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Tuesday 19 July 2022
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Antwan Lamar Sherrod, 32, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 1, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Ninth Avenue residence in Huntington and encountered Sherrod in the residence with a Springfield Armory XDS 9mm pistol next to him on a couch.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Sherrod knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his conviction for felony conspiracy in Cabell County Circuit Court on August 24, 2017.
Sherrod is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-22.
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North Carolina Man Convicted of Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A North Carolina man pleaded guilty today to tax evasion.
According to court documents, Darren Lee Joy, 63, of Matthews, admitted to evading his 2015 individual income taxes by submitting to his employer an IRS Form W-4 falsely stating he was exempt from federal income-tax withholding. He also did not file a 2015 tax return, even though he was legally required to do so based on the amount of income he earned.
Joy will be sentenced at a later date to be determined by the district court. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. 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 Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Brian Flanagan of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
North Carolina Man Convicted of Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A North Carolina man pleaded guilty today to tax evasion.
According to court documents, Darren Lee Joy, 63, of Matthews, admitted to evading his 2015 individual income taxes by submitting to his employer an IRS Form W-4 falsely stating he was exempt from federal income tax withholding. He also did not file a 2015 tax return, even though he was legally required to do so based on the amount of income he earned.
Joy will be sentenced at a later date to be determined by the district court. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. 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 Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Brian Flanagan of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
New York Man Admits Pivotal Role in iPhone Theft ScamRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A New York man who played a pivotal role in a conspiracy that defrauded AT&T out of between $250,000 and $500,000 worth of Apple iPhones obtained from Walmart stores in Rhode Island and elsewhere pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Christopher Sanchez Matos, 34, of Bronx, NY, admitted to a federal judge that, in some instances, he supplied members of a conspiracy with personal identification information for AT&T Wireless customers. Posing as authorized AT&T customers, Sanchez and others obtained iPhones from Walmart stores without paying for them, aside from applicable sales tax.
According to court documents, for each Apple iPhone obtained through the scheme, the group member would receive money from a retail store in the Bronx.
Matos is scheduled to be sentenced on October 20, 2022. Co-conspirators Ruben Gomez, 24; Oliver Mercedes, 24; and Javier Rodriguez, 26, all from Bronx, NY, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
The defendants’ sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah. The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service.
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New Jersey Man Sentenced for Sending Threatening Communications to Black Maryland Woman and Her FamilyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Michael Marotta, age 26, of Sewell, New Jersey to three years of probation with a 30-day term of community confinement, preceded by an intensive in-patient drug treatment program for making threatening interstate communications. Marotta admitted that he used an anonymizing text message service to threaten physical harm to a Black woman and her family in Maryland.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kristen M. Clarke of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
“Hate-fueled racially motivated violence must not be tolerated and this office will aggressively prosecute those who stoke fear and hate in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “We will protect and defend the civil rights of all individuals who are harassed on the basis of race.”
"Hate crimes are a high priority for the FBI and FBI Baltimore works to reduce this targeted prejudice through coordination with our state and local law enforcement partners” said Thomas J. Sobocinski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore field office. “The violence driven by bias against a person’s race has a devastating effect on our communities and those who engage in such a manner will endure consequences.”
According to Marotta’s plea agreement, on April 14, 2020, Marotta used an anonymizing mobile phone application, to send a threatening message to a Black Maryland woman. In the message, Marotta used racial epithets to describe the Maryland woman and her family, and he threatened to come to their home and do physical harm. As detailed in the plea agreement, Marotta wrote, among other things, that “I know where you live now, I’m coming to rape your family” and “eat my bullets.” As detailed in his plea agreement, Marotta claims he does not know the recipient-victim of the message, nor does the recipient-victim know Marotta.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kristen M. Clarke commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Cunningham and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and its Civil Rights Unit, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/civil-rights.
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Mishawaka Man Sentenced to 70 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Terrell Howard, 32 years old, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Howard was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in December 2020, Howard fired a handgun in the air 18 times in a residential neighborhood in South Bend. Howard’s criminal history revealed he had prior felony convictions which prohibit him from possessing a firearm, to include armed robbery with a handgun and criminal recklessness.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander and former Assistant United States Attorney Geovanny E. Martinez.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Michigan Doctor Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Michigan endocrinologist pleaded guilty today to tax evasion.
According to court documents, Bashar Kiami, 53, of Roscommon, owned and operated Northern Michigan Endocrine PLLC, a solo endocrinology practice in Grayling. From 2014 to 2017, the defendant filed corporate returns for the endocrinology practice on which he underreported the practice’s gross receipts and overstated its expenses. As the sole shareholder, Dr. Kiami reported business income from the practice on his individual income tax returns. By underreporting the practice’s business income, Kiami fraudulently reduced his tax liability for the years 2014 through 2017. In total, Kiami caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $250,000.
Sentencing will be scheduled for a later date. Kiami faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. 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 made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Jeffrey A. McLellan and Melissa S. Siskind of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Meth-loaded tires send Rio Grande City man to prisonRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 20-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of importing 500 grams or more of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery
Abiel Geronimo Fernandez pleaded guilty March 22.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Fernandez to serve 140 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard that Fernandez asked someone to hide marijuana and a firearm while he was waiting for trial. The court also saw pictures from his cell phone of narcotics and firearms. In one, he was taking a selfie while wearing body armor and holding a rifle. In other photos, there were kilogram quantities of narcotics indicating that this was not the first time he had transported large quantities of narcotics. In imposing the sentence, Judge Alvarez noted that Fernandez’s arrest for alien smuggling one day before his arrest on this matter was troubling.
On Nov. 28, 2021, Fernandez attempted to enter the United States from Mexico at the Rio Grande City Port of Entry while driving a Chevrolet Silverado. Authorities referred him to secondary inspection where they discovered anomalies in all four tires of the truck.
There were a total of 24 bricks of meth hidden within the tires. The total weight was approximately 59 kilograms with an estimated street value of $236,000.
As part of his plea, Fernandez admitted he was recruited the day before to smuggle three kilograms of meth into the country in exchange for $3,000.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colton Turner prosecuted the case.
Mechanicsburg, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Possession of 50 Grams or More of Actual Methamphetamine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Mechanicsburg, Illinois, man, Gerald Hurley, 47, of the 13000 block of Darnell Road, was sentenced on July 18, 2022, to five years in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
At the sentencing hearing in front of United States District Judge Sue E. Myerscough, the government presented evidence that Hurley was responsible for distributing over five kilograms of methamphetamine in the Central District of Illinois.
Hurley was indicted in November 2020 and pleaded guilty in March 2022. He was originally released on bond but then re-arrested and detained in August 2021 after he violated the conditions of his bond following his unsuccessful discharge from substance abuse treatment.
The statutory penalties for possession of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine with intent to distribute are up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Illinois State Police, and the Springfield Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF)’s National Methamphetamine Strategic Initiative, spearheaded locally by the Drug Enforcement Agency. The primary goal of this initiative is to address methamphetamine trafficking and its attendant consequences by using a coordinated, multi-agency approach targeting the highest levels of drug trafficking leadership. 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.
Macon Man Sentenced to the Statutory Maximum Prison Sentence for Distributing Child Sexual Assault MaterialRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Macon resident was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison after he assumed the social media identity of a 12-year-old girl using threats and then forced the victim to produce child sexual abuse material, which he sold online.
Anthony Sparks Brown, 27, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III after he pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. Brown will also register as a sex offender for life upon release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Anthony Brown’s ongoing exploitation of a middle schooler came to light thanks to a cybertip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. GBI agents tracked down the defendant, freeing the child from his escalating online threats,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “This case illustrates that it takes a cross-section of groups to include caring citizens and dedicated law enforcement to stop the online exploitation of children.”
“The GBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent victims. No child should be subject to online exploitation. As we work with internet service providers and other law enforcement agency partners, we are ensuring that predators like this defendant are held accountable,” said GBI Director Vic Reynolds.
According to court documents, the GBI received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in Jan. 2019, based on a report originating from Facebook detailing child sexual abuse material communicated between two Facebook users – a middle school-aged female (Jane Doe #1) and a 57-year-old man. An ensuing investigation ultimately revealed that Brown was using the Jane Doe #1 account to possess, distribute and sell child sexual abuse material.
Brown had met the real Jane Doe #1, a 12-year-old girl from Tennessee, on Instagram in 2018. Brown told investigators that she sent him nude images. Later, Brown threatened the 12-year-old on Facebook using an alias, sending her these images and other sexually explicit photos and stating that he was sure that she didn’t want her parents to see the images. Brown then proposed they make a deal whereby in exchange for Jane Doe #1’s Facebook login information, Brown would refrain from sending out her explicit photos. Jane Doe #1 complied and sent her credentials to Brown. That same day, Brown began soliciting sexual images and videos from the girl, using threats.
Brown was taken into custody on July 9, 2019. Brown admitted he threatened the girl in order to receive her Facebook passwords and assumed her identity on Facebook, chatting with her friends and family on that platform. He further admitted to using threats to coerce more sexually exploitative images and videos from her, distributing those images and selling some of the images.
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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the GBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim prosecuted the case.
Lawrence Man Convicted of Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man was found guilty by a federal jury in Boston yesterday in connection with drug-trafficking activities involving fentanyl.
Ronald Carmona, 31, who most recently resided in Lawrence, was convicted following a week-long jury trial of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and five counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for Nov. 21, 2022. Carmona was indicted in December 2019 by a federal grand jury and has been in custody since his arrest in October 2019.
“Distributing fentanyl in our Commonwealth causes significant harm to real people and their families. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Mr. Carmona organized the sale of over an entire kilogram of fentanyl across five different drug deals. One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. This conviction reflects my office’s relentless pursuit of those responsible for circulating dangerous drugs in our communities and fueling the opioid epidemic.”
“Ronald Carmona exploited the city of Lawrence as his drug-trafficking hub, dealing over one kilo of deadly fentanyl to anyone who could muster the cash to pay him, without a second thought to the harm he was inflicting upon his customers and his community,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Disrupting drug trafficking organizations like this one in which Mr. Carmona had a role is a critical part of our mission, and another example of how we are holding accountable those who are responsible for perpetuating the ongoing opioid crisis in our region.”
Between May 2019 and October 2019, Carmona arranged for and facilitated five separate sales of fentanyl to a long-time drug customer. Carmona then conspired with multiple other drug runners to deliver the fentanyl. All five drug deals totaled over one kilogram of fentanyl.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl each provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. 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 and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lawrence Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police and the New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel Yeager and Steve Hassink of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Kyle Woman Indicted for First Degree MurderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Kyle, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for First Degree Murder and Felony Child Abuse and Neglect.
Billie Jean Red Owl, age 34, was indicted on November 18, 2021. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on June 15, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment. The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in prison and/or a $250,000 fine.
The charges relate to Red Owl engaging in a pattern of child abuse, including failing to provide sufficient food and hydration and medical care to her child, who was under the age of seven years, in 2020 at Kyle. This abuse resulted in the death of the child.
The charges are merely accusations and Red Owl is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Sazama is prosecuting the case.
Red Owl was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has been set for August 23, 2022.
Justice Department Seizes and Forfeits Approximately $500,000 from North Korean Ransomware Actors and their ConspiratorsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced a complaint filed in the District of Kansas to forfeit cryptocurrency paid as ransom to North Korean hackers or otherwise used to launder such ransom payments. In May 2022, the FBI filed a sealed seizure warrant for the funds worth approximately half a million dollars. The seized funds include ransoms paid by health care providers in Kansas and Colorado.
“Thanks to rapid reporting and cooperation from a victim, the FBI and Justice Department prosecutors have disrupted the activities of a North Korean state-sponsored group deploying ransomware known as ‘Maui,’” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco today at the International Conference on Cyber Security. “Not only did this allow us to recover their ransom payment as well as a ransom paid by previously unknown victims, but we were also able to identify a previously unidentified ransomware strain. The approach used in this case exemplifies how the Department of Justice is attacking malicious cyber activity from all angles to disrupt bad actors and prevent the next victim.”
According to court documents, in May 2021, North Korean hackers used a ransomware strain called Maui to encrypt the files and servers of a medical center in the District of Kansas. After more than a week of being unable to access encrypted servers, the Kansas hospital paid approximately $100,000 in Bitcoin to regain the use of their computers and equipment. Because the Kansas medical center notified the FBI and cooperated with law enforcement, the FBI was able to identify the never-before-seen North Korean ransomware and trace the cryptocurrency to China-based money launderers.
Then, as a result, in April 2022, the FBI observed an approximately $120,000 Bitcoin payment into one of the seized cryptocurrency accounts identified thanks to the cooperation of the Kansas hospital. The FBI’s investigation confirmed that a medical provider in Colorado had just paid a ransom after being hacked by actors using the same Maui ransomware strain. In May 2022, the FBI seized the contents of two cryptocurrency accounts that had received funds from the Kansas and Colorado health care providers. The District of Kansas then began proceedings to forfeit the hackers’ funds and return the stolen money to the victims.
“Reporting cyber incidents to law enforcement and cooperating with investigations not only protects the United States, it is also good business,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The reimbursement to these victims of the ransom shows why it pays to work with law enforcement.”
“These sophisticated criminals are constantly pushing boundaries to search for ways to extort money from victims by forcing them to pay ramsons in order to regain control of their computer and record systems,” said U.S. Attorney Duston J. Slinkard for the District of Kansas. “What these hackers don’t count on is the tenacity of the U.S. Justice Department in recovering and returning these funds to the rightful owners.”
“The FBI is dedicated to working with our federal and private sector partners to disrupt nation state actors who pose a critical cyber threat to the American people,” said FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran. “Today’s success demonstrates the result of reporting to the FBI and our partners as early as possible when you are a victim of a cyber attack; this provides law enforcement with the ability to best assist the victim. We will continue to pursue these malicious cyber actors, such as these North Korean hackers, who threaten the American public regardless of where they may be and work to successfully retrieve ransom payments where possible.”
“Today’s announcement reiterates the FBI and Justice department’s continued commitment to working with our critical infrastructure and private sector partners to identify and dismantle cyber threats, including new and emerging ransomware variants,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub of the FBI Kansas City Field Division. “Because of swift reporting by the victim medical center, action was taken to lessen the loss to the victim company, as well as identify the malware deployed, preventing additional cyber-attacks. The relationship between the FBI and our private sector partners are critical to discover, disrupt and dismantle cyber threats to our nation’s infrastructure.”
On July 6, 2022, based on information obtained during the Department’s investigation, the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Department of the Treasury issued a joint cybersecurity advisory regarding the North Korean threat to U.S. health care and public health sector organizations, which included indicators of compromise and mitigation advice.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Duston J. Slinkard for the District of Kansas; Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub of the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office; and Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Jury convicts foreign citizen in Mission harboring conspiracyRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A federal jury in McAllen has convicted a 27-year-old Mexican citizen for conspiracy and harboring and transporting aliens within the country, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The jury deliberated for approximately an hour before convicting Silverio Moreno-Calderon following a two-day trial.
Moreno-Calderon illegally resided in a stash house on West 1st Street in Mission. On Feb. 2, authorities observed Moreno-Calderon exit the residence and meet with a driver in a black sport utility vehicle.
At that time, Moreno-Calderon prepared the vehicle for transportation of the undocumented individuals by rearranging the vehicle’s contents and viewing it from all angles with the doors both open and closed.
The jury heard that Moreno-Calderon directed three individuals into the vehicle and concealed them with blankets, boxes and various items. Soon after, the loaded vehicle departed from the residence. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and found the undocumented individuals in the car. They were later determined to be illegally present in the United States.
Authorities searched the residence and discovered an additional 24 people who had been smuggled into the country and were awaiting further transportation.
At trial, two of the aliens provided testimony describing how Moreno-Calderon confiscated their cell phones upon arrival to the house, enforced rules they needed to follow and determined when they would be able to contact their families. One of individuals testified how Moreno-Calderon punched him in the face for attempting to use his cell phone without permission.
Moreno-Calderon’s co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty to transporting aliens within the United States. One of whom, the driver, testified how he had driven from Houston the day before and planned to transport four aliens back to the area. However, he and Moreno-Calderon were only able to fit three people in the vehicle due to their size. He also told the jury how he followed Moreno-Calderon’s advice as it seemed like he had done this many times. He testified how Moreno-Calderon told him that he was planning on walking a group north following the driver’s departure.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that Moreno-Calderon was just an alien who was also smuggled, not a smuggler. The jury did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Miceala Alvarez presided over the trial and set sentencing for Nov. 3. At that time, Moreno-Calderon faces up to 10 years on each conviction as well as a possible $10 million maximum fine.
Moreno-Calderon has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric D. Flores and Lee Fry are prosecuting the case.
Johnstown Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Johnstown, PA pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Hasus L. Hardy, 35, pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, on or about August 25, 2021, Hardy knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully, possessed firearms and ammunition, after having previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for December 1, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Marshals Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Hardy.
Inmate admits to murder, sentenced to 25 yearsRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – An inmate previously housed at United States Penitentiary Hazleton was sentenced yesterday to 25 years after admitting to second degree murder in a 2012 death of another inmate, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Michael Owle, 33, pled guilty to aiding and abetting second degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon in the death of inmate Anthony M. Dallas. Owle, along with Ruben Laurel, 43, repeatedly stabbed and cut Dallas, killing him on August 29, 2012, at USP Hazleton in Preston County. Dallas suffered nearly 50 stab wounds, wounding him in the heart, lungs, and liver. Another inmate also suffered injuries during the attack but survived.
Laurel was sentenced to 25 years of incarceration on July 11, 2022.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen L. Vogrin prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Hugo Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Hugo man has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on March 1, 2022, law enforcement responded to the Robbinsdale and Crystal area after receiving multiple calls of shots fired in the vicinity. Officers apprehended Brannen Michael Stafford, 34, who was armed with a fully automatic, Glock 17 nine-millimeter handgun tucked in his waistband. Police found several nine-millimeter shell casings on Highway 100 in the same vicinity. Officers later searched a Ford F-150 that Stafford and another man had been driving. They seized another Glock nine-millimeter handgun, 100 rounds of nine-millimeter ammunition, and approximately six pounds of methamphetamine.
Stafford pleaded guilty earlier today before U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson to one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Robbinsdale Police Department, and the Crystal Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Hollenhorst is prosecuting the case.
Fulton Man Pleads Guilty to Secretly Recording Teen VictimsRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Fulton, Mo., man who secretly recorded two teenage victims pleaded guilty in federal court today to attempting to produce child pornography.
Craig Michael Glover, 52, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to one count of attempting to produce child pornography.
By pleading guilty today, Glover admitted that he secretly placed a hidden camera in the bedroom of a victim, identified in court documents as FV1. Glover also admitted that he placed a hidden camera in a bathroom to capture video of a second victim, identified in court documents as FV2.
According to the plea agreement, FV1 discovered the camera, which was designed to look like a USB phone charger, a few days after Glover had been alone in her home. She was plugging in a Christmas tree on Jan. 2, 2021, when she discovered a brown cord plugged into the wall. She followed the extension cord and found the camera attached with tape to a shelving unit in her room. On the same day, FV1 and her mother took the camera, which had a 32GB micro SD card installed in the device, to the Jefferson City Police Department. An FBI special agent reviewed the video files stored on the SD card, which revealed multiple videos of FV1 completely nude or partially nude in her bedroom. Another recording stored on the SD card showed Glover placing the camera.
A Jefferson City police detective interviewed Glover, who admitted this was the second time he had installed a camera in FV1’s bedroom. Glover admitted that he also had installed a hidden camera when FV1 was a minor.
Investigators examined Glover’s iPhone and found multiple images of FV1 at various stages of undress. The computer forensic examiner also found images of another victim. The images, which were still shots taken from video from a hidden camera, depicted FV2 in various stages of undress in the bathroom. FV2 told investigators the images were recorded at her 17th birthday party, which Glover had attended.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government and the defendant jointly agree to recommend a sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Four People Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl in Northeastern South DakotaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that four South Dakota residents have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Jevon McLeod, a/k/a “Buddy Traffick”, age 32, and Tiarah Grace Bissonette, age 24, both of Sisseton, South Dakota, and Daren Lee Basche, age 57, and Trey Byron Petrich, age 22, both of Watertown, South Dakota, were indicted on July 11, 2022. They all appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Moreno on July 14, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 40 years in custody and/or a $5 million fine, life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Beginning on a date unknown and continuing until on or about July 11, 2022, in the District of South Dakota, Jevon Joseph Mcleod, Daren Lee Basche, Tiarah Grace Bissonette, and Trey Byron Petrich did knowingly and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate, and agree together, with others known and unknown to the grand jury, to knowingly and intentionally distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. The defendants conspired to distribute pills containing fentanyl in the northeastern part of South Dakota.
The charge is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges is prosecuting the case.
Following their initial appearances, McLeod, Basche, and Bissonette were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, and Petrich was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Fort Myers Convicted Felon Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Possession of A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Serdarryel Dave English, Jr. (39, Fort Myers) to six years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered English to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense. English had pleaded guilty on March 17, 2022.
According to court documents, on April 14, 2018, an officer with the Fort Myers Police Department was conducting uniformed marked patrol when she observed a dark Toyota sedan roll through a stop sign at the intersection of Lora Street and Polk Street in Fort Myers. The officer turned to follow the vehicle and make a traffic stop, but before she could she observed the car quickly turn onto Belmont Street where she briefly lost sight of it. Once on Belmont Street, the officer observed the vehicle turn into a driveway, and at that point she activated the vehicle police lights and conducted a traffic stop.
During the traffic stop, the officer identified the front-seat passenger as English. During a search of the vehicle, the officer found a loaded handgun magazine between the passenger seat and door jam, adjacent to where English had been sitting. The magazine had a Smith and Wesson logo and was loaded with four rounds of .380 caliber ammunition. A further search of the vehicle revealed a .380 caliber Smith and Wesson pistol without an attached magazine. The firearm was chambered with one round of .380 caliber ammunition, matching the ammunition in the magazine found in the car. At the time, English had prior felony convictions and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Fort Myers Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Former Ontario Provincial Police Officer Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Minors on the Bois Forte ReservationRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A former Ontario Provincial Police officer was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for abusive sexual contact with two minors at the Fortune Bay Resort and Casino on the Bois Forte Indian Reservation, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on June 22, 2018, Brady John Hillis, 33, a citizen of Canada, was at the Fortune Bay Resort and Casino on the Bois Forte Indian Reservation. Hillis was captured on Fortune Bay’s security surveillance video engaging in sexual contact with two minor victims who were under 12 years of age.
Hillis was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim. On January 18, 2022, Hillis pleaded guilty to two counts of abusive sexual contact with a child under 12 years of age.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Bois Forte Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Deidre Y. Aanstad prosecuted the case.
Former Newport Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Chelmsford, MA, man found by members of law enforcement to be in possession of more than 800 images of child sexual abuse while he was living in Newport, RI, in October 2020, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
According to court documents, in August 2020, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received information that an IP address utilized by William H. Normandin, 44, had been flagged for association with child pornography. During a court authorized search of Normandin’s residence in October 2020, members of law enforcement seized Normandin’s cellphone, which was found to contain over 800 images of child pornography involving prepubescent minors.
Normandin, arrested on October 29, 2020, by HSI agents and members of the ICAC, pleaded guilty in federal court on August 17, 2021, to possession of child pornography. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 24 months of incarceration to be followed by 3 years of federal supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Milind M. Shah and John P. McAdams.
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Former Highland Park Police Detective Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl-laced HeroinRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A former Detective with the Highland Park Police Department was sentenced to two years in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl-laced heroin, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Tiffany Lipkovitch, 47, of Grosse Pointe, was convicted of conspiring to distribute controlled substances. Lipkovitch was a detective with the Highland Park Police Department, where she had been a police officer since 2011. Federal agents recorded numerous calls and meetings between Lipkovitch and a confidential source about a drug transaction. Lipkovitch gave the source samples of the drugs that were available from her associate and explained the price of each mixture. Lipkovitch explained that her associate was getting “a package of fentanyl . . . from overseas” to mix the drugs. Lipkovitch’s associate later sold the confidential source 45 grams of a fentanyl / heroin mixture. Afterwards, the confidential source met with Lipkovitch—who was on duty and in her police uniform—and gave her $300 for facilitating the drug deal.
“This officer broke the law she swore to enforce by putting dangerous drugs like heroin and fentanyl on the streets of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “This sentence should send a clear message to any officer who crosses the line and betrays his or her oath of office. If an officer engages in criminal conduct, our office will respond accordingly.”
“This case is an example of the law enforcement community’s joint effort to ensure that police officers who abuse their authority and abandon their oath to serve and protect are held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca, Detroit Division of the FBI. “We appreciate the cooperation of the Highland Park Police Department during this investigation. This defendant’s actions should not diminish the exemplary work conducted every day by the men and women of the HPPD.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force, in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Cares.
Former Enforcer for New Bedford Latin Kings Chapter Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Massachusetts Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) was sentenced today on racketeering charges.
Jose Vasquez, a/k/a “King Fearless,” 28, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release. On July 29, 2021, Vasquez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy.
The Latin Kings are a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Latin Kings adhere to a national manifesto, employ an internal judiciary and use a sophisticated system of communication to maintain the hierarchy of the organization. As alleged in court documents, the gang uses drug distribution to generate revenue, and engages in violence against witnesses and rival gangs to further its influence and to protect its turf.
Vasquez served as the Enforcer for the New Bedford Latin Kings Chapter. In his role as Enforcer, Vasquez admitted to approving a “mission,” which involved shooting a victim in June 2019. This victim was targeted for obtaining and selling drugs from a source that was not sanctioned by the Latin Kings. Vasquez also admitted to his participation in the shooting of two victims in May 2018. During that incident, multiple Latin Kings members chased the two victims to a vehicle, surrounded the vehicle and slashed their tires. Another Latin Kings member then fired gunshots at the two victims striking them. Both victims fled in the vehicle and survived. Vasquez admitted that these victims were targeted because one of the victims had objected to Latin Kings members conducting drug transactions in the victim’s driveway.
In December 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy and firearms charges against 62 leaders, members and associates of the Latin Kings. Vasquez is the 53rd defendant to be sentenced in the case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the FBI North Shore Gang Task Force and the Bristol County and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Elizabeth Borough Police Chief Charged with Stealing EvidenceRead the Press Release
PITTBURGH A resident of Finleyville, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of theft of government property, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Timothy L. Butler, Jr., 46, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, from June 2017 until December 2018, Butler, the former Chief of Police, stole evidence – bricks of heroin with a value of over $1,000 - from the Elizabeth Borough Police Department evidence locker for his own personal use.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Final Cherry Hill Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Participating in Racketeering Conspiracy Including Murdering an Individual Believed to be a Rival Gang MemberRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Travis Alewine, a/k/a “Sticks,” age 30, of Baltimore, Maryland pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise in connection with his membership in the “Hillside” gang, operating in the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Baltimore.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.
“Travis Alewine and his fellow gang members have terrorized the Cherry Hill community for years,” said United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement and community partners to remove violent actors, like Alewine, from the street and make our communities safer.”
“The Hillside gang terrorized Cherry Hill for years,” said ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby. “The gang members pushed drugs into the community, threatened violence constantly, and even took the lives of others. ATF is proud to work alongside our partners in this case whose goal is the same as ours—to continue taking offenders like these off the street and create a safer Baltimore.”
According to his guilty plea, Alewine was a member of “Hillside” a group which operated in the 600 block of Cherry Hill Road and other locations throughout Cherry Hill and in west and southwest Baltimore. Members of Hillside distributed powder and crack cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and marijuana, and used the proceeds of their narcotics sales to purchase firearms, to enrich themselves, and to further the activities of the organization, including narcotics trafficking. Hillside members operated stash houses in Cherry Hill to cut and package narcotics for distribution and committed acts of violence, including robberies, homicides, and non-fatal shootings.
As stated in Alewine’s plea agreement, Hillside members and associates have been in a long-running dispute with persons not part of the gang, including Up Da Hill (“UDH”), the Lakebrook Circle Boys, and others. Members and associates of Hillside have engaged in acts of violence, including murder, directed at members of these rival organizations, or persons who impeded on Hillside’s territory. Alewine knew members of Hillside sold narcotics and committed violent acts against rival gangs or others who impeded on Hillside’s territory. It was reasonably foreseeable to Alewine that Hillside was responsible for the distribution of between one and three kilograms of heroin; between 280 grams and 840 grams of crack cocaine; between five and 15 kilograms of cocaine; as well as marijuana and oxycodone.
As part of Alewine’s participation in the Hillside enterprise, Alewine and three other members of Hillside discharged a .45-caliber firearm, shooting and killing Anthony Cureton, whom they mistakenly believed was a member of UDH and attempted to murder another individual nearby; Alewine possessed firearms, including a loaded .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a loaded .44-caliber revolver; and he possessed with intent to distribute narcotics, as well as participated in the preparation of narcotics for sale.
Alewine and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Alewine will be sentenced to between 180 and 253 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III, has scheduled sentencing for November 18, 2022, at 3:00 p.m.
All 21 defendants charged in this case, including Alewine, have pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy. Eighteen defendants have been sentenced to between 10 and 30 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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.
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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the ATF, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Patricia C. McLane and Brandon K. Moore, who are prosecuting the case. U.S. Attorney Barron also recognized Paralegal Specialist Andrew Murray and Victim Witness Specialist Shari Heise Forcina for their assistance.
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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Fairfield Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Reginald Lamont Thomas, 47, of Fairfield, pleaded guilty today to nine counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between April 2018 and September 2019, Thomas used a victim’s personally identifiable information (PII) to take over the victim’s checking and savings account at Wells Fargo. Thomas convinced Wells Fargo representatives to change the address information on the victim’s Wells Fargo accounts to an address associated with Thomas and to ship a new debit card to Thomas at the new address. Thomas then used the debit card to make various unauthorized transactions, including buying a used car at a dealership in Solano County and paying for a subscription to the dating service Plenty of Fish. In total, Thomas incurred approximately $112,874 in debit card charges. All of the conduct in this case occurred while Thomas was on a term of federal supervised release.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise N. Yasinow and Roger Yang are prosecuting the case.
Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Oct. 25, 2022. For the bank fraud counts, Thomas faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. For the aggravated identity theft count, he faces a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence, however, will 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.
Evansville Sex Offender Sentenced to 14 Months in Federal Prison for Failure to RegisterRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE – Michael Crane, 24, of Evansville, Ind., was sentenced today to 14 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to the crime of failure to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, on December 1, 2017, Crane was convicted of felony aggravated criminal sexual abuse and felony indecent solicitation of a child in Perry County, Ill. Both convictions require Crane to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Following Crane’s release from prison on July 17, 2020, for the above sex offenses, Crane submitted his initial registration for the Illinois Sex Offender Registry by completing an Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act form. Crane provided an address in DuQuoin, Illinois on his registration form. The form contains several paragraphs advising him of the duty to register, including the following: “If you move to another state, you must register within 3 days. You must notify the agency with whom you last registered in person of your new address, at least 3 days before moving.” Crane acknowledged this requirement by initialing next to it and signing the form.
In June 2021, Crane relocated to Evansville, Indiana. Crane failed to register with the state of Indiana or update his Illinois registration. Crane was arrested in Evansville on July 29, 2021.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and Joseph “Dan” McClain, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Indiana made the announcement.
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that Crane be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison. Crane must also register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Miller who is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Domestic Abuser and Repeat Felon Sentenced to 51 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Delvarez Long, 38, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 51 Months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to documents and evidence presented in court, in March 2021 law enforcement officers learned there was an outstanding warrant to arrest Long for domestic battery. Long was also wanted for questioning in a homicide. Long was located by detectives on April 2, 2021, at a hotel on east 21st Street, in Indianapolis. Investigators saw Long exit the hotel with a firearm in his waistband and get into a vehicle. Long was taken into custody. Detectives recovered the gun from Long and determined that it had been reported as stolen.
Long was subsequently charged with violations of Indiana law in state court and released on bond pending trial. After he was released on bond, Long was arrested and charged with felony intimidation in June of 2021 after he threatened to “body” or kill a woman with what appeared to be a handgun.
At the time he possessed the gun in April 2021, Long was legally prohibited from possessing firearms because he had been previously convicted of multiple felonies, including a 2016 conviction for battery resulting in bodily injury to a pregnant woman, after his violent assault on the mother of his child.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Columbus Field Division; and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Chief Randal Taylor made the announcement.
ATF and IMPD investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. As part of the sentence, Judge Pratt ordered that Long be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Massa who prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call. A partnership among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the IMPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the LEATH Initiative focuses federal, state, and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms.
Additionally, this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Detroit man admits to his role in a drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kevin Lawrence Jarrett, of Detroit, Michigan, has admitted to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Jarrett, also known as “Six,” 32, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Five Grams or More of Methamphetamine.” Jarrett admitted to distributing more than five grams of methamphetamine, also known as “crystal” and “ice,” in in august 2019 in Marion County.
Jarrett faces at least five and up 40 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000,000. 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 Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Three Rivers Drug Task Force investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Desloge Man Sentenced to Serve 110 Months in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU - The United States Attorney's Office announced that JAMES E. MAHURIN, II, age 49, of Desloge, Missouri, was sentenced to serve 110 months in federal prison for the offense of Felon in Possession of Firearms. Mahurin appeared for his sentencing hearing today before United States District Judge Stephen R. Clark at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
According to court documents, on August 27, 2021, during the course of a burglary investigation, deputies with the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Department responded to a hunting cabin in Whitewater, Missouri, and made contact with the owner. The owner reported that three firearms were stolen from inside. A second burglary was reported on August 30, 2021, of a hunting cabin in Advance, Missouri, where several items were stolen from inside. Sheriff deputies were able to lift fingerprints from this second burglary that were a match to Missouri State Offender James E. Mahurin.
On September 3, 2021, officers made contact with James Mahurin at a yard sale where he was attempting to sell some of the items stolen from the second burglary. Mahurin admitted to sheriff deputies that he broke into the two cabins and stole the items, to include the three firearms. Mahurin stated that he knew where the firearms were presently located, and he assisted with the recovery of all three firearms.
Mahurin has a previous felony conviction for Burglary in Perry County, Missouri, and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hunter handled the prosecution for the government.
Convicted Meth Cook Sentenced to 150 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Craig Wayne Simpson, 53, of Hertford County was sentenced to 150 months in prison and five years of supervised release for producing and trafficking meth. The sentencing judge noted several factors contributing to the sentence including the substantial risk to human life caused by the production of meth, Simpson’s possession of a loaded shotgun, and the fact that, during the sentencing hearing, the defendant admitted he had lied under oath during the trial.
“The successful prosecution of this criminal enterprise is putting an armed drug dealer behind bars and taking dangerous meth off our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Those involved in making and trafficking meth and other illegal narcotics will spend time in prison.”
Simpson was convicted by a federal jury on April 26, 2022 for the following charges:
- Conspiracy to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine,
- Possession with the intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine, and
- Possession of equipment, chemicals, products, and material with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Simpson, conspired with others to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine from 2013 to 2019. Evidence showed that Simpson directed other individuals to purchase pseudoephedrine so that Simpson could produce methamphetamine, while evading federal and state purchase limits.
In 2016, Simpson was stopped at a Hertford County checkpoint and law enforcement discovered a bag containing materials for making methamphetamine along with 170 grams of liquid methamphetamine. In 2019, Simpson’s property was searched, and powder methamphetamine and more liquid methamphetamine were seized. Law enforcement also recovered all the chemicals, materials, and tools for manufacturing methamphetamine as well as a loaded shotgun, which was positioned on a handrailing pointing towards the front door.
This investigation is part of operation “Speed Bump” which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. Operation Speed Bump targeted individuals engaged in the dangerous and hazardous production of methamphetamine in clandestine laboratories throughout Eastern North Carolina. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ahoskie Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Lemons and Dennis Duffy prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.2:20-cr-00018-BO-1.
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Charlotte Man Is Sentenced to 14 Years for Stealing A Maserati and Robbing Charlotte Pawn ShopRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jango Omar Touray, 27, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for stealing a Maserati and robbing a pawn shop at gunpoint, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr. also ordered Touray to serve three years of supervised release.
Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents, admissions made in connection with Touray’s guilty plea, and information introduced at sentencing, on February 8, 2019, Touray robbed Gulf Export, a car dealership located at 3330 North Tryon Street, in Charlotte. Court records show that, Touray entered the car dealership while carrying what appeared to be a long gun wrapped in a white towel and ordered individuals inside to get on the ground. Touray then ordered an employee to hand him the keys to a Maserati Grand Tourismo. The employee complied, and Touray fled the dealership in the stolen vehicle. Touray received a sentencing enhancement for committing a robbery involving carjacking for this offense.
According to court records, three days later, on February 11, 2019, Touray robbed the Cash America Pawn business, located at 4635 North Tryon Street, in Charlotte. During the robbery, Touray, who was armed with a firearm, ordered the business manager to open the store’s jewelry display cases and ordered other employees to hand him the keys to the cash registers. Touray fled the scene in the stolen Maserati with the store’s cash and jewelry. Court records show that CMPD officers located Touray driving the stolen vehicle and proceeded to follow him. Touray was apprehended after he crashed the Maserati and attempted to flee on foot. Law enforcement recovered from inside the vehicle the firearm Touray used during the pawn shop robbery and some of the stolen cash and jewelry.
On November 26, 2019, Touray pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Touray remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending placement by the federal Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI and CMPD conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William T. Bozin, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Campbell County Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Bellevue, Ky., man, Perrin George March V, 27, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, before U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to illegal possession of a firearm.
According to March’s plea agreement, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at his residence and found a fully loaded AK-47 pistol, ammunition, and large capacity magazines. March admitted that he knew he was currently subject to a domestic violence order and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
March was indicted in May 2022.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield.
March is scheduled to be sentenced on November 8, 2022. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
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Camden County Man Admits Defrauding COVID-19 Relief Programs and Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man today admitted conspiring to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief funds, fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits, and illegally possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Stephen Bennett, 46, of Berlin, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of bank fraud conspiracy, one count of wire fraud, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020 and was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of hundreds of billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through a program referred to as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The CARES Act also authorized the Small Business Administration to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) of up to $2 million to eligible small businesses that were experiencing substantial financial disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To obtain a PPP or EIDL loan, a qualifying small business was required to apply and provide information on its operations, including the number of employees and expenses. In addition, businesses generally had to provide supporting documentation.
The CARES Act also created a new temporary federal unemployment insurance program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which provided unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who were not eligible for other types of unemployment (the self-employed, independent contractors, gig economy workers). The CARES Act also created a new temporary federal program called Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (FPUC) that provided an additional $600 weekly benefit to those eligible for PUA and regular unemployment insurance benefits.
In 2020, Bennett conspired with Rhonda Thomas to submit one PPP application and one EIDL application for a company controlled by Bennett. The applications stated that the company had 16 employees, gross revenues of $1.73 million, and an average monthly payroll of $144,000, when in fact the company had no employees, revenue, or payroll. Bennett and Thomas also submitted forged tax forms and altered bank statements as part of the PPP loan application. Based on the misrepresentations, the loans were approved in the amount of $510,000. Bennett paid kickbacks of over $150,000 to Thomas and used the rest of the fraudulently obtained PPP and EIDL loan proceeds to pay for personal expenses, including jewelry and vehicles.
Also in 2020, Bennett defrauded the Pennsylvania Department of Labor by submitting 74 unemployment insurance claims in the names of other individuals. Bennett falsely stated on that the applicants were self-employed and unemployed because of COVID-19. Benefits of $425,339 were paid to Bennett as a result of the fraudulent claims he submitted.
In May 2021, law enforcement officials executing a search warrant at Bennett’s home found a .9 millimeter semiautomatic pistol with no serial number (commonly referred to as a “ghost gun”) and a magazine loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition.
The charge of bank fraud conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million. The count of wire fraud is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The count of being a felon in possession of a firearm carries a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 21, 2022.
Thomas previously pleaded guilty to bank fraud conspiracy and money laundering and is awaiting sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Patricia Tarasca, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Regional Office; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott; special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire in Philadelphia, special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden and Senior Litigation Counsel Jason M. Richardson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Division in Camden.
California Man Sentenced to over 11 Years for $27 Million PPP Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Southern California man was sentenced today to 135 months, the equivalent of 11 years and three months, in prison for submitting fraudulent applications seeking money from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), submitting false statements to a financial institution, and money laundering.
Robert Benlevi, 53, of Encino, was convicted by a federal jury of bank fraud, making false statements to a financial institution, and money laundering on March 28. According to court documents, and evidence presented at trial, Benlevi submitted 27 PPP loan applications to four banks between April and June 2020 on behalf of eight companies solely owned by Benlevi. In the applications, Benlevi sought a total of $27 million in forgivable PPP loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. In his fraudulent applications, Benlevi represented that each of his companies had 100 employees and average monthly payroll of $400,000, even though he knew that the companies did not have any employees or payroll expenses.
The evidence further showed that Benlevi also submitted fabricated IRS documents falsely stating that each of the companies had an annual payroll of $4.8 million. Based on Benlevi’s fraudulent loan applications, three of Benlevi’s companies — 1Stellar Health LLC, Bestways2 Health LLC, and Joyous-Health4U LLC — obtained $3 million in PPP funds. Although Benlevi falsely represented that the funds sought through the PPP loan applications would be used for payroll and certain other business expenses, the evidence showed that he instead used them for personal expenses, including cash withdrawals, payments on his personal credit cards, transfers to other personal and business accounts he controlled, and renting an oceanfront apartment in Santa Monica.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie S. Christensen for the Central District of California; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Acting Assistant Director in Charge Amir Ehsaei of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey D. Pittano of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Weston King of the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) Western Region made the announcement.
The FBI, SBA-OIG, and FDIC-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Justin Givens of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted 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 augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Cabarrus County Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Possessing Firearms as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – A Kannapolis, North Carolina resident was sentenced on July 19, 2022, to 120 months in prison, followed by a 3-year term of supervised release for the offense of felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Gerrell Laquan McRae, 39, pled guilty on April 7, 2022, to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. On April 19, 2021, McRae was walking down a street in Kannapolis, when a Kannapolis Police Department officer recognized him and knew McRae had an outstanding warrant for arrest. The officer attempted to arrest McRae, but he ran. The officer caught him and searched him incident to the arrest, finding a loaded .32 caliber pistol in McRae’s right pants pocket, as well as quantities of methamphetamine and heroin.
This offense repeated similar conduct from a few months earlier. On January 6, 2021, McRae was walking down the street in Kannapolis, when two Kannapolis Police Department officers recognized him and knew he had an outstanding warrant for arrest. One officer activated blue lights and siren to get McRae to stop walking, but McRae ignored it and began to run. The two officers pursued McRae behind several residences and eventually caught him. McRae was carrying a fanny pack during the chase, which was slung around his torso underneath a jacket. McRae told the officers there was a gun and heroin in the fanny pack. A search of the fanny pack revealed a loaded 9mm caliber handgun, additional rounds of 9mm ammunition, and quantities of Suboxone strips, heroin, and several items of drug paraphernalia.
At the time of his arrests in January and April 2021, McRae was a convicted felon and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm. McRae had prior convictions for multiple felonies including several convictions for distribution of cocaine and one conviction for Common Law Robbery in the Superior Court of Cabarrus County, North Carolina, as well as a conviction for Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury and Larceny from the Person in the Superior Court of Rowan County, North Carolina.
The Kannapolis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) handled the investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig M. Principe.
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Bronx Man Involved in Brazen Burglary Ring Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSEPHER Y. CARTAGENA, 26, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 90 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his leadership of a brazen burglary ring that resulted in the theft of millions of dollars in vehicles, phones, ATMs and other merchandise from numerous locations in Connecticut, New York and elsewhere.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Cartagena and his brother, Alexander Santiago, led a theft ring that, between June 2020 and January 2021, primarily burglarized car dealerships and mobile phone stores in Connecticut and New York. From dealerships, the group stole vehicle key fobs and vehicles, and from mobile phone stores they stole cell phones, electronics and other merchandise. They also stole ATMs from check cashing businesses and burglarized video game stores. Cartagena and Santiago planned and organized the burglary sprees, recruited others to participate in those burglaries, maintained inventories of the stolen property, sold that property, and then divided the proceeds among the participants. Cartagena used his residence to stockpile stolen merchandise and illicit proceeds.
Cartagena, Santiago and their associates committed more than 180 burglaries and stole more than $4 million in property.
Cartagena, Santiago and their associates often burglarized multiple locations in one night and, on numerous occasions, escaped from police by engaging the police in high-speed chases that had to be terminated for safety reasons. An apparent tally found on Santiago’s phone after his arrest indicated that he had engaged police in 89 chases.
The investigation also revealed that Cartagena and some of his associates possessed firearms during the conspiracy.
On December 23, 2020, when investigators attempted to apprehend Cartagena in the Bronx, Cartagena drove his vehicle onto a sidewalk, struck a law enforcement officer’s vehicle causing injuries to the officer, and then accelerated toward another law enforcement officer who was on foot and had to run out of the way. He then drove to a gas station, exited his own damaged vehicle, stole a Jeep that was being cleaned at the gas station, and escaped at a high-rate of speed into oncoming traffic.
At the gas station, officers recovered a black bag that Cartagena had dropped. The bag contained a 9mm handgun and assorted tools. Officers then searched Cartagena’s residence and seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise, more than 30 vehicle keys and key fobs, 9mm ammunition, and approximately $87,000 in cash.
After additional high-speed chases and collisions with law enforcement vehicles later that day, Cartagena was arrested at approximately 10 p.m. that evening, in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan
Cartagena has been detained since his arrest. On February 3, 2022, he pleaded guilty to possession of stolen property.
Santiago was arrested on January 15, 2021. When investigators sought to conduct a court-authorized search of Santiago’s residence on that date, Santiago’s pit bull attacked an FBI agent and badly wounded his arm. Santiago was arrested, and a search of the residence revealed approximately 20 new cell phones in boxes, approximately 40 vehicle key fobs, a police radio, a glass-punch device, two firearms and a substantial amount of ammunition.
Santiago pleaded guilty and, on May 17, 2022, he was sentenced to 90 months of imprisonment.
On May 2, 2022, Douglas Noble, of New York, was sentenced to 54 months of imprisonment for his role in this conspiracy. Two other co-conspirators were charged with offenses stemming from this scheme.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of approximately 30 local police departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Ruff and Ray Miller.
Brighton Man Arrested for $1.5 Million COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a Massachusetts-based food truck business has been arrested and charged in connection with allegedly filing fraudulent loan applications in order to obtain $1.5 million in pandemic relief under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the American Rescue Plan Act.
Loc Vo, 55, was charged with one count of wire fraud. Vo was arrested yesterday afternoon at Newark International Airport and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging document, Vo owned Smart Gourmet LLC (Smart Gourmet), a food truck business in Massachusetts, and Indy Publish, a dormant Maryland company. Between April 2020 and July 2021, Vo submitted loan applications on behalf of these businesses under three Small Business Administration (SBA) pandemic relief programs: the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL), and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). In these applications, Vo requested approximately $1.5 million and committed to use the funds for rent, mortgage interest, payroll and utilities, among other eligible expenses.
After receiving the relief funds, it is alleged that Vo immediately transferred most of them to brokerage accounts in his name to purchase shares in an electric car manufacturer, an internet marketplace company and a biotechnology company, among others.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP. Another is the EIDL, through which the SBA offers loans that can only be used on certain permissible business expenses, which can include payment of fixed business debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other business-related expenses that could have been paid had the COVID-19 disaster not occurred. The American Rescue Plan Act established the RRF to provide funding to help restaurants and other eligible businesses keep their doors open through forgivable loans for eligible uses.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the scheme, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud 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.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Angelina County Man Sentenced for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Lufkin man has been sentenced to more than 22 years in federal prison for drug trafficking related violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Alexander Timia Jones, 38, pleaded guilty on August 19, 2021, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Jones was sentenced to a total of 270 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale.
According to information presented in court, between July 2017 and December 2018, Jones led a drug trafficking conspiracy responsible for distributing over one kilogram of methamphetamine in the Lufkin area. Jones was in possession of several firearms while illegally distributing methamphetamine.
Jones was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 1, 2020 and charged with drug trafficking and firearms violations.
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.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Anderson.
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18 Defendants Indicted for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Eighteen defendants have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri after law enforcement officers seized approximately 29 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately $57,000, and firearms.
Brian E. Hall, 45, of Aurora, Mo., Jacqueline Aldrete Bojorquez, 28, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and Jeffrey L. Hughley, 37, of Tulsa, Okla., were originally charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on May 31, 2022. Fifteen additional defendants were charged in a superseding indictment that was returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. The superseding indictment was unsealed and made public upon the arrests and initial court appearances of several defendants.
Christopher A. Blevins, 37, of Fairview, Mo.; Lawrence D. Gwinup, 43, of Cassville, Mo.; Jennifer L. Childers, 38, Anthony S. Cooper, 39, and Joseph D. Piunti, 54, all of Bolivar, Mo.; Guy R. Winchester, 55, of Shell Knob, Mo.; Kimberly C. Elliott, 42, of Reeds, Mo.; Cody D. Ezell, 39, of Hollister, Mo.; Charles W. Mierisch, 49, of Cole Camp, Mo.; Kenneth C. Cole, Jr., 61, of Independence, Mo.; Edward Uribe, 34, who is in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections in an unrelated case; Joseph A. Gilbert, 39, Joel O. Rodriguez, 39, and Shawna R. Bartman, 49, all of Phoenix, Arizona; and Coreena D. Velasco, 29, of Tulsa; along with the original defendants Hall, Bojorquez, and Hughley, were charged in the 37-count superseding indictment.
The federal indictment charges each of the 18 defendants with participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Barry, Stone, Polk, Lawrence, Greene, Jasper, and Newton Counties, and elsewhere, from Nov. 1, 2020, to April 28, 2022.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hall’s residence on April 28, 2022, as part of an ongoing methamphetamine investigation. Officers seized seven pounds of methamphetamine, a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol, approximately $57,000 in cash, and drug paraphernalia used for the packaging and sale of methamphetamine.
When Bojorquez and Hughley arrived at Hall’s residence later that night, they were taken into custody as well. Officers searched their vehicle and found approximately 22 pounds of methamphetamine in the trunk and a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the floorboard of the front passenger seat.
In addition to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, Cole, Cooper, Childers, Elliott, Rodriguez, Mierisch, Bartman, Hall, Winchester, Gwinup, Gilbert, Bojorquez, and Hughley are charged in 18 counts related to the distribution of methamphetamine. Piunti is charged with two counts relating to the distribution of methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of the Elmwood Park playground in Bolivar. Mierisch is also charged with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute on a premises where a minor was present or resides.
Hall is also charged with one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hall allegedly possessed a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol on April 28, 2022.
Bartman is also charged with one count of being a felon in possession of firearms. Bartman allegedly possessed a Hi-Point .45-caliber pistol and a Tanfoglio 9mm pistol on May 19, 2021.
Blevins is also charged with one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms. Blevins allegedly possessed a Taurus 9mm pistol and a Ruger 9mm pistol on April 4, 2022.
Gwinup is also charged with one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Gwinup allegedly possessed a Smith & Wesson SD40 on April 9, 2022.
Bojorquez and Hughley are charged together in one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. They allegedly possessed a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol on April 28, 2022.
Hall is also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Uribe, Velasco, Bojorquez, and Hughley are charged together in a separate count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Elliott and Blevins are each charged with one count of money laundering.
Uribe and Velasco are charged in two counts each with the unlawful use of a telephone to facilitate the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, the Barry County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Stone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, COMET (the Combined Ozark Multi-Jurisdictional Enforcement Team), the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Ottawa County, Ok., Sheriff’s Department, the Bolivar, Mo., Police Department, the Cassville, Mo., Police Department, the Kimberling City, Mo., Police Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
"Operation Shots Fired" Getting ResultsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Western District of Oklahoma’s "Operation Shots Fired" is getting results. Operation Shots Fired is the local implementation of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative to reduce gun violence by prioritizing the federal prosecution of gun crimes connected to shootings through the collaboration and cooperation of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors.
Specifically, Operation Shots Fired targets cases involving individuals who discharge firearms as part of their criminal activity, such as drive-by shootings or when shots are fired during robberies, domestic disputes, or other incidents. As part of this effort, law enforcement uses technology from ballistic imaging of shell casings located at crime scenes and casings from test fires of located firearms to produce actionable investigative leads through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) made available through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). NIBIN is the only interstate automated ballistic imaging network in operation in the United States and is available to most major population centers in the United States.
Once law enforcement identifies shooters, the U.S. Attorney’s Office evaluates whether it can leverage federal laws to charge, detain, and imprison the "worst of the worst" offenders who discharge their weapons during criminal acts in our communities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with the District Attorneys’ Offices to identify appropriate cases for federal firearm prosecution.
"Operation Shots Fired brings the power of federal prosecution to hold shooters accountable," said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. "We are proud to partner with our law enforcement partners and local prosecutors to help address the disturbing number of shootings in our communities which endanger all of us."
"ATF could not be more proud of the success of this critical initiative. There is no higher priority than keeping the citizens of Oklahoma City safe from violent criminals. By leveraging modern technology and good old school police work, plenty of bad guys are going to jail. Much of the success of this initiative is rooted in the deep relationships amongst all law enforcement agencies in the greater Oklahoma City area," stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek, II.
"We’ve all been witness to the tragedies of gun violence in our society," said Oklahoma City Police Chief Wade Gourley. "We are proud to partner with other law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to hold criminals responsible for their violent actions."
Since Operation Shots Fired began in late 2021, 36 defendants have been charged with federal offenses. Within just the past couple of weeks, this initiative has included the following:
Sentencings:
- ANTONEYO HARBERT, 33, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced on July 6, 2022, to 60 months in federal prison. According to public record, officers responded to a shots fired call at an apartment complex and located Harbert, who was intoxicated, walking down the stairs of an apartment building with a gun with a 31-round extended magazine.
- ANTONIO McCRAY, 34, of Lawton, Oklahoma, was sentenced on July 7, 2022, to 96 months in federal prison. According to public record, McCray pulled a gun on a friend during an argument. In two other incidents, McCray forced his girlfriend to play Russian roulette and pulled the trigger on a loaded revolver twice while pointed at her head, and locked another friend in the bathroom, pistol-whipping her, and threatened to kill her and her family.
Guilty Pleas:
- TERRELL HUBBARD, 35, of Oklahoma City, pled guilty on June 15, 2022, to illegal possession of ammunition. According to public record, Hubbard is alleged to have traveled to the workplace of a victim but was not allowed to enter the facility and became upset. Before leaving the premises, Hubbard discharged a firearm into the facility, narrowly missing the victim. Hubbard has been ordered detained pending sentencing.
- STEPHEN MARTIN, 31, of Verden, Oklahoma, pled guilty on June 22, 2022, to one count of illegal possession of a firearm and one count of illegal possession of ammunition. According to public record, Martin beat his fiancé and her dog and threatened to kill his fiancé. He then forced her into a car with a shotgun. When police tried to pull them over, Martin ran. After he was in custody, police located where he had hidden the shotgun and ammunition. Martin has been ordered detained pending sentencing.
- WAYNE PITTS, 54, of Oklahoma City, pled guilty on July 5, 2022, to illegal possession of ammunition. According to public record, Pitts assaulted his wife and their dog, threatened to kill himself, and shot a firearm into the ground. Pitts has been ordered detained pending sentencing.
Recently Charged: (NOTE: The public is reminded that charges are merely allegations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.)
- LINDELL BARKUS, 58, of Oklahoma City, was indicted on July 5, 2022, for the illegal possession of a firearm on May 24, 2022. According to public record, Barkus got in an argument with a random person at a 7-Eleven and started shooting. Barkus has been detained pending trial.
Sentencings take place approximately 90 days after a plea of guilty. At sentencing, each defendant faces up to ten years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine, followed by three years of supervised release, for each count of illegally possessing a firearm or ammunition. Under the recently enacted Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, future defendants will face up to fifteen years in federal prison for the same conduct that occurs after June 25, 2022.
Reference is made to public filings for more information.
Additional cases can be found at:
- Home Security Footage Leads to Ammunition and Drug Charges for Convicted Felon
- Domestic Altercation and Shooting Result in City Man Being Sentenced to 235 Months in Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of Ammunition and Witness Tampering
For more information about Operation Shots Fired, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (405) 553-8999.
Monday 18 July 2022
牡蛎湾居民被指控参与 2700 万美元的投资欺诈骗局并向外籍人士出售结识知名美国政要的渠道Read the Press Release
今天，布鲁克林联邦法院公布了一份刑事控告书，指控 Sherry Xue Li 和 Lianbo Wang 犯有电信欺诈共谋罪、洗钱共谋罪以及因妨碍联邦选举委员会 (FEC) 实行竞选财务法而犯有共谋欺诈美国政府罪。Li 和 Wang 均是归化美国公民，今天早些时候在纽约牡蛎湾被捕，他们首次出庭安排在纽约布鲁克林的美国联邦法院，由美国治安法官 Ramon E. Reyes, Jr. 法官审判。
纽约东区美国联邦检察官 Breon Peace；联邦调查局 (FBI) 纽约办事处副主任 Michael J. Driscoll；美国国土安全部纽约国土安全局 (HSI) 代理特别行动署署长 Ricky J. Patel；以及美国国家税务局纽约刑事调查局 (IRS-CI) 特别行动署署长 Thomas Fattorusso 宣布了逮捕和 指控。
美国联邦检察官 Peace 表示：“正如指控，被告通过谎报他们的虚构项目得到了知名政要的支持，诱使受害者投资一个欺诈性骗局。被告以自己的名义向政治竞选活动非法提供外国资金，并邀请外籍人士作为他们的客人参加筹资活动，进而通过出售结识美国政要的渠道，实施了这一欺诈行为。本办公室致力于保护我们的民主进程不受非法外国势力的影响，保护投资者不会被掠夺性欺诈者骗取资金。”
美国联邦检察官 Peace 感谢美国公民和移民服务局在调查中提供的协助。
“我们指控 Li 和 Wang 承诺为一些投资者提供绿卡以及结识政治人物的渠道，并承诺为所有投资者提供分红。数千万美元的资金流入我国，这些资金来自投资者和虚假捐赠者，而他们希望自己的资金能够获得回报。然而，只有一个承诺得以兑现，那就是结识政治要人。“外国资金破坏了我们的移民和民主进程，因此我们必须尽一切努力保护移民和民主进程。”
“Li 和 Wang 被指控针对外籍人士实施大规模、多层次的欺诈骗局，包括虚假房地产投资、承诺付款利益、兜售结识美国政要的渠道，以及为竞选活动提供非法捐款。 滥用投资者签证程序促成了这一令人震惊的涉嫌欺诈案。”纽约国土安全局 (HSI) 代理特别行动署署长 Patel 表示。“HSI 将与我们的合作伙伴携手，继续坚定地监测美国签证和旅行系统是否存在外国行为人恶意滥用的迹象，并且我们将继续积极调查针对美国入境程序性框架的攻击。”
“据指控，Li 和 Wang 诈骗了受害投资者数百万美元，然后用这些非法所得过着奢侈的生活，并与知名政要“交往”。正是通过与执法部门的合作与协作，我们才能够捣毁这个多层次的欺诈骗局，确保涉嫌的犯案人现在为其罪行接受审判。”IRS 纽约 CI 特别行动署署长 Thomas M. Fattorusso 说道。
欺诈投资者的骗局
如刑事控告书中所指控，Li 和 Wang 精心策划了一场近十年的骗局，欺骗投资者投资一个虚构的项目，声称该项目在纽约沙利文县开发、建设和运营一家名为“汤普森教育中心 (Thompson Education Center)”（简称 TEC 项目）的私立教育机构。被告通过虚假陈述 TEC 项目取得的进展及其获得政府官员的支持，包括向投资者和潜在投资者发送内含 TEC 项目总裁 Li 与知名美国政要合影的宣传材料，来招揽受害投资者，其中许多受害投资者是居住在美国境外的外籍人士。许多外国受害者被说服投资 TEC 项目，原因之一是被告得到虚假保证，投资者若投资 50 万美元将保证他们通过美国国土安全部美国公民和移民服务局 (USCIS) 管理的 EB-5 投资签证计划在美国合法永久居留。
正如指控，Li、Wang 和其他同谋成员通过 Li 创建的多家公司名下的银行账户转移骗取投资者的资金，以此方式转走这些资金。一旦资金进入这些账户，Li 和 Wang 就会用这些资金支付大量的个人开支，包括服装和饰品、珠宝、住房、度假旅行、高档餐饮以及捐给知名政要的政治捐款。Li 和 Wang 实际花费在 TEC 项目上的投资本金只是用来编造和延续一个谎言，即 TEC 项目是一个实际在建的可行开发项目。例如，Li 和 Wang 雇佣了承包商、工程师和其他专业人员来绘制建筑图纸和制定建筑计划，并在开发场地上或周围开展少量工作，Li 和 Wang 向潜在投资者展示这些工作，以误导他们相信 TEC 项目有完成的实际可能性并且有兑现共谋者向投资者承诺的投资回报的实际可能性。
截至 2022 年 7 月，150 多位投资者为 TEC 项目投资至少 2700 万美元，其中大约 1650 万美元来自 EB-5 投资者，嫌犯承诺为他们提供绿卡作为投资回报，还有大约 1100 万美元来自股票投资者，嫌犯向他们承诺将会进行 IPO。截至 2022 年 3 月，Li、Wang 及其共谋者挪用和洗白至少 200 万美元的 TEC 项目投资者资金。在同一时期，Li、Wang 及其共谋者将 250 万美元的投资者资金用于各种个人花费，但没有明确商业目的，Li 或 Wang 并没有向美国国家税务局申报这些收入。到目前为止，TEC 项目的 EB-5 投资者并未获得临时或永久绿卡，TEC 项目也没有进行 IPO 或在任何证券交易所上市。
出售结识美国政要的渠道
为了进一步推进他们的骗局，Li 和 Wang 还冒充外籍人士的“虚假捐赠者”，为支持美国政要和政治委员会的竞选活动提供非法捐款。此外，Li 和 Wang 还向外籍人士承诺，可以通过付费参加美国政治活动和结识美国政要。Li 和 Wang 利用从外籍人士骗取的资金作为政治捐款的资金，并谎称自己和其他美国公民是这些资金的捐赠者，这违反了《联邦选举竞选法》(FECA) 和 FEC 的法规。在某些情况下，Li 和 Wang 利用 TEC 投资者的投资资金进行政治捐款，并利用这些捐款获得参与政治活动的权利，在这些活动中，Li 和 Wang 与当选官员合影。然后，Li 和 Wang 利用这些合影作为一种营销工具，吸引外籍人士对 TEC 项目进行投资。
例如，如刑事控告书中所指控，Li 和 Wang 向十二名外籍人士每人收取了 9.3 万美元的入场费，以便与时任美国总统一起参加 2017 年 6 月 28 日的筹资活动（2017 年 6 月 28 日筹资活动）。Li 和 Wang 利用从外籍人士骗取的资金，以自己的名义非法向联合筹资委员会举办的 2017 年 6 月 28 日筹资活动提供 60 万美元的政治捐款，其中 Li 提供 27.05 万美元，Wang 提供 32.95 万美元。Li、Wang 及其外籍人士客人参加了 2017 年 6 月 28 日的筹资活动，并与时任美国总统合影。之后 Li 和 Wang 利用 Li 在筹资活动上与该总统的合影为 TEC 招揽投资。
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FBI 鼓励任何人士如果知悉刑事控告书中相关指控的信息或认为自己是受害者，则可通过 tips.fbi.gov 网站上的互联网电子举报表格或通过拨打 FBI 的举报热线 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) 与 FBI 联系。
刑事控告书中的指控仅仅是指控，除非证明有罪，否则假定 被告是无罪。
该政府案件正在由本办公室的国家安全和网络犯罪科以及本办公室的公共廉政科处理。美国助理 联邦检察官Robert T. Polemeni、Ian C. Richardson 和 Joshua Hafetz 在律师助理专员 Magdalena St. Surin 的协助下负责本次起诉。本办公室资产追回科的美国联邦助理检察官 Claire S. Kedeshian 负责没收资产。
被告:
SHERRY XUE LI
年龄：50
纽约，牡蛎湾Lianbo Wang，又名“Mike Wang”
年龄： 45
纽约，牡蛎湾E.D.N.Y.备审案件编号 22-MJ-756
West L.A. Man Found Guilty of Stalking Charges for Longtime Harassment Campaign Against Female Doctors at VA FacilitiesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal jury today found a West Los Angeles man guilty of federal stalking charges for his harassment campaign targeting two female doctors at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and two other female doctors working at the VA’s Loma Linda facility in San Bernardino County.
Gueorgui Hristov Pantchev, 50, was found guilty of four counts of stalking.
According to evidence presented at his five-day trial, Pantchev’s conduct with respect to two of the doctors began in 2011 with numerous threatening communications sent to West L.A. VA doctors identified in court documents as Victim C and Victim D. As a result of this harassment, Pantchev was charged by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and was convicted in 2014 of nine counts of stalking and witness intimidation.
After serving a state prison sentence, Pantchev was paroled in 2017 and he was barred from the West L.A. VA Medical Center. Pantchev then began seeking medical services at the VA’s Loma Linda facility, where he started stalking, harassing, and intimidating Victims A and B.
Notwithstanding the parole conditions that prohibited him from going to the West L.A. facility, in 2020, Pantchev sought care there and began sending harassing and intimidating communications to colleagues of Victims C and D.
Pantchev deluged Victims C and D and their colleagues with hundreds of lewd, sexually explicit, and defamatory fliers bearing large pictures of Victim C and Victim D that Pantchev repeatedly distributed around the West Los Angeles VA facility and other locations.
On the morning of Pantchev’s arrest in January 2021, he drove to Victim D’s home and her child’s elementary school and distributed more sexually explicit flyers that included the victim’s home address and contact information. During a search of Pantchev’s residence, law enforcement found more copies of the same flyers, along with printed copies of some of the letters and emails Pantchev sent to victims.
Pantchev has been in federal custody since his arrest in January 2021.
United States District Judge John F. Walter scheduled a September 26 sentencing hearing, at which time Pantchev will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count.
The FBI and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Khaldoun Shobaki and Lauren Restrepo of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Wauchula Man Arrested for Producing, Distributing, and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Christopher Froehlich (40, Wauchula) on a criminal complaint charging him with production, distribution, and possession of child pornography. If convicted, Froehlich faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to 30 years, in federal prison for production of child pornography, a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison for distribution of child pornography, and a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography, and a potential life term of supervised release on all counts. Froehlich made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda A. Sansone on Friday and was ordered detained pending trial.
According to the complaint, in December 2017, Froehlich posed as a 15-year-old boy and connected with the 15-year-old victim via Live.Me, a live-streaming video service. Froehlich convinced the child victim that they were in a relationship and coerced the child to produce sexually explicit videos and photos for Froehlich. When the child tried to stop producing sexually explicit videos and photos for Froehlich, Froehlich threatened to post the videos and photos to social media for the child’s family and friends to see.
In June 2020, the child attempted to stop communication with Froehlich, at which point Froehlich posted the child’s nude photos to social media. Froehlich continued to contact the child until June 2022 by using various phone numbers and different usernames on social media platforms.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, with substantial assistance from the Wauchula Police Department, the Sarasota Police Department, and the Bradenton Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Office and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Virginia Company Pays $137,500 to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Christopher Scharf, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, Northeastern Region, today announced that McClain & Company, Inc. (“McClain”) has entered into a civil settlement agreement with the government and has paid $137,500 to resolve allegations that it paid a third party to falsify certificates of inspection for vehicles used to inspect bridges and, after a Connecticut workplace fatality involving a McClain under bridge inspection (“UBI”) vehicle, provided the false inspection certificates for that vehicle to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) during the resulting investigation.
McClain, based in Culpeper, Virginia, rents and leases bridge access equipment to engineering companies and government agencies for use on bridge inspection and bridge maintenance projects. As part of its business, McClain provided UBI vehicles to various state departments of transportation and bridge inspection engineering firms under federal aid contracts funded in part by the U.S. Department of Transportation, including multiple contracts with the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
The government contends that, between January 2012 and January 2015, McClain paid Virginia-based Martin Enterprize, Inc. (“MEI”) to create 123 certificates of inspection falsely certifying that MEI had inspected the UBI vehicles in McClain’s fleet when, in fact, McClain knew that the UBI vehicles had not been inspected by a neutral third party. In addition, after OSHA opened a workplace fatality investigation into the death of one of McClain’s employees who had been operating a McClain UBI vehicle in Connecticut, McClain sent OSHA false certificates of inspection for the UBI vehicle that had been involved in the workplace fatality.
As part of its civil settlement agreement with the government, McClain has paid $137,500.
“This settlement resolves allegations that a government contractor not only took shortcuts that put its own employees at risk, but it attempted to thwart a proper federal investigation of a workplace fatality involving its equipment,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “This is unacceptable. Businesses and individuals who receive federal funds and then engage in such misconduct face both criminal and civil penalties.”
Since July 2019, McClain has been under an Interim Administrative Settlement and Compliance Agreement with the Federal Highway Administration.
In related criminal proceedings, McClain, McClain employee Kenneth Mix, and Carol “Casey” Smith, who was the president of MEI, each pleaded guilty to federal charges related to their conduct in this matter.
“The settlement announced today demonstrates our commitment to working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial colleagues to protect the integrity of Federal-aid programs,” said Christopher Scharf, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, Northeastern Region. “Having a safe workplace is equally as important as shielding taxpayer funds from fraud, waste, and abuse as we go about the business of building and maintaining the Nation’s infrastructure.”
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Gruber, with the assistance of Auditor Susan N. Spiegel.
Veteran sentenced to 18+ years in prison for sexual assault on a child left in his careRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 40-year-old Army veteran who most recently was a civilian resident of Joint Base Lewis McChord, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 225 months in prison for abusive sexual contact with a child under 12, and sexual abuse of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Shawn Matthew Wilcher is required to register as a sex offender and will be on lifetime supervised release following his prison term. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said the crime, “was horrendously serious… the victim endured repeated violence over a long period of time…. She endured unimaginable terror.”
“This type of horrific abuse of a young child cannot be explained or justified, despite whatever demons Mr. Wilcher battles from his military service. His crimes have created ripples of destruction many times over,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “He will get treatment for the PTSD he blames for his conduct, but studies indicate this young victim will suffer long-lasting trauma throughout her life – trauma that is difficult, if not impossible, to remedy.”
According to records filed in the case, Wilcher is the spouse of an active-duty enlisted Army soldier. Between October 2015 and January 2018, Wilcher resided with his spouse on Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. Between October 1, 2018, and May 21, 2019, Wilcher and his spouse resided on Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM). Wilcher is a veteran himself and served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. In his plea agreement, Wilcher admits that he sexually molested a young child left in his care during his residence at both military bases. The abuse came to light in May 2019, when the victim disclosed the abuse to a friend who reported it to a school counselor. Army Criminal Investigative Division (CID) and the FBI immediately investigated the case. Wilcher has been in custody since his arrest on May 25, 2019.
Charges in the District of Hawaii and the Western District of Washington were both resolved by Wilcher’s guilty plea on August 23, 2021. Wilcher will be on lifetime supervision following his prison term and will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Army CID.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Grady Leupold and Matt Hampton for the Western District of Washington, and Morgan Early for the District of Hawaii.
Uber Commits to Changes and Pays Millions to Resolve Justice Department Lawsuit for Overcharging People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice filed in court today a multi-million-dollar settlement agreement with Uber Technologies Inc. (Uber) to resolve a lawsuit alleging that Uber violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the agreement, Uber will offer several million dollars in compensation to more than 65,000 Uber users who were charged discriminatory fees due to disability.
In November 2021, the department filed a lawsuit alleging that Uber violated Title III of the ADA, which prohibits discrimination by private transportation companies like Uber. According to the complaint, in April 2016, Uber began charging passengers wait time fees in a number of cities, eventually expanding the policy nationwide. The wait time fees started two minutes after the Uber car arrived at the pickup location and were charged until the car began its trip. The department’s complaint alleged that Uber violated the ADA by failing to reasonably modify its wait time fee policy for passengers who, because of disability, needed more than two minutes to get in an Uber car. Passengers with disabilities may need additional time to enter a car for various reasons. A passenger may, for example, use a wheelchair or walker that needs to be broken down and stored in the car. Or a passenger who is blind may need additional time to safely walk from the pickup location to the car itself. The department’s lawsuit alleged that, even when Uber was aware that passengers’ need for additional time was clearly disability-based, Uber started charging a wait time fee at the two-minute mark.
Under the two-year agreement, Uber has committed to waive wait time fees for all Uber riders who certify that they (or someone they frequently travel with) need more time to get in an Uber car because of a disability. Uber also will ensure that refunds are easily available for anyone who does not have a waiver and is charged a wait time fee because of disability. Uber will advertise the wait time fee waiver program and train its customer service representatives on the waiver program and refund process to ensure that people with disabilities are not charged illegal fees.
Additionally, Uber will credit the accounts of more than 65,000 eligible riders who signed up for the waiver program for double the amount of wait time fees they were ever charged, which could amount to potentially hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars in compensation. Uber will also pay $1,738,500 to more than one thousand riders who complained to Uber about being charged wait time fees because of disability, and $500,000 to other harmed individuals identified by the department.
“People with disabilities should not be made to feel like second-class citizens or punished because of their disability, which is exactly what Uber’s wait time fee policy did,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This agreement sends a strong message that Uber and other ridesharing companies will be held accountable if their services discriminate against people with disabilities. The Civil Rights Division remains committed to enforcing the ADA and ensuring that people with disabilities can travel free from barriers and indignities.”
“Ensuring equal access to transportation for those with disabilities is an important goal of the ADA,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds for the Northern District of California. “People with disabilities must have access to ridesharing services provided by Uber and similar companies without enduring discriminatory wait time fees. This agreement removes that barrier to equal access for passengers with disabilities and provides a mechanism to compensate those harmed by Uber’s past wait time fee policy.”
This matter was handled jointly by Assistant U.S. Attorney David DeVito for the Northern District of California and the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section. A copy of the settlement agreement is attached.
For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit http://www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be filed online at http://www.ada.gov/complaint.
Uber Commits to Changes and Pays Millions to Resolve Justice Department Lawsuit for Overcharging People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – The Department of Justice filed in court today a multi-million-dollar settlement agreement with Uber Technologies Inc. (Uber) to resolve a lawsuit alleging that Uber violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the agreement, Uber will offer several million dollars in compensation to more than 65,000 Uber users who were charged discriminatory fees due to disability.
In November 2021, the department filed a lawsuit alleging that Uber violated Title III of the ADA, which prohibits discrimination by private transportation companies like Uber. According to the complaint, in April 2016, Uber began charging passengers wait time fees in a number of cities, eventually expanding the policy nationwide. The wait time fees started two minutes after the Uber car arrived at the pickup location and were charged until the car began its trip. The department’s complaint alleged that Uber violated the ADA by failing to reasonably modify its wait time fee policy for passengers who, because of disability, needed more than two minutes to get in an Uber car. Passengers with disabilities may need additional time to enter a car for various reasons. A passenger may, for example, use a wheelchair or walker that needs to be broken down and stored in the car. Or a passenger who is blind may need additional time to safely walk from the pickup location to the car itself. The department’s lawsuit alleged that, even when Uber was aware that passengers’ need for additional time was clearly disability-based, Uber started charging a wait time fee at the two-minute mark.
Under the two-year agreement, Uber has committed to waive wait time fees for all Uber riders who certify that they (or someone they frequently travel with) need more time to get in an Uber car because of a disability. Uber also will ensure that refunds are easily available for anyone who does not have a waiver and is charged a wait time fee because of disability. Uber will advertise the wait time fee waiver program and train its customer service representatives on the waiver program and refund process to ensure that people with disabilities are not charged illegal fees.
Additionally, Uber will credit the accounts of more than 65,000 eligible riders who signed up for the waiver program for double the amount of wait time fees they were ever charged, which could amount to potentially hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars in compensation. Uber will also pay $1,738,500 to more than one thousand riders who complained to Uber about being charged wait time fees because of disability, and $500,000 to other harmed individuals identified by the department.“Ensuring equal access to transportation for those with disabilities is an important goal of the ADA,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds of the Northern District of California. “People with disabilities must have access to ridesharing services provided by Uber and similar companies without enduring discriminatory wait time fees. This agreement removes that barrier to equal access for passengers with disabilities and provides a mechanism to compensate those harmed by Uber’s past wait time fee policy.”
“People with disabilities should not be made to feel like second-class citizens or punished because of their disability, which is exactly what Uber’s wait time fee policy did,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This agreement sends a strong message that Uber and other ridesharing companies will be held accountable if their services discriminate against people with disabilities. The Civil Rights Division remains committed to enforcing the ADA and ensuring that people with disabilities can travel free from barriers and indignities.”
This matter was handled jointly by Assistant U.S. Attorney David DeVito for the Northern District of California and the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section. A copy of the settlement agreement is on NDCA Pacer and posted on our website with this press release.
For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit http://www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be filed online at http://www.ada.gov/complaint.
U.S. Attorney's Office & ATF Announce Joint Public Awareness Campaign Focusing on Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today the launching of Think Again, an informational campaign aimed at educating the public on how to prevent illegal firearms from getting into the wrong hands.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina partnered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) in this initiative, as part of a joint effort to reduce gun-induced violence and to increase reporting of illegal firearms activity.
“The fight against gun violence requires the coordination of law enforcement agencies. More importantly, our success relies on the help of the community. With this campaign, we invite the public to be a part of the solution to gun violence,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Our message is simple. We ask everyone to Think Again, before you agree to be a straw gun purchaser for a person who is not permitted to own a firearm. To Think Again, before you make a decision that could lead to an illegal firearm ending up in our streets. And to Think Again, before you ignore illegal gun activity. Instead, report it to the authorities. Let’s work together and let’s be the cure to the gun violence epidemic.”
“Each and every person plays a critical role in protecting their neighborhoods and preventing crime, and when we make the right decision and push back against those involved in committing crimes, we help make a much safer community,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “Before you break the law, before you help put a firearm in the hands of a dangerous individual, or before you make a choice that could put yourself or those around you in danger, we want you to Think Again and consider the consequences.”
The Think Again campaign combines a multi-media dissemination of information, to include 30-second radio spots, Public Service Announcements, promoted social media messaging, and billboard advertisements designed to increase awareness about gun crimes and underscore the dangers of illegal firearms purchasing or misuse. The information will also be shared with certain school districts within Western North Carolina in an effort to engage in outreach with students, guardians, teachers, and school administrators. Furthermore, information on how to spot illegal gun purchases and other important information related to straw purchasing of firearms will be disseminated to Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) in Western North Carolina via ATF’s notification system.
An important component of the campaign is the anonymous reporting of gun-related criminal activity. The campaign enourages the public to get involved by reporting illegal firearms to the ATF by calling 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), via text at 63975, or online at WWW.ATF.GOV/ATF-TIPS.
For additional information about our Think Again initiative, please visit our website. You can view our Think Again Public Service Announcements here.