted in the CME exempting Easterday Ranches from otherwise-applicable position limits in live cattle futures contracts.
“No one is above the law. Mr. Easterday amassed significant personal wealth, yet, he wanted more, so he defrauded his victims of nearly a quarter billion dollars by charging for cattle that never existed,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref for the Eastern District of Washington. “But for the combined and incredible efforts of our law enforcement team, today’s sentence and the $244 million restitution award – one of the largest in our District’s history – would not have been possible. Fraud has a debilitating impact on society by draining our communities’ limited resources. Accordingly, we will continue to prosecute fraudsters to the fullest extent so we can keep our communities safe and strong in Washington State and throughout our great Nation.”
“Today’s sentence sends a strong message that individuals who commit fraud will be held accountable for the harm caused to banks, communities and the agricultural sector,” said Inspector General Jay N. Lerner of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG). “The FDIC Office of Inspector General remains committed to investigating cases of swindle and deception that undermine the integrity of financial institutions, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who commit such offenses.”
“Cody Easterday spent years engaged in an extensive false billing scheme that resulted in millions of dollars in losses for the victim which led to sizable personal benefits for himself,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “Today’s sentencing is proof that anyone who engages in deceptive practices like this will be held accountable for their actions. The Postal Inspection Service is proud to have partnered with the FDIC-OIG in this investigation.”
The FDIC-OIG and USPIS Criminal Investigations Group investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Avi Perry and Assistant Chief John “Fritz” Scanlon of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian M. Donovan and Russell E. Smoot for the Eastern District of Washington prosecuted the case.
Quincy, Illinois, Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Quincy, Illinois, man, Marcus Moore, 35, formerly of the 2800 block of East Bluff Court, was sentenced on October 3, 2022 to 120 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by 60 months of supervised release, by United States District Judge Sue Myerscough for distributing over 200 grams of pure methamphetamine in Quincy.
At the sentencing hearing, Moore was held accountable for the following acts: on January 15, 2021, Moore distributed 54.3 grams of highly pure methamphetamine; on February 9, 2021, he distributed 55 grams; on March 18, 2021, he distributed 80.5 grams; and on August 17, 2021, he possessed with the intent to distribute 24.6 grams. Moore has been detained since his arrest in August of 2021.
The statutory penalties for distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine are a minimum of ten years and up to a life term of imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Illinois State Police West Central Illinois Task Force, Quincy Police Department, and Adams County States Attorney’s Office were involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Seberger represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Moore was brought as part of The Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. The Department’s renewed commitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods establishes four fundamental principles to guide efforts to reduce violent crime: 1) build trust and legitimacy within communities; 2) invest in community-based prevention and intervention programs; 3) target enforcement and priorities to focus resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of gun violence and other violent crime; and, 4) measure results with the goal to reduce the level of violence in our communities and not to increase the number of arrests and prosecutions as if they were ends in themselves.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, Distribution and Attempted Distribution of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, and Possession of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Wayne Edward McNutt, age 57, pleaded guilty to four counts before Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from Feb. 25, 2021, until July 26, 2021, McNutt used the Internet and a cellular telephone to knowingly attempt to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual who had not attained the age of 18 years to engage in sexual activity. Specifically, McNutt engaged online with law enforcement acting in an undercover capacity and purporting to be a parent and child. McNutt expressed interested in meeting the child for sexual conduct and sent the purported minor’s parent money to enable the parent and child to travel to Pittsburgh to meet McNutt for sexual conduct. McNutt planned to meet the purported minor and parent at a hotel in Pittsburgh that he booked. On July 26, 2021, law enforcement intercepted McNutt when he arrived at the Pittsburgh-area hotel to meet the minor.
During the course of this investigation, on March 11 and March 16, 2021, McNutt sent to the undercover agent image and video files that depicted minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. When agents encountered McNutt on July 26, 2021, he possessed a cell phone that contained additional videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. This child sexual abuse material included depictions of prepubescent minors.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for Feb. 1, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 15 years and not more than life in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, McNutt remains detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI Pittsburgh Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the FBI Albany Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, and the FBI Albany Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of McNutt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Philadelphia Man Admits Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Involving over 100 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia man today admitted conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine as part of a drug-trafficking organization operating in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Iran Soler, 43, Philadelphia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Soler and his conspirators traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico, on commercial flights from Philadelphia International Airport on numerous occasions between March 2019 and August 2020. They purchased multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from wholesale drug suppliers based in the San Juan area in exchange for cash payments. Soler and the conspirators then shipped the kilograms of cocaine by overnight delivery from U.S. Post Offices in San Juan to various addresses in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, where a conspirator, Jose Gonzalez, resold the cocaine to other drug dealers in the Philadelphia area for a profit. Soler and the other conspirators purchased and shipped over 100 kilograms of cocaine to Philadelphia and southern New Jersey between March 2019 and August 2020.
The drug-trafficking conspiracy charge carries a mandatory penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a maximum fine of $10 million. Soler is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 6, 2023.
Gonzalez previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 30, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Acting Inspector in Charge Raimundo Marrero; agents of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi; special agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire in Philadelphia; troopers assigned to the New Jersey State Police Strategic Investigations Unit South, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; and officers and detectives of the Philadelphia Police Department, under the direction of Police Commissioner Daniel Outlaw, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Paducah Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for CARES Act FraudRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A Paducah man was sentenced yesterday to 21 months in prison and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,000 for fraud related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Jerry C. Templet, Jr. Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.
According to court documents, between June 30, 2020, and July 3, 2020, Travon D. Jones, 27, of Paducah, Kentucky, stole $10,000 from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The EIDL program is a CARES Act financial assistance program which provided loan assistance (including $10,000 advances) for small businesses and other eligible entities for loans up to $2 million. The EIDL proceeds could be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that could have been paid had the COVID-19 disaster not occurred. The EIDL application Jones submitted through the SBA online portal contained false statements and misrepresentations.
Jones was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release upon completion of his term of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with the assistance of the Paducah Police Department and the Small Business Association Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Oshkosh Man Sentenced to 8 ½ Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking & Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Cory Freyermuth, 39, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 8 ½ years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and money laundering. Freyermuth pleaded guilty to these charges on January 31, 2022.
The government’s investigation revealed that co-defendants Levi Bagne and Krista Sparks routinely mailed packages containing methamphetamine from Arizona to Freyermuth in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Once Freyermuth received the methamphetamine, Bagne would drive to Oshkosh from Arizona and personally distribute the methamphetamine. However, after a period of time, Freyermuth began distributing the methamphetamine to dealers in Oshkosh and Stevens Point, Wisconsin, based on Bagne’s instructions. After being paid by the local dealers, Freyermuth would either store the cash until Bagne picked it up, or he would return the money to Bagne through bank deposits or cashier’s checks. Freyermuth also drove large amounts of drug proceeds to Bagne in Arizona.
On November 12, 2019, and again on February 15, 2020, Bagne and Sparks mailed packages containing methamphetamine from Arizona to Freyermuth’s residence in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The packages were seized by law enforcement and subsequent searches of the packages revealed a total of six pounds of methamphetamine.
On September 2, 2020, agents executed a search warrant on a storage unit belonging to Bagne and Freyermuth in Stevens Point. During the search, agents recovered approximately ten pounds of methamphetamine.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Peterson stated that a significant sentence was warranted because the conspiracy involved a tremendous amount of methamphetamine being distributed in central Wisconsin. Judge Peterson described Freyermuth’s role in the large-scale conspiracy as multifaceted, including transportation, storage, and distribution of methamphetamine. Judge Peterson also concluded that Freyermuth played a key role in the money laundering scheme which allowed Bagne to continue to purchase methamphetamine in Arizona. Finally, Judge Peterson noted that Freyermuth’s criminal history was concerning and included a conviction for violence against his own family members.
A total of six individuals have been charged for participating in this methamphetamine distribution scheme. All six individuals have pleaded guilty. Bagne’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 18, 2022, at 10:00 a.m.
The charges against Freyermuth are the result of a joint investigation by the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Unit, and Merrill Police Department. The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner.
Monmouth County Man Admits Corrupt Interference with Administration of Internal Revenue LawsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man today admitted his corrupt interference with the administration of the Internal Revenue laws, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Thomas Bertoli, 65, of Matawan, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to one count of an indictment charging him with corrupt interference with the administration of the Internal Revenue laws.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Bertoli operated the following businesses: The Doormen Inc.; City Street Associates LLC aka CSA LLC; and Urban Logistics LLC (Urban Logistics). Bertoli, individually and through the Bertoli companies, obtained payments from clients for services provided, including payments from developers and construction firms for expediting services on real estate development and construction projects, primarily in Jersey City, New Jersey, and payments from political campaigns for political consulting services in New Jersey. Expediting in the construction industry typically refers to facilitating the acquisition of building permits and other government agency approvals required for the completion of real estate development and construction projects.
On June 5, 2014, Bertoli was interviewed by an IRS collections officer at Bertoli’s residence. Bertoli had not filed tax returns for calendar years 2009 to 2013, despite earning income during that period and owing a total of $195,889 in taxes for those calendar years. At that time, Bertoli was earning income principally from his operation of Urban Logistics, a company which he owned and for which he was the sole employee. Bertoli falsely claimed, however, that he was employed as a construction worker at a construction company to conceal the existence of Urban Logistics and the income that he earned from his operation of Urban Logistics.
After the June 2014 interview until November 2015, Bertoli was aware of certain actions taken by the IRS to collect taxes that he owed, including applying levies and requiring that he make an estimated tax payment for calendar 2014. In communications with the IRS during this period, Bertoli continued to purposefully conceal the existence of Urban Logistics and that he was earning substantial income from his operation of Urban Logistics. Bertoli admitted that, by his concealment of the existence of Urban Logistics from the IRS, he acted knowingly and corruptly, that is, with the purpose to obtain an unlawful benefit for himself by obstructing and impeding the collections activity of the IRS.
The charge of corrupt interference with the administration of the Internal Revenue laws carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. If accepted by the court at the time of sentencing, the parties’ plea agreement provides that Bertoli will be sentenced to up to 18 months in prison and make full restitution of $1.17 million to the IRS for unpaid taxes for calendar years 2009 to 2016. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 7, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jihee G. Suh, Deputy Chief of the Special Prosecutions Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney J Fortier Imbert of the Special Prosecutions Division.
Middle Georgia Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Producing Child Sexual Assault MaterialRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Barnesville, Georgia, resident who admitted to producing child sexual assault material involving a minor victim was sentenced to the maximum prison term allowed by federal law for his crime.
Marty Allan Kinard, 47, was sentenced to serve a total of 360 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III on Oct. 4 after he pleaded guilty to one count of production of child sexual assault material. In addition, Kinard will have to register as a sex offender for life upon his release from federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The actions of all those who film and upload the sexual assault and exploitation of children in the Middle District of Georgia will not be tolerated; our office is pursuing maximum punishment allowed under law for these criminal actions,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “The Barnesville Police Department took immediate action when they received a cybertip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children that a child in their community was in danger; working closely with GBI, law enforcement prevented further harm to a minor and brought a child predator to justice.”
“The defendant justly received the maximum sentence allowed under law. However, I am well aware that the imposed sentence can never equal the physical and emotional trauma that the victim will have to deal with for the rest of the victim’s life,” said Captain Al Moltrum, Barnesville Police Department. “We were able to stop a child predator thanks to our collaboration with GBI and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, who assisted our agency with obtaining the forensic evidence found on the defendant’s cellular phone.”
“The GBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent victims of online exploitation. We are grateful for the partnerships we maintain with our local and federal agencies to bring these predators to justice,” said GBI Director Michael Register.
According to court documents, the Barnesville Police Department (BPD) began an investigation after receiving a cybertip on May 27, 2021, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) originating from Tumblr of an uploaded file containing child sexual assault material. On May 28, 2021, BPD obtained a state search warrant at the residence. A search of the residence recovered two cell phones belonging to Kinard; one of the phones contained child sexual assault material Kinard produced involving a minor child. Days later, on June 2, 2021, GBI received a cybertip from NCMEC of several files for the social media application Kik which contained child sexual assault material. Both IP addresses linked back to the same residence in Barnesville where Kinard resided. Kinard now admits that from Feb. 1, 2021, until May 28, 2021, he enticed a minor child to produce child sexual assault material which he uploaded online.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Barnesville Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force with assistance from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim.
Middle District of Louisiana Takes Part in Department’s Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. Today, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
U.S. Attorney Gathe stated, “The protection of older adults from all forms of abuse is among our highest priorities at the Department of Justice. Older adults are targeted by some of the most sophisticated criminals, and it requires the coordinated resources of all law enforcement partners to bring these offenders to justice.”
During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged.
In the Middle District of Louisiana, Shawn Phillips was prosecuted and convicted for defrauding an elderly man out of over $50,000. Phillips befriended the victim and took advantage of that friendship to get the victim to “loan” Phillips money over a 16-month period with no intention of paying it back. Phillips was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison and ordered to pay full restitution to the victim.
Additionally, a member of a nationwide computer fraud scheme that defrauded elderly victims out over $340,000 was brought to justice in the Middle District of Louisiana. Mohammad Alam pled guilty for his role in the scheme. As the money mule, he assisted the fraudsters by receiving money from victims of fraud and forwarded it to the fraud organizers, some of whom were located abroad.
The Department also highlighted three other efforts: expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
The Department announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available 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 professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.CST. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican national indicted for downloading pornography of prepubescent minorsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 26-year-old man from Reynosa, Mexico, has been charged for receipt and possession of child pornography depicting prepubescent minors, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Today, a federal grand jury returned the two-count indictment against Ricardo Reyes-Garcia. He is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nadia S. Medrano in the near future.
According to the criminal complaint originally filed in the case, an investigation revealed Reyes-Garcia uploaded multiple files of child pornography into his Google account while in the United States. He allegedly downloaded approximately 200 videos depicting children between the ages of five and 13 and categorized them into a folder designated for child pornography.
If convicted, Reyes-Garcia faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Methuen Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Role in Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Methuen man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for selling a fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl mixture to an undercover agent on five occasions.
Andi Guerrero-Lara, a/k/a “Manny Sierra,” 25, was sentenced on Sept. 28, 2022 by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to seven years in prison and four years of supervised release. On Jan. 5, 2022, Guerrero-Lara pleaded guilty to a seven count superseding indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl; three counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 10 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl; two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl and fentanyl; and one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of acetyl fentanyl and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
In December 2019, Guerrero-Lara was indicted along with co-defendant Angel Rivera-Valle. He was subsequently charged in a superseding indictment on Sept. 2, 2020.
The defendants were members of a drug trafficking organization operating in the Merrimack Valley area of Massachusetts that regularly sold large quantities of fentanyl. Between September and October 2019, an undercover agent purchased a fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl mixture from the defendants on five separate dates. According to court documents, after Rivera-Valle was arrested, Guerrero-Lara led agents on a high-speed car chase in 2019 that spanned numerous miles and three cities during which Guerrero-Lara endangered multiple lives, as he narrowly missed crashing into a construction zone and police vehicles. Ultimately, Guerrero-Lara stopped his vehicle at an apartment complex in Lawrence and was arrested.
On Sept. 8, 2020, Rivera-Valle was sentenced by Judge Sterns to 64 months in prison and four years of supervised release.
“Drug traffickers like Mr. Guerrero-Lara are a danger to our communities. This individual pumped deadly opioids into our neighborhoods and, when he was finally exposed, recklessly endangered multiple lives in lengthy, a high-speed car chase,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Opioids are the leading cause of now record-high drug overdose deaths – cutting short the lives of far too many. This sentence should serve as a warning to drug traffickers: you will be identified, prosecuted and held accountable.”
“Massachusetts is in the midst of a devastating opioid crisis as deaths from fentanyl soar. The DEA will continue to use every resource available to identify those, like Mr. Guerrero-Lara, who are contributing to the crisis,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement. “This sentence holds Mr. Guerrero-Lara accountable for his crimes and we will continue to work to put other callous distributers like him behind bars.”
This case is part of a coordinated enforcement operation in the Merrimack Valley called “Devil’s Highway.” The operation targeted the distribution of opioids, including fentanyl and heroin and resulted in charges against a total of 40 people for federal drug offenses, with at least a dozen more individuals facing state charges.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and DEA SAC Boyle made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Andover Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea E. Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Member of Multistate Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Pennsylvania resident pleaded guilty on Monday in federal court to violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Romondo Oatis, 48, of Farrell, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine from March of 2019 through September of 2020 before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. Oatis is one of 13 defendants charged in the Indictment returned in this case.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating a cocaine and fentanyl trafficking organization that operated throughout the United States, including Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico. Beginning in December of 2019 and continuing through August of 2020, the DEA received authorization to conduct a Title III wiretap investigation into the organization. Oatis, as a member of this multistate drug trafficking organization, was intercepted discussing acquiring and distributing cocaine throughout western Pennsylvania. In addition to the intercepted communications, agents seized cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, ecstasy, marijuana, firearms, and bulk United States Currency from members of the organization, including Oatis.
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for March 3, 2023. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years to a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $8,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Oatis remains in custody pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The DEA in Pittsburgh, PA; the DEA, Columbus, OH; the DEA, Harrisburg, PA; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Pittsburgh, PA; HSI, Orlando, FL; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations; United States Postal Service, Columbus, Ohio; Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General; Lawrence County Drug Task Force – Special Investigations Unit; and New
Castle Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Oatis.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 aunderers, 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.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Attempted Robbery in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stephen Waller, 32, of Laurel, Maryland, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison on an attempted robbery charge, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Waller pleaded guilty in August 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to attempted robbery. He was sentenced by the Honorable J. Michael Ryan. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 10, 2022, at approximately 11 p.m., Waller approached a stranger with a knife and demanded the victim’s cell phone. The victim escaped and flagged down MPD officers near 6000 Georgia Avenue NW, directing them to Waller’s location. MPD officers stopped Waller near the scene of the crime. He had a knife in his pocket. At the time of the offense, Waller was on probation for Maryland convictions of second-degree assault and theft of property or services. He has been held since his arrest.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlos A. Valdivia and Jared English, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Lynn Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man pleaded guilty on Sept. 28, 2022 in federal court in Boston to firearm and narcotics charges arising from a traffic stop in Dorchester.
Rahiym Mervin, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Feb. 8, 2023. Mervin was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 30, 2022.
“Despite his multiple past encounters with the criminal legal system and being out on bail for a separate state gun and drug case, Mr. Mervin continued engaging in illegal activity involving narcotics and firearms,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Now he is in the federal system. We will continue to work with our local law enforcement partners to assist in removing dangerous, violent individuals from our communities. The hard-working people in these communities deserve to feel safe.”
“Residents in Boston suffering from substance use disorder are often the most vulnerable to violent crime in the neighborhoods of Boston,” said Boston Police Commissioner Michael A. Cox. “The Boston Police Department, with our law enforcement partners, are committed to saving lives by stopping the flow of narcotics and illegal firearms into our neighborhoods, and I commend these efforts to hold offenders accountable for preying on our most vulnerable. I look forward to continued collaboration to target those individuals causing this harm”.
On the evening of Dec. 15, 2021, Mervin was observed speeding on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester and was subsequently pulled over by local police. A search of Mervin’s rented vehicle resulted in the recovery of two high-capacity firearm magazines, 380 grams of cocaine, 135 grams of a mixture of methamphetamine, cocaine and caffeine and 96 grams of a fentanyl analog – an extremely potent opioid, substantially more powerful than heroin. A loaded 9mm handgun and a portion of the narcotics were also discovered inside a “hide” behind the climate control panel in the dashboard. Mervin was arrested on scene and has been in custody since.
At the time of his arrest, Mervin was on bail on similar gun and narcotics charges pending in Norfolk County arising from an incident in Quincy in May 2019. In addition, Mervin was previously convicted in June 2016 in Plymouth County of possessing a firearm without a license, for which he was sentenced to three years in prison.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, six years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, Commissioner Cox and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. McNeil of Rollins’ Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Louisville Man Indicted on Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging James Hickman III with illegal possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and U.S. Marshal Gary B. Burman of the U.S. Marshal Service for the Western District of Kentucky made the announcement.
According to the indictment, James Hickman III, 29, of Louisville, was charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Hickman was previously convicted in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with the felonies of facilitation of robbery in the first degree, assault under extreme emotional disturbance, and tampering with physical evidence.
The defendant will make an initial court appearance on a later date before a U. S. Magistrate Judge of the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, Hickman faces up to 15 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the ATF, United States Marshals Service, and the Louisville Metro Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh Porter.
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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Lebanon County Man Indicted on COVID-19 Unemployment Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG, The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Stacy Taylor, age 27, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on 52 counts of Wire Fraud and 52 counts of Mail Fraud.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between March 21, 2020, and December 30, 2020, Taylor made materially false and fraudulent pretenses to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and the Employment Development Department for the State of California, to obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance unemployment benefits, meant for individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Department of Probation/Parole, the Lebanon County Drug Task Force, and the Lebanon City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaime M. Keating is prosecuting the case.
“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud related to unemployment insurance programs. We will continue to work with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations”, stated Syreeta Scott, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Philadelphia Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The maximum penalty under federal law for each of these offenses is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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