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Monday 18 July 2022
U.S. Attorney Announces Recent Results of Federal Efforts to Reduce Violent Crime in Calhoun CountyRead the Press Release
ANNISTON, Ala. – U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona announces that continued federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime have led to four Calhoun County men being charged with federal firearms crimes in the last month. These indictments are the result of the collaborative enforcement strategies applied by federal and local partners to identify and focus enforcement on the most violent and highest risk offenders driving violent crime in Calhoun County. Federal and local law enforcement collaborate in Calhoun County through the Department of Justice’s National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) Program, which Anniston and Oxford have been a part of since 2019. PSP seeks to leverage federal law enforcement assets in support of local efforts to drive down violent crime.
“The United States Attorney’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners are committed to sharing all available federal resources and support with our partners in Calhoun County to respond to escalating violence and drug crime,” said United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona. “By leveraging strong federal violent crime laws and protections, the Anniston and Oxford Police Departments and the Calhoun County Sheriff’s and District Attorney’s Office are utilizing every available resource to make Calhoun County safer and to deliver justice for victims. I’m thankful for their leadership and partnership in PSP and beyond.”
In June 2022, a federal grand jury indicted multiple defendants from Calhoun County:
James Spears, 37, of Oxford, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Spears illegally possessed a Taurus 9 mm pistol and ammunition during a traffic stop by Anniston Police.
Antoine McClellan, 32, of Anniston, was charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. McClellan was stopped by Anniston Police for a traffic violation. As officers approached the car, they noticed the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle. A search of the vehicle yielded large amounts of illegal substances that were later proven to be methamphetamine and marijuana.
Otis Hunter 40, of Anniston, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hunter illegally possessed a Springfield 0.40 caliber semi-automatic pistol.
Charrezz Brown 25, of Anniston, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the case documents, an officer who approached Brown’s car during a traffic stop saw Brown place what appeared to be a firearm under his seat. After a search of the vehicle, it was confirmed that Brown possessed a Glock 9 mm pistol and a 5.56 mm rifle.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the Department of Justice’s violent crime strategy to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders collaborate 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.
“These indictments for illegal firearms possession are a lesson for every person who is prohibited due to a previous felony conviction or other circumstance,” said United States Attorney Escalona. “If you have been convicted of a felony or are a domestic abuser, you are prohibited by federal law from having a firearm, as well as ammunition. If you have been previously convicted of a felony and don’t want to end up in federal prison, stay away from all guns and ammunition,” recommended Escalona.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two District Men Found Guilty of Conspiracy, First-Degree Murder, and Participation in a Criminal Street Gang in 2017 SlayingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Quincy Garvin, 22, and Saquan Williams, 20, both of Washington, D.C., have been found guilty by a jury of conspiracy, first-degree murder while armed, participation in a criminal street gang, and other charges for a brazen shooting into a courtyard that took place in September 2017 in the Potomac Gardens area of Southeast Washington.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdicts were returned today and on July 13, 2022, following a six-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert Okun presided over the trial. At sentencing, both defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison for the crimes. Judge Okun set a status hearing for Sept. 9, 2022. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the government’s evidence, between May 2017and October 2017, the defendants and others were members of a criminal street gang operating in the area of Wellington Park, within Washington, D.C. Garvin, Williams, and others were involved in a number of “beefs” with individuals from other areas of the city.
Thus, on Sept. 10, 2017, at approximately 6 p.m., as the victim, Carl Hardy, was standing outside in the Potomac Gardens neighborhood, Williams, Garvin, and two others circled the Potomac Gardens neighborhood three times looking for individuals to target. On the fourth trip around the block, the vehicle stopped, and the driver paused to allow Garvin, Williams, and one other man to exit the vehicle armed with multiple weapons, to include an assault rifle. Garvin, Williams and the third shooter opened fire on the crowded courtyard, firing over 30 rounds and striking Mr. Hardy. The group then fled the scene.
Mr. Hardy, 24, was transported to the hospital where doctors operated multiple times in their efforts to save him. Ultimately, on Oct. 1, 2017, Mr. Hardy succumbed to his injuries. Shortly after Mr. Hardy’s death, arrest warrants were obtained for Williams and Garvin charging them with the murder.
A homeowner who lived across the street from the shooting had a surveillance system with audio and high-definition video that captured the shooters as they ran back to the vehicle immediately after the shooting. This video was instrumental in investigating and prosecuting the case. This prosecution reflects the value of the District of Columbia’s Private Security Camera Incentive Program, which encourages residents to install security cameras to assist law enforcement.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Chrisellen Kolb, Chief of the Appellate Division; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Sellinger, Daniel Lenerz, and Sharon Donovan; Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris; Lead Paralegal Specialists Sharon Newman and Meridith McGarrity; Paralegal Specialist Stephanie Siegerist; Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Witness Security Specialist Ashli Tolbert; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Litigation Technology Specialist Claudia Gutierrez; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Services Coordinators LaJune Thames and Maenylie Watson; and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Jackson and former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Timmer, who investigated and indicted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Bach and Lindsey Merikas who tried the case.
Tampa Woman Sentenced to Prison for Access Device Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft Related to COVID Unemployment Insurance BenefitsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Rolanda Wingfield (39, Tampa) to three years in federal prison for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of her sentence, the court also ordered Wingfield to pay $135,576 in restitution to the various state workforce agencies she defrauded. Wingfield had pleaded guilty on April 26, 2022.
According to court documents, from approximately May through September 2020, Wingfield obtained the personal identifying information of others and used that information to submit, or cause the submission of, false and fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims to various state workforce agencies in order to obtain UI benefits to which she was not entitled. These UI benefits were then transferred to bank accounts or loaded onto debit cards issued in the names of others. Wingfield then used, or attempted to use, the fraudulently obtained debit cards to withdraw money using ATMs. The U.S. Department of Labor determined that Wingfield obtained $135,576.
In March 2020, the President signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which expanded states’ ability to provide UI for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who were not ordinarily eligible for benefits.
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.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory D. Pizzo and John Cannizzaro.
Somersworth Man Sentenced to 39 Months on a Charge of Possession of an Improvised Explosive BombRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Ryan Cortina, 34, of Somersworth, was sentenced to 39 months in federal prison for possession of an unregistered NFA firearm, an improvised explosive bomb, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 23, 2019, the Somersworth Police Department received information from a confidential informant (CI) that Cortina possessed destructive devices at his Somersworth residence. The CI claimed Cortina showed him a “grenade” he had built. Officers applied for a search warrant for Cortina’s residence. While executing the warrant on September 27, 2019, officers located five suspected destructive devices in a duffle bag. Further analysis showed that one of the devices was an improvised explosive bomb which therefore should have been registered in accordance with Federal Firearms Registration.
“The improvised explosive bomb seized from the defendant’s home placed his neighbors and the community in danger,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “Thanks to good police work, law enforcement officers were able to secure the potentially-deadly device and prevent individuals from being harmed.”
“This investigation is an example of the hard work of ATF special agents and the excellent cooperation we have with our law enforcement partners,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Boston Field Division. “Because of this cooperation, we were able to seize these dangerous destructive devices and ensured they never found their way into our communities.”
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Somersworth Police Department with the assistance of New Hampshire State Police and FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.
The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes.
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Serial Identity Theft Scammer Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Jason Evans, age 48, of Millsboro, Delaware, to six years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release. The Court also ordered Evans to pay a total of $124,837.79 in restitution.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Bo Keane of the United States Secret Service - Baltimore Field Office; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad; and Chief Russell E. Hamill III of the Laurel Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, beginning in January 2018, Evans was on supervised release from a prior federal fraud and identity theft conviction. Despite this, from June 2019 to August 2019, Evans used the identities of multiple victims to fraudulently obtain funds from financial institutions in the form of credit card accounts and cash advances.
For example, Evans submitted a fraudulent credit card application to a financial institution (financial institution 1) by using the name and personal identifying information of Victim 1. Financial institution 1 subsequently approved the fraudulent application and established a credit card account in Victim 1’s name and mailed the card to an address controlled by Evans. Additionally, in June 2019, Evans used a counterfeit Pennsylvania driver’s license in the name of Victim 1 to obtain a cash advance of $14,400 from financial institution 1.
In July 2019, Evans used a counterfeit license with the identifying information of Victim 1 and his picture to purchase nine smartphones from an Annapolis, Maryland smartphone store. Evans charged $12, 114.74 using a credit card in Victim 1’s name and identity. In total, Evans attempted to obtain at least $65,000 under Victim 1’s and other victims’ identities.
As stated in his guilty plea, while Evans was on pretrial release, Evans resumed his criminal conduct with an entirely new scheme. From January 2021 to August 2021, Evans used counterfeit cards from two financial institutions to purchase gift cards and other items from grocery stores in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. As a result of this scheme, Evans obtained $59, 837.79 in gift cards. He was arrested again in July 2021 for this criminal conduct.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the Secret Service, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Laurel Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tamera Fine and Paul A. Riley, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. To report fraud, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Sarasota Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for COVID-19 Related FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Randy Xavier Jones (34, Sarasota) to five years and one month in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The court also ordered Jones to forfeit proceeds traceable to the offense, including 12 fraudulently obtained prepaid debit cards containing unemployment insurance benefits to which Jones was not entitled. Jones had pleaded guilty on March 24, 2022.
According to court documents, from July 2020 through at least September 2020, Jones knowingly engaged in a scheme to defraud several federal and state programs by obtaining COVID-19 related benefits—both loan proceeds from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program and unemployment insurance (“UI”) benefits from state workforce agencies—to which he was not entitled. Specifically, Jones obtained an EIDL loan in the amount of $50,000 in the name of a non-existent entity. In addition, in response to numerous fraudulent applications filed in multiple states, Jones obtained UI benefits, loaded on to prepaid debit cards, from state workforce agencies in Arizona, California, and Nevada, among others. In order to retrieve the proceeds of the scheme, Jones, a resident of Sarasota, flew to California and, over a period of several weeks, withdrew cash from the prepaid debit cards that were funded as a result of the fraudulent applications. Through both schemes, Jones and others obtained nearly a half million dollars.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted March 2020. It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The EIDL program is designed to provide economic relied to small businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. EIDL proceeds can be used to cover a wide array of working capital and normal operating expenses, such as continuation of health care benefits, rent, utilities, and fixed debt payments. If an applicant also obtains a loan under the PPP, the EIDL funds cannot be used for the same purpose as the PPP funds.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel K. Jones.
San Diego Teacher and Coach Charged with Child Pornography DistributionRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Amanda L. Griffith (619) 546-8970 & Andrew Sherwood (619) 546-9690
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 18, 2022
SAN DIEGO – Daniel Dasko - a teacher’s aide, substitute teacher and youth hockey coach of elementary and middle school children in San Diego - was arrested by the FBI and charged in federal court with distribution of child pornography.
Dasko was arrested at his home on July 13. He made an initial appearance in federal court on July 14 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel Butcher and was ordered detained pending trial. According to a federal complaint, Dasko is charged with Distribution of Images of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct.
Dasko’s alleged illicit activity was discovered during the course of another investigation that began in Philadelphia in July 2021, when the Philadelphia Division of the FBI received a cyber tip via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a man who was uploading child pornography. The subject was identified as a teacher in the Philadelphia area.
FBI Philadelphia executed a search warrant on the Philadelphia subject’s residence. A review of the subject’s iPhone revealed numerous conversations regarding child pornography using a social media application, both trading and producing images by baiting minor victims to send nude photos or videos or to go live online and be screen-recorded. The Philadelphia subject and other coconspirators would pose as females on social media sites in order to chat with the victims.
The complaint said investigators continued their review of the communications on the social media application in order to identify additional targets. One of those targets, using the name “Mr. Pickles,” was communicating with the Philadelphia subject from at least October 3, 2020 to October 3, 2021, during which time they exchanged over 3,671 messages, to include numerous of image and video files.
According to the complaint, the majority of these messages were conversations about sexually exploiting children they knew or met online. The complaint contains excerpts of some of the sexually-explicit electronic communications between the Philadelphia subject and Mr. Pickles in which they discuss their attraction to young boys.
Based on the investigation, the FBI believed Dasko was Mr. Pickles and obtained federal search warrants to search Dasko’s San Diego residence and person for child exploitation crimes. On July 13, 2022, those were executed. Following the advisal and waiver of his Miranda rights, Dasko agreed to speak with agents about his online activities. He admitted he was Mr. Pickles and the user of the social media account.
Victims or anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call the FBI San Diego Field Office at 858-320-1800 or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov. Tips can be anonymous.
“There is nothing more important than keeping our children safe from sexual abuse and exploitation,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Social media makes this a very challenging endeavor, but we will do everything in our power to protect kids from online predators who use technology to target and trick them.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and the FBI for their excellent work in this case.
“Our children should be protected, not preyed upon,” said Stacey Moy, special agent in charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “Crimes against children remain a priority for the FBI. We will continue to aggressively investigate any matter where persons prey on our children, and work with our partners to get these predators removed from our community.”
DEFENDANT Case Number 22MJ2515
Daniel Dasko Age: 30 Carlsbad, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 18, U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2) – Distribution of Images of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, five-year mandatory minimum
AGENCY
FBI
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Sacramento Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of Multiple Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Dezmaighne McClain, 31, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb to 10 years in prison for three counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
On April 6, 2022, a federal jury found McClain guilty on all three counts after a two-day trial.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on July 15, 2019, while on felony parole, McClain sold a firearm to an individual within minutes of meeting the person at the parole office. McClain sold the same individual another firearm on July 30, 2019, and continued to discuss potential firearms sales after that date. Evidence at trial showed that McClain also sold guns to others while on parole, both before and after the July 15 sale. McClain is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based on his prior felony convictions, which include robbery, assault, possessing a controlled substance for sale, and illegal possession of a firearm.
During a search of McClain’s residence, agents found more firearms, ammunition, and an AR‑15-style “ghost gun” hidden in the garage. Ghost guns do not contain serial numbers and are sold without background checks, making them difficult to trace and easy to acquire by criminals.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michele Beckwith and Audrey Hemesath prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Rensselaer County Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Entice a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brian Botsford, age 26, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to attempting to coerce and entice a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual acts with him. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Botsford admitted that between July and August 2020, he sent graphic, sexually explicit text messages to an undercover investigator who was posing as the 13-year-old child. In those messages, Botsford repeatedly asked the child for naked photos and sent photos of an erect penis to the presumed child. Botsford further stated that he wanted the child to run away and live with him in an abandoned building and get the child pregnant. On August 10, 2020, Botsford attempted to meet the child in person at a location in Troy in order to engage in sexual acts with the child. Botsford was encountered by law enforcement upon his arrival and arrested.
Botsford faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. Sentencing is scheduled for November 17, 2022 in Albany before Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Botsford will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, to include the Colonie Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel L. Williams as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Recidivist Drug Trafficker Is Sentenced to 16+ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that Andres Chacon, 46, of Anderson, South Carolina, was sentenced to 194 months in prison and five years of supervised release for drug trafficking.
According to filed documents and court proceedings, on March 5, 2019, Chacon sold two kilograms of high-purity methamphetamine to an undercover investigator in Union County. In sentencing Chacon, the Court considered the defendant’s prior convictions for Unlawful Carry of Weapon and Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute in South Carolina State court in 2009, after which he absconded from court supervision. In 2014, Chacon was also convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in South Carolina federal court, after which he also absconded from court supervision and was later caught with two kilograms of heroin and $90,000 in cash.
This case is the result of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation which has led to the seizure of 18+ kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and over one kilogram of cocaine. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Mint Hill Police Department, Monroe Police Department, Pineville Police Department, Cornelius Police Department, and Catawba County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven Kaufman, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Reading Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery of Federal AgentRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Damar Coad, 20, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 7 years’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion for the armed robbery of a federal agent.
According to Unites States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Coad pleaded guilty to robbing the federal agent, who was acting in an undercover capacity, at gunpoint during an operation in Schuylkill County. On September 17, 2020, the Federal agent arranged to meet Coad and John Fidanqui-Marten to purchase approximately $7,500 worth of methamphetamine in Frackville Borough. When the agent approached the two men they demanded the drug buy-money at gunpoint. The agent turned over the money and a high speed chased ensued. Police took the men into custody shortly thereafter.
Fidanqui-Marten, 20, of New York, New York, pleaded guilty for his participation in the robbery on July 5, 2022, and is awaiting sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Shenandoah Borough Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Johnny Baer.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Pekin, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Pekin, Illinois, man, Nathan Golden, 24, of the 2200 block of Sierra Drive, was sentenced on July 11, 2022, to 97 months in prison for receipt of child pornography, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Golden also is required to pay $54,000 in restitution.
At the sentencing hearing in front of U.S. District Judge Joe Billy McDade, the government presented evidence that Golden used peer-to-peer file-sharing software to download videos and images of child pornography. In May 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Golden’s house. On Golden’s computer and cell phone, they found more than 800 videos and images of child pornography, some of which depicted children as young as one year old.
Golden was indicted in June 2021 and pleaded guilty in December 2021.
The statutory penalties for receipt of child pornography are five to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine and five years to a life term of supervised release, along with a special assessments, fines and restitution to victims. Golden also must register as a sex offender on the national registry.
The United States Secret Service, Peoria County Sheriff’s Office, and Springfield Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Hollingshead-Cook represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Golden was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Oyster Bay Residents Charged with $27 Million Investment Fraud Scheme and Selling Foreign Nationals Access to Prominent U.S. PoliticiansRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was unsealed today in Brooklyn federal court charging Sherry Xue Li and Lianbo Wang with wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to defraud the United States by obstructing the Federal Election Commission’s (FEC) administration of campaign finance laws. Li and Wang, both naturalized U.S. citizens, were arrested earlier today in Oyster Bay, New York, and their initial appearance is scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr. at the United States Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), New York Field Office; Ricky J. Patel, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York; and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI) announced the arrests and charges.
“As alleged, the defendants enticed their victims to invest in a fraudulent scheme aided by misleadingly claiming that their fictitious project had the support of prominent politicians,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendants were able to perpetrate this fraud by then selling access to U.S. politicians by unlawfully contributing foreign money to political campaigns in their own names and bringing foreign nationals as their guests to fundraising events. This Office is committed to protecting our democratic process from those who would expose it to unlawful foreign influence, and investors from the predatory fraudsters who would steal their money.”
United States Attorney Peace thanked the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for its assistance in the investigation.
"We allege Li and Wang promised investors green cards, access to political figures, and dividends on their money. Tens of millions of dollars came in from investors and straw donors, who expected their money would bear fruit. However, only one promise came to fruition, the access to political power. Foreign money pollutes our immigration and democratic processes, and we must do all we can to protect them," stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
Li and Wang are alleged to have perpetrated a massive, multi-layered fraud scheme targeting foreign nationals ranging from a sham real estate investment, promised benefits for payment, the solicitation for access to U.S. politicians, to making illegal donations for campaigns. The staggering scope of this alleged fraud was facilitated by an abuse in the investor visa process,” said HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Patel. “In tandem with our partners, HSI continues to steadfastly monitor U.S. visa and travel systems for indicators of malign foreign actor abuse and will continue to aggressively investigate attacks on the integrity of the framework that allows access to the United States.”
“It’s alleged that Li and Wang defrauded their victim-investors out of millions, then used their ill-gotten gains to live luxuriously and ‘rub elbows’ with prominent politicians. It is through law enforcement partnerships and collaboration that we were able to break-down this multi-layered fraud scheme and ensure that the alleged culprits now face justice for their criminal behavior,” said Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of IRS:CI New York.
The Scheme to Defraud Investors
As alleged in the complaint, Li and Wang orchestrated a nearly decade-long scheme to defraud investors in a fictitious project to develop, build and operate a private educational institution in Sullivan County, New York, called the “Thompson Education Center” (the TEC Project). The defendants solicited victim-investors, many of them foreign nationals located outside of the United States, by falsely representing the progress they were making on the TEC Project and its support from government officials, including by sending investors and prospective investors promotional materials that included photographs of Li, the TEC Project’s President, with prominent U.S. politicians. Many foreign national victims were persuaded to invest in the TEC Project by, among other things, the defendants’ false assurances that their $500,000 investments would guarantee them lawful permanent residence in the United States through the EB-5 investment visa program administered by the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
As alleged, instead Li, Wang and other members of the conspiracy siphoned off the money they fraudulently obtained from investors by transferring the funds through bank accounts held in the names of various companies that Li had created. Once the funds were in those accounts, Li and Wang used the funds to pay for numerous personal expenses including clothing and accessories, jewelry, housing, vacation travel, upscale dining, and political contributions to prominent politicians. The portion of the invested capital Li and Wang actually spent on the TEC Project was used merely to create and perpetuate the fiction that the TEC Project was a viable development project that was actually under construction. For example, Li and Wang hired contractors, engineers and other professionals to create architectural drawings and plans and perform minor work on or around the development site, which Li and Wang showed to potential investors to mislead them into believing the TEC Project had a realistic probability of completion and of delivering the returns on investment that the conspirators promised their investors.
As of July 2022, more than 150 investors have invested at least $27 million in the TEC Project, including approximately $16.5 million from EB-5 investors who were promised a green card in return for their investment, and approximately $11 million from stock investors who were promised that an IPO would take place. As of March 2022, Li, Wang, and their co-conspirators have misappropriated and laundered at least $2 million in TEC Project investor funds. During this same period, Li, Wang and their co-conspirators spent at least an additional $2.5 million dollars in investor funds on various personal expenses with no clear business purpose, none of which was reported as income to the Internal Revenue Service by Li or Wang. To date, no EB-5 investor in the TEC Project has received a temporary or permanent green card and the TEC Project has not made an IPO or been listed on any stock exchange.
Selling Access to U.S. Politicians
In furtherance of their scheme, Li and Wang also acted as “straw donors” for foreign nationals to unlawfully contribute to campaigns supporting U.S. politicians and political committees. Among other things, Li and Wang promised foreign nationals access to U.S. political events and politicians in exchange for a fee. Li and Wang used the money they received from foreign nationals to fund political contributions, and falsely identified themselves and other U.S. citizens as the contributors of the funds, in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and FEC regulations. In some cases, Li and Wang used TEC investors’ investment funds to make the political contributions which they used to gain access to the political events, where Li and Wang took photographs with elected officials. Li and Wang would then use the photographs as a marketing tool in soliciting investments from foreign nationals in the TEC Project.
For example, as alleged in the complaint, Li and Wang charged twelve foreign nationals $93,000 per person for admission to a June 28, 2017 fundraising event (the June 28, 2017 Fundraiser) with the then-President of the United States. Li and Wang used the funds that they collected from the foreign nationals to unlawfully make $600,000 in political contributions in their own names—$270,500 from Li and $329,500 from Wang—to the joint fundraising committee hosting the June 28, 2017 Fundraiser. Li, Wang and their foreign national guests attended the June 28, 2017 Fundraiser and took photographs with the then-President of the United States. Li and Wang later used a photograph of Li and the President taken at the fundraiser to solicit investment in the TEC Project.
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'The FBI has established a hotline for potential victims. If you have information regarding the allegations in the complaint or believe you may have been a victim, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The charges in the complaint are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section and the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert T. Polemeni, Ian C. Richardson, and Joshua Hafetz are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Magdalena St. Surin. Assistant United States Attorney Claire S. Kedeshian of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is responsible for the forfeiture of assets.
The Defendants:
SHERRY XUE LI
Age: 50
Oyster Bay, New YorkLianbo Wang, also known as “Mike Wang”
Age: 45
Oyster Bay, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-MJ-756
Oklahoma City Hospital Pays $120,000 to Settle Civil Penalty Claims Stemming from the Alleged Failure to Timely Report Thefts of Fentanyl and HydromorphoneRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – INTEGRIS ProHealth, Inc., and its parent, INTEGRIS Health, Inc. (collectively, "INTEGRIS") paid $120,000 to settle civil penalty claims stemming from allegations that Integris Baptist Medical Center Pharmacy ("Integris Pharmacy"), which is owned and operated by INTEGRIS ProHealth, Inc., violated the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 and its regulations, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
The United States alleges that in October 2021 Integris Pharmacy failed to timely notify DEA regarding thefts or significant losses of Schedule II controlled substances. More specifically, Integris Pharmacy allegedly failed to report within one business day of discovery the thefts of fentanyl and hydromorphone by a former employee. To resolve these allegations, INTEGRIS agreed to pay $120,000 to the United States.
In reaching this settlement, INTEGRIS did not admit liability, and the government did not make any concessions about the legitimacy of the claims. The agreement allows the parties to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty involved in litigating the case.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Diversion Control. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda R. Johnson and Ronald R. Gallegos prosecuted the case.
Ocean County Man Admits Receiving Child Pornography and Online Enticement of MinorRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man today admitted receiving images of child sexual abuse and inducing a minor to send him sexually explicit images and engage in sexually explicit conduct over an online messaging service, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced.
David M. Frew, 41, of Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of online enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual conduct.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In June 2017, Frew used an online messaging service to communicate with a minor victim. At Frew’s request, the victim sent Frew sexually explicit images.
In 2008, Frew was convicted of three counts of unlawful contact with a minor and one count of criminal use of a computer in Pennsylvania after sending sexually explicit photos or videos to investigators in the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit, who were posing as minors online. Also in 2008, Frew was convicted in New Jersey of endangering the welfare of children due to his possession of child pornography. As a result of his prior convictions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Frew was a registered sex offender at the time of his conduct charged in the information.
Because Frew is a previously convicted sex offender, the charge of receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a statutory maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of online enticement carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a statutory maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 23, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in Atlantic City, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina in Newark; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Technical Crime Unit; the RCMP National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre; the Ocean County Prosecutors Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer; and the Little Egg Harbor Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Hawkins, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
Northern Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Leaving Pipe Bombs at Cell Phone StoresRead the Press Release
BAY CITY – A Whittemore, Michigan, resident pleaded guilty today to two separate criminal cases related to the placement of explosive packages outside cellphone stores in Cheboygan, and Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, announced Eastern District of Michigan United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison and Western District of Michigan United States Attorney Mark Totten. Whittemore and Cheboygan are in the Eastern District and Sault Ste. Marie is in the Western District.
Ison and Totten were joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
John Douglas Allen, 76, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Thomas Ludington in Bay City, Michigan. Allen faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on November, 9, 2022.
During the plea hearing, Allen admitted that on September 15, 2021, at approximately 7:36 pm, he placed a United States Postal Service (USPS) box with black tape on it and a wire coming out of it outside an AT&T Store in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Later that evening, Allen placed another USPS box with black tape on it and a wire coming out of it outside of a Verizon Store in Cheboygan, Michigan. The two devices were examined by the FBI laboratory Explosive Unit, which concluded that the two devices were improvised explosive devices (IEDs), also commonly referred to as pipe bombs. Both pipe bombs contained shrapnel and a threat note demanding $5 million. Based on video footage taken from the cell phone stores and other nearby businesses, as well as an exhaustive investigation by law enforcement, agents were able to determine that Allen was the person who left the packages outside of the stores.
In addition, Allen pleaded guilty to placing letters containing threats aimed at telecommunications providers at cell towers located in the Upper Peninsula.
“The actions of this defendant could have resulted in significant bodily harm or death to citizens in the area,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, we were able to find and remove these dangerous devices before the defendant could cause serious harm.”
U.S. Attorney Totten added, “Allen’s actions in placing pipe bombs in front of commercial businesses in Sault Ste. Marie and Cheboygan endangered the lives of innocent citizens, first responders, and the bomb technicians who rendered those devices safe. Grievances and disputes cannot be communicated or resolved through threats of violence or extortion.”
This case was investigated by special agents, intelligence analysts, troopers, deputies, and officers from the FBI, Michigan State Police, Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office, Cheboygan Police Department, Sault Ste. Marie Police Department, Sault Ste. Marie Tribal Police, the US Coast Guard Investigative Service, US Border Patrol and ATF.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Michael Buckley, Jerome Gorgon, Christopher O’Connor and Theodore Greeley are prosecuting the case in their respective districts.
Northern Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Leaving Pipe Bombs at Cell Phone StoresRead the Press Release
BAY CITY – A Whittemore, Michigan, resident pleaded guilty today to two separate criminal cases related to the placement of explosive packages outside cellphone stores in Cheboygan, and Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, announced Eastern District of Michigan United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison and Western District of Michigan United States Attorney Mark Totten. Whittemore and Cheboygan are in the Eastern District and Sault Ste. Marie is in the Western District.
Ison and Totten were joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
John Douglas Allen, 76, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Thomas Ludington in Bay City, Michigan. Allen faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on November, 9, 2022.
During the plea hearing, Allen admitted that on September 15, 2021, at approximately 7:36 pm, he placed a United States Postal Service (USPS) box with black tape on it and a wire coming out of it outside an AT&T Store in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Later that evening, Allen placed another USPS box with black tape on it and a wire coming out of it outside of a Verizon Store in Cheboygan, Michigan. The two devices were examined by the FBI laboratory Explosive Unit, which concluded that the two devices were improvised explosive devices (IEDs), also commonly referred to as pipe bombs. Both pipe bombs contained shrapnel and a threat note demanding $5 million. Based on video footage taken from the cell phone stores and other nearby businesses, as well as an exhaustive investigation by law enforcement, agents were able to determine that Allen was the person who left the packages outside of the stores.
In addition, Allen pleaded guilty to placing letters containing threats aimed at telecommunications providers at cell towers located in the Upper Peninsula.
“The actions of this defendant could have resulted in significant bodily harm or death to citizens in the area,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, we were able to find and remove these dangerous devices before the defendant could cause serious harm.”
U.S. Attorney Totten added, “Allen’s actions in placing pipe bombs in front of commercial businesses in Sault Ste. Marie and Cheboygan endangered the lives of innocent citizens, first responders, and the bomb technicians who rendered those devices safe. Grievances and disputes cannot be communicated or resolved through threats of violence or extortion.”
This case was investigated by special agents, intelligence analysts, troopers, deputies, and officers from the FBI, Michigan State Police, Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office, Cheboygan Police Department, Sault Ste. Marie Police Department, Sault Ste. Marie Tribal Police, the US Coast Guard Investigative Service, US Border Patrol and ATF.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Michael Buckley, Jerome Gorgon, Christopher O’Connor and Theodore Greeley are prosecuting the case in their respective districts.
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New Castle Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal firearm laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Angel Cruz II, age 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Cruz sold two firearms to a confidential informant during a controlled-buy operation in exchange for $1,000. Cruz, who has a felony conviction for robbery, is prohibited from the possession of firearms and ammunition. In connection with his federal arrest, law enforcement conducted a protective sweep of his New Castle residence. Law enforcement observed ammunition during the protective sweep, and law enforcement then applied for and obtained a search warrant for the residence. The subsequent search resulted in the seizure of an additional firearm.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Nov. 18, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of ten years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered Cruz to remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Lawrence County Drug Task Force conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cruz.
Monmouth County Man Admits Online Sexual Enticement of MinorRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Manalapan, New Jersey, man today admitted using online chat applications to entice an adolescent to engage in prohibited sexual activity, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Angelo N. Curato, 30, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Brian Martinotti to a superseding information charging him with one count of online enticement of a minor.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From February 2017 through June 2017, Curato used online chat applications to misrepresent his identity and entice or coerce an adolescent to engage in prohibited sexual activity, knowing that the victim was under the age of 18.
The online enticement charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 29, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina in Newark; and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Lori Linskey, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry O’Connell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit.
Luna County inmates sentenced for assault on corrections officersRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Johnny Black and Henry Felix were sentenced to prison for their parts in an assault on corrections officers at the Luna County Detention Center in Deming, New Mexico.
Black and Felix, as well as co-defendants Jacob Merkel and Victor Sanchez, pleaded guilty to assault upon a person assisting federal officers involving physical contact.
According to the plea agreements and other court records, on Feb. 17, 2021, Black became angry with corrections staff and started arguing with them. When staff attempted to escort him out of the pod, Black struck an officer, starting an altercation that other inmates joined. Sanchez saw the altercation and joined Black in striking the officer. As the altercation continued, Merkel grabbed another officer and punched him in the face. After Merkel and the officer went to the ground, Merkel got back up and continued the altercation. At that time, Felix emerged from the crowd and attacked the second officer from behind, striking him in the head and body.
On July 15, Black was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison, with one year and six months to run consecutive to his prior sentence of 14 years and three months in prison for using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and being an accessory after the fact. On June 10, Felix was sentenced to one year and three months in prison, with nine months to run consecutive to his prior sentence of 10 years for possession with intent to distribute heroin and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Merkel, who pleaded guilty on Feb. 7, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison, with nine months consecutive to his prior sentence of 13 years and 10 months for robbery and discharge of a firearm. Sanchez, who pleaded guilty on Feb. 9, was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison, with 12 months to run consecutive to his prior eight-year sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The U.S. Marshals Service and Luna County Corrections Officers investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall prosecuted the case.
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Lowell Career Offender Indicted on Firearms and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on firearms and drug offenses.
Ricardo Colon, 34, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging document, on March 21, 2022, Colon was found in possession of cocaine and fentanyl intended for distribution as well as firearms and ammunition: a .22 caliber revolver, two 9 mm pistols, multiple gun magazines and 140 rounds of ammunition. Colon is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to multiple previous felony convictions.
The charge of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 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.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Barry Golner, Interim Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gotlob of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The 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.
KC Man Pleads Guilty to Leading $10 Million Conspiracy to Distribute 1,000 Kilos of MethRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to being the leader of a nearly $10 million conspiracy to distribute almost 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Mirza Alihodzic, 36, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
By pleading guilty today, Alihodzic acknowledged that he was responsible for the distribution of at least 45 kilograms of methamphetamine during the conspiracy, which lasted from Sept. 1, 2018, to Nov. 5, 2019.
On Feb. 19, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Alihodzic’s residence. Officers seized 5.5 grams of methamphetamine, two firearms, and $1,620 in cash from the residence. Officers also seized 18 firearms from Alihodzic’s BMW, including a Sten 9mm machine gun, two short-barreled shotguns (a Mossberg 20-gauge and a Revelation 16-gauge) and a stolen Sig Sauer 9mm handgun.
Alihodzic sold large amounts of methamphetamine to two separate confidential law enforcement sources in March and April 2019. In October 2019, Alihodzic contacted another confidential law enforcement source to make arrangements to travel by plane to California to pick up 40 kilograms of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine would later be sold in the Kansas City area.
On Nov. 4, 2019, Alihodzic met at his residence with the confidential source to discuss details of the plan for the source to pilot an aircraft from the Kansas City area to an unknown location in southern California. While inside Alihodzic’s residence, the source observed multiple firearms, including a gold-plated AK47, an M16-style rifle and several pistols. Alihodzic said he would be taking the firearms with them to the people they were meeting in California.
The next day, the confidential source arrived at Alihodzic’s residence to pick him up and take him to the Lee’s Summit Municipal Airport. Alihodzic placed a large red bag into the back of the black Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 pick-up truck. They drove to a Denny’s parking lot, where they met co-conspirator Michael B. Becher, 40, of Raytown, Mo., then returned to the residence. While they were sitting in the pick-up truck, Alihodzic talked to the confidential source about trust. Alihodzic had a device the source described as a “debugger.” Alihodzic was using the debugger to see if the source was being truthful. Alihodzic casually took a pistol from the area of his waist and displayed it on his lap in a threatening manner. Alihodzic got out of the vehicle, and when he returned a few minutes later, he handed a pistol to the source and told him/her to come inside the residence. Officers then entered the residence and arrested Alihodzic, Becher, and others.
Officers searched the red bag Alihodzic had placed in the back of the pick-up truck, and found a Springfield 9mm semi-automatic handgun, a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun, a Bushmaster 5.56 semi-automatic rifle with an obliterated serial number, and a gold-painted Norinco 7.62x39mm semi-automatic rifle, which had been reported as stolen during a burglary in Independence, Mo.
Alihodzic is among 17 defendants who have pleaded guilty in two separate indictments that resulted from this investigation. Becher pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy on April 13, 2022.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government and Alihodzic agree to a sentence of at least 25 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 35 years in federal prison without parole. Alihodzic must also pay a money judgment not to exceed $9,961,839, representing all of the proceeds obtained as a result of the drug-trafficking conspiracy. The forfeiture is based on a conservative street price of $2,300 for 226 grams (a half-pound) of methamphetamine and the total conspiracy distribution of nearly 979 kilograms (978,859 grams) of methamphetamine. 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. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Sean T. Foley, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bradshaw. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Justice Department Secures the Surrender of over 4,000 Beagles from Virginia Breeder of Dogs for ResearchRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – In a consent decree entered on July 15 by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, Envigo RMS, a company that breeds and sells animals for research, has agreed to a permanent prohibition on engaging in any activity at its facility in Cumberland, Virginia, that requires an Animal Welfare Act (AWA) license. Envigo RMS has also agreed to relinquish all remaining beagles at the Cumberland facility to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
In May, the United States filed suit against Envigo RMS, alleging that the company was failing to provide humane care and treatment to the thousands of beagles at the company’s Cumberland facility. Specifically, the complaint alleged that Envigo RMS was failing to meet the AWA’s minimum standards for handling, housing, feeding, watering, sanitation and adequate veterinary care, among other requirements. Based on past violations identified during inspections by the Department of Agriculture and evidence of extensive, ongoing AWA violations obtained during a multiday criminal search warrant executed at the Cumberland facility beginning on May 18, the Justice Department moved for a temporary restraining order that the federal court granted on May 21 to ensure the health and welfare of the beagles at the Cumberland facility.
The Justice Department worked with the HSUS to develop a plan to transfer the 4,000 remaining beagles from the Cumberland facility and make those beagles available for adoption. The transfer plan, which was jointly submitted by the Justice Department and Envigo RMS, was approved by the District Court on July 5. Under the transfer plan, the HSUS will coordinate the enormous effort to remove all of the beagles from the Cumberland facility over the course of 60 days.
“This settlement brings to an end the needless suffering caused by Envigo’s blatant violations of animal welfare laws at this facility,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We will continue to vigorously enforce animal welfare laws to ensure that animals are provided the humane care that they are legally owed and deserve.”
“Due to the efforts of Environment and Natural Resources Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, more than 4,000 animals have been rescued from dire circumstances, and we will continue to hold accountable those who are responsible,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia. “I am grateful to all those who assisted with this case, especially those who are ensuring that these animals receive the care they deserve.”
This settlement is the result of prosecution by Senior Trial Attorney Mary Hollingsworth and Trial Attorney Shampa Panda of ENRD’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Giorno for the Western District of Virginia.
Justice Department Secures the Surrender of over 4,000 Beagles from Virginia Breeder of Dogs for ResearchRead the Press Release
In a consent decree entered on July 15 by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, Envigo RMS, a company that breeds and sells animals for research, has agreed to a permanent prohibition on engaging in any activity at its facility in Cumberland, Virginia, that requires an Animal Welfare Act (AWA) license. Envigo RMS has also agreed to relinquish all remaining beagles at the Cumberland facility to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
In May, the United States filed suit against Envigo RMS, alleging that the company was failing to provide humane care and treatment to the thousands of beagles at the company’s Cumberland facility. Specifically, the complaint alleged that Envigo RMS was failing to meet the AWA’s minimum standards for handling, housing, feeding, watering, sanitation and adequate veterinary care, among other requirements. Based on past violations identified during inspections by the Department of Agriculture and evidence of extensive, ongoing AWA violations obtained during a multiday criminal search warrant executed at the Cumberland facility beginning on May 18, the Justice Department moved for a temporary restraining order that the federal court granted on May 21 to ensure the health and welfare of the beagles at the Cumberland facility.
The Justice Department worked with the HSUS to develop a plan to transfer the 4,000 remaining beagles from the Cumberland facility and make those beagles available for adoption. The transfer plan, which was jointly submitted by the Justice Department and Envigo RMS, was approved by the District Court on July 5. Under the transfer plan, the HSUS will coordinate the enormous effort to remove all of the beagles from the Cumberland facility over the course of 60 days.
“This settlement brings to an end the needless suffering caused by Envigo’s blatant violations of animal welfare laws at this facility,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We will continue to vigorously enforce animal welfare laws to ensure that animals are provided the humane care that they are legally owed and deserve.”
“Due to the efforts of Environment and Natural Resources Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, more than 4,000 animals have been rescued from dire circumstances, and we will continue to hold accountable those who are responsible,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia. “I am grateful to all those who assisted with this case, especially those who are ensuring that these animals receive the care they deserve.”
This settlement is the result of prosecution by Senior Trial Attorney Mary Hollingsworth and Trial Attorney Shampa Panda of ENRD’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Giorno for the Western District of Virginia.
Justice Department Files Religious Discrimination Suit Against the City of Lansing, MichiganRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it filed a lawsuit against the City of Lansing, Michigan, alleging that Lansing discriminated against former detention officer Sylvia Coleman on the basis of her religion, when it terminated her employment in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex and religion.
“Religious discrimination and intolerance have no place in the workplace today,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Employees should not have to choose between their religion and their livelihood, particularly when the employer can accommodate their religious beliefs. The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting the religious rights and religious freedom of employees by ensuring that no one faces unlawful discrimination in the workplace.”
According to the complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan on July 15, 2022, Coleman informed the City of Lansing that she could not work a shift from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday because of her religious observance of the Sabbath as a Seventh-day Adventist. Yet the City of Lansing failed to take adequate steps to reasonably accommodate her religious observance and instead terminated her employment, following her first scheduled Saturday shift. The complaint also alleges that the City of Lansing failed to show that accommodating Coleman would cause undue hardship on the operation of its business. Through this lawsuit, the United States seeks to have the City of Lansing develop and implement policies that would prevent religious discrimination, seeks monetary damages for Coleman, and seeks other appropriate relief.
The Indianapolis District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigated and attempted to resolve Coleman’s charge of discrimination before referring it to the Department of Justice. More information about the EEOC’s jurisdiction is available on its website at www.eeoc.gov.
This case is being handled by Senior Trial Attorneys Sara Safriet and Robert Galbreath of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section.
Ensuring that local, county and state governments comply with Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the jurisdiction of the Employment Litigation Section is available on its websites at www.justice.gov/crt/ and https://www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jonathan Lee Sturkey, 37, of Huntington, was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 30, 2021, law enforcement officers observed the driver and passenger of a vehicle at the Third Avenue Speedway smoking marijuana. When Sturkey, the passenger, was asked to step out of the vehicle, he admitted to the officers that he had a firearm. Officers found a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .38-caliber revolver in Sturkey’s left coat pocket.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Sturkey knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his felony conviction for the distribution of a quantity of cocaine base in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on May 23, 2011.
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 imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie S. Taylor prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
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-21.
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Grafton Dentist Sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay over $1 million in forfeitureRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on July 15, 2022, Scott Charmoli, formerly a licensed dentist, was sentenced to 54 months’ incarceration for committing healthcare fraud and making false statements related to healthcare matters.
Scott Charmoli was the owner and sole dentist operating Jackson Family Dentistry in Jackson, Wisconsin. In 2015, Charmoli began a years-long scheme to defraud dental insurance companies into paying for unnecessary crown procedures. Charmoli aggressively sold crowns to patients and then intentionally broke their teeth with his drill in order to convince the insurance companies to pay for the crowns. In March 2022, a jury found Charmoli guilty of five counts of health care fraud and two counts of making false statements to the insurance companies.
In announcing sentence, United State District Judge Lynn Adelman called this an unusual case of fraud because Charmoli physically harmed his own patients and “intentionally damaged” their teeth. He explained that Charmoli’s fraudulent conduct led to physical injuries and a loss of trust in the dental profession. He described Charmoli as “persuading,” “badgering,” and “shaming” his victims and said that Charmoli was both “pushy” and “coercive.” Judge Adelman also focused on the fact that Charmoli made his victims feel like “prey” and that he caused them significant pain and discomfort. The judge indicated that a period of incarceration was necessary to reflect the seriousness of this conduct, particularly because there was no “motive other than greed” for Charmoli’s crimes. In announcing the sentence, Judge Adelman said it was important for other professionals in Charmoli’s position to know that this kind of fraudulent conduct would not be tolerated.
Evidence at trial indicated that Charmoli performed far more crowns than most dentists in Wisconsin, ranking in, or above, the 95th percentile of crowns performed each year from 2016 to 2019. The evidence also showed that Charmoli billed over $4.2 million for crown procedures between 2016 and 2019, and that he performed more than 700 crowns each year from 2015 to 2019. In each of 2015 and 2016, Charmoli performed over 1000 crown procedures. Evidence also showed that in addition to submitting x-rays to insurance companies of damage Charmoli himself had caused, Charmoli made false statements to dental insurers when they denied initial claims for crown coverage.
Charmoli benefited significantly from his scheme, amassing significant assets. As part of his sentence, Charmoli already has been ordered to pay $1,043,229.31 in forfeiture. He also will be responsible for reimbursing insurance companies and reimbursing patients who received fraudulent crowns for their out-of-pocket expenses. Judge Adelman will determine the final amount of restitution due and owing to patients and insurance companies related to the offenses of conviction within 90 days. In addition, Charmoli is the subject of several malpractice lawsuits brought by former patients.
“Mr. Charmoli abused a position of trust and lied to his patients and their insurers simply to line his own pockets,” stated United States Attorney Frohling. “Despite already having many advantages in life, Mr. Charmoli simply wanted more, and he was willing to harm his patients physically, emotionally, and financially to fund his lifestyle. I commend the hard work of the FBI agents and the trial team in pursuing justice for the victims in this case.”
“Health care fraud remains a top priority for the FBI due to the negative effects it has on our community,” said SAC Michael E. Hensle. “Not only do health care fraud schemes like this cost the U.S. taxpayers through increased health insurance premiums and greater out-of-pocket expenses, they also cause unnecessary pain and suffering to those who seek the assistance of trusted health care professionals. The FBI will continue to investigate and work with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecute those who take advantage of the health care system for their own financial greed. Together, we remain committed to bringing those to justice who personally benefit from their criminal health care fraud schemes.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Julie F. Stewart and Michael A. Carter prosecuted.
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Former Prattsville Town Supervisor Pleads Guilty to FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kory O’Hara, age 45, formerly the Town Supervisor of Prattsville, pled guilty today to wire fraud in connection with a grant extended to Prattsville in the wake of Hurricane Irene.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); John Pias, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office, Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector (DHS-OIG); and Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region (HUD-OIG).
In August 2011, Hurricane Irene caused significant damage to the Town of Prattsville, resulting in the issuance of millions of dollars in rehabilitation grants to Prattsville and its residents. As Town Supervisor, O’Hara entered into various grant agreements, including with the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corporation.
In pleading guilty, O’Hara admitted that between 2013 and 2015, he obtained false invoices from a Prattsville-based modular home business, Moore’s Homes, purporting to reflect construction work performed on O’Hara’s automotive garage, O’Hara’s Service Station, which Moore’s Homes did not perform. O’Hara issued checks to Moore’s Homes reflecting payment on the invoices, but Moore’s Homes returned all of the money.
O’Hara, who was Town Supervisor at the time, then submitted the false invoices and checks to Prattsville and the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corporation to fraudulently obtain $24,915 in grant proceeds under the New York Main Street Program.
United States Attorney Carla Freedman stated: “The New York Main Street Program was designed to make sure that grant money would be used to rebuild Prattsville in the wake of Hurricane Irene. As Town Supervisor, O’Hara knew the rules, but chose not to follow them. Instead, he took grant money fraudulently. We will continue to hold public officials accountable who, through fraud, put their own interests above those of their constituents.”
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli stated: “Kory O’Hara violated the trust of his community and his duty as Town Supervisor by stealing funds that were meant to help the town recover from Hurricane Irene. Thanks to my partnership with United States Attorney Carla Freedman and federal law enforcement and agencies, O’Hara has now been held accountable for his fraudulent, selfish actions.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Janeen DiGuiseppi stated: “Hurricane Irene had an absolutely devastating impact on the town of Prattsville, New York. While residents struggled to rebuild their lives, Mr. O'Hara was busy fraudulently obtaining the funds meant to assist them. The FBI, together with our federal, state, and local partners, will continue to aggressively investigate those who exploit the programs designed to alleviate the tremendous loss that follows a natural disaster.”
HUD OIG Special Agent in Charge Christina Scaringi stated: “Prattsville was overwhelmed by Hurricane Irene’s damaging winds and flooding. Mr. O’Hara was entrusted to use federal disaster recovery funds to benefit the residents of Prattsville. Instead, his actions resulted in illicit personal gains and undermined the integrity of American taxpayer-funded relief programs. The HUD OIG will not tolerate this behavior and will continue to work with our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the State Comptroller’s Office, FBI, and Homeland Security to ensure bad actors are held accountable for their misdeeds.”
O’Hara faces up to 20 years in prison; a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years; and a maximum fine of $250,000. He will also be required to pay $24,915 in restitution to the State of New York.
O’Hara’s co-defendant, Stephen Baker, age 71, of Prattsville, previously pled guilty to offering a false instrument for filing, a Class A misdemeanor, in Prattsville Town Court, and the federal charges against him were dismissed.
This case was investigated by the Office of the New York State Comptroller, Division of Investigation; FBI; DHS-OIG; and HUD-OIG, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus P.W. Rieck.
Ecuadorian and Mexican Nationals Found Guilty of Trafficking Cocaine in the Eastern Pacific OceanRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Manuel Angel Velez-Acosta (33, Ecuador), Guillermo Cabrera Perez (48, Mexico), Andres Nixon Gonzales-Catagua (48, Ecuador), and Hernan David Gonzales-Quiroz (42, Ecuador) guilty of possessing and conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine on a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. The defendants each face a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. The sentencing hearings have been scheduled for October 13, 2022. They were indicted on February 4, 2021.
According to testimony presented at trial, on January 26, 2021, a U.S. Navy airplane detected a 25-30 foot open-hull motorboat in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, about 400 nautical miles south of Mexico, operating in a location where maritime drug smuggling by similar vessels is common. As the Navy aircrew watched and video-recorded, the defendants, who were the four crewmembers on board that boat, began jettisoning packages of cocaine overboard into the water. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter BERTHOLF was patrolling nearby and launched its helicopter and small boats to investigate. After arriving on scene, the Coast Guard determined the vessel was without nationality, and therefore subject to U.S. jurisdiction. Although the Coast Guard was unable to recover the jettisoned packages, it was able to collect chemical trace detection evidence, which showed the presence of cocaine in the same compartments of the boat where the defendants had done the jettisoning. Cocaine was also found on one of the defendant’s hands.
This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and the Panama Express Strike Force, a standing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force comprised of agents and analysts from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro and Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Ruddy.
Cudahy Man Sentenced for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on July 18, 2022, Gerald E. Belmore, Jr. (age: 55) of Cudahy, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison by Senior District Judge William C. Griesbach.
Belmore, Jr. possessed and distributed numerous digital images and videos of child pornography. His indictment and subsequent conviction were the result of an online undercover investigation involving a popular social media messaging platform.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the charge, the effect these crimes have on their victims, and the need for just punishment. Following his release from prison, Belmore, Jr. will spend five years on supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sexual offender.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Milwaukee Office and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Chicago Man Charged in Federal Court with Carjacking Rideshare DriverRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a man on carjacking and firearm charges for allegedly carjacking a rideshare driver’s vehicle at gunpoint in downtown Chicago.
NOAH RANSOM, 18, of Chicago, stole a Lexus RX350 from a Lyft driver on April 9, 2022, according to an indictment and search warrant unsealed Friday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The Lyft driver picked up Ransom and four other men at a downtown Chicago hotel around 4:00 a.m., and shortly thereafter Ransom pointed a gun at the driver and ordered him to stop the car and get out, the search warrant states. The victim complied and Ransom allegedly drove off with the other men in the victim’s car. About 90 minutes later, Illinois State Police identified the vehicle on the South Side of Chicago and ordered it to stop, but the car fled, the search warrant states. After a 25-minute chase, ISP forced the vehicle to a stop in the city’s West Loop neighborhood, arrested Ransom and the others after a foot chase, and discovered a handgun, the search warrant states.
The indictment charges Ransom with carjacking and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The carjacking count is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison. The firearm count carries a minimum prison term of seven years and a maximum of life, which must be served consecutively to the sentence imposed for the underlying carjacking offense.
Ransom was arrested Friday. A detention hearing is set for Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. David Weisman.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by ISP and the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared C. Jodrey.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Chicago Carjacker Sentenced to More than 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man was sentenced today to more than 12 years in federal prison for stealing a vehicle at gunpoint in Chicago and striking a bicyclist while fleeing from police.
On the afternoon of May 27, 2020, ELIAS QUINONES-FIGUEROA forcibly took a Chevrolet Tahoe sport-utility vehicle from a victim who was cleaning the car in the Noble Square neighborhood of Chicago. Quinones-Figueroa brandished a handgun and drove off in the vehicle after the victim complied with demands to give up the car. Nearly three hours later, Quinones-Figueroa was driving the carjacked Tahoe when he noticed a Chicago Police vehicle and drove off in the opposite direction at a high rate of speed. Quinones-Figueroa drove through multiple stop signs and a red light before striking the bicyclist and crashing into a parked car in the city’s West Town neighborhood.
Quinones-Figueroa, 21, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall sentenced Quinones-Figueroa to seven years for the firearm offense, to be followed by five years and seven months for the carjacking, for a total prison sentence of 12 years and seven months. Judge Kendall also ordered Quinones-Figueroa to pay $5,000 in compensation to the injured bicyclist and $1,000 in compensation to the victim of the carjacking.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn D. McCarthy.
Charlotte Man with Lengthy Criminal History Is Sentenced to 15+ Years for Two Attempted Armed Robberies and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that Vincent Bernard Leonard, 54, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 188 months in prison and three years of supervised release on charges of attempted armed robbery and illegal firearm possession.
Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on November 25, 2020, at approximately 6:08 p.m., Leonard walked into the Little Caesars restaurant located at 5009 Beatties Ford Road in Charlotte. Wearing a face covering, Leonard approached the restaurant’s 17-year-old cashier and asked about the price of a pizza. He then pulled out a semi-automatic firearm and pointed it at the cashier. Leonard ordered the victim to “open the register up” and to give him all the money. Court documents show that the cashier told Leonard she could not open the register and was able to run to the back of the store where she alerted her manager of the attempted robbery. Leonard fled the scene.
On the same day, approximately an hour later, Leonard attempted to rob a Wendy’s restaurant located at 6500 Albemarle Road, in Charlotte. According to court records, Leonard approached the drive-through window of the restaurant on foot, where a 16-year-old cashier was working, and asked for change. Leonard then pulled out a gun, pointed it at the cashier and asked the victim “Do you see this?” The victim was able to get away and run to another part of the store while Leonard fled the scene.
Ten minutes after the attempted robberies, CMPD officers were able to locate Leonard at a gas station in Charlotte. When law enforcement arrived, they found Leonard seated inside a car and arrested him at the scene. Law enforcement also found Leonard’s firearm inside a bookbag that was near his feet. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that the firearm Leonard used during the attempted robberies had been reported stolen earlier the same year in Lincoln County. At the time of the attempted robberies, Leonard was on post-release supervision for a state conviction where he had served a lengthy prison sentence.
On November 22, 2021, Leonard pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted Hobbs Act robbery and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. At the time of the attempted robberies, Leonard was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Leonard has a lengthy criminal history and has been previously convicted of burglary, kidnapping, and multiple counts of robbery, breaking and entering, and larceny. He has twice been sentenced as a habitual felon in North Carolina state court.
Leonard is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of this case.
Assistant United States Attorney David Kelly, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
California Pain Specialist Agrees to Settle Alleged Receipt of Kickbacks from Pharmaceutical Companies Purdue Pharma and DepomedRead the Press Release
Dr. Gerald M. Sacks, a pain specialist with an office in Santa Monica, California, has paid $271,259.12 to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act. The allegations concerned prescribing the medications Butrans, Hysingla and OxyContin to Medicare beneficiaries in exchange, at least in part, for receiving paid speaking and consulting work from their manufacturer, Purdue Pharma LP, and the medications Gralise, Lazanda and Nucynta to Medicare beneficiaries in exchange, at least in part, for receiving paid speaking and consulting work from their manufacturer, Depomed Inc.
Prescribing drugs in exchange for receiving paid speaking and consulting work from their manufacturers violates the Anti-Kickback Statute, and renders associated claims to federal health care programs false. Butrans, Hysingla, OxyContin, Lazanda and Nucynta are opioid medications for the treatment of pain. Gralise is a nerve-pain medication.
“Physicians are prohibited from accepting kickbacks designed to influence their decisionmaking,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael D. Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Adherence to this prohibition is especially crucial with regard to dangerous drugs like opioids.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The matter was handled by Trial Attorneys Albert P. Mayer and Kristen M. Murphy of the Civil Division.
The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Cheyenne Man Sentenced on Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Nicholas Vassallo announced today that ANTHONY PIERCE UNOCIC, age 52, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition on July 5, 2022, by United States District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson. Unocic was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment.
On October 7, 2021, the Department of Homeland Security intercepted an illegal firearm suppressor being shipped into the United States from China. The shipping label identified Unocic and his address. Law enforcement conducted a controlled delivery of the suppressor to Unocic. The delivery was immediately followed by the execution of a search warrant at Unocic’s residence in Cheyenne, which resulted in the seizure of multiple firearms, ammunition, and the suppressor.
This crime was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Elmore.
Case No. 21-cr-00121-ABJCasper Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Nicholas Vassallo announced today that JAMES WAYNE LUCE, age 29, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced for production of child pornography on July 6, 2022, by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson. Luce was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment with 12 years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment.
Luce came to the attention of law enforcement after an acquaintance found his lost cell phone, unlocked it, observed nude pictures of a prepubescent female child, and turned it in to the Casper Police Department. The Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the incident and was able to locate and identify child victims.
This crime was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation through their participation in the Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christyne M. Martens.
Case Number 0:21-cr-00013-ABJ
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Honors Three Northern District of Oklahoma Prosecutors for Exceptional Service in Indian Country during the 69th Annual Attorney General’s AwardsRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland recently announced the recipients for the 69th Annual Attorney General’s Awards, recognizing Department of Justice employees and partners for extraordinary contributions to the enforcement of our nation’s laws.
This year, 298 Justice Department employees received awards, while 54 non-department individuals were also honored for their work. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shannon Cozzoni, Ryan Roberts, and Edward Snow, of the Northern District of Oklahoma, were recognized for Exceptional Service in Indian Country.
“This year’s awardees have served selflessly to further the Department’s important work upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am proud to recognize these individuals for their professionalism, skill, and leadership, and I am grateful for their service to our Department and our nation.”
“The professionalism and forward-leaning approach exhibited by Shannon, Ryan, and Edward were critical to my office during a time of unprecedented jurisdictional change in Oklahoma that tripled our caseload,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “As part of my leadership team today, their efforts continue to move this office forward in a positive direction. I am thankful for Attorney General Garland’s recognition of their dedicated service to the people of northeastern Oklahoma.”
As Oklahoma’s jurisdictional landscape transformed following the Supreme Court’s decision in McGirt v Oklahoma and subsequent court decisions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office became responsible for federal criminal prosecutions involving Native American defendants and/or victims residing within the Muscogee, Cherokee and Quapaw Nations’ reservations.
In anticipation of the Court’s July 2020 decision, the Indian Country team held law enforcement and in-house trainings regarding Indian Country jurisdiction and discussions regarding the way ahead. Their training efforts intensified following the decision. The team met with district attorneys, judges, and law enforcement to discuss how the Northern District of Oklahoma would be notified of cases and how discovery would be transferred as part of the office’s intake process. The intake process was developed in conjunction with Information Technology staff to track, review, and prioritize the large influx of cases brought forward by law enforcement. Cozzoni, Roberts and Snow further worked with local, federal, state and tribal partners to develop and solidify protocols for arrests, federal and tribal holds, transfer of prisoners, jail contracts, transfer of cases to the federal government and tribes, cross-commissions, and more.
Following the McGirt decision, the Northern District of Oklahoma saw its criminal caseload triple when compared to previous years. From July 9, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2020, alone, the office reviewed 560 Indian Country cases, opening 300 for prosecution and referring others to the Muscogee Nation. Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has accepted more than 1,200 Indian Country cases for prosecution.
Army Veteran Is Sentenced to Prison for Receiving Nearly $1 Million in Veteran Benefits for Fraudulent Service-Connected DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. sentenced John Paul Cook, 58, of Marshall, N.C. to ten months in prison, five of which the defendant will serve in home confinement, for defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA) by receiving nearly $1 million in veteran benefits based on fraudulent claims of service-connected disabilities, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition, Cook was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay restitution of $930,762.53 to the VA.
Kim Lampkins, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Field Office, Washington, D.C., of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG), joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court records and today’s sentencing hearing, Cook enlisted in the United States Army (the Army) in November 1985. Six months later Cook sustained an accidental injury while on duty. Following the incident, Cook complained that as a result of the accident and injuries he sustained, a preexisting eye condition had worsened. According to court documents, in 1987, following a medical evaluation, Cook was discharged, placed on the retired list, and began receiving VA disability-based compensation at a rate of 60%. Over the next 30 years, Cook’s disability-based compensation increased, following Cook’s repeated false claims of increased visual impairment and unemployability due to “severe visual deficit.” As Cook previously admitted in court, in 2005, based on his claims of severe visual impairment, the VA declared Cook legally blind and he began receiving disability-based compensation at the maximum rate. Cook also began to receive additional benefits, including Special Monthly Compensation (an extra monetary allowance paid to a qualifying veteran due to the severity of his disability), Specially Adapted Housing (a grant that goes toward paying for adaptations in a new home), and Special Housing Adaptation (a grant that goes toward remodeling an existing home).
According to court records, Cook’s monthly VA disability payments in 1987 were $1,411 per month. With the incremental increases in his disability rating, as well as cost-of-living adjustments and his Special Monthly Compensation, these payments steadily increased over the years. By 2016, the monthly payment had risen to $3,990. In total, from 1987 through 2017, Cook received approximately $978,138 in VA disability payments due to his claimed blindness, to which he was not lawfully entitled.
According to court documents, contrary to Cook’s filed claims with the VA seeking additional disability claims and his complaints of increased visual impairment, Cook repeatedly passed DMV vision screening tests to renew or obtain a driver’s license in North and South Carolina. Furthermore, during the relevant time period, court documents show that Cook purchased and registered over 30 different motor vehicles which Cook routinely drove, including on long-distance trips and to perform errands. Court records further show that, from 2010 to 2016, during a time period that Cook was receiving maximum VA disability benefits for his visual impairment, Cook was actively involved with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), including serving as a Den Leader and a Cubmaster. Among the courses the defendant completed with the BSA were courses qualifying him to be a range officer for BB guns and for archery. He was also certified for land navigation, which involves reading maps and using a compass.
On July 19, 2021, Cook pleaded guilty to theft of public money. He will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the VA-OIG for their investigation of the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
Arizona Man Sentenced to Prison for Car Theft Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – An Arizona man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a fraud scheme to rent cars from various rental companies. Those rental cars were later sold to unsuspecting victims who believed that Kang had sold them a car.
Brandon Christopher Kang (30) pleaded guilty in February 2022 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, from July 2016 to July 2017, Kang — a Las Vegas resident at the time — conspired with co-defendants Dominique Dashon McGuire, Joshua Rahi Hall, and others to fraudulently rent vehicles from rental companies and private brokers with the intent to steal the vehicles and then sell the vehicles. As part of the scheme, Kang and others used fake identification to rent the vehicles. Next, they created false car titles, bills of sales, and other documents to make the purchase appear legitimate. They would advertise the stolen vehicles online at a fraction of their market values, then transport the vehicles to multiple states, including Nevada, California, and Arizona. Victims were required to pay by cash or cashier’s check for the vehicles. In total, more than $250,000 was stolen from victims.
U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tony Lopez and Jim Fang prosecuted the case.
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Appeals Court Affirms Convictions and Sentences in Organized Crime CaseRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A federal appeals court has upheld the convictions and sentences of a member and an associate of the Lucchese organized crime family and two Texas brothers on racketeering conspiracy and related offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Nicodemo S. Scarfo, 57, of Galloway, New Jersey, a member of the Lucchese organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra (LCN), and Salvatore Pelullo, 55, of Philadelphia, an associate of the Lucchese and Philadelphia LCN families, were convicted on July 13, 2014, of all the counts against them. Two other defendants, William Maxwell, 63, of Houston, Texas, and his brother, John Maxwell, 70, of Irving, Texas, were also convicted.
In a consolidated appeal, the defendants challenged almost every aspect of their prosecutions, including the investigation, the charges and evidence against them, the pretrial process, the government’s compliance with its disclosure obligations, the trial, the forfeiture proceedings, and their sentences.
In a precedential, 169-page opinion issued July 15, 2022, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed all the convictions and sentences, except for the forfeiture portion of John Maxwell’s sentence, for which it remanded the matter to the District Court to determine what share of the forfeiture he should pay.
The four defendants were convicted for their respective roles in the takeover and subsequent looting of FirstPlus Financial Group, a publicly held mortgage company based in Dallas, Texas. The defendants used extortionate threats to take control of the company, causing a loss of more than $14 million and leaving more than 1,000 shareholders with investments that had been rendered worthless. Scarfo and Pelullo were each sentenced to 30 years in prison; William Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison; and John Maxwell was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The appellate court decision, written by Circuit Judge Kent A. Jordan and joined by Circuit Judges Thomas L. Ambro and Stephanos Bibas, affirmed the jury’s guilty verdicts on all of the underlying crimes, including participating in a Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization conspiracy, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and firearms offenses. It also affirmed the prison sentences.
The government was represented on appeal by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Norman Gross and Sabrina Comizzoli of the Appeals Division and Bruce P. Keller, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney.
Albany and Bronx Men Plead Guilty to Fentanyl and Cocaine ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ramion Burt, age 45, of Albany, and Marion Frampton, age 43, of the Bronx, New York, each pled guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen; and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
In pleading guilty, Burt and Frampton admitted to driving from Albany to New York City to pick up fentanyl and cocaine for distribution in February 2021. On the drive back to Albany, they were stopped by the New York State Police heading northbound on Interstate 87 in Catskill, New York, and 31 grams of fentanyl were discovered in a plastic bag in Frampton’s boot. In searching the vehicle, Troopers discovered an additional 53 grams of fentanyl and 496 grams of cocaine in the glove compartment. Burt and Frampton admitted to possessing the fentanyl and cocaine, and intending to distribute them. Burt and Frampton each have a prior federal conviction related to drug trafficking.
At sentencing, Burt and Frampton each face at least 10 years and up to life in prison, as well as a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 8 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by the New York State Police and FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus P.W. Rieck.
Sunday 17 July 2022
INTERPOL Washington Assists the Kyrgyz Republic to Enhance Border SecurityRead the Press Release
INTERPOL Washington—INTERPOL Washington, the U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB), recently partnered with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism to increase the Kyrgyz Republic’s capacity to share critical information with INTERPOL. Through Project TERMINUS, funded by the Bureau of Counterterrorism, the Kyrgyz Republic implemented technical solutions to establish a Domestic Stolen and Lost Travel Document (SLTD) database (DSD) and automate uploading of Kyrgyz SLTD records to INTERPOL’s global database. This INTERPOL database serves as a searchable repository containing more than 120 million records accessible to law enforcement and border security authorities in all 195 INTERPOL member countries.
The DSD solution enabled the Kyrgyz Republic to quickly and easily establish a robust and feature-rich authoritative national database of SLTD records. The DSD allows the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Bishkek to easily manage their SLTD records, improving accuracy and timeliness of Kyrgyz Republic SLTD data, and eliminating countless hours of administrative effort. The SLTD Uploader software solution automates the submission and management of the country’s SLTD records to the INTERPOL SLTD searchable database. The data management and automation solution was made possible by computer hardware and custom software developed, provided, and installed by the USNCB’s Border Security Division. This accomplishment is the culmination of more than twelve months of active collaboration between the USNCB, the U.S. State Department, and the Kyrgyz Republic.
The Project TERMINUS technical team made several enhancements to its Domestic SLTD Database (DSD) application to accommodate the unique requirements and incredible volume of the more than 5.7 million SLTD records maintained by the government. Furthermore, within the first days of the deployment, the new Kyrgyz SLTD solutions had created more than 150,000 new SLTD records in INTERPOL’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database.
“Project TERMINUS continues to assist INTERPOL member countries to enhance their border security screening capacity. The TERMINUS model has been used on four continents providing advanced border security tools necessary to detect and deter transnational criminals. Our partnership with the Department of State is a key component in closing security gaps between countries and continents. Border security is a collective responsibility among nations, and is only as strong as its weakest link. The USNCB is proud to help strengthen these links through our cooperative efforts,” said USNCB Director Michael A. Hughes.
This project is the latest in a series of successful information sharing and INTERPOL connectivity efforts deployed under the Project TERMINUS initiative, each building on prior lessons learned. In addition to the Kyrgyz Republic, partner nations currently receiving assistance under Project TERMINUS include Indonesia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nigeria, Panama, and Uzbekistan.
Established in 2015, Project TERMINUS is a partnership between the USNCB’s Border Security Division and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism. The mission of Project TERMINUS is to extend INTERPOL's I-24/7 secure, global police-to-police communications network to partner nations worldwide to prevent, detect, and deter foreign terrorist fighter (FTF) travel.
INTERPOL’s SLTD database is a critical tool for combatting terrorism by preventing FTF movements by identifying and interdicting FTFs and other transnational criminals using stolen, lost, or revoked documents such as passports, visas, and identity documents. By ensuring that law enforcement officers have access to INTERPOL’s I-24/7 system, frontline authorities can search, and cross-check traveler data in a matter of seconds and share sensitive or urgent police information with their counterparts around the world in real-time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A component of the U.S. Department of Justice, INTERPOL Washington, the U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB), is the designated United States representative to INTERPOL on behalf of the Attorney General. It serves as the national point of contact and coordination for all INTERPOL matters, coordinating international investigative efforts among member countries and the more than 18,000 local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement agencies.
Friday 15 July 2022
Utica Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Fentanyl Conspiracy and DistributionRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Kymani Minott, aka “Bizz,” aka “K-Bizz,” age 19, of Utica, New York, was sentenced yesterday to 60 months in prison for conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and distribution of fentanyl.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara; New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; John B. Devito, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), New York Field Division; and Utica Police Chief Mark Williams.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Minott admitted that in or around March 2021, he agreed with others to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl to customers in the Utica area. Minott also admitted that on June 17, 2021, he distributed approximately 5 grams of a fentanyl mixture in Utica.
United States District Judge David N. Hurd also imposed a 4-year term of supervised release, which will start after Minott is released from federal prison.
This case was investigated by New York State Police-Special Investigations Unit (NYSP-SIU), the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office, Utica Police Department, DEA, and ATF, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie.
U.S. Citizen Extradited from Costa Rica to Face Wire Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
David Butler, a United States citizen, will be arraigned today on an Indictment charging him with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud investors in a form of investment known as “binary options.” Butler was arrested in April 2022 in Costa Rica and extradited to the United States on July 14, 2022. The defendant is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge James M. Wicks at the federal courthouse in Central Islip.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI) announced the extradition.
“Using sophisticated computer software, the defendant and his co-conspirators allegedly cheated unsuspecting investors out of more than $5 million” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office is committed to working with our international partners to dismantle fraudulent schemes and bring perpetrators to justice wherever they are.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Costa Rican government for its assistance with the arrest and extradition.
“Butler allegedly swindled investors out of millions by selling false promises and later manipulating the numbers to the investors’ disadvantage. His alleged involvement in this complex fraud scheme has now landed him back in the U.S. to face the consequences of his illicit acts. Butler may have sold predetermined profits that turned out to be a sham, but his criminal arrest and prosecution are as real as it gets,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Fattorusso.
As alleged in court filings, between approximately January 2011 and October 2016, Butler and his co-conspirators operated binary options companies, including SpotFN, Binary FN and Janus Options (Binary Options Companies) from Glen Cove, New York, Costa Rica and Kosovo. The Binary Options Companies promised to pay investors, who were located throughout the United States, a predetermined profit based upon particular outcomes in the markets for securities, currencies and other investments. For example, the Binary Options Companies would offer to pay customers a predetermined profit if a particular security or currency was valued at a particular price on a particular day at a particular time.
To induce investments, Butler and his co-conspirators allegedly told binary options investors, in telephone calls and emails, that the predetermined profits that the Binary Options Companies had promised them in connection with the investors’ purchases of binary options would be based upon the actual prices of securities, currencies and other investments at particular points in time. Unbeknownst to the investors, however, Butler and his co-conspirators used a computer software that allowed the Binary Options Companies to manipulate data associated with the investors’ binary options so that the probability of investors earning a profit would favor the Binary Options Companies. At no time did Butler or any other employee of the Binary Options Companies inform the investors that the binary options that they had purchased from the Binary Options Companies could be manipulated to the investors’ disadvantage. As a result of their deception, Butler and his co-conspirators allegedly stole more than $5 million from binary options investors.
The charges in the Indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 20 years in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Bradley T. King is in charge of the prosecution. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Costa Rica to secure the arrest and extradition of Butler to the United States.
The Defendant:
DAVID BUTLER
Age: 52
San Jose, Costa Rica
Pittsburgh, KansasE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-680 (JS)
Two Kanawha County Men Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Michael Antonio Smith, 49, of Charleston, was sentenced to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jason Robert Oxley, 38, of St. Albans, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Oxley was on parole at the time he committed these offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Smith kept firearms and drugs in his residence in Rand for a member of a multi-state methamphetamine distribution organization operating in and around Charleston. On September 29, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence and recovered 31.89 grams of methamphetamine and four firearms, including two semi-automatic rifles: a Glock, Model 39, .45-caliber pistol; an Anderson Manufacturing, Model AM-15, multi-caliber rifle; a Norinco, Model MAK-90 Sporter, 7.62 mm caliber rifle; and a Century Arms, Model RAS 47, 7.62 mm caliber pistol. Smith admitted that he possessed the firearms.
Oxley admitted that he obtained methamphetamine and other drugs from two of his co-defendants from March 2020 until June 2021, which he then distributed. Oxley admitted that he sold methamphetamine at his residence to a confidential informant on March 22, 2021 and April 12, 2021. Oxley further admitted that he bought a SWD Cobray, Model M11/9, 9mm pistol from a local gun show on May 21, 2021. Police recovered it the next day after a co-defendant hid it while trying to evade a traffic stop.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Smith knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his convictions for possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine on April 10, 1997, wanton endangerment on March 2, 1998, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance on May 28, 2009, all in Kanawha County Circuit Court. Oxley knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his convictions for operating a clandestine drug lab in Putnam County Circuit Court on August, 31, 2004, for possession of substances used as precursors to manufacture methamphetamine in Kanawha County Circuit Court on June 26, 2017, and for grand larceny in Kanawha County Circuit Court on September 26, 2017.
These cases are part of a long-term investigation of methamphetamine distribution that resulted in the conviction of 17 individuals for various drug and firearm offenses in three separate indictments. Twelve others pleaded guilty: Ramon David Alston, James Edward Bennett III, Treydan Leon Burks, Jonathan Gregory Bush, Kaitlyn Brooke Combs, Kelly Cordle, Denise Marie Cottrill, Shane Kelly Fulkerson, Brittany Frances Gilbert, Angie Lane Harbour, Scott Edward Hudson, and Brian Dangelo Terry. The remaining three, Timothy Wayne Dodd, Douglas Jonathan Wesley and Leo Antoine Smith, were convicted at trial.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha and Putnam County Sheriff’s Departments, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Alex Hamner prosecuted the cases.
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:21-cr-00172, 2:21-cr-00171, and 2:21-cr-00211.
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Turkish Businessman Extradited from Austria to Face Money Laundering and Wire Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
A Turkish businessman was extradited from Austria to face money laundering, wire fraud and obstruction charges.
Sezgin Baran Korkmaz arrived today in Utah in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Korkmaz was indicted in Salt Lake City, Utah, with laundering more than $133 million in illegal proceeds through bank accounts he controlled in Turkey and Luxembourg. According to an April 2021 superseding indictment, the proceeds relate to a scheme orchestrated in Plymouth, Utah, by Jacob Kingston, Isaiah Kingston and Levon Termendzhyan to defraud the U.S. Treasury by filing false claims for more than $1 billion in tax credits allegedly for the production and sale of biodiesel by their company, Washakie Renewable Energy LLC.
Korkmaz and his co-conspirators allegedly used the biofuel fraud proceeds to acquire luxury homes and assets, as well as businesses such as Biofarma, the Turkish airline Borajet, a yacht named the Queen Anne, a hotel in Turkey and a villa and apartment on the Bosporus river in Istanbul. In coordination with authorities in Lebanon, the U.S. Marshals Service took the Queen Anne yacht into custody in July 2021 and sold it earlier this year for $10.11 million pursuant to an October 2021 order of U.S. District Judge Jill Parrish of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, who is presiding over the Korkmaz case. Other assets of Korkmaz-related companies in Turkey and Europe are the subject of forfeiture claims by the United States and Turkey.
According to the superseding indictment, Korkmaz also devised a scheme to defraud Jacob Kingston and Isaiah Kingston in early 2018 by falsely representing he could provide them with protection, through unnamed government officials, from a federal grand jury investigation and civil lawsuits. In exchange, the Kingstons sent him $6 million over several months.
Additionally, Korkmaz allegedly made false statements to federal agents in an attempt to obstruct the pending criminal trial against Kingston and Termendzhyan. Among other misstatements, Korkmaz allegedly lied about $38 million in wire transfers sent to a bank account controlled by Termendzhyan.
“The successful apprehension and extradition of Baran Korkmaz demonstrates the department’s commitment to working with our international partners to pursue, capture and return those who seek to defraud the American people,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “Thanks to our law enforcement partners and their counterparts in Austria and Lebanon, we are now able to bring Korkmaz to trial on the pending charges, and have recovered significant forfeiture proceeds.”
“We commend our partners from the Tax Division and the Department of Justice for pursuing Sezgin Baran Korkmaz on behalf of the American taxpayers and ensuring his return to Utah to face justice in U.S. District Court,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. “We are also thankful for the efforts of our foreign partners in Lebanon and Austria, and in particular, the Austrian Bundeskriminalamt Fugitive Active Search Team, for locating Korkmaz overseas.”
In July 2019 Jacob and Isaiah Kingston both pleaded guilty to federal charges, and in 2020 both men testified at the trial of Levon Termendzhyan in Utah. The federal jury convicted Termendzhyan of all charges. The Kingstons and Termendzhyan all await sentencing.
If convicted, Korkmaz faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of money laundering conspiracy, wire fraud and obstruction of an official proceeding. A district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Department of Defense DCIS are investigating the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and FBI Legal Attaché in Vienna, Austria played key roles in securing the arrest and successful extradition of Korkmaz. The U.S. Marshals Service assisted by transporting Korkmaz from Austria to Utah. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cy Castle for the District of Utah, Senior Policy Advisor Darrin L. McCullough of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and the U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance in the seizure of the Queen Anne yacht and its subsequent sale.
Trial Attorney Richard Rolwing and Senior Litigation Counsel John Sullivan of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Turkish Businessman Extradited from Austria to Face Money Laundering and Wire Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Turkish businessman was extradited from Austria to face money laundering, wire fraud and obstruction charges.
Sezgin Baran Korkmaz arrived today in Utah in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Korkmaz was indicted in Salt Lake City, Utah, with laundering more than $133 million in illegal proceeds through bank accounts he controlled in Turkey and Luxembourg. According to an April 2021 superseding indictment, the proceeds relate to a scheme orchestrated in Plymouth, Utah, by Jacob Kingston, Isaiah Kingston and Levon Termendzhyan to defraud the U.S. Treasury by filing false claims for more than $1 billion in tax credits allegedly for the production and sale of biodiesel by their company, Washakie Renewable Energy LLC.
Korkmaz and his co-conspirators allegedly used the biofuel fraud proceeds to acquire luxury homes and assets, as well as businesses such as Biofarma, the Turkish airline Borajet, a yacht named the Queen Anne, a hotel in Turkey and a villa and apartment on the Bosporus river in Istanbul. In coordination with authorities in Lebanon, the U.S. Marshals Service took the Queen Anne yacht into custody in July 2021 and sold it earlier this year for $10.11 million pursuant to an October 2021 order of U.S. District Judge Jill Parrish of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, who is presiding over the Korkmaz case. Other assets of Korkmaz-related companies in Turkey and Europe are the subject of forfeiture claims by the United States and Turkey.
According to the superseding indictment, Korkmaz also devised a scheme to defraud Jacob Kingston and Isaiah Kingston in early 2018 by falsely representing he could provide them with protection, through unnamed government officials, from a federal grand jury investigation and civil lawsuits. In exchange, the Kingstons sent him $6 million over several months.
Additionally, Korkmaz allegedly made false statements to federal agents in an attempt to obstruct the pending criminal trial against Kingston and Termendzhyan. Among other misstatements, Korkmaz allegedly lied about $38 million in wire transfers sent to a bank account controlled by Termendzhyan.
“The successful apprehension and extradition of Baran Korkmaz demonstrates the department’s commitment to working with our international partners to pursue, capture and return those who seek to defraud the American people,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “Thanks to our law enforcement partners and their counterparts in Austria and Lebanon, we are now able to bring Korkmaz to trial on the pending charges, and have recovered significant forfeiture proceeds.”
“We commend our partners from the Tax Division and the Department of Justice for pursuing Sezgin Baran Korkmaz on behalf of the American taxpayers and ensuring his return to Utah to face justice in U.S. District Court,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. “We are also thankful for the efforts of our foreign partners in Lebanon and Austria, and in particular, the Austrian Bundeskriminalamt Fugitive Active Search Team, for locating Korkmaz overseas.”
In July 2019 Jacob and Isaiah Kingston both pleaded guilty to federal charges, and in 2020 both men testified at the trial of Levon Termendzhyan in Utah. The federal jury convicted Termendzhyan of all charges. The Kingstons and Termendzhyan all await sentencing.
If convicted, Korkmaz faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of money laundering conspiracy, wire fraud, and obstruction of an official proceeding. A district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Department of Defense DCIS are investigating the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and FBI Legal Attaché in Vienna, Austria played key roles in securing the arrest and successful extradition of Korkmaz. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cy Castle for the District of Utah, Senior Policy Advisor Darrin L. McCullough of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and the U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance in the seizure of the Queen Anne yacht and its subsequent sale.
Trial Attorney Richard Rolwing and Senior Litigation Counsel John Sullivan of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tarzana Accountant Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charge for Helping Client Fraudulently Obtain $1.2 Million COVID-Related Business LoanRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley certified public accountant pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for helping a long-time client fraudulently obtain a $1.2 million COVID-19 business loan by knowingly preparing a false corporate tax return on the client’s behalf.
Bernard Turk, 73, of Tarzana, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, a crime that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, Turk is a certified public accountant who runs a tax preparation business in Tarzana. In February 2021, Turk helped a long-time client submit a false application for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan on behalf of the client’s company, Agency 126, a purported marketing and video production agency based in Irvine.
PPP is a government-backed loan program designed by Congress to help small businesses stay afloat and keep their workforces employed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Specifically, Turk prepared a false federal corporate income tax return, claiming that Agency 126 paid employees $5,383,401 in wages during the 2019 tax year. Turk provided the false 2019 tax return to his client to submit to a bank to support the PPP loan sought by the client. To hide his involvement, Turk marked the false tax return “self-prepared.”
Turk admitted that both he and his client knew that Agency 126 had no employees, paid no wages, and never filed tax returns with the IRS.
The client electronically submitted the false tax return that Turk prepared to the Small Business Administration and the bank in support of Agency 126’s fraudulent PPP loan application. On the false 2019 tax return submitted to the bank, the client removed the “self-prepared” designation and replaced it with Turk as the preparer.
Relying, in part, on the false tax return, the bank and the SBA approved and funded Agency 126’s PPP loan and wired $1,212,312 to a bank account that the client controlled. For his role in the scheme, Turk was to receive a percentage of the loan proceeds when the bank forgave the loan.
United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton scheduled Turk’s sentencing hearing for October 7.
The Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the FBI is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Anyone with general information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Taos woman faces charge of tamperingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Genevieve McDonald has been charged with tampering with a witness, victim or an informant. McDonald, 60, and an enrolled member of the Taos Pueblo, will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to the complaint, beginning on May 4, McDonald allegedly began calling, texting and messaging a person identified in court records as Jane Doe. Despite repeated warnings from law enforcement, McDonald allegedly continued to send messages of a harassing nature to Jane Doe, including through Facebook Messenger and by posting messages on her own Facebook wall.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, McDonald faces up to 20 years in prison.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case.
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Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of “Molly”Read the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK –Rory R. Williams, aka “Wildman,” aka “Wild,” aka “Man,” aka “Shawn Carter,” age 45, of Syracuse, New York, pled guilty yesterday to distributing N-Ethylpentylone, also known as “molly,” a Schedule I controlled substance.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matt Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Lieutenant Timothy Pritchard of the Oswego County Drug Task Force, and Chief Joseph Cecile of the Syracuse Police Department.
As part of his guilty plea yesterday, Williams admitted that on November 30, 2021, he distributed approximately 267 grams (approximately 10 ounces) of N-Ethylpentylone, also known as “molly,” to a customer outside his residence in Syracuse, New York, in exchange for $2,500. Williams also admitted to distributing controlled substances on other occasions: on March 10, 2022, Williams gave another individual approximately 770 grams of N,N-dimethylpentylone (dipentylone), to deliver to a customer in Oswego, New York, and on December 21, 2020, the defendant distributed approximately 388 grams of eutylone to a customer outside his residence in Syracuse. Both dipentylone and eutylone are also known as “molly.” Williams further admitted that on March 10, 2022, he possessed at his residence approximately 7 kilograms of dipentylone, which he intended to distribute to others. Williams also admitted that $203,204 in cash found at his residence was drug proceeds and agreed to its forfeiture.
At sentencing, currently scheduled for November 10, 2022, Williams faces a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Oswego County Drug Task Force (comprised of Special Agents of HSI, members of the Oswego City Police Department, Fulton Police Department, Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Border Patrol), the Drug Enforcement Administration, Syracuse Police Department, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie.