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8 September 2022
Kenel Man Indicted for Aggravated Sexual Abuse and AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Kenel, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force, Assault of an Intimate Partner by Strangulation and Suffocation, and Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate Partner.
Rodd Rankeen Rough Surface, age 45, was indicted in August of 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on September 7, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $300 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on May 29, 2021, in Kenel, Rough Surface assaulted and strangled an intimate partner and then sexually abused her through the use of force. Rough Surface caused the victim to suffer substantial bodily harm.
The charges are merely accusations and Rough Surface is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, Standing Rock Agency and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case.
Rough Surface was released pending trial. A trial date was set for November 1, 2022.
Jackson County Woman Sentenced to Prison for Theft of Social Security Income BenefitsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Monique Casto, 37, of Kenna, was sentenced today to 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for fraudulently obtaining Social Security Administration benefits. Casto was also ordered to pay $41,166 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Casto unlawfully collected $41,166 in Social Security Survivor’s Insurance Benefits payments on behalf of a child after losing custody of that child.
Social Security representative payee benefits are based on income and living arrangements. The benefits require that the SSA money received actually be used for the well-being of the child. They also create a duty on the recipient to report a change in living arrangements.
In March 2006, Casto began receiving benefits for the care of the child as the child’s representative payee. Casto failed to disclose that the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources took custody of the child in June 2015. Casto also failed to disclose that her parental rights were terminated in May 2016. Casto unlawfully collected benefits while continuing to represent that the child lived with her and in her care from June 2015 through August 2019.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and SSA-Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for conducting the investigation.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-137.
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Indianapolis Man Sentenced to 37 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Anthony Crenshaw, 26 years old, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Crenshaw was sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on February 4, 2021, Crenshaw was a driver of a vehicle that was stuck in a snowbank at 7:15 am outside a White Castle in Hammond, Indiana. When officers arrived, Crenshaw appeared dazed and lethargic. As he stepped out of the vehicle, officers noticed a bulge, and Crenshaw produced a semi-automatic firearm from his sweatshirt pocket along with 26 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine. Crenshaw’s criminal history revealed that he had a prior felony conviction for burglary resulting in bodily injury which prohibits him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with the assistance of the Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Hammond Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula.
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
Illinois Man Sentenced to 55 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Martae Patton, 36, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon. on his plea of guilty to engaging in wire fraud announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Patton was sentenced to 55 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. He was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $936,208.34
According to documents filed in the case, Patton engaged in a scheme to defraud the federal government and several state governments of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) monies through false and fraudulent pretenses. PUA, a federal program overseen by the U.S. Department of Labor, is designed to assist individuals whose employment was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic by augmenting existing State unemployment benefits.
Patton was part of a scheme where the objective was to use personal information of unsuspecting persons to apply for unemployment benefits in Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. The fraudulently obtained benefits were then sent on a debit card to addresses associated with Patton and others located in and around the Northern District of Indiana. Patton and others then retrieved the debit cards and drained the funds through the purchases of money orders, ATM withdrawals and other means.
United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson said, “This prosecution shows that my Office will aggressively prosecute persons who, by means of fraud, obtain federal funds that Congress appropriated to assist unemployed persons through the economic hardship created by the COVID pandemic. Such theft of federal funds tears the safety net that Congress implemented for American workers and their families.”
“This was a crime of greed and opportunity. The pandemic has created a great need for many who not only lost their livelihood, but in many cases their normalcy. This need unfortunately has been exploited by an individual who sought to steal and bilk the government for funds to which they were not entitled, interfering with the rightful distribution of pandemic relief. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners will never tolerate this behavior and will tirelessly work to investigate and bring these individuals to justice for their illegal activity,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge, Detroit Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
“Martae Patton participated in a scheme that defrauded several states and the federal government by filing fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims using PII of unsuspecting individuals, resulting in the payment of nearly $1 million in fraudulent UI benefits. Patton’s scheme diverted money away from American workers in need of relief from the financial effects of unemployment. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the UI system from those who exploit these benefit programs,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas McGrath.
Hustlas Don’t Sleep Gang Member Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A Washington County resident has been sentenced in federal court to fifteen years of imprisonment on his conviction of federal narcotics and firearms charges, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Duane Eugene Cash, Jr., age 50, formerly of Meadowlands, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Cash participated in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of heroin, acetyl fentanyl, and fentanyl, possessed with the intent to distribute large quantities of heroin, acetyl fentanyl, fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, possessed a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessed a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking offense. He was part of a drug trafficking organization who used the moniker of Hustlas Don’t Sleep which distributed large quantities of illegal narcotics from 2017 to 2019, mostly in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh, including Penn Hills, Wilkinsburg, and Monroeville.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Monroeville Police Department, and the Penn Hills Police Department, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Cash.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks
Horse Doping Seller Sentenced to 42 Months in Manhattan Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that defendant LISA GIANNELLI, received a sentence of 42 months in prison today for her role in an approximately 20-year scheme to sell and distribute to racehorse trainers and others in the racehorse industry “untestable” performance enhancing drugs (“PEDs”) for use in professional horseracing. GIANNELLI was one of over 30 defendants charged in four separate cases in March 2020, each arising from this Office’s multi-year investigation of the abuse of racehorses through the use of performance enhancing drugs.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For years, Giannelli catered to corrupt racehorse trainers by selling illegal performance-enhancing drugs designed to deceive the very people who could put a stop to these crimes. Today’s sentence sends a message that those who engage in fraud and animal abuse will be held to account.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment, prior charging instruments, other filings in this case, and as established by the evidence at trial:[1]
GIANNELLI was charged in United States v. Navarro, 20 Cr. 160 (MKV), a case arising from an investigation of widespread schemes by racehorse trainers, veterinarians, PED distributors, and others to manufacture, distribute, and receive adulterated and misbranded PEDs and to secretly administer those PEDs to racehorses competing at all levels of professional horseracing. By evading PED prohibitions and deceiving drug regulators and horse racing officials, participants in these schemes sought to improve race performance and obtain prize money from racetracks throughout the United States and other countries, including in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, and the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”), all to the detriment and risk of the health and well-being of the racehorses. Trainers who participated in the schemes stood to profit from the success of racehorses under their control by earning a share of their horses’ winnings and by improving their horses’ racing records, thereby yielding higher trainer fees and increasing the number of racehorses under their control. Indicted veterinarians profited from the sale and administration of these medically unnecessary, misbranded, and adulterated substances. GIANNELLI, a seller of customized PEDs designed specifically to evade anti-doping controls, personally earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales commissions from her sale and distribution of PEDs to trainers around the United States.
GIANNELLI marketed these drugs as “untestable” under typical anti-doping drug screens and extolled the virtues of these illegal drugs by describing their potency and untestability. In the course of over fifteen years during which GIANNELLI operated under the auspices of the company, Equestology, GIANNELLI deliberately lied to state investigators to cover up her crimes and sold vials with no or incomplete labels, with no hint as to the provenance of those unsafe and prohibited drugs.
The drugs GIANNELLI sold included intravenous and intramuscular injectables that she sold to laypeople for injection into the horses under their purported “care,” many of which were seized at premises throughout the country at the time of the original indictments in this case, including barns located in New York. Those included “blood building” drugs (for example, “BB3” and other Epogen-mimetic substances), vasodilators (for example, “VO2Max”), and bags filled with scores of “bleeder pills,” each designed to covertly increase performance in affected horses.
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GIANNELLI, 55, of Felton, Delaware, was previously convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit misbranding and drug adulteration in connection with her work for Equestology. In addition to her prison sentence, GIANNELLI was ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $900,000, reflecting the value of the adulterated and misbranded drugs GIANNELLI and her co-conspirators sold as part of his fraudulent doping schemes.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Office’s Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force and its support of the Bureau’s Integrity in Sports and Gaming Initiative. Mr. Williams also thanked the Food and Drug Administration and Customs and Border Protection for their assistance and expertise. This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Mortazavi and Benjamin A. Gianforti are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As to GIANELLI’s co-defendants, these facts, including the entirety of the texts of the Indictments and the descriptions of the Indictments set forth herein, constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Honduran Drug Trafficking Organization Member Pleads Guilty to Distributing CocaineRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Honduran man pleaded guilty today to his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine in the United States.
According to court documents, Rafael Antonio Pineda Santos, 43, was extradited from Guatemala in May 2022 after being indicted in June 2014 for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, knowing it would be imported into the United States. From 2005 until at least June 2014, members of an international drug trafficking organization based in Honduras known as the “Los Valles” Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) conspired to import multi-ton quantities of cocaine from Central America to the United States.
Pineda Santos was a member of the Valle DTO. He was paid by the leaders of the Valle DTO to provide information about the status of possible law enforcement cooperators and pending law enforcement actions against the Valle DTO. Pineda Santos maintained an extensive network through which he obtained information that he provided the Valle DTO to further the conspiracy. He contacted leaders of the organization to advise them of planned raids or surveillance being conducted against the Valle DTO. Over the course of the conspiracy, Pineda Santos and members of the Valle DTO distributed at least 50 kilograms of cocaine.
Pineda Santos is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2023 by Senior U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Sean Ragan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Sacramento Field Office; and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachael Tucker and Katherine Rumbaugh are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Guatemala to secure the arrest and extradition of Pineda Santos to the United States.
The case was investigated by the FBI Sacramento Field Office and the Sacramento Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) with assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principle mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:14-cr-135.
Harrison Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornRead the Press Release
FORT SMITH – A Harrison man was sentenced yesterday to 84 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release on one count of Receipt of Child Pornography. The Honorable Judge P.K. Holmes, III presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, in April of 2021, the Harrison Police Department received a Cyber Tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children which reported that an unknown person was utilizing an account on the Kik Messenger application to upload media files including child pornography. An investigation into the IP addresses and the Kik account information revealed the account owner to be Christopher Scott Hafar, age 46, of Harrison, Arkansas. Harrison officers arrested Hafar on July 21, 2021, and Hafar later admitted to receiving child pornography using his Kik account through his cellphone.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
Harrison Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations Fayetteville, and the Northwest Arkansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Still prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, 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.
Goshen Man Convicted of Wire FraudRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Junaid Gulzar, 32 years old, of Goshen, Indiana, was found guilty following a 3-day jury trial presided over by United States United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr., announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
The jury found Gulzar guilty on all three counts of wire fraud as charged in the Indictment. It was alleged that from January 2021 through July 2021, Gulzar devised a scheme to defraud investors and obtain money through false pretenses by use of wire communications in interstate commerce. Gulzar had offered an investment opportunity in gas stations in Goshen and Plymouth, Indiana, promising a high rate of return with monthly payments. Instead, Gulzar personally benefitted by at least $210,000.00 by defrauding the investors and not using the money as he had promised in the gas stations. No payments were made to the investors from the Goshen gas station investment and the Plymouth gas station was never purchased. Instead, some of the money wired to Gulzar by the investors for the purchase of the Plymouth gas station was used for his own benefit at a casino.
Gulzar’s sentencing is scheduled for December 14, 2022. Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the District Court Judge after consideration of federal statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Indiana State Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jerome W. McKeever and Joel Gabrielse.
Four Charged in Capital Region Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Four people have been indicted for conspiring to distribute cocaine that was mailed from Puerto Rico to the Capital Region, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Ketty Larco-Ward, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The indictment alleges that between June 2021 and December 2021, in Albany and Rensselaer Counties, the following four men engaged in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine:
- Jan Lopez-Colon, age 28, of Troy, New York;
- Jesus Baez, age 32, of Loudonville, New York;
- Ilvin Batista-Figueroa, age 31, of Albany; and
- Sam Calderon, age 20, of Troy.
According to a complaint previously filed in the case, over the period of June to December 2021, the defendants obtained numerous packages shipped by U.S. Mail from Puerto Rico to addresses in the Capital Region, and each package contained approximately one kilogram of cocaine. The packages were then retrieved by the defendants and transported to Troy, where the cocaine was processed for distribution. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The four defendants are also each charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and Baez is also charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition.
The charges filed against Lopez-Colon carry a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. Baez, Batista-Figueroa, and Calderon each face a minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, and a term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life.
Lopez-Colon and Baez were arraigned this week before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel. Lopez-Colon is detained pending trial before Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe. Baez is detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for September 9. Batista-Figueroa and Calderon waived arraignment and are released pending trial.
This case is being investigated by the USPIS and its Capital Region Task Force, led by the USPIS and including the Albany Police Department, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and the Schenectady Police Department, as well as the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark.
Fort Myers Felon Pleads Guilty to Selling Gun and Drugs to Undercover ATF AgentRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Ronald Dale Perkins (44, Fort Myers) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and distribution of methamphetamine. Perkins faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the firearm offense and up to 20 years in federal prison for the drug offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on April 5, 2022, Perkins, a nine-time convicted felon, sold a sawed-off .410 caliber shotgun gun and methamphetamine to an undercover ATF special agent.
This case is being investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
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.
Former PWSA Supervisor Sentenced for Clean Water Act ViolationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to one year probation on his conviction of conspiring to violate the Clean Water Act, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV imposed the sentence on James Paprocki, age 52.
According to information presented to the court, Paprocki was a supervisor at the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority’s Aspinwall Drinking Water Production Plant. At various times between 2010 and 2017, Paprocki and another plant supervisor, Glenn Lijewski, illegally discharged clarifier sludge, a byproduct that is produced when raw water is converted into potable water, into the Allegheny River. Under the terms of an environmental permit, the sludge had to pumped to ALCOSAN’s waste treatment plant. Lijewski and Paprocki also submitted reports containing false estimates about the amount sludge that was actually being sent to the waste treatment plant.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Stickman stated that while Paprocki’s conduct was serious, it was the only time Paprocki had been in trouble with the law.
“This sentencing completes the federal criminal investigation of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority and two of its former managers for knowingly violating discharge permit limits and for false statements,” said Jennifer Lynch, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. “The prosecution has brought about much needed structural, funding, and cultural change at the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, especially concerning the Aspinwall plant.”
Assistant United States Attorney Michael Leo Ivory prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the EPA, Criminal Investigation Division for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of James Paprocki.
Former Everett Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud, Social Security Misuse and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Everett man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to identity theft and fraud charges in connection with multiple schemes to fraudulently obtain an apartment as well as pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Tedje Menard, 28, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of false representation of a social security number and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Nov. 30, 2022. Menard was charged and arrested in November 2021 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 27, 2022.
In or around November 2020, Menard applied to rent an apartment in East Boston using the name and identity of another person. As part of the application and screening process, Menard falsely claimed to be the victim by providing the company overseeing the property with, among other things, the victim’s name, social security number, date of birth and a copy of a purported North Carolina driver’s license containing the victim’s information but depicting a photograph of Menard. Menard also submitted an EIDL application in the amount of $40,000 using the victim’s name and personal identifiable information in June 2021.
Additionally, in April 2021, Menard used his own name to apply for a PPP loan in the amount of approximately $20,833. In the loan application, Menard falsely represented his business’ total gross income in 2019 and his criminal history.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of false representation of a social security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Labor and the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Former Engineering Executive Sentenced for Rigging Bids and Defrauding North Carolina Department of TransportationRead the Press Release
A former executive of Contech Engineered Solutions LLC (Contech) was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment yesterday in New Bern, North Carolina, for his participation in bid-rigging and fraud schemes targeting the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).
Following a week-long trial in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina in January, a jury convicted Brent Brewbaker, a former Contech executive, for participating in conspiracies to rig bids and submit false certifications of non-collusion for more than 300 aluminum structure projects funded by the state of North Carolina between 2009 and 2018. Evidence showed that Brewbaker instructed a co-conspirator to submit non-competitive bids to NCDOT and to hide his bid rigging and fraud by varying the amount of inflated bids submitted. He also made clear to a co-conspirator that he would hide illegal conduct by deleting text messages he received about the conspiracy.
“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of offenses that subvert the competitive process, target state and local governments, and ultimately cost taxpayers money,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The division and its Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) partners remain committed to holding executives accountable when they choose to cheat instead of compete.”
“The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, along with our other federal law enforcement partners, secured a victory today in our fight against bid-rigging and collusion,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). “The USPS-OIG will vigorously investigate those who would engage in harmful anticompetitive practices, and we continue to ask for the public’s assistance in identifying and reporting those engaged in this type of activity.”
“Violations of the nation’s antitrust laws will be taken seriously and those who circumvent federal bidding and contract regulations will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Miles of the Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General (DOT-OIG) Mid-Atlantic Region. “The message is clear: we will pursue and investigate individuals who compromise the integrity of the procurement process for corporate greed and personal gain.”
Brewbaker was convicted of conspiracy to rig bids, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and one count of wire fraud. Brewbaker was also ordered to pay a $111,000 criminal fine and a $600 special assessment. Contech previously pleaded guilty to one count of bid rigging under Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act and one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Contech agreed to pay a criminal fine of $7 million and restitution to NCDOT in the amount of $1,533,988.
The Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Section prosecuted this case, which was investigated with the assistance of the USPS-OIG and the DOT-OIG. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina also provided support throughout the investigation and trial.
In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact procurement and grant and program funding at all levels of government – federal, state and local. To contact the Procurement Collusion Strike Force or to report information concerning market allocation, price fixing, bid rigging or other anticompetitive conduct related to federal, state or local transportation projects, visit https://www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Former City of Atlanta employee Mitzi Bickers sentenced to 14 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Former City of Atlanta Director of Human Services, Mitzi L. Bickers, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for accepting approximately $3 million in bribe money to influence government contracts, money laundering, lying to the City of Atlanta to maintain her salary and cabinet-level position, and failing to disclose more than $600,000 in income on her federal tax return.
“For years, Mitzi Bickers masterminded a sophisticated scheme to steer City of Atlanta contracts worth millions of dollars to two businessmen,” said U.S. Ryan K. Buchanan. “By abusing her position, power, and connections, Bickers corrupted the City’s procurement practices, creating a pay-to-play environment where bribe money was rewarded over merit and quality of work. Bickers’ substantial prison sentence serves as a blistering message to anyone tempted to sell the public’s trust for a lake home or an SUV and serves as a reminder that law enforcement officers remain committed to the investigation of corrupt public officials.”
“The actions of Mitzi Bickers not only traded the public’s trust for personal gain, but this was also a shame to her oath of office and her duty to the City of Atlanta. This sentence demonstrates no one is above the law,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to investigate public officials and those who wish to wrongly influence public officials for personal gain.”
“High ranking City officials hold positions of power and trust not only in their official capacity but also in the eyes of the public. That trust is broken when such officials abuse their power and commit crimes,” said James E. Dorsey, IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge. “Mitzi Bickers failed to uphold the trust and duty bestowed to her by the taxpayers of the City of Atlanta, to serve the public’s interest and not her own. Bickers chose a lakefront home over the best interest of the people of Atlanta.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: While with the City of Atlanta as its Director of Human Services and after leaving the City as a claimed “business consultant,” Bickers accepted more than $2.9 million in bribe payments directly and on behalf of other public officials to steer valuable contracts to businessmen Elvin R. Mitchell, Jr. and Charles P. Richards, Jr.
From February 2010 to May 2013, Bickers served as the City of Atlanta’s Director of Human Services. Even though she held a high-level position with the City, Bickers sold sensitive, non-public information to Mitchell and Richards that was critical to their ability to obtain certain valuable contracts. In effecting the bribery scheme, Bickers accepted money in two distinct ways: (1) Mitchell and Richards paid Bickers “up-front” money, where Bickers arranged for Mitchell and Richards to pay her bribe money in advance of the work to secure the award of a contract; and (2) Mitchell and Richards paid Bickers “kick-backs,” where Bickers instructed Mitchell and Richards to inflate the cost of their work with the City so that Mitchell and Richards could then pay Bickers a percentage of what they earned. Between 2010 and 2013, Mitchell’s and Richards’s companies received City of Atlanta contracts worth millions of dollars for emergency snow removal, sidewalk repair and maintenance, and bridge reconstruction.
In an effort to conceal her relationship with Mitchell and Richards, Bickers filed numerous false City of Atlanta Financial Disclosure forms. For example, Bickers swore under penalty of perjury that in 2011, she engaged in no financial relationships with any outside businesses and did not receive more than $5,000 in income from any outside sources. In fact, Bickers had accepted more than $600,000 in bribe money from Mitchell and Richards during that period.
In 2011, Bickers used most of this bribe money to purchase a $775,000 lakefront home in Jonesboro, Georgia. In that same year, Bickers lied on her federal income tax return by claiming that she earned only $57,896 (resulting in a tax refund of $3,924). In fact, in 2011, Bickers had accepted over $600,000 in bribe payments and owed the IRS more than $200,000 in taxes.
In 2013, the media exposed Bickers’s financial ties to the political consulting firm Pirouette Companies (which was incorporated by Bickers’s girlfriend but operated by Bickers). Shortly thereafter, Bickers resigned her position with the City of Atlanta. After leaving the City of Atlanta, Bickers continued to receive millions of dollars in bribes from Mitchell and Richards to obtain additional City of Atlanta contracts. Bickers spent the proceeds of the bribery scheme on luxury merchandise and travel, four Yamaha jet skis, and a GMC Acadia Denali.
Ultimately, between 2010 and 2014, Bickers accepted more than $2.9 million in bribe money from Mitchell and Richards to secure several lucrative City of Atlanta contracts. In this same period, the City of Atlanta paid Mitchell’s and Richards’s businesses at least $15 million for these government contracts.
On October 22, 2018, a Federal grand jury returned a 12-count Superseding Indictment charging Mitzi Bickers with conspiratorial and substantive bribery, wire fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and tax fraud offenses.
On March 23, 2022, after an approximately two-week trial, a jury convicted Bickers of nine of the 12 counts, including conspiracy to commit bribery, wire fraud, money laundering, and filing a false tax return. The jury acquitted Bickers on two counts of bribery and one count of obstruction.
U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones sentenced Mitzi L. Bickers, 57, of Atlanta, Georgia, to 14 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered her to pay $2,955,106 in restitution to the City of Atlanta. Bickers also forfeited to the government her lake home, a GMC Acadia Denali, and four Yamaha jet skis because Bickers purchased these items with the proceeds from the bribery conspiracy.
- Elvin R. Mitchell Jr., 68, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiratorial bribery and money laundering and was ultimately sentenced to four years in prison.
- Charles P. Richards Jr., 70, Tucker, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiratorial bribery and was ultimately sentenced to one year, eight months in prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey W. Davis, Nathan P. Kitchens, Tiffany R. Dillingham, and Kelly Connors prosecuted the case. The case was previously prosecuted by former U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Florida Businessman Charged with Payroll Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A Florida businessman was arraigned yesterday in Miami, after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with willful failure to pay over employment taxes to the IRS.
According to the indictment, Ari Weingrad, of Miami, operated two car rental companies, Rent Max Miami, Inc. and Rent Max North, Inc., both of which had locations throughout Florida. In 2016, Weingrad allegedly was responsible for filing quarterly employment tax returns and collecting and paying over to the IRS employment taxes withheld from employees’ wages. Weingrad allegedly withheld these funds from his employees, but he did not fully pay the withholdings over to the IRS. According to the indictment, during the same time period, Weingrad used corporate funds from the businesses to pay for personal items, including payments to his wife and himself and expenses related to a yacht.
If convicted, Weingrad faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each of three counts of willful failure to pay over employment taxes. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Patrick Elwell of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana Maria Martinez of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Jury Finds Serial Burglar Guilty of Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal jury convicted a Louisville man yesterday of possessing a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony.
According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, on December 3, 2020, Nathaniel Durham, 31, was armed with a firearm as he approached a stolen vehicle. As Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers attempted to arrest the individuals in possession of the stolen vehicle, Durham fled and threw the firearm to the ground. After a short foot pursuit, Durham was apprehended. The jury found Durham guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Durham’s prior felony convictions included more than ten (10) burglaries in Jefferson County.
Durham was charged in an indictment that also charged Marquise Reyes, Jeremy Cosby, and Phillips Barnes with other offenses. Each of these defendants pled guilty prior to trial.
Marquise Reyes, 24, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On July 29, 2022, Reyes was sentenced by a United States District Judge for the Western District of Kentucky to 43 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
On August 25, 2022, Jeremy Cosby, 28, pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His sentencing is scheduled for November 18, 2022.
On August 30, 2022, Phillip Barnes, 33, pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His sentencing is scheduled for November 18, 2022.
Durham’s sentencing is scheduled for December 13, 2022. Durham faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. Durham remains in federal custody.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and LMPD Chief Erika Shields made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia P. Gomez and Mac Shannon are prosecuting the case with the assistance of paralegal Adela Alic.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Fall River Man Sentenced on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with travelling to New Hampshire to attempt to have sex with a teenage girl.
Charles Eugene Schnitzlein III, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to four years in prison and five of supervised release. In October 2021, Schnitzlein pleaded guilty to traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a person under 18 years of age.
“The sexualization and exploitation of our children is a real and present danger. Adults who prey on children are predators and pose a serious threat to our communities. As a result of his reprehensible behavior, Mr. Schnitzlein is now a convicted felon and a sex offender. As the guardian of my 13-year-old niece, this case hits close to home for me. Children deserve to be children. There are reasons we have ages of consent and adulthood,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This 35-year old man was attempting to have sex with an 8th grader. A juvenile. Child exploitation is a heinous crime and prosecuting perpetrators is one of my highest priorities as U.S. Attorney. We will be relentless in hunting down those who seek to exploit and sexualize our children. Child predators be warned.”
“Charles Schnitzlein clearly knew that preying on underage girls was wrong, but he did it anyway. He made extensive plans to travel to New Hampshire to have sex with what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, and when we caught him, he confessed to a history of similar, failed attempts,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI Boston Division. “Had we not put a stop to his atrocious behavior, his conduct likely would have continued. Today’s sentence ensures that he won’t be able to victimize any child for quite some time.”
Schnitzlein used a messaging application to communicate with an individual he thought was a 13-year-old girl, who was actually an undercover agent. During the conversations, Schnitzlein sent the purported 13-year-old a photo with his penis exposed and asked for sexually explicit photos of her and with a friend. Schnitzlein also asked the purported teenager where she lived and devised a plan to meet her to have sex. On April 9, 2021, Schnitzlein drove from Fall River to a mall in Nashua, N.H., to meet with the undercover officer posing as a teenage girl. On his way to the meetup location, Schnitzlein stopped to purchase condoms, flowers, soda and candy. Schnitzlein was arrested upon his arrival.
During an interview with law enforcement, Schnitzlein admitted that he traveled from Fall River to meet the purported 13-year-old girl and booked a hotel room in Nashua, N.H. to have sex with her. Schnitzlein further admitted to numerous past occasions in which he repeatedly went to certain retail stores to look for young girls, touch or grab them in passing and attempt to lure them to the bathroom for purposes of sex. A forensic review of Schnitzlein’s phone revealed two additional conversations between him and purported minors that were sexual in nature, including a discussion with one of the minors about meeting at a mall for sex.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta and Nashua (N.H.) Police Commissioner Matthew E. Plante made the announcement. Assistance was provided by Massachusetts State Police and the Arlington, Revere and Boston Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
EmpiresX Head Trader Pleads Guilty to Global Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Scheme that Amassed Approximately $100 Million from InvestorsRead the Press Release
A Florida man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit securities fraud in connection with a global cryptocurrency-based Ponzi scheme that took in approximately $100 million from investors.
According to court documents, Joshua David Nicholas, 28, of Stuart, was the “Head Trader” for EmpiresX, a purported cryptocurrency platform. Nicholas admitted that he and others fraudulently promoted EmpiresX by making numerous misrepresentations regarding, among other things, a purported proprietary trading bot and fraudulent “guaranteed” returns to investors and prospective investors in the company. Nicholas and his co-conspirators claimed that EmpiresX operated a trading bot that used artificial and human intelligence to maximize profitability for investors. Instead, EmpiresX operated a Ponzi scheme by paying earlier investors with money obtained from later EmpiresX investors. In addition, despite representations to the contrary, EmpiresX never registered, nor took steps to register, EmpiresX’s investment program as an offering and sale of securities with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, nor did EmpiresX have a valid exemption from this registration requirement.
Nicholas pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami made the announcement.
The FBI Miami Field Office and HSI’s Miami Field Office are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Kevin Lowell and Sara Hallmark of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Yisel Valdes for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
All investor victims of the EmpiresX scheme are encouraged to visit the webpage https://www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/crypto-enforcement to identify themselves as potential victims and obtain more information on their rights as victims, including the ability to submit a victim impact statement.
Duncan Information Technology Company and Its Owners Agree to Pay $54,000 to Settle Allegations of Submitting False Claims Involving Federal Communications Commission ProgramRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Omega Technology Center, Inc. ("Omega") and its owners Todd and Kristie Greenway (the "Greenways") agreed to pay $54,000 to settle civil claims stemming from allegations they submitted false claims involving a program of the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC"), announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
The Universal Service Administrative Company ("USAC") is a not-for-profit entity that administers an FCC program called E-Rate. The E-Rate program is designed to improve the telecommunication capabilities of schools and libraries, particularly those in indigent areas. It does so by subsidizing the cost of new telecommunication equipment and services, and internal connections, to bring connectivity within the school or library (such as cabling, routers, and servers), as well as maintenance services.
Omega is a for profit business located in Duncan, Oklahoma, that provides information technology support to schools in Oklahoma. The United States alleges that Omega and the Greenways submitted invoices for payment to USAC under the E-Rate program for goods and services that were never provided to the Fort Towson school district for the 2010 and 2012 E-Rate years. To resolve the claims, Omega and the Greenways agreed to pay $54,000 to the United States, and to not participate in any FCC program administered by the USAC for a period of at least three years.
In reaching this settlement, Omega and the Greenways did not admit liability, and the government did not make any concessions about the legitimacy of the claims. The agreement allows the parties to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty involved in litigating the case.
This case was investigated by Federal Communications Commission, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald R. Gallegos and Scott Maule prosecuted
Dominican National Sentenced to 38 Months in Prison for Selling Oxycodone from New Britain GroceryRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Jose Lugo, also known as “Domi,” 34, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 38 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing oxycodone from a New Britain grocery store.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the New Britain Police Department began investigating individuals who were selling oxycodone pills from Elzier Grocery, located at 1485 Corbin Avenue in New Britain. Between July and December 2019, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of oxycodone pills from Lugo, Eliezer Perez and Elzier Grocery’s owner, Raul Cabrera-Vasquez.
Lugo was arrested on February 26, 2020. On that date, court authorized searches of Elzier Grocery and a nearby residence revealed more than 1000 oxycodone pills, drug packaging materials, drug ledgers, and approximately $10,000 in cash. The search of Elzier Grocery also revealed a handgun that was wrapped in Lugo’s shirt.
Lugo has been detained since his arrest. On February 8, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, oxycodone.
Lugo faces immigration proceeding when he completes his prison term.
Perez and Cabrera-Vasquez pleaded guilty and were each sentenced to 48 months of imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the New Britain Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Cruelty to Animals for Attack on Cat That Caused Traumatic Brain InjuryRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Malik Thomas, 30, of Washington, D.C., has pleaded guilty to a charge of cruelty to animals for retaliating against his romantic partner by beating her pet cat to the point of inflicting traumatic brain injury and a broken pelvis, among other injuries.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Chris Schindler, Vice President of Field Operations, Humane Rescue Alliance.
Thomas pleaded guilty on Sept. 7, 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Frederick H. Weisberg sentenced him to 150 days in jail.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 18, 2021, officers responded to an apartment in the 1200 block of North Capitol Street NW, based on reports of a domestic violence incident in progress. When officers arrived, they found Thomas hiding in a closet. He told police that he “killed” the cat to retaliate against his partner for locking him out of the apartment that his partner owned. Thomas admitted he picked the cat up by his neck and slammed him on a cement tile floor, before pouring old grease on the cat and throwing him in a trashcan.
Police found the cat alive, but severely injured and unable to walk or stand. A veterinarian who examined the cat explained that he suffered fractures to his pelvis. The cat also suffered bleeding from the nose, hemorrhaging of the eye, effusion in the abdomen, and traumatic brain injury. The doctor explained that injuries of this severity are only typically found in animals who have been struck by a motor vehicle or have fallen from a great height. The cat later died.
Thomas was arrested on the day of the incident.
The Humane Rescue Alliance submitted a victim impact statement highlighting the studied link between animal abuse and domestic violence. In homes where there is domestic abuse, it’s not just the people who are at risk; animals are often targeted as well. Domestic violence victims concerned about the safety of their animals can have their service provider call the Humane Rescue Alliance 24/7 for help at 202-723-5730.
In announcing the plea and sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Chief Contee, and Vice President Schindler commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Humane Rescue Alliance.
They acknowledged the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Sabrina Hudgens and the Litigation Technology Unit. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmanuel Hampton, who prosecuted the case, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Dinan and Monisha Rao, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Goldstein, who investigated the case.
Danvers Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Transfer of Obscene Matter to a MinorRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Danvers, Illinois, man, Alexander B. Smith, 23, of Kimberly Court, has been sentenced to 78 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for transfer of obscene matter to a minor. Smith is also required to register as a sex offender and pay $2,000 in restitution to the minor victim of his offense.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the United States presented evidence that in February and March of 2021, Smith communicated via Instagram with a girl whom he knew to be under sixteen years old. Smith sent the girl images of his penis and encouraged her to meet with him for sex. Smith met with the girl at a park and had sexual intercourse with her.
Soon after, law enforcement officers investigated and arrested Smith. A search of Smith’s phone revealed at least 21 videos and 462 images of child pornography, including children as young as about three years old.
Smith was federally indicted in September 2021, and has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. He pleaded guilty in April 2022.
The statutory penalties for transfer of obscene matter to a minor are up to 10 years imprisonment, up to a three-year term of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.
The Illinois State Police and Bloomington Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Ford County State’s Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Hollingshead-Cook represented the United States in the prosecution.
The case against Smith was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Daniel Chase Sentenced for Making False Statements to Social Security AdministrationRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Daniel Chase, 61, of Weathersfield, Vermont was sentenced today in United States District Court in Rutland to one year of probation following his guilty plea to a charge that he made false statements to the Social Security Administration. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford also ordered Chase to pay $2602 in restitution.
In May 2021, a federal grand jury in Burlington returned an indictment charging Chase with three counts of making false statements to the Social Security Administration. In June 2020, Chase’s spouse, who had been receiving Social Security disability payments, died. Upon learning of the spouse’s death, SSA stopped the spouse’s monthly payment, which was about $867. According to the indictment, in an effort to get his spouse’s benefit payments reinstated, Chase repeatedly made false claims to SSA that he was the spouse, that he was alive and that the payments had been wrongly terminated. Chase also submitted forged documents to SSA purportedly as proof that the spouse was alive.
This case was investigated by SSA’s Office of Inspector General and Vermont’s Department of Children and Families.
Chase is represented by Ian Carleton, Esq. and Devin McKnight, Esq. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
Cuban national sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking, firearms offensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Ali Godoy, 51, a national of Cuba, was sentenced on Sept. 7 to 10 years in prison. Godoy pleaded guilty on May 24 to one count each of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On April 4, task force officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Albuquerque District Office and the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) executed a search warrant on Godoy’s apartment on Pennsylvania Street in Albuquerque. During the search, investigators located over 72 grams of fentanyl pills and over 99 grams of methamphetamine in a safe and bag in Godoy’s bedroom. Investigators also found a .45 caliber pistol that had been stolen and was loaded with eight rounds of ammunition, and a 7.62 caliber rifle that was fully loaded with a high-capacity magazine containing 17 rounds of ammunition.
Godoy was previously convicted in Texas in 1996 of possession of a controlled substance, in Florida in 2002 of delivery of cocaine and tampering with evidence and in 2005 of aggravated battery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and in New Mexico in 2000 of tampering with evidence and failure to appear, in 2001 of possession of a controlled substance and tampering with evidence and in 2010 of possession of a controlled substance. As a previously convicted felon, Godoy cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
In addition to his prison term, Godoy will be subject to four years of supervised release. In the judgment, however, the Court recommended that Immigration and Customs Enforcement begin removal proceedings during the service of Godoy’s sentence. Godoy entered the United States in 1995 under a two-year “public interest” parole from Cuba.
The DEA and APD investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Tavo Hall prosecuted the case.
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Colombian Man Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison for Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian man, who was extradited from Colombia after indictment, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in three charges related to obstructing justice.
Orlando Lopez Parra, 48, was sentenced to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On May 12, 2022, Lopez Parra pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice and two counts of obstruction of justice.
Since at least August 2017, Lopez Parra obtained information of an ongoing United States criminal investigation into the international drug trafficking activities Henry Carrillo-Ramirez, as well as the presence of United States Drug Enforcement Administration agents in Colombia for Carrillo-Ramirez’s arrest. Lopez Parra enlisted the aid of another individual to make contact with Carrillo-Ramirez for the purpose of arranging a meeting with him.
At a meeting on Aug. 4, 2017, Lopez Parra told Carrillo-Ramirez there were United States law enforcement officers in Colombia for his arrest and that Lopez Parra’s contacts could provide additional information to Carrillo-Ramirez to avoid arrest in exchange for payment of 500 million Colombian pesos.
Several days later, on Aug. 7, 2017, Lopez Parra met with Carrillo-Ramirez again to offer information in exchange for payment of 500 million Colombian pesos, advised him to leave his residence and reminded him how difficult it would be for his family if he were extradited to the United States.
“This case demonstrates the resources and dedication of the Department of Justice and DEA to eradicate drug trafficking and hold those accountable who obstruct investigations into these dangerous and illegal activities,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Those who interfere or impede with our investigations run the risk of getting charged criminally. So don’t.”
“The misconduct in this case is brazen and these charges make it crystal clear that the DEA is deeply committed to investigating any attempt to hinder a criminal investigation” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division. “DEA and their local, state and federal partners are dedicated to bringing to justice those that commit these types of crimes.”
Carrillo-Ramirez was indicted in June 2018 and extradited from Colombia in April 2019. In November 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and four counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of five kilograms or more of cocaine on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 21, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and DEA SAC Boyle made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Colombian National Police, the Spanish Guardia Civil, and the Portuguese Air Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Estes of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Chickasaw Nation and United States Attorneys for the Western and Eastern Districts of Oklahoma Co-Host Public Safety SummitRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – On Tuesday, September 6, 2022, law enforcement officials gathered in Sulphur, Oklahoma, for the 2022 Chickasaw Nation Public Safety Summit. The Chickasaw Nation and United States Attorney’s Offices for the Western and Eastern Districts of Oklahoma co-hosted the event. The Summit envisioned to embrace collaboration on jurisdictional changes in Indian Country, and to answer questions and discuss procedures following recent court rulings that have impacted Indian Country in Oklahoma.
"This Public Safety Summit served as an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved and engage in a dialogue on how we can work together to accomplish even more," said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby. "While changing circumstances may affect the manner in which we carry out our criminal justice duties, our shared commitment to the pursuit of justice remains unchanged. Working relationships among Tribal, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies and the working relationships of those agencies with Tribal, State, and Federal courts are built on that shared commitment. Through collaboration and cooperation, we are stronger, more equipped, and better able to plan and respond to the needs of our citizens."
"We came together with the common resolve and commitment to protect public safety in the Chickasaw Nation, hold offenders accountable, and secure justice for victims of crime," said U.S. Attorney Robert Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. "This discussion of important jurisdictional issues and addressing questions and issues raised by one another greatly enhanced the coordination, cooperation, and communication that is critically necessary among federal, state, local, and tribal officials going forward."
"The changing landscape of criminal jurisdiction in Oklahoma has posed some challenges for law enforcement," said United States Attorney Christopher Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. "This summit provided an excellent opportunity for local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors working within the Chickasaw Nation to meet together and focus on ways to ensure we are accomplishing our common mission to protect and serve."
The Summit included nearly 90 participants from the Chickasaw Nation, federal prosecutors, federal law enforcement, state law enforcement, tribal law enforcement, District Attorney’s Offices, Sheriffs’ Offices, and Police Departments that operate within the Chickasaw Nation. The format included various panel discussions to address topics such as the following:
- Indian Country jurisdiction following the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals decision in Bosse v. Oklahoma on October 7, 2011, which applied the U.S. Supreme Court McGirt v. Oklahoma decision to the Chickasaw Nation.
- Concurrent Jurisdiction following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta decision on June 29, 2022.
- Law Enforcement Authority in Indian Country.
- Law enforcement and prosecutorial responses to crimes within the Chickasaw Nation.
- Updates in federal law and related programs.
- Public Safety services provided by the Chickasaw Nation.
Chickasaw Nation and United States Attorneys for the Eastern and Western Districts of Oklahoma Co-Host Public Safety SummitRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - OKLAHOMA CITY – On Tuesday, September 6, 2022, law enforcement officials gathered in Sulphur, Oklahoma, for the 2022 Chickasaw Nation Public Safety Summit. The Chickasaw Nation and United States Attorney’s Offices for the Western and Eastern Districts of Oklahoma co-hosted the event. The Summit envisioned to embrace collaboration on jurisdictional changes in Indian Country, and to answer questions and discuss procedures following recent court rulings that have impacted Indian Country in Oklahoma.
“This Public Safety Summit served as an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved and engage in a dialogue on how we can work together to accomplish even more,” said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby. “While changing circumstances may affect the manner in which we carry out our criminal justice duties, our shared commitment to the pursuit of justice remains unchanged. Working relationships among Tribal, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies and the working relationships of those agencies with Tribal, State, and Federal courts are built on that shared commitment. Through collaboration and cooperation, we are stronger, more equipped, and better able to plan and respond to the needs of our citizens.”
"The changing landscape of criminal jurisdiction in Oklahoma has posed some challenges for law enforcement,” said United States Attorney Christopher Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “This summit provided an excellent opportunity for local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors working within the Chickasaw Nation to meet together and focus on ways to ensure we are accomplishing our common mission to protect and serve.”
“We came together with the common resolve and commitment to protect public safety in the Chickasaw Nation, hold offenders accountable, and secure justice for victims of crime,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “This discussion of important jurisdictional issues and addressing questions and issues raised by one another greatly enhanced the coordination, cooperation, and communication that is critically necessary between federal, state, local, and tribal officials going forward.”
The Summit included nearly 90 participants from the Chickasaw Nation, federal prosecutors, federal law enforcement, state law enforcement, tribal law enforcement, District Attorney’s Offices, Sheriffs’ Offices, and Police Departments operating within the Chickasaw Nation. The format included various panel discussions to address topics such as the following:
- Indian Country jurisdiction following the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals decision in Bosse v. Oklahoma on October 7, 2011, which applied the U.S. Supreme Court McGirt v. Oklahoma decision to the Chickasaw Nation.
- Concurrent Jurisdiction following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta decision on June 29, 2022.
- Law Enforcement Authority in Indian Country.
- Law enforcement and prosecutorial responses to crimes within the Chickasaw Nation.
- Updates in federal law and related programs.
- Public Safety services provided by the Chickasaw Nation.
Chicago Man Pleads Guilty to Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chicago man has pleaded guilty to threatening and coercing a Massachusetts minor to engage in sexual conduct.
Ernesto Herrera, 33, of Chicago, Ill., pleaded guilty on Aug. 31, 2022 in federal court in Boston to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Dec. 21, 2022. Herrera was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint in June 2021 and subsequently charged by an Information on July 26, 2022. He has remained in custody since June 2021.
“My office remains determined to protect the safety, innocence and wellbeing of our children, especially from the threat of online predators. Mr. Herrera used social media to target, threaten and rob a child of their innocence and, following the acceptance of Mr. Herrera’s guilty plea by the Court, he will be a convicted felon and a registered sex offender,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, my office will continue our aggressive pursuit to hold predators like Mr. Herrera accountable. Those who seek to sexualize and harm our children will be identified and prosecuted – that is a promise.”
“Ernesto Herrera has admitted to using social media to target and manipulate a 16-year-old girl into providing him with sexually explicit images of herself. His deplorable conduct in this case underscores the urgent need for the FBI and our law enforcement partners to continue our efforts in protecting children from those who prey on them,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “In this case, a very brave child spoke up, and in doing so has prevented Mr. Herrera from victimizing others.”
In June 2020, Herrera threatened and coerced a Massachusetts minor via text message to make and send an image of the victim engaged in sexual conduct, among other things. Herrera threatened the minor that if she did not comply with his requests, videos of the minor would be leaked to her friends and the internet. Herrera also accessed the minor’s Snapchat account and, beginning in June 2020 and continuing through at least January 2021, over one thousand images and videos of the minor were sent from the minor’s Snapchat account to Herrera’s Snapchat account. Several of these files depicted child pornography. During a search of Herrera’s residence in Chicago he admitted to contacting the minor using a text messaging service and acknowledged that he knew the minor was being blackmailed by other people at the time that he communicated with her. Herrera confirmed that he received images of the minor engaged in sexual conduct, among other things.
The charge of coercion and enticement of a minor provides a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Chicago Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Charlotte County Correctional Officer Sentenced for Attempting to Smuggle Drugs into PrisonRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Troy Alexander Cole (28, Fort Myers) to three years and five months in federal prison for attempted possession with the intent to distribute MDMA (commonly referred to as “Molly”) and methamphetamine. Cole had entered a guilty plea on April 20, 2022.
According to court documents, Cole worked as a correctional officer at the Charlotte Correctional Institution (CCI) in Punta Gorda. In June 2021, on three separate occasions, Cole agreed to smuggle methamphetamine or MDMA into the prison where he worked and provide the contraband to an inmate. He agreed to do so in exchange for payments of $400, $1,000, and $4,000, respectively.
On each occasion, Cole picked up a package containing what he believed were the controlled substances and then entered CCI. Cole would then conceal the packages containing the purported controlled substances and notify the inmate that they were available for retrieval.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
California Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine into Southern OregonRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—On September 7, 2022, a San Diego, California man was sentenced to federal prison for trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine from Southern California to Southern Oregon for redistribution and sale.
Martin Jesus Velasco, 39, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in late 2019, law enforcement learned Velasco was transporting pound quantities of methamphetamine north from California in rental cars and then selling it to local drug dealers in Southern Oregon. On at least two occasions, including the trip precipitating his arrest, Velasco traveled in a rental vehicle containing drug shipments with an associate and the associate’s girlfriend and infant child.
On February 6, 2020, Velasco was stopped in Ashland, Oregon and his vehicle was searched pursuant to a state search warrant. Authorities located a duffle bag with five one-pound packages of methamphetamine. Velasco and an accomplice were arrested. A later search of his cell phone revealed evidence of Velasco’s extensive and ongoing drug trafficking, including trading methamphetamine he acquired in Southern California for marijuana grown in Southern Oregon.
On March 3, 2020, Velasco was charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Later, on November 5, 2020, a federal grand jury in Medford indicted him on the latter charge. On April 11, 2022, Velasco pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement (MADGE) team and Oregon State Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marco Boccato of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
California Cocaine Supplier Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Michael Wright was sentenced to 12 months plus one day in prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Wright, age 45, of San Diego, California, was sentenced by United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan. Judge Horan sentenced Wright to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. Between January 2020 and January 2021, Wright was an interstate source of supply for cocaine for dealers in Northwest Pennsylvania and Northeast Ohio.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Farrell Police Department, the Mercer Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office conducted the investigation.
Butte nurse sentenced for diverting drugsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Butte woman who admitted to diverting drugs while working as a nurse at a Butte hospital was sentenced today to five years of probation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Nichole Lynn Zinda, 37, pleaded guilty in May to unlawfully obtaining a controlled substance as charged in an indictment.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that a hospital in Butte notified the Drug Enforcement Administration that Zinda, a registered nurse working on the post-operation floor, was discovered diverting hydromorphone cartridges in September 2020. A hospital review of Zinda’s records showed an abnormally high number of transactions by Zinda regarding oxycodone and hydromorphone as compared with other nurses working on the same floor. Zinda was pretending to “waste” or dispose of the hydromorphone or was giving it to patients but then cancelling the orders in the system. The hospital terminated Zinda after she tested positive for hydromorphone as well as oxycodone/oxymorphone. Zinda told investigators that she took hydromorphone from the hospital to prevent her from getting sick when she didn’t have any pills.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the DEA, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and St. James Hospital.
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Boston Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Armed Robbery of Brockton Cell Phone StoreRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in the January 2019 robbery of a T-Mobile store in Brockton and shooting at police officers as he and his co-defendants fled the scene.
Stephan Rosser-Stewart, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 16 years in prison and two years of supervised release. On March 24, 2022, Rosser-Stewart pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery; conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery; discharging, brandishing, using and carrying a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence; and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
Rosser-Stewart was indicted along with co-defendants Darius Carter and Diovanni Carter in March 2019. The three were subsequently charged in a superseding indictment in September 2019. A fourth man, Dennis Martin was charged separately.
“Mr. Rosser-Stewart and his co-defendants robbed a clerk at gunpoint and subsequently fired shots at a pursuing police officer during a high-speed chase through a quiet residential neighborhood. They terrorized the Brockton community and endangered innocent lives, all for greed and the pursuit of money,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Today’s sentence effectively removes this reckless individual from the streets of our Commonwealth, preventing him from endangering any more lives. I commend the courageous work of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, particularly the police officer that was shot at, for their brave and invaluable assistance in keeping our communities safe. Because of their hard work, Mr. Rosser-Stewart and his co-defendants were apprehended and held accountable.”
“Mr. Rosser-Stewart threatened the lives of Police Officers and the citizens of Brockton by committing this brazen robbery,” said James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. “Keeping firearms out of the hands of convicted felons is ATF's top priority and we will continue to aggressively pursue these investigations and work with our law enforcement partners to remove violent criminals from our communities.”
“Following the brazen armed robbery of the T-Mobile store, Mr. Rosser-Stewart showed a complete disregard for public safety while fleeing police at high speeds and shooting at officers. Violent behavior like this will not be tolerated in our community. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice and ensure those who commit such crimes are held accountable,” said Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez.
On the evening of Jan. 26, 2019, Rosser-Stewart, Darius Carter and Dennis Martin entered a T-Mobile store in Brockton, carrying semi-automatic firearms, which they pointed at the store manager as they demanded cash and electronics. Darius Carter struck the store manager in the head with a firearm. The men stole approximately $25,000 in cash and electronics and then fled in a vehicle driven by Diovanni Carter.
Police located the getaway vehicle and a high-speed chase ensued, reaching speeds of over 70 mph in residential neighborhoods. During the chase, Diovanni Carter ordered the other men in the car to fire at pursuing police cruisers. Rosser-Stewart and Darius Carter fired a total of eight rounds at the pursuing police cruisers. Law enforcement apprehended Rosser-Stewart, Darius Carter and Dennis Martin after an object on the road disabled their vehicle and recovered the stolen phones, cash and the three firearms used in robbery. Diovanni Carter fled the scene when the car was stopped and was later apprehended in March 2019. Rosser-Stewart, Darius Carter, Diovanni Carter and Dennis Martin, were each prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior criminal convictions. Rosser-Stewart was previously convicted of armed robbery in Suffolk Superior Court and had been recently released from prison prior to robbing the T-Mobile store in January 2019.
In March 2021, Darius Carter pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 14 years in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to his role in the robbery. In March 2020, Diovanni Carter was convicted by a federal jury and sentenced to over 22 years in prison. In August 2019, Martin pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 23, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Rollins; ATF SAC Ferguson; Chief Perez; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal of the District of Massachusetts; Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr.; and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and 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.
Biloxi Man Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Biloxi man was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Christopher R. Rainey, 33, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
According to court documents, on February 16, 2022, the D’Iberville Police Department responded to an overdose death. On February 21, 2022, the Biloxi Police Department responded to another overdose death. Agents with the DEA initiated an investigation into the death of both victims. This investigation revealed that Christopher Rainey was the source of supply to both victims.
On March 21, 2022, officers with Biloxi Police Department observed Rainey traveling southbound on I-110. Rainey had an active warrant and was pulled over. During a subsequent inventory of his vehicle, he was found to have multiple baggies of suspected narcotics. These narcotics were sent to the drug lab where they were tested and confirmed to be 6.78 grams of fentanyl. Rainey was interviewed after receiving his Miranda rights and he acknowledged that he had been selling heroin and fentanyl for several months.
Rainey was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 5, 2022. He pled guilty on June 2, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.
Berkeley County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Eric Timothy Gray, of Inwood, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Gray, 54, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Gray, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of prior felony convictions, admitted to having a rifle in January 2020.
Gray faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley D. Crockett is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for an Armed Robbery He Committed While on Supervised Release for a Prior Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Yesterday U.S. District Judge George L. Russell sentenced Rico Dashiell, age 23, of Fort Washington, Maryland to 12 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for the armed robbery of an Owing Mills phone store and for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, in December 2020, Dashiell and two co-conspirators (Co-conspirator 1 and Co-conspirator 2) entered an Owings Mills, Maryland phone store. Upon entry, Dashiell pretended to be a customer until his co-conspirators entered the store. At that time, Dashiell brandished a firearm, pointed it at a victim, and said “[y]eah, you know what time it is . . . If you don’t want to die today, do what I say.” Co-conspirator 1 and Co-conspirator 2 then pointed their firearms at victim employees and customers while yelling “get down.”
Dashiell ordered a victim employee to walk to the back of the store and open the store safe. Once the safe was opened, conspiracy members stole 76 devices, including a GPS tracker within a cell phone box. As they left the room containing the safe, Co-conspirator 1 sprayed pepper spray at the victims’ faces. Dashiell and his co-conspirators then fled the store in a vehicle that Co-conspirator 1 had stolen earlier that day.
As stated in Dashiell’s plea agreement, law enforcement tracked the stolen vehicle to a single-family home in Catonsville, Maryland. Aerial units filmed Dashiell and his co-conspirators unloading the stolen merchandise from the robbery and bringing it inside the residence. After law enforcement evacuated two children from the residence, officers executed a search warrant and arrested the defendants.
During the search, law enforcement recovered the gloves, clothing, and headwear worn by the robbers, the 76 devices stolen from the cellular retail store, the canister of pepper spray that was used to assault victims, a victim’s wallet, and three loaded .9mm semi-automatic firearms. Two of the firearms either did not possess a serial number or displayed an obliterated serial number.
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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Baltimore Crips Gang Member Who Brandished a Stolen Firearm During a Robbery is Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Yesterday U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Ridgley Shipley, a/k/a “Crazy”, age 32, of Baltimore, Maryland to 184 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for a racketeering conspiracy and for using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Shipley was a member of the Eight Tray Gangster (“ETG”) Crips gang in Baltimore.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
The ETG Crips are a violent subset of the Crips gang that originated in California in the 1970s, eventually operating on the streets and in correctional facilities in Maryland beginning in the 2000s. For many years, the ETG Crips controlled the drug trade in particular territories in Baltimore City, including the area near the intersection of West Baltimore Street and South Hilton Street in West Baltimore (the “Baltimore Hilton neighborhood”), the area near the intersection of West Lexington Street and North Fremont Avenue (the “Lexington Terrace neighborhood”), and the area near the intersection of Frankford Avenue and Sinclair Lane in North Baltimore (the “Frankford Sinclair neighborhood”). The ETG Crips members from the Baltimore Hilton and Lexington Terrace neighborhoods referred to themselves as the Baccwest ETG Crips—modeling themselves after the Baccwest ETG Crips in Los Angeles—and ETG Crips members from the Frankford Sinclair neighborhood called themselves the Nutty North Side ETG Crips. The two groups worked together for common criminal purposes.
According to his guilty plea, from 2008 to 2019, Shipley participated in the gang’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity which included drug dealing, robbery, witness retaliation, and other acts of violence. For example, while incarcerated in 2017, Shipley physically assaulted a fellow ETG Crips gang member who violated gang code by disrespecting another Crip in front of members of a rival gang. Shipley also discussed “weeding out” unofficial self-professed ETG Crips members, recruited new gang members in prison, and discussed murdering at least one victim who cooperated with law enforcement.
After Shipley was released from prison, Shipley and a co-conspirator robbed the employees of an Arnold, Maryland car repair shop in June 2019. During the robbery, Shipley brandished a stolen, fully loaded, .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun.
Co-defendant Trayvon Hall, a/k/a Tru,” and “G Tru,” age 31, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to racketeering and drug conspiracy charges on August 26, 2022. If the Court accepts his plea, Hall will be sentenced to 40 years in federal prison.
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.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States 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 was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, ATF, the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter J. Martinez and Kim Y. Oldham, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Bakersfield Man Indicted for Illegal Possession of a Firearm at a Bakersfield MotelRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Derrick Dewayne Gage, 41, of Bakersfield, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on April 23, 2022, law enforcement officers were on patrol at the Plaza Motel on Union Avenue in Bakersfield when they saw Gage inside a room with a firearm and what appeared to be narcotics. The officers seized a loaded Sarsilmaz 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. Gage is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has prior felony convictions for domestic violence, participation in a criminal street gang, and sales of cocaine.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel J. Montoya is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Gage faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 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.
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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.
Atlantic County Firefighter Convicted on Four Counts in Multimillion-Dollar Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Margate, New Jersey, firefighter was convicted today on four counts of an indictment charging him with defrauding public health insurance plans out of approximately $1 million, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced.
Thomas Sher, 50, of Northfield, New Jersey, found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud following a 12-day trial before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
Sher was part of a criminal conspiracy in which state and local government employees were recruited and compensated to receive medically unnecessary compound prescription medications. Sher caused the pharmacy benefits administrator to pay out almost $1 million for medically unnecessary compound prescription medications for individuals they recruited into the scheme. Sher directly received approximately $115,000 from the scheme.
Sher and others were indicted in March 2019 on charges that they defrauded New Jersey health benefits programs and other insurers. To date, approximately 40 people have been convicted or pleaded guilty to the conspiracy.
Sher faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan.10, 2023.
Attorney for the United States Khanna credited special agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark; and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to today’s verdict.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina O. Hud of the Criminal Division and Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division Desiree L. Grace.
Aryan Circle Gang Leader Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Racketeering ViolationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas –A Stratford, Missouri man has been sentenced for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations violations stemming from his membership in the white supremacy prison gang, the Aryan Circle, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Jesse Paul Blankenship, 39, also known as JP, was convicted at trial on Nov. 16, 2021, of racketeering conspiracy, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping in aid of racketeering. He was sentenced to life in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Thad Heartfield.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Aryan Circle is a race-based, violent prison gang with hundreds of members operating throughout the country, both inside and outside of prisons. The Aryan Circle enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects, and associates through threats, intimidation, assaults, and murder.
Evidence presented at trial showed that between 2010 and 2021, Blankenship “put in work” by committing violence on behalf of the gang, including shooting at two victims inside their home and participating in a kidnapping and removal of another member’s patch, or gang tattoo, by burning it from the victim’s skin using a metal rod heated with a blowtorch. After committing these crimes, Blankenship moved up in rank in Aryan Circle and has since ordered additional acts of violence.
“This case exemplifies great collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement to not only stop gang violence in prison, but also to protect innocent persons when that activity overflows into our communities, said Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute those who advocate harm to others, and to specifically target the leaders of violent gangs.”
“Violent gangs pose a growing threat to our communities and the type of violence associated with these organizations has reach an intolerable level,” said ATF SAC Fred Milanowski. “This case demonstrates that members of violent gangs that engage in heinous crimes will be held accountable.”
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case was investigated by the following agencies: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Federal Bureau of Prisons; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department-Gang Division; Montgomery County (TX) Precinct One Constable’s Office; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Texas Department of Criminal Justice; New Jersey Department of Corrections-Special Investigations Division; Indiana State Police; Fort Smith (AR) Police Department; Arkansas Department of Corrections; Arnold (MO) Police Department; Jefferson County (MO) Sheriff’s Department; St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; St. Louis County (MO) Police Department; Indiana Department of Corrections; Carrollton (TX) Police Department; Montgomery County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; Travis County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; Tarrant County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; Evangeline Parish (LA) Sheriff’s Office; Smith County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; McCurtain County (OK) Sheriff’s Office; Montgomery County (TX) District Attorney’s Office; Liberty County (TX) District Attorney’s Office; Harris County (TX) District Attorney’s Office; Mercer County (NJ) Prosecutor’s Office; Evangeline Parish (LA) District Attorney’s Office; and the Sebastian County (AR) District Attorney’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Rapp of the Eastern District of Texas along with Trial Attorney Rebecca Dunnan of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted this case.
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Armed robber awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to four convenience store holdupsRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Chatham County man faces a substantial prison sentence after admitting to the four armed robberies of convenience stores.
Jacob Bragg, 20, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The plea subjects Bragg to a possible sentence of up to life in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and restitution, followed by up to five years of supervised release upon completion of any term in prison.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Jacob Bragg terrorized employees and customers of private businesses in his week-long crime spree and is now being held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We commend our law enforcement partners for their quick resolution to this case and for taking this violent, armed criminal off of our streets.”
As described in court documents and testimony, from Oct. 9 to Oct. 16, 2021, Bragg and a co-conspirator brandished handguns and threatened employees to rob three Garden City and Pooler convenience stores – one of them twice.
U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker will schedule Bragg for sentencing after U.S. Probation Services completes a pre-sentencing investigation.
“Carrying weapons into peaceful places of business and terrifying hard-working citizens is something the FBI and our law enforcement partners will make every effort to prosecute and punish,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We are fortunate that no innocent victims were hurt as a result of Bragg’s selfish desire for wealth.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Savannah Police Department, the Pooler Police Department and the Garden City Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
Apollo Man Pleads to Dealing Meth in Multiple Western Pennsylvania CountiesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Apollo, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
James D. Higgins, age 42, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to seven counts before United States District Judge Wiegand.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Higgins possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possessed with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessed with intent to distribute and/or distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine recovered in this case resulted from investigations by local law enforcement officers in Indiana, Westmoreland, Allegheny, and Armstrong Counties from June of 2020 through November of 2021.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Jan. 18, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a fine of $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The court ordered the defendant to remain detained pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Brian W. Castello is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Monroeville Police Department, Washington Township Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Lower Burrell Police Department, Kiskiminetas Township Police Department, Vandergrift Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Indiana County Drug Task Force, Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office and Armstrong County District Attorney’s Office conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of James D. Higgins.
Aggravated Felon Sentenced After Third Conviction for Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Juan Diego Arteaga-Hernandez (Mexico, 34) to 4 years and 4 months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States after deportation and being convicted of an aggravated felony. Arteaga-Hernandez had pleaded guilty on May 11, 2022.
According to court documents, on January 22, 2022, Arteaga-Hernandez was arrested on unrelated charges in Desoto County. Thereafter, he was encountered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and determined to be in the United States illegally. A criminal history check showed that Arteaga-Hernandez had been convicted in 2009 for possession with the intent to deliver heroin, which is an aggravated felony under federal law. Arteaga-Hernandez was also previously convicted of illegal reentry after deportation in 2015 and in 2019. He was on federal supervised release for his 2019 conviction when he was arrested on this charge.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
25-Year Federal Prison Sentence for Man Who Tried to Kill South Florida Police OfficersRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida — The Miami man who earlier this year discharged a hail of gunfire at two FBI Task Force Officers and a City of Homestead Police Detective as the officers drove past him has been sentenced to 310 months in federal prison.
Earlier this year, James Robert Mills, Jr., pled guilty to attempting to murder the three officers and forcibly assaulting the officers with a deadly weapon. Mills also pled guilty to two counts of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
On January 31, the three officers were on duty, driving an unmarked white sports utility vehicle (SUV) in the Homestead-Miami area. At about 8:30 p.m., as they drove north on S.W. 116th Avenue, an officer noticed a gun pointed at them from an open backseat window of a parked car. Mills was pointing the gun, which he then fired at the SUV as it drove by. The officers’ SUV accelerated, trying to evade the gunshots. The three officers in the SUV managed to lose the suspects’ vehicle without being wounded or firing their weapons. Crime scene investigators recovered approximately 24 nine-millimeter (9 mm) bullet casings and one projectile from the scene, says the affidavit.
An investigation into the shooting led law enforcement officers to Mills, whom they arrested following a search of a Miami residence where he was staying. They recovered a Glock 17, 9 mm pistol with an extended magazine from the attic of the house, where Mills had stashed it after the January 31 shooting. Mills confessed to shooting the firearm.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Robert M. DeWitt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, Alexander E. Roller, Jr. Chief, Homestead Police Department, and Alfredo Ramirez, III, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department, announced the sentence imposed yesterday by United States District Judge Jose E. Martinez.
The FBI Miami Division, along with the Homestead and Miami-Dade Dade Police Departments, investigated the case. The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dwayne E. Williams.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. This prosecution was also brought through the efforts of the Miami-Dade Chiefs of Police Operation Community Shield Initiative.
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.
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7 September 2022
Woodbury County Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Chad Moyle, 37, from Sioux City, Iowa, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography. Moyle pled guilty on September 7, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City.
At the plea hearing, Moyle admitted to possessing over 600 images of child pornography from December 2018 through February 2019. Moyle utilized a smart phone to receive and review the images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including depictions involving prepubescent minors or minors who had not attained 12 years of age.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Moyle remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Moyle faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
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.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-4021. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Wilmington Man Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that a Wilmington man, Rudolph Hardin, 55, was sentenced to 86 months in federal court for possession of a stolen firearm. Chief U.S. District Judge Colm F. Connolly pronounced the sentence.
According to court documents and statements made in open court, an undercover Wilmington Police Department (“WPD”) detective was working in the area of 3rd and Broom Streets. The undercover detective was approached by an individual who offered to sell him crack cocaine. When the undercover officer agreed, the individual went directly to the porch of a nearby home. The undercover detective witnessed the individual exchange a package with Mr. Hardin. Based on that conduct, law enforcement obtained a search warrant to search the home where they recovered a stolen black .45 caliber Rock Island Armory firearm and illegal drugs. Mr. Hardin admitted to possessing the firearm and selling the illegal narcotics.
U.S. Attorney Weiss commented on the sentence: “The deadly combination of illicit drugs and illegal firearms continues to threaten our communities. Disrupting the flow of illegal drugs and stolen firearms is critical to reducing violent crime. I commend the WPD undercover detective and the DEA for their efforts in this case.”
“The proliferation of illegal guns has had a catastrophic impact on the increase in violence in our communities,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “That Hardin possessed a stolen firearm while selling crack cocaine warranted him being charged and sentenced in federal district court. I would like to thank our partners at the Wilmington Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their support of this case.”
“This sentencing is yet another example of our strong working relationships with our federal partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA,” said Wilmington Police Chief Robert J. Tracy. “We appreciate their support of our community through our collective efforts to hold gun offenders accountable.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration and WPD investigated this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McTaggart prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-00010.
West Seneca Man Going to Prison for More Than 10 Years for Selling MethRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Timothy J. Chowaniec, 64, of West Seneca, NY, who was convicted of possession with the intent distribute, and distribution of, five grams of more of methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 135 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on two separate occasions in January and February of 2020, an undercover investigator with the New York State Police purchased quantities of methamphetamine from Chowaniec at his residence in West Seneca. On April 14, 2020, the DEA and United States Postal Inspection Service executed a search warrant on a parcel from California addressed to Chowaniec at his West Seneca residence. Located inside the parcel was a plastic sandwich bag containing approximately 3.7 ounces of suspected methamphetamine.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Boston Division Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward.
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Vincennes Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine from California to IndianaRead the Press Release
TERRE HAUTE – Christopher Wrought, 54, of Vincennes, Indiana, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to methamphetamine trafficking offenses.
According to court documents, in April of 2021, officers with the Greene County Drug Task Force, Indiana State Police, and Bloomington Police Department Drug Task Force were investigating Wrought for methamphetamine and heroin trafficking. Officers learned that Wrought traveled by charter bus from Bloomington, Indiana, and arrived in Fresno, California, on May 20, 2021. On May 25, 2021, Wrought shipped two parcels containing controlled substances via FedEx to an address in Bloomfield, Indiana. Wrought then boarded a Greyhound bus back to Bloomington.
On May 27, 2021, Wrought was stopped by drug interdiction officers in Kansas City, Missouri. During the stop, a K-9 alerted to a duffle bag belonging to Wrought. Wrought agreed to speak with the officers and exited the bus. Wrought admitted that he was traveling from California to Bloomington and consented to a search of his bags and his person. Officers located a white mailing envelope containing 229 grams of methamphetamine in one bag. In another bag, officers found 19 grams of methamphetamine, a plastic baggie containing 64 grams of marijuana, and a plastic baggie containing 8 grams of cocaine. A search of Wrought’s person revealed 2 grams of heroin in his pocket. Officers also located $10,000 in U.S. currency bundled with rubber bands.
The one-pound parcel delivered by FedEx on May 26, 2021, to the Bloomfield address, contained 232 grams of methamphetamine and 63 grams of cocaine. The five-pound parcel delivered by FedEx on May 27, 2021, to the same Bloomfield address, contained 907 grams of methamphetamine and 178 grams of heroin. Also contained inside the second parcel was a handwritten return address with Wrought’s name and a Solsberry address affiliated with Wrought. Investigators learned that approximately 12 suspected drug parcels had been sent from Fresno to Bloomfield and Solsberry addresses associated with Wrought over the past year.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office, made the announcement.
DEA investigated the case in conjunction with the Vigo County Drug Task Force. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon. As part of the sentence, Judge Hanlon ordered that Wrought be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay Karwoski who prosecuted this case.
Victor man sentenced to 10 years in prison for meth traffickingRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Victor man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine after law enforcement found the drug along with a sawed-off shotgun and other firearms at his residence was sentenced on Tuesday to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Terrill Dwayne Martin, 53, pleaded guilty in May to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in November 2021, the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office law enforcement officers conducted a search of Martin’s resident pursuant to a state warrant. Law enforcement recovered meth, a sawed-off shotgun, several firearms and drug paraphernalia. Martin admitted that he had meth in the safe in his residence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force and the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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