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24 August 2022
Tucson Man Convicted of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, a federal jury found Eric David Marrufo, 43, of Tucson, Arizona, guilty of five counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child and one count of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child. Marrufo is being held in custody pending sentencing, which is scheduled for October 24, 2022, before United States District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson.
The evidence at trial showed that, between August 1, 2006, and August 1, 2008, Marrufo sexually abused the victims at his home in Tucson, on the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation. Marrufo is a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.
Each conviction for aggravated sexual abuse of a child and abusive sexual contact with a child carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pascua Yaqui Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew C. Cassell and Rui Wang, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-0976-TUC-CKJ-EJM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-147_Marrufo# # #
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.Third Illinois Prison Guard Convicted of Civil Rights Deprivation Resulting in Bodily Injury and Death and Obstruction ChargesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict yesterday against Todd Sheffler, a lieutenant at the Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mt. Sterling, Ill., for civil rights deprivation resulting in bodily injury and death and obstruction of justice in connection with the death of Larry Earvin, an inmate at the facility, following a three-week trial and three hours of deliberations.
Central District of Illinois U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris; Federal Bureau of Investigation-Springfield Office Special Agent in Charge David Nanz; and Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly made the announcement.
A federal grand jury had previously returned an indictment against Sheffler, 54, of Mendon, Ill.; Willie Hedden, 43, of Mt. Sterling, Ill.; and Alex Banta, 31, of Quincy, Ill., in December 2019, charging them with civil rights resulting in bodily injury and death and obstruction charges.
During the jury trial before U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough, the government presented evidence that Sheffler; Hedden, who was a sergeant at the facility; and Banta, who was a correctional officer, participated in the May 17, 2018, assault of Mr. Earvin, 65, during their forcible escort of Mr. Earvin from the residential housing unit of the prison to the segregation housing unit while he was restrained and handcuffed behind his back and while he posed no physical threat to the defendants or other correctional officers. The assault resulted in serious bodily injury to Mr. Earvin, including multiple broken ribs, a punctured mesentery, and other serious internal injuries, and resulted in Mr. Earvin’s death in June 2018. After the assault, all three defendants falsified incident reports that they filed with prison officials and lied to the Illinois State Police by denying any knowledge of or participation in the assault.
Following the trial, Sheffler was convicted of all five charges in the indictment: conspiracy to deprive civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and death; conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct; obstruction – falsification of a document; and obstruction – misleading conduct.
Hedden pleaded guilty in March 2022 to both civil rights charges and to conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 21, 2022. Banta was convicted in April 2022 of all five charges in the indictment following his joint jury trial with Sheffler and was ordered detained pending sentencing. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 20, 2022. The jury in the joint trial was unable to reach verdicts as to Sheffler, resulting in the instant retrial that began on August 1, 2022. Following yesterday’s jury verdict, Sheffler was ordered detained pending sentencing. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6, 2023. All scheduled sentencings are set to take place at the federal courthouse in Springfield, Illinois.
“We hope this week’s guilty verdict and the prior convictions of the co-defendants provide a measure of justice for Larry Earvin and his family,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “We also hope it serves as a warning to all those who would abuse governmental power. Illinois correctional officers’ brutal beating of Mr. Earvin cost him his life, and that is a loss that can never be remedied. Our prosecution of this case demonstrates our continued commitment to equal justice under the law and to protecting society’s vulnerable, including those in our prisons.”
Harris added that his office also wanted to express its appreciation for the FBI, Springfield Division, and Illinois State Police for their tireless work on the case, as well as for the witnesses who ultimately came forward and told the truth about the events surrounding Mr. Earvin’s death. He noted that actions of a few here had unfairly tarnished the reputations of the men and women in law enforcement who honorably serve their communities with professionalism on a daily basis.
Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Springfield Field Office, David Nanz said, “Illinois correctional officers are public servants sworn to treat committed persons equally with fairness and dignity, and to conduct their duties in a manner that meets the department’s highest ethical standards. Disregard for those responsibilities resulted in the tragic death of Larry Earvin. While the actions of Todd Sheffler are not characteristic of the vast majority of law enforcement, it unfortunately undermines the efforts of the officers who serve with integrity, who bear the responsibility to respect and defend the rights of those under their watch. The FBI has an unwavering commitment to investigate all federal civil rights violations to ensure that every citizen – whether free or incarcerated – can exercise their protected liberties without fear of violence.”
The statutory penalties for each of the civil rights resulting in death charges are up to life imprisonment. The statutory penalties for each of the obstruction of justice charges are up to 20 years of imprisonment.
The case was the result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois, the FBI-Springfield Field Office, and the Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation, with the cooperation of the Illinois Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy A. Bass and Eugene L. Miller represent the government in the prosecution.
Texas Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Threatening a Medical Doctor Who Advocated for the Covid-19 VaccineRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Scott Eli Harris, age 52, of Aubrey, Texas, yesterday to six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for sending a threatening message to a Maryland medical doctor who publicly advocated for the COVID-19 vaccine.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
“While we are all entitled to our own opinion, no one has the right to threaten the life of someone because of race, national origin, or because of holding different views,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron. “Threats like these will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Threats of violence, especially those driven by racial animus and misguided beliefs concerning the COVID-19 pandemic will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Clarke. “Members of our Asian American Pacific Islander communities should never have to live in fear of violence because of their race or national origin.”
“Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to those who threaten or take violent action based on belief or ideology and breaks the law, that the FBI will enforce the rule of law,” said Special Agent in Charge, Thomas J. Sobocinski.
According to his plea agreement and statements made in connection with the sentencing hearing, Harris sent a threatening message from his cellular phone to a Maryland doctor who had been a vocal proponent of the COVID-19 vaccine. Harris’ message included violent statements including “Never going to take your wonder drug. My 12 gauge promises I won’t .… I can’t wait for the shooting to start.” The message also referenced the doctor’s Asian-American race and national origin.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke commended the FBI for their work in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Michael Cunningham and Trial Attorney Katherine DeVar of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/civil-rights and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Regarding Reproductive RightsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department tonight issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland following the U.S. District Court of the District of Idaho’s decision to issue a preliminary injunction blocking the enforcement of Idaho’s ban on abortion as applied to medical care required by the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). The law, Idaho Code § 18-622, prohibits abortion even when abortion is the medically necessary treatment to stabilize a patient’s emergency medical condition.
On Aug. 2, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit challenging the law on the grounds that it is preempted by EMTALA. It is set to go into effect on Thurs., Aug. 25.
“Today’s decision by the District Court for the District of Idaho ensures that women in the State of Idaho can obtain the emergency medical treatment to which they are entitled under federal law. This includes abortion when that is the necessary treatment. As the District Court ruled, a state law that attempts to prevent a hospital from fulfilling its obligations under EMTALA violates federal law and the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
“The Department of Justice will continue to use every tool at its disposal to defend the reproductive rights protected by federal law.
“The Department disagrees with yesterday’s decision by the District Court for the Northern District of Texas, which preliminarily enjoins the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ July 11, 2022 guidance on EMTALA and Secretary Becerra’s accompanying letter as applied to the plaintiffs in that litigation. We are considering appropriate next steps.”
The Justice Department is committed to protecting access to reproductive services. Following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs, the Justice Department established the Reproductive Rights Task Force, chaired by Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. The Task Force is charged with protecting access to reproductive freedom under federal law. For additional information on the work of the Task Force visit www.justice.gov/reproductive-rights.
St. Michael Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Three Counts of Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced that Winter Skye Bigtrack, age 19 of St. Michael, ND, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, and was sentenced to 57 months in prison after having plead guilty to three counts of Involuntary Manslaughter and one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. Judge Welte also sentenced Bigtrack to 3 years of supervised release and $76,786.42 restitution.
On August 11, 2021, Winter Bigtrack operated a motor vehicle on Heart Road on the Spirit Lake Reservation that left the roadway and rolled, which involved another motor vehicle. As a result of the rollover, three of the five occupants of the vehicle, an adult male, a juvenile male, and a minor female, died. The fifth passenger, another minor female, suffered injuries that required her to be transported to Fargo for intensive care treatment. Bigtrack suffered a broken collar bone. The occupants of the second vehicle received minor injuries.
Further investigation revealed that Bigtrack was driving without a license, exceeding the posted speed limit, and passing in a no passing zone while under the influence of intoxicating liquor and a controlled substance.
A federal grand jury has indicted the driver of the second involved vehicle, Trina Lily Hunt, age 19 also of St. Michael, ND, on the same charges. The indictment alleges that Hunt was driving a motor vehicle without a license while under the influence of intoxicating liquor and a controlled substance at high speeds exceeding the posted speed limit, and otherwise driving recklessly.
Grand jury Indictments are allegations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the North Dakota Highway Patrol, and the case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorney Lori H. Conroy assigned to the case.
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St. Louis man gets 11+ years for 2020 carjackingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a St. Louis man who carjacked a woman and stole her phone in 2020 to 11 years and two months in prison.
Mautaveus Ayers, 27, stole a Volkswagen Tiguan at gunpoint on Jan. 16, 2020 from a woman who had just parked at an apartment complex in the 1200 block of Olive Street in St. Louis. Ayers also stole the driver’s cell phone.
About an hour later, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers spotted the stolen SUV in the drive-thru lane of a fast-food restaurant in the 4900 block of Natural Bridge Avenue. Ayers sped off, eventually abandoning the vehicle in East St. Louis and running away with a gun, he admitted in a plea agreement.
Ayers, a convicted felon, pleaded guilty in March to three felonies: carjacking, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was on supervised release in a 2013 federal gun case at the time of the crime.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer L. Szczucinski prosecuted the case.
St. Louis man charged with shooting woman during attempted carjackingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis was indicted Wednesday on charges accusing him of shooting a woman while attempting to take her car outside of a north St. Louis Walgreens earlier this month.
The indictment alleges that Loyse Dozier, 20, attempted to take a 2019 Kia Optima by force and violence on August 1, and fired a gun in furtherance of that crime. Dozier, a previously convicted felon, was then caught with a firearm on August 10, the indictment says.
Dozier was indicted on charges of attempted carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, brandishing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and possession of a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
A criminal complaint filed prior to the indictment alleges that the woman was sitting in her car in the parking lot of the Walgreens at 1400 North Grand Boulevard when someone approached and demanded her keys at gunpoint. The woman was shot multiple times despite handing over her keys. An off-duty Florissant Police officer working security inside the store heard the gunshots and ran outside, at which time the gunman exited the car and fled. During the investigation, a cell phone that did not belong to the woman was found in her car. After obtaining a search warrant, investigators reviewed the contents of the cell phone, which indicated it belonged to Dozier.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin is prosecuting the case.
Southfield Man Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Identities and $400,000 in Pandemic Aid MoneyRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A Southfield man was sentenced today to 5 years in federal prison on charges of wire fraud and identity theft in connection with a scheme to defraud and obtain more than $400,000 in unemployment insurance benefits from the states of Michigan and Pennsylvania, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining in the announcement were James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Detroit Field Office, and Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General
Samuel Baker, 39, of Southfield, was sentenced by United States District Judge Paul D. Borman in United States District Court in Detroit this afternoon.
According to the court documents, beginning on or about May 8, 2020, and continuing through at least July 28, 2020, Baker submitted fraudulent applications for $370,000 in unemployment insurance benefits in Michigan and Pennsylvania. Baker also successfully obtained a fraudulent $47,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the Small Business Administration. Baker submitted the unemployment claims by stealing the identities of numerous individuals, including using their Social Security Numbers. Baker directed the benefits to be paid out via debit cards and then used these cards to repeatedly withdrawal the funds via ATMs throughout Metro Detroit. At the time of his arrest, federal agents seized $187,000 in cash from Baker, as well as four Rolex watches and ten gold coins.
“We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute thefts from a multitude of federal assistance programs. Individuals who stole money from the government during the pandemic should know that they will be held accountable. We are actively working a number of these cases and we will continue to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice,” stated U.S Attorney Ison.
"Samuel Baker defrauded multiple state workforce agencies by filing for unemployment insurance benefits in the names of identity theft victims, which resulted in a loss of more than $365,000. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and state workforce agencies to protect the integrity of unemployment insurance benefit programs," said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
Baker was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim-states and the Small Business Administration in the total amount of $414,454. Likewise, he forfeited his interest in the $187,000 in cash that was seized, as well as the Rolexes and gold coins.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the Bloomfield Township Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Particka.
Shreveport Police Department Officer Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that a Shreveport Police Department (SPD) officer has been indicted by a federal grand jury. The indictment, which was returned today, charges James Cisco, 51, of Shreveport, with six counts of wire fraud.
The indictment alleges that beginning on or about January 6, 2020, and continuing through on or about at least January 19, 2021, Cisco knowingly devised a scheme to defraud the City of Shreveport out of funds which were designated for overtime pay to SPD officers. It is alleged that Cisco claimed overtime for which he had not worked and received payments for unworked overtime.
It is alleged in the indictment that Cisco submitted falsified reports to the SPD stating he worked overtime hours for the SPD on the Community-Based Crime Reduction (CBCR) Grant and certified that he had worked the hours. It is further alleged in the indictment that on three of the dates Cisco submitted falsified reports, the SPD mobile device assigned to him was in the East Texas area during the same period he claimed to be working overtime in Shreveport for the SPD. The indictment also alleges that on five other occasions, Cisco submitted falsified reports claiming to have worked overtime, and records show that he was working at an off-duty job for another company at the same time.
The Innovations in Community-Based Crime Reduction (CBCR) Program is administered by the Department of Justice and seeks to reduce crime and improve community safety in distressed, high-crime neighborhoods. As part of the program, CBCR awards grants to local and tribal communities to be used for overtime for police officers. The City of Shreveport received a CBCR award grant which was used in 2020 to pay for officers with the SPD to work overtime details and provided officers with 1.5 times their regular rate of pay for overtime hours worked.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Cisco faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
This is an ongoing investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice-Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg.
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Shelby County Woman Sentenced to More than Three Years in Prison for Stealing from HOAs and EmployerRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Shelby County woman was sentenced yesterday for embezzling from her employer and the homeowners’ associations they managed, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr.
United States District Judge Karon O. Bowdre sentenced Aimee Louise Statham, 47, of Chelsea, to 40 months in prison for wire fraud. Statham pleaded guilty to the charge in April.
According to the plea agreement and evidence presented in advance of sentencing, between January 2018 and August 2021, Statham embezzled from her employer, Rouland Management Services (RMS), and the homeowners’ associations that RMS managed. Statham issued hundreds of unauthorized checks made payable to herself from the bank accounts of various HOAs, and she made unauthorized interbank electronic money transfers of funds between HOA bank accounts and RMS’ bank account, which she would then transfer to herself. To perpetuate and conceal her scheme, Statham altered the HOAs’ monthly bank statements by removing the unauthorized transactions. Statham used the stolen funds to feed her gambling addiction. The total loss exceeded $1.4 million.
“This defendant stole money from thousands of innocent homeowners for more than three years,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “I am hopeful that this sentence sends a message to our community that this office will not tolerate those who steal from innocent victims for personal gain.”
“For over three years Statham chose to steal money intended for the upkeep of neighborhoods to feed her gambling addiction,” SAC Sharp said. “She will now have over three years behind bars to think about the gamble she took. My advice: don’t bet against the FBI to bring you to justice.”
FBI investigated the case, with assistance from the Pelham Police Department and the United States Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Rummage prosecuted the case.
Seattle man charged federally for possessing a ghost gun and drugs in stolen vehicleRead the Press Release
Seattle – A resident of Seattle was charged federally today with four federal felonies connected to his possession of a so-called “ghost gun” and drugs in a stolen vehicle, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Jade B. Irey was arrested at an auto parts store in Kent, Washington on March 24, 2022. He was brought into federal custody on August 23, 2022, and will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court this afternoon in Seattle.
“The prevalence of ghost guns in our communities is serious problem,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “Unregistered, fully automatic, and with an extended magazine, this weapon and others like it do not belong in anyone’s hands, let alone those engaged in the drug trade on our streets.”
According to the criminal complaint, Irey was under investigation for a December 2021 burglary in Bellevue, after he apparently dropped his cell phone while leaving the scene. The resident turned the cell phone over to police. Bellevue Police put Irey under surveillance, following him and an associate from his residence in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle to stops throughout the area. When a records check indicated the vehicle Irey was driving was stolen, police arrested Irey inside the auto parts store in Kent. A search of the car turned up the ghost gun and a pouch containing methamphetamine, black tar heroin, and 700 suspected fentanyl pills. Using court authorized search warrants, investigators reviewed information on Irey’s electronic devices detailing his drug sales and ownership of the firearm.
Irey is charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Irey is prohibited from possessing firearms due to three felony convictions from 2018 in King County Superior Court. Irey was convicted of residential burglary, residential burglary and trafficking in stolen property, and residential burglary and identity theft.
The federal gun charges are punishable by up to ten years in prison. The drug distribution charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a mandatory minimum five years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence.
The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Bellevue Police Department Special Operations Unit with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Rocky Mount Gang Leader Sentenced to More than 27 Years in Prison for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was sentenced today to 335 months in prison for leading a conspiracy to sell cocaine, crack, and other controlled substances. Terrence Brandon Mabry, 32, pled guilty on January 23, 2020.
“I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina for their diligent work in assisting Nash County Sheriff’s Office in the quick prosecution of major drug traffickers and violent offenders that bring our communities down,” said Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone. “The collaboration between law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s office is a partnership that keeps our communities safe.”
“The Rocky Mount Police Department appreciates our partnership with our federal and local partners,” said Rocky Mount Police Chief Robert Hassell. “RMPD will remain vigilant in our efforts to reduce crime and continue working with our partners to identify, investigate, charge, and prosecute anyone participating in drugs, gangs, guns, and other crimes of violence.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Mabry ran a drug distribution operation out of a house located at 120 Lisa Court in Rocky Mount. Law enforcement officers conducted over a dozen undercover purchases of controlled substances from Mabry and his co-conspirators between November 2015 and April of 2018. On April 25, 2018, investigators executed a search warrant at Mabry’s house and seized cocaine, cash, a stolen .40 caliber Glock, and assorted ammunition. During the course of the investigation, Mabry was also identified as a high-ranking member of the “G-Shine” set of the United Blood Nation gang.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Rocky Mount Police Department, and Nash County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Webb prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:18-CR-485-FL-1.
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Recidivist Armed Bank Robber Sentenced to 25 YearsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington, D.C. man was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison for brandishing a firearm during a January 2021 bank robbery he committed less than a year after being released from prison for a previous string of armed bank robberies.
According to court documents, between 2007 and 2008, Amobi Chibuza Agu, 37, committed seven armed bank robberies in the Eastern District of Virginia and the District of Maryland. Court records show Agu was convicted in federal court of armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in 2008 and was sentenced to prison, where he remained until March 2020.
According to court filings, on the morning of January 2, 2021, Agu robbed the Bank of America located in Dulles Crossing Plaza in Sterling. During the course of the robbery, Agu brandished a handgun at a bank teller and an unarmed security guard.
Agu was convicted of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence, second offense. As part of his guilty plea, Agu also admitted to robbing two Maryland jewelry stores at gunpoint in January 2021.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Michael L. Chapman, Loudoun County Sheriff; Marcus Jones, Montgomery County Chief of Police; and Malik Aziz, Chief of Prince George’s County Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Blanchard and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Kramer 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. 1:21-cr-228.
Pound, Va. Man Convicted as Part of Massive Scheme to Steal Pandemic Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Pound, Virginia man on August 11, 2022 for conspiring to steal pandemic unemployment benefits as part of a larger scheme involving at least 37 other co-conspirators.
Danny L. Mullins Jr., 50, was convicted following a two-day jury trial of conspiracy to defraud the United States, fraud in connection with federal emergency benefits, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mullins received more than $18,000 in fraudulent benefits by conspiring with others, including his sister, Veronica Mullins, and conspiracy leaders Danielle Chytka, Greg Tackett, and Jeffrey Tackett, to input his personally identifiable information to the Virginia Employment Commission in order to receive pandemic unemployment benefits to which he was not entitled.
In all, the conspiracy involved submitting fraudulent claims for approximately 37 individuals, including multiple inmates incarcerated in southwest Virginia regional jails, all of whom were not eligible to receive pandemic unemployment benefits, and causing at least $499,000 in false claims to be paid.
Mullins will be sentenced on November 7, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia, Syreeta Scott, Special Agent-in-Charge, Philadelphia Region, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, and Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.
The Department of Labor - Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation - Washington, D.C. Field Office, the Norton Police Department investigated the case. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel J. Murphy and Lena Busscher prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Possession of Methamphetamine and Firearms Leads to 15-Year Sentence for Hahnville ManRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – Delon Scott, 34, of Hahnville, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Scott was sentenced to 180 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, on drug trafficking and possession of firearms charges.
Scott pleaded guilty May 17, 2022 to a Bill of Information charging him with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to evidence presented to the court, Scott was stopped by a Mangham, Louisiana police officer on December 8, 2020 for speeding. During the course of the traffic stop, law enforcement officers developed probable cause to search the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, officers found methamphetamine, a pocket scale and Ziploc bags. In addition, the following four firearms were found underneath the hood of the vehicle: a Taurus 9mm pistol, a Glock 9mm pistol, a FEG PA-63 9x18mm pistol, and a Smith and Wesson Bodyguard .380 pistol.
The seized narcotics were sent to the North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory for analysis and their testing confirmed that the amount of pure methamphetamine exceeded 50 grams.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office and Mangham Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy.
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Perry Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – A federal jury in Tallahassee convicted Beyah Islam Basha, 44, of Perry, Florida, of two counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The guilty verdict, returned yesterday, at the conclusion of a two-day trial, was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Evidence introduced during the trial revealed that Basha sold drugs to confidential sources working for law enforcement on multiple occasions: on July 7, 2021, a confidential source purchased approximately ¼ ounce of methamphetamine from Basha at his residence; on August 12, 2021, a second confidential source purchased approximately ¾ ounce of methamphetamine from Basha at his residence; on August 20, 2021, the second confidential source purchased an ounce of methamphetamine from Basha at his residence; and on August 25, 2021, an undercover DEA agent accompanied the second confidential source as they purchased 3 ounces of methamphetamine from Basha at his residence. During the period of the controlled purchases, Basha was on house arrest for prior state court drug charges. Several cooperating witnesses testified that Basha had sold them methamphetamine from his home. One witness also described how Basha had provided them with $4000 and directions to purchase 9 ounces of methamphetamine in Tallahassee, given his travel limitations.
Basha’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 14, 2022, at 11:00 a.m., at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor. Basha faces twenty-five years to life imprisonment, ten years to life supervised release, and a fine of up to $20,000,000.
This conviction resulted from a joint investigation by the Perry Police Department, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain prosecuted the case.
The prosecution, part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) OCDETF, is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to take down criminal organizations and seize assets.
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.
Pamlico County Man Sentenced for Dealing DrugsRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Bayboro man was sentenced yesterday to 70 months in prison for distributing more than 28 grams of crack on multiple occasions. On May 17, 2022, George Henry Midgette, also known as “Jersey George,” pleaded guilty to the charges.
Midgette, 62, was first identified as a Pamlico County drug dealer in 2017. Law enforcement went on to execute a series of drug buys from Midgette at different locations throughout Pamlico County. The investigation culminated in Midgette’s arrest by the Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office on September 20, 2021. Midgette also had previous convictions for drug crimes in North Carolina, Maryland, and New York.
This investigation is part of operation “Last Call” which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. Operation Last Call targeted individuals engaged in the distribution of controlled substances throughout Pamlico County and surrounding areas. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Michael F. Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and Department of Homeland Security investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Lemons prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:21-cr-00072-M-1.
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Oxnard Man Pleads Guilty to Wildlife Smuggling and Trafficking Charges for Illegally Importing More Than 1,700 Animals into U.S.Read the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Ventura County man pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for illegally importing into the United States more than 1,700 wild animals – including 60 reptiles found hidden in his clothes earlier this year at the United States-Mexico border.
Jose Manuel Perez, a.k.a. “Julio Rodriguez,” 30, of Oxnard, pleaded guilty to two counts of smuggling goods into the United States and one count of wildlife trafficking.
According to his plea agreement, from January 2016 to February 2022, Perez and his accomplices used social media to arrange for the smuggling of wildlife – primarily reptiles – into the United States, typically from Mexico.
The smuggled animals – which included Yucatan box turtles, Mexican box turtles, baby crocodiles and Mexican beaded lizards – were imported into the United States from Mexico and Hong Kong without declaring them to U.S. customs officials or obtaining permits required by an international treaty known as the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
For the animals smuggled from Mexico, Perez’s accomplices retrieved the wildlife from Ciudad Juarez International Airport in Mexico and smuggled the animals by car to El Paso, Texas. Perez’s accomplices were paid a “crossing fee” for each border crossing – the amount of which depended on the number of animals transported, the size of the package, and the risk of being detected by the authorities. Perez then had the animals shipped to his family’s residence in Ventura County, where he resold the animals to customers across the United States. Throughout the process, Perez used the alias “Julio Rodriguez” to conceal his involvement in the scheme.
On other occasions, Perez himself traveled to Mexico to obtain wildlife. He rented a house in Tijuana and crossed into the United States from Mexico at the San Ysidro Port of Entry approximately 36 times from February 2021 to February 2022. On February 25, 2022, Perez was arrested while attempting to enter the United States with 60 reptiles on his person, hidden in his clothing in small bags. Three of the reptiles died during his smuggling attempt.
On May 16, 2022, Perez was ordered released on bond. On June 5, the day before a court hearing he had requested, Perez removed his ankle bracelet used for court-ordered location monitoring and fled to Tijuana. On June 16, Perez was apprehended in Mexico. Perez was returned to the United States on June 16 and has remained in custody since then.
Law enforcement estimates that the wildlife smuggled by Perez had a total market value exceeding $739,000.
United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin scheduled a December 1 sentencing hearing, at which time Perez will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each smuggling count and up to five years in federal prison for the wildlife trafficking count.
Stephany Perez, 26, also of Oxnard, Jose Perez’s sister and co-defendant, is scheduled to go on trial in this case in February 2023.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service investigated this matter. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew W. O’Brien and Brian R. Faerstein of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section and Senior Trial Attorney Gary N. Donner of the Environmental Crimes Section of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division are prosecuting this case.
Mon Metro Drug Task Force seizes “Rainbow Fentanyl”Read the Press Release
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – A search warrant executed last week in Morgantown led to the recovery of a large batch of “Rainbow Fentanyl,” a colorful version of the deadly drug that resembles candy.
United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld was joined by officials from the Mon Metro Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force today to discuss the case and to notify the community about how fentanyl is being marketed in the region. The pills, seized last week by Task Force officers, are multi-colored and stamped with M/30 like a conventional oxycodone pill. Ihlenfeld noted that the production quality of the counterfeits was superior to pills seized in the past, and that they are suspected to have originated Mexico and shipped to Morgantown from California.
“Adolescent drug overdose deaths have doubled over the past decade due to the emergence of illicit fentanyl and the manner in which it is being marketed,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “This another example of drug cartels being creative in how they produce and sell their product.”
In addition to the fentanyl pills, officers recovered significant quantities of crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, and powdered fentanyl. The investigation is ongoing, and criminal charges will be announced in the future.
The candy-colored pills seized in Morgantown are consistent with a trend being seen in other parts of the country. Last week in in Nogales, Arizona, U.S. Custom and Border Patrol agents seized 15,000 multi-colored pills from an individual attempting to smuggle them into the country. Similar seizures have been made in California, Oregon and Washington, D.C.
“We will relentlessly pursue drug dealers who are targeting our youth with drugs disguised as candy,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “These pills may look harmless, but they are potentially deadly. We ask the community to talk with your children about the dangers of illegal drugs and to not take something if they aren’t sure what it is or where it came from.”
The Mon Metro Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, is comprised of representatives from the Morgantown Police Department, the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office, the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police, West Virginia University Police Department, Granville Police Department, and the Star City Police Department.
Missouri man gets 10 years for secretly filming nude boysRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Wednesday sentenced a man from Scott County, Missouri to 10 years in prison for secretly filming underage boys in the bathroom.
Michael Stevens, 43, of Oran in Scott County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in May to coercion and enticement of a minor.
Stevens admitted luring teenage boys to accompany him to concerts in the St. Louis area. Stevens used a hidden camera to secretly record video of two boys in the bathroom of the hotel rooms where they stayed, his plea agreement says.
Stevens began taking one of the boys hunting and fishing starting when the boy was 13.
In April of 2020, the boy’s parents contacted the Scott County Sheriff’s Office after their son said Stevens had grabbed his buttocks in a hotel after a 2019 concert in St. Louis and asked for pictures of his genitals. The parents asked the boy about Stevens after Stevens complained that the boy would no longer go hunting and fishing, and the boy then disclosed Stevens’ crimes.
On May 5, 2020, Stevens told law enforcement that he took multiple teenage boys under his wing and mentored them. He also admitted engaging in sexual talk with some of these boys, and identified another victim.
Stevens also took that boy hunting and fishing and to a concert in the St. Louis area. At a hotel, Stevens hid a camera to record the boy changing, his plea agreement says. Stevens also asked that victim for nude pictures.
After his release from prison, Stevens will be on supervised release for life and will have to register as a sex offender. He was ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution and also agreed to forfeit a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado. A portion of the proceeds of the sale of the truck will go to the restitution.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Missouri's State Technical Assistance Team investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Middlesex County Man Admits Leading Heroin and Fentanyl Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man today admitted leading a drug trafficking organization that operated out of a drug mill located in the Bronx, New York, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Luis Cabrera, 37, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. Five other individuals have previously pleaded guilty to charges arising from this investigation: Pedro Acosta Ramos, 34; Rodolfo Antonio Acosta Liriano, 38; Johan Manuel Lopez Brito, 35; Humberto Antonio Rodriguez, 35; and Julian Brito Sanchez, 50.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2019 to June 2020, Cabrera was a leader of a drug trafficking organization that distributed heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine to customers in New Jersey and elsewhere. He operated a drug mill in an apartment located in the Bronx, New York. On June 30, 2020, law enforcement searched the mill and recovered heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. The quantity of heroin amounted to 8,650 individual doses. Law enforcement seized the drug trafficking organization’s distribution materials, including glassine baggies, tape, scales, cutting agents to mix with narcotics to increase their weight and value, and stamps for the branding of the drugs. Cabrera was at the mill during the search and was arrested. On previous occasions, Cabrera met with conspirators in New Jersey and also purchased supplies for the mill in New Jersey.
Cabrera faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard W. Reinhold, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Calle of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Maryland Woman Sentenced for Role in Prison Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Priyanka Kumar was sentenced to two years of probation and a $5,000 fine for engaging in interstate transmissions in aid of racketeering between 2017 and 2019, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Kumar, age 35, of Potomac, Maryland, was sentenced by United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.
Kumar conducted thousands of dollars of interstate wire transfers to federal inmates and their associates to fund a prison drug trafficking and money laundering enterprise on behalf of her boyfriend who was incarcerated in federal prison at the time. Kumar transferred over $60,000 via interstate wire transfers in 2017 and 2018. Over $40,000 of the $60,000+ of wire transfers were sent to federal inmate accounts.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General led the multi-agency investigation that also included the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Pittsburgh Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Munhall Police Department, the Robinson Township Police Department, the McKees Rocks Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Etna Police Department, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
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.
Maryland U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron Announces Strategies to Use Additional State Funds to Reduce Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – At a press conference earlier today, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron, joined by federal, state, and local partners announced that his office is devoting more federal resources than ever before to fight violent crime in Maryland. These resources have been made possible by an unprecedented level of state funding to support these efforts. Partners at today’s announcement included:
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron; Governor Larry Hogan; Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh; Mayor Brandon Scott; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Toni Crosby; Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget; Federal Bureau of Investigation Assistant Special Agent in Charge Rob Turner; Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge James Harris; Secretary Robert Green of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services; Maryland State Police, Colonel Woodrow Jones; Baltimore City Police Commissioner Michael Harrison; and
Representatives from the Maryland Congressional delegation.As discussed at the press conference, the Maryland General Assembly passed Governor Larry Hogan’s allocation of $3.5 million to support 14 additional Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys, 10 additional investigators, five data analysts, and four legal support personnel, with the support of Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh. The hiring process for those positions has already begun in the Attorney General’s Office and several Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys have already started to combat violent crime on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
U.S. Attorney Barron announced today that the newly established Violent and Organized Crime Section is being expanded by the 30 new state-funded positions. In addition, U.S. Attorney Barron has encouraged prosecutors to use all available resources to investigate and prosecute repeat violent offenders—specifically to look at any wrongdoing that meets office priorities, including COVID-19 CARES Act fraud, in particular unemployment insurance fraud, Paycheck Protection Program fraud, Economic Injury Disaster Loan fraud, and utilizing a federal school zone statute that makes it a crime to possess a gun within 1000 feet of a school.
“The appalling multi-victim shooting at Park Heights Avenue today underscores the need for the steps announced and the renewed commitment from our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Erek Barron. “I have instructed my staff to provide whatever assistance we can to ensure that the shooters from the incident today are quickly arrested, taken off the street, and brought to justice. We will continue to use every legal means necessary to fight violent crime in Baltimore and throughout Maryland.”
“For eight years our administration has been fighting to give law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges the tools they need to fight violent crime and to hold violent criminals accountable,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “A critical piece of that has been active collaboration and coordination between all levels of government. I want to thank U.S. Attorney Barron for continuing the long-standing partnership we have had with the federal prosecutor's office, and I want to commend him for building on our crime-fighting efforts with these new initiatives.”
“I am pleased to join local, state, and federal leaders to share this announcement and show that, together, we are dedicated to making the streets of Baltimore the safe spaces that we know they can be,” said Mayor Brandon Scott. “I look forward to working with each and every agency that shares our commitment to reducing violence.”
“ATF is proud to work with all local, state, and federal partners in our collective efforts to reduce violence. The core of ATF’s mission in Baltimore is to identify, investigate, and apprehend trigger-pullers and traffickers by using the crime gun intelligence model. Firearms tracing, ballistic forensics from crime guns, and partnership are the cornerstones to this intelligence-led approach,” said ATF Baltimore Field Division Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby. “We have seen policemen shot. Coaches, college students, and even children murdered. The street crews and gangs who commit shootings nearly every day do so without conscience, and we are relentless in our pursuit of them. Since 2019, partnered ATF Special Agents and Baltimore Police Task Force Officers on our Crime Gun Enforcement Team have closed 50 homicide cases and 22 nonfatal shooting cases, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Maryland Attorney General’s Office. With every closed case, we hope that the families of the victims feel some sense of justice. By working collaboratively with our law enforcement partners, and with the community, we will continue to do everything in our power to take the most violent offenders off Baltimore streets.”
“The resources and programs we outlined today, along with the proactive work conducted with our community members and our partners, are going to make all the difference in reducing drug-related violent crime here in Baltimore,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Washington Division. “Working proactively to truly address these issues and make sure all of our area families can live safely is our top priority”
“We cannot expect to make a difference in the lives of our citizens if we do not work together, which is why the continuation of the funded task forces is key to the violent crime fight,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Turner.
“We would be naive to think that we have all the answers to the many factors that play a part in an individual committing senseless acts of violence,” said Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore. “However, we have some amazing tools at our disposal, and we have developed some strong partnerships. If we can continue to engage in the initiatives that decrease the number of gangs and violent criminals on our streets, the initiatives that disrupt the selling of deadly drugs, and the initiatives that diminish the possession and trafficking of illegal weapons, we will see a significant downward trajectory in the number of violent incidents. This is something we all want and deserve, and it is something that we know we can eventually achieve.”
“The Department has 249 Parole and Probation employees based in the City, as well as more than 40 sworn law enforcement officers and intelligence personnel,” says Robert Green, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. “These resources are embedded within, or in direct support of, the law enforcement agencies represented here today. The Governor’s commitment to this critical collaborative expansion will enable us to provide more resources to help our city, state, and federal partners in this vital crime-fighting initiative announced today.”
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Maryland Police Officer Indicted in District of Columbia on Federal Charges of Excessive Force and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Officer Philip Dupree, 38, formerly of the Fairmount Heights Police Department in Maryland, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of violating a man’s civil rights and obstruction of justice. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves of the District of Columbia, and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The indictment alleges that during the early morning hours of Aug. 4, 2019, Dupree was on duty as a Fairmont Heights Police Officer when he conducted a traffic stop in the District of Columbia. Dupree allegedly detained a man identified as T.S. and then deployed pepper spray in an unreasonable use of force against him. Dupree allegedly obstructed justice by submitting a probable cause statement that offered a false justification for his use of force on T.S.
The indictment was returned in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Dupree faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for his alleged use of unreasonable force. The obstruction of justice charge carries with it a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. If convicted, a federal district court judge would determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Rakoczy of the District of Columbia.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Maryland Police Officer Indicted for Excessive Force and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
Officer Philip Dupree, 38, formerly of the Fairmount Heights Police Department in Maryland, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of violating a man’s civil rights and obstruction of justice.
The indictment alleges that during the early morning hours of Aug. 4, 2019, Dupree was on duty as a Fairmont Heights Police Officer when he conducted a traffic stop in the District of Columbia. Dupree allegedly detained a man identified as T.S. and then deployed pepper spray in an unreasonable use of force against him. Dupree allegedly obstructed justice by submitting a probable cause statement that offered a false justification for his use of force on T.S.
Dupree faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for his alleged use of unreasonable force. The obstruction of justice charge carries with it a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves of the District of Columbia and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Rakoczy of the District of Columbia.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Stealing more than $2.2 Million in Pandemic Assistance BenefitsRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A Detroit resident pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, in connection with schemes to defraud multiple state workforce agencies and the Small Business Administration out of more than $2.2 million in Covid-19 pandemic assistance and also to defraud the U.S. Postal Service of another $200,000, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining in the announcement were Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Special Agent-in-Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Andre Martin Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and Rita Saenz Director of the California Employment Development Department.
Chaz Duane Shields, 34, entered his guilty pleas today, before United States District Judge Robert H. Cleland. Shields is facing up to twenty years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and restitution of the proceeds of his fraud.
According to court records, beginning at least as early as May 2020 and continuing through at least July 2021, Shields and others agreed to commit wire fraud. Specifically, Shields and his coconspirators submitted more than 240 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to more than 20 states and territories, fraudulently obtaining more than $2,200,000 in benefits. Shields also successfully obtained a fraudulent $20,833.00 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.
Separately, Shields admitted to defrauding the U.S. Postal Service of over $200,000 through a scheme in which he conspired to submit more than 1,000 fraudulent insurance claims, in the names of more than 40 separate individuals. Shields and others used USPS Self-Service Kiosks to mail a number of packages. For each of the packages, the conspirators subsequently filed and received a fraudulent insurance claim by attesting that the package contained an item of significant value. In reality, the packages typically contained empty plastic picture frames with little to no value.
Cortney Saquan Shields, 33, of Detroit and Daeshawn Tamar Posey, 26, of Detroit have previously pleaded guilty connected to the case. Brittany Levett Witherspoon, 26, of Warren has also been charged in connection to the investigation.
This is case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Particka, Timothy J. Wyse, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Corinne M. Lambert. The investigation is being conducted jointly by agents from the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General.
Man Admits to Robbing Eight Chicago-Area BanksRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has admitted in federal court that he robbed eight Chicago-area banks over a seven-month period in 2019.
MANUEL MARTINEZ, 26, of Chicago, pleaded guilty Tuesday to three counts of bank robbery. Martinez admitted in a plea agreement that he robbed a total of eight banks in Chicago and nearby suburbs from April to September of 2019.
Two co-defendants – ANDRES ADAME, 37, of Melrose Park, Ill., and AARON FLORES, 24, of Chicago – previously pleaded guilty to three counts of bank robbery apiece and admitted to participating with Martinez in some of the heists.
Each count of bank robbery is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Ronald A. Guzman set sentencings for Oct. 4, 2022, for Adame; Oct. 13, 2022, for Flores; and Nov. 30, 2022, for Martinez.
The guilty pleas were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Ashley Johnson, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Elmwood Park Police Department, Park Ridge Police Department, Franklin Park Police Department, Niles Police Department, and Schiller Park Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley A. Chung.
Martinez, Adame, and Flores admitted to participating in the following robberies:
- Citibank, 3535 N. Central Ave. in Chicago, on Sept. 17, 2019.
- TCF Bank, 1 W. Devon Ave. in Park Ridge, Ill., on Sept. 18, 2019.
- PNC Bank, 10272 W. Grand Ave. in Franklin Park, Ill., on Sept. 26, 2019.
- Fifth Third Bank, 5670 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago, on Sept. 27, 2019.
- U.S. Bank, 7312 W. Grand Ave. in Elmwood Park, Ill., on Oct. 2, 2019.
Martinez and Adame also admitted to participating in the following robberies:
- Chase Bank, 7007 Dempster St. in Niles, Ill., on April 6, 2019.
- TCF Bank, 9343 W. Irving Park Rd. in Schiller Park, Ill., on Sept. 6, 2019.
In addition, Martinez admitted to robbing Citibank, 3535 N. Central Ave. in Chicago, on April 10, 2019, while Adame admitted to robbing U.S. Bank, 10035 W. Grand Ave. in Franklin Park, Ill., on Feb. 2, 2019, and Chase Bank, 2639 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago, on April 27, 2019.
Man Sentenced for Defrauding Government with Revenue Suppression Software Used by Wyoming RestaurantsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Nicholas Vassallo announced today that JIN CHEN LIANG, age 62, of Corona, California, was sentenced for conspiracy to defraud the government in a hearing on August 16, 2022, before Chief United States District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl. Liang was sentenced to five years’ probation, with the first six months under home confinement, and was ordered to pay a $200 special assessment and over $700,000 in restitution to the State of Wyoming and the IRS. The United States recommended a sentence of 30 months’ incarceration.
Liang developed, sold, and installed software that enabled several restaurants in Wyoming to conceal cash sales, facilitating the restaurant owners’ under-reporting of the amount of sales tax owed to the State of Wyoming and the amount of income tax owed to the federal government. Liang sold the software to individuals who owned restaurants in Casper, Cheyenne, Green River, Riverton, and Rock Springs. The total amount of under-reported tax was approximately 2 million dollars. The Wyoming Department of Audit suspected the presence of the software on the Wyoming restaurants’ point of sales systems and collaborated with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the IRS during the investigation.
Restaurant owners who bought and used Liang’s software, Quyen Sam Ha, Soi Sam Ha, and Jenn Sam Ho, were previously convicted of wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the government. All the convicted restaurant owners were placed on supervised probation for a term of 5 years and have already paid restitution totaling over 1.8 million dollars to the State of Wyoming and the IRS.
“This was the culmination of an investigation that began in 2016 and involved multiple Wyoming restaurants,” said Acting United States Attorney Nicholas Vassallo. “The crime facilitated by Liang’s software harmed not only the State of Wyoming, but it also created an unfair advantage over law-abiding restaurant owners who lawfully paid state and federal taxes. Due to the diligent and collaborative work of both federal and state investigative agencies, Liang’s criminal enterprise has been dismantled.”
“The use of revenue suppression software to hide your income is a crime against not only the federal government, but all honest taxpayers,” said Andy Tsui, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge, Denver Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are experts in uncovering sophisticated tax avoidance schemes, and we will continue to pursue individuals and organizations attempting to avoid their tax obligations.”
This crime was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, the Wyoming Department of Audit, and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie I. Sprecher prosecuted the case.
Case No. 21-cr-00068-SWS
Lodge Grass man admits burglary in sexual abuse investigationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Lodge Grass man suspected of breaking into a woman’s house on the Crow Indian Reservation and sexually abusing her in 2020 admitted to a burglary charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Joe Claren Tate Reed, 32, pleaded guilty to burglary. Reed faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $50,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Judge Watters set sentencing for Dec. 8. Reed was detained pending further proceedings.
A plea agreement filed in the case calls for a second count of sexual abuse to be dismissed at sentencing if the court accepts the agreement.
In court documents, the government alleged that on July 18, 2020, Reed was drinking with the victim, identified as Jane Doe, and others. In the early morning, Doe was taken home and put to bed because of alcohol intoxication. Doe awoke naked in her bed. Doe realized that while she was passed out, her bedroom window had been removed and her front door was unlocked. Doe suspected Reed had broken into her home and had sexually abused her. Doe made an immediate report to the Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement and got a sexual assault medical exam. Reed consented to giving a buccal swab. The results found Reed’s DNA on swabs taken from Doe’s exam. Reed initially denied having sex with Doe. When confronted with the DNA results, Reed changed his story and claimed he attempted to have consensual sex with Doe, but she passed out, so he stopped.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori Harper Suek and Thomas K. Godfrey are prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
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Leadership of Yoga to the People Arrested for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, New York Field Office (“IRS-CI”), and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”), announced charges against GREGORY GUMUCIO, MICHAEL ANDERSON, and HAVEN SOLIMAN for participating in a conspiracy to commit tax fraud for at least seven years. The three defendants were longtime leaders at a prominent nationwide yoga business, Yoga to the People (“YTTP”), from which they all received a substantial amount of income, yet none of the three defendants filed individual or business tax returns – or paid any income taxes – from at least 2013 through 2020. GUMUCIO, ANDERSON, and SOLIMAN were arrested today in Washington State. GUMUCIO and SOLIMAN will be presented before Magistrate Judge David W. Christel in the Western District of Washington (Tacoma Division), and ANDERSON will be presented before Magistrate Judge Mary Alice Theiler in the Western District of Washington (Seattle Division).
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendants operated a lucrative nationwide yoga business, which brought in over $20 million and netted them each substantial sums, permitting them to live lavish lifestyles. Yet the defendants chose not to file tax returns, or pay income taxes, for at least seven consecutive years. The defendants perpetrated their scheme in various ways, including paying employees in cash and off the books, refusing to provide employees with tax documentation, not maintaining books and records, paying personal expenses from business accounts, and using nominees to disguise their connection to various entities. At least two of the defendants even submitted fabricated tax returns to third parties when seeking a loan or an apartment, despite not filing any tax returns with the IRS. Thanks to dogged investigative work, the defendants now face serious charges for their alleged crimes.”
IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Fattorusso said: “The defendants purported to create a donation-based exercise community to make yoga more accessible for their clients, when in reality, they allegedly ran a more than decade-long cash cow that relied on a sophisticated network of tens of millions of dollars in unreported income and free labor to fund the leaders’ lavish lifestyles. Today’s arrests and charges are the opening salvo against this years-long scam and the first step to holding these defendants accountable for their alleged crimes.”
DOL-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone said: “An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is ensuring that workers receive the wages that they are entitled to and that appropriate unemployment insurance taxes are withheld from their pay and remitted to the relevant tax authority. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations."
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:[1]
In or around 2006, GUMUCIO founded YTTP in New York, New York. YTTP was originally donation-based: YTTP requested, but did not require, payment from its yoga students. YTTP started with one yoga studio on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and it became extremely popular. Over the ensuing years, YTTP opened at least approximately 20 yoga studios or affiliated entities throughout New York City and in various other places, including California, Colorado, Arizona, Florida, and Washington State. YTTP also had a teacher training program, which earned substantial income from aspiring yoga teachers. YTTP operated from at least approximately 2006 until 2020. From 2010 to 2020, YTTP and its affiliates generated gross receipts of more than $20 million. Yet YTTP never filed a corporate tax return with the IRS.
YTTP’s leadership included GUMUCIO, ANDERSON, and SOLIMAN. GUMUCIO was YTTP’s founder, principal owner, and functional chief executive officer, as he directed and made decisions for the YTTP enterprise. ANDERSON was an owner of YTTP and the functional chief financial officer; he was involved in, among other things, negotiating leases for YTTP entities, obtaining Employer Identification Numbers from the IRS, opening bank accounts, and working with GUMUCIO to expand YTTP. SOLIMAN was an owner of YTTP, its Chief Communications Officer, the Director of Education for YTTP’s Teacher Training (“TT”) Program, and was actively involved in YTTP’s efforts to expand internationally.
GUMUCIO, ANDERSON, and SOLIMAN each received a large volume of income from YTTP, yet none of the three defendants filed a personal tax return with the IRS for any calendar year from 2013 to 2020, inclusive. Using conservative figures, for calendar years 2015 to 2020, GUMUCIO had unreported income directly from YTTP exceeding $1.6 million and a tax due and owing to the IRS exceeding an estimated $431,000; ANDERSON had unreported income directly from YTTP exceeding $2.1 million and a tax due and owing to the IRS exceeding an estimated $603,000; and SOLIMAN had unreported income directly from YTTP exceeding $961,000 and a tax due and owing to the IRS exceeding an estimated $196,000. During the charged period, GUMUCIO, ANDERSON, and SOLIMAN each represented their annual income to be six figures to third parties not associated with the Government (e.g., in loan applications, rental applications, and/or bank documents), yet none of them filed an individual tax return.
During the charged period, despite not filing any tax returns and not paying any income taxes, GUMUCIO, ANDERSON, and SOLIMAN enjoyed extravagant lifestyles, which included frequent foreign travel; expensive meals and clothing; NFL season tickets; and horse lodging and horseback riding.
YTTP and its leaders, including GUMUCIO, ANDERSON, and SOLIMAN, used various methods to evade taxes, including, among others:
- Accepting yoga students’ payments in cash (e.g., which was collected in tissue boxes that were passed around during yoga classes) and paying yoga teachers in cash and “off the books”;
- Using nominees to disguise the defendants’ connection to various entities which, in fact, were part of the YTTP enterprise and from which GUMUCIO, ANDERSON, and SOLIMAN all received income; to that end, GUMUCIO targeted and groomed typically young women and others to become nominee “owners” of studios, luring them with the title of studio owner when, in fact, he generally controlled business decisions, took a cut of their proceeds, and the nominees generally took on meaningful financial risk;
- Generally forbidding YTTP teachers from counting incoming cash that yoga students paid and requiring yoga studio managers to transport cash proceeds to GUMUCIO’s apartment on St. Marks Place in Manhattan, where those proceeds were “stacked” and counted during so-called “stacking parties”;
- Failing to maintain a corporate headquarters or keep corporate books and records;
- Using YTTP business accounts to pay the defendants’ personal expenses; and
- Maximizing unreported income, as GUMUCIO manipulated subordinates into providing free labor (e.g., teaching unpaid classes, stacking cash, cleaning yoga studios, depositing cash into bank accounts, etc.).
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GUMUCIO, 61, of Cathlamet, Washington; ANDERSON, 51, of Bellevue, Washington; and SOLIMAN, 33, of Cathlamet, Washington, are each charged with (i) one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; and (ii) five counts of tax evasion, each of which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Williams also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington for its assistance.
Mr. Williams also noted that the investigation is ongoing. If you believe you have information about the defendants, this case, or if you believe you are a victim of any crimes related to YTTP, please email [email protected].
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Neff is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Last of 18 Defendants Charged in a Birmingham-Based Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Cocaine SentencedRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge yesterday sentenced the last of 18 defendants charged in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr., and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Atlanta Field Office Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey.
United States District Judge Annmarie C. Axon sentenced Adrien Hiram Taylor, aka “Slim,” 33, of Bessemer, Alabama, to life in prison and Leanthony Martez Gillins, aka “Fatman,” 35, of Bessemer, Alabama, to 232 months for managing a multi-million dollar conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana; distributing or possessing with the intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm during or in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and using a communication facility to commit drug trafficking crimes. Co-defendant Janaya Lenise Bibb, 36, of McCalla, Alabama was sentenced to 40 months in prison. Bibb was convicted of conspiring to distribute or possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
A total of eighteen people were charged in the indictment returned on October 29, 2019. The indictment was the result of a three-year Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation into the drug-trafficking enterprise based in Western Jefferson County. The task force identified acts in furtherance of the conspiracy committed by members of the organization over a period of six years. All 18 defendants have now been sentenced. U.S. District Judge Axon sentenced the Rolando Antuain Williamson, aka “Baldhead” and “Ball Head,” 37, of Bessemer, Alabama, to life in prison plus 120 months as the Kingpin of the multi-million dollar continuing criminal enterprise on August 9, 2022, and ordered a money judgment of $36,615,000 against Williamson.
The OCDETF agencies involved in this investigation are the FBI, IRS, member agencies of the FBI North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bessemer Police Department.
The North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force arrested Williamson the morning of August 22, 2019, in the parking lot of a grocery store located in Homewood, Alabama. Williamson was driving a 2016 Dodge Hellcat worth $80,000. At the time of arrest, Williamson was armed two loaded pistols, additional loaded magazines, and was carrying almost $14,000 in cash. All other members of the conspiracy were arrested on or about November 13, 2019.
At the time of Williamson’s arrest, law enforcement officers seized from him and three of his stash houses, 366 grams of heroin/fentanyl, 109 grams of suspected cocaine, 573 grams of pure methamphetamine, 52 kilos of marijuana, over $97,000 in cash, multiple firearms, and over 1700 rounds of ammunition.
“As a result of the sustained and extensive investigation by our many law enforcement partners, this Birmingham-based drug trafficking network has been dismantled,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “We are thankful for the collaboration of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in working diligently to disrupt the pipeline of deadly drugs into our communities. These sentences should send a clear message that this type of criminal activity will not be tolerated in our district.”
“The sentencing of these three drug traffickers puts the final nail in the coffin of their drug organization,” SAC Sharp said. “I continue to be proud of the great work of the FBI’s North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force and our partners that work every day to disrupt, dismantle and destroy the criminal organizations that bring their poison and violence to our neighborhoods.”
“The sentencing of these individuals is just another step in multiple agencies working together to keep the citizens of Jefferson County safe and to further our fight to remove illegal drugs from our streets,” said Sheriff Mark Pettway.
“These convictions and sentencings of all of those involved send a strong message to the criminal element in western Jefferson County and beyond,” Bessemer Police Chief Michael Roper said. “It is my hope that other criminals will have second thoughts before they engage in this type of activity. It is time for individuals to learn that these drugs are very harmful to the community. These dangerous drugs are accompanied by other crimes in the community. I say thanks again to all of the agencies involved in this successful operation.”
Forfeiture was obtained for two of Williamson’s high-end vehicles: a $46,000 Ford F-250 King’s Ranch and $37,000 Cadillac Escalade; over $100,000 dollars in cash; $45,000 in jewelry; and all firearms and ammunition used to facilitate the drug trafficking enterprise.
This investigation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF is an independent component of the U.S. Department of Justice. Established in 1982, OCDETF is the centerpiece of the Attorney General’s strategy to combat transnational-organized-crime and to reduce the availability of illicit narcotics in the nation by using a prosecutor-led, multi-agency approach to enforcement. OCDETF leverages the resources and expertise of its partners in concentrated, coordinated, long-term enterprise investigations of transnational organized crime, money laundering, and major drug trafficking networks.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service investigated the case along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Bessemer Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Cross and Gregory R. Dimler prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Secures Settlement with Texas Harvesting Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination ClaimRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with A. Olivarez Harvesting LLC (Olivarez). The settlement resolves a claim that Olivarez discriminated against two U.S. citizens based on their citizenship status when it denied them crop harvesting positions it had promised them and instead filled the jobs with temporary visa workers through the Department of Labor’s H-2A program, in violation of the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
“Employers engage in unlawful discrimination against U.S. workers by giving an advantage to temporary visa workers because of their citizenship or immigration status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to enforce the anti-discrimination provision of the INA to ensure that employers do not unlawfully deny employment to workers in the community because of their citizenship status, regardless of whether those workers are U.S. citizens or immigrants with permission to work in the United States.”
Based on its investigation, the department determined that Olivarez initially agreed to employ two brothers who are U.S. citizens to harvest corn, but then falsely told them that the harvesting work was no longer available and instead offered them warehouse jobs with a lower hourly wage. Olivarez employed only H-2A visa workers to do the harvesting work during that harvesting season. Under the H-2A visa program, employers are generally required to offer agricultural jobs to qualified U.S. workers before sponsoring and hiring temporary visa workers from another country. Failure to do so could run afoul of the anti-discrimination provision of the INA if the employer’s preference for the temporary visa workers over U.S. workers is based on immigration or citizenship status.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Olivarez will pay a civil penalty for the violation, offer back pay plus interest totaling $14,165.10 (combined total) to the two affected workers, post notices informing workers of their rights under the INA’s anti-discrimination provision, train its staff and be subject to departmental monitoring for three years.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation.
Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Find more information on how employers can avoid citizenship status discrimination on IER’s website. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a free webinar; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER. View the Spanish translation of this press release here.
Indictment Charges 5 Men Involved in Scheme to Steal and Sell Catalytic ConvertersRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. Boston Division, today announced the unsealing of a nine-count indictment that charges five men with federal offenses related to their participation in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking ring.
The indictment, which was returned by a federal grand jury in New Haven on August 16, charges ALEXANDER KOLITSAS, 28, of Wolcott; BRYANT BERMUDEZ, 31, of East Hartford; ROBERTO ALICEA, 30, of New Britain; FRANCISCO AYALA, 22, of Ansonia; and THEODORE ROOSEVELT OWENS, 21, of Hartford.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement has been investigating the theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut. A catalytic converter contains precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves. The average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component.
The indictment alleges that Kolitsas owned and operated Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC (“Downpipe Depot”), which had a warehouse on Park Avenue in East Hartford. Bermudez started working with Kolitsas at Downpipe Depot in November 2021. At Downpipe Depot, Kolitsas and Bermudez purchased stolen catalytic converters from a network of thieves, including Alicea, Ayala and Owens. Kolitsas and Bermudez instructed their suppliers on the types of catalytic converters that would obtain the most profit upon resale. Kolitsas and Bermudez then transported and sold the catalytic converters to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey.
The indictment alleges that, as part of the scheme, Downpipe Depot received $237,329 via wire transfer shortly after Kolitsas transported a load of catalytic converters, including stolen converters, to Freehold, New Jersey, in October 2021. Also, on two occasions in March 2022, Kolitsas transported catalytic converters, including stolen converters, to Island Park, New York, and sold them for a total of approximately $300,000 in cash.
The indictment further alleges that Kolitsas and Bermudez acquired and maintained firearms as Kolitsas’s residence and Downpipe Depot’s warehouse.
“Catalylic converter thefts are more than just an annoying property crime for victims, they increase insurance rates for all car owners and increase pollution in the air we breathe,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “We have also seen a rise in violence connected to catalytic converter theft incidents. This criminal activity would not exist but for the salvagers and metal processors who orchestrate these thefts and purchase the stolen converters. I thank the ATF and IRS-Criminal Investigation agents, and all members of our partner state and local law enforcement agencies, for diligently investigating this matter and exposing the alleged participants in this scheme.”
U.S. Attorney Avery noted that the investigation is ongoing.
“Organized criminal activity, such as this, is extremely costly to victims,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Ferguson. “Often times these types of crimes fund larger more violent criminal enterprises that place citizens at even greater risk. This indictment is an example of what can be accomplished when local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies work together.”
“Today’s arrests and indictments effectively shut down a multi-state property theft ring which peddled in stolen catalytic converters,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Simpson. “While this is a first of its kind federal prosecution, we know that there are similar schemes all across the country. If nothing else, this case should serve as a stark warning to all of those involved in these types of schemes that it’s not a matter of ‘if’ you will be brought to justice but ‘when.’”
The indictment charges Koltisas, Bermudez, Alicea, Ayala and Owens with one count of conspiracy to transport stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and with one or more counts of interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
The indictment also charges Kolitsas with one count of promotional money laundering, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, for using proceeds from the theft and sale of catalytic converters to purchase a Ford Transit Van. He is also charged with two counts of engaging in monetary transactions with proceeds of specified unlawful activity, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count, related to his using Downpipe Depot funds to make a payment to a Mercedes Benz dealership in Florida, and to purchase a home entertainment system.
Kolitsas is also charged with one count of possession of firearms by an unlawful drug user or addict, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
On June 1, 2022, law enforcement executed multiple court-authorized search warrants and seized five firearms from Kolitsas, approximately $47,007 in cash from Kolitsas, approximately $20,100 in cash from Bermudez, approximately $8,020 in cash from Downpipe Depot, the Ford Transit Van, a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado, and a 2016 Polaris Slingshot. The indictment seeks the forfeiture of this property, as well as approximately $92,581 that is held in a Downpipe Depot bank account.
Kolitsas was surrendered to law enforcement today. His arraignment is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven.
Bermudez and Alicea were arrested yesterday. Bermudez is released on a $150,000 bond and Alicea is detained pending a hearing scheduled for August 26 at 3:00 p.m.
Ayala is currently in state custody, and Owens is currently in federal custody for an unrelated offense.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Multi-State Drug RingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man were sentenced today to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine and other illegal drugs in the Huntington area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Marvin Jerome Calvin, 41, admitted that he sold approximately 1.8 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Huntington on July 6, 2020. Calvin further admitted that he distributed cocaine base, also known as “crack,” to a confidential informant on June 25 and 26, 2020. On August 6, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Calvin’s residence in Huntington and recovered approximately 1.6 grams of cocaine. Calvin admitted that he intended to sell the cocaine.
Calvin pleaded guilty to the distribution of fentanyl. The case is the result of a long-term investigation that disrupted the DTO and its distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, heroin, cocaine and crack. All 18 defendants have pleaded guilty.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force consists of officers with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus, Ohio also assisted in the investigation.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-109.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall Lee Graves II, 38, of Huntington, was sentenced today to six years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 7, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Graves’ residence. Graves admitted that he possessed three loaded firearms found during the search: an Eagle Arms AR15 .223-caliber rifle; a Springfield XDS 9mm pistol; and a Taurus Judge Public Defender, .45/.410-caliber pistol.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Graves knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his felony conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on October 22, 2014.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:21-cr-181.
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Hartford Men Indicted for June Credit Union RobberyRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody today announced that ZAIQWAN FOTHERGILL, 20, and HAKEEM ROBINSON, 27, both of Hartford, have been charged with robbing a Hartford credit union in June.
An indictment, which was returned by a grand jury in Hartford on August 4, alleges that, on June 29, 2022, Fothergill and Robinson used a firearm to commit a robbery of the Cencap Federal Credit Union located at 2775 Main Street in Hartford.
The two-count indictment charges Fothergill and Robinson with armed bank robbery, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 25 years, and with using, carrying and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least seven years.
Hartford Police officers arrested Fothergill and Robinson in Keney Park in Hartford shortly after the robbery. They have been detained since their arrests.
Robinson appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and entered a plea of not guilty. Fothergill’s arraignment is scheduled for September 6.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Connecticut Violent Crime Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Leaming.
Grand Jury Returns IndictmentsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Appleton Man Charged with Producing Child Pornography & Attempted Online Enticement of a Minor
Wang Lo, 23, Appleton, Wisconsin, is charged with 1 count of using a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. The indictment alleges that he used a cell phone to produce a video of the minor on October 29, 2021.
The indictment also charges Lo with using a means of interstate commerce to attempt to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity for which any person could be charged with a criminal offense under the laws of the State of Wisconsin, specifically second degree sexual assault of a child. The indictment alleges that on October 29, 2021, he used Snapchat messages to attempt to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity.
If convicted, Lo faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison on the charge of producing child pornography, and a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years on the charge of attempted online enticement. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Marathon and Outagamie County Sheriffs’ Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman is prosecuting the case.
Evansville Man Charged with Distributing & Possessing Child Pornography
Brandon M. Grazioso, 22, Evansville, Wisconsin, is charged with 3 counts of distributing child pornography and 1 count of possessing child pornography. The indictment alleges that he posted a file of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct onto Kik on November 23, December 3, and December 14, 2021. The indictment also alleges that on June 28, 2022, he possessed visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and that at least one of the depictions involved a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
If convicted, Grazioso faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison on each distribution charge, and a maximum of 20 years on the possession charge. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Rock County Sheriff’s Office, and Evansville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman is prosecuting the case.
Two Beloit Residents Charged with Drug Crimes Involving Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, Methamphetamine & Fentanyl
Depronce Burnett, 38, and Dominique Holsten, 34, both of Beloit, Wisconsin, who are husband and wife, are charged with conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine. The indictment alleges that the conspiracy operated from October 1 to October 27, 2021. They are also charged with maintaining a place in Beloit for the purpose of distributing cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.
Burnett and Holsten are also charged with 2 counts of distributing cocaine, 2 counts of distributing methamphetamine, 1 count of possessing crack cocaine with intent to distribute, 1 count of possessing 500 grams or more of cocaine with intent to distribute, 1 count of possessing 50 grams of more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and 1 count of possessing 40 grams or more of fentanyl with intent to distribute.
The indictment also charges Burnett with 3 counts of distributing crack cocaine and 1 count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
If convicted, Burnett and Holsten face a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison on the conspiracy charge and each of the charges alleging 500 grams or more of cocaine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The other distribution charges, possession with intent to distribute charges, and charge of maintaining a place for drug distribution each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years.
The charges against Burnett and Holsten are the result of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Janesville and Beloit Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Anderson is prosecuting the case.
Chicago Man Charged with Possessing Methamphetamine for Distribution
Shakur Antwan Clayton, 28, Chicago, Illinois, is charged with possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that Clayton possessed the methamphetamine on May 16, 2022. Clayton was arrested in Monroe County, Wisconsin on that day.
If convicted, Clayton faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Wisconsin State Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick Elgersma is prosecuting the case.
Marathon County Man Charged with Possessing Methamphetamine for Distribution
Ryan P. Murray, 45, Weston, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that Clayton possessed the methamphetamine on January 10, 2022.
If convicted, Murray faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Anderson is prosecuting the case.
Frame and Receiver Rule Goes into EffectRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) “Frame or Receiver” Final Rule goes into effect. The new rule modernizes the definition of a firearm and makes clear that parts kits that are readily convertible to functional weapons, or functional “frames” or “receivers” of weapons, are subject to the same regulations as traditional firearms. This rule will help curb the proliferation of “ghost guns,” which are often assembled from kits, do not contain serial numbers, and are sold without background checks, making them difficult to trace and easy to acquire by criminals.
“Last year, the Justice Department committed to modernizing our regulations to address the proliferation of ‘ghost guns’ that law enforcement officers across the country have increasingly recovered from crime scenes,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These guns have often been sold as build-your-own kits that contain all or almost all of the parts needed to quickly build an unmarked gun. And anyone could sell or buy these guns without a background check.
“That changes today. This rule will make it harder for criminals and other prohibited persons to obtain untraceable guns. It will help to ensure that law enforcement officers can retrieve the information they need to solve crimes. And it will help reduce the number of untraceable firearms flooding our communities. I am grateful to the professionals across the Department who worked tirelessly to get this important rule finalized and implemented, and who did so in a way that respects the rights of law-abiding Americans.
“The Justice Department will continue to do everything within its power to protect our communities from violent crime and put an end to the plague of gun violence.”
The rule, which was posted in the Federal Register in April, will address the proliferation of these un-serialized firearms in several ways. These include:
- To help keep guns from being sold to convicted felons and other prohibited purchasers, the rule makes clear that retailers must run background checks before selling kits that contain the parts necessary for someone to readily make a gun.
- To help law enforcement trace guns used in a crime, the rule modernizes the definition of frame or receiver, clarifying which part of a weapon must be marked with a serial number – including in easy-to-build firearm kits.
- To help reduce the number of unmarked and hard-to-trace “ghost guns,” the rule establishes requirements for federally licensed firearms dealers and gunsmiths to have a serial number added to 3D printed guns or other un-serialized firearms they take into inventory.
- To better support tracing efforts, the rule requires federal firearms licensees, including gun retailers, to retain records for the length of time they are licensed, thereby expanding records retention beyond the prior requirement of 20 years. Over the past decade, ATF has been unable to trace thousands of firearms – many reportedly used in homicides or other violent crimes – because the records had already been destroyed. These records will continue to belong to, and be maintained by, federal firearms licensees while they are in business.
The proliferation of privately made firearms (PMFs), also known as “ghost guns”, are a growing problem for law enforcement efforts to reduce violent crime. Recent federal prosecutions by the Chicago Firearms Trafficking Strike Force show the impact:
- An Orland Hills, Ill., man was charged with illegally selling 36 firearms, including “ghost guns” and machine guns, in the Chicago area. Many of the transactions occurred in a car wash in a Chicago suburb.
- Two Indianapolis men were charged with federal firearm violations for allegedly trafficking 10 guns, including four semiautomatic rifles and two “ghost guns,” from Indianapolis to Chicago.
- A Chicago resident was charged with trafficking more than a dozen guns, including a “ghost gun” and a machine gun, in Chicago.
- Five men were indicted for allegedly trafficking guns from St. Louis to Chicago.
As the final rule explains, from January 2016 to December 2021, ATF received approximately 45,240 reports of suspected PMFs recovered by law enforcement, including in 692 homicide or attempted homicide investigations.
In April 2021, the Attorney General announced that the ATF would be issuing a proposed rule within 30 days to address the proliferation of unmarked firearms increasingly being used in crimes. On May 7, 2021, the Department of Justice issued a notice of proposed rulemaking, and during the 90-day open comment period, the ATF received more than 290,000 comments, the highest number of comments submitted to a proposed rule in the Justice Department’s history.
The final rule, as submitted to the Federal Register, can be viewed here: https://www.atf.gov/rules-and-regulations/definition-frame-or-receiver.
Former Schoolteacher Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A former schoolteacher with the Southside Independent School District was sentenced yesterday to 240 months in prison on child pornography charges.
According to court documents, a search warrant was executed at the residence of Mark Anthony Rodriguez, 56, of San Antonio. During the search, three devices were found that contained approximately 4,700 images and 384 videos of child pornography.
At the conclusion of a bench trial on December 12, 2019, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery found Rodriguez guilty of one count of distribution of child pornography; one count of receipt of child pornography; and three counts of possession of child pornography. In addition to the prison sentence, Rodriguez was ordered to pay $70,000 in restitution to fourteen separate victims.
“During his sentencing, Rodriguez acknowledged that his job was to be a protector, not a predator, of children,” said Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Callahan. “He failed. The justice system has now held him accountable. We are proud of the work our office and law enforcement partners do to combat this blight on our communities.”
“HSI San Antonio, remains committed in identifying individuals distributing child pornography on the internet,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “Identifying and investigating those who prey on our most vulnerable population, especially those individuals that hold positions of public trust, remains a top priority for HSI. Today’s sentence sends a clear message that there will be severe consequences for those who exploit children in anyway and HSI will continue to dedicate our resources to identify these individuals and bring them to justice”
HSI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Former Investment Bank Employee Arrested for CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former investment bank employee was arrested today in Hudson County, New Jersey, for cyberstalking former bank colleagues, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Gawargyous, aka “George,” Shind, 31, of Jersey City, New Jersey is charged by complaint with cyberstalking. Shind is scheduled to appear by videoconference today before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From April 2020 to November 2021, Shind engaged in a pattern of harassment directed towards at least four female victims by employing means of electronic communications, including text messages and computing services platforms, to threaten grievous bodily injury and death. Shind began a campaign of cyberstalking multiple victims after his termination from a bank where he and the victims were employed. Shind sent messages stating his intention to kill the victims and their families and referred to himself as a “predator.”
The charge of cyberstalking is punishable by five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in both the Newark and New York field offices, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy of the Newark field office, and Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll of the New York field office, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Barry O’Connell of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Florida Woman Sentenced to Prison for Her Role in Nationwide Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Florida woman was sentenced to one year and one day in prison today for helping to execute a nationwide tax fraud scheme and attempting to prevent the IRS from recovering a fraudulent refund she received after filing a false tax return.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Rebecca Cyphers, 65, of Winter Springs, Florida, participated in a nationwide tax fraud scheme from at least September 2014 to May 2016. As part of the scheme, promoters recruited clients by convincing them that their mortgages and other debts entitled them to tax refunds. Other members of the scheme prepared tax returns on behalf of clients for submission to the IRS, falsely reporting that banks and other financial institutions had withheld large amounts of income tax that entitled the clients to refunds. In reality, the financial institutions had not paid any income to, or withheld any taxes from, the clients. Cyphers admitted to her role in the scheme, which included inviting potential clients to at least one recruiting seminar. She also encouraged the prospective clients to participate in the scheme, even though Cyphers knew it was illegal.
Cyphers personally benefitted from the scheme by filing an amended 2013 income tax return that falsely claimed her mortgage holder had withheld more than $560,000 in taxes. As a result, the IRS issued Cyphers a refund of approximately $240,000 that she was not entitled to receive. Cyphers obstructed the IRS’s efforts to recover these ill-gotten profits by making large cash withdrawals from a bank account containing the refund amount, transferring much of the remaining amount into a trust, and sending frivolous correspondence to the IRS.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza ordered Cyphers to serve one year of supervised release and to pay approximately $ $232,185.20 in restitution to the United States.
In March, the main promoter of the fraud scheme, Iran Backstrom, was sentenced to more than 8 years in prison, and Backstrom’s second-in-command, Mehef Bey, was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Another individual, Aaron Aqueron, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for recruiting clients to the scheme and providing information to another co-conspirator for use in the preparation of false tax returns. A fourth individual, Yomarie Febres, was also sentenced to 51 months in prison for preparing false tax returns for scheme participants. Several other individuals in Florida and around the country have received prison sentences for their involvement in the scheme.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Isaiah Boyd III of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Florida Woman Sentenced to Prison for Her Role in Nationwide Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL - A Florida woman was sentenced to one year and one day in prison today for helping to execute a nationwide tax fraud scheme and attempting to prevent the IRS from recovering a fraudulent refund she received after filing a false tax return.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Rebecca Cyphers, 65, of Winter Springs, Florida, participated in a nationwide tax fraud scheme from at least September 2014 to May 2016. As part of the scheme, promoters recruited clients by convincing them that their mortgages and other debts entitled them to tax refunds. Other members of the scheme prepared tax returns on behalf of clients for submission to the IRS, falsely reporting that banks and other financial institutions had withheld large amounts of income tax that entitled the clients to refunds. In reality, the financial institutions had not paid any income to, or withheld any taxes from, the clients. Cyphers admitted to her role in the scheme, which included inviting potential clients to at least one recruiting seminar. She also encouraged the prospective clients to participate in the scheme, even though Cyphers knew it was illegal.
Cyphers personally benefitted from the scheme by filing an amended 2013 income tax return that falsely claimed her mortgage holder had withheld more than $560,000 in taxes. As a result, the IRS issued Cyphers a refund of approximately $240,000 that she was not entitled to receive. Cyphers obstructed the IRS’s efforts to recover these ill-gotten profits by making large cash withdrawals from a bank account containing the refund amount, transferring much of the remaining amount into a trust, and sending frivolous correspondence to the IRS.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza ordered Cyphers to serve one year of supervised release and to pay approximately $ $232,185.20 in restitution to the United States.
In March, the main promoter of the fraud scheme, Iran Backstrom, was sentenced to more than 8 years in prison, and Backstrom’s second-in-command, Mehef Bey, was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Another individual, Aaron Aqueron, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for recruiting clients to the scheme and providing information to another co-conspirator for use in the preparation of false tax returns. A fourth individual, Yomarie Febres, was also sentenced to 51 months in prison for preparing false tax returns for scheme participants. Several other individuals in Florida and around the country have received prison sentences for their involvement in the scheme.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Isaiah Boyd III of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Florida Marketer in Syndicated Conservation Easement Scheme Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A Florida man pleaded guilty yesterday to filing a false tax return that claimed a fraudulent charitable contribution relating to the donation of a conservation easement over land. The plea was entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Randall Lenz, of Boca Raton, Florida, was a licensed CPA and attorney with more than thirty years of experience handling tax matters. From approximately 2015 through 2019, Lenz marketed to his clients illegal tax shelters developed and promoted by other individuals. In return, Lenz received a commission of 12% of the money his clients paid for their tax shelters. In all, Lenz received more than $700,000 in such commissions.
The tax shelters enabled high-income taxpayers to claim inflated charitable contribution deductions in connection with the purported donation of a conservation easement over land. The tax shelters operators created an LLC and then acquired land, or an entity that owned land, through the LLC. The promoters then sold units in funds operated by the LLCs to high-income clients. In exchange for those purchases, those clients were supplied with documentation and tax forms purporting to justify tax deductions in amounts 4 to 4.5 times the amount of money the clients paid for their units.
Lenz admitted that he knew the tax shelters did not entitle him to a tax deduction, but he nonetheless purchased units for himself for tax years 2018 and 2019. As a result, he was able to claim false charitable deductions of approximately $100,000 on his tax returns for each of those years.
Lenz faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for filing a false tax return. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Jessica A. Kraft and Nichols J. Schilling Jr. of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
First of Five Defendants Sentenced to over 8 Years in Federal Prison for his Role in Nationwide Grandparent ScamRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Jasaun Pope a/k/a “Biz”, 31, of Valley Stream, New York, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison late yesterday for mail fraud and money laundering offenses related to his role in a nationwide elder fraud scheme. Pope and four co-conspirators have all signed plea agreements for their roles in the offense, and Pope is the first to be sentenced.
According to court documents, from at least April 2020 and continuing through January 2021, Pope, along with co-conspirators Darlens Renard, Princess Elizer, Jennifer Glemeau, and Kareem Brown, targeted and exploited the elderly and their relationships with their relatives for personal financial gain. This sophisticated criminal network, through extortion and fraud, induced elderly Americans across the United States to pay tens of thousands of dollars to help their grandchild or other close family relative in a scam known as a “Grandparent Scam.”
Unidentified members of the conspiracy made scam telephone calls to elderly victims in Indiana and nationwide claiming that their grandchild or other relative had an urgent legal or medical problem and needed money immediately. The caller, who often claimed to be an attorney, police officer, or other authority figure, told the victims to send an overnight delivery of cash to help the purported relative in need—typically between $5,000 and $15,000—to a delivery address used by the conspiracy. Pope’s crew, consisting of Elizer, Glemeau, and Brown, traveled to cities around the country to identify unoccupied residences to use as cash delivery addresses. Pope’s crew relayed the delivery addresses to Pope, who in turn, sent them to Renard, who provided them to other members of the conspiracy. Pope’s crew then traveled to the delivery addresses to retrieve the cash sent by the elderly victims and the conspirators divided the criminal proceeds amongst themselves.
To date, investigators have identified over sixty-eight suspected victims of the defendants’ scheme and identified losses amounting to over $683,464.
“These sophisticated criminal organizations exploit the elderly by preying on the love and commitment they have for their families,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “These heinous frauds wreak immeasurable financial and emotional harm on victims to satisfy the greed of networks of criminals. Our office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute scammers who seek to take advantage of vulnerable members of our community.”
“Honest and hard-working citizens are fed up with criminals who exploit the vulnerable through scams and deceit,” said Justin Campbell, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation. “Those who engage in this type of cruel financial fraud should know they will not fly under the radar and will be held accountable.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to vigorously pursue those who utilize the U.S. Mail to advance their fraud schemes,” said Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Detroit Division. “Crimes of these type bring grave financial and personal hardships to their victims. Criminal misuse of the U.S. Mail will not be tolerated, and our agency will continue to go after those who seek to take advantage of vulnerable individuals.”
“The Metro Drug Task Force is proud of the work of our investigators who stepped outside their normal scope of investigations to bring these criminals to justice,” said Bryan P. Smith, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. “We want to thank our federal and international partners for their cooperation to bring this case together. For those criminals that wish to victimize central Indiana communities, the Task Force will continue to use whatever means available to them to find bad actors and make our communities safer.”
The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Metro Drug Task Force investigated the case. The investigation was supported by the Baltimore Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Chicago Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshal’s Service, and state and local law enforcement partners in Orleans, Massachusetts; Bartonville, Illinois; Starkville, Mississippi; New York, New York; Ossining, New York; Westchester County, New York; Delaware County, Ohio; Hermantown, Pennsylvania; Charleston, South Carolina; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Sumter County, South Carolina; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Sumner County, Tennessee; Hurst, Texas; and Richmond, Virginia.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. As part of the sentence, Judge Magnus-Stinson also ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for two years following his release from federal prison and to pay restitution in the amount of $554,574.02 to the victims.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys MaryAnn T. Mindrum and Nicholas J. Linder who prosecuted this case.
The Justice Department has established a National Elder Fraud Hotline to provide services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The best method for prevention, however, is by sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors, and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves.
Federal Grand Jury Returns Four Indictments for Firearms and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville returned four indictments last week separately charging firearms and drug offenses. According to the indictments:
Charles Lee Bailey, age 45, of Louisville, Kentucky, was charged with distribution of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon;
Elmer Gregorio Mendoza, age 60, of Guatemala, was charged with possession with the intent to distribute more than a half kilogram of methamphetamine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl;
Charles Bethel, age 44, of Louisville, Kentucky, was charged with possession with the intent to distribute more than a half kilogram of methamphetamine and more than 40 grams of fentanyl, possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; and
Charles Jermaine Gore, age 38, of Louisville, Kentucky, was charged with possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Bailey made his initial court appearance yesterday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Mendoza made his initial court appearance on August 9, 2022. Bethel and Gore will be scheduled at a later date to make their initial court appearances.
If convicted, Bailey faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, Mendoza faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison, Bethel faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison, and Gore faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Division, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and LMPD Chief Erika Shields made the announcement.
The ATF, DEA, FBI, and the Louisville Metro Police Department are investigating the cases.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorneys Alicia Gomez and Frank Dahl.
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.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Fargo, ND, Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Illegal Ghost Guns and Imported SilencersRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced that Matthew Kraft, Age 31 of Fargo, ND, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, and was sentenced to 30 months in prison for the Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon; Receipt or Possession of Firearms Made in Violation of National Firearms Act; Receipt of Possession of Unregistered Firearms; and Illegal Importation of Firearms. Judge Welte also sentenced Kraft to 3 years of supervised release and a $400 special assessment.
This case came to the attention of law enforcement after the United States Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package from China headed to Fargo, North Dakota, that contained a firearm silencer. On June 28, 2021, federal and state law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the home of Matthew Kraft. During the search, law enforcement found an arsenal of weapons, to include short-barreled rifles, ghost guns, and over 20 firearm silences. Most of the firearm suppressors were illegally imported from China.
"It is extremely dangerous to have unregulated firearms, such as ghost guns, circulating throughout the community," said acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Saint Paul Jamie Holt. "It’s not just the unregistered weapons themselves that present an obvious danger, but the criminal networks who are profiting from the sale of these illegal arms. HSI, and our law enforcement partners will continue our work to remove these unlawful guns from the streets and bring all of those involved in their trade to justice."
"Through his previous convictions, Mr. Kraft has demonstrated his lack of public trust," said ATF Special Agent in Charge William McCrary, of the St. Paul Field Division. "Circumventing the law to obtain firearms, silencers or any other controlled item as a person prohibited from possessing such items cannot and will not be tolerated. We are grateful to our partners for their work in the case and applaud the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its successful prosecution of this investigation."
"This case represents our commitment to reducing gun violence by disrupting illegal firearms trafficking in our region," said United States Attorney Jennifer Puhl.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Customs and Border Protection; ND Bureau of Investigations; Cass County Sheriff’s office; Cass County Drug Task Force; and Fargo Police Department and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s office, with Assistant United States Attorney Richard Lee assigned to the case.
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Fort Washakie Man Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Nicholas Vassallo announced today that EMILIO LEE WESAW, age 31, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming, was sentenced on August 16, 2022, for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Chief United States District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced Wesaw to 27 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay a $100 special assessment.
On October 29, 2021, on the Wind River Indian Reservation, Wesaw sent a text message to the victim asking for a ride. When the victim arrived at Wesaw’s residence to pick him up, Wesaw opened the driver’s side door of the vehicle, pulled the victim out of the vehicle and, without provocation, began striking the victim’s head with his fists and feet. After the assault, Wesaw fled the area. The victim was subsequently treated for a fractured skull.
This crime was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case.
Case No. 22-cr-00042-SWS
Former Detroit Police Lieutenant in Charge of Integrity Unit Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit BriberyRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Former Detroit Police Lieutenant John F. Kennedy pleaded guilty today to conspiring with another Detroit police officer to commit bribery, in connection with the corruption of towing permits in Detroit, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Kennedy, 57, of Rochester Hills, at one point commanded the Detroit Police Department’s Integrity Unit—a division of the department’s Internal Affairs Division—and was responsible for investigating reports of law violations and professional misconduct by police officers and other city employees. Kennedy conspired with fellow Detroit police officer Daniel S. Vickers to commit bribery by accepting money and other items of value in exchange for Kennedy using and promising to use his influence as a supervisor to persuade other officers to make tow referrals to a towing company in violation of the city’s ordinance and Detroit Police Department policy. Under the city’s towing rotation, qualifying private towing companies are called by the police to tow cars that are seized by the police or reported stolen. Kennedy and Vickers were aware that by making towing referrals directly to a towing company which was not on the city’s towing rotation, they were violating the city’s rules and an ordinance which prohibit a towing company from receiving towing referrals if they are not on police department’s towing rotation.
Kennedy and Vickers also conspired to solicit and accept thousands of dollars in cash, cars, car parts, car repairs, and new carpeting for Vickers’ home, in exchange for providing the towing company that Kennedy was investigating with information about the status of the Integrity Unit’s case.
In total, between October 2018, and March 2021, Kennedy accepted over $14,000 in cash, cars, and car repairs as a bribe from the owner of the towing company and from an undercover federal agent.
The bribery conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
United States Attorney Ison said, “Today’s plea represents our commitment to ensuring that the citizens of Detroit are protected by officers characterized by the highest levels of integrity. We will not accept members of law enforcement who prioritize their personal gain over policing excellence. We thank Chief of Police James White for his assistance in this investigation.”
“Today, John Kennedy has admitted to using his official position for his personal benefit. His actions are not in keeping with the integrity and professionalism exhibited by the Detroit Police Department,” said James A. Tarasca of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI appreciates the partnership and cooperation of Police Chief James White as we continue to address public corruption in the City of Detroit.”
"I'm disappointed that this officer has tarnished the badge that represents integrity and professionalism," said Detroit Police Chief James E. White. "The actions of one officer clearly do not represent the largest policing agency in the state of Michigan and those who put themselves in harm's way each day. We will continue to fully cooperate with our federal partners, and most importantly, be transparent with our community."
The case was investigated by the Detroit Area Corruption Task Force, which is led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Detroit Police Department, Michigan Attorney General's Office, Customs & Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown and originally indicted by United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Essex County Man Sentenced to 135 Months in Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 135 months in prison for distributing multiple images and videos of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Mauricio Calderon, 51, of Belleville, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From March 2020 to April 10, 2020, Calderon used an encrypted, internet-based application to distribute multiple graphic videos depicting the sexual assault of minors. During the course of the investigation, Calderon publicly posted multiple videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, some of which featured infants and toddlers, in a chatroom, and also sent links that redirected to web pages containing child pornography. Law enforcement also discovered numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse on Calderon’s electronic devices when he was arrested at his home in September 2020.
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Cecchi sentenced Calderon to 10 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard W. Reinhold, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Barnes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con una empresa de cosecha en Texas que resuelve una acusación de discriminación relacionada con la inmigraciónRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con A. Olivarez Harvesting, LLC («Olivarez»). El acuerdo resuelve una acusación de que Olivarez había discriminado a dos ciudadanos de los EE. UU. por motivos de su estatus de ciudadanía al denegarles el empleo en la cosecha de cultivos que les había prometido y, en su lugar, llenó las vacantes con trabajadores con visas temporales mediante el programa H-2A del Departamento de Trabajo, en contra de la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad («INA», por sus siglas en inglés).
«Los empleadores discriminan de manera ilegal a trabajadores en este país al darles una ventaja a trabajadores con visas temporales, debido a su estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía», afirmó la Fiscal General Auxiliar Kristen Clarke, de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento de Justicia seguirá haciendo cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA con el fin de garantizar que los empleadores no denieguen, de manera ilegal, un empleo a trabajadores en la comunidad por motivos de su estatus de ciudadanía, independientemente de si son ciudadanos de los EE. UU. o inmigrantes con permiso para trabajar en los EE. UU.»
Con base en su investigación, el Departamento determinó que inicialmente, Olivarez había acordado inicialmente emplear a dos hermanos, ciudadanos de los EE. UU., para cosechar maíz, pero posteriormente les mintió, diciendo que el trabajo de cosecha ya no estaba disponible y, en su lugar, les ofreció puestos en un almacén, con un sueldo por hora más bajo. Durante aquella temporada de cosecha, Olivarez empleó únicamente a trabajadores con visas H-2A para realizar el trabajo de cosecha. Conforme al programa de visas H-2A, por lo general, a los empleadores se les requiere ofrecer empleos agrarios a trabajadores cualificados en este país antes de patrocinar y contratar a trabajadores con visas temporales de otro país. El incumplimiento con este requisito podría resultar en la infracción de la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA si la preferencia del empleador por trabajadores con visas temporales en vez de trabajadores en este país se basa en su respectivo estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía.
Conforme a los términos del acuerdo conciliatorio, Olivarez pagará una sanción civil por la infracción, ofrecerá pagos retroactivos más intereses que se ascienden a un total de $14,165.10 (total combinado) a los dos trabajadores afectados, publicará notificaciones para informar a los trabajadores de sus derechos en virtud de la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA, capacitará a su personal y se someterá a la supervisión del departamento durante tres años.
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión; prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
Para aprender más sobre la labor de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda, vea este vídeo corto. Aprenda más sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía en el sitio web de la IER. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su estatus de ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected]; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés o español. Para recibir las últimas noticias de la IER, inscríbase a GovDelivery.