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29 August 2022
Former South Bay Resident Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation Charge for Enticing Girls to Send Him Images Depicting MasochismRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Redondo Beach resident pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for targeting girls on the internet and enticing them to engage in masochistic abuse for his sexual gratification.
Matthew Christian Locher, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child for the purpose of producing a sexually explicit visual depiction.
According to his plea agreement, from November 2020 to May 2021, Locher targeted girls suffering from mental health issues, including depression, suicidal thoughts, and eating disorders. During internet conversations, Locher groomed his victims to engage in self-mutilation and instructed a victim struggling with an eating disorder to starve herself, ordering her to film herself cutting her body when she disobeyed him.
Locher enticed two of the minor victims to send Locher images and videos of themselves committing acts of self-harm, which included cutting their breasts with razor blades.
Locher enticed a third victim, who was 12 years old, to run away from her home in Ohio and travel to California to engage in illegal sexual activity with him. Specifically, Locher encouraged the victim to kill her parents, at which point he would pick her up, bring her to California, and make her his “slave.” This victim began a trip to California after setting a fire in her family’s home in an unsuccessful attempt to kill her parents.
Soon after federal authorities executed a search warrant at his residence, Locher relocated to Indiana in the summer of 2021. Following his arrest in Indianapolis in January 2022, federal authorities transported Locher to California. He has been in federal custody since then.
United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee scheduled a January 17, 2023 sentencing hearing, at which time Locher will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Springfield (Ohio) Police Department, the Shelby County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office, and the New York City Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea Norell of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.
Former Real Estate Attorney and Wife Sentenced for Mortgage Fraud and Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Massachusetts attorney and his wife have been sentenced in federal court in Boston in connection with various mortgage fraud schemes.
Barry Wayne Plunkett Jr., 62, and Nancy Plunkett, 57, both of Hyannis Port, were sentenced on Aug. 25, 2022 by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf. Barry Plunkett was sentenced to 78 months in prison and five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $3,236,466 and forfeiture of $3,221,403. Nancy Plunkett was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution of $3,054,759, jointly and severally with Barry Plunkett, and forfeiture of $3,221,403. On March 4, 2022, Barry Plunkett pleaded guilty to five counts of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of tax evasion. On the same date, Nancy Plunkett pleaded guilty to five counts of bank fraud.
Prior to being disbarred in October 2017, Barry Plunkett owned and operated the Plunkett Law Firm where his wife, Nancy Plunkett, served as his office assistant and paralegal.
The defendants engaged in several bank fraud schemes. In one scheme, from September 2012 to July 2016, the defendants defrauded six mortgage lenders and 14 homeowners for whom the Plunkett Law Firm handled the closings for new mortgage loans to refinance residential properties. The Plunketts informed the mortgage lenders that pre-existing mortgages were paid off from the new loan proceeds when, in fact, they intentionally failed to pay off the prior liens and instead converted more than $1 million in payoff funds for their own purposes.
In other bank fraud schemes – between April 2015 and March 2018 – the Plunketts fraudulently used various names, entities and false documents to obtain three successive mortgage loans on their home in Hyannis Port in amounts of $412,000, $470,000 and $1.2 million. The defendants pledged as collateral a property in Hyannis Port that was held in a family trust for which Barry Plunkett was one of three beneficiaries. Both defendants participated in providing false documents to the lenders, including false title reports and other records to falsely represent that the property was free and clear of existing mortgage liens and forged documents in the names of other people. The defendants also made misrepresentations to a lender that Nancy Plunkett was a single woman living in Wellesley who was purchasing the property in her maiden name as a business investment when, in fact, the defendants had been married since 2014 and the property was their residence.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Robert Manchak, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor A. Wild and Mackenzie Queenin of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Carol Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit, prosecuted the case.
Former Eastern Kentucky Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Restrained InmateRead the Press Release
Jeffery T. Havens, 27, a former Eastern Kentucky Correctional Center (EKCC) officer from West Liberty, Kentucky, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to one count of depriving an inmate of his civil rights.
According to his plea agreement, Havens admitted that on July 24, 2018, he and another EKCC correctional officer assaulted an inmate who had been taken to an isolated shower cell. Havens admitted that he held the inmate against the ground while his fellow correctional officer punched and kicked the inmate in the head. Havens joined in the assault by punching the inmate multiple times. At the time of the assault, the inmate was unresisting, lying face-down and wearing handcuffs and leg shackles.
On July 12, in a related case, former EKCC officer Derek Mays pleaded guilty to four counts of obstruction of justice based on his efforts to cover up the same assault.
Havens is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13, 2023. He faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office; and Colonel Phillip Burnett Jr. Commissioner of Kentucky State Police (KSP), jointly announced the guilty plea.
The FBI, KSP and the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zach Dembo and Mary Melton for the Eastern District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted this case.
Former High School Track and Field Coach Charged in Twenty-Count Child Exploitation IndictmentRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that a federal grand jury returned an Indictment charging Alfredo Bruce Smith, 51, of St. Thomas, with twenty counts of charges including production of child pornography, coercion and enticement, and transportation of a minor for illegal sexual activity. Smith is also charged with Virgin Islands sexual offenses including aggravated second-degree rape. If convicted, Smith faces a possible sentence of life imprisonment.
According to court documents, Smith worked as a coach and school monitor at Charlotte Amalie High School. In 2021, Homeland Security Investigations began an investigation into Smith’s alleged criminal activities after receiving reports that he sexually assaulted a minor during a school-sponsored track and field trip in March 2019. A subsequent search of Smith’s social media and cell phones revealed dozens of images of child pornography, many of which depicted sex acts occurring at Charlotte Amalie High School
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everard Potter and Natasha L. Baker. Homeland Security Investigations encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-800-981-3030, or by calling 787-729-6969.
United States Attorney Delia L. Smith reminds the public that an Indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Exporting firearms and ammunition for wife lands Texas man in prisonRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A man illegally residing in Garland has been sent to federal prison for his role in smuggling firearms from the United States into Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Juan Jose Roque, 36, pleaded guilty April 29.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Roque to serve 46 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Roque had been participating for months in the criminal venture before he was caught. The court also heard that his participation included buying firearms and ammunition to be exported and loading vehicles for his wife who was acting as the leader/organizer. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Roque was an average participant in the venture even though he was acting at the behest of his wife at the time.
On Dec. 17, 2020, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Roque after he failed to use a signal to change lanes. Soon after, authorities discovered 13,000 rounds of ammunition and a firearm in the vehicle.
Investigation later revealed that Roque worked in conjunction with his wife Brendalit Hernandez, 44, and co-conspirator, Juan Marvin Garcia, 25, both illegally residing in Garland, to smuggle ammunition and firearms into Mexico. Hernandez was also romantically involved with Garcia while currently married to Roque.
Hernandez facilitated the delivery of the ammunition and firearms to individuals in Mexico. She instructed Roque to purchase the weapons and ammunition to then be transported in vehicles while coordinating with Garcia to carry ammunition from Dallas to the Rio Grande Valley area and eventually Mexico.
Garcia was previously sentenced to 36 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy. Hernandez pleaded guilty to charges July 5 and will be sentenced Sept. 14.
Roque will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colton Turner prosecuted the case.
Eastern panhandle man admits to role in “boot” distribution operationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Corbin Charles Linthicum, of Kearneysville, West Virginia has admitted to his role in a drug conspiracy, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Linthicum, 22, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Eutylone.” Linthicum admitted to working with others to distribute large quantities of Eutylone, also known as “boot,” from Maryland to Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, West Virginia from February 2019 to March 15, 2022.
Linthicum faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; ATF; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Martinsburg Police Department; the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department; the Virginia State Police, Montgomery County; and Maryland State Attorney’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
District of Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation and Sex Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Matthew Stitt-Johnson, 31, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of second-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances for abusing three minor children.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Stitt-Johnson pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Jia M. Cobb scheduled sentencing for Jan. 25, 2023. Stitt-Johnson faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 68 ½ years.
According to the government’s evidence, Stitt-Johnson sexually abused three children, an eight-year-old, a five-year-old, and an eight-month-old infant, between 2015 and 2020. Stitt-Johnson took videos of his sexual abuse of the five-year-old child and the eight-month-old infant. While the five-year-old and her sister reported the abuse to their mother, the abuse was not reported to law enforcement agencies. In 2021, law enforcement officers received a tip that Stitt-Johnson downloaded child pornography from a cloud-based service and subsequently executed a search warrant on his home, recovering two cell phones belonging to Stitt-Johnson.
Videos depicting the sexual abuse of the five-year-old victim and eight-month-old victim were discovered in his cell phones, along with 13,000 images of child pornography. Stitt-Johnson distributed the images of his sexual abuse of children in Internet forums dedicated to trading child pornography, particularly trading images of the rape and torture of infants and toddlers, and actively sought out and distributed other child pornography images over a two-year period.
Stitt-Johnson was arrested on Dec. 17, 2021. He has been in custody since.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, as well as MPD’s Youth and Family Services Division (YFSD), Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Alexis Spencer-Anderson and Daniel Haines, Victim/Witness Advocates Yvonne Bryant and Tracy Owusu, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Platt and Janani Iyengar.
Convicted Felon Who Possessed Loaded Firearm Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Nathanael Santiago (29, Ocala) to seven years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a previously convicted felon. A federal jury had found Santiago guilty on May 11, 2022.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office encountered Santiago in the driver’s seat of an idling vehicle in Marion Oaks. The deputies approached Santiago and saw a marijuana “blunt” in the ashtray, which Santiago admitted to smoking. When Santiago stepped out of the vehicle, the deputies discovered a loaded 9mm pistol that had been hidden beneath his right leg. Santiago has previously been convicted of three felony offenses. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Hannah Nowalk.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 262 Months in Prison for Firearm Possession Following Armed Standoff with PoliceRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jermaine Lee Walker, 45, of Quincy, Florida, was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison after he pled guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“Those who repeatedly commit serious crimes are deserving of significant prison sentences,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Our brave law enforcement partners work tirelessly to keep us safe and are to be commended for apprehending this armed career criminal and bringing his reign of violence to an end. This sentence ensures that our community will be safer and sends a message that there are real and severe consequences for federal firearm offenses.”
Court documents reflect that on April 5, 2021, the Quincy Police Department (QPD) and Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) responded to a 911 call regarding a man holding a woman at gunpoint. QPD officers arrived on scene and made contact with residents who explained a man and woman were inside, struggling over a firearm. QPD officers entered the house and found Walker struggling with his girlfriend over control of a revolver. Walker ignored commands to drop the firearm and told officers to give him five minutes and then come back. Walker kept his girlfriend between himself and officers, using her as a human shield. Walker pointed the firearm at his girlfriend and pointed the firearm at officers. GCSO deputies arrived on scene and entered the residence. One deputy was able to get a clear shot at Walker and shot him in the hip/buttock area. Walker then dropped the firearm, was arrested, and given medical attention. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the officer involved shooting.
“This sentencing is a testament to the effectiveness of the law enforcement community—local, state, and federal alike—when we partner with the United States Attorney’s Office and the community to prevent and solve community-related problems together, as well as to hold those accountable who violate the laws of our state and nation,” said Chief Timothy Ashley, Quincy Police Department.
Walker qualified for enhanced sentencing because he had previously been convicted of arson of a structure, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, and two separate incidents of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Walker had been to prison on four separate occasions and was released from prison approximately six months before this offense. He was on state probation at the time of this offense.
This sentencing resulted from the collaborative work of the Quincy Police Department, the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Cedar Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to 2011 Robbery After Start of Federal TrialRead the Press Release
A man who robbed a Century cab on April 29, 2011, pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Johnathan DeWayne Mitchell, age 44, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of interference with commerce by robbery.
The guilty plea occurred during the opening stages of Mitchell’s jury trial after exhibits had been admitted and the jury was selected. In the plea hearing, Mitchell admitted he robbed a Century cab on April 29, 2011, and took money and personal effects from the driver. Evidence admitted at the trial, before the plea was entered, showed the cab driver died of multiple stab wounds she sustained during the robbery.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Mitchell remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Mitchell faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, restitution to the victim’s family, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Reinert and Dillan Edwards and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 16-CR-00029-LTS.
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Canton Man Charged with Operating Illegal Slot Machine Gambling BusinessRead the Press Release
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that Steven Saris, 47, of Canton, Ohio, was charged in an indictment with operating an illegal gambling business.
The indictment alleges that from 2012 through 2018, the defendant, and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, owned and operated Café 62, an illegal gambling business involving slot machines, in the Canton area.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, a sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum; in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Ohio Casino and Gaming Commission and the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Toepfer and Robert J. Patton.
Californian Admits Mailing 2 Kilograms of Meth to Western PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Stockton, California pleaded guilty in federal court to violation of federal narcotics laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced today.
Francisco Barba, age 33, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possesses with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. Barba was one of 47 defendants charged in six related indictments as part of the Return to Sender investigation.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Barba mailed approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine to the Western District of Pennsylvania at the direction of methamphetamine suppliers located in California.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Barba on January 6, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. The law provides for a sentence of not less than ten years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The court ordered that the defendant remain detained pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan D. Lusty and Michael R. Ball are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Meth and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Stockton, California pleaded guilty in federal court to violation of federal narcotics and money laundering laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, United States Attorney Cindy Chung announced today.
Christian Maldonado, age 34, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possesses with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine as well as one count of conspiracy to launder money before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand. Maldonado was one of 47 defendants charged in six related indictments as part of the Return to Sender investigation.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Maldonado received over 280 pounds of methamphetamine from suppliers located in California, package it in mail parcels, and provided them to couriers, who shipped them from California and Nevada to Jefferson County, Clearfield County, and Allegheny County. Maldonado also received a large amount of United States currency representing drug proceeds that was used to purchase additional methamphetamine from the Western District of Pennsylvania. Maldonado then transported the remaining drug profits to a co-defendant.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for Maldonado on Jan. 9, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. The law provides for a sentence of not less than ten years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The court ordered that the defendant remain detained pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan D. Lusty and Michael R. Ball are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Services, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks
California Man Arrested for $7 Million Securities FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A California man has been arrested in connection with his alleged involvement in a sophisticated securities fraud scheme that generated over $7 million in illicit proceeds.
Joseph A. Padilla, 53, of Carlsbad, Calif., was charged with one count of securities fraud. Padilla was arrested at the San Diego International Airport on Aug. 25, 2022 and made an initial appearance in federal court in the Southern District of California on Aug. 26, 2022. He will appear in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging document, Padilla is a one-time stockbroker who was barred from the securities industry in 2012 by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It is alleged that, between February and April 2021, Padilla participated in a sophisticated and lucrative pump-and-dump fraud scheme involving the shares of Charlestowne Premium Beverages Inc., a thinly-traded microcap company that traded under the stock ticker symbol FPWM. As part of the scheme, Padilla is alleged to have orchestrated the fraudulent inflation (or “pump”) of Charlestowne’s stock price using his brokerage account and the accounts of several other individuals. He then allegedly facilitated the sale (or “dump”) of millions of Charlestowne’s shares at pumped up prices to unsuspecting investors in Massachusetts and throughout the United States.
The charge of securities fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
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.
Bucks County Drug Trafficker Convicted of Multiple Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Matt “Mack” Jones, 39, of Bensalem, PA, was convicted at trial of multiple narcotics offenses including distribution of heroin and conspiracy to distribute heroin.
In January 2018, New Jersey State Police, the Philadelphia DEA, New Jersey (Camden) DEA, and the Philadelphia Police Department began a joint investigation of the defendant and other co-conspirators related to a drug trafficking operation. Investigators learned that the defendant was a supplier of heroin, and would use female associates as couriers to deliver bags of heroin to customers. Phone records, text messages, and physical surveillance confirmed the defendant’s participation in the conspiracy to distribute and deliver substantial amounts of heroin throughout the Philadelphia region.
The investigation progressed from controlled purchases of heroin from the defendant and his co-conspirators, to the eventual seizure of substantial amounts of fentanyl-laced heroin, narcotics adulterants, drug paraphernalia, and multiple stolen firearms from an apartment used by the defendant and his coconspirators to store and distribute drugs. All told, the narcotics conspiracy was responsible for distributing over a half kilogram of heroin and/or fentanyl.
“Drug addiction and the distribution operations that enable it are at epidemic levels in Philadelphia, and the federal government is aggressively prosecuting those responsible for the surge,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Jones and other members of this conspiracy pumped large quantities of narcotics into our communities, putting many people’s lives at risk. We want to thank our law enforcement partners in this case for their hard work and dedication.”
The case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, the Philadelphia Police Department, New Jersey State Police, the Bensalem Township Police, and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Metcalf.
Buckhannon man sentenced for drug and counterfeit chargesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Garry William Moran, II, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 84 months of incarceration for drug and counterfeit charges, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Moran, 42, pleaded guilty in June 2021 to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine” and one count of “Possession of Counterfeit Obligations.” Moran admitted to having methamphetamine to sell from January to May 2019 in Upshur County and elsewhere. Moran also admitted to having $1,100 in counterfeit bills in May 2019 in Upshur County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Lakes Drug Task Force and the U.S. Secret Service investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Bridgeport Gang Member Admits Role in Murder and Attempted MurderRead the Press Release
TRAVON JONES, also known as “Buda” and “Budda,” 20, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to a racketeering offense stemming from his involvement in a violent Bridgeport street gang and the murder and attempted murder of rival gang members.*
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia; David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. Jones has been a member of the “East End gang,” which began as a local street gang based in the East End of Bridgeport, but currently has members and associates who are either incarcerated or living throughout Bridgeport and surrounding towns. The East End gang has been aligned with other groups, including the PT Barnum Gang, the East Side gang and 150, which is a geographic gang based on the West Side of Bridgeport. These groups were aligned against rival organizations in Bridgeport, including the “Original North End” (“O.N.E.”) and the “Greene Homes Boyz,” (“GHB/Hotz”), based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End.
Jones and other East End members distributed heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and Percocet pills; used and shared firearms; and committed murder and other acts of violence against rival gang members and other individuals. East End members celebrated their criminal conduct on social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube, and committed acts of intimidation and made threats to deter potential witnesses to their crimes and to protect gang members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities.
In pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, Jones specifically admitted that, on July 12, 2019, he and another East End member shot and killed Sean Warren, also known as “Kujoe,” a member and associate of the O.N.E. gang. In addition, on October 17, 2019, Jones and another East End member shot at and attempted to kill another member and associate of the O.N.E. gang.
Under the terms of a binding plea agreement, if accepted by the court, the parties have agreed that a sentence of between 20 and 30 years of imprisonment is an appropriate sentence in this case.
Jones is detained pending sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Waterbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, and Stephanie T. Levick.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
*On July 21, 2023, Judge Bolden granted Jones' motion to withdraw his guilty plea.
Boston Man Charged with Four Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with multiple bank robberies in Massachusetts.
Jacob Pimentel, 31, was indicted on four counts of bank robbery. Pimentel is currently in custody in Middlesex County for a related offense and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the indictment, between April and May 2022, Pimentel allegedly robbed four separate banks in the greater Boston area, stealing a total of more than $6,000. Specifically, it is alleged that Pimentel robbed the TD Bank branch in Allston on April 25, 2022; the TD Bank branch in Brighton on May 4, 2022; the Santander Bank branch in Brookline on May 13, 2022; and the TD Bank branch in Cambridge on May 23, 2022.
The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Boston, Sharon and Lynn Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Gotlob of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Boca Raton Chiropractor Sentenced to Four Years’ Imprisonment for $20 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Jonathan Michael Rouffe (49, Boca Raton) to four years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The court also ordered Rouffe to forfeit assets from several bank accounts, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $3,127,290, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct, and a restitution order in the amount of $10,725,607.15. Rouffe had pleaded guilty on June 30, 2020.
According to court documents, in 2018, Rouffe and his conspirators established a conglomerate of durable medical equipment (“DME”) supply companies. During the creation of the companies, they lied to Medicare to secure billing privileges, including placing the companies in the names of straw owners. By concealing their true ownership, the conspirators gained control of more companies, which Medicare generally prohibits, enabling them to submit high volumes of illegal DME claims. Through the conglomerate, during the course of one year, Rouffe and his conspirators submitted more than $20 million in illegal DME claims, resulting in over $10 million in payments from Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (“CHAMPVA”).
To attain such high volumes of claims, Rouffe and his conspirators used illegal bribes and kickbacks. Specifically, they illegally purchased thousands of DME claims from so-called “marketers.” On invoices, the parties disguised the illegal kickback transactions as marketing services and the conspirators claimed that the DME prescriptions had been generated through “telemedicine.” No telemedicine had actually occurred. Instead, doctors were bribed in exchange for DME approvals. Rouffe and his conspirators paid millions to secure the illegal DME claims for submission to Medicare and CHAMPVA.
“Today’s sentencing shows that individuals who commit Medicare fraud will be held accountable for their crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Our agency, working closely with our law enforcement partners, will continue to bring those who steal from federal health care programs to justice.”
“Healthcare fraud investigations require lots of patience and skill to follow the money,” said FBI Tampa Special Agent in Charge David Walker. “The FBI has a world class team of special agents, analysts, and forensic accountants determined to protect our nation’s federally funded healthcare systems and bring these heartless, greedy fraudsters to justice.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.
Barbour County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – James Richard Cutright, of Philippi, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 36 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Cutright, 34, pleaded guilty in January 2022 to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Cutright, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of a prior conviction, admitted to having a 16-gauge shotgun in February 2020 in Barbour County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Aliquippa Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Heroin/Fentanyl that Caused a DeathRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of distribution of a substance containing, heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Zachary Martin Cymbalak, age 35, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge William J. Stickman.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on Jan. 6, 2019, law enforcement officers found a deceased individual under circumstances suggesting that the death was caused by an overdose, which was later confirmed by the Beaver County Coroner’s Office. At the location of the death, law enforcement officers found drug paraphernalia and distinctive empty stamp bags. Based on telephone records and other investigative techniques, law enforcement identified Cymbalak as the likely source of supply of the drugs that caused the death.
Later on Jan. 6, 2019, law enforcement arranged for a confidential informant to purchase controlled substances from the defendant. The stamp bags were the same distinctive stamp bags found at the scene of the death. After the purchase, law enforcement stopped the vehicle in which Cymbalak was a passenger and recovered more of the distinctive stamps bags and the money used in the purchase. Laboratory tests confirmed that the stamp bags purchased from Cymbalak and recovered from Cymbalak’s person contained a combination of heroin, fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl. As part of the plea agreement Cymbalak took responsibility for causing the death of the decedent.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for Jan. 18, 2023. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $1 million, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, along with the Baden and Harmony Township Police Departments, the Beaver County Coroner’s Office, and the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office Anti-Drug Task Force, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cymbalak.
26 August 2022
West Virginia Man Indicted for Acquiring Illegally Transported PlantsRead the Press Release
A resident of Birch River, West Virginia, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Columbus, Ohio, on charges of receipt, acquisition or purchase of illegally transported protected plants and falsification of records, Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio announced.
The six-count indictment named Tony Lee Coffman, 59, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment presented to the court, Coffman received, acquired or purchased American ginseng roots that had been illegally transported in interstate commerce from Ohio and falsified records relating to the purchase of Ohio ginseng.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of five years in prison per count, a fine of $20,000 per count, or both. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting this case.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources conducted the investigation.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Violent New Haven Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL SMITH, also known as “Head,” 36, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 156 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for narcotics trafficking, gun possession and money laundering offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2019, the DEA New Haven Task Force began an investigation into a New Haven-based drug trafficking network headed by Smith. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that Smith and his associates were distributing heroin and crack cocaine throughout the New Haven area. Smith’s girlfriend, Keilah Boria, maintained bank accounts that Smith used to launder the cash proceeds of his drug trafficking activity. From 2016 to 2019, Boria deposited more than $200,000 in cash into the bank accounts. Boria rented vehicles for Smith that Smith used to conduct his drug trafficking activity.
In December 2019, Smith was intercepted on a wiretap describing having shot at a rival drug dealer. New Haven Police collected 31 shell casings from a location in the Fair Haven neighborhood where the shooting occurred. Smith was arrested on December 23, 2019.
Smith has been detained since his arrest. On April 15, 2021, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine base (“crack”), possession of a firearm in furtherance of a narcotics trafficking offense, and conspiracy to launder the proceeds of a specified unlawful activity.
Boria pleaded guilty to related charges and, on September 14, 2021, was sentenced to nine months of imprisonment.
This investigation has been conducted by the DEA New Haven Task Force, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, West Haven, Hamden, East Haven, North Haven, Ansonia, Meriden and Derby Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Elena L. Coronado through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Secret Service Returns $286M in Fraudulently Obtained Funds to the Small Business AdministrationRead the Press Release
DENVER – Today, the U.S. Secret Service returned approximately $286 million in fraudulently obtained Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to the Small Business Administration (SBA). These recovered funds were generated by fraudulently submitted EIDL loan applications using fabricated or stolen employment and personal information.
“The Secret Service is dedicated to safeguarding the integrity of the nation’s financial systems against fraud and holding those responsible to account for their criminal activity,” said Assistant Director David Smith. “By aiding in the return of nearly $2.3 billion in stolen funds over the last 30 months, our workforce has demonstrated a clear and firm commitment to the vitality of American businesses across the country.”
“Through intentional collaborations like this, OIG will continue to ensure that taxpayer dollars obtained through fraudulent means will be returned to taxpayers and fraudsters involved face justice,” said SBA Office of Inspector General (OIG) Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware. “OIG is focused on rooting out bad actors in these vital SBA programs. I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service and our many partners in law enforcement for their tireless dedication and focused commitment to seeing justice served.”
Initiated by the Secret Service Orlando, Florida, Field Office, the investigation revealed that the conspirators utilized third-party payment system Green Dot Bank (GDB), issuer of Green Dot debit cards, to conceal and move their criminal proceeds. Working with GDB, the Secret Service was able to identify over 15,000 accounts used in the conspiracy and seize the $286 million contained in these fraudulent accounts.
After having identified the suspected fraudulent accounts with GDB, the Secret Service approached the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. The District of Colorado has venue for all Economic Injury Disaster Loans issued by the Small Business Administration based on its Finance Center being located in Colorado. The U.S. Attorney’s Office then obtained the seizure warrant with the District Court that led to the seizure of over 15,000 accounts with $286 million from Green Dot Bank.
“Working closely with our Central and North Florida Cyber Fraud Task Forces, this investigation enabled the recovery of a significant amount of critical federal relief,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Roy Dotson, the lead investigator for the Secret Service.
“We applaud the hard work and dedication of the Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Colorado and Middle District of Florida,” said Department of Justice Director for COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Kevin Chambers. “This is an important step in returning stolen funds to the American people. This forfeiture effort and those to come are a direct and necessary response to the unprecedented size and scope of pandemic relief fraud. The Department of Justice is grateful for our partnership with the Secret Service and all of our law enforcement partners working to recover stolen pandemic relief funds”.
Since 2020, the Secret Service has seized over $1.4 billion in fraudulently obtained funds and assisted in returning approximately $2.3 billion to state unemployment insurance programs. The Secret Service has additionally initiated more than 3,850 pandemic related fraud investigations and investigative inquiries.
Two Individuals Convicted of Conspiracy and Fraud in Cattle Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a woman and man today of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering relating to a scheme that fraudulently raised money from investors across the country.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Reva Joyce Stachniw, 70, of Galesburg, Illinois, and Ron Throgmartin, 58, of Buford, Georgia, ran a Ponzi scheme from late 2017 until early 2019 by fraudulently representing to victim-investors that their investments were backed by short-term investments in cattle. They also used false and fraudulent pretenses to solicit money from victim-investors for the conspirators’ Colorado-based marijuana business, Universal Herbs LLC. Other victim-investors gave the conspirators money based on false promises that investment money would be used for legitimate business activities related to cattle or marijuana, without having the investment money linked to specific investment opportunities.
Stachniw and Throgmartin were convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 6, 2023, and face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the wire fraud counts and the conspiracy to commit wire fraud count, as well as 10 years in prison on the conspiracy to commit money laundering count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Scott Armstrong and Trial Attorney Brandon Burkhart of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
Two District Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for Armed Kidnappings Using Blindfolds and Zip TiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Taheed Ebron, 21, and Nathan Coleman, 29, both of Washington, D.C., have been sentenced to prison terms for kidnapping two men at gunpoint over a five-day period in August 2021 and using blindfolds and zip ties to restrain their victims.
The announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Both defendants pleaded guilty in April 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to two counts of armed kidnapping. Ebron also pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol without a license in a separate firearm case. The guilty pleas were contingent upon the Court’s approval. Ebron’s plea called for an agreed-upon sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison, and Coleman’s plea called for eight to 10 years in prison.
The Honorable Lynn Leibovitz accepted the pleas and sentenced the defendants accordingly. Ebron was sentenced today to 10 years in prison. Coleman was sentenced on June 24, 2022, to a 9 ½-year prison term. Following completion of their prison terms, Ebron and Coleman each will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 24, 2021, at approximately 10:45 p.m., Ebron, Coleman, and a third perpetrator kidnapped a man at gunpoint while he was walking home in the 1300 block of Corcoran Street NW. The defendants pulled the man’s COVID face mask over his eyes as a blindfold and forced him into the rear of Ebron’s silver Nissan Rogue SUV. They demanded that he turn over his cellphone, credit and debit cards, and personal identification numbers (PINs). The defendants then drove the man to multiple ATM locations and used his financial cards to withdraw more than $1,400 from his accounts. They also used the man’s cards and cellphone to make a series of purchases and transactions, including a $1,200 PayPal transfer. Ebron, Coleman, and the third perpetrator eventually released the man from the SUV, forcing him to lay face down on the ground in an alley before driving away.
Just days later, on Aug. 28, 2021, at approximately 3:45 a.m., Ebron, Coleman, and a third perpetrator kidnapped another man at gunpoint near the intersection of 13th and E Streets NE while he was riding an electric scooter on the way to work. After seeing the man, Ebron parked his silver Nissan Rogue SUV in the intersection, and Ebron, Coleman, and the third perpetrator exited the vehicle. The defendants ran toward the man and caught and threw him to the ground. They then hooded him using a drawstring bag and restrained his hands with zip ties that Ebron and Coleman had purchased the previous day. The defendants forced the man into the SUV and demanded his wallet, cellphone, and PINs. They drove him to an ATM and withdrew more than $1,000 from his bank account. Ebron, Coleman, and the third perpetrator eventually released the man from the vehicle, instructing him to run straight ahead and not look back or else be shot. The defendants then used his debit card to make a series of purchases and withdrawals.
A joint MPD and FBI investigation led to Coleman’s arrest on Sept. 6, 2021, and Ebron’s arrest the following day. Both have been in custody since their arrests.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from MPD’s Special Investigation Section and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Alesha Matthews, and Victim/Witness Specialists Christina Bloodworth and Karina Hernandez. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles R. Jones and Mary L. Dohrmann, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Two Aurora Brothers Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Jesus Orlando Ortiz-Gonzalez, age 37, and Sergio Guadalupe Ortiz-Gonzalez, age 26, both of Aurora, Colorado, have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in distributing illegal narcotics.
Jesus Ortiz-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and 50 grams of methamphetamine. According to the plea agreement, on December 8, 2020, Jesus Ortiz-Gonzalez sent a courier to California to transport drugs back to Colorado. On December 14, 2020, Ortiz-Gonzalez orchestrated two drug load pick-ups in California, providing instructions to the courier of what to say and where to pick-up the drugs. On December 15, 2020, along Interstate 70 in Utah, a Utah Highway Patrol Trooper observed the courier’s rental car commit a traffic violation and he initiated a traffic stop. The traffic stop led to the discovery of nearly 60 pounds of methamphetamine and over 4 pounds of fentanyl disguised as heroin.
Sergio Ortiz-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. According to the plea agreement, from January 6, 2021, to February 2, 2021, Sergio Ortiz-Gonzalez entered into an agreement with a co-defendant to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin. Additionally, on March 19, 2021, he sourced approximately 13 pounds of methamphetamine and provided it for re-distribution to a co-defendant. Colorado State Troopers, working with the DEA, stopped the co-defendant’s vehicle and seized the methamphetamine.
On August 26, 2022, Chief U.S District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer sentenced Jesus Ortiz-Gonzalez to 200 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Judge Brimmer sentenced Sergio Ortiz-Gonzalez to 158 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
“We appreciate the dedication of the DEA agents who work diligently to try to prevent these illicit drugs from making their way onto our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “I certainly hope drug dealers take note that we will prosecute and hold them accountable for distributing drugs in our neighborhoods.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Case number: 21-cr-00231-PAB
Three Companies Agree to Plead Guilty to Federal Offense and Pay Nearly $13 Million in Federal Fines and Response Costs for Offshore Oil SpillRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Texas-based oil company and two of its subsidiaries have agreed to plead guilty to violating the federal Clean Water Act, pay a $7.1 million criminal fine, and compensate federal programs approximately $5.8 million in connection with the discharge of approximately 25,000 gallons of crude oil last October during an offshore leak in the 17-mile-long San Pedro Bay Pipeline, according to plea agreements filed today.
Federal prosecutors this afternoon filed plea agreements for the Houston-based Amplify Energy Corp., Beta Operating Co. LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of Amplify doing business as Beta Offshore), and San Pedro Bay Pipeline Co. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Amplify). All three companies were charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in December 2021.
Representatives of the three companies are expected to appear in the near future in United States District Court in Santa Ana to formally enter the guilty pleas. Each company has agreed to plead guilty to one misdemeanor count of negligently discharging oil into San Pedro Bay during the oil spill on October 1 and 2, 2021. The plea agreements are “binding” plea agreements, which means that the judge presiding over the case, United States District Judge David O. Carter, must accept or reject all aspects of the plea agreements. Should the court decide not to accept the plea agreements, any party may withdraw from the agreements and the case would proceed toward trial.
In addition to the payment of approximately $13 million in federal fines and costs, the companies have agreed to be placed on probation for a period of four years, during which time they are required to perform a series of actions and make operational improvements, including:
- reimbursing governmental agencies and entities that incurred direct and indirect expenses as the result of their response, including the U.S. Coast Guard and the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, in an amount currently estimated to be $5,844,700;
- improving training for all operational employees and related management personnel in identifying and responding to potential pipeline leaks;
- installing a new leak detection system for the pipeline;
- requiring notification to regulators of all leak detection alarms;
- contracting with an oil spill response organization that has the capability to detect oil on the surface of the water at night or in low-light conditions that will promptly deploy upon request;
- conducting visual underwater inspections of the pipeline semiannually; and
- making modifications to their pipeline-related procedures that will require financial investment of at least $250,000.
“The substantial financial penalties and compliance measures required by the plea agreements demonstrate the federal government’s resolve to punish any entity that causes environmental damage,” said Acting United States Attorney Stephanie S. Christensen. “This oil spill affected numerous people, businesses and organizations who use the Southern California coastal waters. The companies involved are now accepting their responsibility for criminal conduct and are required to make significant improvements that will help prevent future oil spills.”
The San Pedro Bay Pipeline, which was used to transfer crude oil from several offshore facilities to a processing plant in Long Beach, began leaking on the afternoon of October 1, 2021. In response to multiple leak detection alarms on October 1 and 2, the defendants’ employees shut down the pipeline several times, but then repeatedly and incorrectly assessed there was no leak and started pumping crude oil through the pipeline again. As a result of the defendants’ conduct, approximately 588 barrels of crude oil were discharged from a point approximately 4.7 miles west of Huntington Beach from a crack in the pipeline.
“Today’s plea agreement is a noteworthy success for federal and state law enforcement agencies charged with enforcing U.S. maritime laws protecting the oceans and natural marine resources in U.S. waters and around the world,” said Traci Larson, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Pacific Region. “CGIS Pacific Region is committed to protecting people’s health and the environment in communities across the Pacific Coast and throughout the U.S.”
“Our nation’s environmental laws are designed to protect our communities and oceans from hazardous pollutants, including oil,” said Scot Adair, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in California. “Amplify Energy’s agreement to plead guilty today demonstrates that companies that negligently violate those laws will be held responsible for their crimes.”
“Resources were devoted by the FBI and our federal partners in this investigation, including the FBI’s Underwater Search and Evidence Recovery Team,” said Amir Ehsaei, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The anticipated guilty pleas will send a clear message of accountability to companies which rely on our natural resources and will hold them to elevated standards of environmental stewardship.”
“The expected guilty pleas serve as a compelling reminder that pipeline operators are responsible for exercising the highest levels of accountability for their operations given the potential for devastating consequences when they fail to do so,” said Cissy Tubbs, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, Western Region. “Together with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will continue our vigorous efforts to pursue those who fail to meet the standards set by law and regulation designed to protect the people and natural resources of our nation.”
The plea agreements filed today require that the $7.1 million fine in the federal case be paid in installments over the next three years. The defendants recently paid $656,500 of the estimated $5.8 million in costs incurred by the Coast Guard and the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. Additionally, the defendants previously paid the vast majority of expenses related to the clean-up of the spill.
The Coast Guard Investigative Service; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division; the FBI; and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General investigated the oil leak.
Assistant United States Attorneys Matt O’Brien and Brian Faerstein of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Tennessee Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Minor via SnapchatRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Tennessee man, Ryan Dale Gross, 26, of the 3400 block of Berkshire Circle, Johnson City, has been sentenced to 264 months imprisonment for four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. The counts are to be served concurrently. Following his release, Gross must serve a 10-year term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that in late 2020, a minor child residing in the Central District of Illinois was contacted over Snapchat by a person later identified as Gross. Gross falsely told the minor child he was 16 years old, and the chats progressed into Gross requesting sexually explicit photos of the minor victim despite knowing the victim’s age. At first, the minor refused, but Gross eventually coerced the victim into sending numerous images and videos that were sexually explicit in nature. In the chat conversations recovered by law enforcement, Gross threatened to expose the nude photos if the minor did not continue to send sexually explicit materials to his liking. Agents were able to trace the Snapchat conversations and images back to Gross and his residence in Johnson City, Tennessee. Agents executed a search warrant on Gross’s house in February 2021 and confirmed he was the account holder who had exploited the minor.
At the hearing, U.S. District Court Judge James E. Shadid stated that the minor victim endured a “nightmare” at the hands of Gross’ conduct in the case, describing the threats as cold, mean, and calculated.
Gross was indicted in March 2021 and pleaded guilty in April 2022. A preliminary forfeiture order was issued for Gross’ Apple iPhone used in the commission of the offense.
The statutory penalties for sexual exploitation of a minor are 15 to 30 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to a lifetime of supervised release for each count. Special assessments under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act are also possible.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine G. Legge represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Gross 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
Summerset Woman Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Summerset, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Attempted Exploitation of a Minor, Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity, Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, and Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity.
Emily Nicole Yeary, age 24, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on August 22, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, lifetime supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges relate to Yeary attempting to sexually exploit a 14-year-old and transporting the minor across state lines for sexual activity. The charges are merely an accusation and Yeary is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the South Dakota Highway Patrol, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Rapid City Police Department, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Galena Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case.
Yeary was detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
South L.A. Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Commit Armed Robberies of Half a Dozen Businesses in Two-Week Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Los Angeles man pleaded guilty today to a federal conspiracy charge and admitted to committing six armed robberies of businesses, mostly 7-Eleven stores, during a two-week crime spree late last year.
Colin Powell Lacey, 28, of the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act).
According to his plea agreement, from November 13, 2021, to November 29, 2021, Lacey participated in the robbery of six businesses – five of which were 7-Eleven convenience stores. During the robberies, Lacey typically entered the stores, pointed a handgun at the store’s cashier and stole money – usually hundreds of dollars in cash belonging to the business.
For example, on November 29, 2021, Lacey and his co-conspirator, Kyle Richard Williams, 25, of Inglewood, traveled together to a smoke shop located in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles. Williams entered the store, pointed a handgun at the cashier and stole $442 while Lacey waited outside the store before fleeing with Williams.
That same night, Lacey and Williams robbed 7-Eleven stores in Hollywood and Mid-City, with Lacey pointing a handgun at the cashier at the Hollywood store and Williams pointing a handgun at the cashier at the Mid-City business, making off with $600 and $100, respectively. Lacey and Williams then fled in Lacey’s Hyundai.
On December 30, 2021, Lacey and Williams attempted to rob a 7-Eleven in El Segundo. Williams pointed a handgun at the store employee and demanded money. Lacey and Williams fled together after the employee showed Williams that the cash register was empty.
In total, Lacey admitted to participating in the armed robbery of six stores, including two other 7-Elevens in Hollywood and one 7-Eleven in West Hollywood. Lacey and Williams netted a total of $2,859 from the robberies.
Lacey and Williams have been in federal custody since March 2022.
United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled a November 4 sentencing hearing for Lacey, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Williams pleaded guilty on July 29 to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 9, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each Hobbs Act robbery count.
The FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department’s Major Crimes Bureau Metro Detail investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremiah M. Levine and Jeffrey M. Chemerinsky of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
South Bay Chiropractor Sentenced to 14 Months in Federal Prison for Receiving Kickbacks for Referring Patients for Spinal SurgeriesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Bay chiropractor was sentenced today to 14 months in federal prison for taking kickbacks from Pacific Hospital – a corrupt medical center in Long Beach whose owner was later imprisoned – and for soliciting kickbacks from another Southern California hospital.
Brian Carrico, 68, of Redondo Beach, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton, who also ordered him to pay a fine of $25,000.
Carrico pleaded guilty on February 24 to one count of soliciting kickbacks – the same day his two Redondo Beach-based companies, Performance Medical & Rehab Center Inc., and One Accord Management Inc., each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to solicit kickbacks.
Judge Staton today also sentenced Carrico’s companies to one year of probation and fined them each $250,000.
Carrico is a licensed chiropractor and owned Performance Medical & Rehab Center, which treated injured workers. Surgeons saw patients at Performance Medical’s offices. Carrico also owned One Accord Management, which provided billing, collection and other support services for Performance Medical.
His criminal partner, William Parker, 68, of Redondo Beach, owned Union Choice Therapy Network, which had a contract with Pacific Hospital and paid One Accord money from that contract. Last month, Parker was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison and was fined $5,500. He pleaded guilty on February 24 to one count of soliciting kickbacks.
From June 2004 to December 2013, Carrico and Parker participated in a kickback scheme in which Pacific Hospital overpaid for the value of services performed under its Union Choice contract to induce Carrico and Parker to refer patients to Pacific Hospital for surgeries and other treatment.
Pacific Hospital specialized in surgeries, especially spinal and orthopedic procedures. The owner of Pacific Hospital, Michael D. Drobot, conspired with doctors, chiropractors and marketers to pay kickbacks in return for the referral of thousands of patients to Pacific Hospital for spinal surgeries and other medical services paid for primarily through the California workers’ compensation system.
During its final five years, the scheme resulted in the submission of more than $500 million in medical bills for spine surgeries involving kickbacks. To date, 22 defendants have been convicted for participating in the kickback scheme.
In April 2013, law enforcement searched Pacific Hospital. Later that year, Carrico learned Pacific Hospital was going to be sold and the kickback scheme would end. Rather than cease their criminal conduct after the Pacific Hospital search, Carrico and Parker then approached an executive at a different hospital and solicited kickbacks from him.
Specifically, Carrico and Parker offered a quid pro quo in which the referral of patients to the hospital was contingent on that hospital entering into a management services agreement with Union Choice. Under the proposed agreement, the hospital would have paid Union Choice a total of $110,000 over the span of four months – more than the market value of the services performed.
While not written into the contract, Carrico and Parker would cause the referrals of Performance Medical patients to go to this hospital. The hospital’s executive ultimately rejected the deal.
“[Carrico], as the licensed medical professional, had control and influence over the location where patients had spinal surgeries,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “Patients are not commodities that can be traded for kickbacks.”
The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the California Department of Insurance investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph T. McNally and Billy Joe McLain of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Sisseton Foursome Sentenced in Robbery CaseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that four individuals from Sisseton, South Dakota, who were all convicted of Robbery and Aiding and Abetting, have been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Tiffany Bernard, age 30, was sentenced on August 22, 2022, to 15 years in federal prison – the maximum possible sentence – followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution was also ordered for $300,358.89, relating to the victim’s medical expenses and lost wages.
In late 2021, Bernard’s three co-defendants were sentenced for their respective roles in the robbery and assault. On October 4, 2021, Brendon Javon Jacob Rodlund, age 32, was also sentenced to the maximum of 15 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Rodlund is also serving a separate federal sentence of approximately 13 years in federal prison for sexual assault. His robbery sentence will be served consecutively to his prior sentence for sexual assault.
Andrew David Renville, age 34, was sentenced on November 1, 2021, to the maximum of 15 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Renville was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Randall Delbert Pumpkinseed, age 33, was also sentenced on November 1, 2021, to 13 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Pumpkinseed was also ordered to pay $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
According to court documents, between November 16 and 17, 2015, Bernard, Rodlund, Pumpkinseed, and Renville assaulted by force, violence, and intimidation, and did take and attempt to take things of value from the victim. The robbery and assault took place at Dry Wood Lake near Sisseton, and all defendants aided and abetted each other in perpetrating these crimes.
This case was investigated by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe’s Law Enforcement, the FBI, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
All defendants are in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Scranton Police Officer Charged with Federal Program FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a Scranton Police Officer, Jeffrey J. Vaughn, age 50, was charged yesterday by criminal information with one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds.
The information alleges that Vaughn, while working as a sergeant in the Scranton Police Department, which is an entity that receives over $10,000 a year in federal funding, knowingly obtained by fraud over $5,000 in compensation that was paid to him for certain extra duty patrol shifts at local, lower-income housing complexes that Vaughn claimed to work but did not in fact work.
The case was investigated by the Scranton Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Public Corruption Task Force, which consists of members of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and federal agents from the FBI and Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The charges contained in a criminal information are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Resumen de la visita de los fiscales estadounidenses del suroeste a MéxicoRead the Press Release
Del 23 al 25 de agosto, una delegación de fiscales, sus jefes de división penal, y jefes de fuerzas de tarea contra el crimen organizado y la droga (OCDETF) de ocho distritos fronterizos viajaron a la Ciudad de México para participar en una serie de reuniones sobre cooperación en seguridad incluyendo esfuerzos para combatir organizaciones del crimen transnacional y esfuerzos el tráfico ilegal de armas, narcóticos y personas. La última reunión de fiscales estadounidenses del suroeste en México se llevó a cabo en marzo de 2020.
El fiscal Gary Restaino del distrito de Arizona, la fiscal en funciones Stephanie Christensen del distrito central de California, el fiscal Randy Grossman del distrito sur de California, el fiscal Alexander Uballez del distrito de Nuevo México, el fiscal Brit Featherstone del distrito este de Texas, el fiscal Chad E. Meacham del distrito norte de Texas, la fiscal Jennifer Lowery del distrito sur de Texas y la fiscal Ashley Hoff del distrito oeste de Texas fueron parte de la delegación estadounidense que comenzó su viaje con una reunión con el embajador de Estados Unidos en México Ken Salazar.
La agregaduría del Departamento de Justicia en la embajada en México organizó las reuniones. La delegación participó en una reunión con varios funcionarios de la Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), incluyendo al subdirector de la oficina de asuntos internacionales y agregadurías Humberto Trujillo Ramos, la subprocurador general especializada en combate a la corrupción Luz Mijangos Borga, el subprocurador para investigaciones penales Felipe de Jesús Gallo Gutiérrez, y el subprocurador para oficinas regionales Germán Adolfo Castillo Banuet. Ambas delegaciones dialogaron sobre cómo pueden fortalecer la coordinación actual en procuración de justicia e intercambio de información.
Además, la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE) recibió a los fiscales y les informó sobre el Marco Bicentenario Estados Unidos-México para la Seguridad, la Salud Pública y Comunidades Seguras. El jefe de la Unidad para América del Norte Roberto Velasco, y el Subsecretario de Seguridad Ciudadana Ricardo Mejía estuvieron presentes por parte de México.
La delegación de fiscales también sostuvo reuniones con cada agencia estadounidense de procuración de justicia representada en la embajada en la Ciudad de México sobre oportunidades y retos. Dialogaron sobre estrategias investigativas y sus compromisos compartidos por proteger la seguridad de nuestra frontera compartida y los ciudadanos en ambos países.
La relación México-Estados Unidos en procuración de justicia es una de nuestras asociaciones más importantes para combatir al crimen transnacional. La delegación estadounidense reiteró el compromiso de Estados Unidos por proteger a ciudadanos estadounidenses y mexicanos, y los líderes de ambos países reafirmaron su compromiso con la cooperación bilateral en procuración de justicia.
Readout of Southwest Border U.S. Attorneys Visit to MexicoRead the Press Release
From Aug. 23 to 25, a delegation of U.S. Attorneys, their criminal division chiefs, and Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force chiefs (OCDETF) from eight border districts traveled to Mexico City to participate in a series of briefings and meetings on security cooperation matters, including efforts to combat transnational criminal organizations and efforts to counter the illegal trafficking and smuggling of firearms, narcotics and people. The last meeting of Southwest Border U.S. Attorneys in Mexico took place in March 2020.
U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino of the District of Arizona, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Christensen of the Central District of California, U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman of the Southern District of California, U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez of the District of New Mexico, U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston of the Eastern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham for the Northern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery of the Southern District of Texas, and U.S. Attorney Ashley Hoff of the Western District of Texas were amongst the U.S. delegation that commenced their trip with meeting U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar.
The Justice Department’s Attaché Office in Mexico City organized the briefings and meetings. The U.S. delegation participated in a meeting with various officials from Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office “Fiscalía General de la República” (FGR) including Deputy Director of the Office of International Affairs and Attaché Offices, Humberto Trujillo Ramos; Deputy Attorney General Specialized in Combatting Corruption, Maria de la Luz Mijangos Borga; Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Investigations, Felipe de Jesus Gallo Gutierrez; and Deputy Attorney General for Regional Offices, German Adolfo Castillo Banuet. The two delegations discussed how they can further strengthen existing coordination of enforcement efforts and information-sharing.
Additionally, the Foreign Ministry “Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores” (SRE) hosted the U.S. Attorneys and discussed the United States-Mexico Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health and Secure Communities. Undersecretary for North American Affairs, Roberto Velasco, and Undersecretary of the Secretariat of Public Security and Citizen Safety Ricardo Mejia were among the SRE delegation.
The U.S. Attorneys' Offices delegation were also briefed by each U.S. law enforcement agency stationed in Mexico City on current opportunities and challenges in Mexico. They discussed investigative strategies and their shared commitment to protecting the security and safety of our shared border and the citizens of both countries.
The U.S. law enforcement relationship with Mexico is one of our most important partnerships to combat trans-border crime. The U.S. delegation reiterated the United States’ commitment to protecting U.S. and Mexican citizens, and the leaders from both countries reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral law enforcement cooperation.
Southwest Border U.S. Attorneys meeting with Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office: La Fiscalía General de la República
Southwest Border U.S. Attorneys meeting with Mexico’s Foreign Ministry “Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores" Group photo of US delegation: Back row L to R: Attaché Christina Vejar; District of Arizona OCDETF Chief Maria Gutierrez; Co-director of Joint Task Force Alpha Victor White; Southern District of California OCDETF Chief Joe Smith; Eastern District of Texas Criminal Chief Frank Coan, District of Arizona OCDETF Chief Rob Fellrath, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas Brit Featherston, Central District of California OCDETF Chief Shawn Nelson; Southern District of Texas OCDETF Chief Mary Lou Castillo; Central District of California Criminal Chief Scott Garringer; District of Arizona First Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Hernandez; District of Arizona Criminal Chief Rui Wang; District of Arizona Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Savel; District of New Mexico Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Ramirez; District of New Mexico Criminal Chief (Las Cruces) Aaron Jordan; District of New Mexico Criminal Division Chief (Albuquerque) Kristopher Houghton Front row L to R: U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino, U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Christensen, U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez, Amb. Ken Salazar, U.S. Attorney Ashley Hoff, Western District of Texas Criminal Division Chief Christina Playton, U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery, U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham, Southern District of Texas OCDETF Chief John Jocher; Deputy Attaché Rocio ZamudioRaleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Chadd E. Worley, 44, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 8, 2020, Worley was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by law enforcement in Beckley. Worley admitted to possessing approximately 23 grams of heroin found in the vehicle, and further admitted that he intended to distribute the heroin in and around Raleigh County.
Worley is scheduled to be sentenced on December 30, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, (ATF), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Michigan.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-112.
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Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Awais Chudhary, 22, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Pakistan and residing in Queens, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Brooklyn to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to court filings, in August 2019, after watching violent terrorist propaganda videos, Chudhary pledged his allegiance to ISIS’s then-leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and began planning for a knife or bomb attack as a lone wolf ISIS supporter. Chudhary identified targets, including the pedestrian bridges over the Grand Central Parkway and the Flushing Bay Promenade, where he intended to carry out the attacks. Chudhary sought guidance from individuals whom he believed to be ISIS supporters, including what type of knife to use and how to prevent detection from law enforcement by not leaving “traces of finger prints [or] DNA.” Chudhary also sent a screenshot of a document from an ISIS propaganda magazine that included a diagram of the human body depicting where to stab victims with a knife. Chudhary conducted several reconnaissance trips to these locations and made video recordings of the areas he intended to attack.
Chudhary ordered items online that he intended to use to commit a terrorist attack, including a tactical knife, a mask, gloves, and a cellphone chest and head strap – to facilitate his recording of the attack, which he hoped would serve as inspiration to other ISIS supporters. Chudhary was arrested as he attempted to retrieve the items from an online retailer’s locker in Queens.
When sentenced, Chudhary faces up to 20 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Breon S. Peace for the Eastern District of New York; and Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll of the FBI’s New York Field Office made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Algor and Ellen Sise are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section.
Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Awais Chudhary, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Pakistan, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Brooklyn to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Today’s proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy. When sentenced, Chudhary faces up to 20 years in prison.
Breon S. Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew G. Olsen, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the guilty plea.
“Awais Chudhary has admitted to planning to carry out a lone wolf terrorist attack in Queens against innocent civilians in an embrace of ISIS’s murderous cause,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Thanks to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Chudhary’s efforts to commit deadly violence on behalf of ISIS were thwarted, lives were saved, and he now awaits sentencing for his heinous crime.”
“As he admitted today, Mr. Chudhary planned to bring terror to the people of New York City on behalf of ISIS. The Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), with its tireless vigilance, was able to successfully disrupt his plot, keeping our city safe from this potential lone wolf terrorist. The FBI, along with our partners on the JTTF, remain committed to our highest priority of defending the United States from terrorism,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
“Mr. Chudhary has admitted to providing material support, from American soil, to terrorists based overseas,” stated NYPD Commissioner Sewell. “He is a naturalized U.S. citizen who abandoned the country that took him in, and instead pledged allegiance to ISIS and repeatedly and diligently promoted its violent objectives. Clearly, the threat of ISIS-inspired terrorism remains very real, and the members of our FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force will never stop working to identify anyone aiding groups that consider our country their sworn enemy.”
According to court filings, in August 2019, after watching violent terrorist propaganda videos, Chudhary pledged his allegiance to ISIS’s then-leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and began planning for a knife or bomb attack as a lone wolf ISIS supporter. Chudhary identified targets, including the pedestrian bridges over the Grand Central Parkway and the Flushing Bay Promenade, where he intended to carry out the attacks. Chudhary sought guidance from individuals whom he believed to be ISIS supporters, including what type of knife to use and how to prevent detection from law enforcement by not leaving “traces of finger prints [or] DNA.” Chudhary also sent a screenshot of a document from an ISIS propaganda magazine that included a diagram of the human body depicting where to stab victims with a knife. Chudhary conducted several reconnaissance trips to these locations and made video recordings of the areas he intended to attack.
Chudhary ordered items online that he intended to use to commit a terrorist attack, including a tactical knife, a mask, gloves, and a cellphone chest and head strap to facilitate his recording of the attack, which he hoped would serve as inspiration to other ISIS supporters. Chudhary was arrested as he attempted to retrieve the items from an online retailer’s locker in Queens.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Algor and Ellen Sise are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section.
The Defendant:
AWAIS CHUDHARY
Age: 22
Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-135 (CBA)
Previously-convicted felon found guilty of illegally carrying a gunRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Chatham County man faces a possible sentence of at least 15 years in prison after a federal jury convicted him of illegally carrying a gun.
Dontray Lewis, 43, of Savannah, was convicted after a three-day jury trial on one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. If Lewis is adjudicated as an armed career criminal based on his history of multiple felony convictions, he could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Gun-carrying criminals like Dontray Lewis are a malignant source of much of the violent crime in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Their claim is always that they need to carry a gun ‘for protection,’ but with our law enforcement partners we will continue to work to protect our streets from gun-wielding felons.”
As described in evidence presented during the three-day trial in U.S. District Court, Lewis was found to have possessed a loaded Glock semiautomatic pistol and additional loaded magazines when Savannah Police officers stopped his vehicle for traffic violations in May 2020. Lewis is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions. The jury deliberated for approximately six hours before finding Lewis guilty.
Sentencing for Lewis before U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker will be scheduled upon completion of a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
“It is our duty to make this community a safer place for you and your families,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka “The safety of the public is at the core of ATF’s mission and we stand at the front line eradicating violent crime from our streets. One firearm in the hands of the wrong person or prohibited person is one firearm too many."
“This conviction further underscores the importance of our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Lenny Gunther, Savannah Police Chief. “The successful conviction of an individual in Savannah who was illegally in possession of a firearm is further evidence of the value of the recently approved partnership that will bring on an additional prosecutor to get those committing federal gun crimes off our streets.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank M. Pennington II and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Daron J. Hubbard.
This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.
President and Treasurer of Super PAC Sentenced for Dark Money SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The president and treasurer of a Super PAC was sentenced today to 14 months in prison for scheming to lie to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) about the true identities of donors.
The Super PAC, which was also sentenced today, was ordered to pay a $150,000 fine and to serve three years of probation.
According to the admissions made in connection with their pleas, Joseph Fuentes-Fernández, 62, of Arlington, Virginia, and Salvemos a Puerto Rico, the Super PAC for which he served as president and treasurer, raised funds to support the 2020 election campaign of Public Official-1, then a candidate for office in the executive branch of the government of Puerto Rico. Soon after Salvemos a Puerto Rico was organized, Fuentes and others also formed two shell § 501(c)(4) nonprofit social welfare organizations. These two § 501(c)(4) entities were registered within seven minutes of each other, listed the same mailing address, and shared some of the same officers.
Fuentes further admitted that he and others solicited hundreds of thousands of dollars of donations to the two shell nonprofit entities, which rapidly sent most of those funds to Salvemos a Puerto Rico. Fuentes and Salvemos a Puerto Rico then reported to the FEC that the nonprofit entities were the donors of those funds, rather than reporting the true source of the funds. The purpose of routing these donor funds through the nonprofit entities was exclusively to conceal the true identities of the donors to Salvemos a Puerto Rico. For example, in October 2020, Fuentes sent this text message to a potential donor: “You can use a third party to not disclose the true donor.” By ensuring that many of the true donors to Salvemos a Puerto Rico remained anonymous, Fuentes and Salvemos a Puerto Rico deprived the people of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the FEC of information about the true source of hundreds of thousands of dollars flowing into Puerto Rico’s political system.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph González of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s San Juan Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case.
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President and Treasurer of Super PAC Sentenced for Dark Money SchemeRead the Press Release
The president and treasurer of a Super PAC was sentenced today to 14 months in prison for scheming to lie to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) about the true identities of donors.
The Super PAC, which was also sentenced today, was ordered to pay a $150,000 fine and to serve three years of probation.
According to the admissions made in connection with their pleas, Joseph Fuentes-Fernandez, 62, of Arlington, Virginia, and Salvemos a Puerto Rico, the Super PAC for which he served as president and treasurer, raised funds to support the 2020 election campaign of Public Official-1, then a candidate for office in the executive branch of the government of Puerto Rico. Soon after Salvemos a Puerto Rico was organized, Fuentes and others also formed two shell § 501(c)(4) nonprofit social welfare organizations. These two § 501(c)(4) entities were registered within seven minutes of each other, listed the same mailing address, and shared some of the same officers.
Fuentes further admitted that he and others solicited hundreds of thousands of dollars of donations to the two shell nonprofit entities, which rapidly sent most of those funds to Salvemos a Puerto Rico. Fuentes and Salvemos a Puerto Rico then reported to the FEC that the nonprofit entities were the donors of those funds, rather than reporting the true source of the funds. The purpose of routing these donor funds through the nonprofit entities was exclusively to conceal the true identities of the donors to Salvemos a Puerto Rico. For example, in October 2020, Fuentes sent this text message to a potential donor: “You can use a third party to not disclose the true donor.” By ensuring that many of the true donors to Salvemos a Puerto Rico remained anonymous, Fuentes and Salvemos a Puerto Rico deprived the people of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the FEC of information about the true source of hundreds of thousands of dollars flowing into Puerto Rico’s political system.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph González of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s San Juan Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case.
Postal Employee Sentenced for Possessing Stolen MailRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Aleia Deborah Green (20, Brooksville) for possessing stolen mail. Green was sentenced to the maximum term of probation—five years—and ordered to make full restitution in the amount of $956.53 to the 23 victims of her offense. Green had pleaded guilty on June 1, 2022.
According to court records, Green worked as a contract mail carrier for the United States Postal Service (USPS). She delivered mail for the Crystal River Post Office. On October 19, 2021, after receiving complaints about missing mail from Green’s route, federal agents conducted surveillance at a neighborhood cluster box. The agents placed a piece of mail containing money in the outgoing mail slot of the cluster box. Green subsequently retrieved that mail, opened it, and stole the money. When confronted by the agents, Green admitted to the theft. She also confessed to opening approximately 100 other pieces of mail along her route since August 2021.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Partner in Key West Labor Staffing Companies Sentenced for Tax, Immigration, and Money Laundering CrimesRead the Press Release
A partner in several Key West labor staffing companies was sentenced today to more than 24 years in prison for tax, immigration, and money laundering crimes related to the operation of those businesses.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mykhaylo Chugay and others owned and operated a series of labor-staffing companies in southern Florida, including General Labor Solutions LLC, Liberty Specialty Service LLC, Paradise Choice LLC, Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC, Tropical City Services LLC, and Tropical City Group LLC, between August 2007 and July 2021. Through these staffing companies, Chugay facilitated the employment of individuals in hotels, bars, and restaurants in Key West and other locations, even though the employees were not authorized to work in the United States.
Chugay and his co-conspirators also defrauded the IRS out of more than $25 million in income and Social Security and Medicare taxes that should have been collected and paid over in connection with the employment of these workers. Chugay conspired with others to encourage some workers to enter the United States and remain in the country, in violation of immigration laws. Chugay and others sent checks and wires totaling more than $11 million in proceeds from the illegal scheme to conspirators in Ukraine and elsewhere.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez for the Southern District of Florida ordered Chugay to serve three years of supervised release. Judge Martinez will enter a forfeiture money judgement and order Chugay to pay at a later date.
“Chugay’s illegal staffing and money laundering operation lasted more than a decade and cost the government millions of dollars in unpaid payroll taxes,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “Employers who follow the rules and pay their fair share of taxes deserve to compete on a level playing field. Those who cut corners and evade their legal obligations should know they will be investigated and prosecuted.”
“The elaborate scheme organized by this organization took advantage of U.S. Government programs designed to assist vulnerable populations seeking assistance and a better life here in the US for their own personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami. “This sentence is the culmination of a lengthy investigation which demonstrates the resolve and determination of HSI and its partners to stop individuals trying to take advantage of the systemic vulnerabilities to fuel their lavish lifestyles.”
“We are committed to finding criminals who break the law to gain an unfair market advantage and enrich themselves by avoiding to pay taxes,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS-Criminal Investigation Miami Field Office. “This is another example of how our local agents and staff applied their skilled forensic financial analysis and criminal investigative expertise to investigate crooked staffing companies engaged in illegal employment practices.”
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigation are investigating the case. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations provided substantial assistance at trial.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty, Trial Attorneys Jessica A. Kraft and Nicholas J. Schilling Jr., and Paralegal Robert Resto of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Clark for the Southern District of Florida, are prosecuting the case.
Parker Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Michael John Dean Nopah, 42, of Parker, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge John J. Tuchi to 70 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Twenty-five months of Nopah’s federal sentence was ordered to run consecutive to a California sentence he is currently serving. Nopah previously pleaded guilty to Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
On April 24, 2020, in Parker, Arizona, Nopah was found in possession of a Glock model 30S, .45 caliber pistol capable of accepting a large capacity magazine. Nopah is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
The FBI and CRIT Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina J. Reid-Moore, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-00546-PHX-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022- 149_Nopah
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Norfolk Man Sentenced for Possessing Glock Switches and Glock Handgun in Furtherance of Drug-Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to 140 months in prison for possessing several Glock switches, or autosear kits, that convert handguns into fully automatic machineguns, as well as a Glock handgun that he used protect his marijuana-distribution efforts.
According to court documents, Karon Rayosha Howard, 28, sold Glock switches, or autosear kits, that convert handguns into fully automatic machineguns. One of his customers, Shy'Quan Dodson, was a Kai Gang member who used a Glock machinegun in a shootout on July 18, 2021, in downtown Norfolk, then was involved in a high-speed chase with police officers that resulted in his vehicle crashing. He threw the Glock out the car window, but officers recovered it and saw that it had been illegally modified with a 3D-printed Glock switch, and evidence from Dodson’s phone indicated that Howard had sold him the device.
On September 1, 2021, officers secured and executed a search warrant for Howard’s residence, where they recovered two more Glock switches, another firearm, and marijuana packaged for distribution. Howard admitted to possessing all the recovered contraband and told the police: “I’m always gonna go to jail for firearms. You feel me? I’m gonna have a gun on me.”
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Washington Field Division; and Mike Goldsmith, Interim Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Jackson and Joe Depadilla, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Graham Stolle prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-2.
Newport News Teacher Sentenced for Importing EcstasyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison for importing MDMA, or Ecstasy, into the United States.
According to court documents, Andrew Myers, 39, a high school special education teacher, was importing MDMA into the United States from Germany and Spain. MDMA, sometimes referred to as Ecstasy, is an illegal narcotic. In February 2020, special agents with Homeland Security Investigations and detectives with the Newport News Police Department received information that a package containing MDMA was entering the United States and was addressed to Myers. The agents conducted a controlled delivery of the package to Myer’s residence. Myers denied any knowledge of the package.
In July 2021, agents located an additional package of MDMA that was entering the United States from Spain. The agents did a controlled delivery of the package to a post office box in Yorktown. When Myers arrived to retrieve the package he was arrested.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Tira A. Hayward, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-cr-3.
New Mexico man indicted for attempting to provide material support to ISISRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, 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 that Herman Leyvoune Wilson, also known as Bilal Mu’Min Abdullah, made an initial appearance in federal court today on an indictment charging him with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and attempting to obstruct, influence and impede at least one official proceeding.
A federal grand jury indicted Wilson, 45, of Albuquerque, on Aug. 23. Wilson will remain in custody pending an arraignment scheduled for Aug. 30.
According to the indictment and other court records, from Jan. 23, 2020, to Nov. 20, 2021, Wilson allegedly attempted to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization. Wilson allegedly attempted to establish an “Islamic State Center” in New Mexico that would teach ISIS ideology, provide training in tactical maneuvers and martial arts, and serve as a safe haven for individuals preparing to travel and fight on behalf of ISIS in the United States and abroad.
Additionally, between Sept. 19, 2020, and October 2020, Wilson allegedly attempted to obstruct, influence and impede at least one official proceeding by commanding and inducing the destruction and concealment of records by shutting down an online platform. From May 2019 to September 2020, Wilson allegedly helped to administer an online platform to promote ISIS ideology, recruit others to ISIS ideology and discuss terrorist attacks in the United States and overseas. Wilson also allegedly used the online platform to promote the Islamic State Center and find potential like-minded individuals to join the center.
In September 2020, Kristopher Matthews and Jaylin Molina were arrested for providing material support to ISIS, and later pleaded guilty in the Western District of Texas. Matthews and Molina admitted that Wilson radicalized them to ISIS’s ideology, and that without Wilson’s influence, they would never have committed the crimes. When Matthews and Molina were arrested, Wilson allegedly instructed online platform members to destroy evidence of their use of the group. Matthews and Molina were sentenced in July 2022 to 20 years and 18 years in prison, respectively.
“Defending our country from terrorism is a core mission of the Department of Justice,” said United States Attorney Uballez. “We will not tolerate threats to our country from terrorist organizations like ISIS. We will vigorously prosecute anyone who attempts to provide material support to terrorists.”
“The FBI takes very seriously its role as America's primary federal law enforcement agency for investigating and preventing acts of international and domestic terrorism,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Bujanda. “This investigation was the result of months of painstaking work by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists of FBI special agents, intelligence analysts, other experts, and our federal, state, and local partners. Preventing terrorist attacks against Americans at home and abroad remains the FBI's top priority, and we will vigorously pursue investigations when an individual crosses the line from espousing particular views into planning or committing acts of violence.”
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Wilson faces up to 20 years in prison for each count.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jon K. Stanford, Nicholas Mote and Tavo Hall are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
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New Mexico Man Indicted for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
A New Mexico man was arrested today for allegedly attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and attempting to obstruct, influence and impede at least one official proceeding.
A federal grand jury indicted Herman Leyvoune Wilson, aka Bilal Mu’Min Abdullah, 45, of Albuquerque, on Aug. 23. Wilson will remain in custody pending an arraignment scheduled for Aug. 30.
According to the indictment and other court records, from Jan. 23, 2020, to Nov. 20, 2021, Wilson allegedly attempted to provide material support and resources to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Wilson allegedly attempted to establish an “Islamic State Center” in New Mexico that would teach ISIS ideology, provide training in tactical maneuvers and martial arts, and serve as a safe haven for individuals preparing to travel and fight on behalf of ISIS in the United States and abroad.
Additionally, between Sept. 19, 2020, and October 2020, Wilson allegedly attempted to obstruct, influence and impede at least one official proceeding by commanding and inducing the destruction and concealment of records by shutting down an online platform. From May 2019 to September 2020, Wilson allegedly helped to administer an online platform to promote ISIS ideology, recruit others to ISIS ideology and discuss terrorist attacks in the United States and overseas. Wilson also allegedly used the online platform to promote the Islamic State Center and find potential like-minded individuals to join the center.
In September 2020, Kristopher Matthews and Jaylin Molina were arrested for providing material support to ISIS and later pleaded guilty in the Western District of Texas. Matthews and Molina admitted that Wilson radicalized them to ISIS’s ideology, and that without Wilson’s influence, they would never have committed the crimes. When Matthews and Molina were arrested, Wilson allegedly instructed online platform members to destroy evidence of their use of the group. Matthews and Molina were sentenced in July 2022 to 20 years and 18 years in prison, respectively.
If convicted, Wilson faces up to 20 years in prison for each count.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez for the District of New Mexico, and Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jon K. Stanford, Nicholas Mote and Tavo Hall are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorneys Frank Russo, Jessica Fender and John Cella of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Miami Man Arrested and Charged with Bank Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that Sedric J. Lewis, age 35, of Miami, Florida, was charged in a four-count indictment with two counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft in the Northern District of Ohio.
According to the indictment, in June 2019, Lewis used the personal identifying information of another individual to open a bank account with JPMorgan Chase Bank. In addition, the indictment alleges that in August 2019, Lewis deposited into the same JPMorgan Chase Bank account a fraudulent check bearing the forged signature of another individual.
Lewis was arrested on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022, in Miami.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, a sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum; in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jason W. White.