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Monday 15 August 2022
Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Multi-State Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. –A Kanawha County man was sentenced today to seven years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Scott Edward Hudson, 50, of St. Albans, admitted to participating in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in Kanawha County. As part of this conspiracy, Hudson sold approximately 3.5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on March 22, 2019. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hudson’s residence on March 23, 2019, and recovered approximately 230.8 grams of pure methamphetamine and $5,160 in cash that included marked bills from the previous day’s controlled buy.
Hudson further admitted to possessing a SWD Cobray, model M11/9, 9mm pistol in St. Albans on May 22, 2021. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Hudson admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions, including for attempt to commit a felony in Jackson County Circuit Court on June 30, 2006.
The case is part of a long-term investigation of methamphetamine distribution that resulted in the conviction of 17 individuals for various drug and firearm offenses in three separate indictments. Hudson and 13 others pleaded guilty. The remaining three, Timothy Wayne Dodd, Douglas Jonathan Wesley and Leo Antoine Smith, were convicted at trial.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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. 2:21-cr-172.
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Justice Department Announces Conclusion of Landmark Agreement Addressing Segregated Work Settings for People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
In an order issued on Aug. 12, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon found that the State of Oregon has fulfilled the terms of a settlement agreement with the Justice Department and people with disabilities in a landmark case challenging the state’s provision of employment services for people with disabilities in segregated settings. The case, Lane v. Brown/United States v. Oregon, was dismissed as a result.
The settlement agreement, in effect since 2015, resolved the first lawsuit in the nation to challenge a state’s reliance on segregated employment settings for individuals with disabilities, including sheltered workshops, as a violation of the integration mandate of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Sheltered workshops are segregated facilities that exclusively or primarily serve individuals with disabilities, in which people with disabilities have little or no contact with non-disabled persons besides paid staff. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in sheltered workshops often earn wages well below minimum wage, sometimes pennies per hour. By contrast, supported employment services assist people with I/DD to prepare for, obtain and succeed in integrated workplaces at competitive wages.
“This ruling demonstrates once again that people with significant disabilities are fully capable of working in the community alongside their nondisabled peers with appropriate services and supports,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are pleased that Oregon has successfully implemented the reforms called for by our settlement agreement and remain committed to ensuring that people with disabilities across the country have every opportunity to access the job market. Simply put, people with disabilities must have the right to receive employment services in the community, pursue jobs consistent with their talents and preferences, earn fair wages, achieve social and economic independence and contribute to our nation’s economy.”
The lawsuit was filed as a class action in January 2012 by individuals with I/DD who were receiving services in Oregon sheltered workshops, but instead preferred to work in jobs in the community for a competitive wage. In March 2013, the Justice Department intervened in the lawsuit. The department claimed that Oregon was unnecessarily segregating adults with I/DD in sheltered workshops and placing Oregon youth with I/DD at serious risk of segregation in sheltered workshops in violation of Title II of the ADA.
In Olmstead v. L.C., the Supreme Court ruled that the ADA prohibits unnecessary segregation of people with disabilities, who have a right to live and receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate. The Lane case was the first lawsuit to address how the ADA’s integration mandate applied to state employment services.
The agreement required Oregon to provide supported employment services and related employment services so that 1,115 sheltered workshop workers would newly receive jobs in the community at competitive wages over the agreement’s term. The agreement also required at least 7,000 people — including more than 4,900 youth exiting school — to receive supported employment services aimed at enabling them to secure and maintain integrated, competitive employment opportunities. At least half of the youth served received individualized employment plans from Oregon’s vocational rehabilitation agency, identifying the services and supports necessary to achieve competitive employment. The Independent Reviewer who monitored Oregon’s compliance with the agreement found that, according to state data, Oregon met or exceeded these requirements.
The Civil Rights Division enforces the ADA, which authorizes the Attorney General to investigate whether a state is serving individuals in the most integrated settings appropriate to their needs. Please visit www.ada.gov/olmstead to learn more about the division’s ADA Olmstead enforcement efforts and www.justice.gov/crt to learn more about the other laws enforced by the Civil Rights Division.
Jefferson County man sentenced to 14 years for role in drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Shaquan Omar Richardson, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 168 months of incarceration for his role in a drug conspiracy that spanned several states, U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Richardson, also known as “Wave,” 26, pled guilty in November 2020 to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute One Kilogram or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing Phencyclidine (PCP)” and one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute 280 Grams or More of Cocaine Base.” Richardson admitted to working with others to distribute PCP from August 2019 to September 2019 in Jefferson County and elsewhere. He also admitted to distributing more than 280 grams or more of cocaine base or “crack” in September 2019 in Jefferson County.
This case is the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.
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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Find the related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/25-charged-six-state-drug-conspiracy-involving-heroin-fentanyl-cocaine
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Selling MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Timothy Mills, II (38, Jacksonville) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Mills was also ordered to forfeit the firearm. Mills had pleaded guilty on May 24, 2022.
According to facts presented in court, from July to September 2020, Mills conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine within the Middle District of Florida. Mills engaged in several drug transactions during which he sold more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. During one drug transaction in September, Mills, who is a multi-convicted felon, also sold a handgun to an undercover law enforcement officer.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig Gestring.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Individuals Charged with Labor Racketeering in the Port of San JuanRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On August 11, 2022, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 7 defendants with running a criminal enterprise dedicated to extorting and misleading shipping companies into paying fees for the loading and unloading of cargo at the Port of San Juan—Piers 9, 10, and 11—under the threat of strikes and blockades on the part of union members of the ILA-1740 of the International Longshoremen’s Association, AFL-CIO (“ILA”) and under false representations that companies had to pay a fee in order to be able to use “union-free labor” for the loading and unloading of cargo, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The indictment includes a forfeiture allegation related to the total value of the loss, approximately $1,184,524.26, and one residential property, a vehicle, and a boat.
Pursuant to the indictment, Pedro Pastrana-González and his ex-wife, Iara Clemente-Rivera, owners and managers of JCPY, Inc. (JCPY), aided by a public employee and Puerto Rico Port Authority worker, Jorge Batista-Maldonado and Carlos Sánchez-Ortiz, the president of the union ILA-1740, are charged with running the fraudulent and extortionate scheme against shipping companies using Piers 9, 10, and 11. Members of the enterprise took some of the money made from the scheme and concealed it in JCPY and as payments to ILA-1740’s employee benefit plan called Plan de Bienestar UTM-PRSSA (the “Plan”).
Pastrana-González, Clemente-Rivera, Victor F. Torres-Barroso, José A. Fernández-Cruz, and Carlos A. Hernández-Laguer are also charged in the indictment for their participation in an agreement to take funds and falsify records of the Plan. Pastrana-González and Clemente-Rivera agreed that Torres-Barroso, Fernández-Cruz, and Hernández-Laguer—members of ILA-1740 who worked in a company that provides stevedoring services (longshore work) — would do “chimbos” for Clemente-Rivera. “Chimbo” is slang for a person who uses the union card of another individual when working at the docks so that it appears that the union member is working. Because it appeared that the person on the union card (Clemente-Rivera) was working, the hours worked were fraudulently counted for Clemente-Rivera’s yearly-hour requirement to qualify for Plan benefits.
The defendants are charged with the following counts:
- Pedro Pastrana-González, Counts 1-7;
- Iara Clemente-Rivera, Counts 1-7;
- Carlos Sánchez-Ortiz, Counts 1-5;
- Jorge Batista-Maldonado, Counts 1-3;
- Victor F. Torres-Barroso, Counts 6 and 7;
- José A. Fernández-Cruz, Counts 6 and 7; and
- Carlos A. Hernández-Laguer, Counts 6 and 7.
- Count One of the indictment charges a RICO conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d), which subjects the defendants to a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years;
- Count Two charges a Hobbs Act extortion conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951, which subjects the defendants to a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years;
- Count Three charges a conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, which subjects the defendants to a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years;
- Count Four charges a conspiracy to violate the Taft-Hartley Act (labor management relations) in violation of 29 U.S.C. § 186, all in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, which subjects the defendants to a term of imprisonment of up to 5 years;
- Count Five charges a money laundering conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h), which subjects the defendants to a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years;
- Count Six charges a conspiracy to willfully convert funds and falsify records of the Plan in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 664 and 18 U.S.C. § 1027, all in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, which subjects the defendants to a term of imprisonment of up to 5 years; and
- Count Seven charges health care fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1347, which subjects the defendants to a term of imprisonment of up to 10 years.
“These arrests are the result of a comprehensive investigation that now will put a stop to the illegal fees that the defendants were charging the shipping companies at Piers 9, 10 and 11,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I want to congratulate the attorneys and agents from all of these agencies who worked diligently to uncover this years-long scheme.”
“Schemes such as the one uncovered and charged in this indictment, negatively impact local economy and stalls the economic progress the people of Puerto Rico deserve,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “This scheme was sustained by silence, and I hope the work we’ve done here with our partners, serves as a motivation for those with information, to speak up.
“An important part of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) mission is to protect the integrity of labor unions and affiliated benefit plans by investigating those who allegedly abuse their positions of trust for personal financial gain. The OIG would like to thank our partners for their assistance in this complex and large-scale investigation,” stated Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“Today’s indictment includes allegations of corruption against a union president as well as several union members. OLMS will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to hold accountable union officials, who hold positions of trust, as well as others who may seek personal gain through illegal activities, taking advantage of the union and the hardworking rank and file workers who the union represents,” said Megan Underwood, Northeastern Regional Director of the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS). “OLMS thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico and all of the partner agencies for their dedication to this case.”
“These fraudulent actions resulted in people improperly receiving benefits they were not eligible for, hurting thousands of Puerto Ricans who worked tirelessly to earn those benefits honestly and legally,” said Ali Khawar, Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). “When anyone commits a crime involving an employee benefit plan, EBSA will make sure they are brought to justice.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations who seek to exploit legitimate business and individuals for financial gain. Today’s arrests will not only bring a sense of justice to the victims but will also help increase awareness on these type of fraudulent schemes,” said Juan A. Vargas, Acting Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspector, Miami Division.
The FBI is in charge of the investigation, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor—Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor—Office of Labor-Management Standards, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistance was also provided by the San Juan Municipal Police, the Carolina Municipal Police, the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, and the Puerto Rico Ports Authority.
The investigation was carried out in consultation with attorneys of the Organized Crime and Gang Section of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor O. Acevedo-Hernández is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Robert Lamont Congleton, 42, of Huntington, was sentenced today to six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Congleton admitted to possessing a loaded Taurus, Model PT111 G2, 9mm pistol, that law enforcement officers found in his residence on July 29, 2021.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Congleton knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his conviction for attempt to commit a felony – delivery of a controlled substance in Cabell County Circuit Court on February 26, 2015.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia State Police and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted 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. 3:21-cr-109.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to More Than 18 Years in Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Joseph Ira Patterson III, 38, of Huntington, was sentenced today to 18 years and four months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and a fentanyl analogue.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Patterson admitted that he sold approximately 8 ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Huntington on March 29, 2021, and again on April 21, 2021. Patterson agreed to deliver more methamphetamine to the confidential informant in Charleston. On April 22, 2021, Patterson was driving in Charleston for that meeting when law enforcement officers stopped his vehicle. A search of Patterson’s vehicle yielded 907.2 grams of suspected methamphetamine.
Patterson admitted he had obtained methamphetamine from a Huntington storage unit prior to traveling to Charleston. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant for the unit and seized 282.97 grams of methamphetamine, 231.7 grams of a fentanyl analogue, and 15.70 grams of cocaine as well as nine firearms and drug paraphernalia. Officers also searched Patterson’s Jackson Avenue residence in Huntington and seized 58.345 grams of methamphetamine, 7.50 grams of a fentanyl analogue, 42.53 grams of marijuana and 18.51 grams of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman prosecuted 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. 3:21-cr-218.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Donnie Earl Jefferson Jr., 34, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jefferson admitted that he possessed a Remington, model RM380, .380-caliber pistol in his pants pocket when law enforcement officers arrested him in Huntington on September 28, 2021.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Jefferson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his felony conviction for first-degree robbery in Cabell County Circuit Court on December 17, 2012.
Jefferson is scheduled to be sentenced on November 21, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the United States Marshals Service.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor 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-48.
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Honduran National Indicted for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that LUIS ALFREDO LEZAMA-RAMIREZ, a/k/a “Luis Ramirez,” a/k/a “Luis Danny Lezame-Ramirez,” a/k/a “Luis Silva-Sanchez,” a/k/a “Luis Silva,” age 45, was charged in a one-count indictment on August 12, 2022 with illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the indictment, LUIS ALFREDO LEZAMA-RAMIREZ (“LEZAMA-RAMIREZ”) reentered the United States after he was previously deported on June 8, 2018. If convicted, LEZAMA-RAMIREZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of up to one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U. S. Attorney Duane Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorney Carter K. D. Guice, Jr. is in charge of the prosecution.
Honduran National Indicted for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that on August 12, 2022 MARIO HERNANDEZ-MARIN, “a/k/a “Jose Hernandez-Marin,” a/k/a “David Hernandez-Marin,” a/k/a “Jose G. Hernandez,” a/k/a “Daniel Enrique-Polanco,” a/k/a “David Hernandez-Enrique,” age 49, was charged in a one-count indictment for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the indictment, MARIO HERNANDEZ-MARIN (“HERNANDEZ-MARIN”) reentered the United States after he was previously deported on June 23, 2011. If convicted, HERNANDEZ-MARIN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of up to one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. He faces sentencing enhancement of 20 years because of a prior felony conviction.
U. S. Attorney Duane Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorney Carter K. D. Guice, Jr. is in charge of the prosecution.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Carjacking OffenseRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ARNO SMITH, 60, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for committing a carjacking in 2018.
According to court documents and statements made in court, at approximately 11:00 p.m. on July 26, 2018, Smith approached a woman who was sitting in her 2006 Honda in a Hartford parking lot and pressed what the woman believed to be a gun against her neck. Smith then grabbed the victim’s purse and the victim got out of the car. Smith pointed the weapon at the victim, told her to walk away, and then drove away in the car. The cremated remains of the victim’s son were in the vehicle.
After the robbery, Smith attempted to use the victim’s credit card at two locations in Bristol.
Smith was arrested on state charges on September 20, 2018. At the time of his arrest he was sitting in the victim’s car. The remains of the victim’s son where not in the car and have not been recovered.
The investigation also revealed that between July 27 and September 19, 2018, Smith committed robberies at businesses located in Bristol, Southington, Hartford, Bloomfield, South Windsor and Windsor Locks.
Smith has been detained since his arrest. On October 6, 2020, he pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford, Bristol, Southington, Bloomfield, South Windsor, Windsor Locks, Farmington and West Hartford Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: Fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Grand Haven Electroplating Company, President, and Vice President Plead Guilty to Clean Water Act OffensesRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced today that ASP Plating Company, of Grand Haven, Gary Stephen Rowe, 70, of Grand Haven, and Stephen Frederick Rowe, 38, formerly of Grand Haven and currently of Oklahoma, pled guilty to criminal violations of the Clean Water Act before the Honorable Sally J. Berens, United States Magistrate Judge. The company and Gary Rowe, its president, pled guilty to a felony violation of the Clean Water Act, and Stephen Rowe, its vice president, pled guilty to a misdemeanor. The Court will set one or more dates for sentencing hearings.
According to public records, the individual defendants operated the corporate defendant, an electroplating company that held an industrial pretreatment permit issued by the Grand Haven-Spring Lake Sewer Authority. At least between 2015 and 2021, the company routinely violated the permit by dumping zinc in excess of the daily and monthly limitations, by releasing zinc in batches without notice, and by bypassing the mandatory pretreatment system entirely. The Sewer Authority periodically monitored the company’s discharges, but Gary and Stephen Rowe instructed employees to make sure the monitor was absent before discharging wastewater containing excessive amounts of zinc.
“No resource is more precious in Michigan than our waters, which define the very boundaries of our state,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “These defendants blatantly and repeatedly thwarted their obligation to properly treat and dispose of wastewater. As U.S. Attorney, I will do everything I can to protect our water. Individuals and businesses that commit environmental crimes will be held accountable.”
The Clean Water Act is the primary law governing pollution of the Nation’s surface waters. Congress first passed the law in 1948, totally revised it in 1972, and subsequently amended the law several times thereafter. In passing the law, Congress declared that its purpose was “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.” 33 U.S.C. § 1251(a). Among other provisions, the Act regulates industrial and municipal discharges. To achieve its goal of preserving clean water, parts of the Act are based on the concept that all discharges into the Nation’s waters by industrial and municipal users are illegal unless specifically authorized by a permit. The law has civil, criminal, and administrative enforcement provisions.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin M. Presant is prosecuting the matter.
The Plea Agreement for Defendant Gary Rowe is available here. The Plea Agreement for Defendant Stephen Rowe is available here. The Plea Agreement for Defendant ASP Plating Company is available here. For each agreement, a recitation of the relevant facts begins on page 3. The document charging the case, called the Information, is available here.
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Gang Member Sentenced to 10 Years for Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking and firearm violations.
According to court documents, on March 26, 2020, law enforcement officers observed Kenton Maurice Haynes, 27, and Kevin Johnson, Jr., 29, both of San Antonio, driving a car in circles in an empty parking lot, parking, and then repositioning several times. Another car pulled up, and the driver exited his vehicle and got into the backseat of Johnson’s car. Officers then arrested all three individuals for a drug transaction that was in progress. At the time of the arrest, Johnson had a loaded handgun and nearly $10,000 in cash. Haynes had a loaded handgun equipped with a high-capacity magazine and approximately $2,700 in cash. Officers also recovered approximately two and a half pounds of marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine during the arrest.
When he was arrested, Haynes was a documented member of the Bloods and Neighborhood Piru street gangs and under felony indictment for state offenses. Haynes was also wanted for multiple felony warrants for narcotics and firearms offenses.
On March 25, 2022, after a four-day jury trial, Haynes was found guilty of one count of receipt of firearm while under indictment; one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
“Today’s sentence reflects the devoted work of our law enforcement partners in making our community safer from gang-related drug and firearms trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Haynes was a documented member of the violent Blood-Piru street gang and had a lengthy criminal history. His sentence should serve as a strong message to the community that the U.S. Attorney’s Office, through the initiative of Project Safe Neighborhoods, is dedicated to reducing and deterring violence in our communities.”
“It is more important now than ever before that we hold criminals accountable for their actions,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Fred J. Milanowski, Houston Division. “As with this joint effort, we will continue to combat violent crime by holding violent offenders who possess firearms and narcotics, liable.”
On March 16, 2022, Haynes’ co-defendant, Kevin Johnson, Jr., pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Johnson is scheduled for sentencing on October 17, 2022. He faces a maximum of five years in prison for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime to be served consecutively with any other sentence imposed.
The ATF, along with members of San Antonio Texas Anti-Gang Center (TAG), investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and William F. Calve prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Anonymous tips involving gang crime and wanted fugitives can be submitted at www.stopsanantoniogangs.org.
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Former Federal Correctional Officer Sentenced to Prison for Lying About Engaging in Unlawful Sexual Activity with Jail InmateRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former correctional officer at the federal jail in downtown Los Angeles was sentenced to a prison term today for lying to investigators about his sexual activity with an inmate who was under his care and supervision.
Abel Concho, 54, of East Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner to a total of six months – three months in federal prison and an additional three-month term of home confinement. Judge Klausner also ordered Concho to pay the victim $9,500 in restitution.
Concho pleaded guilty in November 2021 to one count of making false statements.
Concho was employed by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) as a correctional officer at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Los Angeles. The victim in this case was an MDC inmate under Concho’s supervision from June 2010 to February 2011.
On July 28, 2021, Concho made a series of false statements during an administrative interview with federal investigators, including that he “never” had sexual contact with one MDC inmate, when in fact Concho engaged in sexual contact with the victim on approximately 35 different occasions. Concho, on multiple occasions, also lied that he “never had sexual contact” with any MDC inmates, according to court documents.
“Having abused his power in supervising the halls of a federal institution to commit sexual abuse and then lying up to cover up those gross abuses, justice demands that defendant should now spend time on the other side of the bars,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed with the court.
After initially denying he had any sexual contact with the victim, Concho then falsely stated that he had sexual intercourse with the victim just “once (or) twice” that he could recall. Concho also falsely stated on multiple occasions that he did not provide a cellphone to the victim to take nude photographs for him. In fact, he illegally smuggled a cellphone into MDC and gave the cellphone to the victim to take nude photographs for him, which the victim then did.
Concho admitted in his plea agreement that he knew it was a federal crime and an offense that could lead to termination for a BOP employee to knowingly engage in any sexual act with a person in official detention and under his authority in a federal facility and to smuggle contraband, including cellphones, into MDC for inmates’ use.
Concho admitted he knew that, under the law and pursuant to the BOP employee code of conduct, sexual activity between staff and inmates could not be considered consensual and was not permitted. In addition to the harm it caused inmates, staff sexual acts with inmates threatened the safety and security of the prison and betrayed the trust and confidence placed in the BOP by the public, Concho admitted.
As part of his plea agreement, Concho also agreed not to seek employment in any law enforcement capacity or a position that requires carrying a firearm.
The United States Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Mack E. Jenkins, Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, prosecuted this case.
Former Belmont County attorney pleads guilty to stealing more than $800,000 from elderly victim with dementiaRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Belmont County attorney pleaded guilty to a crime related to stealing more than $882,000 from an elderly woman with dementia while purporting to act in her best interests under a Power of Attorney.
Mark Alan Thomas, 62, of St. Clairsville, Ohio, pleaded guilty to mail fraud, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
“My office is dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable among us, particularly those targeted through elder fraud,” U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker said. “The victim in this case was 85 years old, exhibiting symptoms of dementia, and living in a senior-care facility, making the defendant’s conduct even more depraved.”
According to court documents, from 2012 through August 2019, Thomas defrauded a client while acting as her agent under a Power of Attorney. Thomas took the victim’s money without her knowledge or permission to use for his own benefit.
Thomas improperly used the victim’s Power of Attorney and his status as a lawyer – even after his law license was revoked in 2015 – to convince various entities, including banks and life insurance companies, to transfer the victim’s money for his use.
In May 2012, a family member of the victim obtained a separate Power of Attorney for the victim, and Thomas drafted a revocation of the family member’s Power of Attorney for the victim to sign. Thomas acted as the notary to verify the victim’s signature on the revocation.
Furthermore, Thomas falsely told a banker he needed $200,000 from the victim’s investment account to set up an educational fund that the victim wanted to establish. Once he received the money from the bank, Thomas transferred the money to himself instead.
In January 2014, Thomas cashed more than $290,000 of the victim’s U.S. Treasury Bonds, then subsequently transferred $200,000 into his law firm’s bank account, and eventually into his own personal bank account.
According to court documents, in 2016, Thomas wrote letters to three life insurance companies purporting to be the victim asking to cash out the victim’s policies and direct all correspondence to Thomas.
Thomas was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2021.
“Older Americans can be especially vulnerable to fraudsters who take advantage of the elderly and steal their hard-earned savings,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers. “It is deeply concerning when an individual exploits their position of trust in an effort to steal from a senior victim.”
“A power of attorney is a special kind of trust—and the abuse of that trust is a special kind of crime. It deserves an especially long sentence,” said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
Kenneth L. Parker, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the guilty plea entered before Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. The Ohio Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Unit and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Twombly and S. Courter Shimeall are representing the United States in this case.
To report elder fraud, please visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center or contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833–FRAUD–11 or 833–372–8311 Monday – Friday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm EST.
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Florida Couple Charged with Sending Threatening Communications to Law Enforcement and Others in Northern OhioRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that a Florida couple was charged in a five-count indictment with sending threatening communications to federal law enforcement agents and other individuals in the Northern District of Ohio.
Akil Larry Joseph, 31, and Alexa Marie Logan, 30, both of Homestead, Florida, were charged with four counts of cyberstalking and one count of interstate communications with intent to extort.
According to court documents, from November 2021 to July 2022, it is alleged that Joseph and Logan sent numerous threatening communications, via email and telephone, to federal law enforcement agents and other individuals in the Northern District of Ohio with the intent to obtain money from the victims.
Court documents state that over the course of an approximately two-year period, multiple communications sent by the couple, primarily via email, came to contain increasingly harassing and aggressive language rhetoric and tone.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, a sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum; in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case was investigated by the FBI. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Joyce and Peter E. Daly.
Federal Jury Finds Two San Francisco Residents Guilty for Respective Roles in Shootout Resulting in MurderRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal jury handed down guilty verdicts in the cases against Robert Manning and Jamare Coats for their respective roles in the March 23, 2019, shootout at the Fillmore Heritage Center, announced United States Attorney Stephanie Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Sean Regan. The verdicts follow a three- week trial before the Hon. William H. Alsup, United States District Judge.
At trial, the government submitted evidence that Manning, 28, and Coats, 26, both of San Francisco, were members of a street gang called Mac Block, prosecuted in this case as a racketeering enterprise under the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering Activity (“VICAR”) statute. The gang operated in San Francisco’s Western Addition and its members engaged in racketeering activity, including murder, attempted murder, and robbery. The central issue at trial was the March 23, 2019, murder of a man in front of the Fillmore Heritage Center. The government demonstrated that on that day, Manning and Coats, each a felon at the time, possessed a firearm and ammunition that had traveled in interstate commerce. The government also demonstrated that Coats fired his pistol and committed murder in aid of racketeering activity, and that Manning aided and abetted the murder for an illegal gang-related purpose— i.e., maintaining and increasing their position in the Mac Block street gang. Coats and Manning provoked a deadly shootout which ultimately led to the firing of at least 24 shots on a crowed sidewalk in front of the Fillmore Heritage Center. Four innocent bystanders were struck by bullets, in addition to the shootout participant who died. One of the bystanders remains paralyzed from the bullet wound he received in the shootout.
On August 10, 2021, a federal grand jury handed down a second superseding indictment charging Manning and Coats with murder in aid of racketeering in aid in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(1) and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). Pursuant to the jury’s verdicts today, each defendant has been found guilty of both crimes.
Both defendants are in custody. Judge Alsup has scheduled a sentencing hearing for October 11, 2022. The defendants face a mandatory sentence of life in prison for the VICAR murder charge. For the felon in possession charge, the defendants each face a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
This case was prosecuted by the Organized Crime Strike Force section of the United States Attorney’s Office and was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Francisco Police Department.
FBI Announces Results of Nationwide Sex Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
The FBI, working with its state and local partners during two weeks in August, identified and located 84 minor victims of child sex trafficking and child sexual exploitation offenses and located 37 actively missing children during a nationwide enforcement campaign, dubbed “Operation Cross Country.”
“The Justice Department is committed to doing everything in our power to combat the insidious crimes of human trafficking that devastate survivors and their families,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am grateful to the dedicated professionals of the FBI and our law enforcement partners across the country for their tireless work to rescue trafficking survivors, including exploited children, to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of trafficking crimes, and to provide the services and support that survivors need and deserve.”
The FBI-led nationwide initiative focused on identifying and locating victims of sex trafficking and investigating and arresting individuals and criminal enterprises involved in both child sex and human trafficking.
"Human trafficking is among the most heinous crimes the FBI encounters,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Unfortunately, such crimes—against both adults and children—are far more common than most people realize. As we did in this operation, the FBI and our partners will continue to find and arrest traffickers, identify and help victims, and raise awareness of the exploitation our most vulnerable populations.”
In addition to the identification and location of adolescent victims, the FBI and its partners located 141 adult victims of human trafficking. Agents and investigators also identified or arrested 85 suspects of child sexual exploitation and human trafficking offenses. Those suspects identified will be subject to additional investigation for potential chargers. The average age of victims located in similar operations is approximately 15.5 years old, while the youngest victim discovered during this operation was 11 years old.
As part of Operation Cross Country XII, FBI special agents, intelligence analysts, victim specialists, and child adolescent forensic Interviewers working in conjunction with 200 state, local, and federal partners and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) conducted 391 operations over the two-week period.
“The success of Operation Cross County reinforces what NCMEC sees every day. Children are being bought and sold for sex in communities across the country by traffickers, gangs and even family members,” said Michelle DeLaune, President and CEO National Center for Missing & Exploited Children “We’re proud to support the FBI’s efforts to prioritize the safety of children. This national operation highlights the need for all child serving professionals to continue to focus on the wellbeing of children and youth to prevent them being targeted in the first place.”
Victim specialists provide a “bridge” for victims who are wary of the system, help the victim establish positive relationships with law enforcement, and ensure the human trafficking victim population receives any appropriate resources available to them. Victim specialists also provide services based on the individual needs of human trafficking victims, to include crisis intervention, emergency food and clothing, transportation to receive emergency services, and locating shelter or housing. The task forces in the recent operation included federal, state, local and tribal partners, with efforts in every state and even a few U.S. territories.
Resources:
- Victim Services Division
- Crimes Against Children
- Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section
- Operation Cross Country 2022
Evansville Man Sentenced to 16 Months in Prison for Using his Accounting Position to Embezzle More than $87,000 from his Gibson County EmployerRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE – Patrick Garrett, 33, of Evansville, Indiana, was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering.
According to court documents, Garrett was employed as a Sales Specialist for a business located in Gibson County, Indiana. Garrett was responsible for handling accounts payable and accounts receivable. From April 9, 2021, to July 16, 2021, Garrett devised and executed a direct bill and fake invoice scheme to steal $87,192.26 from his employer.
Garrett purchased approximately 62 items for himself from Amazon and other retailers by charging the purchases to his employer without authorization. Garrett’s fraudulent purchases included a car, five gas motorcycles, three electric scooters, an Apple iPad Pro, an Apple iMac Pro desktop computer, an Apple MacBook Pro laptop computer, and two drones. Garrett entered false or altered information about these purchases into his employer’s accounting system to conceal the fraud.
Garrett also submitted false invoices into his employer’s accounting system for services he claimed were provided by Garrett Ventures. Garrett created the company in 2018 and served as its Chief Financial Officer. No services were ever provided by Garrett Ventures to Garrett’s employer.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana; Jeffrey Adams, acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service; Rodney Hopkins, Inspector of Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Sheriff Timothy Bottoms of the Gibson County Sherriff’s Office made the announcement.
The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Gibson County Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that Garrett pay restitution of $87,192.84, forfeit any illicitly purchased items, and be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for two years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Miller who prosecuted this case.
Conway Drug Supplier Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Kimo Takarra Felton, 42, of Conway, was sentenced this week to more than 11 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a member of a 35-member conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
Evidence presented at the sentencing hearing reflects that between 2017 and 2020, Felton supplied other drug dealers in the Myrtle Beach area with various quantities of cocaine totaling more than 50 kilograms. Felton’s participation in this conspiracy came to light when he was intercepted during a wiretap investigation conducted during the summer of 2020. In August 2020, agents subsequently intercepted a shipment of half a kilogram of cocaine that Felton had just sent to another drug dealer by way of a courier. When Felton was arrested by federal authorities on December 1, 2020, he answered the door with a Draco 7.62 caliber assault rifle and several other firearms were found inside his residence, a location where he had met others during the course of the conspiracy. Despite his lack of any prior felony convictions, Felton received a lengthy sentence based on the significant quantity of drugs he distributed and his possession of firearms during the offense.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Felton to 135 months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Felton has been in custody since his December 2020 arrest. There is no parole in the federal system.
This operation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Florence Resident Office quarterbacked this large-scale, long-term investigation with significant participation from the following agencies: Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), United States Marshal Service, Myrtle Beach Police Department, Horry County Police Department, North Myrtle Beach Police Department, Florence County Sheriff’s Office, Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office, 15th Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit, Conway Police Department, and Horry County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian, Lead Attorney for the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), prosecuted the case with support from the 15thth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today for illegal possession of a semiautomatic pistol and ammunition.
Shaquille Lee, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On March 2, 2022, Lee pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
“Prohibited individuals who possess firearms and ammunition pose a great danger to our communities. As a convicted felon, Mr. Lee was strictly forbidden from possessing any firearms, yet was found with a gun and ammunition. Adding insult to injury, he was on state pretrial release for a violent crime and subject to an active arrest warrant for a shooting. This has to stop. People need to be on notice that if you engage in violent serious crimes, particularly those involving guns, you are forfeiting your right to freedom pending your trial,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “My office will continue to work with law enforcement to ensure that violent and dangerous individuals like Mr. Lee do not continue to freely roam our communities without repercussions.”
“ATF remains committed in our efforts to keep firearms out of the hands of convicted felons,” said James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division. “ATF will continue to work with our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners and use all available resources to combat violent gun crimes that occur within our communities.”
In April 2021, Lee was on state pretrial release for assault and battery charges and also subject to an active arrest warrant as a suspect in a February 2021 shooting in Canton. Those cases are currently pending in Malden District Court and Plymouth Superior Court, respectively. On April 23, 2021, law enforcement conducted a search of Lee’s apartment and recovered a Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol, loaded with 13 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition on the nightstand table in his bedroom. Lee was also found in possession of an additional 18 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition in an extended firearm magazine. Lee is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to a 2018 state conviction of distribution, and possession with intent to distribute, a Class B substance.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, ATF SAC Ferguson and Canton Police Chief Kenneth Berkowitz; and Everett Police Chief Steven A. Mazzie made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley, Jr. of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Connecticut man sentenced for role in firearms conspiracyRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – William Joseph Milot, of Waterbury, Connecticut, was sentenced today to 100 months of incarceration for his role in a firearms trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Milot, 32, pleaded guilty in April 2022 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the False Statement in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms.” Milot admitted to working with another to illegally purchase two 9mm pistols from a firearms dealer in December 2020 in Marion County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
California Firm and Owner Sentenced for COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A California man was sentenced Friday to eight months in custody for the importation, shipping and sale of illegally imported pesticides that were falsely advertised as products that could protect the user “from airborne infectious diseases.”
Samir Haj, 47, of San Diego, pleaded guilty in the Southern District of California on May 25, 2021, to charges relating to the unlawful importation, sale and mailing of an unregistered pesticide product from Japan marketed as a killer of airborne viruses such as COVID-19. Both he and his firm, Eco Shield LLC, were ordered to forfeit $427,689 in proceeds and pay restitution of $86,754. Eco Shield was ordered to pay an additional fine of $42,000.
According to court documents, the defendants sold the product EcoAirDoctor, a small gas-emitting badge that defendants claimed would kill viruses within a certain distance. Products making these types of public health claims are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which requires extensive testing to substantiate the claims of efficacy and safety prior to approving them for registration and sale in the United States. EcoAirDoctor was not registered with the EPA, and testing performed on behalf of the defendants revealed that the badge was not measurably effective “at killing off a useful number of microbes within the air.”
“This prosecution sends a strong message that circumventing federal environmental and public safety laws in order to profit from the public’s fears during a pandemic will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “I thank our partners at the Environmental Protection Agency, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Postal Service for the investigation that led to the convictions and sentencings in this case.”
“This product not only didn’t work, but it was even potentially harmful,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman for the Southern District of California. “The defendant and his company will be held to account for cashing in on Covid-19 fears during a global pandemic.”
“The defendants knowingly persisted in their false assertions that their product provided protection against COVID-19,” said Special Agent in Charge Scot Adair of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Program in California. “EPA and its law enforcement partners are committed to holding responsible parties accountable for putting people’s health at risk.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), along with our government partners, are committed to protecting the American public against criminal networks attempting to illegally import and sell products that could endanger lives of U.S. consumers for financial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz of HSI San Diego. “We remain vigilant and will use our broad legal authorities to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks seeking to exploit and benefit from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Postal Inspectors remain vigilant in protecting the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and the communities we serve," said Inspector in Charge Carroll N. Harris of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). "Preventing the dangerous misuse of the nation’s mail system remains one of our top priorities.”
The EcoAirDoctor badge consisted of sodium chlorite and natural zeolite. When the product is opened, the zeolite contacts the sodium chlorite, releasing chlorine dioxide gas. The EPA has established a reference concentration for long-term continuous exposure to chlorine dioxide of 0.00007 parts per million (ppm). Risks from the inhalation of chlorine dioxide are a concern if the air concentrations exceed the reference concentration. The documentation provided by Eco Shield LLC states that chlorine dioxide levels below 0.0001 do not kill viruses and claims that the concentration for viral inactivation should be between 0.0001 and 0.1 ppm, in excess of the levels deemed safe by the EPA.
Moreover, both sodium chlorite and chlorine dioxide (nonhydrate) fall into Hazard Class 5.1 under the USPS rules and regulations, for which mailing is prohibited. Transportation of these materials via USPS is strictly prohibited, due to the danger of fire and explosion. Chlorine dioxide does not require air to combust and can cause coughing, wheezing, and respiratory distress. At very high exposure levels, it can be fatal. Records from Eco Shield LLC indicate that 1,744 Air Doctor Portables were shipped via the USPS to purchasers across the United States between March 1, 2020 and April 18, 2020. At least 300 of those shipments occurred after the defendants received notice that shipping by mail was unlawful.
The defendants imported the EcoAirDoctor badge from Japan, falsely describing it as air purifiers rather than pesticides, which would have subjected the entry to inspection by the EPA. In addition to falsely describing the nature of the goods, the entry documents undervalued the shipment by over $500,000, allowing the defendants to evade $33,919 in Customs duties. The sentence imposed required the defendants to pay restitution of $86,754 to U.S. Customs to cover the loss of duty and the cost of disposing of seized EcoAirDoctor badges.
The defendants profited handsomely from the sale of the illegally-imported pesticides. At the outset of the pandemic, the badges, purchased for $6.25 each, were then sold to the public in the United States for $20.95 each, plus shipping. During the first six months of 2020, the defendants pocketed $1,132,950 from the sale of the badges, including sales occurring outside the United States. The Federal Trade Commission issued a warning letter on April 27, 2020, advising the company not to make unsubstantiated claims for Coronavirus protection, and on July 24, 2020, the EPA issued a Stop, Sale, Use or Removal Order. The sentence requires the defendants to forfeit $427,689 in proceeds from the sale of the badges within the United States.
The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, HSI, and the USPS investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Stephen Da Ponte of the Environment and Natural Resources Division's Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie K. Pierson for the Southern District of California prosecuted the case.
Billings woman admits trafficking fentanyl on Rocky Boy’s Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Billings woman suspected of trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Chantel Marie Azure, 33, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Azure faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Chief Judge Morris set sentencing for Dec. 1. The court will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Azure was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that from about December 2020 through January 2021, at Havre and on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, Azure conspired with others to distribute meth and fentanyl. In January 2021, an informant working with law enforcement made a controlled purchase of 10 suspected fentanyl pills for $800 from Azure. The transaction involved Azure driving, with two male passengers, to a location and doing the drug deal in the informant’s car. Law enforcement continued surveillance of Azure and watched her engage in what appeared to be another transaction with a known local drug user. Law enforcement then stopped Azure’s vehicle, and identified the two other passengers, who ultimately were arrested. Cash from the controlled buy was found on the passengers. One of the passengers had meth and fentanyl pills the other passenger had a smaller bag of meth. A search warrant for Azure’s Facebook accounts recovered evidence of Azure trafficking both meth and pills.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Tri Agency Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration and Havre Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Alien Smuggling Coordinator Pleads Guilty to Bribing Former Border Patrol AgentRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Luis Alfredo Quintero-Gonzalez, 36, of Mexico, pleaded guilty on August 11, 2022, for Conspiracy to Commit Bribery and Alien Smuggling. Sentencing is scheduled for October 25, 2022, before United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps.
Evidence gathered during the investigation established that Quintero-Gonzalez paid former United States Border Patrol (USBP) agent Carlos Passapera thousands of dollars in cash bribes for smuggling undocumented noncitizens into the United States between August and December 2019.
Quintero-Gonzalez admitted that he conspired to coordinate and coordinated the illegal entry of undocumented noncitizens by acting as the middleman between Passapera and the individuals seeking illegal passage into the United States. While working as a USBP agent, Passapera would receive communication from Quintero-Gonzalez and then pick up the undocumented noncitizens along the U.S.-Mexico border near Lukeville, Arizona. Passapera would then smuggle the individuals through Border Patrol checkpoints and deliver them to locations within the Phoenix area. Throughout the conspiracy, Quintero-Gonzalez and Passapera smuggled at least eight undocumented noncitizens into the United States. In exchange for his role in the conspiracy, Passapera received approximately $64,000 in bribery payments from Quintero-Gonzalez.
A conviction for Conspiracy to Commit Bribery and Alien Smuggling carries a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
Passapera was charged separately for his involvement in the conspiracy in case CR-20-01706-TUC-JGZ-MSA and has pleaded not guilty. His jury trial is scheduled to begin on April 3, 2023, before United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Southern Arizona Corruption Task Force, and the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General. The Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Section of the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-01529-TUC-JGZ-MSA
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-135_QUINTERO-GONZALEZ# # #
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.
Alabama Company Charged in Worker Death CaseRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama announced criminal charges today in a case involving willful violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards that led to a worker’s death. The charges involve an Aug. 16, 2017, incident at the Helena, Alabama, plant owned by ABC Polymer Industries LLC, in which a worker was pulled into a cluster of unguarded moving rollers and killed.
ABC Polymer manufactures flat plastic sheets using plastic extrusion assembly lines that pull the plastic sheeting through multiple clusters of large spinning rollers. As alleged in the charging document, the machine at issue was manufactured with a metal barrier that would protect the operator from the pinch points of the moving rollers, as well as an “interlock” mechanism that would stop the rollers’ spinning if the guard were lifted out of the way. OSHA standards require moving machinery, such as the one at issue here, to be guarded while the machine is energized.
However, ABC Polymer had a standard practice of operating that machine with the guard in the “up” or unprotected position when the rollers were moving. The automatic mechanism that would have stopped the line and rollers’ spinning when the guard was in the up position was not used, allowing operators to reach between or near the roller drums to cut tangles in the plastic sheet without stopping the line.
Despite knowing of numerous prior worker injuries from using that machine without the safety guard engaged, ABC Polymer assigned the victim to cut tangles out of plastic sheeting from among the machine’s unguarded spinning rollers with a hand tool. The worker became entangled in the spinning rollers and was killed.
Federal law makes it a class B misdemeanor to willfully fail to follow an OSHA safety standard where the failure causes the death of an employee. The class B misdemeanor is the only federal criminal charge covering such workplace safety violations.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor investigated this case. Trial Attorneys William Shapiro and Ethan Eddy of Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division, Environmental Crimes Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Posey and Ryan Rummage are prosecuting the case.
The defendant is presumed innocent until convicted. If convicted, the defendant faces a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the financial gain to the defendant or twice the financial loss to another, whichever is greater, and is also liable for restitution to the victim. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the relevant statutory factors.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Saturday 13 August 2022
Federal Jury Finds Man Guilty in Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – After three days of trial, a federal jury convicted Abdul Inusah, 31, of Ghana, for his role in a Huntington-based scheme that defrauded individuals in multiple states through the use of false online personas.
Evidence at trial revealed that Inusah was part of a conspiracy that targeted victims using false personas via email, text messaging, and online dating and social media websites. From at least January 2018 through at least December 2019, the scheme sought to induce victims into believing they were in a romantic relationship, friendship, or business relationship with the various false personas. The victims were persuaded to send money for a variety of false and fraudulent reasons for the benefit of the false personas.
One false persona, “Miarama,” was used to induce an Alabama resident into providing $106,000 via wire transfers and cashier’s checks. The amount included $48,000 to pay overdue taxes on a nonexistent gold inheritance in Ghana and $21,000 wired to Bitsav Supply LLC, a shell company set up by Inusah. Another false persona, “Grace,” persuaded a Washington resident to wire funds so “Grace” could maintain her South African cocoa plantation and move to the United States to marry the victim. Other victims of the false personas included residents of Ohio and Florida.
The jury found Inusah guilty of receipt of stolen money, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of wire fraud. The wire fraud counts involve a pair of $2,000 Zelle wire transfers to Inusah from the money obtained using the “Miarama” false persona in January 2019.
“It is truly heartbreaking how this conspiracy exploited individuals who were particularly vulnerable, such as following the death of a longtime spouse,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “Some of the victims did not recognize themselves as victims, and continued to believe these false personas were real and that they were in actual relationships. I commend the investigative work of the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), the West Virginia State Police and the South Charleston Police Department. I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Kathleen Robeson and R. Gregory McVey and our trial team for trying this complex fraud case before the jury.”
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the jury trial. Inusah is scheduled to be sentenced on November 21, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison.
The public is encouraged to report potential online fraud activity or scams at https://www.ic3.gov/.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10am-6pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
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. 3:21-cr-70.
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Friday 12 August 2022
West Chester Man Indicted for Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware announced today that Robert L. Higgins, age 67, of West Chester, PA, was indicted in a Second Superseding Indictment on eight counts of fraud and five counts of tax evasion.
The Indictment charges that Higgins owned and operated businesses in Wilmington, including First State Depository Company, Certified Assets Management, Inc., and Argent Asset Group, LLC, which were involved in the purchase, storage, and sale of precious metals.
More specifically, the Indictment charges that:
- In 2012, Higgins accepted money from an investor for the purchase of silver but had no intent to deliver on that promise and instead fraudulently used the money to operate his businesses, which were on the verge of financial collapse, and which did collapse by approximately the end of 2012;
- Higgins refused the investor’s repeated demands for the full return of his approximately $828,000 investment and;
- Higgins ultimately met with the victim investor and lied to him about the true history of his investment;
- Higgins evaded personal income taxes for the years 2015 through 2019 by diverting Argent Asset Group business funds to pay personal expenses, and by filing false returns with the IRS.
U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “Financial challenges do not excuse obligations to file and properly report to the IRS. Nor can financial difficulties ever justify fraud. Financial transactions demand accurate disclosures to investors and regulators, and no one can simply ignore the requirements of law.”
An Indictment is merely an accusation. A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edmund Falgowski is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 22-44 MN.
Waterbury Resident Pleads Guilty to False Statement Charge Involving COVID-19 Vaccine RecordsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced that ZAYA POWELL, 25, of Waterbury, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to a false statement offense stemming from her creation of false COVID-19 vaccine records for several individuals.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Powell worked as a Data Entry Specialist for Griffin Health Services Corporation (“Griffin Health”) and, in that role, she traveled to various COVID-19 vaccination sites in Connecticut operated by Griffin Health. Although Powell did not administer the vaccines, she had access to the Griffin Health electronic health record system and to stacks of blank COVID-19 vaccination cards. She also had access to the Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS), a database developed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that tracked COVID-19 vaccine administration.
Between August and October 2021, Powell created fraudulent vaccination records in VAMS for 14 different individuals. The records indicated that each of the 14 individuals had received a single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination at a Griffin Health location when, in fact, none had received any COVID-19 vaccination from Griffin Health or any other health care provider. In order to create the fraudulent vaccination record, Powell entered each individual’s name and date of birth into VAMS. She also created fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards for each of the 14, and distributed the fraudulent cards to the individuals or to their family members or co-workers. The fraudulent cards included lot numbers of genuine vaccines that were administered to other Griffin Health patients.
The investigation revealed that four of the 14 individuals who received fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards created by Powell were state employees who worked at the Southbury Training School, a Connecticut Department of Developmental Services facility located in Southbury. The four Southbury Training School employees were “state employees” or “state hospital employees” within the scope of Executive Order 13G issued by Governor Lamont, and were therefore required to meet the vaccination requirements of the Executive Order by September 27, 2021. The four employees sought and used the fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination cards created by Powell and the false entries in VAMS created by Powell to falsely document that they had received a COVID-19 vaccination.
Powell pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement relating to a health care matter, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for November 4, 2022.
Powell is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG).
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services, and Griffin Health for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon.
Waterbury Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RALPH ERNEST, 19, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 66 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug and firearm offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an ongoing investigation into gangs, drug trafficking and the illegal possession of firearms in Waterbury. On January 18, 2021, Ernest, a member of the Paybacc Crypts gang, stole a car belonging to an off-duty Connecticut State Police trooper. The car contained three shotguns and FBI credentials. Ernest was arrested the next day after officers located him in the stolen car and recovered a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition, as well as quantities of heroin, cocaine and marijuana. Two of the stolen shotguns were recovered soon after Ernest’s arrest from one of his gang associates. The third stolen shotgun and the FBI credentials have not been located.
Ernest has been detained since his arrest on January 19, 2021. On April 7, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Connecticut State Police; the Waterbury Police Department; the Wolcott Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and John T. Pierpont, Jr.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Waterbury for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Washington, D.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking a 15-Year-Old Homeless Girl for His Prostitution BusinessRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Sirron Little, age 31, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday to sex trafficking of a minor female to engage in commercial sex acts. Little recruited the victim, who was homeless and 15 years old at the time, to work for him as a prostitute.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, Little recruited Victim 1 to work for him as a sex worker in April 2018, when she was 15 years old and homeless. Victim 1 worked for Little, engaging in sex acts for money, until December 4, 2018. Little used his cell phone to communicate with Victim 1 regarding the prostitution business, to post scantily clad photos of Victim 1 on online dating services to solicit commercial sex clients and to advertise Victim 1 as a prostitute, and to arrange “dates” with commercial sex clients, in Washington D.C. and in Maryland. Little initially had Victim 1 meet clients for “car dates” or had someone drive Victim 1 to a client’s residence. Eventually, Little moved the sex trafficking operation to motels in Prince George’s County, Maryland. In addition to meeting clients for car dates and at hotels, Little directed Victim 1 to walk along Allentown Road in Maryland and solicit clients directly on the street.
As detailed in the plea agreement, Victim 1 would typically see multiple clients per day, generating as much as $1,500 in a day. Little set the prices for the sex acts, set certain monetary goals for Victim 1, and required Victim 1 to give all the proceeds from the sex trafficking operation to Little. Little threatened to stop providing the victim with food, transportation, and shelter if she did not meet the monetary goals. Little admitted that he physically assaulted Victim 1 on multiple occasions, threatened Victim 1 with a firearm on at least one occasion, and engaged in sex acts with Victim 1.
On December 4, 2018, Victim 1 called emergency services and reported that Little had threatened her with a firearm and had an open warrant. When law enforcement responded to the hotel where Victim 1 and Little were staying, Victim 1 advised that she was having a fight with Little and that he was armed. Little was arrested and a loaded .40-caliber handgun was seized from the room, along with a 20-round box of ammunition and two cellular phones.
As part of his plea agreement, Little must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Little and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Little will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte has scheduled sentencing for December 6, 2022 at 11:30 a.m.
The case was investigated by the FBI-led Maryland Child Exploitation Task Force, created in 2010 to combat child prostitution, with members from10 state and federal law enforcement agencies. The Task Force coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Maryland State Police Child Recovery Unit to identify missing children being advertised online for prostitution.
MCETF partners with the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state, and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.mdhumantrafficking.org/.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Baldwin, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/human-trafficking and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Virginia Beach Man Sentenced for Possessing a Machine Gun Used in a Norfolk ShootoutRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 7 years in prison for possessing a machine gun used in a shootout in Norfolk.
According to court documents, Shy’Quan Dodson, 25, possessed a machine gun on July 18, 2021. That day, Norfolk police officers were in the vicinity of the 900 block of Tunstall Avenue in Norfolk, where they observed multiple individuals shooting at each other. The individuals fled in three separate vehicles, and during the ensuing pursuit a firearm was tossed from the rear of the vehicle. After a 15-minute pursuit that ended in a crash in Portsmouth, the defendant was detained while attempting to flee on foot from the vehicle. The firearm tossed from the vehicle was a Glock with an attached component that converted the handgun into a fully automatic machine gun.
A search of Dodson’s cell phone showed photos of him holding the weapon, and a primer residue test revealed that Dodson had primer particles on his hands from the discharge of a firearm. Dodson’s phone also contained communications with another individual related to the buying and selling of machine gun conversion kits. According to court filings Dodson is a member of the Norfolk-based Kai Gang, a criminal street gang.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney; and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William B. Jackson and Joseph DePadilla and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle are prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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. 2:22-cr-1
United States Attorney Kavanaugh Reflects on Five-Year Anniversary of August 12 Terrorist Attack in CharlottesvilleRead the Press Release
Charlottesville, Va. – United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh released the following statement marking five years since the Unite the Right riots that occurred on August 11-12th, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia:
“Five years ago, the city of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia were engulfed by a group of white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Across the nation, people watched in shock as hate-filled violence erupted in the streets of our city. At the end of the day, Heather Heyer, a Charlottesville resident, was killed and at least 30 more peaceful protestors were significantly injured as the result of a senseless mass casualty vehicle attack. Virginia State Police Lieutenant Pilot Jay Cullen and Trooper Pilot Berke M. Bates tragically lost their lives while conducting aerial surveillance that later proved critical in the Justice Department’s investigation. Scores of other individuals were injured, physically and psychologically, and many still feel the effects today.
The United States Department of Justice joins the Charlottesville community in remembering and honoring those who suffered from the events of that weekend. This five-year anniversary serves as a stark reminder that we still have much work to do in the areas of combatting hate crimes and domestic terrorism, both of which remain top priorities of the Justice Department. My Office will continue to hold accountable anyone who engages in violence motivated by racism, bigotry, or other forms of hatred.”
Texas Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Anabolic Steroids through the MailRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Texas man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for distributing anabolic steroids through the mail.
DAVID E. HUTCHINSON, 47, of Georgetown, Texas, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of distributing anabolic steroids. U.S. District Judge John R. Blakey imposed the prison sentence Thursday after a hearing in federal court in Rockford.
The sentencing was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and William Hedrick, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Talia Bucci.
According to a written plea agreement, Hutchinson, who used the name “Robolics,” distributed anabolic steroids through the U.S. mail from at least January to November of 2019. Hutchinson sold a variety of products containing anabolic steroids. He advertised the steroids through online forums, both directly and through sales representatives. He took orders via email, and he accepted payment either by cash mailed to a fictitious company or via bitcoin transfer. Upon payment, Hutchinson shipped orders of anabolic steroids to customers in multiple states. Hutchinson admitted in the plea agreement that he mailed several parcels containing anabolic steroids to a location in Algonquin, Ill. The shipments fulfilled orders that were placed by federal law enforcement acting in an undercover capacity.
When law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hutchinson’s then-residence in North Carolina on Nov. 21, 2019, Hutchinson was found to be in possession of more than 6,900 grams of anabolic steroids in powder form, several U.S. mail parcels containing anabolic steroids that Hutchinson had packaged for shipment, various mixing and packaging materials, several firearms, a safe containing more than $88,000 in cash, and a cryptocurrency hard wallet containing approximately $87,332 in cryptocurrency. Hutchinson admitted in the plea agreement that on Nov. 18, 2019, he delivered to a post office in North Carolina a parcel containing samples of his product that he was shipping to Slovakia for chemical analysis. The following day, he delivered to the post office nine parcels containing anabolic steroids that he was mailing to customers.
Texas Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Ezekiel Fernandez, II, 32, of Highlands, Texas, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska. United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Fernandez to 57 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl. After serving his sentence, Fernandez will be placed on supervised release for 2 years. There is no parole in the federal system.
On May 27, 2021, a Lancaster County Sheriff’s deputy pulled a vehicle over for a traffic violation along Interstate 80 in Lancaster County, Nebraska. Fernandez was identified as the driver. After the traffic stop, a K9 was called and deployed around the vehicle. The K9 alerted and indicated to the presence of narcotics odor in the vehicle. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and found a duffle bag in the back seat with around $30,000 in US currency. Fernandez later agreed to forfeiting that currency. Officers also found a bag with a large number of blue pills in the front seat. The blue pills were sent to a lab for testing, and the lab confirmed that the pills contained fentanyl and weighed about 1.07 kilograms.
This case was investigated by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Texas Man Charged with Using Drone to Deliver Contraband to PrisonRead the Press Release
A Smithville man who allegedly flew a drone loaded with drugs and other contraband into prison has been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Bryant LeRay Henderson, 42, was arrested at his residence on Thursday, charged via criminal complaint with one count of attempting to provide contraband in prison, one count of serving as an airman without an airman’s certificate, and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He will make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton at 11 a.m. today.
“Contraband drone deliveries are quickly becoming the bane of prison officials’ existence. Illicit goods pose a threat to guards and inmates alike – and when it comes to cell phones, the threat often extends outside prison walls. We are determined to stop this trend in its tracks,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham.
“The criminal element will always take advantage of new opportunities for illegal activity as technology progresses,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “In this instance, excellent collaborative investigation among federal and local agencies led to multiple federal charges and prevented contraband from entering the federal prison system.”
According to court documents, Mr. Henderson allegedly flew a DJI Inspire drone into the airspace over FMC Fort Worth, a federal correctional in the south part of the city, just before midnight on Wednesday, May 4. The drone crashed inside a secure, fenced-in yard near the prison’s HVAC shop, where staff recovered it. Affixed to the drone was a package containing 46 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 87 grams of pressed THC, two prepaid smartphones, and nine mp3 players.
Law enforcement pulled surveillance video from a nearby high school and observed a young male drive up in a red Chevy Tahoe with a Transformers decal on the rear window, remove a drone and a package from the vehicle, launch the drone towards the prison, and then drive off:
In a review of other surveillance footage, law enforcement identified a red Tahoe with an identical Transformers decal. From that footage, they were able to pull a license plate number. Two and a half weeks later, officers found the Tahoe abandoned in a travel lane, flashers on and hood up. It was impounded and later searched.
Inside the vehicle, law enforcement found Mr. Henderson’s debit card, a DJI drone controller, various drone accessories (rechargeable batteries, a propeller box, and dropping mechanisms), 18 smartphones, tobacco products, and vacuum-packed containers with steroid labels connected to a fishing line and a key ring.
They later powered on the controller recovered from the car next to the drone recovered from the prison yard. The devices immediately paired. From the drone, investigators recovered 70 usable flight logs, which included date/time stamps as well as speed, height, and location data. They identified four flights that intruded into FMC Fort Worth’s airspace, and another two that intruded into airspace over FCI Seagoville, another federal correctional center southeast of Dallas.
Law enforcement then queried Mr. Henderson’s records and found that the phone was near FMC Fort Worth around the time of the drone cash, and near FCI Seagoville near the time of the drone’s flight into the prison’s airspace.
The Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General queried the FAA’s database and reported that Mr. Henderson did not possess an airman’s certification, and that the drone in question was registered to another owner who cancelled his registration in August 2018. FAA records confirmed that the federal correctional institutions were restricted flight areas.
Drone delivery of contraband is an increasingly vexing problem for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and state corrections officials. Just last month, a 44-year-old Houston man was charged in the Eastern District of Texas for allegedly operating a drone over FCI Beaumont in east Texas. In April, a 30-year-old former inmate pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle phones and tobacco into FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey. And last fall, three Atlanta men were sentenced to a year each in federal prison for using drones to smuggle contraband into Telfair State Prison in Georgia.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Henderson is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted he faces up to 45 years total in prison: 20 years for attempting to provide contraband in prison, 5 years for serving as an airman without an airman’s certificate, and 20 years for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Fort Worth Resident Agency, the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Staff, and the Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas is prosecuting the case.
Tarboro Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Tarboro man was sentenced today to 90 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On April 21, 2022, Marquavis Keyon Jones pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents, on October 22, 2020, officers with the Rocky Mount Police Department encountered Jones at his residence while investigating a robbery. Jones appeared at the door with a firearm loaded with a high-capacity magazine around his neck. Upon entering, officers directed Jones to show his hands and set down the firearm. Jones eventually placed it against a door frame and while investigators were securing the weapon and speaking with other occupants, Jones fled on foot. Warrants were obtained and served on December 5, 2020, following a high-speed chase when Jones fled from a routine traffic stop in Enfield, NC.
In addition to the October 2020 incident, evidence presented at sentencing established that, on May 21, 2021, officers again responded to Jones’ residence for a shots-fired call. Multiple witnesses indicated that Jones retrieved an AR-style rifle from his house and fired numerous shots hitting nearby vehicles and residences. Based on witness accounts and evidence recovered from the scene, investigators were able to identify Jones as the shooter, and recovered the rifle from under a nearby abandoned trailer where a vehicle associated with Jones was parked. A subsequent search warrant at the residence recovered another firearm, several personal effects of Jones in the residence, live rounds of ammunition, including several that matched the shell casings outside the residence and which ballistics confirmed were fired from the rifle recovered from the abandoned trailer.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Rocky Mount Police Department investigated the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parris and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-00372-M.
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Tallahassee Woman Convicted in Murder-For-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – A federal jury in Tallahassee convicted Gretchen Buselli (a/k/a “Gretchen Yarbrough”), 48, of Tallahassee, Florida, of use of an interstate commerce facility in the commission of murder-for-hire and making a false statement to a federal officer. The guilty verdict, returned today, at the conclusion of a five-day trial, was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Evidence introduced during the trial revealed between on or about June 17, 2021, and on or about September 16, 2021, Buselli used the U.S. mail and a facility of interstate commerce, a cellular phone, with the intent that a murder be committed in violation of the laws of the State of Florida. Testimony revealed that Buselli communicated with an acquaintance via the U.S. mail, telephone calls, text, and an encrypted mobile application to solicit the murder of her estranged husband. The acquaintance reported Buselli’s request to law enforcement, who then engaged an undercover agent to further the investigation. Buselli communicated her desire to have her estranged husband killed to the undercover agent, providing a description of the intended victim, his whereabouts, and his routines. In subsequent conversations with the undercover agent, Buselli negotiated the price for committing the murder and discussed the manner in which the act would take place, acknowledging that she would be interviewed by law enforcement thereafter. Buselli was later surveilled depositing the agreed upon $5,000 payment at a public park. Following her delivery of the payment, agents observed Buselli dispose of the clothing she had worn during delivery of the payment. After being advised by the undercover agent that her estranged husband had been killed, Buselli stated, thank you. When later questioned by law enforcement, Buselli made multiple false statements denying her involvement in the plot and her desire to have her estranged husband killed.
Buselli’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 27, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States Chief District Judge Mark E. Walker. Buselli faces up to ten years’ imprisonment for the use of interstate commerce facility in the commission of murder-for-hire charge and up to five years imprisonment for making the false statement to a federal officer.
This conviction was the result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tallahassee Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Mountin and Kaitlin Weiss.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Stockton Doctor and Medical Practice Agree to Pay Nearly $2 Million to Resolve Allegations of Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Azizulah “Aziz” Kamali and his medical corporation, Aziz Kamali, M.D. Inc., have agreed to pay $1,963,953 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting millions of dollars of false claims to Medicare for surgically implanted neurostimulators and paying kickbacks to sales marketers, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today.
According to the settlement, Dr. Kamali and his medical corporation admitted that they submitted claims to Medicare for surgically implanted neurostimulator devices even though they did not perform surgery or implant neurostimulators. Dr. Kamali and Kamali Inc. admitted that they instead taped a disposable electroacupuncture device called “Stivax” to their patients’ ears. Stivax devices do not require surgical implantation and are not reimbursable by Medicare. The government alleges that this conduct violated the False Claims Act.
“The defendants falsely claimed that they conducted expensive and invasive surgical procedures to dishonestly obtain millions of dollars from Medicare,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “Working with our partners at the Department of Health and Human Services, we identified a substantial number of false claims that enabled our Office to make a significant recovery of taxpayer dollars.”
“This provider egregiously exploited the trust of his patients for illegitimate financial gain,” said Steven J. Ryan, Special Agent in Charge with the HHS-OIG. “HHS-OIG will not hesitate to investigate and thwart any attempts at defrauding federal health care programs.”
Dr. Kamali and his medical corporation also admitted that they paid a marketing company a percentage of the reimbursements they received from Medicare for billing implantable neurostimulators, in return for the marketing company arranging for and recommending that patients order Stivax from them. The United States alleges that this conduct violated the Anti‑Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act.
In addition to paying the civil settlement, Dr. Kamali and Kamali Inc. have agreed to enter into an Integrity Agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). The Integrity Agreement requires that Dr. Kamali and Kamali Inc. implement specific compliance measures, including training on applicable health care fraud laws and contracting with an Independent Review Organization that will conduct third-party audits of the medical necessity of their Medicare claims.
HHS-OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Belz handled the case for the United States.
St. Augustine Man Pleads Guilty to Remotely Deleting Contents of His iPhone After Federal Agents Seized It During the Execution of A Search WarrantRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Gabriel Basart (33, St. Augustine) today pleaded guilty to destroying evidence with the purpose of preventing and impairing the United States’ lawful authority to take and search that evidence pursuant to a lawful search warrant. Basart faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement, Basart is the president of GB Blue Tech Inc. This company ostensibly operated out of Basart’s home, had no other employees, and maintained accounts at four banks. In September and October 2017, those bank accounts were used in a series of business email compromise fraud schemes. Perpetrators of the schemes sent emails to corporate employees that appeared to be – but were not – legitimate correspondence either from within the company or from suppliers. These fraudulent emails contained wire transfer instructions directing employees to wire funds to GB Blue Tech bank accounts. Investigators determined that the fraudulent emails originated in various locations (principally in Nigeria), but not in St. Augustine, where Basart lived. Believing the fraudulent wire transfer instructions in these emails to be legitimate, the victim-employees relied upon them to complete transfers to the GB Blue Tech bank accounts, which were controlled by Basart.
After funds were transferred to GB Blue Tech’s accounts, on certain occasions, the fraud was detected and the funds were either returned to their legitimate owner or frozen in place by the banks. On other occasions, when the fraud was not detected in time, the bulk of the money was transferred to business accounts in the People’s Republic of China. The remainder was either transferred to Basart’s personal bank accounts or withdrawn in cash. A total of approximately $22,192 was transferred (electronically or by check) to Basart’s personal bank accounts and approximately $41,000 total in cash was withdrawn.
On March 9, 2018, after obtaining a federal search warrant, a team of law enforcement officers and agents went to Basart’s home to search it and his electronic devices. Basart was present as the agents seized various electronic devices, including Basart’s iPhone. After an agent read Basart the search warrant, Basart demanded that he be permitted to leave. The agents told Basart that he could not take any items with him, but that he was free to leave his home, which he did.
Later that day, an agent observed that Basart’s iPhone had been “factory reset.” In other words, all user created data (such as text messages and emails) had been deleted from the iPhone and it had been restored to the original state of a device, as if it were new from the factory. A forensic examination of the phone and records from the Apple Corporation later established that after Basart left the agents behind at his home, he logged into his Apple account and remotely factory reset his phone, deleting all user created data.
In addition to pleading guilty to deleting the contents of his phone, Basart has agreed to forfeit $533,950.50, which are traceable to proceeds of the business email compromise schemes. Further, Basart has agreed to pay restitution to the victims of those schemes in the amount of $405,719.11.
This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the U.S. Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 68 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Jonnie Jones-Gunn, 31 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Jones-Gunn was sentenced to 68 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in March of 2021, police officers tried to pull over Jones-Gunn while he was driving more than 20 miles per hour over the speed limit. Jones-Gunn led officers on a short pursuit before stopping his car. Officers recovered a stolen gun with a 30-round capacity magazine from his vehicle. Jones-Gunn’s prior multiple felony convictions, any one of which prohibits him from possessing a firearm, include attempted robbery, burglary, and being a felon carrying a handgun.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerome McKeever.
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.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Drug Distribution Resulting in Two DeathsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin and two counts of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death was sentenced on August 10, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Jeffery Darnell Moore, age 53, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution was also ordered.
Moore was indicted for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and two counts of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death by a federal grand jury in July of 2020. He was convicted of these charges by a jury on May 13, 2022.
On or about November 2, 2018, Moore knowingly and intentionally distributed fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and the distribution of said fentanyl resulted in the death of an individual.
Then, on or about June 15, 2019, Moore again knowingly and intentionally distributed fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and the distribution of said fentanyl resulted in the death of a second individual.
Additionally, beginning on a date unknown and continuing until on or about July of 2020, in the District of South Dakota and elsewhere, Moore knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed together, with others known and unknown, to knowingly and intentionally distribute heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Moore was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Savannah rapper admits COVID-19 relief fraud, drug possessionRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Chatham County man could face up to nearly three decades in in prison after admitting he fraudulently obtained funds intended for COVID-19 small business assistance and possessed illegal drugs.
Brandon Lamar Williams, a/k/a “NH Skilo,” 30, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Wire Fraud and two counts of Possession of Marijuana, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Williams’ guilty plea subjects him to a statutory penalty of up to 26 years in prison, and because he has prior felony drug convictions he faces a mandatory minimum of 90 days in prison, in addition to substantial financial penalties and restitution, followed by up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“With our law enforcement partners, we continue to identify and hold accountable the fraudsters who illegally tapped into the more than $650 billion Congress appropriated for small business relief during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Brandon Lamar Williams is learning that there is a price to pay for stealing from taxpayers.”
As described in court documents and proceedings, Williams, who performs under the name NH Skilo, in mid-2021 provided false information in loan applications to the Small Business Administration for economic assistance under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act’s Paycheck Protection Program. Williams obtained more than $40,000 from a lender participating in the program.
Williams also admitted to two counts of possession of marijuana related to an August 2021 traffic stop by Savannah Police, and to marijuana in his possession when he was arrested in January 2022. He has prior felony drug convictions in federal and state court. U.S. District Court Judge William T. Moore Jr. will schedule sentencing following an investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
“Law enforcement is at its best when we all come together to enhance public safety,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. “ATF is always looking for creative ways to work with our law enforcement partners to make our jurisdictions safer together.”
“Fraudsters seeking to use falsified information to defraud SBA programs will be brought to justice,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG is focused on rooting out bad actors in these vital SBA programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
Acting SBA General Counsel Therese Meers stated: “I commend the efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia in bringing this case and the results achieved. It is emblematic of the ongoing efforts of federal law enforcement to exert every effort to uncover, and forcefully respond to, fraud committed by individuals seeking to abuse SBA’s assistance programs. Identifying, and aggressively pursuing, fraudulent activity which harms not only the agency’s financial assistance programs, but those in our communities that are the intended beneficiaries of such program is one of SBA’s top priorities.”
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, along with assistance from the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Richardson County Man Sentenced on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Michael Tinsley, 47, was sentenced on August 11, 2022, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Tinsley to 184 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Tinsley will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
In December 2020, a Richardson County Deputy Sheriff attempted to stop a red Chevy Avalanche driven by Tinsley. He fled from the deputy at a high rate of speed. Minutes later, the deputy found the Avalanche abandoned in a ditch. During an inventory search of the car, investigators found methamphetamine, syringes, spoons with residue, two scales, and two cell phones. The deputy obtained a search warrant for the Chevy Avalanche and for the cell phones. During a search of the seized cell phones, investigators found evidence of drug distribution by Tinsley. The methamphetamine was tested and confirmed to be at least 120 grams of pure methamphetamine.
Several witnesses told investigators that Tinsley had been selling them methamphetamine in varying quantities in 2019 and 2020.
On January 4, 2021, Tinsley was arrested at a Lincoln hotel by a Lancaster County Sheriff’s Deputy. He had approximately 7.6 grams methamphetamine and a pipe on his person. He admitted he had used methamphetamine in the past and admitted that he had methamphetamine on his person.
This case was investigated by the Richardson County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Queens Postal Workers Charged with Bribery Scheme and Theft of Mail Linked to Covid-19 Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Daniel B. Brubaker, Inspector in Charge, New York Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Northeast Area Field Office of the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (“USPS-OIG”), Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”), and Sharon MacDermott, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Boston-New York Field Division of the U.S. Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (“SSA-OIG”), announced today charges against OSCAR ABREU, RAFAEL GRULLON, and ALDO PALOMINO, JR., in connection with their participation in a conspiracy to receive bribes and steal hundreds of pieces of mail linked to a COVID-19 benefits scheme that sought to obtain millions of dollars in fraudulent unemployment benefits from the New York State Department of Labor (“NYS DOL”). OSCAR ABREU was arrested yesterday morning in White Plains, New York and was presented later that day before United States Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison. RAFAEL GRULLON and ALDO PALOMINO, JR. were arrested this morning in Queens, New York, and were presented this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Davison.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendants accepted bribes and stole hundreds of pieces of mail, abusing the public trust placed in them as employees of the U.S. Postal Service and enabling the perpetration of a multi-million-dollar scheme to obtain fraudulent COVID-19 unemployment benefits. My Office and our partners in law enforcement will continue to hold accountable the individuals who defraud government benefit programs as well as anyone else who enables them to do so."
USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker said: “It is a sad day when postal employees allegedly aid other conspirators to commit identify theft. Their actions affected hundreds of innocent victims by enabling their fellow criminals to illegally receive Covid-19 unemployment benefits through the U.S Mail. These Letter Carriers have betrayed the public and showed a total disregard for honesty and the public trust that was placed with them. Thankfully however, these instances are few and far between, as the hard-working men and women of the U.S. Postal Service continue to deliver mail with pride and integrity on a daily basis to every doorstep in the nation. Customers should know, no matter where crime is found, Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners will bring the perpetrators to justice. I would like to thank our law enforcement partners for their dedication and hard work on this case.”
USPS-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Modafferi said: “The Special Agents of the USPS OIG will vigorously investigate Postal Service employees who comprise their integrity for personal gain. This case serves as an excellent example of the successful collaboration between the USPS OIG, our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue and prosecute Postal Service employees involved in criminal activity. The U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General would like to thank our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice for their dedication and efforts in this investigation.”
DOL-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone said: “An important mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations relating to Unemployment Insurance Fraud. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations.”
SSA-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Sharon MacDermott said: “Today’s arrest results from our collective law enforcement efforts to pursue those who have devised schemes to defraud federal benefit programs and taxpayers of much needed resources by misusing identities of innocent people. I thank the U.S. Postal Inspectors, U.S. Postal Service OIG, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of Labor OIG for their major efforts leading to these arrests. I also thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their pursuit of justice in this matter.”
As alleged in the Complaints filed yesterday and today in White Plains federal court:[1]
From at least in or about July 2020 to in or about December 2020, OSCAR ABREU, RAFAEL GRULLON, and ALDO PALOMINO, JR., while employed as letter carriers with the U.S. Postal Service and working in Queens, New York, accepted cash bribe payments to intercept and steal mail sent by the NYS DOL to specific addresses along their assigned postal routes. ABREU was first approached by a co-conspirator (“CC-1”) in or about mid-2020 and agreed to accept $200 for every NYS DOL envelope he intercepted and turned over to CC-1. The payment later increased to $500 per NYS DOL envelope, and, at CC-1’s request, ABREU eventually recruited two more letter carriers, GRULLON and PALOMINO, JR. CC-1 agreed to pay $200 per NYS DOL envelope that GRULLON and PALOMINO, JR. intercepted, $100 of which ABREU retained.
The stolen NYS DOL mail was linked to a scheme perpetrated by CC-1 and others to obtain COVID-19 unemployment benefits through the fraudulent filing and verification of benefit claims using the names and social security numbers of hundreds of other individuals. The scheme required numerous addresses to which CC-1 and her co-conspirators could direct NYS DOL mailings related to the fraudulent claims. Law enforcement agencies were first alerted to the scheme after CC-1 and another co-conspirator, CC-2, fled a Yonkers hotel in December 2020, leaving behind in their previously occupied room over 700 pieces of NYS DOL mail, containing, among other items, benefit debit cards. The stash of stolen NYS DOL mail was tied to over 500 unemployment benefit claims seeking in excess of $16 million in benefits, approximately $3 million of which had already been disbursed by December 2020.
* * *
OSCAR ABREU, 41, of South Ozone Park, New York, RAFAEL GRULLON, 40, of Manhattan, and ALDO PALOMINO, JR., 30, of Long Island City, New York, are charged with conspiracy to commit theft and receipt of stolen mail, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; theft of mail by Postal officer or employee, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and conspiracy to receive bribes, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the USPIS, the USPS-OIG, the DOL-OIG, the SSA-OIG, the NYS DOL, the City of Yonkers Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the New York City Police Department. Mr. Williams noted that the investigation is ongoing.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Sullivan is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitutes only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Pukwana Man Charged with Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Pukwana, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Kelly Wayne McGhee, Jr., age 33, was indicted in August of 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on August 8, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on between March 1, 2022, and July 23, 2022, McGhee, a person required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, and a sex offender by reason of conviction under Federal Law, knowingly failed to register and update his registration.
The charge is merely an accusation and McGhee is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.
McGhee was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial, which has been set for October 11, 2022.
Port Vue Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing a Gun and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA. - A resident of Port Vue, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on August 9, named Nafis Hurt, 30, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, Hurt is alleged to have possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon on or about March 22, 2022. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 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 Douglas C. Maloney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Drug Enforcement Agency, and Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Platinum Partners Portfolio Manager Daniel Small Convicted of Defrauding Bondholders in a Multi-Million Dollar SchemeRead the Press Release
Daniel Small, a former portfolio manager for Platinum Partners L.P. (Platinum), was convicted today by a federal jury in Brooklyn on charges of securities fraud and securities fraud conspiracy for his role in defrauding the bondholders of Black Elk Energy (Black Elk), an oil company that was one of Platinum’s largest assets, by rigging a consent solicitation vote. The verdict followed a two-week trial before United States District Court Judge Brian M. Cogan.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Daniel Brubaker, Inspector-in-Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS), announced the verdict.
"Small and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to deceive the bondholders of Black Elk by rigging the vote to enrich themselves,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “Today’s verdict demonstrates this Office’s dedication to prosecuting those who refuse to play by the rules and defraud others. This Office will pursue justice without fear or favor no matter the obstacles.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, New York Regional Office for their significant cooperation and assistance during the investigation.
"Mr. Small and his co-conspirators, fueled by their own self-interest and avarice, purposely cheated their investors. Today the jury held Mr. Small accountable for his actions, another step in the process of getting justice for his victims. The FBI and our partners remain committed to holding actors who defraud and manipulate investors responsible for their crimes so the public maintains its confidence in the integrity of our financial markets,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker said: “Daniel Small, former Managing Director of Platinum Partners, conspired in an elaborate scheme to fraudulently divert millions in proceeds from bond investors to Platinum Partners. This scheme was artfully concealed through what appeared to be a series of legitimate events. Nonetheless, it was an outright multi-million dollar theft from innocent victims. The United States Postal Inspection Service has a long and proven history of investigating egregious Wall Street Security Frauds such as these. Small’s conviction represents our dedication to help maintain an honest and fair trading environment across all publicly traded companies."
Platinum was a New York City-based hedge fund founded in 2003. The evidence at trial established that between approximately November 2011 and December 2016, Small, along with co-conspirators including Mark Nordlicht, the founder and Chief Investment Officer of Platinum, and David Levy, the co-Chief Investment Officer of Platinum, orchestrated a fraudulent scheme to defraud third-party holders of Black Elk’s publicly traded bonds (the bondholders) by diverting to Platinum the proceeds from the sale of the vast majority of Black Elk’s most lucrative oil fields even though the bondholders had priority over Platinum’s equity interests.
To execute this scheme, in early 2014, Small, Nordlicht, Levy and others caused Platinum to secretly purchase Black Elk bonds on the open market and gain control of $98 million of the $150 million of outstanding bonds. The bonds were then transferred through a number of related entities to conceal their ownership and control by Platinum. Small, Nordlicht, Levy and their co-conspirators then rigged a consent solicitation vote to amend the Black Elk indenture so that the proceeds from the sale of Black Elk’s best assets would be paid to the preferred equity – which was held by Platinum and Platinum insiders – ahead of the other bondholders. Notably, non-Platinum related bondholders overwhelmingly voted against changing the indenture; one testified that bondholders would never knowingly give up being “as senior as possible in the capital structure” for “nothing” in return, which he characterized as an “irrational choice.”
After the rigged vote was complete, Small, Nordlicht, Levy and their co-conspirators took millions of dollars from the asset sale for themselves, family members and friends, including approximately $7 million to Nordlicht’s father, approximately $250,000 to Levy, approximately $100,000 to Small and approximately $2 million to the brother of another co-conspirator.
In July 2019, Nordlicht and Levy were convicted on the same charges by a federal jury following a two-month trial. Both defendants are awaiting sentencing.
In July 2022, Mr. Peace was selected as the Chairperson of the White Collar Fraud subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). As the leader of the subcommittee, Mr. Peace will play a key role in making recommendations to the AGAC to facilitate the prevention, investigation and prosecution of various financially motivated, non-violent crimes including mail and wire fraud, bank fraud, health care fraud, tax fraud, securities and commodities fraud, and identity theft.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys David Pitluck, Lauren Elbert and Nicholas Axelrod are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
DANIEL SMALL
Age: 53
New York, New YorkMARK NORDLICHT
Age: 54
New Rochelle, New YorkDAVID LEVY
Age: 37
New York, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-640 (BMC)
Pittsburgh Felon Indicted on Robbery and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pa., has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating various federal robbery and firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The five-count Indictment, returned on August 9, named Marcus Allen Wells, 28, formerly of the City’s Glen Hazel neighborhood, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about Dec. 10, 2021, Wells committed three Hobbs Act Robberies and brandished a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. These robberies are alleged to have happened at a Sunoco on Craft Avenue in Pittsburgh, a Shell gas station on Baum Boulevard in Pittsburgh, and at a Sunoco on Duquesne Boulevard in Duquesne.
Wells is also alleged to have possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon on or about Dec. 16, 2021.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
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.
Peoria Man Convicted of Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute and Federal Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – On August 10, 2022, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts against Daryl G. McGhee, 33, of the 6000 block of North Hamilton, in Peoria, Illinois, for the offenses of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. McGhee was previously convicted by a separate jury on November 3, 2021, of the offense of possession of a firearm as a felon, arising from the same conduct, all occurring on February 13, 2021.
Over the course of the three-day trial, the government presented evidence that on February 13, 2021, Peoria Police were dispatched to McGhee’s residence at approximately 4:30 a.m. on a report of domestic violence. Upon arrival, police learned that McGhee had left the residence out the back door on foot in the bitter sub-zero temperatures and was in possession of a firearm. An officer then tracked McGhee’s footprints in the freshly fallen snow and located him crouched down and hiding in an evergreen bush several blocks from his home. McGhee was not wearing a gloves or a winter coat. He was in possession of a cell phone and $381 cash. After McGhee was arrested, a Peoria Police K-9 unit was utilized to search the surrounding area and the service dog, “Tibo”, a Belgian Malinois, located a leather shoulder satchel concealed under a dumpster alongside McGhee’s footprints in the snow. The satchel contained 140 grams of cocaine and 9mm semi-automatic DVC Tactical model 1911 handgun loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition. A round of ammunition was located in the chamber of the gun, indicating it was ready to be fired. The government also introduced an image from McGhee’s social media account where he was wearing the leather bag, as well as a video from social media where he was depicted brandishing the DVC 9mm handgun.
A federal grand jury indicted McGhee in March 2021 and returned a superseding indictment in September 2021. He was tried and convicted on the felon-in-possession-of-a-firearm charge in the superseding indictment on November 3, 2021.
McGhee remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. At sentencing, McGhee faces statutory penalties of up to 30 years’ imprisonment, a maximum $2,000,000 fine, and no less than six years of supervised release for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute; up to 10 years’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm as a felon; and not less than five years’ imprisonment for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, to be served consecutively with other charges.
The case investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Peoria Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald L. Hanna and Douglas F. McMeyer represented the government at trial.
The case against McGhee 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.