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Tuesday 16 August 2022
Final Defendant Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Stolen Catalytic Converters Across State LinesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A former Springfield woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to her role in a conspiracy to transport tens of thousands of stolen catalytic converters across state lines as part of a multi-million-dollar business.
Danielle Ice, 34, of Columbia, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to participating in a conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines.
Ice is the last of seven defendants indicted in this case to plead guilty. Ice’s husband and co-defendant Leslie Ice, 37, as well as co-defendants Cody Ryder, 31, Enx Khoshaba, 29, and Eric Kaltenbach, 37, all of Springfield, and Evan Marshall, 24, and Camren Joseph Davis, 25, of Rogersville, also have pleaded guilty.
By pleading guilty today, Danielle Ice admitted that she and Leslie Ice stole at least 50 catalytic converters and sold them directly to Marshall. Marshall paid Danielle and Leslie Ice approximately $20,000 for stolen catalytic converters.
The Ices began stealing catalytic converters for Marshall in October 2020 and continued stealing catalytic converters, and selling them to Marshall, through at least March 2021. They photographed the victims’ catalytic converters while the catalytic converters were still attached to the victims’ vehicles and sent the photographs via SMS text message to Marshall. Marshall would then determine whether the victims’ catalytic converters were valuable. If Marshall responded that a catalytic converter was valuable, Leslie Ice removed the victim’s catalytic converter by cutting it from the victim’s vehicle’s exhaust system using a battery-powered reciprocating saw. Leslie and Danielle Ice then sold the stolen catalytic converter to Marshall.
Marshall provided Leslie Ice with a list of vehicles, by year, make, and model, that had valuable catalytic converters so that he could target specific vehicles from which to steal catalytic converters.
Marshall also gave Danielle Ice approximately $1,500 in cash in January 2021 so she could post Leslie Ice’s bond in a state criminal case in which he was being detained. Marshall provided Leslie Ice’s bond money so that he would be released from custody and could continue to steal catalytic converters and sell them to Marshall.
Marshall admitted that he transported stolen catalytic converters, valued at $1 million or more, across state lines from December 2019 to October 2021. Marshall also admitted that he bought tens of thousands of stolen catalytic converters directly from his co-defendants and from other thieves, and sold the stolen catalytic converters for a total of approximately $1 million.
Under federal statutes, Danielle Ice is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant 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 United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shannon T. Kempf and Megan W. Chalifoux. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Webster County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri Department of Revenue and the Greene County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces
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.
Farmington Man Going to Prison on Gun and Drug Charges Following Traffic Stop on School CampusRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Benyadiel Merced, 21, of Farmington, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of ammunition, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who handled the case, stated that on December 9, 2021, Merced was driving a vehicle on the Victor Central School campus when he was stopped by police. At the time of the stop, Merced possessed a loaded ghost gun. Merced also possessed 16 baggies of marijuana secreted in a compartment behind the vehicle’s radio. Merced admitted that at the time that he was an unlawful user of marijuana and was therefore prohibited from possessing the ammunition.
The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Philip Povero and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito.
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Ex-employee sentenced for stealing $284,000 from St. Louis County bankRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The former assistant manager of a bank in Wellston, Missouri on Tuesday was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White to a year and a day in prison for stealing $284,000 in cash.
Capri Duvall, 35, of St. Louis, was also ordered to pay back the money.
Duvall pretended to be filling the ATM with cash on July 19, 2021, but hid $284,000 in a brown box and carried it out to her car, she admitted in a guilty plea. After work, Duvall met with teller Chloe Anderson and security guard Mariah Barnes and split up the money. Anderson and Barnes each got $30,000.
Duvall quit at 12:57 a.m. the next day. She then left town with her three children, Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Dowd III said in court, and it took agents several months to find her.
Duvall pleaded guilty in May to a charge of aiding and abetting in embezzlement of bank funds by an employee.
Barnes, 30, of Cahokia Heights, Illinois, pleaded guilty in June to the same charge and is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 4.
Anderson, 23, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty later Tuesday, after Duvall’s sentencing, to the same charge and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 16.
The FBI and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Dowd III is prosecuting the case.
Eagle Butte Woman Indicted for Meth ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Irene Guerrero, age 37, was indicted on August 9, 2022. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 12, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 40 years in prison and/or a $5,000,000 fine, a lifetime of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between approximately February 1, 2021, and August 9, 2022, on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation, Guerrero conspired with others to knowingly and intentionally distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
The charge is merely an accusation and Guerrero is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges is prosecuting the case.
Guerrero was released on bond pending trial, which has been set for October 18, 2022.
Eagle Butte Man Indicted for Prohibited Person in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm.
Joseph Thomas Elsey, age 31, was indicted on December 14, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 1, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment. On August 11, 2022, he entered a change of plea, pleading to Count I of the Indictment, Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges Elsey unlawfully possessed a firearm on July 10, 2021, and September 14, 2021. The incident occurred in Dewey County, South Dakota.
The investigation is being conducted by Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem is prosecuting the case.
Elsey was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set.
Duquesne Man Indicted on Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Duquesne, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Keion Washington, 22, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, Washington is alleged to have possessed with the intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl, a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, and a mixture of heroin and fluorofentanyl on or about July 21, 2022.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney DeMarr W. Moulton is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Duquesne Man Charged with Possessing Deadly DrugsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Duquesne, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Keion Washington, 22, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment,Washington is alleged to have possessed with the intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl, a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, and a mixture of heroin and fluorofentanyl on or about July 21, 2022.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney DeMarr W. Moulton is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Duncan Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – DYLAN MICHAEL LILES, 29, of Duncan, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty today to possession of material containing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On June 8, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Liles with attempted child enticement, child exploitation, and transfer of obscene material to a minor. Today, Liles pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Bernard Jones to a superseding information charging him with possession of material containing child pornography. As part of his plea, Liles admitted that he knowingly possessed and accessed child pornography via Kik, a smartphone instant messaging application. The government has agreed to dismiss the Indictment at sentencing pursuant to a plea agreement.
At sentencing, Liles faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, at least five years of supervised release, and a $22,100 special assessment. Sentencing will take place in approximately 90 days. Liles will have to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. After the guilty plea today, Judge Jones remanded Liles into the custody of the United States Marshal.
This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corbin Houston.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Des Moines Man Sentenced to More than 12 years in Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – David Alan Callison, age 56, of Des Moines, was sentenced today to 152 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
In April 2019, Callison was the sole back seat passenger of a car stopped by law enforcement. In a bag next to Callison, law enforcement found over 600 grams of methamphetamine, more than $13,000, and a digital scale. The investigation revealed that Callison repeatedly obtained large quantities of methamphetamine for redistribution. Callison was on parole for a state of Iowa drug conviction when he committed this offense.
Last year, Callison’s co-defendants were sentenced. Angel Luis Toledo Castillo, age 37 of Des Moines, received a 162-month sentence, after he was found guilty by a jury in November 2019 of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Demetrio Cortes Montano, age 46 of Des Moines, received a 139-month sentence for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Gustavo Martinez, age 30 of Des Moines, received a 120-month sentence for conspiracy distribute methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Des Moines Police Department investigated the case, assisted by the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Court Authorizes Service of John Doe Summons Seeking the Identities of U.S. Taxpayers Who Have Used CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
On Aug. 15, 2022, a federal court in the Central District of California entered an order authorizing the IRS to serve a John Doe summons on SFOX, a cryptocurrency prime dealer headquartered in Los Angeles, California, seeking information about U.S. taxpayers who conducted at least the equivalent of $20,000 in transactions in cryptocurrency between 2016 and 2021 with or through SFOX.
“Taxpayers who transact with cryptocurrency should understand that income and gains from cryptocurrency transactions are taxable,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “The information sought by the summons approved today will help to ensure that cryptocurrency owners are following the tax laws.”
“The John Doe summons remains a highly valuable enforcement tool that the U.S. government will use again and again to catch tax cheats and this is yet one more example of that,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “I urge all taxpayers to come into compliance with their filing and reporting responsibilities and avoid compromising themselves in schemes that may ultimately go badly for them.”
Because transactions in cryptocurrencies can be difficult to trace and have an inherently pseudo-anonymous aspect, taxpayers may be using them to hide taxable income from the IRS. In the court’s order, United States District Court Judge Otis D. Wright found that there is a reasonable basis for believing that individuals conducting at least $20,000 in cryptocurrency transactions may have failed to comply with federal tax laws.
The court’s order grants the IRS permission to serve what is known as a “John Doe” summons on SFOX. There is no allegation in this suit that SFOX has engaged in any wrongdoing in connection with its digital currency business. Rather, the IRS uses John Doe summonses to obtain information about possible violations of internal revenue laws by individuals whose identities are unknown. This John Doe summons directs SFOX to produce records identifying U.S. taxpayers who have used its services, along with other documents relating to their cryptocurrency transactions.
The IRS has issued guidance regarding the tax consequences on the use of virtual currencies in IRS Notice 2014-21, which provides that virtual currencies that can be converted into traditional currency are property for tax purposes, and a taxpayer can have a gain or loss on the sale or exchange of a virtual currency, depending on the taxpayer’s cost to purchase the virtual currency (that is, the taxpayer’s tax basis).
The IRS reminds taxpayers that there is a question at the top of the 2022 Form 1040 (income tax return) and the 2022 Form 1040-SR (income tax return for seniors) asking about virtual currency transactions. More information can be found here Virtual Currencies | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov).
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Fentanyl Trafficking and Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Julius Johnson, 44, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on June 7, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Johnson’s storage unit as part of a drug trafficking investigation. When police went to search the storage unit, they found Johnson, who was immediately arrested. Police found $5,636 and multiple cell phones on Johnson’s person. Inside the storage unit, officers located a vehicle which contained a firearm. Johnson’s DNA was found on the gun. After further investigation, police located a bag containing 59.2 grams of fentanyl in Johnson’s underpants. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage.
Johnson has prior felony convictions in Indiana for carrying a handgun without a license, dealing in cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. These prior felony convictions prohibit Johnson from possessing a firearm.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana; Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office; and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Police Chief Randal Taylor made the announcement.
Drug Enforcement Administration and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Sentence was imposed by U.S. District Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. As part of the sentence, Judge Pratt ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for four years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela S. Domash who prosecuted this case.
Colorado Springs Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
Denver - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Matthew James Vernon, age 41, of Colorado Springs, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to the plea agreement, on June 17, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in Colorado Springs. Investigators recovered more than 600 grams of heroin, a digital scale and a cash counter, and three firearms. In an interview with investigators, the defendant acknowleged he could not legally possess a firearm. The defendant possessed the heroin with the intent to distribute it, and he possessed some or all of the firearms in furtherance of his possession of the heroin.
Judge William J. Martinez sentenced the defendant on August 12, 2022. He also sentenced Vernon to 4 years supervised release.
The FBI Denver Division investigated this case. This case was prosecuted by the Violent Crime and Immigration Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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.
Case number: 21-cr-0213
Charlotte Man Involved in Three Shooting Incidents Is Sentenced to 10 Years for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man involved in three shooting incidents was sentenced to 10 years in prison today for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. As part of his sentence, Ulondis Raquan Edwards, 23, will also serve three years under court supervision after he is released from prison.
Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, between December 2020 and January 2021, Edwards was involved in three shooting incidents. The first incident occurred on December 12, 2020, during which Edwards fired two shots at a vehicle occupied by two adults and three young children, including an infant, following an altercation between Edwards and one of the adults. After that shooting, Edwards illegally obtained another handgun which he used on December 29, 2020, to shoot and injure a male victim. According to court records, the victim was crossing the street near the parking of a strip plaza in Charlotte when he was cut off by a vehicle. A man later identified as Edwards leaned out of the passenger side window of the vehicle and fired one shot in the victim’s direction, striking the victim in the leg.
According to filed documents and information presented in court, the third shooting incident occurred on January 18, 2021, a little after 4:30 p.m., at the parking lot of the same strip plaza as the previous shooting. In this incident, the male victim was standing in the parking lot when a vehicle drove toward the victim and a passenger in the vehicle fired multiple shots at the victim. The victim suffered six gunshot wounds and sustained life threatening injuries. Law enforcement arrested Edwards on January 28, 2021, after he was identified as the individual responsible for the shooting. A search warrant was executed at Edwards’s residence and three firearms were seized, including a handgun. According to court records, an analysis by the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) forensically identified the seized handgun as the firearm Edwards used to shoot and injure the two victims.
On February 18, 2022, Edwards pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. Edwards is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
This case is a result of an investigation conducted by CMPD’s Crime Gun Suppression Team which includes HSI.
Assistant United States Attorney Regina Pack of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
California Drug Trafficker Who Paid Bribes to Corrupt Supervisory DEA Special Agent Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Francisco Gonzalez Benitez (37, Orange, California) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances (including kilogram quantities of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, marijuana, and methamphetamine), distribution of methamphetamine, and conspiracy to engage in money laundering. Gonzalez Benitez had pleaded guilty on April 15, 2021.
According to court documents, between at least 2016 and February 2019, Gonzalez Benitez—a/k/a “Paco,” “Antonio Jose Estremera Feliciano,” and “Luis Angel Beauchamp-Justiniano”—operated multi-state conspiracies to distribute controlled substances and launder the proceeds of the enterprise. He and his co-conspirators shipped drugs from Southern California to Jacksonville and other locations hidden in U.S. Mail parcels and vehicles being transported on car haulers. Investigators ultimately identified more than 100 parcels that had been shipped to Jacksonville as part of the conspiracy. The proceeds from this drug business were funneled through various bank accounts in a manner designed to both distribute funds among co-conspirators and conceal the nature and source of those funds. A financial investigator analyzed the conspirators’ banking activity and estimated that individuals and entities in the Jacksonville-portion of the operation made approximately $416,144 in cash deposits and other transfers into the accounts of individuals and entities in the California-portion of the business.
When confronted by FBI Special Agents about these activities, Gonzalez admitted his role in shipping drugs from California to Jacksonville, but also confirmed that he was a source of supply of controlled substances in Little Rock, Arkansas. In addition, he disclosed that, beginning in 2014, he had worked in Jacksonville as a confidential informant with DEA Special Agent Nathan Koen, but throughout 2016 and 2017, Gonzalez Benitez made several cash payments to that federal agent. Gonzalez Benitez continued to pay Koen after Koen was promoted and transferred to Little Rock. The periodic payments, as large as $9,000 per transaction, were made for what Gonzalez Benitez called “top cover protection” for his drug operation. This protection included Koen advising Gonzalez Benitez when not to use the mail to ship controlled substances, when to change his phone number, and when he and his potential customers were under investigation by law enforcement.
Koen was subsequently prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. On August 18, 2021, Koen pleaded guilty to receiving a bribe as a public official. He was sentenced on May 11, 2022, to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison.
On July 16, 2019, Gonzalez Benitez’s brother and co-conspirator, Jose Manuel Gonzalez (25, Jacksonville) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances (including cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine) and conspiracy to engage in money laundering. On May 23, 2022, he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Brothers from Mexico charged with transporting aliens resulting in deathRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Jorge Garcia-Rascon, 21, and Julio Garcia-Rascon, 19, both of Mexico, have been charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens resulting in death. Jorge Garcia-Rascon made an initial appearance on July 29 and will remain in custody pending arraignment, which has not been scheduled. Julio Garcia-Rascon made an initial appearance on Aug. 12 and will remain in custody pending trial.
According to the complaint, on July 27, Border Patrol agents attempted to make a traffic stop on an SUV traveling on New Mexico Highway 9 in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The SUV failed to yield and continued at a high rate of speed. As the agents ceased their pursuit and turned off their emergency lights and sirens, the SUV lost control and flipped and rolled off the road.
When law enforcement approached the vehicle, Jorge Garcia-Rascon and Julio Garcia-Rascon allegedly attempted to flee on foot but were apprehended. Law enforcement on the scene established that there were 13 occupants in the vehicle, all of whom were undocumented non-citizens. Two of the people in the vehicle died during the rollover. All of the other occupants except Jorge and Julio Garcia-Rascon were transported to University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, for treatment.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Jorge and Julio Garcia-Rascon face up to life in prison or death.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated this case with assistance from U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Joni Autrey Stahl is prosecuting the case.
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Big Cabin Man Sentenced to 235 Months in Prison for Sexually Abusing and Strangling a Former Dating PartnerRead the Press Release
*This press release has been updated to reflect new sentencing following a successful appeal.
A Big Cabin man was sentenced Tuesday for sexually assaulting and strangling a former dating partner, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh sentenced Christopher Michael Guinn, 23, to 235 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. Upon release, Guinn will also be required to register as a sex offender.
In January, a jury convicted Guinn for aggravated sexual abuse by force and threat in Indian Country and for assault of an intimate/dating partner by strangling and attempting to strangle in Indian Country.
“Christopher Guinn’s acts of violence against women are reprehensible. In this case, he strangled and sexually assaulted the victim then threatened her and her children if she did not comply with his demands,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “A team of law enforcement agencies and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and Gina Gilmore have put a stop to Guinn’s abusive conduct. This 20-year sentence should serve as a warning that my office will prosecute and hold accountable those who terrorize their intimate partners.”
At trial, the United States alleged that in the early morning hours of March 17, 2019, Guinn sexually assaulted and strangled a former dating partner. During the assault, Guinn held the victim down and grabbed her around the neck. Guinn applied varying degrees of pressure to the victim’s neck and at several points, left the victim gasping for air. The victim testified that Guinn threatened her by saying that if she and her children did not move back in with him, he would find them. He also told her that if she reported the sexual assault, he would come to her mother’s house while the victim was sleeping and rape the victim again. She also believed that Guinn had a gun under the mattress.
After Guinn fell asleep, the victim fled and contacted law enforcement. Deputies with the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office responded and met the victim at the hospital. They documented the victim’s injuries and interviewed her. The Tulsa Police Department conducted a SANE exam.
The United States further showed Guinn had a history of exerting control over women and sexually assaulting them. Two additional women who previously dated Guinn testified about similar assaults they endured by the defendant. They also testified that Guinn physically abused them and isolated them from friends and family. Both had protective orders against the defendant.
In closing arguments, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina Gilmore said both the victim and defendant revealed who they were by their actions. She reminded the jury the victim reported the crime, filed for a protective order, and consistently and repeatedly shared details to both state and federal authorities. Gilmore said the defendant also revealed who he was by his history with women. She said the evidence showed Guinn was controlling, isolating, and took what he wanted despite being told “no.”
The FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office, Mayes County Sheriff’s Office, Tulsa Police Department and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Wright and Gina S. Gilmore prosecuted the case.
Anamosa Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
A prohibited person who possessed firearms and ammunition was sentenced today to 33 months in federal prison.
Douglas Hurt, age 42, of Anamosa, Iowa, received the sentence after a February 3, 2022, jury verdict finding him guilty of possessing two firearms and ammunition after having been convicted of one felony and three misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence. The evidence at trial showed that, in June 2020, in the cabin where he lived, Hurt possessed a Chinese Type 56 7.62 x 39 mm caliber rifle, a Remington 870 Express Magnum 12-gauge shotgun, and ammunition.
Hurt was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Hurt was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is 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.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by Jones County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 21-59.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Monday 15 August 2022
Youngstown Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Minors and Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND - Matthew Lucarell, 42, of Youngstown, Ohio, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker to 30 years in prison after Lucarell pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt and distribution of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
According to court documents, from September 2019 to March 2021, Lucarell coerced four separate minor victims into engaging in sexually explicit conduct in order to produce visual depictions of the interactions. In addition, from May 2018 to February 2021, Lucarell knowingly received and distributed various files of child pornography.
On April 1, 2021, Lucarell was found to be in possession of a cell phone and two Micro SD Cards, which contained numerous files of child pornography, including at least one image involving a minor under the age of 12.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret A. Kane.
Wolfeboro Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Possessing with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams of FentanylRead the Press Release
CONCORD – David Carlton Hall, 39, of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 19, 2021, a Portsmouth New Hampshire police officer attempted to stop Hall’s vehicle for making an illegal U-turn and failing to signal. Hall initially pulled over, but when the officer stepped out of his cruiser, Hall took off at high speed. Hall stopped at the gate to Pease Air National Guard Base, unlawfully entered the base on foot, and fled into the woods.
Inside the abandoned vehicle, officers found a bag containing 50 grams of fentanyl, which Hall admitted was intended for distribution. Hall was eventually apprehended by Deputy U.S. Marshals in San Diego, California.
Hall previously pleaded guilty on April 12, 2022.
“Fentanyl is causing deaths in record numbers and DEA’s top priority is to aggressively pursue anyone who distributes this poison,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Hall accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are fueling the opioid epidemic.”
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Police Department, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarad Hodes and Anna Krasinski.
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Washington, D.C. man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Daquan E’mon Hunt, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 8 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Hunt, 25, pleaded guilty in March 2022 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting False Statement During Purchase of Firearm.” Hunt admitted to making false statements to illegally purchase firearms in July 2021 in Berkeley County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Violent Bloods Gang Drug Dealer and Weapons Trafficker Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Jimmy McKoy Rouse, 26, of Sampson County, was sentenced last week to 50 years in federal prison for running an armed drug trafficking operation from multiple locations throughout Sampson County. Rouse was convicted on January 7, 2022 of nine felony drug trafficking and firearms related charges.
“This defendant’s fervent commitment to using extreme violence to protect an extensive drug trafficking network endangered many communities in Eastern North Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Local and federal investigative agencies worked collaboratively and patiently to build a case that the jury found compelling and ultimately led to Rouse’s conviction and a fifty-year prison sentence.”
At sentencing, Judge James C. Dever, III noted Rouse’s persistent commitment to a life of serious crime, making the observation that whenever Rouse was shown leniency in the form of a reduced sentence or dismissed charge in the past, such favor served only to embolden Rouse, rather than an impetus to live within the law. In delivering the half-century sentence, the Judge noted the dire need to protect the public from Rouse’s serious crimes.
“ATF and our law enforcement partners continue to seek out those that pose the biggest threat to our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “This joint effort puts an end to a long and violent criminal career.”
“The reign of terror by Jimmy Rouse has come to an end with a 50-year prison sentence,” said Sheriff Jimmy Thornton. “I cannot thank the ATF and the US Attorney’s Office enough for working hand-in-hand with my Special Investigations Division on the arrest and conviction of this violent criminal. These agents and prosecutors put in an untold number of hours conducting surveillance, controlled buys of illegal drugs, interviews, and case preparation to ensure a solid conviction.”
Evidence from an investigation commencing in 2016 and presented in court established that Rouse was a large-scale drug dealer who trafficked kilogram quantities of methamphetamine, along with significant quantities of heroin, assorted pills, cocaine and cocaine base (crack). Rouse’s methamphetamine operation took off after connecting with suppliers who received hundreds of kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. The court held Rouse accountable more than nine kilograms of methamphetamine, noting that was a conservative estimate.
Gun seizures related to the case include and AK-47, extended magazines and accompanying rounds of ammunition.
At the January trial, Rouse was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and a quantity of heroin, three counts of distributing methamphetamine, three counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of distributing heroin, and one count of possessing a firearm after receiving a felony conviction.
So far, 12 additional co-conspirators have also been federally prosecuted in cases related to the Rouse investigation. Collectively, these criminals will spend 150 years in prison.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Court Judge James C. Dever III. The Sampson County Sherriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case, and the Drug Enforcement Administration assisted at trial. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Knott prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 7:19-CR-00194-D-1.
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Universal Helicopters Inc. and Dodge City Community College Agree to Pay $7.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Related to Post-9/11 GI Bill FundingRead the Press Release
Universal Helicopters Inc. (UHI), a private helicopter flight instructor training company, and Dodge City Community College (DC3), which operates campuses in Dodge City, Kansas, and Chandler, Arizona, have agreed to pay $7.5 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by making false statements to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in connection with the helicopter flight instructor training program jointly run by UHI and DC3.
The VA provided financial assistance as part of the Post-9/11 GI Bill to veterans taking classes at the UHI-DC3 helicopter flight instructor program. The United States alleged that from 2013 to 2018, UHI and DC3 made or caused to be made false statements to the VA regarding enrollment in the UHI-DC3 helicopter flight instructor program in order to obtain VA funding. UHI has agreed to pay $7 million and DC3 has agreed to pay $500,000 to settle these allegations. The settlement with DC3 is based on its ability to pay.
“The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides significant educational opportunities to our nation’s veterans,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to help safeguard the integrity of VA programs intended for the advancement and benefit of veterans.”
“One of the ways the U.S. government demonstrates gratitude to our veterans is by creating programs intended to create easier paths to accessing higher education,” said U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard for the District of Kansas. “It’s disheartening that any institution of higher learning would submit inaccurate information in order to improperly receive funds designed to benefit those who serve our nation.”
“This case demonstrates the VA Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) commitment to aggressively pursue schools who target veterans’ education benefits,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebeccalynn Staples of the VA OIG’s Western Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of VA’s education benefits program and urges anyone with knowledge of possible fraud against VA to contact the OIG’s hotline at 1-800-488-8244.”
As part of the Post-9/11 GI Bill program, the VA provides tuition and fee payments directly to qualifying schools on behalf of eligible veterans. To qualify for the program, among other things, a school is required to certify to the VA that no more than 85 percent of the students for any particular course are receiving VA benefits. This requirement, commonly referred to as the “85/15 Rule,” is intended to prevent abuse of Post-9/11 GI Bill funding by ensuring that the VA is paying fair market value tuition rates since at least 15 percent of the enrolled students would be paying the same rate with non-VA funds. To determine whether it is in compliance with the 85/15 Rule, a school compares the full-time non-VA supported students enrolled in a particular course to the full-time veteran students enrolled in that same course. A separate ratio must be computed for each course of study.
The settlements resolve allegations that from 2013 to 2018, UHI and DC3 falsely certified compliance with the 85/15 Rule when the UHI-DC3 helicopter flight instructor program included certain expensive classes that were taken almost exclusively by veterans. In addition, in its settlement with DC3, the United States alleged that to reach the required 15 percent threshold, DC3 counted part-time students enrolled in only one online class per semester as full-time students, in violation of VA rules.
The civil settlements include the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by William Rowe, a veteran and former student in the UHI-DC3 helicopter flight instructor program. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Rowe v. Dodge City Community College, et al., No. 18-cv-01113-TC-GEB (D. Kan.). Rowe will receive $1.125 million as his share of the settlements.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas, with assistance from the VA OIG and the Veterans Benefits Administration, Education Service.
Trial Attorney Jonathan Thrope and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Fleenor for the District of Kansas prosecuted the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Undocumented Mexican Citizen Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced Armando Amaya-Lopez (36, Vera Cruz, Mexico) to two years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft. Amaya-Lopez had pleaded guilty on April 27, 2022.
According to court documents, on August 6, 2013, Amaya-Lopez went to a tax collector’s office in Tampa and applied for and obtained a Florida identification card in the name of a person with the initials C.M. When he applied for the identification card, he claimed to be a U.S. citizen and he provided as proof of citizenship a birth certificate from Puerto Rico and a Social Security card, each in the name of C.M. The birth certificate and Social Security card set forth true identifiers for C.M., including his name, date of birth, and Social Security Number (SSN).
On September 27, 2013, Amaya-Lopez went to a tax collector’s office in Ft. Myers and applied for a driver license, again identifying himself as C.M. He passed the driving examination and was issued a driver license in the name of C.M. On July 25, 2018, he went to a tax collector’s office in Jacksonville and obtained a replacement driver license in the name of C.M.
Each time that Amaya-Lopez obtained a Florida identification card or driver license, he signed a digital application affirming under penalty of perjury that his name was C.M., that he was a citizen of the United States, and that the other identifiers that he had provided, such as his date of birth and SSN, were in fact his. When he did so, he knew that the identifiers belonged to another person and that he was not lawfully authorized to possess or use the identifiers.
On December 5, 2021, Amaya-Lopez was arrested by officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, at which time he identified himself as C.M. and provided the driver license he had obtained in that name. However, a fingerprint check revealed his true identity and returned records reflecting that he was a Mexican citizen who was illegally present in the United States. During an interview with law enforcement, Amaya-Lopez admitted his true name and citizenship and said that he had paid $1,000 to an unknown person to obtain false U.S. citizen documents.
“Identity theft robs unsuspecting victims of their personal information and financial security,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “HSI, alongside our partners at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, will diligently seek out those hiding under stolen identities and bring them to justice.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Two Ashland Men Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky.— Two men, Ricardo Rothwell, 42, and Aaron McWhorter, 29, both from Ashland, were respectively sentenced to 72 months and 137 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for various methamphetamine trafficking and firearm charges.
Rothwell was sentenced after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, on July 10, 2021, Rothwell was stopped by law enforcement at a traffic stop, where they found him in possession of 96.8 grams of methamphetamine, 11.35 grams of fentanyl, .97 grams of cocaine, and 2.2 grams of marijuana.
McWhorter was sentenced after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to his plea agreement, on July 5, 2021, law enforcement was dispatched on reports of a man passed out in a vehicle, later identified as McWhorter. Law enforcement found him in possession of a firearm. McWhorter admitted that he knew that he was previously convicted in Carter County Circuit Court for felony possession of a controlled substance and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. McWhorter was also in possession distribution quantities of narcotics.
Rothwell and McWhorter both pleaded guilty in May 2022.
Under federal law, Rothwell and McWhorter must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon their release from prison, they will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Chief Todd Kelley, Ashland Police Department; and Sheriff Bobby Woods, Boyd County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, FBI, Ashland Police Department, and Boyd County Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield.
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Texas Man Charged with Participating in Scheme to Defraud Spokane Resident of $345,000Read the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that a federal grand jury returned an Indictment charging David Joseph Osinski, age 57, a resident of Arlington, Texas, with six counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with his alleged role in a fraud scheme that stole more than $345,000 from an elderly Spokane resident in 2021.
The Indictment alleges that Osinski created a bank account in the Dallas, Texas area to receive fraudulently obtained funds from the victim. As alleged in the Indictment, Osinski and his co-conspirators tricked the elderly victim, a recent widower, through a romance fraud scheme in which they made the victim believe that he was in an online relationship with a woman named “Kathleen” who was an international art dealer who was attempting to finalize an art transaction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Indictment alleges that, posing as “Kathleen,” Osinski and his co-conspirators convinced the victim to wire approximately $189,000 to an account in Dubai, and an additional $156,640 to the Dallas-area account owned and controlled by Osinski, whom the conspirators claimed was involved in the supposed art transaction. As alleged in the Indictment, Osinski then immediately withdrew essentially all of the money by transferring it to a separate account of his used for cryptocurrency purchases.
“Internet scams, often perpetrated outside of the state, are a recurring problem which cause significant harm and hardship to residents here in Eastern Washington,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref. “Unfortunately, fraudsters and scammers frequently target elderly members of our community. This case is an important part of our efforts to seek elder justice and fight elder fraud in Eastern Washington. In order to make Eastern Washington communities safer and stronger, we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute scammers and their conspirators.”
If convicted, Osinski faces possible maximum statutory sentences of up to 30 years on the conspiracy charges, 20 years on the wire fraud charges, and 10 years on the money laundering charges.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Seattle Field Office, Spokane Resident Office. This case is being prosecuted by Dan Fruchter and Tyler Tornabene, Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tampa Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Elijah Howard (22, Tampa) to eight years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Howard to forfeit the firearm and ammunition. Howard had pleaded guilty on April 20, 2022.
According to court documents, on December 21, 2021, officers from the Tampa Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Howard was a passenger. As the officers approached the vehicle, they observed Howard reaching for a firearm on the front passenger floorboard. At the time, Howard had multiple prior felony convictions and was not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition. Officers recovered the firearm, a Glock-19 semi-automatic firearm loaded with 34 rounds of 9-mm ammunition in an extended magazine. A photograph that Howard had posted on social media earlier in December 2021 showed him brandishing the Glock pistol.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel J. Marcet.
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.
Sumter Woman and Georgia Man Indicted for Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Daeja Bryana Hodge, 25, of Sumter, and Kelsey Antonio McCallum, 29, of Gainesville, Ga., for one count of conspiracy, three counts of making false statements on firearms purchase forms, and aiding and abetting.
The indictment alleges that, from at least June of 2020, Hodge and McCallum conspired to make false statements while purchasing firearms, and engaged in unlicensed dealing of firearms. The indictment further alleges that, on two dates in January, 2021, Hodge – aided and abetted by McCallum – falsely claimed on purchase forms at two firearms dealers in Columbia that she was the true purchaser of eight firearms when she was not the true buyer.
Hodge and McCallum face a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive’s (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Starkville Man Sentenced to 78 Months for PPP FraudRead the Press Release
OXFORD, MS – A Starkville man was sentenced on Friday to 78 months in prison for more than $6,000,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud.
According to court documents, Christopher Paul Lick, 46, of Starkville devised a scheme to defraud, and to obtain PPP funds, by filing false and fraudulent loan applications with banks providing loans as part of the Paycheck Protection Program. Lick admitted to overstating the number of employees and payroll expenses of his purported businesses to receive PPP funds. Rather than use the PPP funds for his businesses, Lick admitted to purchasing a home valued at more than $1 million and to using the PPP funds for personal investments in the stock market. After hearing statements from Lick, his attorney and the prosecutor at a sentencing hearing on Friday, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Glen H. Davidson sentenced Lick to prison for his crimes.
“The sentence imposed in this case was well deserved. For more than two years, the defendant was living lavishly on taxpayer dollars while millions of Americans were struggling during the pandemic,” stated United States Attorney Clay Joyner. “Those, like the defendant, who chose to abuse the system at the expense of their fellow citizens are rightly punished. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to pursuing those who committed PPP and EIDL loan fraud. With the President recently extending the statute of limitations for PPP fraud to 10 years, we expect to see many more defendants like Chris Lick brought to justice.”
"Mr. Christopher Lick took very proactive steps to defraud the U. S. Government and the citizens of this nation,” remarked FBI Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby. “The Paycheck Protection Program and similar programs were established to mitigate the negative impact upon business owners during the unfortunate and uncertain times ignited by the pandemic. Those who erroneously apply for and receive these benefits deprive the government to truly serve those in need. The FBI is committed to continued collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s office in bringing those who commit fraud to justice."
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip Levy and Sam Wright prosecuted the case.
St. Paul Man Indicted for Multiple Armed Robberies of University Avenue Grocery StoresRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man has been indicted for three armed robberies of grocery stores located in St. Paul along University Avenue, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on three separate occasions between May 27 and June 5, 2022, Nicholas Antwain Dancy, 38, robbed three grocery stores located on University Avenue in St. Paul, Towfiq Grocery, Midway Grocery and Deli, and Global Food and Mid Market. During the robberies, Dancy used a firearm to threaten the employees and demand cash. Dancy is also a convicted felon and is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Dancy is charged with three counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. He is scheduled to make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court on August 15, 2022, before Magistrate Judge Becky R. Thorson.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth S. Shnider is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Sand Springs Youth Group Leader Sentenced for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
A church youth group leader was sentenced Thursday in federal court for engaging in a sexualized relationship with a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced Thomas Daniel Johnson, 49, of Sand Springs, to 135 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. In February, a jury convicted Johnson of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
“This fraudulent mentor’s illicit acts were brought to light in federal court,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Make no mistake, Thomas Johnson’s interaction with this young man was calculated, predatory, and criminal. He will now spend more than a decade in prison to account for his conduct.”
Johnson knew the victim’s family and volunteered as a youth leader at a church both families attended. Johnson was known as a mentor to adolescent and teenage boys, so the victim’s family asked him to mentor their child.
On Aug. 15, 2020, the victim’s mother discovered numerous sexually explicit texts, memes and images sent to her child by Johnson and confronted the defendant. Then both parents contacted law enforcement and turned their child’s phone in to authorities. Further examination of the phone revealed thousands of messages exchanged between Johnson and the victim, dating back to March 2019.
During the trial, prosecutors contended that Johnson engaged in a sexualized relationship using text messaging when the minor was 11, 12 and 13 years old, thus committing the crime of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
The United States argued Johnson groomed the victim, first gaining the victim’s trust and friendship. Johnson regularly encouraged the victim and called the victim a stud, sexy beast, and made sexual references and jokes.
Then the sexualized relationship increasingly involved the exchange of memes and comments with references to oral sex, penises, ejaculation and more. Johnson eventually told the victim about several sexual experiences he (Johnson) had taken part in. The victim testified that at first, he felt the exchange of texts and memes were jokes, but he grew increasingly uncomfortable as the defendant began routinely making comments about the victim’s penis and physical appearance, as well as implying that he was sexually attracted to the victim.
Johnson repeatedly asked the minor to send pictures of his penis or “nudes.” The defendant further suggested in messages that he could give the victim oral sex or vice versa. A few days before the communications were discovered, Johnson sent the victim a selfie of himself with a banana in his mouth simulating oral sex and during the texting exchange, asked the victim if he “could handle it,” implicitly offering to perform oral sex on the minor victim.
The victim testified that he believed Johnson would have acted on his (Johnson’s) requests had the victim complied.
At trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Gallant noted Johnson wrapped himself in “a cloak of authority” and took advantage of the victim’s trust. He stated that mentors set age-appropriate boundaries with children. Instead, Johnson, a man in his forties, repeatedly crossed those boundaries by sending a “cesspool of memes and messages” that degraded and sexualized a vulnerable boy.
The Sand Springs Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey A. Gallant and Valeria G. Luster prosecuted the case.
See trial press release here.
Phoenix Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Sexual Abuse of a ChildRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. –Last week, Avery Ulate, 39, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 300 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Ulate previously pleaded guilty to one count of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child.
Ulate admitted to authorities that in 2019 he knowingly engaged in sexual contact with a child under the age of 12. He also admitted that he had sexually abused the child for years. The crimes took place on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation, where the child is an enrolled tribal member.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-08250-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-136_ULATE# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Phoenix Felon Charged for Violent CarjackingRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Friday, Adonijah Josiah Ortega, 19, of Phoenix, Arizona, was charged via criminal complaint for Carjacking, Using, Carrying, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
The complaint alleges that on August 8, 2022, at approximately 11:30 a.m., Ortega approached the victim while he was entering his vehicle in the parking lot of a Target Store, located at 9350 West Northern Avenue, Peoria, Arizona. After Ortega approached the victim, he pointed a semi-automatic handgun at him, and demanded the victim give him his keys and wallet.
Ortega struck the victim multiple times in the head with the handgun and fired his weapon twice, striking the victim once in the right thigh. Ortega then took the victim’s keys and fled the scene with the victim’s vehicle. After Ortega fled, the victim limped toward the store where citizens rendered aid until paramedics arrived. The victim was transported to a local hospital with a gunshot wound and multiple lacerations to his head.
A conviction for Carjacking carries a maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment. A conviction for Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence carries a minimum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A conviction for Felon in Possession of a Firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Peoria Police Department, and the Phoenix Police Department are conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-5351-PHX-DMF
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-137_ORTEGA# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Pain Management Physician Convicted of Unlawfully Distributing OpioidsRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Southern District of Ohio convicted an Ohio physician on Friday for unlawfully distributing opioids from his Martin’s Ferry clinic.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Thomas Romano, 72, of Wheeling, West Virginia, owned and operated a self-named pain management clinic where his clients traveled hundreds of miles to obtain prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances. For his opioid and other controlled substance prescriptions, Romano only accepted cash—$750 for an initial prescription and $120 for subsequent monthly prescriptions. The evidence offered at trial demonstrated that the prescriptions Romano issued for opioids and other controlled substances greatly exceeded recommended dosages and were in dangerous, life-threatening combinations which served to fuel the addiction of his clients. According to evidence introduced at trial, between January 2015 and June 2019, Romano prescribed over 111,000 pills, including opioids, benzodiazepines, and muscle relaxants, to nine of his clients.
Romano was convicted of 24 counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, outside the usual course of professional practice, and not for a legitimate medical purpose to these nine clients. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Kenneth L. Parker; Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the DEA’s Detroit Division; and Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The DEA, FBI, and HHS-OIG, as well as the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation and Ohio Board of Pharmacy, investigated this case.
Acting Assistant Chief Andrew B. Barras and Trial Attorney Christopher Jason of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
Owasso Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
A man who was discovered downloading and viewing child pornography during an FBI investigation pleaded guilty in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Gregory Allen Kirk, 62, of Owasso pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.
During a search of Kirk’s computer, agents located images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct and filenames associated with child pornography. In his plea agreement, Kirk admitted that from May 5, 2018, through Jan. 31, 2020, he received, possessed, and accessed at least 600 images of child sexual abuse material on his computer.
The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cymetra M. Williams and Vani Singhal are prosecuting the case.
Oregon Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Kidnapping Ex-GirlfriendRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for kidnapping his ex-girlfriend and transporting her from her home in Ilwalco, Washington to Rainier, Oregon.
James Donald Cooley, 61, a resident of Rainier, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on May 18, 2020, Cooley traveled from his home in Rainier to his ex-girlfriend’s home in Ilwalco without notice or invitation. After parking his vehicle on the side of Highway 101 near his ex-girlfriend’s home, Cooley approached the woman and a confrontation ensued. Cooley grabbed the woman’s arms, tied her hands with zip ties, and began pulling her toward the highway. Cooley drug the woman several hundred feet to his vehicle, put a knife to her throat, shoved her into the backseat, and began driving back to Rainier, threatening to kill her several times en route.
When Cooley arrived at his residence, his sister, who also lives in Rainier, spotted Cooley’s ex-girlfriend at his residence. The ex-girlfriend told Cooley’s sister that she feared Cooley was going to kill her. Cooley’s sister immediately contacted the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office to report the incident. Sheriff deputies responded and arrested Cooley.
On June 17, 2020, Cooley was charged by criminal complaint with kidnapping. On February 11, 2022, Cooley waived indictment and pleaded guilty to the single charge.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Greg Nyhus, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Oregon.
Domestic violence involving a current or former partner is a serious crime that includes both physical and emotional abuse. Sometimes these crimes are hidden from public view with survivors suffering in silence, afraid to seek help or not knowing where to turn. The traumatic effects of domestic violence also extend beyond the abused person, impacting family members and communities.
If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you need assistance or know someone who needs help, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or texting “START” to 88788. Many communities throughout the country have also developed support networks to assist survivors in the process of recovery.
Ohio woman admits lying about St. Louis romance scamRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman from Ohio on Monday admitted lying about a missing teen in an attempt to recover money that was intercepted on its way to romance scammers.
Linda Matson, 61, of Xenia, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Sarah E, Pitlyk to a charge of making false statements to a federal agent.
On April 29, 2020, U.S. Postal Inspectors found $50,000 that had fallen from an Express Mail package on a conveyor belt, and later found a second $50,000 in another package. Both were addressed to a post office box being used in a romance fraud scheme.
The inspectors reached out to Matson, who acknowledged that she had been scammed into sending the money by someone claiming to be an officer in the U.S. Army, her plea says. But on May 18, 2020, she sent multiple texts to a postal inspector, falsely claiming that she needed the money back immediately to buy posters and T-shirts to help find her missing 18-year-old niece. Matson sent the postal inspector links to various news articles and Facebook stories about a missing Ohio teenager in an attempt to deceive the inspector into quickly releasing the funds to her.
Matson admitted in her plea agreement that she intended to use the money for reasons she was concealing from the postal inspector, and that she lied to the inspector and the FBI.
The post office box was being used by Bonmene Sibe, Ovuoke Frank Ofikoro and others to trick women into sending them money. Judge Pitlyk sentenced Sibe, 43, to five years and three months in prison in May and Ofikoro, 43, to four years and two months in prison in June. Both men were ordered to repay $844,070 to victims.
Last year, Glenda Seim, 81, of Kirkwood, admitted being a romance scam victim who later aided her scammers and agreed to tell her story in a public service announcement produced with the FBI.
Matson’s charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. Matson is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 16.
The U.S. Postal Inspection service and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Structuring Financial TransactionsRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Gary McComas, 26, of Chesapeake, Ohio, admitted that he obtained multiple money orders in the Huntington, West Virginia area to help an individual in California evade financial reporting requirements. Federal law requires financial institutions to report certain information to the Department of the Treasury whenever a person exchanges cash for a money order in the amount of $3,000 in one transaction or a series of transactions. On June 28, 2018, McComas obtained six money orders, each for $500, from three different Huntington businesses for the purpose of evading financial reporting requirements. McComas further admitted to conducting approximately 200 money order transactions totaling $99,400 in and around Huntington for the same purpose between June 28, 2018, and January 13, 2019.
McComas is scheduled to be sentenced on November 14, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service and the assistance provided by the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-144.
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Norfolk Man Guilty of Stealing Identities to Defraud Navy Federal Credit UnionRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man pleaded guilty today to aggravated identity theft and bank fraud in connection with a fraud scheme targeting Navy Federal Credit Union.
According to court documents, Taimak Peters, 28, helped devise a scheme to defraud Navy Federal Credit Union out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. From approximately April through July 2018, Peters, along with other co-conspirators, stole the identities of various victims, including their names, social security numbers, and dates of birth. Using this information, the conspirators established accounts at Navy Federal Credit Union and applied for automobile loans in the victims’ names from information secured from internet websites such as Autotrader. The court records indicate that once these loans were approved, a conspirator would go to a Navy Federal Branch, retrieve the loan check, then take it to a different branch to cash. The conspirators then split the proceeds of the fraudulently obtained check amongst themselves. Peters admitted in Court to supplying stolen identities in this fashion on at least three such transactions. Peters specific action caused Navy Federal Credit Union to lose over $57,000, the overall conspiracy caused a loss exceeding $300,000. Peters is the fourth person to plead guilty in this scheme.
Peters is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 2 years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 32 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Co-conspirators, Raven Dixon, 29, of Norfolk, Ryan Eugene Gregory, 38, of Norfolk, and Thomas Jules Rogers, 33 of Prince George’s County, Maryland, all previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Kosky is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-78.
Montgomery Man Convicted of Committing Multiple Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On Friday, August 12, 2022, a federal jury found defendant Johnnie Leeanozg Davis, 36, from Montgomery, Alabama, guilty of committing three armed carjackings.
During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence of Davis, in 2020, stealing three vehicles for use in alleged robberies at various Montgomery businesses, then abandoning the vehicles afterwards. First, the jury heard testimony showing that on January 23, 2020, Davis approached a vehicle in Montgomery with a woman and her two grandchildren, displayed a gun he had in his waistband and told her, “Don’t move or say anything, all I want is the car.” Once Davis took the car, he proceeded to the Sunoco at the corner of Carmichael and East Trinity. Davis put a mask on, went inside the store armed with two handguns, and demanded money.
Later, on October 30, 2020, a man and his 15-year-old son were parked on the side of the street. When the father got out of the car and walked around the other side, he saw Davis pointing two guns at the 15-year-old. The father and son quickly moved from the vehicle and Davis drove away with the car. Testimony was also provided alleging that Davis robbed the Dollar General on Perry Hill Road about 25 minutes after the carjacking.
Finally, Davis approached a man sitting in a car outside a Montgomery business on November 11, 2020. Davis pointed a gun at the man and demanded he get out. Davis then took the car, and, within 10 minutes, a robbery occurred at the Fresh Market grocery store on Perry Hill Road. Less than 10 minutes after the Fresh Market robbery, witnesses testified that Davis entered a Dollar General on the Eastern Boulevard, pointed a gun at an employee, and demanded money.
The jury found Davis guilty of three counts of carjacking and three counts of brandishing a firearm in relation to a federal crime of violence, i.e., the carjackings. Following these convictions, Davis faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 21 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life. There is no parole in the federal system.
This FBI investigated the case, with assistance from the Montgomery Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin P. Davidson and John J. Geer, III are prosecuting the case.
Mill Valley Man Pleads Guilty to Unlicensed Firearms Manufacturing and TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – James William Palmer pleaded guilty in federal court today to the unlicensed manufacturing and dealing of firearms, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Patrick T. Gorman.
In a plea agreement he entered today, Palmer, 38, of Mill Valley, admitted that from May 2020 to January 2021 he engaged in the business of manufacturing and dealing in firearms. He acknowledged that he ran his business for profit and without a license, and he knew it was unlawful to do so. Palmer described that he manufactured firearms at his Mill Valley home, where he maintained an area in his garage for his firearms manufacturing and had on hand the tools, parts, and accessories necessary to do so. He also admitted he sold marijuana during this time period.
To run his firearm business, Palmer communicated with buyers and sellers of firearms via text messages in which he discussed the prices for firearms, the meeting places for transactions, and the amounts owed. In his plea agreement, he further detailed that he utilized a white board to write down customer names and numbers and the amounts owed or paid by the customers. As an example of one of his firearms sales, Palmer described a sale in October 2020 of a Glock 17 semi-automatic pistol to a customer for $780.
Palmer also described that on January 27, 2021 – the day of his arrest – he was driving his car and had ammunition in his pants pocket, a loaded Glock Model 26 .45 ACP caliber semi-automatic pistol in the car, and two loaded .45 caliber magazines in the center console. He had bought the Glock pistol for $900 at a gun show, paying a higher price to avoid paperwork and get the handgun immediately.
Palmer also admitted that on the day of his arrest he had in his garage multiple firearm receivers in various stages of handgun construction, privately made firearm (PMF, or “ghost gun”) jigs, and firearms parts and assorted ammunition, along with the tools necessary to manufacture firearms. He also had in his garage a Glock pistol frame with its serial number plate removed as well as magazines of standard and high capacity for multiple firearm calibers. Palmer admitted he also had a loaded P80 .45 caliber Glock-style semi-automatic handgun in the garage.
Palmer is next scheduled for a sentencing hearing before United States District Judge James Donato in San Francisco federal court on December 12, 2022. Palmer remains out of custody pending his sentencing hearing.
Palmer pleaded guilty to one count of unlicensed firearms manufacturing and dealing in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1)(A). The count carries a maximum of 5 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. However, any sentence following conviction that is imposed by the court will occur only after the court’s consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ilham A. Hosseini and Alexis J. James prosecuted the case with the assistance of Maribel Gallegos. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by ATF and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.
This case follows the U.S. Department of Justice’s launch in five key regions of Cross-Jurisdictional Firearms Trafficking Strike Forces that are focused on disrupting illegal firearms trafficking. One of the five Strike Forces was launched here in the San Francisco Greater Bay Area and Sacramento Region. The Strike Force identifies and investigates sources of illegally trafficked firearms and disrupts straw purchasing as well as firearms trafficking networks by collaborating in cross-jurisdictional efforts that include multiple federal agencies and multiple states and their local law enforcement agencies.
Middleborough Man Charged with Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Middleborough man has been charged in connection with his alleged theft and attempted sale of three firearms from FedEx packages he was responsible for delivering.
Frank P. O’Toole, 39, was charged with one count of possession of a stolen firearm. O’Toole was arrested on Aug. 12, 2022. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston today before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson, O’Toole was detained pending a detention hearing which is scheduled for Aug. 17, 2022.
According to the charging documents, O’Toole previously worked as a FedEx delivery truck driver out of the FedEx facility. It is alleged that, between October 2021 and June 2022, O’Toole stole three packages he was responsible for delivering, each containing a firearm intended for a Federal Firearms Licensee. On Aug. 9, 2022 and Aug. 12, 2022, O’Toole allegedly sold the three firearms to an undercover agent during two separate controlled purchases.
The charge of possession of a stolen firearm provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and Middleborough Police Chief Joseph Perkins made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Martinsburg man sentenced for firearms violationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Nicholas Hall, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 96 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Hall, 31, pleaded guilty in March 2022 to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Hall, a person prohibited from having firearms because of a prior felony conviction, admitted to having a .40 caliber pistol and a .22 rifle in Berkeley County in January 2021.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley D. Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Man Arrested for Making Threats of Violence Against FBIRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A Pennsylvania man has been arrested on charges of making threats of violence against FBI personnel.
Adam Bies, 46, of Mercer, was arrested late Friday in Mercer. He made his initial appearance in federal court today in Pittsburgh and remains in custody pending a detention hearing.
According to court documents, on or around August 11, the FBI National Threat Operations Section Social Media Exploitation team received a tip from MEMRI Domestic Terrorism Threat Monitor regarding Gab user “BlankFocus,” later identified as Bies, who allegedly posted violent threats towards the FBI and law enforcement stating: “My only goal is to kill more of them before I drop” and “If You Work For The FBI Then You Deserve To Die”.
According to court documents, on August 10, Bies allegedly wrote: “Every single piece of [expletive] who works for the FBI in any capacity, from the director down to the janitor who cleans their [expletive] toilets deserves to die. You’ve declared war on us and now it's open season on YOU.”
In another post on August 10, Bies allegedly wrote: “HEY FEDS. We the people cannot WAIT to water the trees of liberty with your blood. I’ll be waiting for you to kick down my door.”
Bies is charged with influencing, impeding or retaliating against federal law enforcement officers. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung of the Western District of Pennsylvania, and Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bengel is prosecuting the case.The FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office, North Country Violent Offender Task Force, Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General are investigating the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Arrested for Making Threats of Violence Against FBIRead the Press Release
A Pennsylvania man has been arrested on charges of making threats of violence against FBI personnel.
Adam Bies, 46, of Mercer, was arrested late Friday in Mercer. He made his initial appearance in federal court today in Pittsburgh and remains in custody pending a detention hearing.
According to court documents, on or around August 11, the FBI National Threat Operations Section Social Media Exploitation team received a tip from MEMRI Domestic Terrorism Threat Monitor regarding Gab user “BlankFocus,” later identified as Bies, who allegedly posted violent threats towards the FBI and law enforcement stating: “My only goal is to kill more of them before I drop” and “If You Work For The FBI Then You Deserve To Die”.
According to court documents, on August 10, Bies allegedly wrote: “Every single piece of [expletive] who works for the FBI in any capacity, from the director down to the janitor who cleans their [expletive] toilets deserves to die. You’ve declared war on us and now it's open season on YOU.”
In another post on August 10, Bies allegedly wrote: “HEY FEDS. We the people cannot WAIT to water the trees of liberty with your blood. I’ll be waiting for you to kick down my door.”
Bies is charged with influencing, impeding or retaliating against federal law enforcement officers. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung of the Western District of Pennsylvania, and Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bengel is prosecuting the case.
The FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office, North Country Violent Offender Task Force, Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General are investigating the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Long Island Chiropractor Pleads Guilty to $1 Million Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Peter Adamczak, a licensed chiropractor operating in East Meadow, Long Island, pleaded guilty to health care fraud in connection with billing a private insurance company over $1 million for acupuncture services that were never performed. The proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Michael Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Lucy Lang, Inspector General of New York State, announced the guilty plea.
“Adamczak bilked an insurance company for acupuncture services that he never performed, brazenly lying in order to line his own pockets with money that he did not earn,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “As a health care professional, Adamczak was required to uphold the highest standards of honesty and integrity, and failed both miserably. This Office will continue to hold healthcare providers accountable for fraud and abuse.”
“False medical claims jeopardize the wellbeing of sick and injured New Yorkers and drive-up costs for all of us,” said New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang. “Thank you to our colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for their partnership in protecting the integrity of our healthcare system.” The IG thanked Deputy Inspector General, Long Island Office Jean Carsey, Director of Audit for the Downstate Office Giovaani Liotine, Investigative Auditor Angelus Okeke, and Investigator Mario Rubino for their work on the investigation.
According to court filings and facts presented during the plea proceeding, from 2016 to 2020, Adamczak submitted over $1 million in fraudulent claims for reimbursement to a private insurance company. Adamczak was not licensed to perform acupuncture, but claimed that the services were rendered by an unaffiliated acupuncturist who leased office space from the defendant. Neither the unaffiliated acupuncturist nor Adamczak performed the billed acupuncture services. Based on Adamczak’s fraudulent claims, the private insurance company paid approximately $994,838.16 in reimbursements to its beneficiaries who, in turn, delivered the payments to Adamczak. In one case, a beneficiary who was a relative of Adamczak deposited the reimbursement checks to their personal bank account and kept the funds.
Assistant United States Attorney John Vagelatos is in charge of the prosecution. Assistant United States Attorney Claire Kedeshian of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendant:
Peter Adamczak
Age: 65
Huntington, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-287 (JS)
Local man sent to prison for violently abducting ex-girlfriendRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 24-year-old Conroe man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of kidnapping of a minor victim from Northwest Houston, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Roaim Shams Shaikh pleaded guilty April 19.
Today, U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes ordered Shaikh to serve 131 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described the trauma this caused the victim.
On Jan. 24, 2021, Shaikh abducted his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend from a vehicle parked in front of a residence and transported her to Panama City, Florida.
At that time, Shaikh assaulted, threatened to kill and violently coerced her to participate in sexual intercourse. He has also made threats to shoot her with a pistol in the past.
Law enforcement soon located Shaikh and the victim at a Microtel Inn and took him into custody.
Shaikh will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the Panama City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Peneguy prosecuted the case.
Local man sent to prison for violently abducting ex-girlfriendRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 24-year-old Conroe man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of kidnapping of a minor victim from Northwest Houston, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Roaim Shams Shaikh pleaded guilty April 19.
Today, U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes ordered Shaikh to serve 131 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described the trauma this caused the victim.
On Jan. 24, 2021, Shaikh abducted his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend from a vehicle parked in front of a residence and transported her to Panama City, Florida.
At that time, Shaikh assaulted, threatened to kill and violently coerced her to participate in sexual intercourse. He has also made threats to shoot her with a pistol in the past.
Law enforcement soon located Shaikh and the victim at a Microtel Inn and took him into custody.
Shaikh will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the Panama City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Peneguy prosecuted the case.
Lead defendant sentenced in Burke County drug trafficking investigationRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: An Atlanta-area man has been sentenced to federal prison after admitting his role in a major drug trafficking conspiracy that funneled cocaine and other drugs through Atlanta to the Waynesboro, Ga., area.
Chadric Antonio Rhaney, a/k/a “Chad,” 42, of Powder Springs, Ga., was sentenced to 88 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Cocaine, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Rhaney to forfeit $68,610 seized during the investigation.
“The success of Operation Washout serves as an outstanding example of the value of partnerships between federal, state and local agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “These collaborative efforts will continue to identify and remove from our communities those who would drive violent crime through the proliferation of illegal drugs.”
The indictment in USA v. Rhaney et al, dubbed Operation Washout, was coordinated through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration developed information about cocaine trafficking from Mexico, through California to Atlanta, and then primarily to distributors in Burke County. Investigators from the Burke County Sheriff’s Office then worked with the DEA to develop the investigation that identified the defendants and led to searches and subsequent seizures of cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, drug trafficking paraphernalia, cash, and more than two dozen firearms.
In addition to Rhaney, who was identified as the source of cocaine coming into the Burke County area from Atlanta, two other defendants have been sentenced and four await sentencing after pleading guilty to related charges in the conspiracy. The final two defendants are awaiting trial, and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“The sentencing of the lead defendant in this case slams the door on a major conspiracy to peddle poison (cocaine) in Burke County and the surrounding area,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “DEA and its law enforcement partners are committed to tracking down and bringing to justice those who pollute our neighborhoods with illegal drugs.”
Agencies investigating Operation Washout include the DEA and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Probation Service; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Georgia National Guard Counterdrug Task Force; the Screven County Sheriff’s Office; the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office; the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office; and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry W. Syms Jr.
The case was investigated under the 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.
Las Cruces man charged for threatening to burn New Mexico State UniversityRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that John Oliver Hamilton made an initial appearance in federal court on Aug. 12 on a criminal complaint charging him with threatening to burn a building by means of fire. Hamilton, 54, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for Aug. 17.
According to the complaint, on July 27, Hamilton allegedly made a string of telephone calls to the Office of Institutional Equality at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. In those calls, as alleged in the complaint, Hamilton repeatedly threatened to burn the school. Under federal law, it is illegal to willfully make any threat by telephone to destroy any building by means of fire or an explosive.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Hamilton faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State University Police. Assistant United States Attorney Joni Autrey Stahl is prosecuting the case.
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Lansing Pharmaceutical Sales Representative Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Defrauding Michigan State University of $1.2 Million for Compounded Drug PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced today that U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker sentenced Daniel Brown of Dimondale, Michigan to 12 months and one day in prison on a health care fraud conspiracy charge. Judge Jonker also sentenced Brown to three years of supervised release following his incarceration and ordered restitution totaling $1,267,418.00.
Brown’s conviction stemmed from an agreement to have expensive and medically unnecessary compounded pain creams and patches prescribed to Michigan State University (“MSU”) employees that were filled by pharmacies in Mississippi. Brown admitted soliciting a local physician to sign the prescriptions and splitting commission payments that the Mississippi pharmacies paid Brown for directing the prescription to their pharmacies. The pharmacies then charged MSU’s health plan $2,000 - $3,000 for each prescription.
As set forth in the government’s sentencing pleadings, Brown subsequently cooperated in the investigation and prosecution of the persons operating the pharmacies who were held criminally responsible in related federal cases in Mississippi for more than $200,000,000 in total claims paid for medically unnecessary compounded medications resulting from illegal kickbacks paid to sales representative and physicians around the country.
“Health care fraud raises costs on consumers, hurts businesses, and can subject persons to unnecessary treatment,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. He continued: “Those who scheme to defraud our public and private health care providers, and those who pay and receive kickbacks to influence the generation of medical services, face aggressive prosecution, significant financial penalties, and the real prospect of prison.”
“Individuals like Mr. Brown, who enrich themselves through fraud schemes, undermine the healthcare system and drives up costs for everyone,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI remains committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to swiftly and thoroughly investigate such fraud allegations and bring criminals who engage in these schemes to justice.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Corporate and Financial Investigations Unit, and the Michigan State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond E. Beckering III prosecuted the case.
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