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5 October 2022
Cheyenne Man Charged with Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Nicholas Vassallo announced today that a grand jury returned an indictment charging GRADY LYNN PEOPLES, 50, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. Peoples has been arrested and appeared before United States District Court Magistrate Judge Kelly H. Rankin on September 27, 2022, for an arraignment hearing and pleaded not guilty to the charges. A trial has been set for November 28, 2022, before Chief United States District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl.
Peoples faces no less than five years and up to life imprisonment with five years to life of supervised release, up to $20,250,000 in fines and a $300 special assessment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This crime was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy J. Forwood and Stephanie Sprecher.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.Case No: 22-CR-00090-SWS
Cheyenne Man Charged with Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Nicholas Vassallo announced today that a grand jury returned an indictment charging GRADY LYNN PEOPLES, 50, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. Peoples has been arrested and appeared before United States District Court Magistrate Judge Kelly H. Rankin on September 27, 2022, for an arraignment hearing and pleaded not guilty to the charges. A trial has been set for November 28, 2022, before Chief United States District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl.
Peoples faces no less than five years and up to life imprisonment with five years to life of supervised release, up to $20,250,000 in fines and a $300 special assessment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This crime was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy J. Forwood and Stephanie Sprecher.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Case No: 22-CR-00090-SWS
Buzzards Bay Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Violent KidnappingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Buzzards Bay man pleaded guilty on Sept. 30, 2022 in federal court in Boston to his role in a violent kidnapping tied to a Cape Cod heroin trafficking ring.
Cameron Cartier, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice by retaliating against a witness, victim, or informant. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Jan. 10, 2023. Cartier was charged along with four co-conspirators in March 2020.
“Mr. Cartier’s conduct is nothing short of horrifying. He actively and willingly participated in a violent scheme to kidnap, beat, terrorize and threaten to sexually assault a victim who he incorrectly believed was working with law enforcement,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This case is a good example of how drug trafficking activities can drive violence in our communities. Pursuing drug traffickers and violent criminals and removing them from the neighborhoods they terrorize and harm is a top priority of my administration.”
This case arose from an investigation into a wide-ranging heroin trafficking conspiracy in the Cape Cod area. According to court documents, in April 2019, Cartier and his co-conspirators lured a known victim from Massachusetts to Rhode Island, where they kidnapped and held him, stripped him naked, assaulted and threatened to rape him, and then took his clothing and cellular telephone. The purpose of this kidnapping and assault was to retaliate against the victim because Cartier and allegedly his co-conspirators erroneously believed the victim was cooperating with law enforcement. A video of the kidnapping and assault was allegedly filmed and maintained by Cartier’s co-conspirators.
On Sept. 14, 2022, co-conspirator Albert Lee pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. On Aug. 11, 2022, co-conspirator Anthony Basilici pleaded guilty to his role in the violent kidnapping as well as drug trafficking, witness retaliation and intimidation charges. Three remaining defendants – Edwin Otero, Justin Joseph and Tony Johnson – have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for trial in January 2023.
The charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice by retaliating against a witness, victim, or informant provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Barnstable Police Chief Matthew K. Sonnabend; and Barnstable County Sheriff James M. Cummings made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Lauren Graber of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Brooklyn Woman Pleads Guilty in Large-Scale Fraud Scheme involving Prescription MedicationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of Wire Fraud Conspiracy, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Tamara Feldman, also known as Tamara Petrova, age 34, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Feldman participated in a fraud scheme along with Devan Abrams, Azad Khizgilov, Roman Shaulov and others. Abrams, Khizgilov, and Shaulov all pleaded guilty to a similar charge and all were sentenced to terms of imprisonment. The large-scale and sophisticated fraud scheme facilitated the black-market importation and sale of tens of millions of dollars of dangerous and addictive prescription medications. In summary, the conspirators established and ran a business that, through a series of misrepresentations, misled various credit card companies into processing credit card transactions for on-line purchases of drugs that were illegal to be sold in the United States. These drugs were often imported from Russia, China, India, and other countries. The complex scheme involved front companies, fake websites, and a tangled web of bank accounts. Feldman participated in the scheme by opening fraudulent merchant accounts and overseeing fraudulent payments.
Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for March 23, 2023, at 1:00 pm. The law provides for a total sentence of twenty years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police and United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Feldman and her conspirators.
Bronx Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Federal Prison for Supplying Heroin and Cocaine to Waterbury Drug RingRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALGENYS PAULINO, also known as “Chico” and “Lying Queen,” 34, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 87 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for supplying narcotics to members of a Waterbury-area drug trafficking ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2020, the DEA New Haven Task Force and Waterbury Police Department began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization that was distributing large amounts of heroin, cocaine and crack in the Waterbury area, and was believed to be headed by Zachary Lee Foster, who worked closely with Jason Metz of Naugatuck. The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones used by members of the organization, physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and motor vehicle stops that resulted in the seizure of drugs. In December 2020 and January 2021, Paulino was intercepted multiple times on a wiretap negotiating the sale of bulk quantities of heroin and cocaine to Foster and Metz.
On March 1, 2021, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Paulino, Foster, Metz and 14 others. Paulino was arrested on March 2, 2021.
Foster, Metz, and several associates were arrested on March 3, 2021. In association with these arrests, law enforcement executed seven search warrants and seized approximately 40,000 bags of suspected heroin, 350 grams of cocaine and 50 grams of crack cocaine, and nine firearms
Paulino has been detained since his arrest. On March 1, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Foster and Metz also pleaded guilty. On June 8, 2022, Metz was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. Foster awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick F. Caruso and Brendan Keefe through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Waterbury for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
Bristol Man Found to Be A Career Offender and Sentenced to 264 Months Imprisonment for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On October 5, 2022, Michael Shane Moore, 40, of Bristol, Tennessee, was sentenced to 264 months in prison by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. During the sentencing proceeding, Judge Corker found Moore to be a career offender based on his criminal history.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Moore agreed to plead guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A). After his incarceration, Moore will be on supervised release for a period of 5 years.
According to the plea agreement, officers with the Bristol Tennessee Police Department located a stolen vehicle at a motel. The officers saw Moore exit the motel and get into the stolen car. Officers detained Moore and, during the course of their investigation, learned that he was in possession of 95 grams of methamphetamine, $1,528 in U.S. currency, and a .45 caliber pistol.
“Our office is committed to addressing the violent crime and drug trafficking problem that impacts our communities,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the public from those who traffic in drugs while armed.”
“Today’s announcement is a perfect answer as to why we chose to protect and serve the public. There has been an increase of vehicles thefts, illegal firearms possession, and narcotics distribution in our communities. The outcome of this case is the result of extremely great work that was performed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (“ATF”) and our law enforcement partners. We will continue to work tirelessly to keep our communities safe from the individuals that continue to endanger our neighborhoods,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Mickey French.
“This is a great example of the teamwork and cooperation, throughout the entire system that allows us all to be successful in our mission to ensure a safe, healthy environment for our community to thrive,” said Police Chief Matt Austin, Bristol Tennessee Police Department.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Bristol Tennessee Police Department and the ATF.
Assistant U.S. Attorney B. Todd Martin represented the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Barre Woman Sentenced to 18 Months of Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Tiffany Fisk, 33, of Barre, Vermont, was sentenced today to serve 18 months in prison after her conviction for distributing fentanyl. Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford also ordered Fisk to serve a three-year term of supervised release after her incarceration.
According to court records, in October of 2021 and January of 2022, Fisk distributed fentanyl and cocaine base in Washington County, Vermont to a confidential informant assisting law enforcement.
On January 28, 2022, Fisk and her husband David Tom were in a vehicle stopped by the Vermont State Police. A search of their vehicle revealed Tom to be unlawfully in possession of a firearm. As part of Fisk’s sentencing for drug distribution, she admitted to attempting to obstruct the investigation of her husband by promising cocaine base to a person in exchange for that person making false statements to the Vermont State Police regarding who owned the seized firearm. Tom has pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Tom is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17, 2022.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the Montpelier Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt handled the prosecution. Fisk was represented by John Mabie, 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/psnAtlantic County Man Admits Role in Drug Distribution SchemeRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – Atlantic County man today admitted his role in a heroin distribution scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Christopher Gonzalez, 38, of Egg Harbor Township, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an information charging him with conspiring to distribute over one kilogram of heroin and possession with intent to distribute over one kilogram of heroin.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On July 12, 2021, a search warrant was executed at codefendant Ricardo Clavijo’s residence, where law enforcement authorities encountered Clavijo and Christopher Gonzalez, Clavijo’s brother. Authorities found 4.3 kilograms of heroin, 5.5 kilograms of fentanyl, 10.8 kilograms of cocaine, drug packaging materials and equipment, and a money counting machine. Some of the heroin was already packaged in tens of thousands of individual doses, ready for street-level distribution.
The counts to which Gonzalez pleaded guilty both carry a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison, a maximum term of life in prison, and a maximum fine of $10 million, or twice the gross gain or loss caused by the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 9, 2023.
Ricardo Clavijo has already pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Newark Division, DEA Atlantic County HIDTA Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office and the Egg Harbor Township Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Johns of the Criminal Division in Camden.
Associate of Clairton Gang Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing a GunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – An Allegheny County resident was sentenced on Monday in federal court to 37 months of imprisonment on his conviction of felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Jamiel Green, age 28, of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Green was arrested in possession of a firearm on March 13, 2021, by the Allegheny County Police Department. Green had previously convictions for felony offenses involving illegal gun possession and drug trafficking, and federal law makes it illegal for felons to possess firearms.
In the week prior to May 13, 2021, the Allegheny County Police were assisting the Clairton Police Department because of shootings in that area attributed to the 21 Gang, with whom Green is associated. The Clairton Police Department identified Green as particularly dangerous.
On May 13, 2021, there was a shooting in Clairton, and Allegheny County Police detectives responded. The detectives saw Green and recognized him as someone who was wanted. Green had two outstanding arrest warrants. When the detectives approached the vehicle Green was occupying, Green got of the vehicle and began to run. When the detectives caught up to Green, they found a loaded firearm on his person. A later search of the vehicle revealed three other firearms, fentanyl, and more than $10,000 in cash.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Allegheny County Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Green.
Anoka Man Arrested, Charged with Possession of a Machine Gun and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – An Anoka man has been arrested and charged in a federal criminal complaint for illegally possessing a machine gun and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents and a law enforcement affidavit, in April 2022, the FBI began investigating Darrian Mitchell Nguyen, 50, based on a tip from a Confidential Human Source (CHS) that Nguyen was in possession of explosive devices, firearms, and methamphetamine, and had expressed a desire to join the Three Percenter militia group, a loosely organized anti-government extremist movement. As alleged in the affidavit, according to the CHS, Nguyen kept weapons, including rifles, shotguns, handguns, a grenade launcher, and pipe bombs in “secret” rooms built within the walls of his residence. The affidavit further alleges that Nguyen was manufacturing and trafficking methamphetamine from his residence. On August 23, 2022, during a meeting at the defendant’s residence, Nguyen sold to the CHS 7.1 grams of methamphetamine for $300.
According to the affidavit, to correct a debt owed to the defendant, Nguyen asked the CHS to provide him with firearms, specifically a short-barreled rifle equipped with an auto sear. Through text messages, Nguyen arranged to meet with the CHS to receive four auto sears and a short-barreled rifle equipped with an auto sear. At the arranged meeting on October 4, 2022, after Nguyen took possession of the machine gun and the auto sears, law enforcement arrested Nguyen and executed a search warrant at his residence. Law enforcement recovered several firearms from a hidden room inside the residence, including an AR style firearm equipped with a grenade launcher and a short-barreled shotgun.
Nguyen is charged with one count of possession of a machine gun, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. He made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright and was ordered to remain in detention pending further proceedings.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Manda M. Sertich and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Justin Sher are prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Anchorage Man Convicted by Jury on Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – A federal jury convicted an Anchorage man for possessing heroin, pure methamphetamine and a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Anchorage Police Department officers responded to a 911 call about a man spray painting cars when they encountered Michael Delpriore, Jr, 41 attempting to leave the area in his vehicle. Delpriore refused to obey officer’s commands to stop and exit his vehicle. While refusing to exit the vehicle, Delpriore kept rolling his driver’s window up and down to obscure officers’ view inside the vehicle and continued reaching down towards the floor.
Eventually Delpriore exited the vehicle and was taken into custody. During a pat-search, officers found a digital scale with drug residue, a knife, and over $1,000 cash. After obtaining a search warrant for the vehicle, officers found four grams of methamphetamine, numerous syringes, and two loaded 9mm magazines. Officers also found a loaded semi-auto 9mm pistol and 140 grams of heroin hidden behind the dash near the steering wheel of the vehicle. In total there were 49 live 9mm rounds found in Delpriore’s vehicle.
“Michael Delpriore’s conviction is another step forward in helping make Alaska’s communities and streets safer for everyone,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska. “My office and our law enforcement partners are using every tool at our disposal to hold individuals accountable for the destructive drugs they sell that ruin so many Alaskan lives.”
“This case represents the importance of the public being committed to helping law enforcement fight crime,” said APD Police Chief Michael Kerle. “This entire investigation started because a citizen witnessed criminal behavior and took the time to alert police. Collaboration between law enforcement entities is important; but the involvement of the community we serve is equally important. Police and citizens working together is the only way successful prosecutions such as this one will continue to happen.”
Chief U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason, who presided over the trial, ordered that Delpriore be detained pending sentencing. Delpriore faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Anchorage Police Department investigated the case with the assistance of the FBI Anchorage Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charisse Arce and Seth Brickey are prosecuting the case.
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Ambridge Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing FentanylRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Ambridge, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession with intent to 40 grams or more of fentanyl, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Michael Gamble, age 37, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on Dec. 10, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant upon Gamble’s residence. Law enforcement encountered Gamble sitting on a couch in the basement. A search of Gamble’s person resulted in the seizure of fentanyl and over $2,500.00. Between a cushion on a couch where Gamble was seated, law enforcement recovered a loaded handgun with an attached extended magazine. In a hidden compartment in the basement, officers recovered additional fentanyl. In total, law enforcement seized about approximately 90 grams of fentanyl.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Feb. 9, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.. The law provides for a total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $8,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court remanded Gamble into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Gamble.
Alleged Major Bolivian Drug Trafficker Extradited from Argentina to the United StatesRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Kyle Martin (619) 546-7726
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 5, 2022
SAN DIEGO – Victor Hugo Anez Vaca Diez, aka Chi Chi, alleged leader of a large-scale transnational criminal organization, was arraigned in federal court yesterday following his extradition to the United States from Argentina.
On August 18, 2017, a federal grand jury sitting in the Southern District of California returned a superseding indictment charging Anez Vaca with conspiracy to distribute cocaine with the intent for that cocaine to be imported into the United States, conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
Anez Vaca, a Bolivian citizen, was arrested at the Buenos Aires, Argentina airport in January 2022, at the request of the United States, on a Red Notice issued by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). Since his arrest, Anez Vaca has remained in custody pending extradition to the United States. He was flown by the United States Marshals Service from Buenos Aires to San Diego on October 3, 2022 and arraigned the following day before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel E. Butcher.
“Today is a reminder that international drug traffickers who profit by shipping narcotics into our community are not safe from prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “We will work with our international partners to bring them to justice wherever they may travel.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Enforcement Operations for their excellent work on this case. He also thanked INTERPOL, the Government of Argentina and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Anez Vaca.
“The extradition of Anez Vaca Diez to the United States is a perfect example of Homeland Security Investigations broad reach and successful partnerships fostered with our international colleagues,” said Chad Plantz, Special Agent in Charge for HSI San Diego. “This extradition should send a clear message to those who believe they can evade law enforcement. We will find you and work to bring you to the U.S. to face justice.”
“The DEA continues to work with our law enforcement partners to stem the flow of illegal drugs coming into the United States,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Shelly Howe. “The extradition of Anez Vaca is evidence that by working together we can make our communities safer and bring high-level international traffickers to justice in the United States.”
This case is also the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 18CR0680-JAH
Victor Hugo Anez Vaca Diez, aka Chi Chi
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
International Drug Trafficking Conspiracy – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 959, 963
Mandatory Minimum 10 years’ imprisonment; maximum life imprisonment and $10 million fine
Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Methamphetamine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841, 846
Mandatory Minimum 10 years’ imprisonment; maximum life imprisonment and $10 million fine
Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine
AGENCY
Homeland Security Investigations
Drug Enforcement Administration
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
10 Members of a Drug Trafficking Organization IndictedRead the Press Release
A federal indictment has been unsealed charging 10 defendants with drug conspiracy.
“Federal prosecutors and our law enforcement partners continue the fight to reduce the flow of deadly narcotics into northeastern Oklahoma,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Months of work conducted by special agents and officers resulted in eight arrests and the seizure of illicit guns, drugs, and profits. My office will now seek to hold these alleged drug traffickers accountable in federal court.”
Eight suspects were arrested early Wednesday in Tulsa as part of a law enforcement operation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Defendants Keni Garcia-Soberanis, 29, and Madeline Pearl Lavalley, 28, remain at large. The two are alleged to be long time leaders and sources of supply of a drug trafficking organization operating out of Mexico that distributes methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl in the Tulsa area. Garcia-Soberanis is a citizen of Mexico and Lavalley is alleged to have fled to Mexico after being indicted in a 2017 drug trafficking case in the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Eight other members of the organization were arrested in Tulsa Wednesday and included couriers responsible for delivering or picking up the illicit drugs and proceeds; distributors; and a money launderer.
While executing the arrests and search warrants, federal agents and Tulsa police officers seized approximately:
- 5,000 fentanyl pills;
- 810 grams of black tar heroin;
- 550 grams of suspected cocaine;
- 280 grams of methamphetamine;
- 8 firearms
“The success of Operation Dirt Stain, including the arrest of eight alleged drug-trafficking conspirators and the seizure of various quantities of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and deadly fentanyl fake pills throughout Oklahoma, is a testament to DEA Tulsa’s resolve to keep our families and neighborhoods safe,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge, who oversees operations in Oklahoma. “Our partners in both Tulsa and the greater northeastern Oklahoma were instrumental in this success. We are stronger together and that should be a warning to other drug traffickers and distribution organizations in Oklahoma. You’re next.”
Defendants include:
-Keni Garcia-Soberanis, 29, of Acapulco, Mexico
- Madeline (Maddie) Pearl Lavalley, 28, of Collinsville
-Rafael Torres-Palacios, 42, of Tulsa
-Pablo Garcia, birthdate unknown, of Tulsa
-Kalin Marie Campbell, 35, of Tulsa
-Anita Lynn Oslin, 56, of Tulsa
-Brandon James Roberson, 39, of Pocola
-Ashlee Lynn Trousdale, 33, of Tulsa
-Melissa Hope Sawyer, 46, of Tulsa
-Jimmy Dewayne Jenkins, 33, of Tulsa
Operation Dirt Stain 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.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Tonkin is prosecuting the case.
4 October 2022
Young Laredo man charged for smuggling five resulting in rollover crashRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – An 18-year-old man residing in Laredo has been indicted on charges of alien smuggling causing serious bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Today, a federal grand jury returned the two-count indictment against Cesar Alberto Rodriguez. He is expected to appear for his arraignment before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the near future.
According to the criminal complaint originally filed in the case, on Sept. 13, Rodriguez drove a pickup truck carrying two residential air-conditioning units into the Hebbronville Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint. There, a K-9 allegedly alerted law enforcement to the presence of humans at the bed of the truck. They conducted an investigation and discovered undocumented individuals concealed inside the units, according to the charges.
At that time, the charges allege law enforcement asked Rodriguez for his identification. After handing them his Texas ID card, he allegedly put his truck into drive and sped away from the checkpoint.
The complaint alleges authorities found his vehicle in Bruni rolled over with debris scattered around it. At the scene, they found five injured undocumented individuals who were later transported to a hospital for treatment, according to the charges. One allegedly had to be air lifted to another location for further treatment.
If convicted, Rodriguez faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of BP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Harrison 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.Yonkers Man Sentenced to 20 Years for March 2011 MurderRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MARCUS CHAMBERS, a/k/a “Chino,” a/k/a “Chi D,” a/k/a “SP,” was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison for the 2011 murder of Jonathan Johnson, 21, on March 18, 2011, in White Plains, New York. On December 20, 2021, CHAMBERS pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, who imposed his sentence.
According to the allegations in the Indictment to which the defendant pled guilty and statements made in public court proceedings:[1]
On or about March 18, 2011, CHAMBERS and his co-defendant DARNELL KIDD murdered Jonathan Johnson by shooting him during the course of an armed robbery for marijuana in White Plains, New York. CHAMBERS arranged by phone to purchase the marijuana from Johnson. CHAMBERS and KIDD met with Johnson to rob him of marijuana, and during the robbery, Johnson was shot and killed.
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In addition to his prison term, CHAMBERS, 31, of Yonkers, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the White Plains Police Department and the FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which comprises agents and task force officers from the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Probation Office, New York State Police, New York City Police Department, Mount Vernon Police Department, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Town of Ramapo Police Department, Yonkers Police Department, Greenburgh Police Department, Peekskill Police Department, Westchester County Police Department, and Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. Mr. Williams also thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance in this matter.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Olga I. Zverovich, Christopher Brumwell, and Steven J. Kochevar and Paralegal Specialist Shannon Becker are in charge of the prosecution.
The allegations contained in the Indictment against DARNELL KIDD are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described regarding DARNELL KIDD should be treated as an allegation.
Yancey Co. Man Is Sentenced to 20 Years for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that Joshua Andrew Phillips, 33, of Burnsville, N.C., was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. Upon his release from prison, Phillips will be subject to a lifetime of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Sheriff Shane Hilliard of the Yancey County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
On May 20, 2022, Phillips pleaded guilty to production of child pornography. According to filed documents and statements made in court, in February 2020, the Yancey County Sheriff’s Office received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that an individual was using social media to share child pornography. Law enforcement identified Phillips as the person sharing the child pornography. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement retrieved Phillips’s cellular phones and computer. An HSI Computer Forensic Analyst conducted a forensic review of Phillips’s devices and located the child pornography images of the minors Phillips had produced. In addition, law enforcement also discovered on the defendant’s devices more than 8,400 images and videos that depicted children being sexually abused.
Phillips is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended HSI and the Yancey County Sheriff’s Office for their joint investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Solheim, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice, aimed at combating the growing online sexual exploitation of children. By combining resources, federal, state and local agencies are better able to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue those victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .
Yale Agrees to Pay $308K to Resolve Allegations of Violations of Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that Yale University, on behalf of Yale Medicine and the Yale Fertility Center, has entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal government in which it will pay a total of $308,250 to resolve allegations that it violated civil provisions of the Controlled Substances Act.
The Yale Fertility Center is a fertility medical practice located on Yale University’s West Campus, in Orange, Connecticut. The Yale Fertility Center is operated by Yale Medicine, the clinical practice for the Yale School of Medicine, and a component of Yale University (collectively, “Yale”). The settlement resolves allegations that Yale failed to maintain complete and accurate records concerning the controlled substances it purchased and dispensed at the Yale Fertility Center, and failed to provide effective controls and procedures to guard against theft and diversion of controlled substances.
In November 2020, Donna Monticone, a nurse responsible for ordering and inventorying controlled substances at the Yale Fertility Center, was discovered to have tampered with vials of fentanyl. The fentanyl was kept at the Yale Fertility Center for patient use during out-patient surgical fertility procedures. A criminal investigation revealed that Monticone stole the fentanyl for her own use. She withdrew the fentanyl from the vials, reinjected saline into the vials and reintroduced the vials into the stock of the Yale Fertility Center to be used during surgical procedures.
In March 2021, Monticone pleaded guilty in federal court to tampering with a consumer product. A related civil investigation identified 685 separate occasions in which the record-keeping requirements of the Controlled Substances Act were allegedly violated by Yale. The DEA’s audit of the Yale Fertility Center’s inventory of controlled substances revealed discrepancies of 665 units of controlled substances, including vials of fentanyl 100mcg, ketamine 10mg, and midazolam 2mg. The investigation also found that Yale failed to maintain an initial inventory, failed to keep a record of destruction of controlled substances, and was unable to readily produce DEA e222 forms, which are required records for purchase and sale of Schedule II controlled substances.
Congress, with the passage of the Controlled Substances Act, took steps to create “a closed system” of distribution for controlled substances in which every facet of the handling of the substances – from their manufacture to their consumption by the ultimate user – was to be subject to intense governmental regulation. This mission was taken against the backdrop of trying to prevent the diversion and abuse of legitimate controlled substances, while still ensuring that an adequate supply of those substances meet the medical and scientific needs of the United States.
“This settlement highlights our office’s efforts to ensure compliance with the Controlled Substances Act,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “Healthcare providers’ obligations to keep accurate records and safeguard access to controlled substances are key to prevent diversion of these powerful drugs, and to ensure the safety of our community.”
“The DEA is committed to ensuring that all registrants are in compliance with the required regulations, which are enforceable through the Controlled Substances Act,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England. “Failure to do so increases the potential for diversion and jeopardizes public health and public safety. DEA pledges to work with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to ensure these rules and regulations are followed.”
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Office of Diversion Control. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Kaczmarek.
Woburn Restaurant Owners Arrested and Charged with Human SmugglingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A father and son who own and operate two Woburn restaurants, Taste of Brazil—Tudo No Brasa and The Dog House, were arrested today and charged with human smuggling.
Jesse James Moraes, 64, and Hugo Giovanni Moraes, 42, both of Woburn, were charged with conspiring to encourage and induce an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain, knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, and residence is or will be in violation of law. Marcos Chacon, 29, also of Woburn, was charged with knowing transfer of a false identification document knowing that such document was produced without lawful authority, and with illegal reentry by a deported alien. The word “alien” is used in this release because it is the language utilized in the statute(s) these individuals are alleged to have violated.
Following an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. District Court Chief Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley in federal court in Boston, Jesse Moraes, Hugo Moraes and Marcos Chacon were detained pending a detention hearing.
Additionally, Chelbe Willams Moraes, a resident of Brazil, was charged in a four-count indictment unsealed today with conspiracy to encourage and induce an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States for financial gain; encouraging and inducing an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States for financial gain; money laundering; and money laundering conspiracy. He is the brother of Jesse Moraes and uncle of Hugo Moraes.
According to the charging documents, Chelbe Moraes and his coconspirators smuggled individuals from Brazil into the United States for a fee of approximately $18,000 – 22,000. Once the individuals were in the United States, Jesse Moraes and Hugo Moraes allegedly employed them in their restaurants in Woburn, withholding their wages in order to pay off their smuggling debts. Chelbe Moraes, Jesse Moraes and Hugo Moraes also allegedly gave or offered to give fake documentation to the individuals in order to support asylum claims or obtain work authorization. Marcos Chacon allegedly sold fake documentation to the individuals at the request of the Moraes defendants.
The charge of encouraging and inducing, and conspiring to encourage and induce, an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States for financial gain, knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, and residence is or will be in violation of law provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of knowing transfer of a false identification document knowing that such document was produced without lawful authority provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of illegal reentry by a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of money laundering and money laundering conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in charge for the Homeland Security Investigations New England Field Office; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Woburn Police Chief Robert F. Rufo, Jr., made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Norwood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James D. Herbert, Kelly Lawrence and Samuel R. Feldman of Rollins’ Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
West Sacramento Man Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Prison for Mail Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
ACRAMENTO, Calif. — Philip Rich, 50, of West Sacramento, was sentenced today to three years and three months in prison for one count of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Rich was also ordered to pay $113,400 in restitution.
According to court documents, between March 2019 and March 2021, Rich and co-defendant Kimberly Acevedo perpetrated a mail fraud scheme that involved theft of U.S. mail, identity theft, and unlawful possession of dozens of stolen bank cards. Generally, Rich and Acevedo obtained the personally identifiable information (PII) of victims and used that information to apply for new credit cards, debit cards, checkbooks, and other financial instruments to be sent to the victims’ real home addresses. The defendants then submitted change-of-address requests to U.S. Postal Service at www.usps.com using the victims’ PII. These change-of-address requests rerouted the victims’ mail to defendants’ shared home address, where they would open the mail and use its contents to make fraudulent purchases and cash fraudulent checks.
When federal agents executed a search warrant at defendants’ residence on Oct. 14, 2020, they seized dozens of notebooks filled with hundreds, if not thousands, of identity-theft victim PII. The notebooks were scattered throughout the house, though mainly located in defendants’ shared bedroom. In addition, agents recovered an envelope, labeled “ID Templates,” in the bedroom containing approximately 10-15 fake California Driver’s Licenses in the names of various victims, but featuring Rich and Acevedo’s photographs and fake authentication features. Agents also recovered the tools required to construct the fake IDs as well as a magstripe device. Further, agents recovered over 50 credit and debit cards in the home as well as approximately 40 checkbooks in victims’ names as well as in the names of Rich and Acevedo. In total, defendants’ scheme caused over $110,000 in actual and intended loss.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise N. Yasinow and Robert J. Artuz are prosecuting the case.
Charges of mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of stolen mail, and unlawful possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices remain pending against Acevedo. The charges are only allegations; she is presumed innocent until and unless proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Washington man admits trafficking meth, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl to Cascade County, Rocky Boy’s Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Washington man admitted to a drug trafficking crime today after law enforcement seized more than five pounds of methamphetamine along with other drugs from his vehicle near Great Falls last year, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Jorge Perez, aka Chicago, 41, of Spokane, Washington, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Perez faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Feb. 16, 2023. Perez was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in March 2022, witnesses in Great Falls reported to law enforcement that they had been working with Perez to bring large quantities of meth, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl from Spokane to the Great Falls area for distribution. The FBI’s investigation identified the vehicle Perez was driving and, with assistance from local law enforcement, stopped the vehicle outside of Great Falls on June 11, 2022. Perez was the driver and sole occupant and had more than $4,000 cash on his person. Perez admitted there were pounds of drugs in the vehicle. Law enforcement seized approximately five pounds of meth, which is the equivalent of 18,120 doses, along with cocaine and fentanyl pills. In a second traffic stop in which Perez was a passenger, law enforcement found meth, cocaine and heroin in the vehicle. In a third traffic stop, on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, in which Perez was the driver and sole passenger, law enforcement found meth, cocaine and fentanyl.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Highway Patrol and Chippewa Cree 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.
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Washington Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Brian James Bell, age 22 of Mount Vernon, Washington, was sentenced on Friday, September 30, 2022, to 66 months in prison following his plea to a charge of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
In June 2021, Bell was involved in a traffic accident on Interstate 29. Law enforcement arrived on the scene and observed Bell carrying a backpack away from the accident site. A During a probable cause search of the vehicle and backpack, law enforcement located 97 grams of methamphetamine and two loaded firearms.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Pottawattamie Sheriff’s Department and Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force investigated the case.
Vinita Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Sexually Entice a MinorRead the Press Release
A Vinita man was sentenced in federal court for attempting to sexually entice an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old boy, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Claire V. Eagan sentenced John William Thomas Flechs, 37, to ten years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.
“Thankfully, an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old caught John Flechs before he could reach his intended target- a teenage boy,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Flechs will spend 10 years in federal prison as a consequence of his crime.”
Starting on Jan. 15, 2021, Flechs unknowingly initiated a conversation with the undercover officer, believing he was a minor. In Kik messages, Flechs complimented the “teenager” and asked him to send photographs on three occasions. Flechs further described sexual encounters he had with male relatives, introduced graphic sexual topics that would allude to sexual acts on the boy, discussed the boy’s penis size, and asked if he had ever had anal sex. He then suggested they meet.
Still posing as the 14-year-old boy, the undercover agreed to meet Flechs at a skate park. Flechs was taken into custody when he arrived at the park.
The Rogers County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie A. Childress and Edward Snow are prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Update on Press Release Issued August 22, 2013Read the Press Release
A federal jury found Patrick Campbell, of Sierra Leone, not guilty of the charges that were announced in the press release that appears below, originally issued on August 22, 2013.
A federal judge entered a judgment of acquittal in Campbell’s case on May 19, 2014.
Titled Individual Charged With Brokering Uranium Deal Intended For Supply To Iran
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), announce today that Patrick Campbell, 33, of Freetown, Sierra Leone, was arrested yesterday in Queens, NY as a result of an investigation conducted by the ICE-HSI. Campbell made his initial appearance earlier today in the Eastern District of New York.
According to the criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of Florida, Patrick Campbell was charged with brokering the supply of goods which the defendant knew were destined and intended for supply to Iran, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) Title 50, United States Code, Section 1701, 1705 and the Iranian Transaction Regulations, 31 CFR 560.416, 560,204 and 560.203. If convicted, Campbell faces a possible statutory maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, followed by a term of three years of supervised release, and a possible $1,000,000 fine.
The criminal complaint alleges that on August 21, 2013, Campbell traveled to the United States from Sierra Leone and brought with him a sample of uranium, concealed in the soles of the shoes in his luggage, which he believed was to be provided to a representative of individuals seeking to obtain uranium for supply to Iran.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI, the Port Authority of New York and the New Jersey Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Walleisa.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Attachment:
Patrick Campbell Complaint (PDF)
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
USAO-KS Takes Part in Department’s Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – The Justice Department announced today the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. Today, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“As technology evolves so does the complexity of the scams targeting older adults. Unfortunately, too often these fraudulent schemes procure large amounts of money from victims,” said U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard. “The DOJ won’t waver in efforts to dismantle these criminal enterprises and bring perpetrators to justice no matter where in the world they are based.”
During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged.
This past year, the USAO –District of Kansas prosecuted cases related to fraud committed against senior citizens.
• In February 2021, Oyindamola Akinrinola, 24, of Lawrence pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. She admitted to receiving more than $160,000 in deposits related to scams and remitting the majority of money to Nigeria after keeping a portion of the proceeds for herself. Sentencing is scheduled for November 15, 2022.
• In May 2022, Innocent N. Ugwu, 24, of Fort Riley was indicted on five counts of wire fraud, five counts of laundering monetary instruments, and one count of procurement of citizenship or naturalization unlawfully. Ugwu is accused of conspiring with others to commit fraud using false pretenses and promises, and the omission of material facts to carry out romance, advance fee and other fraudulent schemes.As part of the USAO –KS’s elder fraud efforts, it engages in outreach to the community and industry to raise awareness about scams and exploitation and preventing victimization.
The Department also highlighted three other efforts: expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
The Department announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. [ET]. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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United States Attorney Announces Efforts to Combat Fraud Against Seniors in Southern IllinoisRead the Press Release
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – In connection with the Department of Justice’s announcement of its Elder
Justice Sweep earlier today, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Rachelle
Aud Crowe, made the following announcement: “Combating fraud against the elderly is the number one priority of our Fraud & Corruption section,”
U.S. Attorney Crowe stated. “Anytime a senior is victimized, we work very hard to find the responsible criminals and bring them to justice.”Six federal prosecutors are assigned to the district’s Fraud & Corruption section. They are
Assistant United States Attorneys: Scott Verseman, Chief; Kevin Burke, Zoe Gross, Peter Reed, Steve Weinhoeft and Luke Weissler.As an example of the office’s efforts to hold accountable those who harm the elderly, U.S. Attorney
Crowe cited to the recent guilty plea of Ashley McKinney, 39, of Cahokia, Illinois. McKinney’s co- defendant, Erica Rose, 33, of East St. Louis, Illinois, worked as a home healthcare provider for elderly persons in the Metro East. While working in the victims’ homes, Rose stole their bank account information and provided it to McKinney. McKinney then used that information to make illegal purchases, including purchasing an automobile. McKinney and Rose were indicted in January
2020, but McKinney remained a fugitive until she was eventually hunted down and arrested by the
United States Marshals. McKinney will be sentenced on November 22, 2022. Rose previously pled guilty and was sentenced to prison.U.S. Attorney Crowe also noted that Jaykumar Patel, 33, of Florida, pled guilty on June 28, 2022, to assisting in a fraud scheme that victimized an elderly woman in Alton, Illinois. That fraud scheme, which was based in the country of India, tried to convince seniors that their identities had been stolen and that they needed to pay thousands of dollars to fix the situation. Patel was a
“Money Mule” for the organization. “Money Mules” are individuals who receive funds from victims and send the money on to the criminals who conduct the schemes. Patel will be sentenced on January
5, 2023.“In addition to the Identity Theft schemes, there are a variety of other schemes out there that seniors need to be on the look out for,” added U.S. Attorney Crowe. “Those schemes include: (1)
Grandparents Scams – where fraudsters impersonate seniors’ grandchildren, or some other loved one, and try to convince the seniors that they need funds immediately, usually for some type of medical or legal emergency; (2) Romance Scams – where scammers meet seniors online, usually through dating sites, pretend to fall in love with them, and then persuade the seniors to send them money; (3) Tax Scams – where fraudsters falsely tell seniors that they owe back taxes and must make immediate payments; and (4) Lottery Scams – where fraudsters try to convince seniors that they have won the lottery or some other type of prize, but need to send money first for taxes or fees.”
“Another situation we’re seeing,” added U.S. Attorney Crowe, “is scammers recruiting seniors to participate in, and help them with, their fraud scams. When seniors knowingly help these scammers, they themselves can be facing federal prison sentences.”As an example of this situation, U.S. Attorney Crowe noted last week’s guilty plea by Danny Vaughn, 64, of Centralia, Illinois. A few years ago, Vaughn met a person on a dating site whom he thought was a young woman that was interested in having a relationship with him. This person turned out to be a scammer. The scammer convinced Vaughn to engage in illegal activity, including purchasing items using stolen credit cards and then shipping the stolen items overseas, and depositing counterfeit checks into his bank accounts and sending that money overseas. Vaughn will be sentenced on January 18, 2023.
When asked what seniors can do to avoid being victimized, U.S. Attorney Crowe gave the following tips:
1. Be wary of individuals you meet online or over the phone;
2. If someone you’ve never met in person claims to be in love with you, there’s a good chance that person is a scammer;
3. If someone you’ve never met before asks you for, or demands, money, there’s a good chance it’s a scam;
4. If someone is asking you for, or demanding, money, ask your son, daughter, loved one, or good friend what they think. This is true even if the person asking for money claims there is no time for you to talk with your family or friends; and
5. If someone contacts you claiming to be from a company or institution, such as the IRS or your bank, hang up and call them back on a telephone number you look up yourself. This will enable you to talk to representatives of the real company or institutions.
“In summary, we want to do everything we can to protect our seniors from becoming victims. A big part of that is making seniors aware of the fraud scams out there. If you have an elderly relative or friend, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to discuss this topic with them. If you are a senior yourself, my advice and avoid falling prey to these vicious scammers.”
U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Missouri Takes Part in Department’s Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI – The Justice Department announced today the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. Today, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“This office has done more than just prosecute those who prey on older adults,” said Sayler A. Fleming, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. “Along with law enforcement partners, older adult advocates and consumer protection groups, we have focused on providing education, outreach events and other vital services to vulnerable populations to try and help them avoid becoming victims in the first place.”
During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Justice Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged.
This past year, the Eastern District of Missouri pursued seven elder fraud cases involving 10 defendants, 62 victims who were over the age of 60 and losses in excess of $4,300,000. The fraud schemes ranged from embezzlement by a bank manager from elderly account holders to romance fraud schemes involving transnational groups to a woman who fraudulently obtained an $18,000 student loan. With the assistance of the district’s law enforcement partners and advocacy groups, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been able to prosecute fraudsters and provide necessary resources to their victims.
As part of the Eastern District of Missouri’s efforts to combat elder fraud, it engages in outreach to the community and industry to raise awareness about scams and exploitation and preventing victimization. By networking with the St. Louis Elder Financial Protection Coalition, the Better Business Bureau’s Consumer Fraud Task Force and Cape Girardeau County, the district has participated in the Cape Girardeau County Senior Information Fair and the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The office also helped produce a public service announcement featuring an 81-year-old money mule and educated the public via the media. Members of the U.S. Attorney’s office and our federal law enforcement partners are available to conduct educational seminars for community groups, civic organizations and other groups.
The Justice Department also highlighted three other efforts: expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
The Department announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Central. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California Takes Part in Department’s Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Oleksandra Johnson (619) 546-9769
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 4, 2022
San Diego, CA – The Justice Department announced today the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation.
The Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. Today, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“The Southern District of California is proud to take part in the Justice Department’s efforts to combat elder fraud by joining the expanded Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Our office is committed to investigating elder fraud and bringing to justice those who target seniors.”
During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged.
This past year, the Southern District of California successfully pursued cases affecting seniors in our district and nationwide. With the help of Consumer Protection Branch and the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force, our office indicted and is prosecuting United States v. Knowles et al., 21cr2216-CAB, a nationwide Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”) conspiracy involving a “grandparent scam” where elderly victims were convinced, over the phone, that their loved ones were in jail and needed money to cover bail.
These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. The criminals engaged in extortion and fraud to swindle about $2 million from more than 70 victims across the nation. Ten elderly victims who resided in San Diego County lost over $300,000 to the fraud. Of the eight charged individuals, six have been arrested and pleaded guilty. Three of the convicted defendants were sentenced to 108 months, 46 months, and 24 months in prison for their roles in the criminal enterprise. In sentencing one of the defendants, the federal judge described the scheme as “heartbreakingly evil.” Three remaining defendants are set to be sentenced on November 17, 2022.
In another case prosecuted by our office, United States v. Phimmasone, 21cr3262-LL, the defendant admitted to embezzling over $350,000 from a local company that provided in-home care services for mostly elderly individuals. The sentencing hearing is set for November 14, 2022.
But prevention is just as important as prosecution. We continually reach out to community groups and stakeholders to raise awareness of red flags and increase reporting of suspicious behavior. In October 2021, our office conducted virtual training on common elder scams and fraud against seniors for residents of the White Sands La Jolla Senior Living Community. In August 2022, we presented information about recent fraudulent schemes and preventing victimization at the Senior Wellness Community Event held at One Safe Place, The North County Family Justice Center.
The Department also highlighted three other efforts: expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
The Department announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 833-372-8311.
This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. [ET]. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York Joins Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to Protect Older AmericansRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York announced today that it is joining the Justice Department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and prosecute perpetrators of fraudulent schemes.
Since 2019, current Strike Force members — including the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, six U.S. Attorney’s offices, the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations — have brought successful cases against the largest and most harmful elder fraud schemes and worked with foreign law enforcement to disrupt criminal enterprises, disable their infrastructure and bring perpetrators to justice. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat sophisticated fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults. The expansion will increase the total number of U.S. Attorney’s offices comprising the Strike Force from six to 20, including all of the U.S. Attorney’s offices in the states of California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Maryland and New York.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorney’s offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors. This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman stated: “Our district is proud to join the Strike Force as part of the Department’s overall efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial fraud. We will continue to devote resources to prosecuting the perpetrators of significant exploitation schemes and spreading awareness about these scams so that people do not fall victim to them.”
The Strike Force expansion will further enhance the Department’s existing efforts to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. From September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged. The matters tackled by the Department and its partners ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims.
This past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York has obtained indictments in two cases under the Elder Justice Initiative. Each case involves theft and misappropriation of funds by a fiduciary of an incompetent, elderly veteran. Both cases remain pending. The charges in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Also this year, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Wentworth-Ping and Christopher Moran, the Office’s Elder Justice Coordinators, participated in outreach efforts in the Town of Dewitt and in Saratoga Springs to spread awareness about scams targeting older Americans.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available via the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 833-372-8311. This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland Joins the Justice Department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to Protect Older AmericansRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron announced today that as part of the Office’s continuing efforts to protect older adults and to bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice, the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office is joining the Justice Department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, as one of 14 additional U.S. Attorney’s Offices.
Since 2019, current Strike Force members — including the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, six U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations — have brought successful cases against the largest and most harmful global elder fraud schemes and worked with foreign law enforcement to disrupt criminal enterprises, disable their infrastructure and bring perpetrators to justice. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat sophisticated fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults. The expansion will increase the total number of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices comprising the Strike Force from six to 20, including Maryland and all of the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the states of California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and New York.
“Targeting vulnerable victims is unconscionable,” said Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland. “The Maryland Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force will use every resource available to protect victims and prosecute those who would abuse them.”
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
The Strike Force expansion will further enhance the Department’s existing efforts to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged. The matters tackled by the Department and its partners ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims.
The Department also highlighted other efforts, including success in returning money to victims and efforts to combat grandparent scams. In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of advance fee scams involving “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 160,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $62 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks.
In Maryland, defendant Oluwaseyi Akinyemi was sentenced to eight years in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution of $486,119.07 to his victims in a social media advanced fee scheme that targeted senior victims. Akinyemi and at least one co-conspirator targeted elderly victims on social media, representing themselves as agents of both real and fictitious government agencies and offering victims non-existent financial rewards if the victims first sent cash, money orders, or gift cards to cover associated “taxes and fees.” Believing that they would receive a financial reward, the victims sent cash, money orders, gift cards, and other valuable items through the mail to Akinyemi who lived in Landover, Maryland at the time.
The Justice Department also notified consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
This past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has prosecuted several defendants participating in far-reaching schemes that aim to defraud elderly victims. For example, two defendants pleaded guilty to defrauding more than 70 elderly victims of more than $2.4 million in a “Grandparent Scam.” In addition, two defendants in Maryland were sentenced to federal prison in connection with a romance scam. Brothers David and Lesley Annor were sentenced to three years and to 20 months in federal prison, respectively, for conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a romance scheme in which elderly and isolated victims were induced to send money to conspirators. The Annors received and laundered the payments from the victims. In addition to jail time, the Annors were also ordered to pay $6,278,250 in restitution to the victims.
As part of the efforts to prevent elder fraud, members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office engaged in outreach to the community and to industry to raise awareness about scams and exploitation and how to keep from becoming a victim. This year, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron participated in a tele-town hall with AARP on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to discuss fraud schemes targeting seniors and how to avoid them, including resources for reporting fraud. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also participated in meetings at senior housing communities and events for senior citizens, senior days at minor league baseball games, and other events to educate seniors and their families on how to spot and avoid financial scams. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also participated in a presentation with the Maryland Banker’s Association on how banks can become involved in preventing and disrupting fraud schemes targeting seniors. Member of the office also presented at the Maryland State Bar Association’s annual meeting to discuss federal elder fraud prosecutions, statistics relating to elder fraud, current trends, and resources for reporting.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help seniors, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/elder-justice-initiative
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U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho Takes Part in Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
BOISE – The Justice Department announced today the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. Today, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“Our Office is strongly committed to investigating and prosecuting elder fraud in Idaho,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit. “We will not hesitate to use our resources to track down those who prey upon older Americans through online or other scams, even when the criminals are not in Idaho.”
During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged.
This past August, a federal grand jury in Boise returned an indictment against James Dougherty, 42, and Jessica Dougherty, 41, that charged conspiracy to commit wire fraud, seven counts of wire fraud, and bank fraud. As alleged in the indictment, James and Jessica Dougherty devised a scheme to defraud an elderly individual residing in Idaho. As further alleged in the indictment, the elderly individual ostensibly signed a power of attorney, will, and trust in favor of James and Jessica Dougherty, which James and Jessica Dougherty then used to access the elderly individual’s money and property for their own personal use and benefit, including transferring the elderly individual’s home into their own names.
As part of the District of Idaho’s elder fraud efforts, it engages with the community and industry to raise awareness about scams and exploitation and preventing victimization, including regularly meeting with local law enforcement and financial institutions about elder fraud scams in Idaho. The District of Idaho’s Elder Justice Coordinator, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Mazorol, will continue to work with state and local law enforcement partners and stakeholders to effectively educate elders and prevent elder abuse, but also to investigate and prosecute when necessary.
The Department also highlighted three other efforts: expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
The Department announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Mountain Time. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit also invited Idahoans to contact his Office directly at (208) 334-1211 and ask for Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Mazorol to report incidents of fraud directed at older Americans.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Participates in Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – The Justice Department announced today the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. Today, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“As our work over the past year reflects, this Office will not sit by while the vulnerable are victimized and their hard-earned savings are stripped away by fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. “We, and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute scams targeting older Americans and to hold the perpetrators accountable. If you think you can help yourself to someone else’s livelihood without consequences, think again.”
During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged. Nineteen of these defendants, charged by the United States Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island, appeared in federal court in Providence on charges that they allegedly perpetrating one or more romance, grandparent, tech support, or government imposter scams that defrauded at least 133 known victims of nearly seven million dollars.
As part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s elder fraud efforts, it engages in a vigorous outreach program in the community and with industry to raise awareness about scams and exploitation and preventing victimization.
The Department also highlighted three other efforts: expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
The Department announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov and United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri/elder-justice.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Joins Justice Department in Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The Justice Department announced today the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“Maine has the highest percentage of older adults in the country,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee. “Last year, 475 senior Mainers reported being the victim of fraud, with losses totally more than $2.5M. We believe that actual losses are likely to be far higher as fear and embarrassment often keep seniors from reporting that they have been victimized by these cruel scams.”
As part of the District of Maine’s elder fraud efforts, it engages in outreach to the community and industry to raise awareness about scams and exploitation and preventing victimization. In September, the U.S. Attorney’s Office distributed a 30-second PSA about spotting elder fraud scams and a 45-second PSA about “grandparent scams” to law enforcement and senior-related organizations around the state to use to educate their local communities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also distribute information directly this winter, beginning with the People Plus Senior Health Expo in Brunswick on October 20.
“Our goal is to educate Maine seniors about current scam tactics,” McElwee said. “The perpetrators are professionals and know just how to reach and convince their victims, using everything from technology to their love for their grandchildren to bilk them out of their hard-earned savings. Knowing how to spot the red flags is key but so, too, is knowing when and how to report a scam. We know that it is difficult to admit that you were fooled, but the fraud only stops when the perpetrators are reported and caught. If you or a loved one were the victim of a senior scam, you should never hesitate to call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 and reach out to your local law enforcement to report it.”
The Department of Justice announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice, it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force by adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money.
Reporting Senior Fraud: Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. [ET]. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida Takes Part in Justice Department’s Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – The Justice Department announced today the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. Today, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
"Given our large elder population, Florida experiences far too many instances of fraud against unsuspecting, vulnerable seniors,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. With the assistance of our dedicated law enforcement partners, we are committed to investigating and vigorously prosecuting those who seek to steal the hard-earned savings of our senior citizens."
During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged.
This past year, as part of this effort, the Northern District of Florida successfully prosecuted multiple defendants who victimized older adults, including: Jeremie Saintvil, who was found guilty following a jury trial of bank fraud, making false statements to a federally insured financial institution, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements to a federal agency and eventually sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for fraudulently using the identities of elderly residents of senior living facilities to submit multiple false applications for COVID-19 relief program loans; Scott Haines, a former Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s deputy who pled guilty to federal and state charges stemming from his involvement in and misuse of the real property management and finances of an elderly woman and is currently awaiting sentencing; and Trevor Green, who pled guilty to embezzlement by a credit union employee and was sentenced to 33 months after using his position to steal almost $275,000 over a two-year period from dormant accounts of credit union members who were 65 or older.
The Department also highlighted three other efforts: expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
The Department announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult, and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 or (833) 372-8311. This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement from the Department are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Takes Part in Department’s Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The Justice Department announced today the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. Today, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“Every day across the Middle District of Pennsylvania - and across the country – scammers are using technology to steal money from our most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam. “Fighting fraud is a priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and we are committed to pursuing individuals who engage in such acts. We urge everyone who has been victimized to make a report so that we can continue this fight.”
During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged.
This past year, the Middle District prosecuted Itcace Abramovici, a 72-year-old citizen of Canada, for his leadership role in a Montreal-based telemarketing and money laundering organization that targeted elderly victims in the United States, including those living in central Pennsylvania. Abramovici and his co-conspirators informed prospective victims that they had won a substantial amount of money in a lottery or sweepstakes and then directed those victims to send money in order to obtain their winnings. The victims’ payments were falsely characterized as taxes, customs fees, processing fees, and legal and insurance fees. None of the victims received any money, and many of their losses were substantial, with more than $460,000 in victim losses being attributed to Abramovici’s role in the fraud, and with losses to victims of the broader fraud at more than $1.3 million. Abramovici received a sentence of 30 months’ imprisonment on May 9, 2022.
The Middle District also prosecuted Jabin Godspower Okpako, of Nigeria, and his wife Christine Bradley Okpako, of Sayre, Pennsylvania, for their roles in conspiring to launder approximately $1.89 million in mail and wire fraud proceeds. The scheme sought to defraud multiple female victims throughout the United States, ranging in age from 55 to 85. The victims had visited online game, relationship and dating web sites, including Instagram, Facebook, Words with Friends, and What’s App. The conspirators, located in the United States and West Africa, befriended the victims through interaction and exchanges of photos on the web sites via text and instant messaging. After cultivating online relationships with the victims, the conspirators fraudulently induced the victims to send and transmit funds for various fictitious reasons. Jabin Okpako received a sentence of 87 months’ imprisonment and Christine Okpako received a sentence of 37 months’ imprisonment.
The Middle District also charged five New York men, Josiah DeJesus, age 20, Jashua Noboa-Nival, age 20, Yeurys Peguero-Rosario, age 22, Ramon Peguero-Rosario, age 19, and Nelson Rivas-Bello, age 27, for their participation in a “Grandparent” mail fraud scheme. The indictment alleged that defendants traveled from New York to various locations in Pennsylvania, including addresses in Luzerne and Lackawanna County, and picked up UPS and Fed Ex packages containing thousands of dollars in cash sent by elderly victims under the false pretense that their grandchildren had been arrested and were in immediate need of money. The victims sent the money after receiving fraudulent phone calls made by the named defendants’ co-conspirators, who posed either as the victims’ grandchildren or as a public defender representing the victims’ grandchildren.
As part of the Middle District’s elder fraud efforts, it engages in outreach to the community and industry to raise awareness about scams and exploitation and preventing victimization. This year, we partnered with the FBI and AARP to reach approximately 4,000 seniors during an interactive telephone town hall which discussed the facts of the latest financial scams targeting seniors. The Middle District also took part in various senior expos in the district to help educate seniors on financial scams.
The Department also highlighted three other efforts: expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
The Department announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.[ET]. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Its Role in Expanded Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to Protect Older AmericansRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California announced today that it is welcoming 14 additional federal prosecutors’ offices as they join the Justice Department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and to bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice.
Since 2019, current Strike Force members — including the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, six U.S. Attorney’s Offices including the Central District of California, the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations — have brought successful cases against the largest and most harmful global elder fraud schemes and worked with foreign law enforcement to disrupt criminal enterprises, disable their infrastructure and bring perpetrators to justice.
Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat sophisticated fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults. The expansion will increase the total number of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices comprising the Strike Force from six to 20, including all of the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Maryland and New York.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“Our Office, along with our law enforcement partners across the District, have diligently pursued criminals who target and harm older adults, including in cases ranging from transnational romance scams, investment schemes, and even the kidnapping of a local older adult,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Members of our elder justice team also regularly conduct outreach to educate local seniors and to help them avoid new scams. Our goal is to protect our community from economic exploitation by providing information on how to avoid becoming a victim. When that fails, however, we will use all of our tools to investigate crimes that target our most vulnerable residents and vigorously prosecute those responsible for elder abuse.”
The Strike Force expansion will further enhance the Department’s existing efforts to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged. The matters tackled by the Department and its partners ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims.
This past year, the elder justice cases the United States Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles prosecuted included:
- Paul Ricky Mata, 59, a former Upland-based financial advisor now serving a 14-year federal prison sentence for committing a real estate investment scam that caused his clients – many of them elderly people who had invested their retirement savings – to lose more than $12 million.
- George Ugochukwu Egwumba, 47, of Cypress, and Princewell Arinze Duru, 33, of Sacramento, who are scheduled to be sentenced on October 17 after a federal jury found them guilty on June 15 of criminal charges for participating in an extensive, long-lasting, multimillion-dollar conspiracy – much of it committed by Nigerian nationals – that perpetrated a wide variety of frauds, including those committed against elders.
- Anuj Mahendrabhai Patel, 32, of Lake Elsinore, is serving a nine-year federal prison sentence for participating in an international fraud scheme in which he helped collect more than $550,000 in cash conned out of elderly victims by other co-conspirators pretending to be federal agents threatening the victims with arrest on bogus warrants.
As part of the Central District of California’s elder fraud efforts, it engages in outreach to the community and industry to raise awareness about scams and exploitation and preventing victimization. In April 2022, our district's Elder Justice Coordinator gave a presentation to an audience of older adults at a local NGO's “Senior Safety Summit,” identifying the most reported scams currently targeting older adults, explaining cryptocurrency's role in prevalent scams, and providing tips on how to spot and hopefully avoid falling for any scam.
The Central District of California is comprised of approximately 20 million residents and the seven counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo.
The Department of Justice today also highlighted two other efforts, including success in returning money to victims and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes. Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 3 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific Time. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina Takes Part in Department's Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King joins the Justice Department in announcing today the results of the Department’s efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. Today, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“Financial predators view older adults as a target rich environment,” said U.S. Attorney King. “The increased presence of elderly individuals online offers ample opportunities for fraudsters to perpetrate financial scams on older victims and steal their hard-earned money. Investigating and prosecuting bad actors who engage in the financial exploitation of older Americans is a priority for my office. I also urge older adults, family members, and caretakers to be on the lookout for schemes targeting the elderly. Prevention and education is the best way to ensure older adults are protected from this appalling criminal activity. Reporting financial scams is equally important. If you are the victim of a scam or suspect an older individual is being financially victimized take action and report the fraud,” King added.
During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged. During that time frame, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina has taken federal action through the filing of criminal or civil cases involving financial schemes that targeted or largely affected seniors.
In August 2022, a Liberian national was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in an online romance scam that targeted older adults. In June 2022, a home health provider was ordered to serve 45 months in prison for stealing more than $1 million from two elderly clients. In March 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the successful forfeiture and return of stolen cryptocurrency to an elderly individual victimized by a government imposter scam. Additionally, in May 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office obtained a final forfeiture order for hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cryptocurrency, which will be returned to an elderly victim of a romance/investment scheme. Furthermore, in December 2021, the Court ordered the forfeiture of a property purchased with the fraud proceeds perpetrated by the purported caregivers of an elderly victim. In addition to securing prison sentences for the perpetrators of the fraud, the Justice Department agreed to return the forfeited assets to the victim’s estate.
As part of its efforts to stem the tide of elder financial fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to engage in outreach to the community to raise awareness about financial scams. Last week, U.S. Attorney King hosted a scam alert seminar at the Rutherford County Senior Center, during which participants were presented important information about financial fraud. Following the presentation, the participants engaged in a game of “Fraud Bingo,” a fun activity designed to deliver information and practical tips on how to prevent the financial exploitation and victimization of older adults by scammers.
The Department also highlighted three other efforts: expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
The Department announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-866 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee Takes Part in Department's Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Justice Department announced today the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. Today, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.
“We are committed to holding individuals accountable for criminally targeting older adult victims through fraudulent schemes,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “As with all successful law enforcement initiatives, our collaboration with our local, state, and federal partners is essential to protecting our community’s older adults against scams.”
During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged.
On April 6, 2022, in the Eastern District of Tennessee, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging five Jamaican nationals with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, in case number 3:22-CR-33. According to the indictment, the scheme involved contacting an elderly individual by mail and informing her that she had won more than $3 million through the Golden Casket International Sweepstakes. In subsequent phone calls, the victim was directed to make a series of payments to cover purported taxes and fees associated with her winnings. Prior to the defendants’ apprehension, more than $600,000 had been taken from the victim.
The trial of the five defendants is scheduled to begin on January 10, 2023, before the Honorable Judge Thomas A. Varlan, in Knoxville, Tennessee. The lead investigating agencies are the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Lenoir City Police Department.
The Department also highlighted three other efforts: expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims, and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
The Department announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice, it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and it’s aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Over the past year, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal Judge described such scams "heartbreakingly evil." The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 or (833) 372-8311. This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week, from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. [ET]. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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U.S. Attorney Young Calls Attention to Elder Fraud Scams and Available Government ResourcesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – In connection with a nationwide effort to bring attention to elder fraud scams, United States Attorney Jane E. Young made the following statement today, “It is paramount that we protect our elder adults from scams targeted to steal their hard-earned assets. A critical tool in combatting the scammers is education and available resources for our elder adults to access when they are asked to send money or provide personal information over the phone or via email. Scams to take advantage and exploit our seniors can take many forms, but they share a common theme—to separate seniors from the money and property they have worked their lives to obtain,” said U.S. Attorney Young. Some of the more prevalent schemes are:
- Social Security Administration Imposters – Imposters contact prospective victims by telephone and falsely claim that the victim’s Social Security number has been suspended because of suspicious activity, or because it has been involved in a crime. They ask to confirm the victim’s Social Security number, or they may say they need to withdraw money from the victim’s bank and to store it on gift cards or in other unusual ways for “safekeeping.” Victims may be told their accounts will be seized or frozen if they fail to act quickly.
- Romance Scams—Imposters use dating sites, social networking sites, and chat rooms to target unsuspecting seniors. They create fake profiles to build online relationships, and eventually convince people to send money in the name of love. Some even make wedding plans before disappearing with the money. An online love interest who asks for money is almost certainly a scam artist. Romance Scams operating from abroad often use U.S.-based money mules to receive victim payments and transmit proceeds to perpetrators. Sometimes, perpetrators of Romance Scams convince victims to serve as money mules, receiving illegal proceeds of crime and forwarding those proceeds to perpetrators. For example, Romance Scam victims often are induced to receive payments and/or goods such as technology equipment procured through fraud and to forward those payments and goods directly or indirectly to perpetrators.
- Tech Support Scams—Fraudsters make telephone calls and claim to be computer technicians associated with a well-known company or they may use internet pop-up messages to warn about non-existent computer problems. The scammers claim they have detected viruses, other malware, or hacking attempts on the victim’s computer. They pretend to be “tech support” and ask that the victim give them remote access to his or her computer. Eventually, they diagnose a non-existent problem and ask the victim to pay large sums of money for unnecessary – or even harmful – services. Tech Support Scams operating from abroad often use U.S.-based money mules (including legitimate-seeming businesses registered in the U.S.) to receive victim payments and transmit proceeds to perpetrators.
- Lottery Scams—Fraudulent telemarketers based in foreign countries are calling people in the U.S., telling them that they have won a sweepstakes or foreign lottery. The fraudulent telemarketers typically identify themselves as lawyers, customs officials, or lottery representatives, and tell people they have won vacations, cars or thousands — even millions — of dollars. “Winners” need only pay fees for shipping, insurance, customs duties, or taxes before they can claim their prizes. Victims pay hundreds or thousands of dollars and receive nothing in return, and often are revictimized until they have no money left. Lottery Scams operating from abroad often use U.S.-based money mules to receive victim payments and transmit proceeds to perpetrators.
- IRS Imposter Scams—Scammers aggressively target taxpayers, claiming to be employees of the IRS, but are not. They use fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a wire transfer or stored value card such as a gift card. Victims who refuse to cooperate are threatened with arrest, deportation, or suspension of a business or driver’s license. IRS Imposter Scams operating from abroad often use U.S.-based money mules to receive victim payments and transmit proceeds to perpetrators.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-866 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
More information about today’s national announcement regarding the Department’s efforts to combat elder fraud can be found at www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-expands-transnational-elder-fraud-strike-force-protect-older-americans.
U.S. Attorney Parker launches environmental justice initiativeRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – United States Attorney Kenneth L. Parker announced today the creation of an environmental justice initiative in the Southern District of Ohio.
Members of the public may now report potential environmental violations by emailing [email protected].
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio is committed to enforcing all environmental laws and ensuring a safe and healthy environment for all Ohioans,” said U.S. Attorney Parker.
This includes addressing any violation concerning discriminatory environmental and health impacts.
“Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people with respect to developing, implementing and enforcing environmental law,” U.S. Attorney Parker added. “We are committed to ensuring that all individuals receive equal protection under environmental laws, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income.”
Other potential environmental violations may involve topics such as air quality, drinking water, asbestos, lead paint, dangerous workplace conditions, endangered species or chemicals harming wildlife.
For more details, see the environmental justice information sheet now available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s website at: justice.gov/usao-sdoh. The sheet contains contact information for several federal agencies including U.S. EPA, OSHA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, FDA, Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Transportation and Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Adam Cullman serves as the District’s Environmental Justice Coordinator.
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U.S. Attorney Parker announces cases involved in National Elder Justice SweepRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – United States Attorney Kenneth L. Parker announced today that nine prosecutions in the Southern District of Ohio are included in the Department of Justice’s National Elder Justice Sweep. The initiative also includes outreach within the Southern District of Ohio to connect with the District’s senior citizens.
“Elder fraud schemes can be devastating to senior citizen victims and their families,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “My office is firmly committed to working with the community to prevent these crimes, and to using all available tools – both civil and criminal – to address those who prey on the trust and emotions of some of our most vulnerable people in the community.”
U.S. Attorney Parker announced his office is partnering with AARP Ohio to conduct outreach to senior citizens located in the Southern District of Ohio. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is distributing materials to AARP members about how to prevent elder abuse, the types of abuse and resources for reporting suspected fraud.
“There were more than $86 million in scam losses reported in Ohio last year, but the true cost is much higher,” said AARP Ohio State Director Holly Holtzen. “AARP Ohio is working hard to help people spot and avoid these criminal scams, but education alone is not enough. We are proud to partner with the Department of Justice and commend their efforts to stand up for seniors and bring these criminals to justice.”
The national law enforcement sweep announced today includes filed cases with events happening between Sept. 1, 2021, and Sept. 16, 2022.
The cases in the Southern District of Ohio include romance scams, investment fraud, embezzlement, marketing scams and government imposters.
Romance Scams
In U.S. v. Seth Nyamekye, the defendant and co-conspirators created profiles on online dating sites and cultivated romantic relationships with elderly victims who they then convinced to send money for investments that did not exist. A federal jury convicted Nyamekye of 35 counts of money laundering and related fraud counts in June 2022 following a two-week trial in Columbus.
Defendants related to U.S. v. Samuel Antwi committed a similar online romance fraud scheme. In this case, the eight co-conspirators convinced victims to send money or to share their personal financial information. The defendants in this case, which was filed in Columbus, have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging form 18 months to 42 months.
In the Cincinnati case U.S. v. Delove Kofi Amuzu, Amuzu and others led victims to believe they were in romantic relationships and needed money for things such as medical bills, plane tickets and other valuable items. Amuzu was indicted in January 2022 and his charges remain pending.
Investment Fraud Scams
Shahiydullah Binraymond was sentenced in Columbus in April 2022 to 44 months in prison for defrauding an elderly couple. Binraymond executed a sophisticated scheme to get the victims to transfer real estate property to him.
In Dayton, Steven L. Humphrey pleaded guilty in May 2022 to committing wire fraud and defrauding an elderly victim of $1 million. Humphrey convinced the elderly victim to invest approximately $250,000 in rubber, classic cars and bitcoin. In fact, Humphrey was using the money for automobiles, clothes, fishing gear and firearms.
Embezzlement
Mark Alan Thomas pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus in June 2022 to mail fraud. Thomas stole more than half a million dollars from an elderly victim with dementia while acting as the woman’s power of attorney.
Marketing Scam
In U.S. v. Mary-Helene Massullo, D.O., which was indicted in August 2022, telemarketers allegedly targeted Medicare and Medicaid recipients as part of a pain cream scheme. It is alleged that Massullo authorized authorized pain creams for recipients without ever seeing or examining them. The victims were then harassed with telemarketing calls.
Government Imposters
In February 2022, Sagarkumar Patel pleaded guilty to mail fraud crimes. In this case, call center scammers identifying themselves as government officials contacted elderly victims and convinced them that warrants would be issued for their arrest unless the victims mailed the scammers large sums of money.
In U.S. v. Christopher Thornton, the defendant called an elderly victim claiming to be a federal officer who was collecting delinquent taxes and fees on the victim’s property. Thornton told the victim if she did not pay immediately her property would be seized by the government. The defendant signed a pretrial diversion agreement in March 2022.
Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth Affeldt is the Elder Justice Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Affeldt and Assistant United States Attorneys Julie Garcia, Peter K. Glenn-Applegate, Noah R. Litton, Rob Painter, Timothy Prichard, S. Courter Shimeall and David Twombly represented the United States in these cases.
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U.S Attorney’s Office Announces Department’s Wide-Ranging Efforts to Protect Older AdultsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Justice Department announced today the results of its efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the past year, the Department and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims. Today, the Department also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
“The targeting of elderly and vulnerable populations through fraud schemes is a significant threat and we simply must build on our efforts to combat this disgraceful conduct,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “The expansion of Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force is another tool to help us work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to prosecute those who shamelessly look to cheat seniors out of their money, security, and peace of mind.”
From September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases of targeting elderly victims, involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged.
One example, from the Eastern District of Kentucky, was the extradition and conviction of Adedunmola Gbadegesin, 34, from Nigeria. He was charged along with three others, Olatunbosun Oluwakayode Ajayi, 40, of Atlanta, Otunuya Ineh Eqwem Livingstone, 46, of Houston, and Ismaila Fafunmi, 36, of Indianapolis, with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Gbadegesin and his co-conspirators collaborated to create fake online dating profiles, posted to online dating websites. As part of the conspiracy, they engaged in online chats, emails, and telephone calls with unwitting victims, who were located in the United States, including one in Lexington. The conspiracy employed others in the United States to receive money from the intended victims and transport that money back to Nigeria, through various means.
Additionally, with cooperation from local, state, and federal partners, the Eastern District of Kentucky has prioritized combatting elder financial exploitation. An example of that cooperation among law enforcement is the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force, which brings together the resources of federal, state, and local agencies involved in protecting the elderly. For more information on the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force, including how to report abuses, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edky/elder-justice-task-force.
Nationwide, the Department highlighted three efforts: expansion of the Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force, success in returning money to victims, and efforts to combat grandparent scams.
The Department announced that, as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice, it is expanding the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 new U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat largest and most harmful fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults.
In the past year, the Department has also notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible for remission payments. Notifications were made to consumers whose information was sold by one of three data companies prosecuted by the Department and were later victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. More than 150,000 of those victims cashed checks totaling $52 million, and thousands more are eligible to receive checks. Also notified were consumers who paid fraudsters perpetrating person-in-need scams and job scams via Western Union. In the past year, the Department has identified and contacted over 300,000 consumers who may be eligible for remission. Since March of 2020 more than 148,000 victims have received more than $366 million as a result of a 2017 criminal resolution with Western Union for the company’s willful failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and its aiding and abetting of wire fraud.
Similarly, the Department pursued cases against the perpetrators of “grandparent scams,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scams.” These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member or someone calling on behalf of a family member. Call recipients are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money. When recently sentencing one of eight perpetrators of a grandparent scam indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a federal judge described such scams “heartbreakingly evil.” The Department is working with government partners and others to raise awareness about these schemes.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
Some of the cases that comprise today’s announcement are charges, which are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Two women indicted on drug chargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Tanisha Porter, of Newman, California, and Penny Marie Banky, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, were indicted today on methamphetamine charges, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Porter, also known as “T,” 43, and Banky, 68, were charged with one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine” and one count of “Distribution of 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine.” Porter and Banky are accused of working together to sell five grams or more of methamphetamine in June 2022 in Wetzel County and elsewhere.
Porter and Banky each face at least five and up to 40 years of incarceration and a fine of up to 5 million for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton J. Reid is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Members of the Aryan Circle Convicted of Violent Crimes in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted two members of the Aryan Circle yesterday for violent crimes in aid of racketeering, specifically assault with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury and attempted murder.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, William Glenn Chunn, aka Big Head, 39, of Humble, Texas, and Aaron Matthew Rentfrow, aka Mongo, 40, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, were members of the Aryan Circle, a race-based and violent prison gang with hundreds of members operating throughout the country, both inside and outside of prisons. The Aryan Circle enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects, and associates through threats, intimidation, and acts of violence including, but not limited to, acts involving assault and murder. Members are required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members without question.
“The Department of Justice will do everything in its power to protect victims of violent crime,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These convictions demonstrate the Department’s commitment to holding white supremacist gangs, like the Aryan Circle, accountable for the acts of violence they commit and seeking justice for those victimized.”
On Aug. 17, 2017, Chunn, who is one of the five highest-ranking Aryan Circle leaders in the nation, along with other Aryan Circle leaders and Rentfrow, who was an Aryan Circle prospect at the time, carried out an attack on an inmate at USP Yazoo City, Mississippi. According to evidence presented at trial, Chunn, through his chain of command, ordered Rentfrow to stab the victim to earn membership into the Aryan Circle. Chunn ordered the attack because the victim was homosexual. Rentfrow complied with Chunn’s order and committed the attack. The victim sustained severe injuries from the attack including rib fractures, multiple puncture wounds to his chest, lacerations to his face and head, and a collapsed lung requiring a chest tube. Rentfrow became a member of the Aryan Circle as a result of this attack.
“Violent crimes committed in our prison systems will be prosecuted, period,” said U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca for the Southern District of Mississippi. “Gangs, such as the Aryan Circle, that prey upon fellow inmates and society have no place in or outside of prisons. Our office is proud to have assisted the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and ATF in providing this measure of justice.”
“Our communities deserve to exist without fear and intimidation inflicted by violent gangs like the Aryan Circle,” said Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). “The convictions today are an example of ATF’s priorities to target individuals and organizations that plague our communities with violence. ATF will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to pursue violent criminals and hold them accountable.”
Chunn and Rentfrow were convicted of violent crimes in aid of racketeering assault with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury and violent crimes in aid of racketeering attempted murder. Chunn and Rentfrow are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 18, 2023, and each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The ATF, BOP, and DEA investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Lakeita F. Rox-Love and Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael FiggsGanter for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.
Two Durham Gang Members Sentenced to Life in Prison for the Murder of Nine-Year-Old Z’yon PersonRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – Two Durham men were sentenced today in Greensboro to imprisonment for life for multiple offenses related to the murder of nine-year-old Z’yon Person in Durham, North Carolina on August 18, 2019.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Antonio Nathaniel Davenport, Jr., 27, also known as “Lil Tony,” and Derrick Lamont Dixon, Jr., 30, also known as “Smacc,” were members of the Eight Trey Gangster Crips criminal street gang. Members of the gang committed shootings targeting rival gang members. They also trafficked drugs, committed bank fraud, and intimidated witnesses. Davenport was also a member of the Durham-based rap music group “83 Babies,” so named for the “Eight Trey” Gangster Crips. The rap group promoted the gang, rapping about gang life, gun violence, and drug distribution.
On August 14, 2019, rival gang members assaulted Davenport at the Streets at Southpoint mall in Durham. They posted a video of the assault on Instagram and taunted him and the Eight Trey Gangster Crips. Davenport and Dixon then conspired with fellow gang members, including Dival Nygee Magwood, 24, also known as “Paco,” to retaliate. On the evening of August 14, 2019, Dixon, Magwood, and others committed a drive-by shooting in south Durham.
In the days following, Davenport exchanged threatening messages with a rival gang member on Instagram and messages with fellow gang members plotting revenge. On Sunday August 18, 2019, Davenport, Dixon, and Magwood drove to an area in north Durham they knew to be frequented by rival gang members. Davenport was armed with a 9mm handgun, Dixon with a .40 caliber handgun, and Magwood with an assault-style 7.62mm pistol. At approximately the same time, 8:30 pm, nine-year-old Z’yon Person was riding in his aunt’s car with four other children on their way to get sno-cones. Davenport, Dixon, and Magwood misidentified the car as a rival gang member’s, specifically the car used by the individual with whom Davenport had exchanged the threatening Instagram messages the day before.
Davenport followed the car down Leon Street to the intersection at North Duke Street and slowed as he passed. He and Dixon opened fire on the car, discharging at least five 9mm rounds and seventeen .40 caliber rounds, hitting the car multiple times. Two bullets pierced the window that Z’yon Person was seated next to where he was struck in the head and killed. His eight-year-old cousin, seated next to him, was struck in the arm.
At the time, Davenport was wearing a court-ordered ankle monitor because of pending domestic violence charges. The location data placed him at the murder scene, as well as at Dixon’s and Magwood’s homes prior to the shooting and following it, and at other locations relevant to the planning and cover-up. A surveillance camera at a middle school captured Davenport’s Honda as it followed the victims’ car immediately prior to the shooting. Shortly after the murder, Davenport paid to have his car painted black. Investigators recovered a 9mm handgun from Davenport’s girlfriend’s car, and forensic firearms examination linked the handgun to the murder.
“Words are woefully insufficient to describe the heinous violence that resulted in the loss of Z’yon’s life,” said U. S. Attorney Sandra Hairston. I am grateful to the Durham Police Department, the FBI, and the Durham County Sheriff’s Office for their hard work in the pursuit of justice for Z’yon and his family.”
Dixon pled guilty on May 11, 2021 in federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit acts of racketeering and one count of violent crime, that is, murder, in aid of racketeering. Davenport was convicted, on July 7, 2022, after a jury trial, of one count of violent crime, that is, murder, in aid of racketeering, one count of discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence causing death.
Davenport was previously convicted of Second-Degree Burglary, Felony Larceny, and Flee/Elude Arrest in 2016 in Durham County. Dixon was convicted of multiple felonies in 2012 in Durham County, including Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon and Breaking and Entering.
"We hope these life sentences bring some sense of justice to all of those who loved Z’yon. It is unfathomable a 9-year-old boy lost his life due to gang violence. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for their tireless work,” said Michael C. Scherck, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina.
“The death of Z’yon Person was a tragedy that impacted many in our community. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina for their hard work to hold those responsible accountable,” said Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry. “From the beginning, this case has involved tremendous interagency cooperation – between Durham police, federal law enforcement, federal prosecutors and Assistant District Attorney Kendra Montgomery- Blinn in the Durham DA’s Office – exemplifying the strong collaboration between our agencies and our shared commitment in responding to violence. Today, my thoughts are with Z’yon’s family. I hope this outcome provides some closure to those who knew and loved him.”
“Many Durham County residents have cried out for justice in this case since the senseless and tragic murder of Z’yon Person happened in 2019,” said Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead. “Here we are, three years later, and justice has been served – with the intervention of federal authorities to charge, successfully prosecute, and sentence both Antonio Davenport and Derrick Dixon. It sends a clear signal to those who continue committing the gun violence terrorizing our communities – we will identify you, and you will be held accountable. My office will continue partnering with local, state, and federal law enforcement to make Durham County safe. I am pleased to see in this specific case, our partnership is working. It is moments like these that remind us we must keep working together to combat crime, specifically gun violence, as we strive to protect and serve all residents of Durham County.”
“We are thankful for the work of our Durham Police Department employees and federal partners,” said Durham Police Chief Patrice V. Andrews. “Without their efforts, this successful prosecution would not have been possible.”
U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston made the announcement, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys JoAnna G. McFadden and Eric L. Iverson. The prosecution was coordinated with the Durham County District Attorney’s Office. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Raleigh-Durham Safe Streets Task Force and the Durham Police Department with assistance from the Durham County Sheriff’s Office.
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Two Defendants Plead Guilty; Four Others Charged in International Marriage Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Vishal Kamal Chhabria, 41, of Lake Forest, Illinois, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura A. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that between April 2018, and March 16, 2022, Chhabria conspired with others to commit marriage fraud. Chhabria, a licensed attorney, provided legal representation to fraudulently married couples when they petitioned U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services for a Green Card for the foreign national spouse, knowing the couples were in a “contract marriage,” for the sole purpose of obtaining a Green Card. Chhabria assisted the couples in completing necessary forms with false representations, gathering, manufacturing and submitting false documentation, coaching the couples to falsely hold themselves out as legitimately married and evade detection by officials at CIS interviews, and personally accompany the couples to their CIS interviews. Chhabria submitted more than six packages containing false documents for Green Cards based on fraudulent marriages. Chhabria is scheduled to be sentenced on March 16, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Sinatra.
In addition, Delaina Shaw, 36, of Pomfret Center, Connecticut, also pleaded guilty before Judge Sinatra to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. Shaw served as a marriage broker, connecting foreign nationals from India seeking legal permanent resident status in the U.S. with U.S. citizens willing to enter a fraudulent marriage for payment. Shaw made the arrangements for the foreign national and U.S. citizen to obtain a marriage license, participated in the marriage ceremony, and then prepared CIS forms and supporting documents for submission to CIS on behalf of the application for a Green Card. In exchange for her role as a broker, Shaw was compensated with thousands of dollars for every marriage she facilitated. In April 2018, Shaw entered a “contract marriage” of her own with a male foreign national born in India.
A federal grand jury has also returned an indictment charging three defendants with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and marriage fraud. Named in the indictment are:
• Amelia Adams, 36, of Springfield, Massachusetts; • Barbara Yater, 43, of Norwich, Connecticut; and
• Vivek Patel, 32, a citizen of the UK and resident of North Carolina.According to the indictment, on July 10, 2019, defendant Adams married an individual she believed to be a foreign national born India, for the purpose of obtaining a Green Card. The foreign national was, in fact, an undercover law enforcement officer. After the marriage ceremony, Adams posed for staged photographs with the undercover officer to be used in the petition for a Green Card. In September 2020, Adams executed false estate planning documents, such as a will and power of attorney for use as supporting documentation to be submitted to CIS. She also met with the undercover officer to create and rehearse fictitious details of her marriage in preparation for a CIS interview the following day. In October 2020, and May 2021, defendants Yater and Patel also married individuals they believed were foreign nationals for the purpose of obtaining a Green Card. Each of the alleged foreign nationals were undercover law enforcement officers.
Two additional defendants, Dishant Patel, 24, and Shweta Patel, 23, citizens of India living in Indianapolis, Indiana, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. According to the complaint, in January 2022, Dishant Patel and Shweta Patel entered into fraudulent marriages at Hamburg, NY, Town Hall in the Western District of New York in order to apply for a Green Card. Once again, the marriages were to undercover law enforcement officers.
The pleas, indictment and complaint are the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Chicago Field Office under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Karen Whalen, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski, and the Hamburg Police Department, under the direction of Chief Peter Dienes.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Tulsa Man Pleads Guilty After Chasing a Store Clerk while Wielding a KnifeRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man who chased a store clerk with a knife pleaded guilty in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Jack Charles Welty, 50, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country. According to the plea agreement, Welty will serve 38 months in federal prison for the crime pending approval from a federal judge at the time of sentencing.
Welty admitted that on July 3, 2022, he assaulted a clerk at a Family Dollar Store located on Utica Street. Welty initially attempted to enter the store before it was opened then waited outside behind a pillar. When the store clerk took a break outside, Welty demanded the clerk give him a cigarette, attempted to cut the victim’s face with a knife and then chased the victim in the parking lot with the knife, threating him. Welty admitted that he only stopped when the clerk threw a cigarette toward him.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case.
Tri-Cities Rancher Sentenced to Eleven Years in Federal Prison and Ordered to Pay $244 Million in Restitution for “Ghost Cattle” FraudRead the Press Release
Defendant Sentenced in the Largest-Ever Criminal Fraud Scheme in the Eastern District of Washington
Yakima, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Cody Allen Easterday, age 51, of Mesa, Washington, was sentenced by Chief District Judge Stanley A. Bastian to serve 132-months in federal prison for defrauding Tyson Foods Inc. (Tyson Foods) and another company out of more than $244 million by charging them for approximately 265,000 head of cattle that did not exist. Easterday entered into a guilty plea on March 31, 2021 to wire fraud for his $244 million “ghost cattle” scam, which is one of the largest-ever fraud schemes in the Eastern District of Washington.
At Easterday’s sentencing, Chief Judge Bastian remarked, this case involves “the biggest theft or fraud I’ve seen in my career – and the biggest I ever hope to see.” Chief Judge Bastian further remarked to Easterday that “you destroyed” the very “empire you spent so much time building. It all came to a collapse because of what you have done.” Chief Judge Bastian ordered Easterday to pay $244,031,132 in restitution, subject to offsets Easterday already paid, and imposed a three-year period of supervised release after Easterday is released from federal prison.
According to court documents and information disclosed during court proceedings, Easterday and the business he led, Easterday Ranches Inc., entered into agreements with Tyson Foods and another company (collectively the Victim Companies), whereby Easterday Ranches agreed to purchase and feed cattle on behalf of the Victim Companies. Under these agreements, the Victim Companies advanced Easterday Ranches the costs of buying and raising the cattle. After the cattle were slaughtered and sold at market price, Easterday Ranches would repay the costs advanced – plus interest and certain other costs. Easterday Ranches would then keep as profit the amount the sale price exceeded what was repaid to the Victim Companies.
Over a period of approximately four years, however, Easterday and his company collected hundreds of millions of dollars from the Victim Companies for more than a quarter million heads of cattle that Easterday and Easterday Ranches never purchased, raised, or fed. The fact is, none of these cattle ever existed; yet, Easterday and his company collected approximately $244 million for the purported costs of purchasing and raising these 265,000 “ghost cattle.”
As set forth in court filings, Easterday used most of the fraud proceeds to cover approximately $200 million in losses Easterday incurred from commodity futures trading on behalf of Easterday Ranches. In connection with these losses, Easterday also defrauded the CME Group Inc. (CME), which operates the world’s largest financial derivatives exchange, by submitting false paperwork, thereby exempting Easterday Ranches from certain position limits in live cattle futures contracts.The remainder of the $244 million Easterday stole from the Victim Companies went toward Easterday’s personal use and for the benefit of the Easterday farming empire – an empire that, by 2020, included more than 22,000 acres of farmland, 150 employees, revenues of over $250,000,000, and even a private plane and hangar.
“The Criminal Division is committed to holding those who carry out fraudulent schemes accountable, especially those that are complex, long-running, and seriously affect our nation’s food industry and commodities market,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
U.S. Attorney Waldref stated, “No one is above the law. Mr. Easterday amassed significant personal wealth, yet, he wanted more, so he defrauded his victims of nearly a quarter billion dollars by charging for cattle that never existed.” She continued, “But for the combined and incredible efforts of our law enforcement team, today’s sentence and the $240,000,00- restitution award – one of the largest in our District’s history – would not have been possible. Fraud has a debilitating impact on society by draining our communities’ limited resources. Accordingly, we will continue to prosecute fraudsters to the fullest extent so we can keep our communities safe and strong in Washington State and throughout our great Nation.”
Shortly after Easterday’s massive fraud was uncovered, Easterday Ranches and another of his companies, Easterday Farms, Inc., went into bankruptcy in the matter In re Easterday Ranches, Inc. et al., No. 21-00141-11 (Bankr. E.D. Wa.). Over the following year and a half, Easterday’s companies and their assets, including large amounts of real property, heavy farm equipment, and even aircraft, were liquidated in one of the largest bankruptcy cases in Eastern Washington history. Through the bankruptcy proceedings, the Victim Companies were able to recover approximately $65 million.
“The scale and brazenness of Mr. Easterday’s fraud is immense,” said Assistant United States Attorney Brian M. Donovan, who handled restitution and bankruptcy proceedings on behalf of the United States. “The amount he stole – nearly a quarter of a billion dollars – would have funded the combined police, courts, and fire department budget of Yakima, which is a city of nearly 100,000 people, for more than four years. Mr. Easterday’s greed destroyed his family’s farming empire and harmed innocent victims.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) and U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group (USPISCI). The case was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Avi Perry and Assistant Chief John “Fritz” Scanlon of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section as well as Brian M. Donovan and Russell E. Smoot, Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.
Tracy Woman Indicted in Fraud Scheme to Steal California Unemployment Insurance BenefitsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kaymeisha Keyes, 30, most recently of Tracy, was arrested today after a federal grand jury returned a 16-count indictment on Aug. 11, 2022 , charging her with wire fraud, mail fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between April 2020 and August 2021, Keyes executed a scheme to defraud the California Employment Development Department (EDD) by filing over 70 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with EDD, seeking Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and other benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. During the scheme, Keyes collected personally identifiable information of numerous individuals — including names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers — and used their identities to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims. The filings represented, among other things, that the claimants had recently lost employment or were unable to find employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These unemployment insurance claims were fraudulent because, for example, the claimants were not unemployed, they were not eligible for California unemployment insurance benefits, or Keyes did not have authority to file claims on their behalf.
Since at least October 2021, EDD has partnered with ID.me — a private company used by the EDD for ID verification of claimants — to implement a system for verifying claimant identities before EDD can process unemployment insurance claims.
In executing this fraudulent scheme, Keyes also submitted false information to ID.me that allowed fake and stolen identities to be verified. This false information included images of fake driver’s licenses that contained photos of Keyes and co-schemers and the names of the purported claimants. She also submitted photos of herself and co-schemers that were used to verify the photos on the fake driver’s licenses. Once these false identities were verified, Keyes filed the fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with EDD under the same identities.
In the fraudulent unemployment insurance applications, Keyes requested that the unemployment insurance benefits be mailed to various addresses under her control, including her residence in Tracy. EDD approved dozens of the fraudulent claims and authorized Bank of America to mail out EDD debit cards containing unemployment insurance benefits. Keyes then activated the EDD debit cards and spent the benefits on herself. The scheme sought over $2 million in unemployment insurance benefits and caused EDD and the United States to incur actual losses exceeding $1.1 million.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Office of Correctional Safety, and the California Employment Development Department (EDD) – Investigation Division, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise N. Yasinow and Robert J. Artuz are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Keyes faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the 14 wire and mail fraud counts. She faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the access device fraud count, and she faces a two-year mandatory prison sentence if convicted of aggravated identity theft, which must run consecutive to any sentence received on the other counts. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was prosecuted as part of the California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force, one of three interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Three Southeast Texas Felons Guilty of Firearms Offenses in Separate IncidentsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas– Three Southeast Texas men have pleaded guilty to firearms offenses in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Michael Lawrence Geral, Jr., 35, of Orange; Joseph Jarred Thibodeaux, also known as Pitt, 34, of Orange; and Eric Emerson, 52, of Beaumont, each pleaded guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm in separate hearings today before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, on Dec. 13, 2021, Geral was stopped for a traffic violation by officers with the Orange Police Department. As officers spoke with Geral, they smelled the odor of burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle. Officers searched the vehicle and found a firearm which Geral admitted was his. Geral is a previously convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms.
On March 7, 2022, law enforcement officers with the Orange Police Department responded to an incident where Thibodeaux was said to have fired several shots from his vehicle towards another vehicle in Orange, some of which hit another vehicle. Officers arrested Thibodeaux and a search of his vehicle revealed a firearm under the driver’s seat and several used shell casings. Thibodeaux was also found to be a previously convicted felon and prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
On March 28, 2022, law enforcement officers with the Beaumont Police Department responded to a call of a burglary alarm going off at a local business located on West Cardinal Drive, in Beaumont. When officers arrived at the business, they observed a lone vehicle parked near the business. Emerson exited the vehicle. As officers investigated the scene, they observed a firearm on the passenger seat of the vehicle Emerson had exited. Further investigation revealed Emerson was a previously convicted felon and prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
The defendants each face up to 10 years in federal prison. 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.
These cases were prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
These cases were investigated by the Bureau fo Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Orange Police Department, and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James.
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