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Thursday 4 August 2022
Omaha Woman Sentenced for a Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – An Omaha, Nebraska woman, Anisha Ilene Luna, age 33, was sentenced on August 3, 2022, to eight years in prison, following her plea to a charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
In March 2021, the Mills County Sheriff’s Department received information that Luna and her co-defendant, Ronald Wayne Reed II, were planning to deliver an ounce of methamphetamine to a confidential source at a McDonald’s parking lot in Glenwood, Iowa. Deputies surveilled the McDonald’s and saw Luna and Reed arrive in a car. After a probable cause search, deputies found over five grams of methamphetamine in possession of Luna and Reed, which they intended to distribute. Investigation showed that Luna and Reed had distributed over a pound of methamphetamine.
Ronald Reed is scheduled to be sentenced October 5, 2022 in Council Bluffs.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Mills County Sheriff’s Department, Iowa State Patrol, and Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Ohio Company and Corporate Vice President Plead Guilty to Selling Unregistered Virucide, Despite Repeated WarningsRead the Press Release
An Ohio corporation and its vice president pleaded guilty in federal court to the illegal sale of antimicrobial products. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Lynn of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID) made the announcement.
Evan Morgan and DEM Technology LLC of Dayton, Ohio, pleaded guilty to selling an unregistered “fogger,” which they claimed, without proof, could sanitize an entire room. According to the plea, beginning in 1996, DEM produced the surface-sanitizing product, SaniGuard. It was only authorized for use as a surface spray. However, since SaniGuard’s initial EPA registration, DEM has sold the product not only as a “Dry Sanitizing Surface Spray” but also as a “Total Release Fogger.” According to its marketing materials, the fogger product allowed for the entire can’s contents to be released into a room, supposedly disinfecting all surfaces in the room. It also claimed the fogger could “sanitize a room within 10 to 15 minutes”; is “effective against H1N1, E-Coli, Staphylococcus, MRSA and Salmonella”; and has a “99.99% kill rate of fungus, bacteria…and viruses.” DEM has never established efficacy nor safety data associated with SaniGuard’s use as a fogger as required by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.
From 2004 to 2015, DEM received and acknowledged repeated correspondence from the EPA, directing the removal of language relating to fogging from the SaniGuard label. Additionally, on July 21, 2015, the EPA entered a consent order, which ordered DEM to pay a civil penalty based upon DEM’s sale of the fogger product. Nonetheless, DEM continued to produce and sell Total Release Fogger in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
“The defendants in this case made claims about the efficacy of their product with no supporting data, putting their customers at risk,” said Assistant Attorney General Kim. “Despite this danger and repeated notices by EPA, the defendants continued their unlawful conduct for years. Yesterday’s guilty pleas shows that the Department of Justice will not tolerate such violations of federal law.”
“In order to safeguard the environment, it is essential that the Environmental Protection Agency’s pesticide programs receive accurate and honest information from pesticide registrants and their employees,” said Special Agent in Charge Lynn. “This guilty plea sends a clear message that EPA and its law enforcement partners will continue to hold individuals and companies fully accountable for illegal conduct that jeopardizes the environment.”
This case was investigated by Special Agent Christopher Wilson of EPA-CID and Jon Scale of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
Northumberland County Doctor Sentenced to 15 Years’ Imprisonment for Operating A Massive “Pill Mill”Read the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT –The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dr. Raymond Kraynak, age 65, of Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 3, 2022, to 15 years’ imprisonment by Chief United States District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann for unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. Chief Judge Brann also ordered Kraynak to pay restitution in the amount of $22,365 to the victims or their families.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Kraynak previously pled guilty on September 23, 2021, to 12 counts of unlawful distribution and dispensing of a controlled substance outside the usual course of professional practice and not for legitimate medical purpose. Kraynak also admitted that the Schedule II narcotic opioid drugs that he prescribed resulted in the deaths of five of his patients.
Kraynak’s sentence followed Chief Judge Brann’s denial of his motion to withdraw his guilty plea. The guilty plea occurred after 13 days of trial testimony after the government rested its case-in-chief. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Kraynak agreed to the 15-year term of imprisonment on each of the twelve counts he pleaded guilty to and the sentences will run concurrently.
Kraynak was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 20, 2017, in a 19-count indictment charging unlawful distribution and dispensing of controlled substances, causing the death of five patients by the unlawful distribution and dispensing of controlled substances, and maintaining two drug-involved premises, one in Mt. Carmel and the other Shamokin, Pennsylvania. Kraynak stopped seeing patients and surrendered his license in December 2017 when he was arraigned in federal court on the indictment.
Kraynak operated two offices, one in Mt. Carmel and the other in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, both known as Keystone Family Medicine Associates, and prescribed approximately 9.5 million units of oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxycontin and fentanyl to patients between January 2014 and July 31, 2017. The prosecution evidence included testimony from DEA analysts that Kraynak was the top prescriber of opioids in Pennsylvania in 2014, 2015, and 2016 and during those years prescribed more opioids than both the Veterans Medical Center in Pittsburgh and the Veterans Hospital in Philadelphia.
The prosecution’s evidence at trial also included testimony by a medical expert that Kraynak continued to prescribe high doses of opioids despite knowing that patients had previously been treated for drug overdoses, respiratory problems and other medical conditions increasing the risks of overdose and death.
The prosecution’s evidence also established that Kraynak, in prescribing these opioids to multiple patients outside of the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose, and did so without conducting a proper medical examination, inadequately verifying the patient’s medical complaint, and failing to assess the risk of abuse by individual patients.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Control Division, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the Mt. Carmel Borough Police Department, Shamokin Police Department, the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Health, Office of Drug Surveillance and Misuse Prevention, the Northumberland County Coroner’s Office, the Schuylkill County Coroner’s Office, and Lehigh County Coroner’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys William Behe and George Rocktashel prosecuted the case.
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New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a GunRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on Wednesday, August 3, 2022 JOSHUA REED, age 24, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a gun after having been convicted of a felony offense before United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle.
According to court records, New Orleans Police Department officers approached REED at a gas station in New Orleans East. During a search of his vehicle, the officers found a Glock pistol, which REED admitted that he possessed. REED also acknowledged that he had previously been convicted of burglary, which is a felony offense.
REED faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
New Castle Cocaine Distributor Sentenced to 12½ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Lawrence County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 150 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Horan imposed the sentence on Dondi Searcy Jr., age, 37, formerly of New Castle, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Searcy Jr. conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Intercepted communications revealed Dondi Searcy Jr’s role in a large-scale cocaine distribution based out of the New Castle, Pennsylvania area. Searcy Jr. and his conspirators arranged for cocaine to be transported, primarily through the United States Mail, from California to the New Castle area, where Searcy, Jr. and his conspirators distributed the cocaine.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Castle Police Department, the Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Searcy Jr.
Minneapolis Man Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Prison for Using Social Media to Produce Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man was sentenced to 255 months in prison, 20 years of supervised release, and $36,000 in restitution for using social media to produce and attempt to produce sexually explicit images and videos of children, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between August 2018 and March 2021, Nathan Miller Dobbelmann, 40, used social media apps to contact and solicit sexually explicit images and videos from children. Dobbelmann also sent minors sexually explicit videos of himself as well as sexually graphic text messages. Dobbelmann also joined online chat rooms and platforms to discuss and trade child pornography files with others.
On March 3, 2022, Dobbelmann pleaded guilty to one count of production and attempted production of child pornography. Dobbelmann was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI with assistance from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Hudleston prosecuted the case.
Michigan Man Arrested for International Computer Fraud Scheme and Distribution of Opioids and Other Illegal DrugsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Michigan man was arrested today in connection with a complex multi-year scheme to defraud computer users and to sell controlled substances online.
Doyal Kalita, 35, of Redford, Mich., was indicted on one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of conspiracy to import Schedule II and Schedule IV controlled substances and one count of money laundering conspiracy. Kalita will make an initial appearance in federal court in the Eastern District of Michigan today. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
“Taking advantage of innocent people through the assumed anonymity that the internet provides is a cowardly crime. We believe that Mr. Kalita ran an online criminal enterprise that not only targeted and deceived innocent online users out of their own money, but also pumped deadly opioids into our communities,” said United State Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Bad actors think they can remain undetected from law enforcement while behind a computer screen. They should think again. We have the tools to identify you and bring your criminal activity to a halt. And we will use them.”
“Tech support scams cost Massachusetts residents $5.3 million last year, and consumers, nationwide, lost $347 million. The FBI is working hard every day to hold the criminals behind these scams accountable for the harm they inflict, and today, we arrested Doyal Kalita for his alleged role in a multi-year, international scheme to defraud computer users, and, for his role in a side business selling imported drugs online,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Today’s arrest should be a warning to others that the FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraudsters who victimize our fellow citizens for personal gain.”
“The defendant and others allegedly operated a variety store of online scams. First, they are alleged to have devised a complex help-desk scam to defraud innocent individuals who were simply trying to resolve phony computer problems. In addition, they are also accused of operating an online drug distribution scheme that sold controlled substances,” said Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Office. “As a result of today’s charges, their scams are no longer in operation, and they will now be held responsible for their alleged fraud and deceit.”
According to the indictment, in 2015, Kalita and a co-conspirator started a scheme to defraud internet users through the use of deceptive pop-up screens that falsely told victims that their computers were infected with viruses (or were otherwise damaged) and directed the victims to call for technical support. In fact, the victims were connected to Kalita and his co-conspirator’s call centers in India and in Michigan and were scared or deceived into buying products and services that they did not need. It is further alleged that, contemporaneously with the fraud scheme, Kalita and his co-conspirator launched an online drug distribution scheme that sold controlled substances, including opioids, and shipped the drugs from India and Europe to persons in Massachusetts and elsewhere in the United States. It is alleged that another individual later joined the conspiracy as one of Kalita’s principal drug suppliers.
The charge of wire fraud conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the laundered funds, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to import controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million or twice the gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charges of drug distribution and conspiracy to distribute drugs each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million or twice the gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta and IRS SAC Simpson made the announcement today. The United States Marshals Service in Boston provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican Man Using Alias and in Possession of False Documents Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who presented false identification documentation and who was in possession of false documents was sentenced today to over four months in federal prison.
Lino Suastegui-Leon, age 49, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Tama, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 12, 2022 guilty plea to the unlawful use of an identification document, misuse of a social security number, and unlawful possession of an identification document.
At the guilty plea, Suastegui-Leon admitted that on October 19, 2020, he knowingly used a social security number which had been unlawfully obtained. He also admitted that on April 1, 2022, he possessed a social security card bearing someone else’s name and social security number.
Suastegui-Leon was located at the Tama County, Iowa, treasurer’s office in possession of a variety of false documents, including a social security card and bank cards in the name of his alias. He also had a true copy of a Puerto Rican birth certificate. The investigation revealed he used the social security number and an out of state driver’s license to obtain employment in Iowa.
Suastegui-Leon was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Judge C.J. Williams. Suastegui-Leon was sentenced to four months and four days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Suastegui-Leon is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liz Dupuich and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-cr-29.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Members of Brooklyn Crew Charged with Murder, Drug Trafficking, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) announced the unsealing today of a Superseding Indictment charging DANZEL MACKINS, a/k/a “Putt,” DARRIN SAMUELS, a/k/a “Klepto,” JAMEL WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Big T,” and BRANDON WILKINS, a/k/a “Banger,” a/k/a “Fishy,” with participating in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. MACKINS and SAMUELS are also charged with carrying and using firearms in connection with that drug trafficking crime, and with participating in the murder of Felton Durant, who was shot to death on April 25, 2021.
MACKINS and SAMUELS were previously charged with conspiring to distribute crack cocaine, though the charge of murder against each of them was only made public today. WILLIAMS and WILKINS were both arrested yesterday and are expected to be presented later today before the Honorable Katharine H. Parker, United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of New York. The case is assigned to United States District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “On April 25, 2021, Felton Durant was shot to death in broad daylight on a weekend afternoon over a drug trafficking dispute. As alleged in the Superseding Indictment unsealed today, Danzel Mackins and Darrin Samuels participated in that brutal killing, which took place in the middle of a busy public housing development in South Brooklyn. Thanks to the hard work of the NYPD, the defendants have been charged with this heinous crime. I am committed to devoting every resource in my Office to target gun violence in this City. To be clear, we are not going to give up any neighborhood, anywhere in this City to drug violence, and the charges unsealed today should make that clear to all violent actors who endanger our neighborhoods and our communities.”
NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said: “The wanton depravity outlined in the charges leveled against these individuals today will never be acceptable in any neighborhood of New York City. By dismantling their drug trafficking organization, and by putting a stop to the violence so often associated with this illegal activity, the NYPD and our law enforcement partners have affirmed our promise to the people we serve: Anyone who deals in this type of violent, destructive behavior will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment,[1] DANZEL MACKINS, DARRIN SAMUELS, JAMEL WILLIAMS, and BRANDON WILKINS, all of New York City, are charged with being members of a drug trafficking organization (the “DTO”) that distributed crack cocaine from December 2019 through July 2022. In addition to the murder of Durant Felton on April 25, 2021, MACKINS and SAMUELS are charged with using and carrying multiple firearms in connection with the charged drug trafficking conspiracy and aiding and abetting the same.
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A set of charts containing the names, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants is set forth below.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD and thanked the Kings County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance in this case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Thomas John Wright is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
COUNT
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MAXIMUM PENALTIES
1
Narcotics conspiracy
21 U.S.C. § 846
DANZEL MACKINS, a/k/a “Putt,” DARRIN SAMUELS, a/k/a “Klepto,” JAMEL WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Big T,” and BRANDON WILKINS, a/k/a “Banger,” a/k/a “Fishy"
40 years’ Imprisonment
Mandatory Minimum Sentence of 5 years
2
Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime, which firearm was brandished and discharged
18 U.S.C. § 924(c)
DANZEL MACKINS, a/k/a “Putt,” and DARRIN SAMUELS, a/k/a “Klepto”
Life Imprisonment
Mandatory Minimum Sentence of 10 years
3
Murder through use of a firearm
18 U.S.C. § 924(j)
DANZEL MACKINS, a/k/a “Putt,” and DARRIN SAMUELS, a/k/a “Klepto”
Death or Life Imprisonment
Mandatory Minimum Sentence of 5 years
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and the descriptions of the Superseding Indictment constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Man who robbed two St. Louis cell phone stores at gunpoint sentenced to 16+ years in prisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber on Thursday sentenced a St. Louis man who robbed two cell phone stores in 2019 to 16 years and eight months in prison.
Deangelo Winston, 43, of Jennings, has also become notorious in local jails for misconduct, attacking inmates and guards, making improvised weapons, throwing urine and feces and damaging property, according to court testimony during Thursday’s sentencing hearing.
On June 21, 2019, Winston pretended to be a customer of the Boost Mobile store at 3956 South Broadway before pulling a pistol, stealing cash and several iPhones and leaving in a stolen Audi. On August 13, 2019, Winston robbed another Boost Mobile store, at 2253 South Grand Boulevard. One of employees present at the first robbery was also robbed by Winston at the second store.
Winston offered several stolen phones for sale via Facebook, but an FBI agent spotted the phones and arranged to buy them, confirming that the phones had been stolen in the Boost robbery, court filings show. A search of Winston's home found two guns.
Winston has 11 prior felony convictions, over half of which involved weapons crimes, court records show.
Winston pleaded guilty in January to two robbery charges and two gun charges. In court Thursday, witnesses said Winston had repeatedly been moved from jail to jail due to his conduct. Winston admitted writing on his cell window with his own feces Wednesday but claimed it was because he was unhappy with conditions in his cell.
In addition to the prison time, Judge Webber ordered Winston to undergo mental health and drug treatment and pay $11,400 in restitution to Boost Mobile.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Man on supervised release sentenced to 5 years in prison for possessing firearmsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – William J. Dishman, 40, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 60 months total in prison for possessing multiple firearms as a convicted felon and violating his supervised release.
According to court documents, in August 2021, Dishman was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service’s Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST).
Dishman had previously been convicted of burglary of a pharmacy and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in the Western District of Pennsylvania. Following his release from prison, Dishman was placed on supervised release. An arrest warrant was issued in the Southern District of Ohio after reports of Dishman violating his supervised release.
On Aug. 6, 2021, SOFAST members executed a search warrant at the property of Dishman’s wife in Cincinnati. Dishman’s wife said she had not seen Dishman for more than a month but allowed agents to search the apartment. In truth, Dishman was hiding in a wooden box underneath a furnace located in one of the bedroom closets. SOFAST members found and apprehended Dishman without incident.
While searching the apartment, agents discovered an assault rifle with an extended magazine and four pistols. One of the pistols was stuffed into a couch where a child was resting.
“The risk of danger to the officers who were executing Dishman’s arrest warrant is not hypothetical,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “They were potentially being lured into an ambush inside while Dishman hid. It is even more egregious that this occurred in the same apartment in which a child was sleeping. Within months of Dishman’s arrest, another deputy marshal was shot and wounded while executing a warrant under nearly identical circumstances.”
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Acting United States Marshal Bradley Stuart announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case.
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Man Who Made Threats Against Dr. Anthony Fauci and Other Federal Officials Sentenced to over Three Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Thomas Patrick Connally, Jr., age 57, most recently of Snowshoe, West Virginia to 37 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for making threats against a federal official, specifically for sending emails threatening harm to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the current Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Connally further admitted threatening Dr. Francis Collins, the former Director of the NIH, Dr. Rachel Levine, currently the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as a Massachusetts public health official and a religious leader.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank, Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“Everyone has the right to disagree, but you do not have the right to threaten a federal official’s life,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron. “Threats like these will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Today’s sentencing shows that individuals threatening violence against federal officials and others will be held accountable for their crimes,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “The public, including public servants, deserve the utmost safety and the assurance that they can perform their duties without interference. Our agency, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to bring those who threaten violence to justice.”
According to Connally’s plea agreement, from December 28, 2020, to July 25, 2021, Connally used an anonymous email account from a provider of secure, encrypted email services based in Switzerland, to send a series of emails to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the current Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (“NIAID”) and the Chief Medical Advisor to President of the United States, threatening to harm and/or kill Dr. Fauci and members of his family. One of the emails threatened that Dr. Fauci and his family would be “dragged into the street, beaten to death, and set on fire.” On April 24, 2021, alone, Connally sent seven threatening emails starting at 10:05 p.m.
As detailed in Connally’s plea agreement, also on April 24, 2021, beginning at 9:34 p.m., Connally sent Dr. Francis Collins, the then-Director of the NIH, a series of four emails threatening Dr. Collins and his family with physical assault and death if Dr. Collins did not stop speaking about the need for “mandatory” COVID-19 vaccinations.
As stated in his plea agreement, Connally admitted that he sent the threats to Drs. Fauci and Collins with the intent to intimidate or interfere with the performance of their official duties and with the intent to retaliate against Dr. Fauci and Dr. Collins for performing their official duties, including discussing COVID-19 and its testing and prevention.
Connally also admitted sending emails threatening harm to three other individuals. Specifically, on November 24, 2020, Connally sent a series of six threatening emails to Dr. Rachel Levine, then Secretary of Health for the State of Pennsylvania, at Dr. Levine’s email account at the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The subject lines and body of the emails threatened Dr. Levine with physical violence and death. Similarly, on August 31, 2020, Connally sent an email threatening physical violence and death for a public health official in Massachusetts. Finally, on April 21, 2021, Connally sent a series of four threatening emails to four individuals who work for a religious institution in Newark, New Jersey. The four emails threatened physical violence and death to a religious leader at the institution.
Investigation revealed that the anonymous encrypted email account was associated with Connally. On July 27, 2021, law enforcement arrested Connally in Snowshoe, West Virginia, and executed a search warrant at his residence as well as on his vehicle, seizing five laptops and two cellular telephones which belonged to Connally.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HHS OIG for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajeev R. Raghavan and Jessica C. Collins, who prosecuted the federal 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/community-outreach.
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Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Firearms, Methamphetamine in Checked Luggage at MSP AirportRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Mexican national has been sentenced to 120 months in prison after TSA agents at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport found firearms and methamphetamine in his luggage, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on October 29, 2021, Kevin Alan Aguilar-Moreno, 21, attempted to board a Delta Airlines flight from Minneapolis to Phoenix, checking two suitcases prior to boarding. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening determined that Aguilar-Moreno’s luggage contained approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine; a FN, Model 509 9x19 pistol; a Rock Island Armory, 1911 A1-FS pistol; an AR-15 type firearm with no serial number; eight rifle and handgun magazines; and 241 rounds of .223 ammunition, of which 39 were armor piercing ammunition. Aguilar-Moreno admitted that he obtained the narcotics from an individual in Red Wing, Minnesota, and was planning to sell them in Phoenix, Arizona.
Law enforcement determined that the AR-15 type firearm was a privately made firearm (PMF). These firearms are commonly known as “ghost guns” because they do not have serial numbers, which makes them difficult for law enforcement to trace.
On March 30, 2022, Aguilar-Moreno pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Aguilar-Moreno was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, Transportation Security Administration, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Dunne prosecuted the case.
Lyft Driver with Pending Warrant Indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon Following Car CrashRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – A federal grand jury in Indianapolis returned an indictment late yesterday charging Terrance Clarke, 34, of Athens, Georgia, with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on October 3, 2021, Clarke was working as a Lyft driver and picked up a customer in Fishers, Indiana. While enroute to the customer’s destination, Clarke drove onto the roundabout at 131st Street and Cumberland Road and collided with another vehicle. Both vehicles pulled off to the side of the road. Clarke exited his vehicle and removed a bag from the front passenger seat, placing it in the trunk. Clarke then removed a second bag from under the front passenger seat, also placing it in the trunk. Officers from the Fishers Police Department responded to the accident scene.
Officers ran a check of Clarke’s driver’s license and discovered that he had an active and extraditable warrant out of Georgia for attempted armed robbery and aggravated assault. Clark was taken into custody and placed under arrest.
During a search of the car, officers found a loaded Smith & Wesson 40 caliber handgun in a backpack. An additional loaded magazine and a small plastic bag containing marijuana were also located in this backpack.
In April of 2017, Clarke was convicted of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense in federal court in Georgia and is prohibited from legally possessing firearms.
Clarke is currently in custody of the U.S. Marshal. If convicted, he faces up to ten years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Columbus Field Division made the announcement.
ATF is investigating the case. The Fishers Police Department also provided valuable assistance.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick G. Gibson who 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.
Long Island Woman Pleads Guilty to Prison-Based Unemployment Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Briana Garland, age 29, of Uniondale, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring with a New York State prisoner to obtain unemployment insurance benefits by fraud. Garland’s plea is the fourth and final plea in related cases stemming from pandemic-related schemes involving prisoners at the Bare Hill Correctional Facility in Malone, New York.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, New York Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG); Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Anthony J. Annucci, Acting Commissioner of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NYSDOCCS); and Roberta Reardon, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL).
In pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, Garland admitted to submitting a false unemployment insurance claim to NYSDOL in the name of Bare Hill inmate Reginald Thornton. Prisoners were not eligible to receive unemployment insurance benefits. Garland agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $19,580 to the State of New York.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman stated: “These state prisoners were already incarcerated for other, serious crimes, and now they will serve more time for committing fraudulent schemes from behind bars. Thanks to the work of our federal and state partners, Briana Garland and the other defendants will not escape accountability for defrauding a program intended to help out-of-work New Yorkers put food on the table and pay their bills in the midst of a global public health crisis.”
USDOL-OIG Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone stated: “Briana Garland and her coconspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud the New York State Department of Labor by filing for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits in the names of incarcerated individuals who were not entitled to such benefits. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the UI system from those who exploit these benefit programs.”
HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino stated: “It is despicable that during such a difficult financial time in our history that Garland would attempt to fraudulently claim benefits meant for individuals who are struggling to find legitimate work during a pandemic. Her crimes were further exacerbated by her conspiring with a known, incarcerated criminal. HSI will continue to identify and hold accountable those that steal from the government and the pockets of American taxpayers.”
USPIS Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward stated: “Whenever criminals use the U.S. Mail to further pad their pockets at the expense of hard-working Americans, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service will be there to bring them to justice. Today’s plea highlights how proud we are of our law enforcement partnerships, and how we will continue to stand ready to assist in thwarting crimes like these.”
Garland’s mail fraud conviction carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. She is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8, 2022 by Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Thornton previously pled guilty to participating in two prison-based unemployment insurance fraud conspiracies and was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison, to be served after his state prison term ends. Two other defendants, Rhasha Wright and Bare Hill inmate Lord Paulin, previously pled guilty to conspiring with Thornton to obtain unemployment insurance benefits in the names of Paulin and another inmate. Paulin was sentenced to 19 months in federal prison, to be served after his state sentence ends. Wright is awaiting sentencing.
New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said: “The New York State Department of Labor is committed to fighting unemployment fraud, because every dollar stolen is a dollar taken away from a law-abiding New Yorker who needs it. This case was uncovered through our ongoing partnership with the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and I’m grateful to the United States Department of Justice for seeing that those who commit fraud are held accountable.”
The cases were investigated by USDOL-OIG, HSI, USPIS, and the Offices of Special Investigations of NYSDOCCS and NYSDOL. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Chisholm and Joshua R. Rosenthal.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Little Rock Lawyer Pleads Guilty in $11.5 Million Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Little Rock lawyer has pleaded guilty to his involvement in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Agriculture out of more than $11.5 million that was intended to benefit farmers who had been discriminated against. Everett Martindale, 75, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud this afternoon before Chief United States District Judge D. Price Marshall.
Martindale admitted in court today that he acted as the legal representative for claimants who filed false claims asserting they were discriminated against when they tried to get assistance from USDA for their farming operations. Martindale signed certifications that said he investigated the claims, when, in fact, he did not. The proceeds from the false claims were mailed to Martindale, and he took a portion of the money as an attorney’s fee. He also played an essential role in the process that allowed other defendants in the case to take a more substantial portion of the funds.
Martindale was the last defendant to enter a plea in the case. Lynda Charles, 72, of Hot Springs; Rosie Bryant, 74, of Colleyville, Texas; Delois Bryant, 75, of North Little Rock; and Brenda Sherpell, 72, of Gainesville, Texas, each pleaded guilty on July 6, 2022, to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. Niki Charles, 49, who is the daughter of Lynda Charles, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to conspiracy to commit mail fraud based on her role in notarizing affidavits that she knew to be false and soliciting people to file false claims.
The sisters also admitted that they hired a tax preparer to falsify tax returns, resulting in failure to report over $4.6 million to the Internal Revenue Service. That tax preparer, Jerry Green, pleaded guilty in January 2021. Judge Marshall will sentence all defendants at a later date.
As documented in plea agreements, the defendants submitted claims under two programs: the Black Farmers Discrimination Litigation (BFDL) settlement and the Hispanic and Women Farmers and Ranchers (HWFR) claim program. The BFDL settlement resulted from a class action lawsuit filed in 1997 in which a group of black farmers claimed they had been discriminated against when they applied for farm credit, credit servicing, or farm benefits from USDA. Similarly, the HWFR claim program was created after groups of Hispanic and women farmers filed separate lawsuits against USDA, also alleging discrimination in their farm benefit programs.
Both BFDL and HWFR resulted in a claims process where farmers who could show they had applied for participation in a USDA benefit program and believed they had been discriminated against could make a claim for financial relief. A successful claim resulted in an award of $62,500. Of that, $50,000 would be made payable to the claimant, and $12,500 would be transferred directly to the Internal Revenue Service as a tax withholding. Altogether, the sisters were involved with 192 claims, almost all of which were successful, resulting in a loss of over $11.5 million. The claims were false because the claimants had not suffered discrimination and, in most cases, had not even attempted to farm.
The indictment alleged that Martindale would deposit claim checks into his law firm trust account, issue a check from that trust account to the claimant, and withhold his attorney fee. For both BFDL and HWFR, attorney fees were restricted to $1,500 per claimant. The four sisters entered an agreement with Martindale in which they would split the attorney fee. The sisters, with Martindale’s help, also demanded and received additional money from the claimants themselves.
The money received from a claim was income that should have been reported on the claimant’s tax return. The sisters and their accountant, Green, admitted that Green provided tax preparation services for the claimants they had recruited and that Green falsified the tax returns in order to create a tax refund.
Three of the sisters—Lynda Charles, Rosie Bryant, and Delois Bryant—filed false tax returns of their own and used money from the conspiracy to purchase homes and other properties, including a Chevrolet van, and a Mercedes G550. Pursuant to the plea agreement, the sisters are required to relinquish any claim to the vehicles and to repay the fraud money they used to purchase properties. The money is due by the time they are sentenced, which has not yet been scheduled.
The investigation is being conducted by USDA-OIG and IRS Criminal Investigations with assistance from the United States Marshals Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cameron McCree, Bart Dickinson, and Amanda Fields.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Conspiracy and Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Matthew James Borden, 33, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 4, 2022, to a total of 20 years in federal prison by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard. Borden was sentenced to 15 years for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture with a prior serious drug felony conviction and five years for using, carrying or possessing a firearm during or in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The sentence for the gun charge must be served consecutive to, (after), the sentence on the drug conspiracy charge. Following his release from prison, Borden will serve ten years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Borden was also ordered to forfeit $6,362.00 in cash to the United States of America.
Information provided to law enforcement indicated Borden was involved with the distribution of at least 1.5 kilograms, (3 pounds) of methamphetamine mixture in the Lincoln area between June of 2020 and April 27, 2021.
On April 27, 2021, investigators saw another person contact Borden, who was sitting in a vehicle outside his Lincoln residence. After the other person walked away, they were contacted and found in possession of just under an ounce of methamphetamine. Borden was contacted and found in possession of approximately ¼ ounce of methamphetamine and $6,286.00 in cash. A loaded .38 caliber revolver was found in the center console of the vehicle Borden had been sitting in. A search warrant was executed at Borden’s residence. During that search, three baggies of methamphetamine totaling more than ½ ounce, ammunition for the .38 caliber revolver and an additional $76.00 in cash were found in Borden’s bedroom.
In 2013, Borden was sentenced to four to seven years in prison for two counts of distribution of marijuana in Adams County District Court.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.
Lewistown man admits bank fraud in obtaining loans for his cattle ranching businessRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Lewistown man today admitted to defrauding a bank and a credit union after obtaining more than $1 million in loans for his cattle ranching business, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Eric Edward Mack, 43, pleaded guilty to bank fraud. Mack faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The government alleged in court documents that from November 2015 to January 2018, Mack applied for and received multiple operating loans from Garfield County Bank and from the Fergus Federal Credit Union for his cattle ranching business. At the Garfield bank, Mack had loans totaling approximately $885,000 from 2015 to 2017, and at the Fergus credit union, Mack had loans totaling approximately $250,000 from 2016 to 2018. Mack secured loans at both businesses, with items, including cattle belonging to him. The government further alleged that between April 18, 2018 and June 14, 2018, Mack sold cattle, totaling more than $50,000, that were securing the Garfield and Fergus loans. Mack did not pay any of the proceeds to either the bank or credit union. The money should have been paid to the bank and credit union because the cattle secured Mack’s loans.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
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Las Vegas Felon Sentenced to Prison for Unlawful Possession of A Stolen Firearm and COVID Relief FraudRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to four years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possessing a stolen firearm and submitting fraudulent loan applications to the Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Darnele Javoris Nelson, also known as “Ricky Ellis” and “Gamarmaurice Newson,” (40), pleaded guilty in March 2022 to one count of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of wire fraud.
According to court documents, on June 23, 2019, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers stopped a car in which Nelson was a passenger. The officer saw an open can of beer and later discovered a stolen loaded Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine.
Nelson has three prior felony convictions including robbery and vehicular manslaughter in California; felony assault with a deadly weapon in California; and possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices in New York. He is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.
Between July 2020 and May 2021, Nelson — who was on both supervised release and pretrial release — submitted at least three Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program loan applications to the Small Business Administration in attempts to obtain approximately $30,000, and at least one Paycheck Protection Plan loan application to obtain $20,833. In all four applications, Nelson falsely stated that he was the proprietor of several companies which did not exist, reported false revenue amounts, a fake number of employees, and that he was not facing felony charges or serving parole or probation for a felony conviction.
In addition to the sentence imposed yesterday, Nelson is currently serving a sentence for violating the conditions of supervised release from his New York felony case as a result of being arrested in Las Vegas in 2019. U.S. District Court Judge Kent J. Dawson sentenced Nelson to one year and nine months in July 2022.
U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI, and Special Agent in Charge Patrick Gorman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the ATF, the Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General (SBA OIG); IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (FRB-OIG), and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Frayn and Mina Chang prosecuted the case.
If you have information about illegal firearms activity, you are urged to submit a tip to ATF by calling the hotline at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867) or through the ReportIt mobile app.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Lake Charles Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that James J. Julian, 37, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. for illegal possession of a firearm. Julian was sentenced to 84 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Julian was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and pleaded guilty to the charge on May 3, 2022. The charge stems from an incident that occurred on March 3, 2020 when Julian got into an altercation with a female at her residence in Lake Charles. During their argument, Julian produced a silver revolver and pointed it at the female. There were children present who witnessed the incident and one child intervened until Julian left the residence on foot with the firearm. Law enforcement officers were called to the residence, and they searched for Julian. Behind the victim’s residence was an abandoned dwelling and officers located a silver High Standard .22 caliber revolver pistol and the victim was able to identify the firearm as being the one that Julian had pointed at her. Julian admitted to law enforcement officers that he had the firearm in his possession. He has a prior felony conviction for distribution of cocaine in 2014 and knew that he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
The case was investigated by the ATF and Lake Charles Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Bordelon.
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. PSN is 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. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Knoxville Man Sentenced to 10 Months for Federal Firearms ViolationRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On August 4, 2022, United States District Judge Katherine A. Crytzer sentenced Kelvon Foster, 21, of Knoxville, TN, to 10 months’ imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release for making false or fictitious statements in connection with the purchase of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(a)(6). Violations of that statutory provision are sometimes referred to informally as “straw purchasing.”
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Foster admitted to purchasing firearms from a Federal Firearm’s Licensee in Knoxville, TN, on behalf of people prohibited by federal law from purchasing firearms. Foster further admitted that he purchased at least one of the firearms, a Glock pistol, on behalf of a juvenile, Anthony Thompson. The Glock pistol was later recovered by law enforcement in connection with an officer-involved shooting of Thompson at Austin-East Magnet High School on April 12, 2021.
“In most straw purchasing cases, the harm is understood but often theoretical,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “In this case, the harm was real and tragic. The laws prohibiting certain persons from purchasing firearms are there for a reason, and my office, and our law enforcement partners, will continue pursuing these cases to the fullest extent of the law.”
“A person violates federal law the moment they purchase and transfer a firearm to an individual who cannot legally possess them,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Mickey French. “The ATF is committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to investigate and prosecute the ‘straw purchasers’ in conjunction with the individuals who receive these firearms and use them to commit violent criminal acts.”
This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF and the TBI. The United States Attorney’s Office wishes to thank the Knox County Attorney General’s Office for its support of this federal investigation. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive national strategy that creates local partnerships with law enforcement agencies to effectively enforce existing gun laws. It provides more options to prosecutors, allowing them to utilize local, state, and federal laws to ensure that criminals who commit gun crime face tough sentences. PSN gives each federal district the flexibility it needs to focus on individual challenges that a specific community face.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy L. Stone represented the United States.
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KC Man Sentenced for $1 Million Meth Conspiracy Near Elementary SchoolRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy that converted large amounts of liquid methamphetamine into crystal methamphetamine at a rented house near George Melcher Elementary School in Kansas City, Mo.
Ruben Ortiz-Vieyra, 43, a lawful permanent resident of the United States from Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough on Wednesday, Aug. 3, to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Ortiz-Vieyra to forfeit to the government $1,020,000, which was received for the unlawful distribution of methamphetamine, based on a sale price of $600 per ounce and the distribution of 1,800 ounces (112.5 pounds) of methamphetamine. The court ordered Ortiz-Vieyra to spend 10 years on supervised release following incarceration.
On Jan. 12, 2022, Ortiz-Vieyra pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school from Jan. 1, 2014, to May 18, 2018. Co-defendants Jose Vieyra-Lopez, 37, a citizen of Mexico; Megan Eubanks, 40, of Kansas City, Mo., and Victor Suarez-Gallardo, 34, of Kansas, have also pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, Ortiz-Vieyra, Vieyra-Lopez and Suarez-Gallardo each pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school. Ortiz-Vieyra, Suarez-Gallardo and Eubanks each also pleaded guilty to one count of possessing or using firearms with drug trafficking. Ortiz-Vieyra also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess or use firearms with drug trafficking.
Ortiz-Vieyra supplied methamphetamine to Eubanks. Vieyra-Lopez was the drug runner for Ortiz-Vieyra.
On April 26, 2018, a confidential informant purchased one-half pound of methamphetamine from Eubanks for $3,000 in a transaction that involved Ortiz-Vieyra. On May 2, 2018, the confidential informant purchased one pound of methamphetamine from Eubanks for $5,000. Ortiz-Vieyra was also involved in the transaction. On May 8, 2018, the confidential informant purchased one-half pound of methamphetamine. Ortiz-Vieyra and Vieyra-Lopez were involved in the transaction.
On May 15, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Eubanks’s residence. Officers seized methamphetamine, marijuana, a Ruger .380-caliber pistol, a box of ammunition, a counterfeit $100 bill, and drug paraphernalia.
On May 17, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Kansas City, Mo., residence controlled by Ortiz-Vieyra and Suarez-Gallardo. There were no furniture or other items inside the residence to make it appear occupied. Instead, officers found a black cooking stand that had a pan sitting on top that contained liquid methamphetamine. The residence is approximately 484 feet from George Melcher Elementary School.
Ortiz-Vieyra rented houses where liquid methamphetamine was converted into a crystallized form of methamphetamine for sale, including approximately five pounds of methamphetamine approximately one week before his arrest on May 17, 2018. Ortiz-Vieyra sold methamphetamine to Eubanks and others. The next day Suarez-Gallardo, who had also been observed at the residence where methamphetamine was being converted, was arrested. Officers found acetone and a Berretta .45-caliber firearm at his residence. Suarez-Gallardo distributed 10 to 15 pounds of methamphetamine from the conversion lab.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bruce Rhoades and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
KC Brother, Sister Plead Guilty to Armed Robbery of Pizza Delivery DriverRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., brother and sister have pleaded guilty in federal court to the armed robbery of a pizza delivery driver, after a third suspect involved in the robbery was killed during a shootout with police officers.
Samuel M. David, 20, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge W. Brian Gaddy today to one count of robbery and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence.
David’s sister, Rochelle E. David, 24, pleaded guilty on April 28, 2022, to the same charges.
Rochelle David placed an order for pizza to a Pizza Hut restaurant on Oct. 19, 2020, in order to lure a Pizza Hut employee to her address to conduct an armed robbery with the assistance of Samuel David and Ennice Ross. When the delivery driver arrived at about 10:18 p.m., Samuel David and Ross confronted him in the parking lot. Ross displayed a firearm in his waistband and Samuel David demanded the driver’s money. Samuel David went through the driver’s pockets, taking a wallet and knife from him. They also took $100 in cash from the driver’s vehicle.
Ross ordered the delivery driver to take them to an ATM to withdraw more money from the driver’s bank account. The driver took them to a gas station, where Samuel David attempted to use the driver’s bank car to withdraw money from an ATM. Samuel David returned to the car and told Ross he wasn’t able to withdraw any money. Samuel David stabbed the driver in the hand with the driver’s knife.
Samuel David ordered the delivery driver to take them to his residence in Gladstone, Mo., while Rochelle David followed in a separate vehicle. Samuel David and Ross accompanied the driver into his residence, where they encountered the driver’s parents. Ross stayed with the driver’s parents while Samuel David walked the driver to his room, where the driver opened a safe and handed him cash. Samuel David and Ross then left the residence.
On Oct. 23, 2020, police officers were conducting surveillance in the area where the armed robberies occurred in an effort to locate Rochelle David in connection with an unrelated homicide investigation. She was seen leaving the apartment building in a vehicle with Samuel David and Ross. Officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in the area of Admiral and Tracy. During the stop, Ross fired upon the officers. The officers returned fire, which resulted in his death.
Under federal statutes, Samuel and Rochelle David each is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole for the robbery, plus a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison without parole, up to life in federal prison without parole, which must be served consecutively, for the firearm. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Jail Corrections Officer, Wife Indicted on Additional Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A corrections officer at the Jefferson City Correctional Center and his wife have been indicted by a federal grand jury on additional charges related to video recording their sexual assault of a child victim and other child pornography offenses.
Paul Emerson Schofield, 33, and his wife, Sara Ellen Schofield, 29, both of Jefferson City, were charged in a 12-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City on Wednesday, Aug. 3. The federal indictment replaces two separate criminal complaints against the defendants, which charged each of them with using a minor to produce child pornography. The Schofields have been in federal custody without bond since their arrest on July 13, 2022.
The federal indictment alleges that Paul and Sara Schofield participated in a conspiracy to produce child pornography over a nearly three-year period from July 29, 2019, to June 7, 2022. A child victim under the age of 12 allegedly was used to produce child pornography. In addition to the conspiracy, Paul Schofield is charged with four counts of producing child pornography and Sara Schofield is charged with two counts of producing child pornography.
Paul Schofield is also charged with one count of advertising child pornography, one count of receiving child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, and one count of transporting child pornography.
Sara Schofield is also charged with one count of transferring obscene material to a minor.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaints, the investigation began when law enforcement received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on April 25, 2022. Kik, a free online social media platform, reported that a user later identified as Paul Schofield had uploaded multiple videos of child sexual exploitation material.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Schofield’s residence on June 7, 2022. A forensic examiner conducted a preview of Paul Schofield’s cell phone and located several videos of child pornography, including infants engaged in sexual contact with adults. Examiners later found videos on the phone of both Paul and Sara Schofield sexually assaulting an unconscious 4-year-old victim.
On June 9, 2022, law enforcement officers executed another search warrant at the Schofield’s residence. Officers seized Sara Schofield’s cell phone, which contained another sexually explicit video of the same 4-year-old victim in which the voices of Paul and Sara Schofield can be heard.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Task Force and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Illinois Felon who Possessed Firearm Sent to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who was found with a firearm in Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced today to more than three years in federal prison.
Lorenzo Lemons, age 29, currently residing in Dubuque, Illinois, received the prison term after a March 18, 2022 guilty plea to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
At the guilty plea, Lemons admitted that on September 13, 2021, he was found in Dubuque, Iowa, in possession of a Springfield XD-9 9mm handgun. Lemons was previously convicted of residential burglary in Champaign County, Illinois, in 2013, and retail theft in Champaign County, Illinois, in 2015. On September 13, 2021, Dubuque Police Department officers were conducting surveillance to locate a wanted fugitive. When they attempted to speak to Lemons, he immediately fled. He was apprehended and resisted arrest. He was ultimately found with a 9mm firearm in his waistband.
Lemons was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Lemons was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment and fined $100. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Lemons is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liz Dupuich and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-cr-1034.
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Hyde Park Man Indicted for COVID-Relief and Federal Assistance Benefit FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Hyde Park man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with his alleged use of a stolen identity to fraudulently obtain pandemic relief funds and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, previously known as Food Stamps.
Fernando Mateo Valenzuela, 68, was indicted on three counts of mail fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft and two counts of misrepresentation of a Social Security number. Valenzuela was previously charged by criminal complaint on June 17, 2022. He has remained in custody since his arrest on June 21, 2022.
According to the indictment, Valenzuela, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, used the identity of a United States citizen to apply for and receive $29,051 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits, made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. It is further alleged that Valenzuela also used the identity to apply for and receive $7,230 in SNAP benefits.
The charges of mail fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of aggravated identity theft each provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison, one of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of misrepresentation of a Social Security number each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Bethanne M. Dinkins, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigation, Northeast Region; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Ketty Larco-Ward, Postal Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Tobin of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Husband and Wife Real Estate Team Sentenced for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A husband and wife realtor team from Wise were sentenced today on federal wire fraud charges related to their scheme to create fake residential sales contracts in order to obtain advance sales commissions to which they were not entitled.
Jessee Allen DeLoach, 40, pled guilty in February 2022 to one count of wire fraud. He was sentenced today to 15 months in federal prison. Natasha Ashley Miller DeLoach, 38, also pled guilty to wire fraud in February 2022 and was sentenced today to 15 months in federal prison. In addition to their prison time, the DeLoaches agreed to pay $146,273 in restitution.
According to court documents, the DeLoaches owned a real estate agency called Koltown Properties, Inc., which operated in Southwest Virginia. Between March 2016 and November 2019, the defendants created at least nineteen phony residential sales contracts and submitted them to multiple advance commission companies throughout the country to fraudulently obtain money.
Advance commission companies provide a financial service to real estate agents by assisting them with cash flow. Specifically, real estate agents may sell portions of their pending commissions on legitimate residential sales contracts in exchange for access to cash before the closing date.
As part of the scheme, the DeLoaches created entirely false sales contracts for properties they knew were not under contract or they listed buyers and sellers who did not exist. Additionally, the DeLoaches altered valid residential sales contracts to reflect that no other real estate agent was involved in order to double their claimed sales commissions. To further their schemes, the DeLoaches created fake title companies, including one named Excel Title Company, to validate the fraudulent contracts to the advance commission companies so they would in turn authorize commission payments to the DeLoaches. The DeLoaches obtained over $300,000 in advance sales commissions over the life of their schemes.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virginia State Police investigated the case, with assistance from the Wise County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher is prosecuting the case.
Hospital Employee Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Exploitative Images of an Unconscious Victim PatientRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Donald Benson, age 42, of Nottingham, Maryland to 18 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for production of child pornography. Judge Blake also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Benson 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”).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryeshia Holley of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, on September 18, 2016, while working at a Maryland hospital as a patient sitter, Benson sexually assaulted a 15-year-old female (Victim 1) while she was unconscious. Additionally, Benson took 13 pictures of the sexual assault on Victim 1 and emailed those pictures to his personal email account. Benson used Victim 1’s birthdate as the subject of the email which was also visible on Victim 1’s hospital band in the pictures that Benson produced.
As stated in is plea agreement, in December 2019, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a report regarding child pornography activity on Benson’s email account. Between August 2015 to December 2019, Benson uploaded 337 files of possible child pornography.
During the investigation into Benson’s criminal conduct, investigators determined that several of the images Benson had emailed himself depicted images of minors being sexually assaulted including the images that Benson captured of Victim 1 while she as in an unconscious state.
On February 6, 2020, investigators executed search warrants at Benson’s residence and on his electronic devices including two cell phones, a CD labeled “Donny An”, and his email accounts. As a result of the executed search warrants, investigators located several images and files of child pornography and a CD that depicted a naked prepubescent female with her legs spread and genitals exposed. This CD contained images of child pornography from 1999 to 2013.
In an interview with law enforcement, Benson informed investigators that he took pictures of Victim 1 while working in an official capacity and while Victim 1 was unconscious. He also informed law enforcement that he took the exploitive pictures of Victim 1 when her father stepped out of the room to take a phone call.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, HSI, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary W. Setzer and Paul Budlow, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Friona Woman Charged After Holding 17 Immigrants HostageRead the Press Release
A Friona woman allegedly who held 17 undocumented immigrants hostage in her home has been charged with a federal crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Manuela Magdalena Jimon Castro, 30, was charged via criminal complaint with alien harboring. She made her initial appearance Thursday before Magistrate Judge Lee Ann Reno.
According to the complaint, Ms. Castro and a family member partnered with an illegal immigrant smuggling operation to hold undocumented individuals hostage at their home, threatening to deprive them of food and water and refusing to allow them to leave until they paid $11,000 to $12,000 or “worked off” the debt.
The investigation began when law enforcement in California received a tip from a woman who claimed her sister was being held for ransom in Texas. The woman reported that her sister had traveled from Guatemala to Mexico with the intention of seeking asylum in the United States, then crossed the border at the behest of a Mexican cartel who held her captive. She said her sister sent her a pin of a location in Friona before she escaped.
In a subsequent interview with law enforcement, the woman said that while in Mexico, she was forced into a car at gunpoint by individuals she believed to be members of a smuggling cartel. After several months, they walked her across the southern border, then shuttled her from house to house in Texas and New Mexico, refusing to let her go until she paid off her debt. Eventually, she ended up at the Castro residence, where she was told she would be detained until she paid $12,000.
After speaking with the woman and another individual previously detained at the home, law enforcement searched the Castro home. Inside, they recovered 17 undocumented immigrants, including two minor children. Most of the individuals attempted to hide, concealing themselves in the attic, in cupboards, or inside totes covered in blankets. Agents noted that the home contained very little furniture, save mattresses and blankets for a large number of individuals spread across the floor.
In interviews with law enforcement, the recovered immigrants admitted that they had entered the country illegally with smugglers. They indicated that the smugglers had confiscated their cell phones, and only allowed intermittent contact with family members in order to obtain money to pay their “entrance fees.” Several stated that they believed they had to stay at the residence in Friona until their entrance fee had been paid in full.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, she faces up to five years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas and Los Angeles Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Fiona Police Department, and the Thousand Oaks Police Department in California. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam is prosecuting the case.
Four Guatemalan Nationals Indicted by Joint Task Force Alpha and Arrested as Part of Takedown of Deadly Human Smuggling Network Based in GuatemalaRead the Press Release
On Tuesday, extensive coordination and cooperation efforts between United States and Guatemalan law enforcement authorities culminated in the Guatemalan National Civil Police (PNC) conducting a significant enforcement operation to disrupt and dismantle a transnational human smuggling organization. This operation included the arrest of four alleged human smugglers who have been indicted in the United States.
On August 2, Guatemalan law enforcement executed 26 search warrants in Huehuetenango, El Quiché, Totonicapán, Alta and Baja Verapaz and arrested 19 individuals including the four U.S. fugitives. As a result of the search warrants, law enforcement recovered 10 high valued motor vehicles, firearms, and cash.
Felipe Diego Alonzo, aka “Siete”, 38; Nesly Norberto Martinez Gomez, aka “Canche”, 37; Lopez Mateo Mateo, aka “Bud Light”, 42; and Juan Gutierrez Castro, aka “Andres”, 45; were arrested in Guatemala at the request of the United States pursuant to charges previously filed in the Western District of Texas (WDTX) and unsealed yesterday. The defendants allegedly conspired with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of large numbers of migrants from Guatemala through Mexico, and ultimately, to the United States, charging the migrants and their families approximately $10,000 to 12,000 USD for the perilous journey. In addition to prolific smuggling of migrants to the United States, the human smugglers targeted in this operation are alleged to be responsible for the death of a young indigenous Guatemalan woman who died in Texas in April 2021. Guatemalan authorities arrested Diego Alonzo, Martinez Gomez, Mateo Mateo, and Gutierrez Castro pursuant to requests for their extradition by the United States.
The victim’s family paid the defendants approximately $10,000 for the journey to the United States. According to the indictment, the defendants and their co-conspirators guided her for several days through the desert to Odessa, Texas where she ultimately perished. Upon learning of her death, the defendants and their co-conspirators quickly worked to get rid of the body and discarded it on the side of a country road in Crane County, Texas. The defendants and their co-conspirators then arranged for payment to the victim’s family.
“Joint Task Force Alpha was created to investigate and prosecute the international networks responsible for dangerous and prolific human smuggling activities that exploit and victimize migrants,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These indictments demonstrate the Department of Justice’s commitment to holding accountable criminal organizations that prey upon vulnerable people for profit. JTF Alpha’s dedicated personnel, along with our international law enforcement partners, are working tirelessly to disrupt and dismantle these harmful smuggling and trafficking networks.”
“These recent arrests are the culmination of over a year’s efforts of international coordination and investigation into this extensive human smuggling operation,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “This specific criminal organization has smuggled a large number of migrants from Guatemala, which included a young woman who died while being smuggled, and whose body was later callously dumped by the smugglers in Crane County, Texas. Along with our partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas is committed to delivering justice for her and to holding all the offenders accountable for their crimes, including those members of the criminal organization who remain in Guatemala.”
“HSI is deeply immersed in the global fight against human smuggling, and that absolutely includes our International Operations within Central and South America,” said Steve Francis, acting executive associate director of Homeland Security Investigations. “Combating this horrific, transnational crime is one of our top priorities – our special agents are actively engaged with law enforcement partners and task forces around the globe working to dismantle criminal networks that treat human life like a commodity. We will continue to root out those engaged in this crime and bring alleged perpetrators, such as these four, to justice.”
“Transnational criminal organizations continue to recklessly endanger the lives of individuals they smuggle for their own financial gain with no regard for human life,” said CBP Deputy Commissioner Troy Miller. “CBP supports Joint Task Force Alpha through information sharing and analysis from its frontline personnel and CBP’s National Targeting Center. That coordination is essential in identifying transnational criminal organizations and bringing human smugglers to justice.”
The indictments against Diego Alonzo, Martinez Gomez, Mateo Mateo and Gutierrez Castro and assistance provided by U.S. authorities to Guatemala law enforcement were coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA was created by the Attorney General in June 2021 in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to strengthen the Department’s overall efforts to combat these crimes based on the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle those human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime.
Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, DHS, and other interagency law enforcement participants, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; targeted those organizations who have the most impact on the United States, and coordinated significant smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. To date, JTFA’s work with its partners has resulted in criminal charges and over a hundred domestic and international arrests, including against leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of human smuggling activities; several dozen convictions; significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial asset forfeiture. JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorney’s Offices, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California, and dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Criminal Division that are part of JTFA – led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT), the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS), the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), the Office of Enforcement Operations (OEO), the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), and the Organized Crime and Gang Section (OCGS). JTFA is made possible by substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners.
HSI Midland led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with HSI Guatemala, and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI received substantial assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE)’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Odessa and Midland Police Departments; the Texas Department of Public Safety; and the Ector County, Midland County, and Crane County Sherriff’s Offices. HRSP, OIA, and OPDAT provided significant assistance in this matter. The Department of Justice thanks Guatemalan law enforcement, who were instrumental in furthering this investigation.
The case is being handled by JTFA Deputy Director James Hepburn of HRSP, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian Gallegos and Jose Luis Acosta of the WDTX and JTFA, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fedock of WDTX, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fort Wayne Woman Sentenced to 57 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Madison McCoy,19 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana was sentenced, on August 3, 2022, by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady on her plea of guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
McCoy was sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on June 16, 2021, McCoy was stopped for traffic violations while traveling northbound on I-69 in Allen County, Indiana. When approached by police, McCoy admitted to having drug paraphernalia in the car. A search of the car yielded two packages wrapped in dark plastic under a sweatshirt on the rear driver’s floorboard. Inside the packages were multiple vacuum sealed bags containing small blue pills stamped with “M30.” There were approximately 20,000 pills weighing slightly over two kilograms. The pills later tested positive for the presence of Fentanyl and had a street value of approximately $500,000.00.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department and Indiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 300 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Eddie M. Knox, 56 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady on his plea of guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Knox was sentenced to 300 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between May 6, 2019, and August 26, 2020, Knox was involved in a conspiracy with his co-defendants to distribute significant amounts of controlled substances. During the conspiracy, Knox personally distributed approximately 393 grams of methamphetamine and 98 grams of fentanyl in five controlled buys with law enforcement. Knox also provided a firearm to a felon during one of the controlled buys. In addition, Knox maintained a residence where controlled substances were sold and stored during the conspiracy, and where additional narcotics and two firearms were recovered.
Knox was the final defendant to be sentenced in this case. The other 5 co-defendants who were previously sentenced included:
Fredrick Morgan II, 43 years old, of Fort Wayne, who received 360 months in prison,
Larry Lamb, 41 years of age, of Fort Wayne, who received 295 months in prison,
Frederick Morgan, 65 years old, of Fort Wayne, who received 90 months in prison,
James Russell, Jr., 56 year old, of Fort Wayne, who received 84 months in prison, and
Sarah Waltz, 41 years old, of Fort Wayne, who received 37 months in prison.
This case was the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of multiple local law enforcement agencies, including the Indiana State Police, Allen County Sheriff’s Department, Allen County Drug Task Force, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Huntington Police Department, Auburn Police Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stacey R. Speith and Brent A. Ecenbarger.
This case was being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Former Vice Chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago Sentenced to More than Five Years in Federal Prison for Procurement FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former vice chancellor for City Colleges of Chicago has been sentenced to five and a half years in federal prison for devising and engaging in a procurement fraud scheme.
SHAROD GORDON was employed by City Colleges of Chicago in a variety of leadership roles, most recently as the Vice Chancellor of Legislative and Community Affairs. From 2013 to 2017, Gordon obtained kickbacks from vendor-companies in exchange for steering them City Colleges contracts for community canvassing and flyer distribution services. Some of the companies were formed by Gordon’s City Colleges colleagues and other friends for the sole purpose of applying for the contracts. In some instances, the work was never performed – even though the companies submitted invoices that caused City Colleges to pay out nearly $350,000. Upon receipt of the payments, Gordon directed representatives of the companies to give him a portion of the money.
Gordon, 47, of Oak Park, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to a federal wire fraud charge. U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow, Jr., on Wednesday imposed a 66-month prison sentence.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Office of Inspector General for the City Colleges of Chicago provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
“Sharod Gordon abused the public trust for personal profit,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan DeMarco argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant used his government position to deprive underserved college students of honest services in order to line his own pocket.”
Seven other defendants were charged with participating in the fraud scheme.
Former Southern University Professor Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison for Mail Fraud and Money Laundering After Living as a Fugitive in Iran and Turkey for More than a DecadeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Parviz Sharifrazi, age 70, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 24 months in federal prison following his convictions for mail fraud and money laundering. The Court further sentenced Sharifrazi to serve one year of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
Today’s sentencing resulted from a federal criminal investigation that began years ago. In 2008 and 2009, Sharifrazi was working as an associate professor at Southern University (“Southern”) and trying to raise money for an unrelated business venture in Iran. Beginning in 2008, he and a co-defendant, who was working as the Information Technologies (IT) Director at Southern’s College of Engineering, conceived a scheme to defraud Southern by submitting fraudulent equipment quotes in the names of fictitious vendors and causing Southern to approve the quotes, while concealing their involvement in the scheme.
In furtherance of the scheme, Sharifrazi’s co-defendant would create fraudulent computer equipment purchase requests, generate fraudulent quotes for the equipment in the name of shell companies that he and Sharifrazi had created, and then submit the fraudulent quotes to Southern’s purchasing department and cause them to be approved. Meanwhile, Sharifrazi caused other individuals to register for mail forwarding services at private mail facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada, Beaverton, Oregon, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Sharifrazi used these mailboxes to deceive Southern. Through their use of shell companies, out-of-state mailing addresses, and other means, Sharifrazi and his co-defendant were able to conceal the fraudulent nature of the purchase requests and the quotes and hide the fact that they were profiting from the scheme.
Between April and November 2008, Sharifrazi and his co-defendant caused Southern to issue 14 checks totaling more than $150,000 to their shell companies and to mail the checks to the out-of-state mailboxes that they had opened. Then, as the defendants gained control of the funds, Sharifrazi would conduct additional monetary transactions and launder the proceeds of the scheme by, for instance, transferring proceeds from the scheme into another bank account that he and a family member in the name of a Denham Springs restaurant.
Sharifrazi was indicted in 2011. By this time, he had left Southern and was living in Iran. After being contacted by federal law enforcement agents, and knowing that the court had issued a warrant for his arrest, the defendant was a fugitive for more than a decade, living in Iran for many years and then moving to Turkey. In mid-2021, the defendant met with agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Turkey and agreed to return to the United States to accept responsibility for his crimes. Earlier this year, Sharifrazi pled guilty to mail fraud and money laundering and admitted his involvement in the fraudulent scheme described above.
Sharifrazi’s co-defendant pled guilty in 2010 and has fully served his sentence, which included both a term of imprisonment and an order to pay restitution to Southern University.
U.S. Attorney Gathe stated, “This prosecution demonstrates that neither time nor distance shall deter the federal government and our partners from obtaining justice. I want to thank our prosecutors and the federal and state law enforcement agencies who made this result possible.”
“This sentencing demonstrates the steadfast work of the FBI and our partners in bringing to justice individuals like former Southern University Professor Parviz Sharifraz, who engaged in fraudulent schemes that grossly impacted Southern University,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr. “We thank our partners from the U.S. Attorney's Office Middle District of Louisiana, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Louisiana Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General for their collaborative efforts to identify, investigate, and bring to justice criminals who seek to harm American universities through fraud and deceit.”
“Today's sentencing exemplifies the patience and long arm of the law in its pursuit of financial fraud and money laundering violations,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI’s Atlanta Field Office. “Mr. Parviz Shafrazi perpetuated an elaborate scheme driven by his insatiable greed and a blatant disregard for the tremendous damage inflicted on Southern University and its students. Be assured that IRS Criminal Investigation, together with our federal partners, will hold those who engage in similar behavior fully accountable.”
Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street commented, “Justice for Mr. Sharifrazi has been delayed for well over a decade because of his deliberate choice to remain out of the country rather than face the music for his crimes. Today’s sentencing at last brings closure and consequences for a carefully devised criminal scheme to defraud the institution of higher learning at which Mr. Sharifrazi was employed. It also hopefully sends the message that the wheels of justice may sometimes turn slowly, but they do indeed turn. No matter how long it may take, the Louisiana OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to relentlessly pursue public corruption in all of its forms.” Street added, “I want to commend United States Attorney Ron Gathe and his staff, as well as our partners at the FBI, IRS, and Department of Education OIG for another successful outcome.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Louisiana Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General, with critical assistance from the U.S. Marshal’s Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel for the United States Attorney’s Office.
Former Private Prisoner Transport Officer Indicted for Sexual Assault and Lying to the FBIRead the Press Release
A federal indictment was unsealed yesterday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, charging a former private prisoner officer with sexually assaulting a male pretrial detainee during a prisoner transport and later lying to the FBI.
According to the indictment, at the time of the alleged crime, Dewayne Dudley, 55, of Claremore, Oklahoma, worked as a private prisoner transport officer for Blue Raven Services, a company that was hired by local jails and prisons throughout the country to transport people who had been arrested pursuant to out-of-state warrants and needed to be transported back to the states that had issued the warrants.
Count One of the indictment charges Dudley, while acting under color of law, with willfully depriving a male pretrial detainee whom he was transporting from Indiana to New Mexico, of his constitutional right to bodily integrity. The indictment alleges that Dudley’s conduct resulted in bodily injury to the victim and kidnapping. Count Two charges Dudley with knowingly and willfully making false statements to a Special Agent with the FBI regarding his transport of the victim.
If convicted, Dudley faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Compton for the Northern District of Oklahoma and Trial Attorney Laura Gilson of the Civil Rights Division are 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.
Former Private Prisoner Transport Officer Indicted for Sexual Assault and Lying to the FBIRead the Press Release
A federal indictment was unsealed yesterday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, charging a former private prisoner officer with sexually assaulting a male pretrial detainee during a prisoner transport and later lying to the FBI.
According to the indictment, at the time of the alleged crime, Dewayne Dudley, 55, of Claremore, Oklahoma, worked as a private prisoner transport officer for Blue Raven Services, a company that was hired by local jails and prisons throughout the country to transport people who had been arrested pursuant to out-of-state warrants and needed to be transported back to the states that had issued the warrants.
Count One of the indictment charges Dudley, while acting under color of law, with willfully depriving a male pretrial detainee whom he was transporting from Indiana to New Mexico, of his constitutional right to bodily integrity. The indictment alleges that Dudley’s conduct resulted in bodily injury to the victim and kidnapping. Count Two charges Dudley with knowingly and willfully making false statements to a Special Agent with the FBI regarding his transport of the victim.
If convicted, Dudley faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Compton for the Northern District of Oklahoma and Trial Attorney Laura Gilson of the Civil Rights Division are 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.
Former North Texas Mayor and Land Developer Husband Sentenced for Public Corruption ConvictionsRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – The former mayor of Richardson, Texas, and a land developer whom she married after the federal investigation began, have been sentenced for their public corruption convictions in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Laura Jordan, also known as Laura Maczka, 57, and Mark Jordan, 55, both of Plano, Texas were convicted by a jury on July 24, 2021, of bribery concerning a program receiving federal funds, conspiracy to commit bribery concerning a program receiving federal funds, tax fraud, and conspiracy to commit tax fraud. Laura Jordan was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant. Mark Jordan was also sentenced today by Judge Mazzant and received 72 months in federal prison.
“Citizens should be able to trust that their elected representatives honestly conduct themselves in a manner that solely benefits the community,” said U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “When the greed of personal gain and benefit results from official actions taken on the pretense of altruistic motives, then the integrity of the whole process is corrupted. Jordan and Maczka have now been convicted by a jury of their peers and their punishment should reflect some measure of repair of that trust by the citizens of Richardson, Texas.”
“For the residents of Richardson, today is a step toward rebuilding public trust,” said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “Laura Jordan violated her obligation to serve her constituents, and along with Mark Jordan, carried out a conspiracy to commit bribery and tax fraud all while concealing their illicit conduct from the City of Richardson and its taxpayers. Our elected officials are held to the highest standards, and the FBI will continue to ensure that those who disregard their duty to serve the public are held fully accountable.”
According to information presented in court, from May 2013 through April 2015, Laura Maczka was the mayor of Richardson, Texas, and Jordan was a land developer. Maczka and Jordan conspired to devise and execute a scheme to commit bribery. Maczka, contrary to her campaign promises, supported and repeatedly voted for controversial zoning changes sought by Jordan, ultimately allowing for the construction of over 1,000 new apartments in Richardson near other Richardson neighborhoods. In exchange, Jordan paid Maczka over $18,000 in cash, an additional $40,000 by check, and paid for over $24,000 in renovations to Maczka’s home. Jordan also paid for luxury hotel stays and airfare upgrades for Maczka and provided Maczka lucrative employment at one of Jordan’s companies. According to court testimony, Maczka and Jordan failed to disclose to the public that they had coordinated to affect the zoning changes Jordan wanted and that Jordan had provided a stream of benefits to Maczka.
Maczka and Jordan were indicted by a federal grand jury on May 10, 2018.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, and the City of Richardson. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Rattan, Sean Taylor, Brent Andrus, Anand Varadarajan, Bradley Visosky, and other attorneys from the Plano branch office.
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Former Mahoning County Physician Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Illegally Prescribing Controlled Substances and Causing the Deaths of Two PatientsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND - Martin Escobar, 58, a former Mahoning County physician, was sentenced today to 25 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after he previously pleaded guilty to 54 counts of illegally prescribing controlled substances—including two counts of distributing controlled substances that caused the deaths of two patients and one count of distributing a controlled substance to a person under the age of 21—and 31 counts of health care fraud.
“Mr. Escobar repeatedly distributed dangerous and highly addictive controlled substances to his patients and ignored signs of addiction and other red flags that his actions were causing harm to those who entrusted him with their care, and falsifying justifications for issuing prescriptions he knew should never have been written,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler. “Due to his behavior, two patients died from overdosing on the drugs he illegally prescribed to them. Our community is safer with Mr. Escobar now behind bars.”
“Violating a position of trust compounded by willfully neglecting the Hippocratic oath is cruel and cowardly,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge, Gregory Nelsen. “The sentence underscores the FBI’s unwavering commitment to investigating criminal activities and corrupt individuals that prey on innocent persons and endanger countless people. Whether one individual or a network of criminals, the valuable partnerships the FBI holds with federal, state and local law enforcement continues to protect the public and make our communities safer.”
“Escobar’s disregard for the well-being of those under his care caused the death of two vulnerable patients and endangered the health of many others,” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue medical professionals who fuel the opioid epidemic and neglect the care of their patients.”
According to court documents, between March 2015 and October 2019, Escobar prescribed controlled substances out of his Lake Milton medical office, including opioids such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, often in combination with benzodiazepines and stimulants, and did so outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.
Escobar used false diagnoses, falsified patient pain intensity scales in medical charts, increased dosages of controlled substances and prescribed painkillers for prolonged periods without evidence of efficacy to support his unlawful prescription practices. Furthermore, Escobar failed to pursue treatment options other than controlled substances and falsely claimed to have performed extensive physical examinations on his patients.
Escobar also ignored warning signs of patients’ drug addiction and abuse. This included ignoring the results of his patients’ urine drug screen tests, many of which Escobar ordered and had performed in his own medical office so that he could bill the government for the tests. These tests suggested that patients were abusing the drugs that Escobar had prescribed, using other controlled substances and selling their prescription drugs on the illegal secondary market. As a result, Escobar was charged and pleaded guilty to health care fraud in connection with the illegal prescribing and urine drug screen tests.
In addition, in July 2015 and 2016, Escobar unlawfully prescribed opioids and other controlled substances to two patients without a legitimate medical purpose. Both patients later fatally overdosed from those drugs. In another instance, in April of 2018, Escobar unlawfully prescribed opioids to an individual under the age of 21 without a medical need.
“This guy thought he could outsmart the system by concealing his drug dealing behind a doctor’s coat – thankfully, our many partners in the investigation followed the paper trail of his prescription pad and stopped his scheme,” said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. “This doctor will do no further harm behind bars, and Ohio’s taxpayers will benefit with less fraud in the healthcare system.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Ohio Attorney General’s Healthcare Fraud Section and the Ohio Board of Pharmacy. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Morrison, Michael L. Collyer, Brendan O’Shea and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Metzler of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
Former Long-Term Employee of Miami-Dade Police Department Convicted of Covid-19 Relief Fraud Sentenced to Prison TimeRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Yesterday, Senior U.S. District Judge Donald L. Graham sentenced 51-year-old Elisa Rivera to 60 days in federal prison, to be followed by 18 months of supervised release, after she pled guilty earlier this year to participating in a Covid-19 relief fraud conspiracy. Prior to the sentencing hearing, Rivera repaid to the federal government all the money she had fraudulently obtained for herself and others through the conspiracy: over $117,000.
When the pandemic hit our country in 2020, Rivera worked full-time with the Miami-Dade Police Department (“MDPD”) as an Administrative Officer. As an MDPD employee (which she had been for many years), Rivera suffered no loss of salary due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, on July 3, 2020, Rivera authorized a co-conspirator to electronically submit an EIDL application on her behalf stating that Rivera was the 100% owner of a for-profit business operating under the name “Elisa Rivera.” That application falsely and fraudulently certified that the business named “Elisa Rivera” was established on or about March 1, 2017, and that during the 12 month period prior to January 31, 2020, that business had gross revenues of $325,446 and 12 employees. In reality, the defendant did not own any business, was not an independent contractor, and had no business gross revenues or employees. As a result of this fraudulent application, Rivera received $71,300 from the SBA in loans and grants.
After having the co-conspirator submit the fraudulent EIDL application on her behalf, Rivera offered to, and did, submit fraudulent EIDL applications to the SBA on behalf of a limited group of other individuals (the “Applicants”) who also did not own small businesses and did not qualify for EIDL relief. These applications contained false representations as to the existence of their small businesses, their gross revenues, and the number of employees each business had. It was the intent of Rivera and the Applicants to obtain for the Applicants the $10,000 EIDL advances from the SBA, but not to obtain any additional loan amount. As a result of these fraudulent applications, four of the Applicants each received the $10,000 advances from SBA. In exchange for submitting these fraudulent EIDL applications to the SBA, Rivera collected fees from the Applicants.
In February, Rivera pled guilty to a felony Information charging her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme to file fraudulent applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration for COVID-19 relief advance grants and low-interest COVID-19 relief loans. The full sentenced imposed yesterday by Senior Judge Graham was 60 days’ imprisonment, 18 months of supervised release (with the first 60 days in home confinement), restitution in the amount of $115,063.61, forfeiture in the amount of $2,000, and a $100 special assessment. As the judge recognized during yesterday’s hearing, Rivera satisfied her restitution and forfeiture obligations prior to their being ordered as part of her sentence. Rivera must surrender to the Bureau of Prisons by November 4.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the Small Business Administration, Investigations Division (SBA-OIG), made the announcement.
FBI Miami (in particular, its Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Professional Compliance Bureau - Criminal Conspiracy Unit) and SBA-OIG investigated this matter. Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General assisted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm prosecuted this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20028.
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Former Governor of Puerto Rico Arrested in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
A former governor of Puerto Rico was arrested today on bribery charges related to the financing of her 2020 campaign.
Relatedly, a political consultant for the former governor and the president of the international bank have also pleaded guilty to participating in the bribery scheme.
“The alleged bribery scheme rose to the highest levels of the Puerto Rican government, threatening public trust in our electoral processes and institutions of governance,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable those who wrongly believe there is one rule of law for the powerful and another for the powerless. No one is above the rule of law.”
According to the indictment, from December 2019 through June 2020, then-Governor of Puerto Rico Wanda Vazquez Garced, 62, of San Juan, allegedly engaged in a bribery scheme with various individuals, including Julio Martin Herrera Velutini, Frances Diaz, Mark Rossini, and John Blakeman to finance Vazquez Garced’s 2020 gubernatorial election campaign.
“The criminal actions of the defendants in this case strike a blow to the heart of our democracy and further erode the confidence of our citizens in their institutions of governance,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “Our resolve to bring to justice those entrusted by the public to serve with integrity and who violate that trust remains steadfast. Equally steadfast is our resolve to prosecute those who seek to use their wealth and power to enrich themselves at the expense of honest government. I commend the dedication and hard work of the law enforcement personnel and prosecutors in this case, as well as those individuals willing to come forward and cooperate.”
Herrera Velutini, 50, a dual Venezuelan-Italian citizen residing in London, United Kingdom, owned an international bank operating in San Juan. Diaz, 50, of Puerto Rico was the CEO and President of the international bank owned by Herrera Velutini. Rossini, 60, of Madrid, Spain was a former FBI Special Agent who provided consulting services to Herrera Velutini. Blakeman, 53, of Puerto Rico, is a political consultant who worked on Vazquez Garced’s 2020 campaign.
“Public corruption manifests in many different ways,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph González of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “Those who engage in this illegal conduct often believe they are above the law or fool themselves into believing this is a victimless crime and thus are not doing anything wrong. Our message is and has been clear. Public corruption erodes the people’s trust in our institutions and fuels civil unrest. As a top priority for the FBI, wherever allegations of public corruption arise, we will investigate. No one is above the law and the victim of this crime, the People, deserve better.”
According to the indictment, beginning in 2019, Herrera Velutini’s bank was the subject of an examination by Puerto Rico’s Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF), a regulatory agency that oversees financial institutions operating in Puerto Rico. Through intermediaries, Herrera Velutini and Rossini allegedly promised to provide funding to support Vazquez Garced’s 2020 gubernatorial election campaign in exchange for Vazquez Garced terminating the Commissioner of OCIF and appointing a new Commissioner of Herrera Velutini’s choosing. The indictment alleges that Vazquez Garced accepted the offer of a bribe and, in February 2020, took official action to demand the resignation of OCIF Commissioner A and, in May 2020, to appoint OCIF Commissioner B – a former consultant for the international bank owned by Herrera Velutini – who had been personally selected by Herrera Velutini. In return, Herrera Velutini and Rossini allegedly paid more than $300,000 to political consultants in support of Vazquez Garced’s campaign.
The indictment further alleges that following Vazquez Garced’s primary election loss in August 2020, Herrera Velutini sought to bribe her successor, Public Official A, by offering funding in support of Public Official A’s campaign in exchange for Public Official A ending OCIF’s audit of Herrera Velutini’s bank on terms favorable to Herrera Velutini. According to the indictment, between April 2021 and August 2021, Herrera Velutini allegedly used intermediaries to convey his offer of a bribe to a witness who held himself out as a representative of Public Official A, but who was in fact acting at the direction of the FBI. As noted in the indictment, the witness was acting at the direction of the FBI during this timeframe and not actually serving as an intermediary of, or acting on behalf of, Public Official A. In August 2021, Herrera Velutini allegedly directed a $25,000 payment to a political action committee associated with Public Official A, with the understanding and expectation that Public Official A would resolve OCIF’s audit of Herrera Velutini’s bank in the manner requested by Herrera Velutini.
Vazquez Garced, Herrera Velutini, and Rossini are each charged with conspiracy, federal programs bribery, and honest services wire fraud. Vazquez Garced is scheduled to make her initial court appearance today in federal court in the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted on all counts, they each face a maximum total penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Relatedly, the department also announced the guilty pleas of two individuals in connection with the schemes to bribe Vazquez Garced and Public Official A.
According to court documents, in March, Frances Diaz pleaded guilty to conspiring with Herrera Velutini and others to bribe Public Official A. Diaz was, until February 2022, the CEO and President of the international bank owned by Herrera Velutini. In March, John Blakeman pleaded guilty to conspiring with Herrera Velutini and Rossini to bribe Vazquez Garced, and with Herrera Velutini to bribe Public Official A.
Both Diaz and Blakeman face up to five years in prison. Their sentencing hearings have not yet been scheduled. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s San Juan Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Ryan R. Crosswell, Erica O. Waymack, and Nicholas W. Cannon of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico are prosecuting the case. Members of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section also provided assistance with the investigation, including Trial Attorneys Margaret Leigh Kessler and D. Zachary Adams, and Bank Integrity Unit Acting Chief Molly Moeser.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Governor of Puerto Rico Arrested in Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former governor of Puerto Rico was arrested today on bribery charges related to the financing of her 2020 campaign.
Relatedly, a political consultant for the former governor and the president of the international bank have also pleaded guilty to participating in the bribery scheme.
“The alleged bribery scheme rose to the highest levels of the Puerto Rican government, threatening public trust in our electoral processes and institutions of governance,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable those who wrongly believe there is one rule of law for the powerful and another for the powerless. No one is above the rule of law.”
According to the indictment, from December 2019 through June 2020, then-Governor of Puerto Rico Wanda Vázquez Garced, 62, of San Juan, allegedly engaged in a bribery scheme with various individuals, including Julio Martín Herrera Velutini, Frances Díaz, Mark Rossini, and John Blakeman to finance Vázquez Garced’s 2020 gubernatorial election campaign.
“The criminal actions of the defendants in this case strike a blow to the heart of our democracy and further erode the confidence of our citizens in their institutions of governance,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “Our resolve to bring to justice those entrusted by the public to serve with integrity and who violate that trust remains steadfast. Equally steadfast is our resolve to prosecute those who seek to use their wealth and power to enrich themselves at the expense of honest government. I commend the dedication and hard work of the law enforcement personnel and prosecutors in this case, as well as those individuals willing to come forward and cooperate.”
Herrera Velutini, 50, a dual Venezuelan-Italian citizen residing in London, United Kingdom, owned an international bank operating in San Juan. Díaz, 50, of Puerto Rico was the CEO and President of the international bank owned by Herrera Velutini. Rossini, 60, of Madrid, Spain was a former FBI Special Agent who provided consulting services to Herrera Velutini. Blakeman, 53, of Puerto Rico, is a political consultant who worked on Vázquez Garced’s 2020 campaign.
“Public corruption manifests in many different ways,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph González of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “Those who engage in this illegal conduct often believe they are above the law or fool themselves into believing this is a victimless crime and thus are not doing anything wrong. Our message is and has been clear. Public corruption erodes the people’s trust in our institutions and fuels civil unrest. As a top priority for the FBI, wherever allegations of public corruption arise, we will investigate. No one is above the law and the victim of this crime, the People, deserve better.”
According to the indictment, beginning in 2019, Herrera Velutini’s bank was the subject of an examination by Puerto Rico’s Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF), a regulatory agency that oversees financial institutions operating in Puerto Rico. Through intermediaries, Herrera Velutini and Rossini allegedly promised to provide funding to support Vázquez Garced’s 2020 gubernatorial election campaign in exchange for Vázquez Garced terminating the Commissioner of OCIF and appointing a new Commissioner of Herrera Velutini’s choosing. The indictment alleges that Vázquez Garced accepted the offer of a bribe and, in February 2020, took official action to demand the resignation of OCIF Commissioner A and, in May 2020, to appoint OCIF Commissioner B – a former consultant for the international bank owned by Herrera Velutini – who had been personally selected by Herrera Velutini. In return, Herrera Velutini and Rossini allegedly paid more than $300,000 to political consultants in support of Vázquez Garced’s campaign.
The indictment further alleges that following Vázquez Garced’s primary election loss in August 2020, Herrera Velutini sought to bribe her successor, Public Official A, by offering funding in support of Public Official A’s campaign in exchange for Public Official A ending OCIF’s audit of Herrera Velutini’s bank on terms favorable to Herrera Velutini. According to the indictment, between April 2021 and August 2021, Herrera Velutini allegedly used intermediaries to convey his offer of a bribe to a witness who held himself out as a representative of Public Official A, but who was in fact acting at the direction of the FBI. As noted in the indictment, the witness was acting at the direction of the FBI during this timeframe and not actually serving as an intermediary of, or acting on behalf of, Public Official A. In August 2021, Herrera Velutini allegedly directed a $25,000 payment to a political action committee associated with Public Official A, with the understanding and expectation that Public Official A would resolve OCIF’s audit of Herrera Velutini’s bank in the manner requested by Herrera Velutini.
Vázquez Garced, Herrera Velutini, and Rossini are each charged with conspiracy, federal programs bribery, and honest services wire fraud. Vázquez Garced is scheduled to make her initial court appearance today in federal court in the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted on all counts, they each face a maximum total penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Relatedly, the department also announced the guilty pleas of two individuals in connection with the schemes to bribe Vázquez Garced and Public Official A.
According to court documents, in March, Frances Díaz pleaded guilty to conspiring with Herrera Velutini and others to bribe Public Official A. Díaz was, until February 2022, the CEO and President of the international bank owned by Herrera Velutini. In March, John Blakeman pleaded guilty to conspiring with Herrera Velutini and Rossini to bribe Vázquez Garced, and with Herrera Velutini to bribe Public Official A.
Both Díaz and Blakeman face up to five years in prison. Their sentencing hearings have not yet been scheduled. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph González of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s San Juan Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Ryan R. Crosswell, Erica O. Waymack, and Nicholas W. Cannon of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico are prosecuting the case. Members of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section also provided assistance with the investigation, including Trial Attorneys Margaret Leigh Kessler and D. Zachary Adams, and Bank Integrity Unit Acting Chief Molly Moeser.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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22-833
Former Erie County Sheriff Sergeant Charged with Deprivation of RightsRead the Press Release
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that a former Sergeant with the Erie County Sheriff’s Office was charged in a one-count indictment with deprivation of rights.
According to the indictment, Adam Bess, 34, of Sandusky, is accused of choking a victim while acting under the color of law on or about November 1, 2021. The indictment states that Bess, acting as a law enforcement officer, willfully used unreasonable force on the victim. It is alleged that, as a result of this offense, the victim suffered bodily injury.
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, the defendant’s 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 Toledo FBI and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Freeman and Tracey B. Tangeman.
Former Director of Finance for the La Jolla Music Society Sentenced to 30 months in PrisonRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Mark Conover (619) 546-6763
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 4, 2022
SAN DIEGO – Chris Benavides, former finance director at La Jolla Music Society, was sentenced in federal court today to 30 months in prison for embezzling more than $650,000 from the non-profit over a 10-year period. Benavides was also ordered to pay a minimum of $650,000 in restitution.
Benavides oversaw the budgeting process and human resources. Over the years he regularly claimed that many staff salary increases were not possible due to budgetary constraints. However, during that same period, Benavides was stealing for himself an average of about $65,000 per year.
Forensic review revealed that over the years Benavides’ theft became more and more sophisticated. He regularly planned his theft in advance of each fiscal year, budgeting for the amount that he would take over the next 12 months and imbedding those expenses in various budget lines. This ensured that none of the expense lines would show conspicuous variances when reviewed by other staff, board members or auditors. It was also discovered he regularly signed or forged checks for his personal benefit and made false entries in the books to hide what he was doing.
“Mr. Benavides exploited his position of trust with the La Jolla Music Society by stealing month after month for over a decade,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “His greed and deception have had a lasting impact on this non-profit. Today, he has been held to account for his crimes.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and FBI agents for their excellent work on this case.
“La Jolla Music Society trusted their Director of Finance to safeguard the non-profit’s funds, but Benavides had a different plan,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “Instead, the defendant strategically calculated year over year to systematically steal from his employer, selfishly lining his own pockets. Today’s sentencing sends a clear message to Benavides that he will be held accountable for his crimes, but more than that, it provides justice for the victims, so they can hopefully begin to move forward into a new chapter.”
DEFENDANT Case Number 22cr3042-CAB
Chris Benavides Age: 52 San Diego
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the gain/loss, whichever is greater
AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Foreign national gets nearly 20 years for smuggling over $1M in methRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 33-year-old Mexican citizen has been ordered to prison for conspiracy to import and importation of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
A federal jury convicted Juan Victor Larraga-Solano Aug. 25, 2021, following a two-day trial.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered that he serve a total of 235 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the seriousness of drug smuggling and the significant quantity of meth Larraga-Solano attempted to bring into the United States. Judge Marmolejo also pointed out that Larraga-Solano’s testimony at trial did not make any sense and that he had not acknowledged any responsibility for his actions.
Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence.
On March 8, 2020, Larraga-Solano attempted to enter the United States through the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge in Laredo. He claimed he was importing glass beer bottles, juice boxes and meat contained in coolers from Mexico.
Law enforcement inspected the items and noticed that, when shaken, the juice boxes sounded as if they contained rocks. Further, the alleged beer did not have any bubbles. A follow up X-ray examination also revealed anomalies in the walls of the coolers. Authorities conducted a thorough inspection and found 56 packages of meth and 12 beer bottles containing liquid meth.
Overall, authorities seized a total of 44.56 kilograms of meth from Larraga-Solano.
During trral, the jury heard the total estimated street value was in excess of $1.1 million.
Testimony at trial revealed that Mexican cartels have increased the price of meth to raise demand for less expensive drugs like cocaine and marijuana.
Larraga-Solano has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Brandon S. Bowling and former AUSA Adam E. Harper prosecuted the case.
Foreign National Admits to Participating in an International Scheme to Defraud Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Indian national today admitted his role in an international conspiracy that preyed on elderly victims in New Jersey and throughout the United States, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Ashish Bajaj, 29, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From April 2020 to August 2021, Bajaj and his conspirators preyed on elderly victims across the United States by impersonating fraud prevention specialists from various banks, online retailers, and online payment companies. They contacted victims and falsely claimed that they were fraud prevention specialists employed by reputable companies and that the victims’ accounts with banks, online retailers, or online payments companies were being targeted for fraud. Bajaj and his conspirators then falsely told the victims that their fraud prevention efforts required the victims’ assistance in a sting operation to catch the perpetrators.
Bajaj and the conspirators asked the elderly victims to send money from their bank accounts to accounts controlled by Bajaj and the conspirators and falsely promised to return their money within a few days of the purported sting operation. The victims were also falsely promised that once they sent the money, the sting operation would result in the arrest of the purported perpetrators. The victims sent international wire transfers to various banks located in India, China, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. The victims also sent money through an online application to bank accounts held by Bajaj in the United States. The victims further sent cash and cashier checks to Bajaj at an address in California. The scheme resulted in losses of over $250,000.
The conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 8, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.
Foley Man Sentenced to 37 Months for Firearm Offense While Impersonating an FBI AgentRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced defendant Kelcey Turner, 36, to thirty-seven months in prison for possessing a firearm while he was a drug-addicted person. Turner entered a guilty plea to those offenses on April 1, 2022.
According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, on March 11, 2021, Kelcey Turner approached a uniformed Foley police officer while the officer was directing traffic in a school zone. Turner was wearing a shoulder style holster with a semi-automatic Glock 9mm. The officer asked Turner if there was a problem. Turner responded “I don’t know, is there?” and then left the area in an indigo colored Dodge Challenger. The officer reported the incident and asked for other officers to be aware.
Turner then pulled up to Servpro in Baldwin County. Once there, Turner encountered an employee of Servpro. Turner walked up to the employee and pulled the Glock 9mm from his holster, loaded a magazine in the weapon, pulled the slide back to charge the weapon, and pointed the weapon at the employee. Turner identified himself as a special agent with the FBI and grabbed the employee’s wallet and removed his identification. Turner acted as if he had a radio and earpiece in his ear and called out the employee’s identifying information. At this time, other employees from Servpro exited the building and witnessed the interaction between Turner and the employee. Turner told the other employees that he was an FBI agent. The employees asked to see his badge, and Turner replied that FBI agents don’t carry badges. Turner then grabbed the employee’s left arm, twisted it behind his back, and moved the employee from his car to another vehicle approximately three cars away. Turner then left the scene. The Servpro employees called Foley PD, and they issued an alert for TURNER and his vehicle.
Shortly after the alert was announced, a patrol officer spotted the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. The Glock 9mm was on Turner’s person in the shoulder holster. Turner stated he had a SKS rifle as well. Officers recovered in TURNER’s automobile or in his residence: a Glock 9mm pistol, serial number SLS726; and a semi-automatic Norinco rifle, SKS 7.62x39, serial number 8151167P, and two 15 round 9mm magazines, and one 31 round 9mm magazine, and one 50 round Glock 9mm drum magazine, and 23 Perfecta 9mm Luger rounds of ammunition, and one KCI 7.62x39 75 round drum magazine.
Turner was interviewed and admitted to being under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident.
Judge Moorer imposed a thirty-seven month sentence of incarceration. The judge also ordered Turner to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his discharge from prison. Judge Moorer ordered substance abuse testing, substance abuse treatment, and mental health treatment as conditions of Turner’s sentence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Foley Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case.
Fenton man admits stealing $1.1 million from investorsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Fenton on Thursday admitted bilking investors out of at least $1.1 million with false claims of lucrative contracts with a Texas airport.
From Sept. 2, 2020 through at least Nov. 16, 2021, Harish Sunkara falsely told potential investors that he had won contracts with the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
Sunkara’s company, Pace Solutions, had won a $49,500 contract to provide the airport with IT training software. But Sunkara on Thursday admitted using forged, altered and fraudulent versions of the past, legitimate contract documents to convince investors that he’d won far larger contracts, worth between $750,000 and $950,000. The documents also included the forged signature of the airport’s contract administrator.
One investor wired $150,000.00 to Sunkara’s Pace Solutions bank account. Another sent him $200,000. A third sent $100,000. A fourth sent $645,000, Sunkara’s plea says.
Sunkara did not use the money on the fictitious business venture, however. On multiple occasions when investors wired him money, he sent all or part of it to Las Vegas casinos. Between 2020 and 2021, Sunkara spent at least $5.5 million at casinos in eastern Missouri and Nevada.
Sunkara, 51, pleaded guilty Thursday in front of U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp to two counts of aggravated identity theft. Each charge carries a penalty of two years in prison and the possibility of a fine up to $250,000. At Sunkara’s sentencing, scheduled for Nov. 1, he will also be ordered to repay the money.
“Harish Sunkara lured investors with false promises of a low-risk, high-return investment, when all he did was steal their money,” said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Verify investment information independently, especially when an offer seems too good to be true.”
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Robert Shelton, 37, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew McGrath, who is handling the case, stated that Shelton was previously convicted of felony charges in 2008, 2009, and 2012, and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. On March 7, 2020, Shelton sold two firearms to an individual working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, including a pistol, a rifle, and ammunition.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 10, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Geraci.
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Federal Jury Finds Man Guilty of Trafficking Narcotics into Southeastern ConnecticutRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in New Haven has found KAREEM SWINTON, also known as “K,” 40, last residing in Owings Mills, Maryland, guilty of narcotics trafficking offenses.
According to the evidence presented during the trial, in 2018, the FBI, the Norwich Police Department and other law enforcement agencies began investigating a narcotics trafficking organization that was operating in southeastern Connecticut. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of crack, revealed that Swinton, who formerly resided in Norwich, trafficked narcotics into the Norwich area, where co-conspirators further distributed the drugs.
Swinton has been detained in federal custody since February 21, 2019.
Yesterday, the jury found Swinton guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, cocaine and cocaine base (“crack”), and one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, a controlled substance. Ten other individuals were previously convicted of narcotics trafficking offenses stemming from this investigation.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer has scheduled sentencing for October 26, 2022, at which time Swinton faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years on each count.
The maximum penalties that Swinton faces are enhanced based on Swinton’s criminal history, which includes a prior federal conviction for trafficking cocaine and crack. In June 2008, Swinton was arrested by the Texas Highway Patrol after he was found in possession of approximately two kilograms of cocaine and more than two pounds of marijuana that he was transporting from Arizona to Connecticut. In August 2009, he was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 100 months of imprisonment for that offense.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwich, Town of Groton, and Waterford Police Departments, with the assistance of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Delaware State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Marc H. Silverman through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Federal Court Issues Temporary Restraining Order to Prevent Tampa-Area Pharmacist from Filling PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
A federal court issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting a Tampa-area pharmacist from filling prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances, the Department of Justice announced today.
In a complaint filed on August 1 and unsealed today, the United States alleges that Nathaniel Esalomi unlawfully distributed powerful opioids by filling prescriptions he knew were not valid at Apexx Pharmacy in Hudson, Florida, where he is the owner and sole pharmacist. The complaint alleges that Esalomi charged dramatically inflated prices to fill opioid prescriptions and accepted thousands of dollars in cash for the drugs. The complaint further alleges that Esalomi instructed individuals to forge signatures on certain forms and to falsify addresses. The complaint also alleges that Esalomi filled numerous controlled substance prescriptions for persons who were deceased.
“Pharmacists who knowingly fill invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances violate the law and endanger our communities,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to prosecute medical professionals who put profit over public safety.”
“The illegal distribution of opioids by medical professionals has caused great harm to people in our communities, and has led to a nationwide epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “We are committed to using every enforcement tool available to stop those individuals whose unlawful actions and abandonment of their professional responsibilities have fueled the opioid crisis.”
“In the midst of a deadly overdose epidemic in our country, addressing the diversion of opioids and other controlled substances is a top priority for DEA,” said Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the DEA Miami Field Division. “DEA remains steadfast in our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that our communities are safe and healthy.”
The temporary restraining order was issued by U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The pending complaint seeks to permanently enjoin Esalomi from filling prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances, and from owning or supervising a pharmacy.
DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad in the Tampa District Office is conducting the ongoing investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn B. Tapie and Trial Attorneys Thomas S. Rosso and Scott B. Dahlquist of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are handling the case.
The claims made in the complaint are merely allegations that the United States must prove if the case proceeds to trial.