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12 September 2022
Jackson Man Sentenced to over Eight Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm by Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 105 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, Jarius Isaac Cameron, 29, was found in possession of a firearm by officers of the Jackson Police Department on March 7, 2021, during an investigation into an alleged armed robbery. Cameron has several prior felony convictions. As a convicted felon, it is contrary to federal law for Cameron to possess a firearm.
Cameron pled guilty on May 26, 2022 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Jackson Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill prosecuted the case.
This case is 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.
Inmate Pleads Guilty to Possessing Weapon at FCI McDowellRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Alex Barrera, 26, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell, pleaded guilty today to possession of a weapon by an inmate of a federal prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 5, 2022, an FCI McDowell staff member conducting a random pat-down search found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in the waistband of Barrera’s pants. The object was a piece of metal about six and one-half inches long, with one end sharpened to a point and the other end wrapped in cloth and a shoelace as a grip. Barrera admitted to possessing the object and that it was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.
Barrera is scheduled to be sentenced on December 5, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-151.
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Indianapolis Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material on FacebookRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Darryl Dwight Lewis, Jr., 32, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to distribution and receipt of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, on February 23, 2020, Lewis used his Facebook account to send another user a video depicting an adult male engaged in sexual intercourse with a prepubescent boy. Facebook reported the transmission, and the incident was referred to law enforcement officers. Through their investigation, Lewis was identified as the individual associated with the offending Facebook account.
On July 14, 2021, law enforcement officers met with Lewis at his place of employment. Investigators seized a cell phone from Lewis’ pocket and transported him to the police station to be interviewed. A search warrant was executed at Lewis’ residence, and multiple digital devices were seized—including a 32GB thumb drive containing dozens of videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Lewis admitted during his interview that he used the Facebook account in question to communicate with others. Lewis also admitted that he used a Dropbox account to store child sexual abuse material. Lewis possessed hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse in his accounts and on his devices, including depictions children being made to engage in sadistic or masochistic conduct.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI investigated the case. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department also provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. As part of the sentence, Judge Magnus-Stinson ordered that Lewis be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 15 years following his release from federal prison and ordered Lewis to pay $65,000 in restitution to the child exploitation victims. Lewis must also register as sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina M. Korobov who prosecuted this case.
This investigation was conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a partnership of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies led by the Indiana State Police. The Task Force is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting crimes involving the technology-facilitated sexual exploitation of children and the trafficking of child sexual abuse material. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. In fiscal year 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc
Hopkins Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl that Caused Eleven Overdose DeathsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Hopkins man has been sentenced to life in prison for distributing controlled substances, including fentanyl, which resulted in the deaths of eleven people and caused serious bodily injury to four people, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
“Eleven lives lost. Families, friends, and communities forever changed by the devastation brought on by Aaron Broussard’s deadly fentanyl. Although the trauma felt by the victims can never be undone and the true cost can never be calculated, Mr. Broussard will now spend the remainder of his life behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
“Let today’s sentencing serve as a wakeup call to the drug traffickers pushing fentanyl in and around our communities,” Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Justin C. King said. “A mere two milligrams of fentanyl, equivalent in size to a few grains of salt, is enough to potentially kill a person. The threat of fentanyl is real, and the traffickers pushing this deadly substance will be held accountable for the lives they’ve taken, the families they’ve hurt and the communities they’ve devastated.”
“Today’s sentencing of Aaron Broussard sends a clear message in how critical a role the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners play in protecting American consumers from illegal narcotics being shipped via the U.S. Mail. U.S. Postal Inspectors are committed to continuing our work to dismantle drug trafficking operations to keep USPS customers and employees safe from greedy drug traffickers who favor profit over human lives,” stated Inspector in Charge Ruth M. Mendonça of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Denver Division.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, from 2014 through December 6, 2016, Aaron Rhy Broussard, 31, obtained controlled substances, including fentanyl, from China-based drug suppliers. Broussard conspired with his China-based suppliers to smuggle what would prove to be deadly drugs into the country. Broussard marketed these drugs for sale on his website, PlantFoodUSA.net, under the guise of selling plant food. He then used the United States mail and a United States Postal Service “Click-N-Ship” account to send out packages of deadly drugs around the country.
On March 12, 2016, Broussard placed a drug order for 100 grams of 4-FA, a controlled substance analogue, which was shipped from China. The package actually contained 100 grams of 99% pure fentanyl. Although Broussard had experienced a similar mix-up in August 2015 and was repeatedly told to test his drugs, he did not do so. Between March 31 and April 27, 2016, Broussard sent his branded packages containing fentanyl to more than a dozen customers throughout the United States. The customers had ordered and were expecting to receive an amphetamine analogue, similar to Adderall. They were not opiate users and had no tolerance for the deadly fentanyl Broussard sent them. After ingesting the fentanyl, believing it was Adderall, eleven of the customers died from a fentanyl overdose, and at least four customers suffered serious bodily injury.
Broussard continued distributing his deadly packages despite hearing about adverse reactions. Even after he learned that several customers had been hospitalized and nearly died, Broussard never warned his customers not to take the deadly drugs. Broussard did reach out to his suppliers in China to request a discount on his next drug delivery.
On March 31, 2022, following a 10-day jury trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson, Broussard was convicted on 17 counts, including conspiracy, importation of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substance analogues.
During the sentencing hearing, Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson lauded the bravery shown by victims and their families in providing their victim impact statements to the Court. In imposing the life sentence, Judge Nelson told Broussard, “Your disregard for human life is terrifying.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, the University of Minnesota Police Department, the Peoria Heights (Illinois) Police Department, the Dallas (Texas) Police Department, the Broome County (New York) Sheriff’s Office, the Volusia County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office, the Orange County (California) Sheriff’s Office, Garrard County (Kentucky) Sheriff’s Office, Hazel Green (Wisconsin) Police Department, and the Atlanta (Georgia) Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Hollenhorst and Melinda A. Williams prosecuted the case.
Guilty Plea in Woonsocket Arson CaseRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A 23-year-old man charged with setting fires in three locations inside a Woonsocket mill-type building in April 2019 today pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of arson, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Jacob E. Lahousse admitted that he set the fires after climbing a ladder and entering the rear of the building, which houses at least two businesses.
According to charging documents and information presented to the court, video surveillance shows Lahousse walking around the inside of building collecting various items and placing them into bags. About two hours after entering the building, Lahousse is seen on surveillance video destroying several video surveillance cameras. Lahousse then set three separate fires in the building that night: one inside a desktop computer on the basement level, one to a piece(s) of fabric on the basement level, and one on a loveseat in a first-floor office.
After receiving a fire alarm activation from the building, Woonsocket firefighters discovered smoke in the building and water flowing from sprinkler heads. They extinguished the small fire inside the desktop computer and smoldering papers on a desk in a first-floor office. Investigators also observed evidence of forced entry, smashed computers, ransacked offices in the form of papers strewn all about, and an attempted forced entry into a safe.
In the office that sustained fire damage a handwritten note was posted on the wall that stated, “[i]n case you decided 2 call the feds I got pics of the fam.” On the desk next to the note was an empty picture frame that previously contained a family photo.
Lahousse was identified as the individual depicted in the video surveillance by numerous individuals. On July 14, 2019, he was arrested by Blackstone, MA, police and found to be in possession of two checkbooks in the name of the owner of one of the businesses inside the Woonsocket building where he had set the fires.
Lahousse is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12, 2022. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Arson is punishable by statutory penalties of between five and twenty years of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dulce Donovan.
The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Woonsocket Police Department; and the Rhode Island State Fire Marshal’s Office.
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Former Utica Tax Preparer Indicted for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Dianna Nolan, age 46, formerly of Utica, New York, has been charged by indictment with two counts of filing false income tax returns and 15 counts of aiding and assisting the filing of false income tax returns. The indictment was announced by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Thomas Fattorusso, Executive Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), New York Field Office.
The indictment alleges that Nolan worked as a professional tax return preparer in Oneida County, New York, between at least 2014 through 2018. Nolan is charged with filing false income tax returns on behalf of various clients during those years by falsely claiming losses for rental properties. Nolan is also charged with filing false tax returns on her own behalf for tax years 2017 and 2018 by failing to report all of the income she received from her tax preparation business.
The charges filed against Nolan carry a maximum sentence of 3 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to 1 year, and a special assessment of $100 per count of conviction. 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.
The defendant, who recently moved to Florida, was arraigned today by videoconference before United States Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric and released pending a trial to be scheduled before Senior United States District Court Judge Norman A. Mordue.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Former Heritage High School Football Coach Sentenced to Fifteen Years for Attempted Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On September 12, 2022, the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee, sentenced John David Morrow, 51, of Maryville, Tennessee, to 15 years in prison.
Morrow, a former football coach at Heritage High School, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted production of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and (e). Following his incarceration, Morrow will be on supervised release for 12 years and will be required to comply with special sex offender conditions. In addition, Morrow will be required to register with the state sex offender registry in whatever state in which he resides.
As set forth in the plea agreement filed with the court, Morrow used a social media platform to engage in conversations with an individual he believed to be a 12-year-old girl but who was actually an undercover federal agent. Morrow, despite knowing the victim’s age, repeatedly asked her to take sexually explicit photographs of herself for him to view, and he sent her several photographs of himself, including one displaying his genitalia.
This prosecution was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
Members of the public who have questions or concerns related to this case, or any information relating to the sexual exploitation of children, should call 1-800-Call-FBI.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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, PSC marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Five Physicians Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Crimes in Connection with HOPE ClinicRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Five physicians pleaded guilty in connection with prescription practices at HOPE Clinic, a purported pain management clinic that operated in Beckley, Beaver and Charleston, West Virginia, and Wytheville, Virginia.
Four of the physicians each pleaded guilty to a felony count of aiding and abetting obtaining a controlled substance by fraud: William Earley, D.O, 66, of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Brian Gullett, D.O., 45, of Clarksville, Pennsylvania; Roswell Tempest Lowry, M.D., 88, of Efland, North Carolina; and Vernon Stanley, M.D., 79, of Fayetteville, West Virginia.
Mark Clarkson, D.O., 64, of Princeton, West Virginia, pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor counts of aiding and abetting the misbranding of a drug involved in interstate commerce.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from November 2010 until June 11, 2015, practitioners associated with HOPE (Hitech Opioid Pharmachovigilance Expertise) Clinic prescribed thousands of oxycodone- and morphine-based pills to individual customers. In some cases, these prescriptions provided an average of four to seven pills per day. Several HOPE Clinic locations averaged 65 or more customers a day during a 10-hour workday with only one practitioner working.
Gullett, Early and Stanley each signed multiple oxycodone prescriptions for a HOPE Clinic customer at the Charleston location for both 30 milligram and 15 milligram pills. The prescriptions were issued between March 13, 2013, and November 18, 2013, for a total of 390 pills. Gullett, Early and Stanley admitted that the customer’s medical chart did not support these prescriptions and that the prescriptions were not for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional medical practice.
Lowry signed prescriptions for a HOPE Clinic customer in Charleston for 180 oxycodone pills at 20 milligram and 15 milligram doses on August 12, 2014. Lowry admitted that he intentionally did not read the customer’s chart to determine if those prescriptions were for a legitimate medical purpose. Lowry instead issued the same prescriptions as previous physicians had for the customer.
Gullett, Earley, Lowry and Stanley each admitted that these customers had multiple failed or abnormal drug screenings, reported being addicted to pain medication, bought pills on the street, and sold pills from their HOPE Clinic prescriptions to others. Gullett, Earley, Lowry and Stanley further admitted that they did not discuss the possibility of addiction or the need for addiction treatment with these customers.
Clarkson admitted to helping HOPE Clinic issue prescriptions after major retailers had stopped filling them and smaller pharmacies could not meet the supply and demand of Hope Clinic customers. Some local pharmacies were enlisted by Patients, Physicians and Pharmacists Fighting Diversion (PPPFD), which managed HOPE Clinic’s daily operations, to compound oxycodone and other Schedule II controlled substances for HOPE Clinic customers. Because of restrictions on compounding a commercially available drug, HOPE Clinic physicians were instructed to write prescriptions for compound oxycodone in milligram doses that were not commercially available.
Clarkson wrote compound oxycodone prescriptions for five different HOPE Clinic customers at the Virginia location between October 2014 and December 2014. All five prescriptions were filled at Adkins Pharmacy in Gilbert, West Virginia, for a total of 635 pills at 32 milligram or 16 milligram doses. Clarkson admitted that none of the five customers had a legitimate medical need for prescriptions at 32 milligram or 16 milligram doses, as there was no therapeutic difference between those doses and commercially available doses.
Adkins Pharmacy agreed to pay $88,085.73 in civil monetary penalties in 2020. The settlement agreement resolved allegations that Adkins Pharmacy violated the Controlled Substances Act by filling illegitimate compound opioid prescriptions issued by physicians affiliated with HOPE Clinic. Adkins Pharmacy also entered into a three-year compliance agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that imposes heightened reporting and oversight requirements and sanctions for non-compliance.
Gullett, Earley, Lowry, Stanley and Clarkson are scheduled to be sentenced on December 22, 2022. Gullett, Earley, Lowry and Stanley each face a maximum penalty of four years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Gullett, Earley, Lowry and Stanley have also agreed to surrender their Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) certificates of registration and to not oppose revocation of their registration to dispense controlled substances. Lowry and Stanley have further agreed not to apply for re-registration, while Gullett and Early have agreed not to apply for re-registration to dispense Schedule II controlled substances. Clarkson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine.
Gullett, Earley, Lowry, Stanley and Clarkson were initially indicted in 2018 along with the owners, managers and other physicians associated with HOPE Clinic and PPPFD. The remaining defendants are awaiting trial. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
“These pleas show our office’s continuing effort to protect lives and prevent future overdoses through all means possible,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “A lot of effort has gone into this case.”
Thompson commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the West Virginia State Police, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Beckley Police Department, the Kentucky State Police, the Harrison County, Kentucky, Sheriff’s Department, and the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (AHIDTA).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Monica Coleman, Steve Loew and Owen Reynolds are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:18-cr-26, 2:22-cr-167, 2:22-cr-168, 2:22-cr-169, 2:22-cr-170 and 2:22-cr-176.
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El Salvadorian sex offender sentenced for second unlawful entryRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 27-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of illegal re-entry into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Edgar Yovani Bonilla-Flores pleaded guilty June 17.
Today, U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton ordered Bonilla-Flores to serve 16 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Bonilla-Flores had previously illegally entered the United States on April 8, 2014. He had also engaged in criminal conduct that resulted in a conviction for the aggravated felony offense of third degree sex offense in Montgomery County, Maryland. In that case, the court heard he had sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old female he had met over social media. Bonilla-Flores had also failed to register as a sex offender. He was ordered to be removed from the United States Dec. 20, 2021.
In handing down the sentence, the court noted the egregiousness surrounding the prior sex offense and also that the Bonilla-Flores returned to the United States unlawfully shortly after being removed.
On April 18, authorities found Bonilla-Flores in Falfurrias. He was not in possession of any immigration documents nor had filed a petition to remain legally in the United States. He admitted to being a citizen of El Salvador and that he entered the country illegally by crossing the Rio Grande River near Hidalgo April 9. Records revealed he was physically removed Feb. 11.
Bonilla-Flores has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Parker Gochenour prosecuted the case.
Ecuadorian National Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Anthony Rommel Cuero Garcia, 24, of Ecuador, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III, to Conspiracy to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine while on Board a Vessel Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States. Cuero Garcia’s sentencing date was scheduled for January 11, 2023.
According to court documents, on November 15, 2021, while on routine patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, a Maritime Patrol Aircraft spotted a low-profile vessel approximately 77 nautical miles north of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. The United States Coast Guard and Coast Guard Cutter HAMILTON was diverted to the scene. Upon arrival, Coast Guard officers encountered the low-profile vessel which was outfitted with three outboard engines, had no flag flown, no registration numbers nor name painted on the hull. After boarding the vessel, the boarding team encountered four individuals later identified as Luis Rodriguez, a Columbian national, and Eliecer Pineda Torres, Carlos Benitez Estupinan and Anthony Cuero Garcia, all Ecuadorian nationals. With no claimed nationality or master of the vessel, the vessel was determined to be subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Thereafter, Coast Guard officers inspected the vessel and found approximately 43 bales which contained 1,298 kilograms of cocaine.
The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard, Drug Enforcement Administration and Customs and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
District Man Sentenced to 16 Months in Prison for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Azriel Echavarria, 20, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 16 months in prison on a firearms charge, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Echavarria pleaded guilty in April 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to carrying a pistol without a license. He was sentenced on Sept. 9, 2022, by the Honorable J. Michael Ryan. Following his prison term, he will be placed on years of supervised release.
On March 10, 2022, an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department observed as Echavarria broadcast live footage of himself on Instragram Live as he waved a gun around inside an apartment in the 800 block of Kenilworth Avenue NE. MPD officers placed Echavarria under arrest after he left the apartment and executed a search warrant to recover the firearm, a 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol. Police also recovered ammunition and drugs from the apartment, which was not Echavarria’s home or place of business. At the time of the offense, Echavarria was on probation for Maryland convictions of burglary and illegal gun possession. He has been held since his arrest.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlos A. Valdivia, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Assault at Shaw-Howard University Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Justin Q. Taylor, 23, of Washington, D.C., has pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual abuse for attacking a woman earlier this year at the Shaw-Howard University Metro Station, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
Taylor pleaded guilty on Sept. 9, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on Dec. 9, 2022, by the Honorable Milton C. Lee, Jr.
According to the facts agreed to by both parties, in the early afternoon of Jan. 28, 2022, Taylor followed a woman down the escalator of the Metro station, in the 1800 block of Seventh Street NW. When they got to the bottom, he grabbed her without warning by the waist and pressed his pelvis against her buttocks as she struggled to get away. The woman fought him off and screamed and Taylor ran back up the escalator and caught a Metro bus a short distance away.
A Metro Transit Police Officer saw Taylor boarding the bus after hearing a description of the attacker. That officer pulled the bus over, finding Taylor on board. Taylor was brought back near the scene, where the victim identified him as the man who had just assaulted her.
At the time of the offense, Taylor was on probation for a similar offense he committed in December 2018. In that case, he attacked a woman after the two had just gotten off a bus.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those who handled the case from the Metro Transit Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Brenda C. Williams and Victim/Witness Advocate Veronica Vaughan.
Finally, U.S. Attorney Graves commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor, who investigated and prosecuted this case.
Denton Physician Guilty of Over-Prescribing OpioidsRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Denton physician has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Stanley Charles Evans, 63, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances and health care fraud today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine Nowak.
“Evans gives other physicians a bad name,” said U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “Sworn to do no harm, Evans failed by illegally prescribing narcotics that harmed many people. More people die by opioid drug abuse than by vehicle and gun related deaths combined in the U.S. today. This is a big problem and those who are supposed to heal the sick, but choose to become illegal drug dealers, will be investigated and prosecuted.”
According to information presented in court, beginning in 2017, Evans, a licensed physician operating a family medicine practice in Denton, unlawfully prescribed approximately 370,000 dosage units of hydrocodone outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. An investigation began after it was reported that Evans was pre-signing opioid prescriptions for patients that were exhibiting drug seeking behavior. Evans would pre-sign the scripts and the patients would be seen by his four nurse practitioners. An investigation revealed patients were repeatedly able to obtain the strongest prescription for Hydrocodone from Evans and one of the nurses without ever being fully examined or providing any documentation regarding their “pain.” It was also determined that Evans was only present at the office approximately half the time he claimed and that prescriptions for Schedule II opioids were being written for patients even while Evans was out of the country on vacation. The investigation also revealed that nurses were seeing 20 to 30 patients a day and their salaries were production based, receiving a percentage of what they billed instead of a set salary. Additionally, nurses were billing Medicare and TriCare under Evans’ medical identification number, which results in an increased charge to the government for physician services. In all,
Evans faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Dallas Tactical Diversion Squad, Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Services, and Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
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Dearborn Doctor Who Attempted to Flee to Mexico Sentenced for Illegally Selling Powerful Opioid PillsRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A Dearborn doctor was sentenced to four years in federal prison based on his conviction for conspiring to distribute and distributing over 12,000 powerful opioid pills, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James Tarasca of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office.
United States District Court Judge Nancy G. Edmunds imposed the sentence on Dr. Tete Oniango, 48, of Oakland, Michigan. According to court records, Dr. Oniango was sentenced based on his plea of guilty to conspiring with patient recruiters and others to distribute prescription opioid pills in violation of his medical and DEA licenses. Dr. Oniango unlawfully prescribed 12,500 hydrocodone pills, a powerful, Schedule II controlled substance. Hydrocodone is commonly known by the brand names of Vicodin, Lortab, Lorcet, and Norco. Oniango issued these prescription drugs without regard to medical necessity and outside the course of professional medical practice. The doctor would issue opioid prescriptions to patients who appeared at his Dearborn medical clinic without conducting any medical examinations or appropriate testing. As part of his sentence, Dr. Oniango was also ordered to forfeit approximately $38,000 in cash that was seized from his medical office.
In 2021, while on bond and pretrial release following his indictment in 2020, Dr. Oniango attempted to flee the United States by taking a bus to Mexico. However, Mexican border agents apprehended Oniango and returned him to United States authorities.
U.S. Attorney Ison stated, “Michigan has been devastated by opioid drug overdoses in the last decade. Dr. Oniango betrayed his oath as a physician and injected poison into our communities for profit. My office will zealously pursue medical providers who abuse their licenses and inflict harm upon our community.”
“As a physician, Dr. Oniango was trusted to prescribe potent narcotics in keeping with laws and regulations designed to prevent the diversion of prescription drugs that fuel the ongoing opioid epidemic. Not only did he break that trust, but he also attempted to flee the consequences of his criminal behavior,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate this type of criminal behavior and to ensuring those who operate outside the law face the consequence for that choice.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip A. Ross as part of the district’s efforts to address the nation’s opioid crisis. The Eastern District of Michigan is one of twelve districts included in the Attorney General’s Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection initiative. The case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
Columbia Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years for Sending Obscenity to a MinorRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia man who is a registered sex offender was sentenced in federal court today for sending obscenity to a minor over Skype.
Matthew Ray Stone, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 20 years in federal prison without parole.
Stone is required to register as a sex offender following his military court martial in 2001 for sodomy with a child, indecent acts or liberties with a child, and possession of child pornography. He was also convicted in state court in 2015 of possessing child pornography and failing to register as a sex offender.
On Feb. 17, 2022, Stone pleaded guilty to one count of transferring obscene materials to a minor and to an additional count of committing the offense as a registered sex offender.
The investigation began when a Boone County sheriff’s detective received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Stone had uploaded an image of child pornography to his Skype account. A search warrant was executed at Stone’s residence and officers found Stone’s laptop computer was currently logged into his Skype account. A computer forensic examiner located Skype conversations in which Stone discussed sexual fantasies involving children.
Stone acknowledged he did not report his Skype account as required by his sex offender registration. Officers seized Stone’s electronic devices and investigators discovered several chat conversations that were sexually explicit, including conversations with juveniles. Stone admitted that he sent sexually explicit images of himself to a minor via Skype, and discussed the minor running away from home and staying with him. Stone also possessed child erotica and child pornography depicting children as young as infants and toddlers.
Stone was arrested and convicted in state court of possessing child pornography and failing to register as a sex offender. He was judged to be a sexually violent predator and involuntarily civilly committed within the Missouri Department of Mental Health for treatment. Stone will be subject to federal incarceration upon his release from the Sex Offender Rehabilitation and Treatment program.
According to court documents, Stone was dishonorably discharged from the United States Air Force on July 1, 2008, following his 2001 court martial and incarceration. While an enlisted member of the Air Force, he had been involved with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. When Stone turned in his military-assigned computer, it contained 44 images of child pornography and more than 900 pages of email communications containing sexually explicit stories that involved young boys. At least four children were identified as victims of Stone’s sexual abuse.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department 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."
Chief Executive Officer Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Submitting Hundreds of False Monitoring ReportsRead the Press Release
U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. of the Western District of Tennessee today sentenced DiAne Gordon, 61, of Memphis, Tennessee, to 36 months in prison followed by two years’ supervised release in connection with her fabrication of discharge monitoring reports required under the Clean Water Act and the submission of those fraudulent documents to state regulators in Tennessee and Mississippi. The court further ordered Gordon to pay restitution in the amount of $222,388. On the fraud count, Gordon was sentenced to 26 months in prison, and she received an additional 10 months’ incarceration on the related probation revocation for having engaged in the criminal conduct while on supervision.
According to court documents and information in the public record, Gordon was the co-owner and chief executive officer of Environmental Compliance and Testing (ECT). ECT held itself out to the public as a full-service environmental consulting firm and offered, among other things, sampling and testing of stormwater, process water and wastewater.
Customers, typically concrete companies, hired ECT to take samples and analyze them in a manner consistent with Clean Water Act permit requirements. Gordon claimed to gather and send the samples to a full-service environmental testing laboratory. The alleged results were memorialized in lab reports and chain of custody forms submitted to two state agencies, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), to satisfy permit requirements. In reality, Gordon fabricated the test results and related reports. She even forged documents from a reputable testing laboratory in furtherance of her crime. Gordon then billed her clients for the sampling and analysis. Law enforcement and regulators quickly determined that Gordon created and submitted, or caused to be submitted, at least 405 false lab reports and chain of custody forms from her company in Memphis to state regulators since 2017.
“Today’s sentence appropriately reflects the harm caused by Gordon’s betrayal of her position of trust and her fraud upon her customers, the regulatory authorities, and the citizens of Tennessee and Mississippi,” said Assistant Attorney Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
“The Clean Water Act ensures that water quality is maintained throughout the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr. for the Western District of Tennessee. “Correct and accurate test results of discharges into rivers and stream and the honest reporting of those results to regulatory authorities are important parts of the Act’s regulatory framework. Without accurate test results and reporting of those results, the Clean Water Act will not work as Congress intended. Because honest reporting of this data is so important to the functioning of the Act, our office will vigorously prosecute individuals who falsely report test results.”
“Today’s sentence should be a reminder to those who choose to undermine the public’s confidence in our nation’s water quality for their own financial gain will be vigorously prosecuted,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Carfagno of the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division’s (EPA-CID) Southeast Area Branch. “We commend the assistance of our state partners with the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for their substantial assistance throughout this investigation.”
EPA-CID investigated the case. MDEQ and TDEC provided invaluable assistance to federal law enforcement officers.
Trial Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean DeCandia and Principal Deputy Criminal Chief Carroll Andre for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
Carthage Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Carthage man pleaded guilty in federal court today to sexually exploiting a child from Michigan whom he met online.
Charles Ward Kuentzel, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of the sexual exploitation of a child.
By pleading guilty today, Kuentzel admitted that he used a child victim to produce child pornography from Sept. 1, 2020, to April 21, 2021.
According to today’s plea agreement, the mother of the child victim, identified in court documents as Jane Doe 1, contacted law enforcement in Michigan because her daughter was in an inappropriate online relationship with an adult man. The child victim told investigators she met Kuentzel in a public Discord game server, through which they communicated. FBI agents in in the Detroit division were able to identify Kuentzel in the online chats, in which Kuentzel and the child victim sent one another sexually explicit images of themselves. Kuentzel engaged in video chats and sexual conversations with the victim.
Officers executed a search warrant at Kuentzel’s residence on Aug. 26, 2021, and seized his cell phone and microSD card. Numerous images of the child victim, including child pornography, were found on the cell phone and the microSD card.
During the forensic examination, investigators also found several sexually explicit images of another child victim, identified in court documents as Jane Doe 2. She told investigators she was 14 years old when she met Kuentzel on Omegle, and they communicated through the Snapchat and Kik applications. Kuentzel requested nude images from Jane Doe 2, which she provided.
Under federal statutes, Kuentzel is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the FBI, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Canton, Mich., Police Department.
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."
California Man Sentenced for ‘Extraordinary Quantity’ of MethRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A California man was sentenced in federal court today for transporting what court documents describe as “an extraordinary quantity of methamphetamine” in a borrowed car as he traveled from California through Missouri.
Johnny Jordan Thompson, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Thompson was sentenced as a career offender due to his prior felony convictions.
On Dec. 21, 2021, Thompson pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Thompson admitted that he was transporting approximately 28 pounds of methamphetamine in the vehicle he was driving when he was pulled over by a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper on Sept. 12, 2019.
The trooper stopped Thompson, who was driving a loaned vehicle from a dealership in Ontario, Calif., on Interstate 70 in Cooper County. The trooper searched the vehicle and found 11 packages of methamphetamine, which weighed approximately 20 pounds (8.87 kilograms), in the trunk. Another approximately eight pounds (almost 3.3 kilograms) of methamphetamine was later found hidden under the carpet of the passenger floorboard.
According to court documents, Thompson has spent most of the past 20 years in prison on offenses ranging from vehicle theft to armed bank robbery to, most recently, attempted murder (after he was hired to kill someone). He was discharged from parole in the attempted murder case in California in December 2018 and committed this federal offense less than a year later.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Bucyrus Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Minor and Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND - David L. Holdcraft, 28, of Bucyrus, Ohio, was sentenced on September 8, 2022, to 24 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr., after Holdcraft pleaded guilty to receipt and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, possession of child pornography and sexual exploitation of children in May 2022.
In addition, to the prison sentence, Holdcraft was ordered to serve ten years of supervised release, pay $28,000 in restitution and $15,000 in special and Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA) assessments.
“The cruelty and depravity of this defendant’s actions are unimaginable and individuals such as this defendant are why the Justice Department and all of law enforcement remain dedicated to protecting the most vulnerable among us by prosecuting dangerous predators,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler. “We are grateful to the authorities in this case for their hard work in identifying and apprehending this individual.”
“Finding and investigating child predators is one of the FBI’s highest priorities,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen. “Holdcraft’s conduct is appalling and heinous. This sentence ensures that he will be held accountable for his horrendous actions. We are proud of the work our agents conducted and will remain relentless in our pursuit to ensure children are protected through the FBI’s partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement, providing resources to victims and their families and continuing education and outreach into our communities.”
According to court documents, on February 25, 2022, Mansfield FBI agents executed a search warrant at Holdcraft’s Bucyrus residence after receiving information that Holdcraft was involved in the distribution of child pornography on Wickr and Kik Messenger.
During the execution of the warrant, authorities obtained several electronic devices that were later found to contain hundreds of images and videos that depicted children as young as toddlers engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Investigators also seized a child-sized rubber torso from Holdcraft’s bedroom.
Investigators further determined that Holdcraft was engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with a five-year-old victim and videotaped himself performing sexual acts on the victim.
This case was investigated by the Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Mansfield Resident Agency and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik.
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Browning man admits assaulting another man, causing serious injuryRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Browning man suspected of beating another man in the head on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to an assault charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Dale Ray Racine, 30, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Racine faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other sentencing factors. Sentencing was set for Jan. 26, 2023. Racine was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on Nov. 19, 2021, Racine and another individual assaulted the victim, identified as John Doe, in a Browning residence, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Doe was asleep when he woke to banging on the door and heard people talking. Doe sat up and saw Racine and the other individual rushing toward him. Doe was struck multiple times in the head and once to the hand and leg. Doe was treated for injuries to his head and hand.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.
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Beverly Hills Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Hire Hitman to Kill Woman He Briefly DatedRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Beverly Hills man was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for attempting to hire a hitman to kill a woman he briefly dated and who repeatedly tried to break off their relationship.
Scott Quinn Berkett, 25, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi. Berkett pleaded guilty on June 13 to one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire. He has been in federal custody since his arrest in this case in May 2021.
According to the affidavit in support of a criminal complaint in this case, Berkett met the victim online in 2020, and the woman flew to Los Angeles to meet Berkett in late October 2020. The victim, who described Berkett’s behavior as “sexually aggressive,” tried on several occasions to break off the relationship following the October trip, the affidavit states.
In April 2021, a family member, who had learned that Berkett continued to contact the victim, called and sent text messages to Berkett’s father’s phone, and, on April 20, Berkett appeared to have responded saying, “Consider this matter closed.”
Soon afterward in April 2021, he solicited and paid for murder-for-hire services via a website on the darknet for a group that purportedly offered such services. Berkett provided the darknet group with specific directions and details about his victim. As payment for the victim’s murder, Berkett sent the darknet group bitcoin payments totaling approximately $13,000.
In May 2021, an undercover law enforcement officer, posing as a hitman from the darknet group, contacted Berkett. The undercover officer sent Berkett pictures of the victim. Berkett confirmed that the pictures showed his intended victim and that he had made bitcoin payments to obtain her murder. Berkett further requested proof of her murder and made an additional $1,000 payment to the undercover officer.
“[Berkett’s] crime was not a momentary lapse in judgment, but a premeditated plot to kill the victim because she rejected his advances,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “While attempting to take a life is atrocious enough, [Berkett’s] chosen method of carrying out the crime – using the Dark Web to hire a hitman and cryptocurrency – speak to his sophistication, meticulous planning, and attempts to anonymize his illegal conduct in the commission of this offense, and are aggravating in nature.”
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Kathy Yu of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Berwick Woman Pleads Guilty to Decade-Long Social Security Fraud and Housing Voucher Subsidy FraudRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Berwick woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to Social Security fraud and theft of public money, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, from about March 2009 to February 2020, Andreanna Politano, 59, concealed the presence of her husband in her household to maintain her eligibility to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. SSI benefits are paid to people with limited income who are blind, disabled or elderly. Politano also concealed her husband’s presence from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from about January 2018 to June 2021, during which time she received housing voucher subsidy benefits. Politano’s husband had sufficient income to render her ineligible for the benefits she received.
In multiple reviews of her eligibility for benefits, Politano falsely represented to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that she and her husband had separated in October 2008 and had lived separately since that time. In an interview with law enforcement agents, she admitted concealing her living situation from SSA and HUD because she knew it would make her ineligible to receive benefits.
Politano faces up to five years in prison on the Social Security fraud charge and up to 10 years in prison on the theft of public money charge, a fine of up to $250,000 on each charge, and up to three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation was conducted by SSA’s Office of the Inspector General and HUD’s Office of the Inspector General.
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Bakersfield Man Indicted for Laser Strikes of Sheriff’s HelicopterRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Alejandro Galvan-Silvestre, 23, of Bakersfield, was arrested today, charged with knowingly aiming the beam of a laser pointer at Air One, a Kern County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment on Aug. 25, 2022. It was unsealed today after Galvan-Silvestre’s arrest. According to court documents, on Sept. 5, 2021, Galvan-Silvestre aimed the beam of a laser pointer at Air One.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Galvan-Silvestre faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
9 September 2022
Yakima Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Michael Ryan Shoemaker, 35, of Yakima, Washington, was sentenced in federal court in Yakima for Distribution of Fifty Grams or More of Pure (Actual) Methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Mr. Shoemaker to a total of 120 months in federal prison and ordered Mr. Shoemaker to serve a five-year term of supervised release. Mr. Shoemaker pled guilty on February 2, 2022.
According to court documents, in October 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration Yakima Task Force identified Mr. Shoemaker as a largescale methamphetamine trafficker, operating in the Yakima area. Relying on a confidential source, DEA conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Mr. Shoemaker at his home near downtown Yakima. There, Shoemaker sold the confidential source more than 100 grams of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Waldref commended the efforts of law enforcement for working to keep the Eastern District safe: “The DEA’s Yakima Task Force identified Mr. Shoemaker and quickly put a stop to his distribution of methamphetamine in the Yakima community.” U.S. Attorney Waldref continued, “Today’s sentence removes Mr. Shoemaker from the community for ten years and reiterates the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to vigorously prosecuting those who distribute poison in Eastern Washington.”
“This investigation is another example of the DEA’s commitment to protect our communities, and this sentence should serve as a warning to those who question our resolve in bringing to justice those who choose to distribute illicit narcotics,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Yakima Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Todd Swensen prosecuted the case.
Wolf Point woman who assaulted child sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Wolf Point woman who admitted to assaulting a toddler on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation was sentenced on Thursday to 34 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Shelby Loves Him, 23, pleaded guilty in May to an indictment charging her with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and felony child abuse.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Loves Him had been caring for the victim, a toddler, identified as John Doe, when on Dec. 8, 2021, law enforcement officers were contacted about John Doe being unresponsive at the Poplar Community Hospital. The officers observed bruising and scratches on John Doe’s head, arms and legs. When questioned about events prior to John Doe arriving at the hospital, Loves Him told officers that she had struck John Doe multiple times in the week leading up to an incident on Dec. 8, 2021, when she assaulted him. John Doe was flown to Salt Lake City, Utah, for emergency life-saving surgery and continues to suffer significant impairment.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy A. Johnson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Montana Highway Patrol and Fort Peck Tribes Police Department.
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Wilmington Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Gun in Furtherance of His Drug TradeRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that a Wilmington man was sentenced on September 7, 2022, to 5 years in federal prison for possessing a gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews pronounced the sentence.
According to court documents and statements made in open court, Akil Johnson, 26, was arrested by Wilmington Police Department’s (“WPD”) Safe Streets Task Force following an investigation that led to the discovery of guns and drugs in his house. After surveillance officers saw Johnson selling drugs outside his home, WPD obtained and executed a search warrant for the property.
In Mr. Johnson’s bedroom closet, officers found two loaded handguns, a black Glock 27 and a loaded silver and black Bersa; 33 grams of cocaine; 234 baggies containing a fentanyl and tramadol mixture, weighing about 14 grams; and 250 grams of marijuana. The guns were found together inside of a cloth laundry bag within the closet. Elsewhere in the bedroom, officers found another 500 grams of marijuana, a loaded extended magazine, and drug paraphernalia, including two black digital scales and an Amazon package containing 169 small zip lock bags filled with suspected heroin.
U.S. Attorney Weiss commented on the sentence: “The proliferation of illegal firearms is devasting our neighborhoods. Firearms are particularly dangerous when they are in the hands of illicit drug dealers. I commend WPD’s Safe Streets Task Force for working to keep our communities safe.”
“This sentencing is another example of our unrelenting efforts to hold offenders accountable for illegal firearm possession,” said Wilmington Police Chief Robert J. Tracy. “We continue to work closely with our federal partners and the United States Attorney’s Office to ensure the strongest possible penalties for gun crimes that threaten public safety in our community.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer K. Welsh prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Wilmington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 21-cr-71.
Vessel Operator and Chief Engineer Sentenced for Oily Bilge Water Discharge OffenseRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Melanie Pierson (619) 546-7976
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – September 9, 2022
SAN DIEGO – New Trade Ship Management S.A., a vessel operating company, and vessel Chief Engineer Dennis Plasabas were sentenced in federal court today for environmental crimes.
The company and its engineer pleaded guilty August 9, 2022, to maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharge of oily bilge water from the bulk carrier vessel Longshore. New Trade was sentenced to pay a fine of $1.1 million, a term of four years of probation, and ordered to hire an independent monitor to audit environmental compliance during the period of probation; Plasabas was sentenced to a term of 12 months in custody.
In pleading guilty, New Trade and Plasabas admitted that oily bilge water was illegally dumped from the Longshore directly into the ocean without being properly processed through required pollution prevention equipment. Oily bilge water typically contains oil contamination from the operation and cleaning of machinery on the vessel. The defendants also admitted that these illegal discharges were not recorded in the vessel’s Oil Record Book as required by law.
Specifically, on two separate occasions between October and December 2021, Chief Engineer Plasabas, who was employed by New Trade, ordered lower-ranking crew members to use a portable pneumatic pump and hose to bypass pollution prevention equipment by transferring oily bilge water from the vessel’s Bilge Holding Tank to the vessel’s Sewage Tank, from where it was discharged directly into the ocean.
Plasabas then caused the ship’s Master to fail to record these improper transfers and overboard discharges in the vessel’s Oil Record Book. Additionally, to create a false and misleading electronic record as if the pollution prevention equipment had been properly used, Plasabas directed lower-ranking crew members to pump clean sea water into the vessel’s Bilge Holding Tank in the same quantity as the amount of oily bilge water that he had ordered transferred to the Sewage Tank. Plasabas then processed the clean sea water through the vessel’s pollution prevention equipment as if it was oily bilge water to make it appear that the pollution prevention equipment was being properly used when in fact it was not. The electronic records indicate that approximately 9,600 gallons of clean sea water were run through the pollution prevention equipment.
“Today’s sentence sends a strong message that environmental crimes will have serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Unlawful oil discharges have a serious negative impact on the marine environment. We must safeguard our oceans by vigorous enforcement of environmental laws.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and the U.S. Coast Guard for their excellent work on this case.
According to sentencing documents, the use or consumption of oil, including the intentional discharge of unfiltered oily bilge water, accounts for around 37 percent of worldwide ocean oil pollution. By contrast, accidental spills from ships account for 12 percent of oil pollution. As the National Academy of Sciences identified, the upshot of these statistics is that more than 99 percent of the estimated volume of operational discharge is related to noncompliance, because existing regulations restrict operational discharges of oil or limit them to not more than 15 ppm.
Marine mammal and bird species, which must regularly pass through the air-water interface to breathe, are particularly vulnerable to oil exposure. Effects of oil on ocean life may include ingestion of oil, accumulation of contaminants in tissues, DNA damage, impacts to immune functioning, cardiac dysfunction, mass mortality of eggs and larvae, e.g., in fish, loss of buoyancy and insulation for birds, and inhalation of vapors. A 2002 study undertaken in Canada estimated that the intentional discharge of oil from ships kills approximately 300,000 seabirds per year in Atlantic Canada – a yearly seabird mortality equal to that caused by the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska in 1989.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie K. Pierson for the Southern District of California and Senior Trial Attorney Stephen Da Ponte of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 22cr1802-JO
New Trade Ship Management S.A.
Chief Engineer Dennis Plasabas Age: 48 Philippines
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships – Title 33, U.S.C., Section 1908(a)
Maximum penalty: Six years in prison and $250,000 fine (individual); Five years of probation and a fine which is the greater of $500,000 or twice the amount of gross gain or loss (organization).
AGENCY
U.S. Coast Guard
U.S. Attorney’s Eastern Washington COVID-19 Strike Force Announces Indictment of Two West Richland ResidentsRead the Press Release
Indictments Allege that Defendants Collectively Received More Than $800,000 in Fraudulently-Obtained COVID-19 Relief Funding, Seek Forfeiture of West Richland Residence Purchased with Fraudulently-Obtained Funds
Richland, Washington – Today, Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that a federal grand jury has indicted two additional individuals for COVID-19 Fraud as part of the Eastern Washington COVID-19 Strike Force. The Indictments announced today are the most recent charges brought by the Strike Force, which has brought criminal charges against numerous individuals and recovered millions of dollars in fraudulently obtained COVID relief funding.
On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act provided a number of programs through which eligible small businesses could request and obtain relief funding intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic for small and local businesses. One such program, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), provided government-backed loans to small businesses which could be forgiven so long as the proceeds were used for payroll and other eligible expenses. Another program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, provided low interest loans that could be deferred until the conclusion of the pandemic to provide “bridge” funding for small businesses to maintain their operations during shutdowns and other economic circumstances caused by the pandemic. The PPP and EIDL programs have provided billions of dollars in aid, the vast majority of which have not been paid back, including hundreds of millions of dollars disbursed within Eastern Washington.
One indictment announced today charges Jimia Rae Cain, age 52, of West Richland, Washington, with seven counts of fraud in connection with PPP and EIDL loans that she obtained in 2020. The Indictment alleges that Cain used false statements and fraudulent documents to obtain more than $330,000 in CARES Act funding for her purported business. The Indictment further alleges that Cain attempted to secure an additional $280,000 in EIDL funding, but this additional funding was declined.
The second Indictment announced today charges Andrei Borgheriu, age 45, of West Richland, Washington, with three counts of fraud in connection with $500,000 in EIDL funding that he obtained on behalf of his company Artway Transport, LLC. The Indictment alleges that Borgheriu falsely represented that the funding would be used as working capital for his company, but instead that Borgheriu used it for an all-cash purchase of a personal residence in West Richland, Washington. The Indictment alleges that, soon after receiving the EIDL funding, Borgheriu wired nearly all of the EIDL funding to the title company for the purchase of the personal residence. As set forth in the Indictment, the United States therefore also seeks forfeiture of the residence based on allegations that it represents proceeds from the fraudulently obtained EIDL funding.
“COVID-19 relief programs were designed to lift up our community during crisis, and due to the number of people and businesses that requested funding, some deserving small businesses were not able to obtain funding to keep their businesses in operation,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We created the Strike Force in order to ensure that those who misused COVID-19 relief funding are held accountable and to protect the strength and safety of our vital small business community.”
In February 2022, U.S. Attorney Waldref and the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) began working with federal law enforcement agencies to create and launch a COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force that would leverage partnerships between different agencies to aggressively investigate and prosecute fraud against COVID-19 relief programs in Eastern Washington. The Strike Force consists of agency representatives from the USAO, Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs OIG, General Services Administration OIG, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) OIG, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Energy OIG, and others.
“I commend the continuing investigative work performed to date by the Strike Force, including by SBA OIG, FBI, and TIGTA,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “As the Strike Force’s work moves forward, we will continue taking aggressive action to pursue property that was purchased with fraudulently-obtained funds, to ensure that those funds are returned to the public and that wrongdoers are not able to reap the benefit of homes and other property purchased with fraudulently-obtained funds. We also will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute those who abuse and misuse COVID-19 relief funding, and to strengthen our communities by protecting our small and local businesses.”
The fraud charges against Cain carry a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison, while the fraud charges against Borgheriu carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years. This case was investigated by the Eastern District of Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force and by the FBI, SBA OIG, and TIGTA. The United States Attorney also thanks the West Richland Police Department for graciously providing critical support and assistance. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter, Frieda K. Zimmerman, Tyler H.L. Tornabene, and Brian Donovan.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Paterson Police Officers Sentenced to Prison Terms for Roles in Violating Individuals’ Civil RightsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two Paterson, New Jersey, police officers were sentenced today to prison terms for their respective roles in a conspiracy to violate individuals’ civil rights, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden handed down the following sentences in Newark federal court:
- Police Officer Frank Toledo, 33, of Paterson, was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Toledo previously pleaded guilty to a three-count information charging him with conspiracy to violate individuals’ civil rights, using unreasonable and excessive force in violation of individuals’ civil rights, and filing a false police report.
- Police Officer Daniel Pent, 35, of Paterson, New Jersey, was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Pent previously pleaded guilty to an information charging him with conspiracy to violate individuals’ civil rights, using unreasonable and excessive force in violation of individuals’ civil rights, and filing a false police report.
In addition to the prison terms, Judge Hayden sentenced both of the defendants to three years of supervised release.
Three codefendants – Police Officers Jonathan Bustios, Eudy Ramos and Matthew Torres – were sentenced Sept. 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 sentencings. He also thanked the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, and the Paterson Police Department Office of Internal Affairs, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jihee G. Suh, Deputy Chief of the Special Prosecutions Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas S. Kearney of the Special Prosecutions Division.
Toledo Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TOLEDO - Mohamed Ismial, 32, of Toledo, Ohio, was sentenced on August 26, 2022, to more than eight years in prison by U.S. District Judge James G. Carr after Ismail pleaded guilty to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, from March 2019 to September 2019, Ismial was involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed various quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine in the Toledo area.
On March 5, 2020, state law enforcement authorities executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence and obtained quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine and four firearms.
Ismial pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base on November 18, 2021.
This case was investigated by the Toledo Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert N. Melching.
Three Defendants Sentenced for $2.1 Million Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Mexican nationals and a St. Joseph man were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in a $2.1 million conspiracy that distributed more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Kansas City metropolitan area and in northwest Missouri.
Juan Guzman, also known as Daniel Solorio and as “Flaco,” 41, of Kansas City, Mo., and Maria De La Cruz Nava, 26, of Kansas City, Kan., both citizens of Mexico, and John Paul Gnat, 32, of St. Joseph, were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes. Guzman was sentenced to 26 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Nava was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Gnat was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison without parole.
Guzman and Nava were found guilty at trial on Nov. 9, 2021, of participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and in a money-laundering conspiracy over a nearly four-year period from Jan. 1, 2015, to Nov. 14, 2018. In addition to the conspiracies, Guzman and Nava were found guilty of possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Guzman was also found guilty of illegally reentering the United States after having been deported.
Guzman was the supplier for the drug-trafficking conspiracy, selling multiple kilograms of methamphetamine on a regular basis, sometimes daily, to multiple co-conspirators who then distributed methamphetamine to others. Guzman also involved others in storing methamphetamine. The jury found Nava assisted Guzman in his drug trafficking and money laundering activities.
The court found Guzman directly responsible for the distribution of at least 45 kilograms of methamphetamine. Based on a street price of $600 per ounce, the court ordered Guzman to forfeit to the government $954,000, which represents the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking. The court also ordered Nava to forfeit to the government $15,000.
Guzman, Nava, and several others were arrested at Guzman’s residence on Oct. 18, 2018. At the time of their arrest, officers seized two rifles, five handguns (one with an extended drum magazine), ammunition, 688 grams of methamphetamine, cash, and drug paraphernalia – including drug ledgers and drug packaging – from Guzman’s residence.
Gnat pleaded guilty on June 17, 2020, to his role in the drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracies. Gnat admitted that he supplied methamphetamine to several individuals on a daily basis, sometimes pound quantities twice a day, for several months.
Co-defendant Luis Carlos Ramos Caraveo, 27, a citizen of Mexico residing in Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced on July 1, 2022, to 16 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Co-defendant Jacob Dale Walsh, 36, of Denton, Kan., was sentenced on Sept. 1, 2022, to 13 years and seven months in federal prison without parole.
Co-defendants Chanthacone Senthavy, 48, a citizen of Laos residing in Independence, Mo., and Christopher Shawn Sharp, 44, of St. Joseph, each have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bruce Rhoades and Robert M. Smith. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Buchanan County Drug Strike Force, Midwest HIDTA, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the FBI.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Three Convicted Felons Enter Guilty Pleas in Southwest Georgia Cases Involving Firearms, Heroin, MethRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – Three Southwest Georgia residents with lengthy criminal records entered guilty pleas in Albany federal court this week in cases that involved the illegal possession or sale of firearms.
Terry Allen Harris, Jr., 37, of Moultrie, Georgia, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Harris faces a minimum mandatory term of 15 years up to a maximum of life imprisonment and a $10,000,000 fine.
Alexander Brown, Sr. aka Poochie, 48, of Albany, pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin. Brown faces a maximum of 30 years imprisonment to be followed by at least six years of supervised release and a $2,000,000 fine.
Antoine Robert Shell, 33, of Albany, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Shell faces a maximum of ten years imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner is presiding over these cases; all guilty pleas were entered on Sept. 8. Sentencings are expected to occur within 90 days.
“These individuals are all convicted felons with long criminal histories in their respective communities; it’s a high priority for our office to bring repeat offenders with guns to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I want to thank the many law enforcement agencies from the federal, state and local level who worked these cases and are actively at work in our communities to make them safer places for everyone.”
According to court documents, Harris led Crisp County Sheriff’s Office deputies on a high-speed chase on June 24, 2020, after deputies attempted to pull him over for driving 19 miles over the posted speed limit on I-75. Harris exited the interstate, increasing his speed to over 100 miles per hour in a 45 mile-per-hour zone, driving on the wrong side of the road and performing other dangerous maneuvers before ultimately crashing his vehicle into a birdbath and a tree on a residential property. Upon approaching the vehicle, agents observed the magazine to a semi-automatic pistol at Harris’ feet. Harris was taken into custody; a search of the vehicle recovered a Glock 19 Gen4 9mm pistol, seven bags of suspected marijuana, grinders, ledgers, a digital scale, an Altoids can containing approximately 15 grams of methamphetamine and some LSD, 59 rounds of ammunition, three extra magazines and $11,821. Harris has multiple prior serious felonies, including a prior conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Harris had been released from federal prison on May 20, 2020, a little more than a month before this incident.
According to Brown’s plea agreement and court records, GBI began investigating Brown in an undercover capacity in Jan. 2021 for distributing heroin; multiple recorded purchases of narcotics from Brown occurred during the course of the investigation. On Sept. 15, 2021, an undercover agent acting as a person seeking to purchase controlled substances went to Brown’s apartment on Maryland Drive in Albany. Brown offered to get the agent fully automatic AR-15 rifles which he described as ghost guns without serial numbers. Brown advised to take the firearms apart for transport to avoid arrest. Brown opened pictures on his cell phone to show the undercover agent examples of the firearms he was offering. On this occasion, Brown also sold the agent heroin, which tested positive. On Oct. 14, 2021, GBI and FBI agents working jointly purchased a rifle from Brown at a residence on Askew Drive in Dawson, Georgia. A search warrant of the Askew Drive residence occurred on Nov. 2, 2021, where Brown was taken into custody. Agents recovered $12,000, along with drug distribution paraphernalia and heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl. Brown has a criminal history with convictions in Dougherty County, Georgia, Superior Court, including a conviction for possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.
According to court records, an Albany woman reported to police on Feb. 17, 2022, that she heard gunshots while she was inside her home and that she viewed a man holding a gun with a long magazine, shooting at an adult and a child on a 4-wheeler on the 2300 block of Madison Street. Two spent .40 caliber shell casings were found in the street. Officers spotted the suspect, Shell, and a foot pursuit ensued. Dougherty County Sheriff’s deputies assisted in the pursuit and Shell was safely detained. Shell’s bookbag contained a Glock, Model 22, .40 caliber pistol with an extended 30-round magazine and 26 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition, along with multiple bags of marijuana, a digital scale and plastic bags. Shell has a lengthy criminal history including convictions for aggravated assault for shooting someone and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in Dougherty County Superior Court, as well as possession of a firearm by a felon in Cobb County, Georgia, Superior Court.
These cases is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
Harris’s case was investigated by GBI, the Mid-South Narcotics Task Force and Crisp County Sheriff’s Office.
Brown’s case was investigated by GBI and FBI.
Shell’s case was investigated by ATF and Albany Police Department with assistance from the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah McEwen is prosecuting the Harris and Brown cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Redavid is prosecuting the Shell case.
Three Puerto Rican Males Charged in Cocaine Trafficking IndictmentRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a two-count Indictment charging Pedro Juan Ramos-Ramirez, 27, Gerald Albert Cruz, 26, and Johnny Arias-Rodriguez, 27, all of Puerto Rico, with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine while on Board a Vessel Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States.
According to court documents, on December 29, 2021, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air Marine Operations officers interdicted a "go-fast" vessel operating without navigational lights heading away from the northwestern coast of St. Thomas. While in pursuit of the go-fast vessel, CBP officers noticed two occupants of the vessel throwing what appeared to be black duffel bags into the ocean. CBP officers then attempted to stop the vessel and was forced to disable the engines of the vessel after it failed to comply. The captain and two crew members were detained by CBP, and the duffel bags were recovered from the ocean. The duffel bags contained 73 bricks of cocaine that weighed approximately 75 kilograms.
This investigation is being conducted by Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations and being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter.
St. Louis County Couple Sentenced for Defrauding MedicaidRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Friday sentenced a couple from St. Louis County for falsely claiming to have provided home care to elderly Medicaid recipients.
Qais Meraj, 33, was sentenced to two months in prison, two years of supervised release, a $5,000 fine and was ordered to repay $45,871. Judge Fleissig sentenced Aziza Meraj, 41, to three years of probation including two months of house arrest, a $5,000 fine and ordered her to repay $33,241. She was also ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.
During Aziza Meraj’s sentencing Judge Fleissig called the case “very disturbing,” and cited allegations in court documents of other fraudulent activity by the Merajs, adding, “This is just really inexcusable behavior.”
Qais and Aziza Meraj each pleaded guilty June 8 to one count of making false statements to the Medicaid program. They admitted defrauding the Missouri Medicaid program MO HealthNet by falsely claiming to have provided personal care services for multiple Medicaid clients from February 2019 to March 2021. As a result, Medicaid was billed for services that were never provided.
Qais Meraj admitted being paid $45,871 for services that he had not provided. Aziza Meraj admitted being paid $33,241.
The Merajs worked for different companies during that time as personal care attendants, and were supposed to help clients with meal preparation, grooming, cleaning and managing their medications as a way of keeping those clients out of a nursing home or hospital.
The Merajs forged clients' initials and submitted time sheets that falsely represented that they provided personal care services to one couple when the Merajs were out of the country, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric said in a sentencing memo.
In court, Sestric said, “This crime was motivated by pure greed.” She said the couple has a comfortable net worth, owns a host of investment properties and a gas station and convenience store, but chose to defraud a program intended to help vulnerable, low-income Missouri residents, and to deprive elderly, non-English-speaking Medicaid recipients of necessary services.
When the couple’s failure to help one couple was reported to the Missouri Medicaid Audit and Compliance Office, Aziza Meraj retaliated by impersonating the couple’s daughter and canceling their Medicaid eligibility and food stamps by falsely claiming that they were leaving the country, Sestric said in court. It took several months to get the benefits restored, she said.
"The Merajs were more motivated by personal greed than their duty to provide appropriate and necessary care to vulnerable patients," said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Alongside our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is committed to protecting the integrity of the Medicaid program and to ensuring the appropriate use of U.S. taxpayer dollars."
The HHS-OIG and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric prosecuted the case.
St. Charles Woman Sentenced for Prescription Drug, Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a woman from St. Charles who fraudulently obtained prescription drugs for herself and her children and then sold them to others, including an undercover agent, to two years of probation, including four months of home detention, and 20 hours of community service.
Katie Diana Rooney, 39, pleaded guilty at the start of Friday’s hearing to a health care fraud charge and a charge of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.
Rooney admitted that on numerous occasions from July 11, 2018 to October 2018, she visited a doctor and falsely claimed to need prescription medications for medical conditions that she or her children had. She had already decided to sell some or all of the drugs, including the ADHD drug Adderall, oxycodone and the antianxiety drug alprazolam, to other people, and did so.
During the investigation, Rooney had an undercover law enforcement agent drive her to a pharmacy so she could obtain and then immediately sell the drugs to the agent, Rooney’s plea says.
Rooney and her children were enrolled in Missouri’s Medicaid program, MO HealthNet, and Rooney knew that pharmacies would request and receive reimbursement from Medicaid for the drugs she received, her plea says.
“As the fight against the opioid crisis continues, we remain committed to investigating fraudsters who seek to profit from prescription drug fraud, especially scams involving powerful controlled substance medications,” said Special Agent in Charge Curt L. Muller of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold bad actors accountable.”
The HHS-OIG, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Charles Regional Drug Task force, and the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dorothy McMurtry prosecuted the case.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 27 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND -- Valo Neely, 48, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Neely was sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on February 8, 2022, in South Bend, Indiana, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Neely’s residence and recovered four firearms that he possessed. Neely’s criminal history revealed he had previously been convicted of a felony, in fact, several felonies which include unarmed robbery, possession of controlled substances, and illegal possession of a firearm, as such, Neely was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel R. Gabrielse.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Shawnee Man Admits to Downloading Child PornRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN.– A Kansas man is facing prison time after he admitted to downloading child pornographic images from the Internet. Justin Packham, 34, of Shawnee pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, in December 2020, the Shawnee Police Department received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that dozens of child pornography images had been uploaded into Google Drive. An investigation revealed the email account used for the upload belonged to Justin Packham.
In February 2021, Packham was arrested for a parole violation with the State of Kansas Department of Corrections. After obtaining a search warrant for his residence, Shawnee investigators following up on the cybertip found more than 1,000 child pornography photos and videos on various electronic devices and thumb drives. Packham admitted to law enforcement that he’d downloaded the images from the Internet.
Packham is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8 and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Secret Service and the Shawnee Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra is prosecuting the case.
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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 https://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Sacramento Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington –United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Dennis Ray Hopkins, Jr., 42, of Sacramento, California, to 10 years in federal prison for offenses related to trafficking in methamphetamine and heroin and the unlawful possession of firearms. Judge Rice also ordered Hopkins to forfeit his interest in $5,685. Hopkins will also serve five years of supervised release following his release from prison. Hopkins pleaded guilty to the four offenses on March 23, 2022. He has been in federal custody since his arrest on July 29, 2021.
According to court documents, after Hopkins checked out of a Spokane-area hotel in June of 2019, hotel employees found abandoned property in his room that included approximately 600 grams of methamphetamine. No state charges were filed against Hopkins at that time. Two years later, on July 29, 2021, federal agents served a search warrant on another room rented by Hopkins at a Spokane-area hotel. Agents seized over twelve ounces of methamphetamine, nearly five ounces of heroin, and three firearms. As a prior convicted felon and an unlawful user of controlled substances, Hopkins was prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm. As part of his plea agreement, Hopkins accepted responsibility for the abandoned methamphetamine found in 2019 and the methamphetamine, heroin, and firearms seized during the search in 2021.
Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, praised the investigative team for building the case that resulted in the issuance of the 2021 search warrant and Hopkins’ arrest. She also remarked on the importance of interagency cooperation in combating drug trafficking that crosses state lines, especially in cases involving firearms. “Mr. Hopkins had multiple firearms in a Spokane-area hotel along with large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin,” U.S. Attorney Waldref stated. “Where guns and drugs intersect, we will continue to work closely with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to ensure dangerous offenders are held accountable.”
“The FBI is dedicated to combating violent crime through the investigation of drug and firearm violations,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “The FBI and our partners are working every day to protect the communities where we live and work. Mr. Hopkins’s case is a perfect example of the hard work we all do to combat violent crime in Washington state.”
This case was investigated by the Spokane Resident Office of the FBI, with significant assistance from the Spokane Safe Streets Task Force (which includes the FBI, the Spokane Police Department, the Spokane Valley Police Department, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington Department of Corrections, and the United States Border Patrol). The FBI Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force also contributed to this case. The case was prosecuted by Timothy J. Ohms, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Repeat Felon Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm While Impersonating a Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Patrick Hancock, 42, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on December 6, 2021, employees at a Costco in Avon called police after observing Hancock in the store wearing a badge with a gun on his person. Store employees had been alerted to be on the lookout for Hancock, who they believed to be travelling to multiple Costco locations and making purchases with fraudulent checks. Police responded and found Hancock wearing a DEA “Special Agent” badge around his neck and openly carrying a 9mm Glock pistol in a holster on his hip. Officers also found that Hancock was in possession of a baton and two pairs of handcuffs. During an interview, Hancock admitted to law enforcement that he purchased the fake DEA badge on a website to feel like part of something bigger.
Hancock is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has been previously convicted of multiple felony crimes over the past twenty years, for offenses including credit card theft, fraud, illegal firearms possession, and false impersonation of law enforcement.
Hancock’s most recent felony conviction was for being a felon in possession of a firearm in federal court in the Northern District of Indiana. That case stemmed from a 2017 incident where Hancock posed as a federal law enforcement officer and attempted to arrest an employee of an adult nightclub utilizing a false arrest warrant. Over the course of that investigation, law enforcement officers discovered that Hancock illegally possessed a firearm. Hancock was sentenced in the Northern District of Indiana to 41 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Columbus Field Division; and Police Chief Sean Stoops, of the Avon Police Department; made the announcement.
ATF investigated the case in conjunction with the Avon Police Department. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. As part of the sentence, Judge Pratt ordered that Hancock be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Abhishek S. Kambli who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Port Charlotte Man Sentenced to 29 Years in Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Images and VideosRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Robert William Sanchez (36, Port Charlotte) to 29 years in federal prison for producing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of a child. Sanchez was also sentenced to a life term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Sanchez had pleaded guilty on June 22, 2022.
According to court documents, Sanchez produced images and videos of his sexual abuse of a minor. In November 2020, an investigation was launched after the minor reported that Sanchez had harmed her, and that Sanchez had taken pictures and videos of her sexual abuse. On December 11, 2020, officers executed a search warrant at Sanchez’s residence and located his digital camera. A forensic analysis of the camera revealed images and videos of Sanchez sexually abusing a 10-year-old child in May of 2018.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case 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.
Out of State man gets significant sentence for traveling to Texas to have sex with local minorRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 59-year-old Michigan resident has been sentenced to nearly 22 years in federal prison following his conviction of coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Raymond Dale Carr Jr. pleaded guilty Jan. 27.
Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen ordered Carr to serve a total of 262 months in prison. He will also be on supervised release for 10 years following his sentence, during which he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Carr will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. In imposing the sentence, the court considered victim impact statements and heard how the victim’s family has been forever changed. The victim herself has made several suicide attempts. She and her family are devastated, according to arguments presented.
Carr met the 11-year-old minor female online. He cultivated a relationship with her and discussed traveling to Texas. Carr and the minor communicated via text message, social media and FaceTime video calls. In September 2020, Carr drove from Michigan to Texas and picked the minor up near her home. He took her to a local motel where he had sexual relations with her which included intercourse and oral sex.
Carr gave the minor a ring and suggested they were going to be married when she came of age. The investigation revealed images of their hands wearing matching rings. Carr even bragged to the victim that he told his children about her but not her age. He believed it might upset his daughter that the victim was younger than her.
Carr knew the victim was under the age of 18 and would not be of age for quite some time. Their communications referenced how much he loved her and how he imagined they had a future together.
Carr has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons to be determined in the near future.
FBI Houston conducted the investigation with the assistance of FBI-Detroit.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Old Forge Man Convicted at Trial of Bribery and Related OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that James J. Peperno, Jr., age 57, of Old Forge, Pennsylvania, was convicted following a jury trial, of conspiracy, federal program bribery, honest services wire fraud, Travel Act, false statement, and perjury offenses. The nine-day trial was held before United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion in Scranton.
Peperno was convicted of soliciting cash payments and debt forgiveness from a local business owner, to provide to Robert Semenza, Jr., the former President of the Old Forge Borough Council. Peperno also was convicted of providing and promising cash and future employment to Semenza, in exchange for Semenza performing and promising to perform official acts, in relation to a state court civil litigation between Old Forge Borough and the local business owner. Semenza advocated on behalf of the local business owner with the Old Forge Borough Council, the Old Forge Borough Solicitor, and Old Forge zoning officials, including by proposing a resolution to the civil litigation that had been prepared by Peperno. Peperno kept the majority of the cash payments paid by the local business owner.
Peperno also was convicted of making false statements and giving perjured testimony in connection with an outstanding restitution obligation owed from a prior federal conviction for mail fraud. Peperno claimed, in a written filing and when testifying under oath, that he did not have any income or access to any bank accounts, despite receiving approximately $6,000 from the local business owner, in the weeks immediately preceding his false statements and perjured testimony. Peperno, who owed approximately $390,000 on his outstanding restitution obligation, had not made any payments towards that debt in approximately one and one-half years.
The jury returned a guilty verdict after approximately seven hours of deliberation. Peperno was convicted of: one count of conspiring to commit federal program bribery and honest services wire fraud; two counts of federal program bribery; two counts of honest services wire fraud; one count of violating the Travel Act; one count of false statements; and two counts of perjury. The jury acquitted Peperno of money laundering charges.
Robert Semenza, Jr., pleaded guilty in June 2021 to federal program bribery, and awaits sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Scranton Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Public Corruption Task Force, which consists of members of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and federal agents from the FBI and Internal Revenue Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phillip J. Caraballo and Jeffrey St John.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the most serious offense is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Ocean Springs Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – An Ocean Springs man was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”).
Jeffery Vo, 29, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court documents, in September of 2021, the DEA received information regarding a possible drug trafficking conspiracy involving Jeffery Vo. Over the course of the investigation, DEA agents were able to purchase large quantities of MDMA pills from Vo which contained methamphetamine.
Vo was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 8, 2022. He pled guilty on May 16, 2022, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
Nigerian Man Indicted and Wanted for Defrauding New York State Out of More than $30 Million by Posing as Ventilator Seller During Height of the COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Chidozie Collins Obasi, 29, of Nigeria, was charged by Indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, six counts of mail fraud, and 16 counts of wire fraud, all stemming from a complicated, evolving fraud scheme that initially targeted Americans through a spam email campaign offering illegitimate “work from home” jobs, and then during the COVID-19 pandemic shifted to targeting U.S. hospitals and medical systems by offering non-existent ventilators for sale beginning in March 2020, and finally shifted again in June 2020 to using stolen identity information of American citizens to apply for and obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EID Loans”). The Indictment alleges that Obasi perpetrated this fraud from Nigeria, with the help of co-conspirators in Canada and elsewhere. The defendant and his co-conspirators are alleged to have obtained more than $31,000,000 through this multi-faceted fraud scheme, with the overwhelming majority of that money – more than $30 million – coming from the State of New York for the intended purchase of ventilators.
The scheme alleged in the Indictment began in September 2018, with a spam email campaign that offered phony “work from home” jobs. When a person responded to the phony job offer, Obasi or a co-conspirator posed as a representative of a legitimate company, often a supposed medical equipment supplier based outside the United States, and offered the person a job as the company’s U.S. representative with responsibilities including collecting on outstanding invoices. A co-conspirator in Canada then sent the new “employee” counterfeit checks purportedly from customers of the company, and the new “employee” deposited the checks, took a commission, and wired the rest of the money to a foreign bank account ostensibly owned by the fake company. As alleged in the Indictment, Obasi and his co-conspirators obtained more than $1 million in this manner.
The Indictment further alleges that in approximately March 2020, soon after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States and ventilators were in high demand, Obasi posed as a representative of an Indonesian-based medical supply company offering ventilators for sale, and claimed to have a large stockpile of ventilators manufactured by a German company whose headquarters was in Telford, PA. The defendant allegedly convinced a medical equipment broker in the U.S. to broker sales of these non-existent ventilators, and ultimately deceived the State of New York into wiring more than $30 million for the purchase of ventilators that did not exist. Obasi continued to target other potential customers with this same scam, including hospitals.
Later, in approximately June 2020, the Indictment alleges that Obasi and his co-conspirators took advantage of the EID Loan program by using stolen identities of U.S. citizens to apply for and obtain more than $135,000 in EID Loan proceeds.
Obasi is presently a fugitive, and the United States is seeking to locate and arrest him. Anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts should contact their local FBI Office.
If caught and convicted, Obasi faces a maximum sentence of 621 years in prison, a five-year period of supervised release, and a $5,750,000 fine. Obasi also will be required to make full restitution of the more than $31,000,000 that he obtained by fraud.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael S. Lowe.
An Indictment, Information, or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New York Woman Sentenced to Prison for Interfering with a Flight CrewRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Kelly Pichardo, 32, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to four months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release. Pichardo previously pleaded guilty to Interference with Flight Crew Members. Pichardo was also ordered to pay restitution to American Airlines in the amount of $9,123.00.
In 2021, Pichardo and her co-defendant, Leeza S. Rodriguez, engaged in unruly and intimidating behavior while traveling first class on an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Los Angeles. Their actions caused such a disturbance that the pilot had to divert the flight to Phoenix, Arizona, so Pichardo and Rodriguez could be removed from the plane. Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced pursuant to her guilty plea in this case on November 7, 2022.
“There is a line between boorish behavior on an airplane and criminal activity, and the defendant clearly crossed it,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “First class passengers are not immune from prosecution: defendant’s verbal and physical intimidation disrupted the travel of passengers and crew alike.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case with assistance from the Phoenix Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Hakala, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-00494-PHX-DWL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-154_Pichardo# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Mother and Daughter Pharmacy Owners Charged with Health Care Fraud and Kickback CrimesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A South Florida federal grand jury has charged Mirosis Gonzalez, 58, and her daughter Berioska Sosa, 32, with paying kickbacks in exchange for referrals of Medicare beneficiaries to their pharmacy, then using the referrals to steal millions from Medicare.
Gonzalez and Sosa owned and operated Aviva Care Pharmacy (which did business under the name American Care Pharmacy) in Sunrise, Florida. Gonzalez, who lives in Palm Beach County, was the listed President and Registered Agent of Aviva Care Pharmacy. Sosa, who lives in Broward County, was the listed Manager.
According to the indictment, from August 2016 through May 2020, the defendants paid kickbacks and bribes to marketing and telemedicine companies in exchange for their referring Medicare beneficiaries, as well as doctors’ orders and prescriptions, to Aviva Care Pharmacy. It is alleged that the bribed companies sent, and Aviva accepted, orders for expensive durable medical equipment (DME) and prescriptions for pharmaceutical medication, without considering medical necessity or Medicare reimbursement eligibility. The defendants negotiated the kickback and bribe arrangements with the companies and created sham contracts meant to disguise the bribes as payments for marketing and other services, says the indictment.
According to the allegations, Gonzalez and Sosa submitted over $12 million in false claims to Medicare and Aviva Care Pharmacy received payments totaling more than $8.4 million.
The indictment charges Gonzalez and Sosa with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks, and payment of kickbacks.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert M. DeWitt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, and Omar Perez Aybar, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) announced the charges.
FBI Miami and HHS-OIG Miami investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Clark. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling the asset forfeiture component of the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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-60193.
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Morgantown man and Detroit man guilty of drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two men were found guilty today by a federal jury of a drug conspiracy that stretched from Detroit to Morgantown, selling methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Aaric Murray, 33, of Morgantown, West Virginia, and Richard Kirkland Johnson, 25, of Detroit, Michigan, were found guilty today of one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances” one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base,” and one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Offense.” Murray was also found guilty of one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” The crimes occurred from the Spring of 2020 through November 2020 in Monongalia County.
Murray was acquitted of two other firearms charges, and Johnson was acquitted of an aiding and abetting charge.
Murray and Johnson each face up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each of the drug counts and face up to five years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearms count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zelda E. Wesley and Clayton J. Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Federal Prison for Robberies of Tow Truck DriversRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling announced today that Latherio Meadows (age 27) was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for a series of armed robberies on the north side of Milwaukee over a three-week time span.
According to court records, Meadows committed seven armed robberies in September and October 2021. Meadows targeted local tow truck drivers, contacting each of them under the false pretense that he needed a tow or wanted to junk a car. Instead, in each of the robberies, he brandished a firearm and robbed the victims. In all of the robberies, Meadows stole significant sums of cash from the tow truck drivers. In two of the robberies, Meadows stole the victim’s firearm. In one robbery, Meadows physically assaulted the victim.
At sentencing, United States District Court Judge J.P. Stadtmueller emphasized the seriousness of the offenses and the impact of these crimes on the victims.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Milwaukee Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbey M. Marzick.
Following his term of imprisonment, Meadows also will spend three years on supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $10,146.74 in restitution to the victims.
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(414) 297-1700
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Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robberies of Auto Parts StoresRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling announced that on September 9, 2022 that Stacy Chappell (age 44) was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for a series of armed robberies of Milwaukee-area auto parts stores.
According to court records, Chappell committed three armed robberies of auto parts stores in August and September 2020 (two completed robberies and one attempted robbery). Chappell brandished a firearm during the robberies and demanded cash from the employee victims.
At the sentencing hearing, United States District Court Judge J.P. Stadtmueller discussed the impact of these crimes on the victims and the dangerousness of these acts, including the possibility that someone could have been seriously injured or killed. Judge Stadtmueller remarked about the high levels of violence, including armed robberies, in the Milwaukee area, the increased federal prosecution of these crimes, and the need for significant punishment.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Milwaukee Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbey M. Marzick.
Following his term of imprisonment, Chappell also will spend three years on supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $4,600 in restitution.
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For further information contact: [email protected]
(414) 297-1700
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Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robberies of Auto Parts StoresRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling announced that on September 9, 2022 that Stacy Chappell (age 44) was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for a series of armed robberies of Milwaukee-area auto parts stores.
According to court records, Chappell committed three armed robberies of auto parts stores in August and September 2020 (two completed robberies and one attempted robbery). Chappell brandished a firearm during the robberies and demanded cash from the employee victims.
At the sentencing hearing, United States District Court Judge J.P. Stadtmueller discussed the impact of these crimes on the victims and the dangerousness of these acts, including the possibility that someone could have been seriously injured or killed. Judge Stadtmueller remarked about the high levels of violence, including armed robberies, in the Milwaukee area, the increased federal prosecution of these crimes, and the need for significant punishment.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force and the Milwaukee Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbey M. Marzick.
Following his term of imprisonment, Chappell also will spend three years on supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $4,600 in restitution.
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For further information contact: [email protected]
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on Twitter