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Tuesday 23 August 2022
Former JetBlue Employee Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Loan FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Keily Nunez, a former JetBlue Airways employee, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with false statements Nunez made to obtain loans for himself and his coconspirators pursuant to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Nunez and four coconspirators were charged in June 2021. Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Raymond J. Dearie.
In connection with the scheme, five other defendants previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud: Orlando Sanay, Michael Pimentel Veloz, Fanny Plasencia, Ramon Osvaldo Pena, and Angel K. Colon. In addition, codefendant Keimi Nunez previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud. When sentenced, all defendants face up to 20 years in prison and have agreed to forfeit the fraudulently obtained loan funds.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), announced the guilty pleas.
“Each of the defendants admitted to their part in stealing nearly $1.5 million from a government program designed to help struggling small businesses and families survive the pandemic,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who seek to enrich themselves by abusing government programs.”
“Nunez and his co-conspirators fleeced the government to the tune of over $1.5 million, taking advantage of programs designed to keep small businesses afloat during a time of unprecedented economic volatility,” said HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “Since the early days of the COVID-19 global pandemic, HSI has been committed to uncovering pandemic fraud and holding accountable those who take advantage of tragedy to turn a profit.”
The EIDL program provides qualifying small businesses with low-interest loans. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act expanded EIDL to provide economic support to help offset the temporary loss of revenue experienced by businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As set forth in court filings, between April 2020 and November 2020, the defendants applied for EIDL loans for eleven separate entities. In those applications, the defendants falsely represented the number of employees associated with the entities and misstated the gross revenues for the entities for the 12 months prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For example, Nunez submitted a loan application to the Small Business Association (SBA) in April 2020 claiming that Plasencia was the Chief Operating Officer and Nunez was the manager of FI USA Consulting LLC (FI USA). In the application, Nunez falsely claimed that FI USA had 42 employees and gross revenues of $672,137 for the relevant period. The SBA approved FI USA’s application and on July 13, 2020 wired $149,900 to FI USA’s bank account. In contrast to the claims made in the application, New York Department of Labor records showed that FI USA never reported having any employees. Internal Revenue Service records further revealed that FI USA never filed a tax return since its formation in 2017. There is no evidence that the EIDL funds provided to FI USA were used for business purposes.
Based on the defendants’ false representations, the Small Business Administration approved approximately $1.5 million in loans that were deposited into the defendants’ bank accounts.
In addition to making false statements to obtain the loans, the defendants did not use the relief funding for ongoing business expenses as the EIDL program requires. Instead, they withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from bank accounts that had received EIDL loan funds.
When sentenced, all defendants face up to 20 years in prison and have agreed to forfeit the fraudulently obtained loan funds.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Department of Justice Trial Attorney Patrick J. Campbell and Assistant United States Attorney Garen S. Marshall are in charge of the prosecution, Assistant United States Attorney Tanisha Payne of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendants:
KEILY NUNEZ
Age: 42
Jamaica, New YorkORLANDO SANAY
Age: 41
Elizabeth, New JerseyKEIMI NUNEZ
Age: 42
Woodhaven, New YorkMICHAEL PIMENTEL VELOZ
Age: 41
Garfield, New JerseyFANNY PLASENCIA
Age: 31
Jamaica, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-496 (RJD)
RAMON OSVALDO PENA
Age: 39
Maywood, New JerseyE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-560 (RJD)
ANGEL K. COLON
Age: 39
Garfield, New JerseyE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-202 (RJD)
Foreign trio charged with trafficking protected animalsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Three Mexican nationals have been indicted on charges of attempted exportation of wildlife, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
A federal grand jury returned the two-count indictment against Jonathan Roberto Rojas-Casados, 32, Roberto Rojas-Ramirez, 50, and Roberto Angel Roman-Alvarez, 27, today. They are expected to make their initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future.
The charges allege the men attempted to take over 160 animals out of the country.
On Aug. 3, according to the complaint originally filed in the case, the three men drove two vehicles into the Hidalgo Port of Entry and attempted to travel outbound into Mexico. Rojas-Casados and Roman-Alvarez allegedly rode together in a Ford Econoline while Rojas-Ramirez followed behind in a separate vehicle.
The charges allege authorities sent both vehicles for inspection. Upon a search of the Econoline, they allegedly discovered two boxes that contained over 160 animals that were concealed in small plastic containers and fabric bags located within the boxes. Among the animals were snakes, Chinese water dragons, iguanas, scorpions, tarantulas, frogs, geckos and lizards, according to the charges.
Rojas-Ramirez allegedly picked up the wildlife and loaded the boxes into the vehicle. Then, he contacted Rojas-Casados for assistance in transporting the wildlife in exchange for payment, according to the complaint.
The charges further allege that several of the animals are classified as Appendix II wildlife in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES):
Quantity
Common Name
Scientific Name
10
Ball Python
Pythons regius
3
Colombian Rainbow Boa
Epicrates maurus
2
Black and White Tegu
Salvator merianae
6
Green Iguana
Iguana iguana
5
Forest Armadillo Lizard
Cordylus jonesii
8
Jackson’s Chameleon
Trioceros jacksonii
2
Russian Tortoise
Testudo horsfieldii
10
Red-eyed Treefrog
Agalychnis callidryas
6
Green and Black Poison Dart Frog
Dendrobates auratus
6
Dyeing Poison Dart Frog
Dendrobates tinctorius
10
Curly-hair Tarantula
Tliltocatl albopilosus
10
Emperor Scorpion
Pandinius imperator
It is a violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to export wildlife without a license or permission from the Department of the Interior or Department of Commerce. It is an additional violation of the Lacey Act to export CITES Appendix II wildlife against the ESA. None of the men had a license or permission to export wildlife from the United States, according to the charges.
If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Homeland Security Investigations and Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection and Gladys Porter Zoo. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Florida Man to Plead Guilty to $2.5 Million COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Massachusetts resident has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to filing fraudulent applications to obtain $2.5 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Vinicius Santana, 34, of Boca Raton, Fla. and formerly of Revere, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of unlawful monetary transactions. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. Santana was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint with the single wire fraud offense in June 2022.
According to the charging document, Santana owned Complete Home Care, LLC (CHC), a painting company in Massachusetts. In April 2020, Santana submitted four different PPP loan applications on behalf of CHC. The first three applications, in which Santana allegedly listed five employees and an average monthly payroll of between $10,000 and $18,000, were denied. In the fourth application for CHC, it is alleged that Santana falsely claimed to have 154 employees and an average monthly payroll of $1 million. On May 11, 2020, a bank issued Santana’s company a $2,500,000 loan based on the allegedly false representations in the fourth application.
After receiving the funds, it is alleged that Santana misused the loan proceeds to buy real estate and cars and to invest in cryptocurrency.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the scheme, whichever is greater. The charge of unlawful monetary transactions provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of the greater of either $250,000 or twice the value of the criminally derived property. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Stephen Donnelly, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Patricia Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, New York Region; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie A. Queenin and Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting 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.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Felon Returned to Federal Prison After Escaping from Cedar Rapids Halfway HouseRead the Press Release
A man who escaped from a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, halfway house while serving a sentence for unlawful firearms possession was sentenced on August 18, 2022, to more than an additional year in federal prison. Ricky Joe Vaughn, age 43, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 8, 2022 guilty plea to one count of escape from custody.
At Vaughn’s plea and sentencing hearings, the evidence showed that Vaughn was sentenced in June 2015 to serve 96 months in federal prison for possessing firearms and ammunition illegally. Vaughn was scheduled to be released from a federal prison in Michigan in February 2022. In November 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) granted Vaughn the privilege of home confinement. In December 2021, after Vaughn violated the terms of his home confinement, the BOP rescinded Vaughn’s home confinement privileges and ordered Vaughn to reside in a Cedar Rapids halfway house. On January 10, 2022, while a resident of the halfway house, Vaughn cut off his ankle monitor at his workplace and fled in another person’s vehicle. The United States Marshal’s Service arrested Vaughn three days later at the other person’s apartment.
Vaughn was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Vaughn was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Vaughn has an extensive criminal history extending back to 2001. In addition to his prior federal firearms conviction, Vaughn’s criminal history in state court includes felony convictions for theft and conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. Vaughn is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the USMS.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-12.
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Federal and State Law Enforcement Partners Join Forces to Crack Down on Violent Pueblo GangRead the Press Release
PUEBLO – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado joined FBI Denver Division, Pueblo Police Department, and the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office at a news conference to announce the results of a five-year investigation into violent gang activity in Pueblo, resulting in the convictions and sentencings of more than a dozen gang members and associates. Members of the enterprise engaged in narcotics trafficking and acts of violence, including murder and assault.
To date, there have been 13 defendants arrested and charged federally and 12 arrested and charged in the state. This has led to a significant reduction in violent crime in the Pueblo area. In 2016, Ace gang members were responsible for 16% of the murder, assault, narcotics possession/distribution, and weapons charges according to the Pueblo Police Department. In 2021, Ace gang members were responsible for less than 2.5% of those crimes.
“This operation took violent offenders off the streets and put them in prison for a long time. Some of the defendants were spreading highly addictive and deadly drugs to Pueblo’s residents. This operation shows the dedication of the investigators with the FBI and the Pueblo Police Department and the determination of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office to help make Pueblo a safer community,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “Our work does not end here. We will continue to hold gang members and drug dealers accountable if they break the law.”
The defendants charged and convicted federally include:
- Emilio Hall, age 27, of Pueblo was sentenced to 32 years in prison after pleading guilty to Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering Activity (VICAR) murder. According to the plea agreement, on June 23, 2019, Hall shot and killed Floyd Robinson in the area of Bessemer Park in Pueblo as retaliation for a perceived offense against the Ace gang. Hall committed the murder in order to increase or maintain his standing in the Ace gang. U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced Hall on June 24, 2022. CASE NUMBER: 21-cr-00141.
- Christopher Ortiz, age 42, of Pueblo, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to being an accessory after the fact. According to the plea agreement, Ortiz was an Ace gang member, and because of his relationship with Emilio Hall, Ortiz destroyed the firearm that Hall used to kill Floyd Robinson. He did this in order to hinder and prevent Hall’s apprehension, trial or punishment for the crime of VICAR murder. U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced Ortiz on August 16, 2022. CASE NUMBER: 21-cr-00141.
- Jose Angel Martinez, age 30, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his plea to possession with intent to distribute heroin and violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). According to the plea agreement, on August 5, 2019, law enforcement conducted an operation to arrest Martinez on a warrant related to a July 18, 2019, fight and assault at a Pueblo bar. The FBI was able to obtain a search warrant of his apartment and recovered seven firearms, approximately 3.5 pounds of heroin, approximately 6.8 ounces of cocaine, approximately 15 grams of crack cocaine, $35,000, and several digital scales and a drug ledger. U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced Martinez on June 27, 2022. CASE NUMBER: 19-cr-00377.
- Leonard Rodriguez, age 30, of Pueblo, was sentenced to 80 months of imprisonment for possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. The conviction was tied to a search warrant executed on September 4, 2019, where police discovered Rodriguez in possession of 507 grams of heroin, 112 grams of methamphetamine, a firearm, numerous rounds of firearm ammunition, items indicative of narcotics trafficking, and thousands of dollars in cash. U.S. District Court Judge Christine M. Arguello sentenced Rodriguez on April 11, 2022. CASE NUMBER: 19-cr-00430.
- James Anthony Lovato, age 37, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine. Lovato was an associate of the Ace gang in Pueblo. According to the plea agreement, on May 21, 2019, detective from the Pueblo Police Department’s Special Investigation Division received a tip from an anonymous source that the defendant possessed a large duffle bag containing pounds of methamphetamine and heroin. While taking Lovato into custody for an outstanding arrest warrant and executing a search warrant on his home, law enforcement discovered he was in possession of over 300 grams of methamphetamine, 40 grams of heroin, and thousands of dollars in cash. Lovato was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson on August 5, 2022. CASE NUMBER: 19-cr-00314.
- Victor Adrian Trujillo, age 38, of Pueblo, was sentenced to 100 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of ammunition by a prohibited person. According to the plea agreement, officers searched for Trujillo to execute a state arrest warrant for escape. Officers identified Trujillo in a vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. Trujillo eluded officers in the vehicle. Officers eventually contacted Trujillo and arrested him. Officers observed, in plain view, a black handgun on the front, driver’s side floorboard between Trujillo’s feet. Trujillo is a convicted felon and cannot possess firearms and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico sentenced Trujillo on September 17, 2021. CASE NUMBER: 19-cr-380.
- Maximillian Esquibel, age 34, of Pueblo, was sentenced to 58 months after a jury convicted him of being a felon in possession of firearms. U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson sentenced Esquibel on December 7, 2020. CASE NUMBER: 19-cr-376.
- Joseph Bachicha, age 38, of Pueblo, was sentenced to 42 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin. According to the plea agreement, on June 23, 2018, officers saw the defendant engage in hand-to-hand drug deal. At the time of his arrest, officers found approximately 49 grams of heroin in his possession. Judge R. Brooke Jackson sentenced Bachicha on February 14, 2019. CASE NUMBER: 18-cr-358.
- Joshua Roy Wisthoff, age 36, of Pueblo, was sentenced to 66 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to the plea agreement, on January 2, 2021, Wisthoff was observed running a red light by a Pueblo Police officer. Another officer arrived on scene and observed a firearm in plain view on the passenger seat of Wistoff’s vehicle. The firearm was used by Wisthoff as protection when he sold methamphetamine. When the vehicle was searched, officers located a digital scale, an empty baggie in the center console, and a baggie containing methamphetamine located between the driver’s seat and the center console, which Wisthoff intended to distribute. U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced Wisthoff on August 8, 2022. CASE NUMBER: 21-cr-092.
- Isaac Chavez, age 39, of Pueblo, was sentenced to 72 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. According to the plea agreement, on August 30, 2019, officers encountered Chavez after he crashed on his motorcycle. He had two active arrest warrants and his driver's license was revoked. Officers found a significant amount of methamphetamine at the scene near his crashed motorcycle. Officers also found methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine in a backpack he dumped while fleeing from officers on foot. U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Blackburn sentenced Chavez on March 21, 2022. CASE NUMBER: 19-CR-426.
In addition, there were a number of cases prosecuted at the state level that are being announced separately by the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
“FBI Denver works with our federal, state and local partners across Colorado to keep communities safe. In Pueblo, we were able to leverage FBI resources to successfully target a violent, criminal gang,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. “We will continue to work with our partners in Pueblo and elsewhere, and we will continue to target violent drug dealers and those who support such operations.”
“The work of the FBI, the US Attorney’s Office, the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, our detectives and investigators in this operation took a large number of violent offenders off the streets of Pueblo and helped make our community safer. We are very thankful for the partnership we have with the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in this environment where violent crime is continuing to increase, not only here in Pueblo, but across the state," said Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Pueblo Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Denver Division, and 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Colorado State Patrol. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Dan McIntyre and Thomas Minser and the Violent Crime and Immigration Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
These cases were also 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.
Federal Jury Convicts Two McCurtain County Residents of Multiple Counts of Assault and Firearms Offenses in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Kevin Ray Ward, age 37, and Anthony Juan Armenta, age 32, both of McCurtain County, were found guilty by a federal jury of one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country, two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, and one count of Use, Carry and Brandish of a Firearm during and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
The jury trial began with testimony on Tuesday, August 16, 2022, and concluded on Friday, August 19, 2022, with the guilty verdicts.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on May 24, 2020, three young men, 17, 19, and 24, returned from fishing on the Mountain Fork River in McCurtain County, when they were confronted by the Defendants. During the confrontation, the Defendants shot at all three of the victims, hitting one twice in the abdomen. The Defendants also beat one of the victims with a pipe, a tire tool, and a pistol.
The guilty verdicts were the result of an investigation by the Idabel Police Department, McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the defendants in this case are members of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in McCurtain County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Patrick R. Wyrick, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting in Oklahoma City, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Ward and Armenta were remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending the imposition of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin D. Traster and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
Essilor Agrees to Pay $16.4 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Liability for Paying KickbacksRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA, PA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced a $16.4 million civil settlement with Essilor International, Essilor of America, Inc., Essilor Laboratories of America, Inc., and Essilor Instruments USA (collectively, “Essilor”), headquartered in Dallas, Texas, to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by causing claims to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid that resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute.
Essilor manufactures, markets, and distributes optical lenses and equipment used to produce optical lenses. The Anti‑Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other federally funded programs. The statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives.
The United States alleges that between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2016, Essilor knowingly and willfully offered or paid remuneration to eye care providers, such as optometrists and ophthalmologists, to induce those providers to order and purchase Essilor products for their patients, including Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Specifically, the United States contends that Essilor, through its Strategic Alliance, Practice Builder Loyalty, Practice Builder Elite, and Growth Financing programs (collectively, “Threshold Programs”) knowingly and willfully offered or paid unlawful remuneration to providers to induce providers to order and purchase Essilor products and knowingly caused providers to submit false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for Essilor products that were tainted by kickbacks that Essilor offered or paid to providers enrolled in Threshold Programs.
“Our healthcare system is predicated on providers making decisions solely in the best interest of the patient,” said United States Attorney Romero. “Kickbacks threaten to corrupt that decision-making. The United States Attorney’s Office stands ready to pursue anyone who fails to abide by the rules that ensure our system functions as it should.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by relators Laura Thompson, Lisa Brez, and Christie Rudolph, former Essilor district sales managers. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned United States ex rel. Laura Thompson & Lisa Brez v. Essilor Int’l, No. 3:15-CV-2853-C (N.D. Tex.) and United States ex rel. Christie Rudolph v. Essilor Labs. of Am., Inc., No. 16-CV-0537 (WB) (E.D. Pa.).
“We sincerely thank Ms. Thompson, Ms. Brez, and Ms. Rudolph. Without the willingness of relators to shed light on allegations of fraud, preserving government program funds would be far more challenging.” said U.S. Attorney Romero.
In connection with the settlement, Essilor entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The CIA requires, among other things, that Essilor hire an Independent Review Organization to review its systems, policies, processes, and procedures for ensuring that any discounts, rebates, or other reductions in price offered to providers comply with the Anti-Kickback Statute. The CIA also requires Essilor to put in place new written review and approval process to ensure all existing and new discount arrangements comply with the Anti-Kickback Statute.
“Kickback schemes can impact medical judgment, eroding the trust of both patients and taxpayers,” said Lisa M. Re, Acting Chief Counsel at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Essilor’s Corporate Integrity Agreement is intended to establish policies and practices so it complies with the Anti-Kickback Statute moving forward.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. For the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the investigation and settlement were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul W. Kaufman and auditor Dawn Wiggins.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Essilor Agrees to Pay $16.4 Million to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Liability for Paying KickbacksRead the Press Release
Essilor International, Essilor of America Inc., Essilor Laboratories of America Inc. and Essilor Instruments USA (collectively, “Essilor”), headquartered in Dallas, have agreed to pay $16.4 million to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by causing claims to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid that resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute.
Essilor manufactures, markets and distributes optical lenses and equipment used to produce optical lenses. The United States alleged that between Jan. 1, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2016, Essilor knowingly and willfully offered or paid remuneration to eye care providers, such as optometrists and ophthalmologists, to induce those providers to order and purchase Essilor products for their patients, including Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. The Anti‑Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other federally-funded programs. The statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives.
“When medical equipment manufacturers provide kickbacks to referring providers, it can compromise the integrity of medical decision-making,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to pursue violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute to ensure that patient care is not influenced by improper financial incentives.”
“The Anti-Kickback Statute was designed to ensure doctors make medical decisions with only their patients’ best interests in mind,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham of the Northern District of Texas. “We are pleased to see Essilor taking financial responsibility for their conduct.”
“Our healthcare system is predicated on providers making decisions solely in the best interest of the patient,” said U.S. Attorney Jacquelin Romero of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “Kickbacks threaten to corrupt that decision-making. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stands ready to pursue anyone who fails to abide by the rules that ensure our system functions as it should.”
“Kickback schemes can impact medical judgment, eroding the trust of both patients and taxpayers,” said Lisa M. Re, Acting Chief Counsel at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Essilor’s Corporate Integrity Agreement is intended to establish policies and practices so it complies with the Anti-Kickback Statute moving forward.”
In connection with the settlement, Essilor entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with HHS-OIG. The CIA requires, among other things, that Essilor hire an independent review organization to review its systems, policies, processes and procedures for ensuring that any discounts, rebates, or other reductions in price offered to providers comply with the Anti-Kickback Statute. The CIA also requires Essilor to implement a new written review and approval process to ensure all existing and new discount arrangements comply with the Anti-Kickback Statute.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by relators Laura Thompson, Lisa Brez, and Christie Rudolph, former Essilor district sales managers. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned United States ex rel. Laura Thompson & Lisa Brez v. Essilor Int’l, No. 3:15-CV-2853-C (N.D. Tex.) and United States ex rel. Christie Rudolph v. Essilor Labs. of Am., Inc., No. 16-CV-0537 (WB) (E.D. Pa.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Texas and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Diana Cieslak and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Braden Civins of the Northern District of Texas and Paul Kaufman of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Essilor Agrees to Pay $16.4 Million to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Liability for Paying KickbacksRead the Press Release
Dallas-based optical company Essilor has agreed to pay $16.4 million to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by causing claims to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid that resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Essilor (including Essilor International, Essilor of America Inc., Essilor Laboratories of America Inc. and Essilor Instruments USA,) manufactures, markets, and distributes optical lenses and equipment used to produce optical lenses.
The United States alleged that between Jan. 1, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2016, Essilor knowingly and willfully offered or paid remuneration to optometrists and ophthalmologists to induce those providers to purchase Essilor products for their patients, including Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. (The Anti Kickback Statute – which is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives – prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other federally-funded programs.)
“When medical equipment manufacturers provide kickbacks to referring providers, it can compromise the integrity of medical decision-making,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to pursue violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute to ensure that patient care is not influenced by improper financial incentives.”
“The Anti-Kickback Statute was designed to ensure doctors make medical decisions with only their patients’ best interests in mind,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham of the Northern District of Texas. “We are pleased to see Essilor taking financial responsibility for their conduct.”
“Kickback schemes can impact medical judgment, eroding the trust of both patients and taxpayers,” said Lisa M. Re, Acting Chief Counsel at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Essilor’s Corporate Integrity Agreement is intended to establish policies and practices so it complies with the Anti-Kickback Statute moving forward.”
In connection with the settlement, Essilor entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with HHS-OIG. The CIA requires, among other things, that Essilor hire an independent review organization to review its systems, policies, processes and procedures for ensuring that any discounts, rebates, or other reductions in price offered to providers comply with the Anti-Kickback Statute. The CIA also requires Essilor to implement a new written review and approval process to ensure all existing and new discount arrangements comply with the Anti-Kickback Statute.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by relators Laura Thompson, Lisa Brez, and Christie Rudolph, former Essilor district sales managers. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned United States ex rel. Laura Thompson & Lisa Brez v. Essilor Int’l, No. 3:15-CV-2853-C (N.D. Tex.) and United States ex rel. Christie Rudolph v. Essilor Labs. of Am., Inc., No. 16-CV-0537 (WB) (E.D. Pa.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Texas and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Diana Cieslak and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Braden Civins of the Northern District of Texas and Paul Kaufman of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Eastern Oregon Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A Baker City, Oregon man with several prior felony convictions was sentenced to federal prison today after he was arrested with multiple firearms and a large quantity of methamphetamine.
Jacob Grammon, 26, was sentenced to 95 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in April 2021, law enforcement in Baker County, Oregon obtained a search warrant for Grammon’s person and vehicle based on reports received of him possessing a large quantity of drugs and several firearms. On April 26, 2021, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from Oregon State Police and other law enforcement officers in Baker and Malheur Counties, conducted surveillance on and ultimately arrested Grammon. Officers located as 9mm pistol on Grammon’s person and two pounds of methamphetamine and several ounces of heroin in his vehicle. Grammon admitted to possessing additional firearms including an AR-15 rifle with a high-capacity drum magazine.
On May 20, 2021, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a four-count indictment charging Grammon with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On May 16, 2022, Grammon pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
This case was prosecuted by the ATF with assistance from OSP and the Baker and Malheur County Sheriff’s Offices. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marco A. Boccato of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Drug Dealer Sentenced to 25 Years for Selling Drugs, Causing Overdoses, and Disposing of A BodyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Sherman Michael Puckett (34, Clearwater) to 25 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 10 grams or more of fentanyl analogues, 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, and heroin; and obstructing of justice. Puckett had pleaded guilty on March 14, 2022.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, from at least July 23, 2018, through September 17, 2019, Puckett conspired with others to distribute over 255 grams of fentanyl, over 37 grams of fentanyl analogues, over 28 grams of cocaine, and over 17 grams of methamphetamine, among other drugs. During this time, Puckett mixed heroin and fentanyl together in his own “recipe,” which he told unwitting customers was heroin alone. As a result of not knowing the contents of what they were ingesting, Puckett’s customers sometimes accidentally overdosed. Puckett was responsible for an unknown number of non-fatal overdoses, which he regarded as an acceptable cost of his business model. The users who survived became addicted to fentanyl and thus loyal customers. As Puckett put it to one witness, “if they [his customers] can survive the high, I will always have a paycheck.”
Puckett maintained a rotating series of hotel rooms and short-stay rentals for the purpose of storing his drugs and selling them to others. In order to evade law enforcement, Puckett moved every few days or weeks. Puckett also trafficked women, whom he paid and kept loyal with drugs. One woman (S.C.) whom Puckett had supplied with drugs died of an overdose in one of Puckett’s hotel rooms. In an attempt to hide the evidence and escape responsibility, Puckett obstructed justice by stripping her body naked, wrapping it in plastic, and dumping it at the base of the Howard Frankland Bridge – on the St. Petersburg side, where it was found the next morning by a local fisherman.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael M. Gordon, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorneys Craig R. Gestring and Samantha E. Beckman.
Convicted Child Molester Sentenced for Immigration Fraud and Judicially Ordered Removed from the United StatesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The United States Attorney announced that today in federal court, Levi Isidoro Velasco-Hernandez, age 40, born in Mexico and residing in Johnston County, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle to six months in prison following a guilty plea to visa fraud. Moreover, Velasco was judicially ordered to be removed from the U.S. following the sentence he is currently serving in prison for violations of state law.
According to court records, on February 3, 2017, Velasco fraudulently applied for and subsequently obtained an immigrant visa by making materially false statements under oath. During the application process, Velasco claimed that he had never engaged in any kind of sexual contact with any person who was being forced or threatened. This was not true because he had in fact taken indecent liberties with an 11-year-old child. At the time Velasco sought the visa, immigration officials were unaware of his crimes because he had not yet been arrested or charged with them.
However, on March 4, 2021, in the Superior Court of North Carolina in Johnston County, Velasco was convicted of ten counts of indecent liberties with a child. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of between 10 and 20 years and ordered to register as a sex offender. According to the indictments to which he pled guilty, Velasco committed the crimes as early as January 1, 2017, which clearly preceded his visa application and thus displayed the falsity of his statements.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sebastian Kielmanovich and Lori Warlick prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-00016-1BO(1).
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Cockerell Dermatopathology to Pay $3.75 Million to Resolve Healthcare Fraud ClaimsRead the Press Release
A Texas dermatopathology clinic has agreed to pay the United States more than $3.7 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting fraudulent lab claims to TRICARE and by knowingly concealing an obligation to repay the United States, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Per the terms of a civil settlement executed on Friday, Dallas-based Cockerell Dermatopathology will pay $3,750,000 – including $1,875,000 in restitution – over the next 3 ½ years. Its owner and principal physician, Dr. Clay Cockerell, will be liable if the clinic fails to make any of its payments.
“This settlement resolves allegations concerning the defendant's claims to TRICARE, a health insurance program for service members, veterans, and their families,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners will not stand by as medical providers bill medically irrelevant tests to federal health insurance programs.”
“The Department of Defense (DoD), Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to identifying and neutralizing fraud schemes that not only waste valuable tax payer resources, but impact military readiness,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Mentavlos of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. "DCIS and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue those individuals who defraud the DoD healthcare program known as TRICARE, intended to care for our warfighters, their family members, and military retirees.”
In March 2021, the government filed a civil suit alleging that Dr. Cockerell knowingly permitted the laboratory management company Progen to use CDP’s lab license to submit false claims to federal health insurance programs, including TRICARE, for medically unnecessary tests in return for receiving twenty percent of the net revenue from those tests. The government also alleged that Dr. Cockerell and CDP knowingly avoided and concealed their obligation to repay the United States for the millions of dollars in false TRICARE claims.
In May 2021, Dr. Cockerell and CDP filed a motion to dismiss the Government’s claim that they had knowingly avoided and concealed an obligation to repay the United States. But in an order denying the motion, U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle noted that “[Cockerell Dermatopathology]’s actions — as alleged by the Government — plausibly demonstrate an attempt to conceal or avoid the obligation to the Government.”
The Defense Criminal Investigative Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Guiltinan and Dawn Theiss handled the civil case.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Claremore man pleads guilty to sexually abusing a child starting when she was 9 years oldRead the Press Release
A Claremore man pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court for sexually abusing a child starting when the victim was nine years old and until she was 13, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Raymond Dale Dudley, 60, pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under 12 in Indian Country and sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country.
The plea agreement calls for Dudley to serve between 40 and 45 years in prison. A federal judge will determine whether to accept the plea agreement at a sentencing hearing to be held at a later date.
In his plea agreement, the defendant admitted that he sexually abused the victim repeatedly between 2009 and 2013. Dudley continued to abuse the victim until 2013, when her older sister, who was no longer living at home, reported that she (the older sister) had been sexually abused by Dudley. The younger victim later reported that Dudley promised her in 2013 that he would stop abusing her if she hid the sexual abuse from child protective services workers. She complied, denying any abuse when she was interviewed at the home in 2013. A child forensic interview was not done at the time.
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services believed the older sister’s allegations were unsubstantiated and closed the case. In 2015, she again disclosed that Dudley abused her, but the referral was closed, citing the 2013 investigation.
In 2021, the younger victim, now an adult, spoke about the abuse with an individual she trusted. She stated the abuse would often happen when no other adults were in the home and sometimes it would happen with other children nearby. The individual spoke with Dudley about the allegations. Dudley eventually admitted to the abuse but minimized his actions, suggesting the victim had “egged some of it on.”
Soon after, the victim reported the crimes to the Claremore Police Department. She disclosed that the abuse happened approximately twice a week starting when she was nine years old. Investigators also spoke to the older victim who had reported being abused by Dudley. She stated that Dudley had started sexually abusing her when she was about 14 years old and until she was 18 years old.
Child abuse experts state that disclosure is almost always a process for victims of childhood sexual abuse. Children may not tell for a variety of reasons. These include threats, gifts, or promises to the child, fear of the perpetrator, a lack of opportunity, a lack of understanding of child sexual abuse, or a relationship with the perpetrator. Impediments to disclosure include shame and fear of causing trouble in a family.
Victims most often disclose only when they feel they are in a safe environment.
It is rare for victims to disclose all the details of their abuse to any one person, and even rarer for victims to disclose every incident of abuse at one time. Sometimes, disclosure can take months or even years. Disclosure is determined by an interplay of child characteristics, family environment, community influences, and societal attitudes.
The FBI and Claremore Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chantelle D. Dial and Valeria G. Luster are prosecuting the case.
Chicago Firearms Trafficking Strike Force UpdateRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today provided an update on the cross-jurisdictional Firearms Trafficking Strike Force.
The Department of Justice launched the strike force in July 2021 to disrupt illegal firearms trafficking and reduce gun violence. Led locally by U.S. Attorney Lausch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and to identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes. The Chicago strike force’s efforts have been substantially enhanced by the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD’s) Gun Investigations Team.
According to gun trace data, a significant number of firearms recovered in Chicago originate outside Chicago and are illegally trafficked into the city. The strike force has strengthened coordination between law enforcement in Chicago and counterparts in the locations where many of the firearms originate. In providing the update on the strike force’s efforts, U.S. Attorney Lausch was joined by U.S. Attorneys from around the Midwest.
“Firearms traffickers and straw purchasers enable violence,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “Over the past year, the cross-jurisdictional strike force has increased collaboration with our law enforcement partners and enhanced our longstanding efforts to hold accountable individuals or groups who illegally traffic firearms into Chicago.”
“While I am the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, this Office will continue to recognize that combatting violent crime – particularly gun crimes – requires coordinated, multi-jurisdictional efforts among federal and state prosecutors and federal, state, and local law enforcement,” said Clifford D. Johnson, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana. “We know that through these combined efforts the safety of the citizens in our respective communities is improved. We want all law-abiding citizens to be able to enjoy the many cultural, social, and recreational activities in the Chicagoland area without fear of violence.”
“Whether individuals are trafficking guns from Wisconsin into Chicago or sending guns from other states into places like Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha, we are fully committed to working with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to hold firearms traffickers and straw purchasers fully accountable,” said Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “By working together – both within our districts and across the region – we can make all of our communities safer places in which to live and work.”
“Illegal firearms traffickers help fuel the horrific gun violence inflicted on our communities and families,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Working with law enforcement partners across agencies and jurisdictions, our office will continue to prioritize investigations and prosecutions that stem the tide of crime guns onto the streets of all of our communities and hold gun traffickers accountable.”
“Preventing gun violence is a top priority in our district and region,” said Gregory K. Harris, United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. “These cross-jurisdictional efforts to stem illegal firearm trafficking are an important tool in making our communities safer.”
“Reducing violent crime and gun crimes are top priorities of my office,” said Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. “The statements expressed here show that violent criminals cannot avoid federal prosecution by fleeing to another state. There is literally nowhere to run. We will work with our law enforcement partners across the Midwest to hold violent criminals and gun traffickers accountable and keep our communities safe.”
To investigate and prosecute cases as part of the strike force, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices work closely with U.S. law enforcement agencies, including ATF, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). State and local partners in the Northern District of Illinois include CPD, Illinois State Police (ISP), Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rockford Police Department (RPD).
In the first year of the strike force, several dozen defendants have been charged or convicted in federal courts in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, as illustrated by the examples below.
Northern District of Illinois
- ARSHAD ZAYED, of Orland Hills, Ill., was charged with illegally selling 36 firearms, including “ghost guns” and machine guns, in the Chicago area. Many of the transactions occurred in a car wash that Zayed managed in the Chicago suburb of Matteson, Ill. The investigation was conducted by FBI, ATF, CPD, ISP, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.
- Two Indianapolis men – DEVANTE T. BROWN and COREY SARTIN – were charged with federal firearm violations for allegedly trafficking ten guns, including four semiautomatic rifles and two “ghost guns,” from Indianapolis to Chicago. The probe was led by ATF and CPD, with assistance from the Dolton, Ill., Police Department.
- Chicago resident ANTHONY PEREZ-FLORES was charged with trafficking more than a dozen guns, including a “ghost gun” and a machine gun, in Chicago. Perez-Flores was on parole for a state firearm conviction when he allegedly sold the guns to an undercover officer. ATF, CPD, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
- DEVON DOW, of Chicago, was charged with trafficking individually manufactured “ghost guns” in Chicago. Dow allegedly sold seven “ghost guns” to an undercover law enforcement officer on the city’s South Side. The firearms were considered “ghost guns” because they contained no identifiable serial number and had been manufactured from parts collected from various sources. HSI and CPD led the probe.
- Five men were indicted for allegedly trafficking guns from St. Louis to Chicago. The charges accuse ROBERT NARUP, of Washington, Mo., of buying firearms at gun shows throughout the United States and illegally selling them to JEROME BOYKIN, of St. Louis, Mo. Boykin then allegedly brought the guns to Chicago and sold them to ROGELIO MANCERA, of Schaumburg, Ill., in exchange for marijuana. The charges accuse Mancera, RODOLFO ORTEGA of Chicago, and HECTOR CHACON of Chicago, with selling the guns on the streets of Chicago. ATF and CPD’s Gun Investigations Team led the probe, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
- A federal jury convicted JOSEPH GHANDOUR, of Glenview, Ill., of illegally selling a “ghost gun” to a convicted felon in a suburban Chicago grocery store parking lot. Unbeknownst to Ghandour, the felon to whom he sold the rifle was cooperating with law enforcement. FBI investigated.
- A man was indicted on firearm charges for allegedly straw purchasing 27 handguns from suburban Chicago stores. MATTHEW JAMAAL JOHNSON, of Dolton, Ill., allegedly falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer, when, in reality, Johnson purchased the guns on behalf of another individual. ATF and CPD led the probe.
- Chicago resident ISMAEL SENE was sentenced to a year in federal prison for straw purchasing handguns in the Chicago suburbs. In one of the transactions, Sene falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer. In reality, Sene purchased the gun on behalf of an individual whom Sene had reason to believe was a convicted felon who was prohibited by federal law from purchasing or possessing a firearm. ATF led the probe, with assistance from CPD.
- A suburban Chicago man was sentenced to eight and a half years in federal prison for trafficking dozens of guns from Kentucky to Chicago. Many of the guns trafficked by JOHN PHILLIPS, of Lyons, Ill., were later discovered by law enforcement at crime scenes in Chicago. The investigation was led by ATF’s Chicago office, with assistance from ATF agents in Louisville, Ky.
- PARIS STEELE, of Chicago, was sentenced in August to more than six years in federal prison for unlawfully dealing shotguns and other firearms in Chicago. While Steele was on bond and awaiting trial, he appeared in videos on social media holding a firearm and threatening violence against others. ATF and CPD conducted the investigation.
- A Chicago man was charged with making materially false statements in the acquisition of more than 20 firearms. STOVALL BUCHANAN acquired the guns from suburban Chicago firearms dealers and allegedly lied on federal forms about his home address and the actual buyer of the guns. ATF investigated, with assistance from CPD.
- Chicago resident JUSTIN GARCIA was charged in August with straw purchasing handguns in a suburban Chicago store on behalf of another individual. ATF investigated, with assistance from CPD.
- Two days after the fatal shooting of Chicago Police Officer Ella French, a Hammond, Ind., man was charged with conspiring to straw purchase the semi-automatic handgun used in the shooting. JAMEL DANZY pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted that he was a straw purchaser who bought the gun from a firearms dealer in Indiana at the request of a convicted felon who was found in possession of the gun after the shootings of Officer French and her partner. Danzy is awaiting sentencing. ATF and CPD led the probe.
Central District of Illinois
- JERON C. MCNEAL, of Peoria, Ill., was sentenced in October 2021 to a year in federal prison for his involvement in a burglary of a federally licensed firearms dealer and for giving false statements to federal law enforcement. A mob smashed the window of the business and approximately nine people entered the store and stole 29 firearms. McNeal drove a get-away car for some of the looters. McNeal’s sister, CHAYLA MCNEAL, was sentenced on the same charges in November 2021. Chayla McNeal stood outside the business, encouraged minor individuals to enter, and appeared to record the looting with her phone. Both McNeals also later lied to federal agents. In April 2021, one of the 29 guns stolen – an FNH 40 caliber pistol – was recovered by the Chicago Police Department.
- APRIL ALEXANDRIA SORIANO, of Springfield, Ill., pleaded guilty in October 2021 to making false statements during the purchase of multiple firearms. Soriano admitted to lying on ATF forms when she indicated she was purchasing the guns for herself when, in fact, she was buying them for someone else. An ATF gun trace revealed that Soriano purchased five firearms in 2019 and 2020. A 9mm Taurus handgun she purchased in East Peoria, Ill., was later discovered by law enforcement during a search of Soriano’s then-residence in Peoria, Ill. A second firearm – a 9mm Ruger handgun – that Soriano purchased in Springfield was later discovered in Chicago following a shooting incident where a victim sustained a gunshot wound.
Northern District of Indiana
- Twenty-four individuals were charged with violating various federal firearms laws, including the straw-purchasing of more than 150 firearms, lying about their eligibility to purchase more than 100 firearms, transferring firearms to a person who resided in another state, and engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Approximately 30 firearms illegally purchased in Indiana were recovered by law enforcement in Chicago and the Chicagoland area, with some of the firearms being linked to shootings and seized from prohibited persons. ATF led the investigations, with assistance from law enforcement throughout the Northern District of Indiana.
Southern District of Indiana
- Six individuals were charged with straw purchasing 90 firearms, more than 20 of which were later discovered at crime scenes in Chicago. ATF led the investigation, with assistance from law enforcement in Chicago.
Eastern District of Wisconsin
- In February, a Chicago man was indicted for an armed carjacking in Milwaukee. SHAMONTE BRYANT is alleged to have stolen a firearm during the carjacking, driven the stolen car and firearm from Milwaukee to Chicago, and used the firearm during a shooting in Chicago the following day. The case was investigated by FBI and the Milwaukee Police Department.
- In April, two individuals from Racine County, Wisc., were charged with conspiring to purchase firearms, alter/obliterate the serial numbers, and sell the firearms to others. As part of the conspiracy, DEANDRE L. RODGERS and VIRIDIANA GARCIA-RAMIREZ are alleged to have purchased at least eleven handguns and one rifle from local gun stores between December 2021 and March 2022. Garcia-Ramirez entered a guilty plea to the conspiracy in July 2022. Rodgers’s case remains pending. The matter was investigated by ATF and the Racine Police Department.
- Between July 2021 and July 2022, three previously convicted felons from Fond du Lac, Wisc. – TREON DENNIS, JASON SPINKS, and SHAKIE DAVIS – entered guilty pleas and were sentenced in federal court for conspiring to have an individual straw-purchase approximately eleven firearms. According to court records, three of the firearms were recovered at crime scenes in the Chicago area. Dennis and Davis were sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. In August 2022, a fourth individual charged in the case, JONATHAN GRIFFIN acknowledged the straw purchases and entered a guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Griffin is set to be sentenced in November. The case was investigated by ATF and the Fond du Lac Police Department.
- In July, two individuals from Milwaukee – STEPHANIE GRIFFITH and WILLIE STATEN – were charged in federal court with straw-purchasing approximately 23 firearms. Staten also was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Three of the firearms were recovered by law enforcement, including one in Illinois. Griffith pleaded guilty, while Staten’s case is pending. The case was investigated by ATF and the Milwaukee Police Department.
Western District of Wisconsin
- SAMUEL SCHILTZ, of Waunakee, Wisc., was sentenced to five years in prison for illegally selling two handguns installed with 30-round magazines and auto sears, which converted the guns into fully automatic machine guns. Schiltz, who was on probation for a felony drug crime at the time of the sale, told an undercover agent that he also sold cocaine and prescription opiates. Schiltz offered other firearms for sale, and he offered to install auto sears on other guns. The Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation and ATF conducted the investigation.
In addition to the sustained focus on firearms trafficking prosecutions, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices endeavor to disrupt violent crime by seeking pre-trial detention for defendants who pose a danger to the community and by pursuing appropriate prison sentences to deter dangerous individuals from continuing to cause violence in their communities. Another critical aspect of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts is Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to pursue lasting reductions in crime.
“A primary goal of our office is to reduce violent crime, and we will continue to use every available federal law enforcement tool to keep people safe,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.
The strike force’s efforts in Chicago and throughout the country remain active and ongoing. The public is reminded that charges are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Charlotte Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Fraud, Drug Distribution and Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Donte O’Neill Clements, 33, of Charlotte, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler on August 19, 2022, and pleaded guilty to participating in a COVID-19 fraud scheme, drug distribution, and illegal gun possession, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Clements’s co-conspirator, Kaila Leaann Shanteau-Jackson, 30, also of Charlotte, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in July 2022 for her role in the scheme.
Jason Byrnes, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed plea documents and statements made in court, from June 2020 to September 2021, Clements engaged in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Labor and the State of Arizona by fraudulently receiving and cashing COVID-19 unemployment insurance (UI) payments that Jackson diverted to Clements. During the relevant time frame, Jackson was employed as a vendor-contractor for a financial institution that serviced the UI benefit program in Arizona through the mailing of pre-paid debit cards to qualified recipients. Jackson held the position of Pre-Paid Claims Initiation Agent with the financial institution and, as part of her employment, Jackson had access to the financial institution’s Pre-Paid Administration System (PAS).
According to court documents, Jackson used her employment credentials to divert and re-route UI benefits payments intended for 138 victims to Clements, herself, and others. To effectuate the scheme, Jackson changed in the PAS database the rightful recipients’ address information to addresses in Charlotte to which Clements and others had access. Once Clements and others received the re-routed pre-paid debit cards, they either withdrew the benefits in cash from ATMs or conducted retail purchases with the stolen funds. During the scheme, Jackson diverted approximately $993,000 in UI benefits to her co-conspirators, of which Clements obtained over $800,000 of the stolen funds.
In addition to pleading guilty to wire fraud for the COVID-19 fraud scheme, Clements pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
A sentencing date for Clements has not been set. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum term of 30 years in prison, and a $1 million fine. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base carries a prison term of up to 20 years and a $1 million fine. The statutory maximum prison term for felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the U.S. Secret Service and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.
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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Members of the public in the Western District of North Carolina can also call 704-344-6222 to reach their local Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator.
Central American Drug Trafficker Extradited to the United States on Federal ViolationsRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A Nicaraguan national has been extradited from Honduras to the United States to face drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Raduan Omar Zamora Mayorga, also known as Jose Luis Oliva Meza and “El señor de los cielos” and “patrón de patrones” (in English “the lord of the skies” and “the boss of bosses”), 41, of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 10, 2020, and charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine knowing it would be imported to the United States and manufacturing and distributing cocaine knowing it would be distributed into the United States. On May 15, 2022, Zamora Mayorga was arrested in Honduras pursuant to a provisional arrest request by the United States and subsequently, extradited to the United States on August 18, 2022. He appeared in federal court in Plano, Texas on August 22, 2022, for an initial appearance and arraignment and was ordered to be detained pending trial.
According to the indictment, in approximately 2008, an investigation by U.S. law enforcement authorities identified a large-scale drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating throughout South, Central, and North America. The DTO used a sophisticated infrastructure to manufacture, acquire, store, transport and distribute multi-ton quantities of cocaine destined for the United States. It utilized go-fast speedboats, shipping vessels, submersible watercraft, aircraft, semi-trailer trucks and other motor vehicles to transport large cocaine shipments. The cocaine would originate in Colombia and Ecuador, where it is manufactured, processed, and packaged at clandestine drug laboratories. The drugs would then be transported to and through Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Mexico on their way northward. Portions of the cocaine shipments were ultimately imported into the United States for further distribution. The resulting drug proceeds were transported from the United States back to and through the above noted countries.
Information received from confidential sources and law enforcement authorities indicated that Zamora Mayorga was an important member of the DTO operating out of Honduras who allegedly conspired with other DTO members to acquire and transport large cocaine shipments. Zamora Mayorga is alleged to have supplied large quantities of cocaine in Guatemala and elsewhere on behalf of the DTO. According to the indictment, Zamora Mayorga used his own transportation network to smuggle cocaine shipments from Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala for further distribution to the United States. Zamora Mayorga and his co-conspirators were responsible for the importation of thousands of kilograms of cocaine to the United States.
If convicted, Zamora Mayorga faces 10 years to life in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernest Gonzalez.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Honduras to secure the arrest and extradition of Zamora Mayorga to the United States. Special thanks to the Government of Honduras for their help in the capture and extradition of Zamora Mayorga.
An indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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California Man Charged with Using False Identities to Defraud Multiple Individuals and Large Corporate EntityRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a complaint charging RUSSELL DWAYNE LEWIS, a/k/a “Clifford Ari Getz,” a/k/a “Clifford Ari Getz Cohen,” a/k/a “Ari Getz,” a/k/a “Aryeh Getz,” with three counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in connection with multiple schemes to defraud victims out of millions of dollars. Over several years, LEWIS, who falsely claimed to be a billionaire, defrauded his friend and employee out of more than $3 million, money he falsely claimed was being used in business opportunities; defrauded an individual out of more than $500,000, which he falsely claimed was being directed to a real estate investment; and made a fraudulent offer to purchase a corporate entity for $290 million. LEWIS was arrested last night in California and is expected to be presented today before a United States Magistrate Judge in the Central District of California.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendant engaged in a pattern of serial fraud, lying repeatedly and blatantly to friends, associates, and a major corporation about his identity, wealth, and business activities. He did so out of greed, and he now faces serious criminal charges for his alleged conduct.”
FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said: "As alleged, Mr. Lewis played on his victims' misplaced trust and, through a series of deceptions, cheated them out of valuable resources and money. His arrest today shows the FBI's continued determination to hold impostors accountable and force them to deal with the repercussions of their illegal activities in court.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
Between 2016 and 2020, RUSSELL DWAYNE LEWIS engaged in a series of brazen schemes to misrepresent his identity, his wealth, and his professional and personal background in order to defraud multiple individuals and at least one corporate entity. For years, LEWIS lived under assumed names, using the birth date of a real individual with the name of one of his aliases, and utilizing the social security number of yet another individual. As opportunities arose, LEWIS told increasingly outrageous lies to individuals around him, including a close friend of many years, an individual who turned to him for his claimed expertise in astrology, and representatives of a major company he falsely purported to intend to purchase.
In one scheme, LEWIS befriended an individual (“Victim-1”), claiming to Victim-1 that he was a billionaire businessman. As part of their increasingly close friendship, and believing that LEWIS was a successful businessman, Victim-1 solicited professional and investment advice from LEWIS. In response, and with greater frequency over time, LEWIS solicited “investments” from Victim-1 in the tens and then hundreds of thousands of dollars. Eventually, Victim-1 went to work for LEWIS, working to explore opportunities in business and finance to assist LEWIS in identifying investment opportunities. LEWIS continued to ask Victim-1 for money, which was characterized as investments and/or loans, and which Victim-1 routinely provided. LEWIS had Victim-1 seek out investment opportunities, only to repeatedly back out of prospective deals at the last moment, claiming difficulties in accessing his vast wealth. By 2020, Victim-1 had transferred more than $3 million of loan and/or investment funds to LEWIS in less than three years, virtually none of which was ever paid back.
In addition to his purported business activities, LEWIS also separately charged some individuals for astrological readings and analyses. One such individual was a widow with four children who met LEWIS in or about 2018 (“Victim-2”). Victim-2 continued to have contact with LEWIS in the coming years, including for astrological readings. In 2020, over the course of several months, LEWIS defrauded Victim-2 out of approximately $555,000 by pressuring her into paying him money for a purported real estate investment opportunity. In truth, there was no such investment opportunity, and LEWIS spent Victim-2’s money on personal expenses, including office supplies that facilitated and promoted LEWIS’s other schemes. Victim-2 received back virtually none of her “investment.”
Finally, in August and September 2020, LEWIS fraudulently attempted to acquire a corporate entity in bankruptcy proceedings (“Corporation-1”). LEWIS made a purported all‑cash offer to purchase Corporation-1 for $290 million, which resulted in weeks of due diligence processes, legal discussions, and negotiations—including through which Getz and others had access to certain of Corporation-1’s internal business records and materials. Corporation-1 and its representatives dedicated significant time and resources to the purported offer, based on the false premise that LEWIS intended to, and could, pay hundreds of millions of dollars for Corporation‑1. In fact, LEWIS had no intention or ability to purchase Corportion-1, and ultimately he backed out of the deal.
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LEWIS, 52, of Los Angeles, California, is charged with three counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of 24 months in prison.
The statutory maximum and mandatory penalties 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 a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI, and thanked the Beverly Hills Police Department for its exceptional investigative assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Alex Rossmiller and Matthew Podolsky are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
NEW ALBANY – Cornelio Moran-Miranda, 39, of New Albany, Indiana, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
According to court documents, on June 1, 2021, investigators with the New Albany Police Department executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence. During a search of the defendant’s bedroom, officers located approximately 7.75 pounds of cocaine, 2.75 pounds of methamphetamine, 1.41 ounces of heroin, digital scales, and $20,142 in United States currency. During a search of a detached garage to the residence, officers located two rifles, an UZI-style pistol, and a money counter. During a search of the defendant’s truck, officers located a Ruger pistol with an obliterated serial number. The defendant was subsequently arrested.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Indianapolis, made the announcement.
The New Albany Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. The Floyd County Prosecutor’s Office also provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt following the defendant’s guilty plea. As part of the sentence, Judge Pratt ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski who prosecuted this case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to over Nine Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Derek Owens (34, St. Petersburg) to nine years and three months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The court also ordered Owens to forfeit a Smith & Wesson, M&P 40C semi-automatic pistol, 16 rounds of ammunition, and $1,073 in cash, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Owens had pleaded guilty on January 23, 2019.
According to court documents, on August 14, 2018, law enforcement officers on routine patrol in St. Petersburg noticed a red Independent Taxi, without a public vehicle certificate displayed, commit a traffic violation. The officers initiated a traffic stop on the taxi. As the taxi slowed down, the rear passenger (Owens) began trying to exit the car. After failing to open the door from the inside, Owens reached his hand out of the window and opened the door from the outside. As Owens exited the moving car, the officers observed a black firearm and firearm holster on Owen’s person as he attempted to flee. The officers observed Owens discard the firearm as he ran towards an alley. The officers then gave chase to Owens on foot, eventually apprehending him approximately one block away from the initial traffic stop. After Owens was secured, an officer returned to the scene where Owens had discarded his firearm.
During a search of Owen’s person, an officer recovered $1,073, a plastic bag containing 82 grams of cocaine, a plastic bag containing 20 grams of cocaine, a plastic bag containing 8 grams of marijuana, and 2 cellphones. The officers also recovered the firearm and holster. Further investigation revealed that the firearm had previously been reported stolen.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
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.
Antigo Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Kelly M. Schultz, 45, of Antigo, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty today in federal district court in Madison to possessing child pornography and was immediately remanded into custody.
U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson scheduled sentencing for November 18. The plea agreement calls for the defendant to be sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by 20 years of supervised release.
In March 2017, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Schultz’s home and seized approximately 150 CDs and DVDs. During the analysis of these items, agents located numerous images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The charge against Schultz was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation; Port Edwards, Markesan, Everest Metro, and Antigo Police Departments; and Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The Langlade County District Attorney’s office also assisted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman is prosecuting the case.
Anchorage Man Indicted for Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging an Anchorage man with being a felon in possession of firearms and for the sale of stolen firearms.
According to court documents, Max Reder, 37, knowingly sold at least nine stolen firearms in October 2020. He also possessed at least 34 firearms knowing he had two prior convictions for burglary in the second degree, a felony, in the State of Alaska. As someone previously convicted of a felony offense, Reder is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance on Wednesday, August 24th before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Anchorage Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George Tran is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Alabama Man Sentenced to over 17 Years for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALPINE – An Alabama man was sentenced yesterday to 210 months in prison for producing child pornography.
According to court documents, Matthew Jacob Metzler, 32, traveled to Arizona to pick up a minor and then brought the child to Pecos where he engaged in sexual acts with the child. A search warrant was executed on Metzler’s cellular phone where child pornography photos along with a sexually explicit video Metzler made with the minor were found.
“Those who engage in crimes against children will be held accountable for their actions,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “In February 2022, Metzler traveled to Arizona to pick up a minor and transported the child across state lines to Pecos, Texas. While in Pecos, Metzler, who was living out of his car, engaged in sexual acts with the child. The child was ultimately located by law enforcement and reunited with family in Arizona. This was a great example of multiple agencies in the West Texas community working together to bring justice for a minor victim. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work tirelessly to protect minor victims.”
On March 24, 2022, Metzler pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography. Metzler has remained in federal custody since his arrest on February 7, 2022.
HSI, along with assistance from the Pecos Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Greenbaum prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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14-Count Indictment Unsealed Charging 12 Defendants in Alleged Armed Drug Trafficking Operation Centered in Milledgeville, GeorgiaRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. –Ten Milledgeville, Georgia, and two Atlanta residents are facing federal drug and firearms charges alleging their participation in the armed distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl and other controlled substances.
Arrest operations which occurred this week were the result of April 2021 and Feb. 2022 search warrants where agents seized approximately 92 kilograms of methamphetamine, 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl, two kilograms of heroin, two kilograms of cocaine, 15 pounds of marijuana and 15 firearms.
The federal indictment was unsealed today charging the following defendants:
Lagary Williams aka Frog, of Atlanta, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, two counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
Brandon Ector aka Big, of Atlanta, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, two counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
Damon Hayes aka D-5, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, four counts of distribution of cocaine base, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
Quintavious Horton aka Bloody Bae, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
Earnest Hamilton, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
Antonio Mason, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute;
Travarious Davis aka D Red, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
Alonzo Vasser aka Tie, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
Derrick Ingram, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
Kimdra Wilkerson, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
Johnnie Halligan, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; and,
Billy Harper, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
If convicted, each defendant is facing a maximum term of life imprisonment and a $10,000,000 fine.
According to court documents, Hayes, Davis and Vasser are convicted felons who have prior felony convictions for a serious drug felony in the Superior Court of Baldwin County, Georgia.
Williams and Ector remain at-large; initial appearances for the remaining defendants began today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Weigle in the Macon, Georgia, U.S. Courthouse.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office, Jones County Sheriff’s Office, Morgan County Sheriff’s Office and Atlanta-Carolina’s HIDTA Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Monday 22 August 2022
Wanblee Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Wanblee, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury was sentenced on August 18, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Paige Aaron Chipps, age 32, was sentenced to eight years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Chipps was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2021 and pleaded guilty in April 2022. The conviction stems from Chipps assaulting a woman in her home in Wanblee in February 2021 by kicking her while wearing boots. The woman then went outside and fell in the snow and was unable to get up due to her injuries, eventually dying of hypothermia.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Criminal Investigators. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Chipps was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer indicted for depriving a U.S. citizen of rightsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Oscar Orrantia was indicted on Aug. 17 for willfully depriving the rights of a citizen of the United States. Orrantia, 36, of Santa Teresa, New Mexico, made an initial appearance in federal court today. On Aug. 19, Orrantia was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility, Special Agent in Charge Office, El Paso, Texas.
According to the indictment, on June 18, 2019, at the Columbus Port of Entry in Luna County, New Mexico, Orrantia allegedly deprived the victim, identified as John Doe, of his constitutional right to be free from unreasonable seizures. The indictment also alleges that Orrantia’s actions resulted in bodily injury to John Doe.
“Those in whom we entrust the power and responsibility to enforce our laws have a paramount duty to protect the rights provided under the United States Constitution,” said U.S. Attorney Uballez. “We hold these rights sacred. Justice requires that we hold accountable those who abuse their positions and fail to uphold that responsibility.”
“CBP stresses honor and integrity in every aspect of our mission, and the overwhelming majority of CBP employees and officers perform their duties with honor and distinction, working tirelessly every day to keep our country safe,” said CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha. “CBP does not tolerate corruption or abuse within our ranks, and our Office of Professional Responsibility responded to this complaint in a thorough and timely manner.”
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Orrantia faces up to 10 years in prison.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility, Special Agent in Charge Office, El Paso, investigated this case with assistance from the Luna County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and Mark Standridge are prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Provides Update on Chicago Firearms Trafficking Strike ForceRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today provided an update on the cross-jurisdictional Firearms Trafficking Strike Force.
The Department of Justice launched the strike force in July 2021 to disrupt illegal firearms trafficking and reduce gun violence. Led locally by U.S. Attorney Lausch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and to identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes. The Chicago strike force’s efforts have been substantially enhanced by the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD’s) Gun Investigations Team.
According to gun trace data, a significant number of firearms recovered in Chicago originate outside Chicago and are illegally trafficked into the city. The strike force has strengthened coordination between law enforcement in Chicago and counterparts in the locations where many of the firearms originate. In providing the update on the strike force’s efforts, U.S. Attorney Lausch was joined by U.S. Attorneys from around the Midwest.
“Firearms traffickers and straw purchasers enable violence,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “Over the past year, the cross-jurisdictional strike force has increased collaboration with our law enforcement partners and enhanced our longstanding efforts to hold accountable individuals or groups who illegally traffic firearms into Chicago.”
“While I am the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, this Office will continue to recognize that combatting violent crime – particularly gun crimes – requires coordinated, multi-jurisdictional efforts among federal and state prosecutors and federal, state, and local law enforcement,” said Clifford D. Johnson, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana. “We know that through these combined efforts the safety of the citizens in our respective communities is improved. We want all law-abiding citizens to be able to enjoy the many cultural, social, and recreational activities in the Chicagoland area without fear of violence.”
“Whether individuals are trafficking guns from Wisconsin into Chicago or sending guns from other states into places like Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha, we are fully committed to working with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to hold firearms traffickers and straw purchasers fully accountable,” said Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “By working together – both within our districts and across the region – we can make all of our communities safer places in which to live and work.”
“Illegal firearms traffickers help fuel the horrific gun violence inflicted on our communities and families,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Working with law enforcement partners across agencies and jurisdictions, our office will continue to prioritize investigations and prosecutions that stem the tide of crime guns onto the streets of all of our communities and hold gun traffickers accountable.”
“Preventing gun violence is a top priority in our district and region,” said Gregory K. Harris, United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. “These cross-jurisdictional efforts to stem illegal firearm trafficking are an important tool in making our communities safer.”
“Reducing violent crime and gun crimes are top priorities of my office,” said Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. “The statements expressed here show that violent criminals cannot avoid federal prosecution by fleeing to another state. There is literally nowhere to run. We will work with our law enforcement partners across the Midwest to hold violent criminals and gun traffickers accountable and keep our communities safe.”
To investigate and prosecute cases as part of the strike force, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices work closely with U.S. law enforcement agencies, including ATF, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). State and local partners in the Northern District of Illinois include CPD, Illinois State Police (ISP), Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rockford Police Department (RPD).
In the first year of the strike force, several dozen defendants have been charged or convicted in federal courts in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, as illustrated by the examples below.
Northern District of Illinois
- ARSHAD ZAYED, of Orland Hills, Ill., was charged with illegally selling 36 firearms, including “ghost guns” and machine guns, in the Chicago area. Many of the transactions occurred in a car wash that Zayed managed in the Chicago suburb of Matteson, Ill. The investigation was conducted by FBI, ATF, CPD, ISP, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.
- Two Indianapolis men – DEVANTE T. BROWN and COREY SARTIN – were charged with federal firearm violations for allegedly trafficking ten guns, including four semiautomatic rifles and two “ghost guns,” from Indianapolis to Chicago. The probe was led by ATF and CPD, with assistance from the Dolton, Ill., Police Department.
- Chicago resident ANTHONY PEREZ-FLORES was charged with trafficking more than a dozen guns, including a “ghost gun” and a machine gun, in Chicago. Perez-Flores was on parole for a state firearm conviction when he allegedly sold the guns to an undercover officer. ATF, CPD, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
- DEVON DOW, of Chicago, was charged with trafficking individually manufactured “ghost guns” in Chicago. Dow allegedly sold seven “ghost guns” to an undercover law enforcement officer on the city’s South Side. The firearms were considered “ghost guns” because they contained no identifiable serial number and had been manufactured from parts collected from various sources. HSI and CPD led the probe.
- Five men were indicted for allegedly trafficking guns from St. Louis to Chicago. The charges accuse ROBERT NARUP, of Washington, Mo., of buying firearms at gun shows throughout the United States and illegally selling them to JEROME BOYKIN, of St. Louis, Mo. Boykin then allegedly brought the guns to Chicago and sold them to ROGELIO MANCERA, of Schaumburg, Ill., in exchange for marijuana. The charges accuse Mancera, RODOLFO ORTEGA of Chicago, and HECTOR CHACON of Chicago, with selling the guns on the streets of Chicago. ATF and CPD’s Gun Investigations Team led the probe, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
- A federal jury convicted JOSEPH GHANDOUR, of Glenview, Ill., of illegally selling a “ghost gun” to a convicted felon in a suburban Chicago grocery store parking lot. Unbeknownst to Ghandour, the felon to whom he sold the rifle was cooperating with law enforcement. FBI investigated.
- A man was indicted on firearm charges for allegedly straw purchasing 27 handguns from suburban Chicago stores. MATTHEW JAMAAL JOHNSON, of Dolton, Ill., allegedly falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer, when, in reality, Johnson purchased the guns on behalf of another individual. ATF and CPD led the probe.
- Chicago resident ISMAEL SENE was sentenced to a year in federal prison for straw purchasing handguns in the Chicago suburbs. In one of the transactions, Sene falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer. In reality, Sene purchased the gun on behalf of an individual whom Sene had reason to believe was a convicted felon who was prohibited by federal law from purchasing or possessing a firearm. ATF led the probe, with assistance from CPD.
- A suburban Chicago man was sentenced to eight and a half years in federal prison for trafficking dozens of guns from Kentucky to Chicago. Many of the guns trafficked by JOHN PHILLIPS, of Lyons, Ill., were later discovered by law enforcement at crime scenes in Chicago. The investigation was led by ATF’s Chicago office, with assistance from ATF agents in Louisville, Ky.
- PARIS STEELE, of Chicago, was sentenced in August to more than six years in federal prison for unlawfully dealing shotguns and other firearms in Chicago. While Steele was on bond and awaiting trial, he appeared in videos on social media holding a firearm and threatening violence against others. ATF and CPD conducted the investigation.
- A Chicago man was charged with making materially false statements in the acquisition of more than 20 firearms. STOVALL BUCHANAN acquired the guns from suburban Chicago firearms dealers and allegedly lied on federal forms about his home address and the actual buyer of the guns. ATF investigated, with assistance from CPD.
- Chicago resident JUSTIN GARCIA was charged in August with straw purchasing handguns in a suburban Chicago store on behalf of another individual. ATF investigated, with assistance from CPD.
- Two days after the fatal shooting of Chicago Police Officer Ella French, a Hammond, Ind., man was charged with conspiring to straw purchase the semi-automatic handgun used in the shooting. JAMEL DANZY pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted that he was a straw purchaser who bought the gun from a firearms dealer in Indiana at the request of a convicted felon who was found in possession of the gun after the shootings of Officer French and her partner. Danzy is awaiting sentencing. ATF and CPD led the probe.
Central District of Illinois
- JERON C. MCNEAL, of Peoria, Ill., was sentenced in October 2021 to a year in federal prison for his involvement in a burglary of a federally licensed firearms dealer and for giving false statements to federal law enforcement. A mob smashed the window of the business and approximately nine people entered the store and stole 29 firearms. McNeal drove a get-away car for some of the looters. McNeal’s sister, CHAYLA MCNEAL, was sentenced on the same charges in November 2021. Chayla McNeal stood outside the business, encouraged minor individuals to enter, and appeared to record the looting with her phone. Both McNeals also later lied to federal agents. In April 2021, one of the 29 guns stolen – an FNH 40 caliber pistol – was recovered by the Chicago Police Department.
- APRIL ALEXANDRIA SORIANO, of Springfield, Ill., pleaded guilty in October 2021 to making false statements during the purchase of multiple firearms. Soriano admitted to lying on ATF forms when she indicated she was purchasing the guns for herself when, in fact, she was buying them for someone else. An ATF gun trace revealed that Soriano purchased five firearms in 2019 and 2020. A 9mm Taurus handgun she purchased in East Peoria, Ill., was later discovered by law enforcement during a search of Soriano’s then-residence in Peoria, Ill. A second firearm – a 9mm Ruger handgun – that Soriano purchased in Springfield was later discovered in Chicago following a shooting incident where a victim sustained a gunshot wound.
Northern District of Indiana
- Twenty-four individuals were charged with violating various federal firearms laws, including the straw-purchasing of more than 150 firearms, lying about their eligibility to purchase more than 100 firearms, transferring firearms to a person who resided in another state, and engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Approximately 30 firearms illegally purchased in Indiana were recovered by law enforcement in Chicago and the Chicagoland area, with some of the firearms being linked to shootings and seized from prohibited persons. ATF led the investigations, with assistance from law enforcement throughout the Northern District of Indiana.
Southern District of Indiana
- Six individuals were charged with straw purchasing 90 firearms, more than 20 of which were later discovered at crime scenes in Chicago. ATF led the investigation, with assistance from law enforcement in Chicago.
Eastern District of Wisconsin
- In February, a Chicago man was indicted for an armed carjacking in Milwaukee. SHAMONTE BRYANT is alleged to have stolen a firearm during the carjacking, driven the stolen car and firearm from Milwaukee to Chicago, and used the firearm during a shooting in Chicago the following day. The case was investigated by FBI and the Milwaukee Police Department.
- In April, two individuals from Racine County, Wisc., were charged with conspiring to purchase firearms, alter/obliterate the serial numbers, and sell the firearms to others. As part of the conspiracy, DEANDRE L. RODGERS and VIRIDIANA GARCIA-RAMIREZ are alleged to have purchased at least eleven handguns and one rifle from local gun stores between December 2021 and March 2022. Garcia-Ramirez entered a guilty plea to the conspiracy in July 2022. Rodgers’s case remains pending. The matter was investigated by ATF and the Racine Police Department.
- Between July 2021 and July 2022, three previously convicted felons from Fond du Lac, Wisc. – TREON DENNIS, JASON SPINKS, and SHAKIE DAVIS – entered guilty pleas and were sentenced in federal court for conspiring to have an individual straw-purchase approximately eleven firearms. According to court records, three of the firearms were recovered at crime scenes in the Chicago area. Dennis and Davis were sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. In August 2022, a fourth individual charged in the case, JONATHAN GRIFFIN acknowledged the straw purchases and entered a guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Griffin is set to be sentenced in November. The case was investigated by ATF and the Fond du Lac Police Department.
- In July, two individuals from Milwaukee – STEPHANIE GRIFFITH and WILLIE STATEN – were charged in federal court with straw-purchasing approximately 23 firearms. Staten also was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Three of the firearms were recovered by law enforcement, including one in Illinois. Griffith pleaded guilty, while Staten’s case is pending. The case was investigated by ATF and the Milwaukee Police Department.
Western District of Wisconsin
- SAMUEL SCHILTZ, of Waunakee, Wisc., was sentenced to five years in prison for illegally selling two handguns installed with 30-round magazines and auto sears, which converted the guns into fully automatic machine guns. Schiltz, who was on probation for a felony drug crime at the time of the sale, told an undercover agent that he also sold cocaine and prescription opiates. Schiltz offered other firearms for sale, and he offered to install auto sears on other guns. The Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation and ATF conducted the investigation.
In addition to the sustained focus on firearms trafficking prosecutions, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices endeavor to disrupt violent crime by seeking pre-trial detention for defendants who pose a danger to the community and by pursuing appropriate prison sentences to deter dangerous individuals from continuing to cause violence in their communities. Another critical aspect of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts is Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to pursue lasting reductions in crime.
“A primary goal of our office is to reduce violent crime, and we will continue to use every available federal law enforcement tool to keep people safe,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.
The strike force’s efforts in Chicago and throughout the country remain active and ongoing. The public is reminded that charges are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Announces Drug Summit Agenda, Invites Participation in Person or by LivestreamRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – The Northwestern Pennsylvania Drug Summit will take place on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Johnsonburg Fire Hall, 99 Clarion Road, in Johnsonburg. This event is a free in-person public forum. People may also attend by joining the livestream at: https://www.youtube.com/user/theriver989. The agenda follows.
WELCOMING REMARKS
- The Honorable Cindy K. Chung, United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania (6:00 p.m. – 6:05 p.m.)
OPENING REMARKS and INTRODUCTIONS (6:05 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.)
- A representative for The District Attorney for Elk County, Pennsylvania
- Brief remarks from and District Attorneys who wish to speak
- Joseph Daghir, Commissioner, Elk County, Pennsylvania
- Captain Christopher J. Neal, Pennsylvania State Police, Troop C Commander, Punxsutawney
DISCUSSION
- Drug Trafficking Trends Panel (moderated by FAUSA Troy Rivetti)(6:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.)
- Josh Yohannan, Homeland Security Investigations, formerly with Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office
- Steve Denhup, DEA, Intelligence Group Supervisor – “One Pill Can Kill” Campaign
- Trooper Zach Moran, PA State Police
- Detective Gregg McManus, Elk County DA’s Office
- How Drugs are Affecting our Rural Communities (moderated by EAUSA Stephen R. Kaufman) (6:45 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.)
- Michelle Muccio-Krise, Elk County Coroner
- Suzanne McCullough, Penn Highlands DuBois Hospital, Director of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
- Billie Jo Weyant, Director of CAPSEA (Citizens Against Physical, Sexual, and Emotional Abuse)
- Help is Available for Substance Use Addiction (moderated by AUSA Jessica L. Smolar and EAUSA Stephen R. Kaufman)(7:15 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.)
- Janene Holter, PA AG’s Office, Senior Agent and Director of the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative (LETI)
- Angie Eckstrom, Director, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services of Elk, Cameron and McKean counties
- Eric Kocian, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Saint Vincent College
- Persons in recovery
The Summit is presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the County of Elk District Attorney’s Office, the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative (LETI) of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and The Mecca-Mann Mission, Inc.
Tulsa Man Sentenced for Participating in an Attempted Robbery that Ended in Two DeathsRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man was sentenced Monday in federal court for participating in an attempted robbery and home invasion that ended in two deaths.
“Justin Harjo received an 18-year prison sentence for taking part in a home invasion that resulted in the deaths of an individual living in the home and Harjo’s accomplice,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to confront and deter violent crime in communities across northeastern Oklahoma and hold offenders accountable.”
U.S. District Judge Claire V. Eagan sentenced Justin Tvmvmapky Harjo, 25, of Tulsa, to 216 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. On Oct. 15, 2021, Harjo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to carry, brandish, and use a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to his plea agreement, Harjo admitted that he conspired with Chauncey Thomas to carry, brandish, and use a firearm during a robbery committed on May 23, 2019. He admitted that he and Thomas planned to conduct an armed robbery of victim Dion Carr’s residence. Harjo drove Thomas to Carr’s residence and attempted follow Thomas through a window into the victim’s home. Carr confronted Thomas who was armed with a gun as he entered the residence. Witnesses in the home reported a struggle over the firearm that resulted in both Thomas and Carr getting shot. Carr died at the scene while Harjo helped his accomplice escape. Harjo drove Thomas to a Tulsa hospital, pulled him from the vehicle, and left him at the entrance. Harjo later burned the vehicle used in the robbery in a rural field to destroy evidence and conceal the conspiracy. Thomas died three days after he was left at the hospital.
The Tulsa Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Nassar and Sandra M. Urban prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Sentenced for Domestic Violence on New Orleans Based Cruise Ship After Guilty Verdict in Jury TrialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that GERONIMO FLORES, age 30, of Abilene, Texas, was sentenced on August 18, 2022 to serve 54 months imprisonment, to be followed by three-years of supervised release on each count, to run concurrently. He is also obligated to pay a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee for each count. FLORES was found guilty as charged of two felony offenses after a three-day federal jury trial. The jury found FLORES guilty of domestic violence by strangulation and suffocation in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 113(a)(8) and 7(8) and interstate domestic violence in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2261(a)(1), 2261(b)(5), and 7(8).
FLORES intentionally assaulted his intimate and dating partner while aboard the Carnival Glory cruise ship on December 2, 2021. The Glory was within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States during a voyage that departed from and returned to the Port of New Orleans. During trial, the victim testified that FLORES became physically violent with her after an argument in their cabin aboard the Glory. The argument culminated in FLORES striking her in the head and strangling her using a choke hold. Three of the Glory crew’s security members testified regarding her injuries. The Glory’s medical officer, that examined the victim, testified that in her expert opinion, the victim’s bruising, swelling, and other symptoms were consistent with the described attack.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. He also gave special thanks for the assistance provided by agents and staff with the Department of Homeland Security during the trial. Assistant United States Attorneys Charles D. Strauss and Christopher D. Usher II prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Red Cross of Hurricane Relief FundsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richardson, Texas, man pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring to commit wire fraud to defraud the American Red Cross of disaster relief funds donated to the Red Cross by members of the American public for the benefit of the victims of Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
According to court documents, Muata Khalif, 55, conspired with other individuals to obtain the personal information of Texas residents, and to use that personal information to apply for and obtain Red Cross disaster relief payments in those individuals’ names. In the wake of Hurricane Harvey’s landfall in August of 2017, and the resultant damage to areas of Texas and Louisiana, the Red Cross initiated an “Immediate Assistance Program,” funded by public donations, to provide financial assistance to disaster victims. Upon verifying that an applicant was, in fact, a resident of an affected area in Texas, the Red Cross would provide the applicant with a $400 cash payment, which the applicant could retrieve at, among other designated locations, Wal-Mart Money Centers. To retrieve the $400 Red Cross payment, the applicant needed to be able to provide the applicant’s verified Red Cross client ID number and a corresponding, specific payment reference number.
In October of 2017, Khalif – at the time, a resident of Emporia, Virginia – obtained the client ID and reference numbers of at least 116 individuals. Armed with this information, and over the course of a five-day span, Khalif traveled to Wal-Mart stores located in Emporia, Colonial Heights, Petersburg, and Midlothian to obtain the Red Cross relief payments intended for those individuals. One day into his scheme, Khalif met, befriended, and then recruited a Petersburg Wal-Mart Money Center cashier. Assisted by this Wal-Mart employee, Khalif eventually obtained 116 Red Cross disaster relief payments, totaling more than $46,000 in fraud loss to the Red Cross—funds which had been donated to the Red Cross for the explicit purpose of assisting hurricane victims.
Khalif is scheduled to be sentenced on November 17. 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 Jerald W. Page, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark R. Colombell accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin Cooke and Thomas A. Garnett are 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. 3:22-cr-29.
St. Francis Man Indicted for Abusive Sexual Contact, Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, and LarcenyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a St. Francis, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Abusive Sexual Contact, Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, and Larceny.
Brady Makes Room For Them, age 37, was indicted in June of 2022. Makes Room For Them appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 19, 2022. He pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine, mandatory minimum five years of supervised release up to life, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on January 27, 2022, in Todd County, South Dakota, Makes Room For Them engaged in sexual contact with a female victim. Later that same day, Makes Room For Them stole a vehicle and was in possession of the vehicle when he was arrested for the sexual contact. All these events occurred while Makes Room For Them had failed to update his registration pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The charges are merely accusations and Makes Room For Them is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler is prosecuting the case.
Makes Room For Them was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Southwest Virginia Methamphetamine Drug Traffickers Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Southwest Virginia man, who distributed methamphetamine in Southwest Virginia as part of a multi-member drug trafficking ring, pled guilty last week to federal drug charges.
Travis Nelson Farmer, 44, of Rural Retreat, Virginia, pleaded guilty last Thursday to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Previously, co-defendants, Larry Wayne Whittaker, 41, of Marion, Virginia, Amanda Michelle Wain, 29, of Marion, Virginia, and Borve Carlyle Fisher Jr., 35, of Chilhowie, Virginia, all pleaded guilty to similar charges as part of their participation in a drug-trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, Farmer, Fisher, Wain, and Whittaker distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in and around Smyth County, Virginia, much of which was trafficked from Atlanta, Georgia.
Farmer, Wayne, and Whittaker face sentences ranging from ten years to life in prison, while Fisher faces a sentence of five to forty years. In addition, the defendants forfeited multiple pistols, ammunition, and nearly $42,000 in cash.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit D. Pierce is prosecuting the case.
Southwest Virginia Methamphetamine Drug Traffickers Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Southwest Virginia man, who distributed methamphetamine in Southwest Virginia as part of a multi-member drug trafficking ring, pled guilty last week to federal drug charges.
Travis Nelson Farmer, 44, of Rural Retreat, Virginia, pleaded guilty last Thursday to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Previously, co-defendants, Larry Wayne Whittaker, 41, of Marion, Virginia, Amanda Michelle Wain, 29, of Marion, Virginia, and Borve Carlyle Fisher Jr., 35, of Chilhowie, Virginia, all pleaded guilty to similar charges as part of their participation in a drug-trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, Farmer, Fisher, Wain, and Whittaker distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in and around Smyth County, Virginia, much of which was trafficked from Atlanta, Georgia.
Farmer, Wayne, and Whittaker face sentences ranging from ten years to life in prison, while Fisher faces a sentence of five to forty years. In addition, the defendants forfeited multiple pistols, ammunition, and nearly $42,000 in cash.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit D. Pierce is prosecuting the case.
South Burlington Resident Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Kendall Liberty, 21, of South Burlington, Vermont, was sentenced today to 6 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three months of home confinement and two years of supervised release, following his conviction for possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of controlled substances. United States District Judge William K. Sessions III announced the sentence following a hearing in the federal courthouse in Burlington. At the conclusion of the hearing, Liberty was taken into custody by the United States Marshals Service to begin his sentence.
According to court records, Liberty pleaded guilty to the firearm offense on December 20, 2021. The defendant acknowledged having purchased a 7.62-millimeter AK-style rifle from Powderhorn Outdoor Sports Center in Williston, Vermont in September 2020. The defendant further acknowledged having consumed marijuana on a frequent and regular basis between September 2020 and his arrest on July 20, 2021. As described in the complaint affidavit, witnesses indicated that Liberty also frequently used cocaine, ecstasy, and alprazolam (Xanax) during that period. Witnesses also described Liberty having made threats to use the firearm against others, including at a hospital, at Oakledge Park, and at a school.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the South Burlington Police Department for their quick response and ongoing support in the case, and he thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for its assistance in the prosecution. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Lasher handled the prosecution. Liberty was represented by Mark Kaplan, Esq.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn
Smyrna doctor surrenders DEA registration and pays $100,000 to resolve Controlled Substances Act violationsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Keith Jeffords, M.D., has agreed to pay $100,000 in penalties and refrain from applying for a DEA registration for a period of five years to resolve allegations that he issued prescriptions for controlled substances while his medical license was suspended by the Georgia Composite Medical Board, in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The CSA requirements are designed to prevent the diversion of controlled substances and ensure that controlled substances are dispensed and prescribed by authorized individuals. Prior to agreeing that he would not hold a registration for a period of five years, Dr. Jeffords voluntarily surrendered his registration to the DEA.
“A suspended medical license means that a doctor cannot write prescriptions for controlled substances, period,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan “When physicians ignore this basic requirement of the Controlled Substances Act, our office will vigorously pursue the violations.”
“While in the midst of this country’s prescription opioid epidemic, eliminating physicians who disregard both state and federal licensing requirements and who continue to prescribe opioids is an important part of DEA’s mission,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “This medical doctor surrendered his DEA registration and will refrain from applying for a registration for a period of time and will pay a fine. This case was a success because of the hard work and dedication put forth by DEA and its law enforcement partners.”
Keith Jeffords operates a plastic surgery practice in Smyrna, Georgia. Jeffords wrote prescriptions for powerful opioids after the Medical Board summarily suspended his license on November 22, 2021. As part of the settlement, Jeffords acknowledged that he distributed controlled substances in violation of the CSA and its implementing regulations.
The CSA was enacted by Congress to deter the illegal importation, manufacture, distribution, possession, and improper use of controlled substances, including prescription medications. The CSA prohibits DEA registrants without a valid state medical license from issuing prescriptions for controlled substances. DEA registrants who issue prescriptions without a valid medical license are subject to civil monetary penalties for each violation.This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The civil settlement was reached by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Austin Hall and Adam Nugent.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Six Defendants Sentenced to a Total of 1,487 Months in Federal Prison for Gang CrimesRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – On Friday, August 19, 2022, the final three defendants in a 15-count, 6-defendant gang case involving the Only the Brothers (OTB) street gang were sentenced to federal prison. All three were found guilty following a ten-day jury trial in April 2022. Raekwon Malik Patton, a/k/a Kwon a/k/a Nutt, age 24 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison after being found guilty of Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. Patton had previously pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Austin James Mallory, age 21 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 156 months in federal prison after also being found guilty of Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. Yuri Perren Green Jr. a/k/a YG, age 22 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 408 months in federal prison after being found guilty of two counts of Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering, two counts of Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, Felon in Possession of Ammunition, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Witness Tampering.
Previously, three other defendant pled guilty and were sentenced. On January 20, 2022, Braden Craig Shafer, a/k/a Stickup, age 20 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 375 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering and two counts of Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. On May 20, 2022, Jordan Marie Wilkerson, age 30 of Knoxville, was sentenced to 83 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. On June 16, 2022, Fabrece Jamar Bower Turner a/k/a Fab a/k/a Vell, age 24 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 165 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering and two counts of Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence.
According to evidence presented at the trial and found by the Court at sentencings, during 2020, there was a series of gang-related shootings in Des Moines carried out by members and associates of OTB. These shootings were predicated, in part, to social media interactions between members and associates of rival gangs. Additionally, evidence demonstrated OTB engaged in drug trafficking, firearms acquisitions and sales, and witness intimidation. The gang members and associates collectively operated under a code of conduct that included not cooperating with law enforcement, violence towards opposition gang members, and earning respect through acts of violence and intimidation.
On May 6, 2020, there were two gang-related shootings in Des Moines. During the first, OTB members and associates were shot at, while standing on a front porch on Eighth Street, by rival gang members. OTB members and associates then committed a retaliatory shooting later that day. Specifically, OTB members Shafer and Bower Turner fired guns from a vehicle at rival gang members walking down the sidewalk near 13th and Harrison Streets. One of those rival gang members returned fire. Des Moines Police Officers recovered over 17 shell casings from that shooting scene. Both of the shootings occurred during daylight in residential neighborhoods. Unintended vehicles and residences were hit by the gunfire.
On May 10, 2020, which was Mother’s Day, just before 5:00 p.m., OTB members and associates Shafer, Patton, and Mallory were at the Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines when they encountered a rival gang member. The rival gang member fled the area in a vehicle, and Mallory, at the direction of Patton and Shafer, pursed the rival gang member through the streets of Des Moines. Once the vehicles reached Clark Street, gunshots were exchanged between the two groups, with Patton and Shafer firing guns from Mallory’s vehicle. Shafer was struck in the head by a bullet but survived. Mallory then drove Patton and Shafer away from the scene until they were apprehended by Des Moines Police Officers near Evelyn Davis Park. Officers recovered over 27 shell casings from this shooting, and several residences and vehicles were hit by the gunfire.
Later that same day, May 10, 2020, OTB members and associates who had learned about Shafer’s shooting began driving around looking for rival gang members to shoot in retaliation. Wilkerson drove Green and Bower-Turner to an area near East 17th Court and University in Des Moines. Once there, Green and Bower-Turner saw who they believed to be a rival gang member and began shooting. Wilkerson then drove them away from the scene. The victim of this shooting was not a gang member and was, instead, an innocent person driving home from work. Officers recovered ten shell casings from this shooting, and vehicles and residences were also hit by the gunfire.
On December 16, 2020, Green was driving near 19th and Carpenter Streets in Des Moines when he observed rival gang members driving in another vehicle. Green pursued the vehicle containing rival gang members and fired at least eight shots from the window of his vehicle. One of the rival gang members was grazed in the head by a bullet, and the vehicle was struck multiple times.
Four days later, on December 20, 2020, Green was encountered by Warren County Deputies in Des Moines, after he was in a residential neighborhood waving a gun and threatening a resident. When deputies arrived, Green ran from them. Officers used canines to apprehend him. Green possessed two firearms that day. One of the firearms, a Glock .40 caliber pistol, was ballistically matched to the December 16th shooting. The second was a folding Kel-Tec rifle. Green was arrested and detained on state charges.
While in custody, Green placed a series of phone calls to a witness who had been issued a subpoena to testify before a federal grand jury investigating Green and his gang-related activity. In those calls, Green repeatedly told the witness not to show up to testify and also encouraged her to lie for him.
Eight other members or associates of Heavy Hittas or its subsidiary the OTB Street Gang were previously sentenced for federal drug and firearms violations. In December 2020, Logan James Elmquist, age 21 of Ankeny, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. In February 2021, Marcus De Shawn Ford, age 23 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. In April 2021, Javontay Dequan Johnson, age 20 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and MDMA and drug user in possession of a firearm. In July 2021, Robert John Manuel Jr., age 24 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a drug user in possession of a firearm. In September 2021, Montreel Marques Robinson, age 20 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 42 months in prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. In November 2021, Dejon Gene Watley, age 22 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. In February 2022, Catrell Ronald Green, age 25 of Des Moines, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. In April 2022, Emmitt Kenneth Fraley, age 25 of Des Moines, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. His sentencing in federal court is set for September 22, 2022.
There is no parole in the federal system. In addition to terms of imprisonment, all defendants were ordered to serve a term of federal supervised release after their prison sentence.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal said “Prosecuting violent crime remains one of our highest priorities. These multiple instances of aggravated gang related shootings in residential areas created a grave risk to the public. Through the hard work of the Des Moines Police Department and our U.S. Attorney’s Office trial team, we were able to hold these individuals accountable, and these significant sentences reflect the seriousness of these crimes and our common interest in community safety.”
The investigation was conducted by the Des Moines Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, with assistance from the Polk County Attorney’s Office.
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. In May 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.
Sioux City Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing from the GovernmentRead the Press Release
A Sioux City woman who defrauded the United States Government was sentenced August 19, 2022, to 4 months in federal prison.
Margaret Ortega, age 45, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 14, 2022, guilty plea to theft of government funds.
In a plea agreement, Ortega admitted she embezzled and stole from the United States Social Security Administration (SSA) no less than $92,744.51.
Specifically, Ortega concealed her living arrangements with her husband, Hassan Ortega, by providing false statements to the SSA and the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS). In her statements, Ortega attested that Hassan was not part of her household and that she received no support from him (since November 2010). An investigation conducted by the SSA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) revealed evidence that refuted Ortega’s statements and showed Hassan was a member of Ortega’s household since November 2010.
As a result of her actions, Margaret Ortega was overpaid $88,176.51 in SSA Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, on behalf of her daughter, Jasmine Ortega, from January 2011 through November 2020, and $4,568 in SSI benefits for herself, for the same time period (total $92,744.51).
As a result of her actions, Ortega was also overpaid $20,152 in Iowa Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from November 1, 2014, to October 31, 2019, and $2,927 in SNAP benefits from February 17, 2020 to November 30, 2020 for the household (total $23,079).
Ortega was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Ortega was sentenced to 4 months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to pay $115,823.51 in restitution ($92,744.51 to SSA and $23,079 to IDHS). She must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ortega was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal; Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Fletcher and investigated by Iowa Department of Human Services and Social Security Administration.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-4015.
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Shamokin Man Charged with Distribution of FentanylRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Eric Clark, age 32, of Shamokin, Pennsylvania, was indicted on August 18, 2022, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Clark distributed quantities of fentanyl on June 1, 2022 and again on August 3, 2022, in Northumberland County.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Shamokin Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney George J. Rocktashel 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.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense 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 and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on August 18, 2022, by Judge Karen E. Schreier, U.S. District Court.
Cameron Hart, age 28, was sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hart was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2022 and pleaded guilty in May 2022. The conviction stems from Hart, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly possessing a Taurus, Model PT 1911, .45 caliber, semi-automatic pistol and 2 rounds of .40 caliber Federal ammunition, which was found after Hart came into contact with law enforcement in February 2022.
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.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Hart was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on August 18, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Westerly Seid, age 28, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Seid was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2021 and pleaded guilty in May 2022. The conviction stems from Seid, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, knowingly possessing a Taurus, model PT38S, .38 Super caliber, semi-automatic pistol, which was found after Seid came into contact with law enforcement in May 2021.
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.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Seid was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Portland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Interstate Marijuana Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in a conspiracy to traffic marijuana illegally grown in Oregon to several U.S. states for resale.
Kyle Lee Cerkoney, 40, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
Cerkoney was also ordered to forfeit criminally-derived proceeds and property identified by the government, including nine luxury watches, a diamond necklace, a Porsche 911 sports car, a semi-automatic rifle, and more than $570,000.
According to court documents, Cerkoney and two friends—Jeremiah David Cruz, 40, of Vancouver, Washington, and Robert Benjamin Kawika Dawe, 40, of Beaverton, Oregon—conspired with one another to transport black-market marijuana grown in Oregon to several U.S. states including New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Georgia, Texas, Arkansas, Illinois, and Minnesota. The three men went to great lengths to conceal their illegal shipments. They hand-built large crates to package marijuana and marijuana extract for shipping, created false bills of lading, and flew to destination cities to personally receive their shipments. When commercial freight companies, under suspicion, began rejecting or limiting their freight shipments, the group started using a smaller private freight company.
Over the course of the conspiracy, Cerkoney, Cruz, and Dawe shipped or attempted to ship more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana with an estimated street value in the destination states of more than $2.5 million. They used several bank accounts opened under various false business names to launder their proceeds and structured cash deposits to avoid detection by financial regulators.
On July 8, 2021, Cerkoney, Cruz, and Dawe were charged by criminal information with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana. Cerkoney and Cruz were also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
On November 4, 2021, Cerkoney waived indictment and pleaded guilty to both charges.
The next day, on November 5, 2021, Cruz also pleaded guilty to both charges and, on February 3, 2022, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and five years’ supervised release.
On November 1, 2021, Dawe pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana and, on April 11, 2022, was sentenced to 33 months in prison and three years’ supervised release.
After pleading guilty, Cerkoney aroused additional government suspicion by attempting to sell the Porsche 911 sports car he had recently agreed to forfeit. Cerkoney shipped the vehicle from Oregon to California for repair and resale following an accident.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Portland Police Bureau. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Jarrett for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Oregon.
Phoenix Man Convicted of CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Chauncey Hollingberry, 35, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 60 months of probation. Hollingberry previously pleaded guilty to one count of Cyberstalking and, at the time of sentencing, had already served 26 months of pretrial detention.
For approximately two months in 2020, Hollingberry posted a series of videos and livestreams to his YouTube channel disclosing personal information about the victim and encouraging his followers to assist him in harassing the victim. He also sent false and misleading emails about the victim to the victim’s employer, colleagues, and members of the media.
During his period of probation, Hollingberry is prohibited from contacting the victim. In addition, his internet usage will be restricted, and will be monitored by the probation officer.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine D. Keller and Glenn B. McCormick, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-00673-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-144_Hollingberry# # #
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.
Pharmaceutical President and Company Guilty in Counterfeit Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Florida-based pharmaceutical president has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Adam P. Runsdorf, 57, of Boca Raton, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, trafficking in counterfeit drugs, and money laundering conspiracy today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine L. Stetson.
According to the indictment, from April 2014 until August 2021, Runsdorf, the owner and president of Woodfield Pharmaceutical LLC based in Boca Raton, Florida, conspired with drug traffickers in Houston, Texas, to distribute misbranded and counterfeit cough syrup. Runsdorf’s company pleaded guilty to the same charges today before Judge Stetson.
According to information presented in court, Byron A. Marshall, 43, of Houston, utilized Woodfield Pharmaceutical’s manufacturing facility and employees in Houston to produce more than 500,000 pints of counterfeit cough syrup. Marshall’s drug trafficking organization sold the counterfeit drugs across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, California, Florida, Arkansas, and Ohio. Prices generally ranged from $100 to more than $1,000 per one-pint bottle. Depending on the market and brand of cough syrup, prices went as high as $3,800 to $4,000 per pint.
During the conspiracy, Marshall communicated directly with Runsdorf regarding production of the counterfeit cough syrup. At Runsdorf’s request, Marshall paid Woodfield Pharmaceutical in cash only, and Woodfield employees mailed the cash directly to Runsdorf in Boca Raton.
Six codefendants, including Marshall, have already pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Runsdorf faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
“In April 2014, Actavis Holdco US discontinued production of Actavis cough syrup due to its widespread abuse by recreational drug users,” said U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “After that, the street value of Actavis increased to more than $3,000 per pint. In his greed, Adam Runsdorf, owner and president of Woodfield Pharmaceutical, used his position and connections to enable drug traffickers in Houston to produce thousands of gallons of counterfeit Actavis, labeled to be nearly identical to the discontinued product. The conspirators in this case sought to capitalize on the scarcity of Actavis and other prescription cough syrups by marketing counterfeit versions to street-level abusers.”
"Today Adam Runsdorf pled guilty for his role as the CEO of Woodfield Distributors to illegally distributing thousands of controlled substances into our communities, Runsdorf misused the privilege granted by the DEA to handle controlled substances by conspiring with street level drug dealers to manufacture fake drug labels to help drug dealers profit," said DEA Special Agent in Charge of the Houston Division Daniel C. Comeaux." This case is another example of the DEA's continued commitment to combat our nation's opioid crisis and ensure that registrants remain compliant regardless of their position. We will continue to aggressively pursue and hold accountable anyone attempting to profit from driving overdoses and violent crime in our communities."
“This is an important victory for the American public. Not only is Adam Runsdorf going to jail for his crimes, but he and his business, Woodfield Pharmaceutical, will forfeit to the government over $8.4 million of illegal proceeds,” said Christopher J. Altemus, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are committed to using their forensic accounting skills to help unravel complex fraud and money laundering schemes in order to financially disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. We will continue to provide our financial expertise as we work alongside our law enforcement partners to bring criminals like Mr. Runsdorf to justice.”
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.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Marshals Service; Houston Police Department; Galveston Police Department; Galveston County Sheriff’s Office; Dickinson Police Department; League City Police Department; Pearland Police Department; Pasadena Police Department; Texas City Police Department; Harris County Precent #2; Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office; Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office; Liberty County Sheriff’s Office; and the Texas National Guard. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John B. Ross and Jonathan C. Lee.
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Oshkosh Man Sentenced on Robbery and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 22, 2022, Raymon A. Fuller, Jr. (age: 26) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison by Senior District Judge William C. Greisbach.
Fuller pled guilty to a federal “Hobbs Act” robbery charge and a separate charge of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. According to his written plea agreement, on August 28, 2020, Fuller was armed with a 9 mm Glock handgun with an extended magazine when he robbed a van full of people in Oshkosh, obtaining a small amount of marijuana and a wallet containing a small amount of cash.
In pronouncing sentence, Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the offense, the strong need for deterrence, and the need to protect the public from Fuller. In addition to 90 months’ imprisonment, Fuller was ordered to spend five years on supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Oshkosh Police Department and the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
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(414) 297-1700
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New York Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - Jeremy Inderyas, 37, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced in federal court
on Thursday, August 18, 2022, to 100 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession
with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Inderyas was also ordered to serve three years of
supervised release upon his release from prison. Inderyas had previously pled guilty in federal
court to the methamphetamine conspiracy charges. As part of his guilty plea, Inderyas acknowledged
he arranged a transaction involving over thirteen kilograms of methamphetamine in Phoenix, Arizona,
for his co-conspirators which was seized by law enforcement officials in Madison County, Illinois,
on May 13, 2018.
“Methamphetamine continues to be a scourge on our society, causing misery for countless Americans
across our nation,” said United States Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “With its major interstate
highway systems, our district plays a key role in detecting and disrupting the flow of
methamphetamine across the country. This prosecution and sentence demonstrate how seriously we take
that responsibility.”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.This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and prosecuted by
Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.Mobridge Man Sentenced for Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Mobridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on August 22, 2022, by Judge Charles B. Kornmann, U.S. District Court.
Taylor Charles Oster, age 51, was indicted in October of 2021. He pleaded guilty on April 26, 2022.
Oster was sentenced to three years of probation, a $5,000 fine, a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and forfeiture of a firearm and ammunition.
On June 29, 2021, Oster possessed a handgun in Mobridge while being under the influence of methamphetamine. The handgun was recovered next to a loaded magazine in a public place by law enforcement.
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 Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Mobridge Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Oster was released after sentencing.
Militia Group Member Sentenced to over Ten Years in Prison for Obstruction of Justice Conspiracy and Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Last of Four “Grizzly Scouts” Members Sentenced For Conspiring to Thwart Investigation into the Murder of a Federal Protective Security Officer and the Shooting of Another; Robert Blancas Also Sentenced For Enticing a 15-Year-Old Girl to Produce Child Pornography
SAN FRANCISCO – Robert Blancas, a member of the “Grizzly Scouts” militia group connected to the “boogaloo” movement, was sentenced today to 126 months in prison for obstructing justice and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan. The obstruction charge relates to the investigation of the murder of a federal Protective Security Officer (PSO) and the shooting of another PSO at the Oakland federal building on May 29, 2020. The enticement charge relates to the production of child pornography. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Vince Chhabria, United States District Judge.
Blancas, 35, of the San Francisco Bay Area, was one of four members of the militia group indicted on March 23, 2021, in connection with their scheme to obstruct justice by destroying records related to the murder and shooting investigation. Today, Blancas was the last of the four defendants to be sentenced. Three other members of the group were previously sentenced on May 5, 2022 by the Hon. James Donato, United States District Judge: Jessie Rush, 29, of Turlock; Simon Ybarra, 23, of Los Gatos; and Kenny Miksch, 21, of San Lorenzo. Rush, Ybarra, and Miksch each remain in federal custody.
“Today’s 126 month sentence imposed on Blancas brings an end to another chapter in this tragic story,” said U.S. Attorney Hinds. “The sentence of Blancas arises from two separate, serious offenses: enticement of a minor to produce child pornography and the obstruction of the federal investigation into the May 29, 2020, assault on the Oakland federal courthouse. The shooting involved the murder of a Federal Protective Service officer and the wounding of a second officer. Rather than assist federal authorities, Blancas and his Grizzly Scouts co-conspirators destroyed important evidence in an effort to obstruct justice. Through the diligence of law enforcement, their cowardly efforts were not successful, and all four have been convicted of felonies and sentenced to custodial sentences. Destruction of evidence relevant to a federal investigation is a serious offense and will land you in jail.”
"Robert Blancas and his three co-defendants conspired to cover up the murder of a federal officer. Not only was Blancas convicted of obstruction of justice, he was also convicted of the heinous crime of enticing a juvenile to make child pornography," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan. "Either of these crimes on their own would have been very significant, high-priority cases for the FBI. The broad nature of his criminal offenses demonstrate that Robert Blancas was a threat to society. The combined sentence of greater than ten years in federal prison prevents him from continuing to harm our community."
According to their plea agreements entered into at the time of their guilty pleas, Blancas and his codefendants Rush, Ybarra, and Miksch formed an armed anti-government militia group in April 2020 named the “1st Detachment, 1st California Grizzly Scouts” (Grizzly Scouts). They had connected earlier via a Facebook group created in connection to the “boogaloo” movement. “Boogaloo” is a term, as noted in the indictment, used by some militia extremists to reference a purportedly impending politically-motivated civil war or uprising against the government. Blancas assumed the rank of “1st Lieutenant” with responsibilities for the group’s security and intelligence. Blancas and his codefendants acknowledged in their plea agreements that they engaged in armed, in person “training operations” in May 2020 with “operations orders” that labeled law enforcement as potential “enemy forces” and suggested using lethal force and taking prisoners. They also engaged in June 2020 discussions with other Grizzly Scouts about “boog” (boogaloo), waging war against the government, and tactics for killing law enforcement personnel, including police officers.
Blancas and his codefendants acknowledged in their plea agreements that they learned another Grizzly Scouts member was involved in the May 29, 2020 murder of a federal PSO and the attempted murder of another PSO in Oakland. The Grizzly Scouts member sent group communications via a WhatsApp group entitled “209 Goon HQ” during that alleged member’s subsequent attack on and shoot-out with Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies in Ben Lomond, California on June 6, 2020. Blancas and his codefendants admitted to conspiring with other group members to destroy the records of their interactions and communications because they foresaw authorities would investigate and prosecute that Grizzly Scouts member, and admitted that they intended to impair the integrity and availability of the records for use in official proceedings. Blancas also destroyed files on Dropbox regarding the Grizzly Scouts that consisted of the group’s rank structure, a non-disclosure agreement requiring members to maintain confidentiality of group materials, a liability release waiver, descriptions of the Grizzly Scouts uniforms, and a scorecard assessing the skills of Grizzly Scouts members in combat, firearms, medical, and other training.
Before the indictment, Blancas was also charged in a separate complaint and information with the enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, that is, the production of child pornography. Blancas was arrested on December 1, 2020, and he has remained in federal custody since then. In entering his plea of guilty, Blancas admitted that from about April through September 2020 he enticed a 15-year old girl to repeatedly make and send him pornographic photographs and videos of herself. Blancas admitted that he received more than one hundred pornographic photographs and videos from the victim, all while exchanging thousands of messages with her and speaking to her by audio and video call. Blancas also admitted that he knew she was a minor when he did so. Blancas pleaded guilty to enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b).
Last year, Blancas also pleaded guilty in the obstruction case to three counts: one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice by destroying records in an official proceeding, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(k), and two counts of destroying records in official proceedings, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(1).
In addition to the prison term, Judge Chhabria imposed a ten year term of supervised release on Blancas following incarceration.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Cheng and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Riebli from the Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The prosecutions are the result of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Dashea Lasal Thomas, 27, of Inkster, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to the distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Thomas admitted to selling approximately 24 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Huntington on November 6, 2019. Thomas further admitted to selling approximately 22 grams of methamphetamine to an informant on October 28, 2019, and approximately 4 grams of fentanyl to an informant on December 4, 2019, both times in Huntington.
On May 11, 2021, Thomas was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by law enforcement officers in Huntington. Thomas admitted to possessing approximately 4 grams of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” and $3,500 in cash found in the vehicle. Thomas further admitted that he intended to sell the crack for money, and that the cash was drug proceeds.
Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on November 28, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-37.
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Mexican Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, IA – Ricardo Renteria Gutierrez, age 49, a Mexican citizen, was sentenced on August 19, 2022, to 30 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Gutierrez was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term.
Gutierrez was identified as a leader and organizer of a methamphetamine conspiracy operating in Colorado, California, and the Davenport area. Gutierrez, along with others, supplied large quantities of methamphetamine to people in Davenport. On January 10, 2022, Gutierrez pleaded guilty to the charge. Gutierrez’s co-defendant, Oscar Cruz Guzman, age 28 of Riverside, California, was sentenced in April 2022 to 126 months imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This matter was investigated by the Bettendorf Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.