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23 August 2022
Marion County Convicted Felon Indicted for Possessing A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Justin Heath Griffin (34, Ocklawaha) on an indictment charging him with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Griffin faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, Griffin has eight prior state felony convictions, including possession of a firearm by a violent offender (2006) and armed robbery (2007). On March 3, 2022, Griffin possessed a firearm and assorted ammunition. As a convicted felon, Griffin is prohibited from possession either firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the City of Ocala Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
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.
Louisville Woman Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Mailing Threatening Communications to NeighborsRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville returned an indictment last week charging a local woman with mailing communications containing threats to injure others in November and December of 2020.
According to court documents and statements made in court yesterday, Suzanne Craft, 54, sent multiple threating communications via the United States Postal Service to a family that lived in her neighborhood. Many of these communications contained threats of violence and racial slurs.
Craft is charged with five counts of interstate communication with threat to kidnap or injure in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 876(c). The defendant made her initial court appearance on August 19, 2022 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, and, after a hearing held yesterday, Craft was ordered detained pending trial. If convicted, Craft faces 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, FBI Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the Louisville Field Office, and U. S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the United States Postal Inspection Service made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tieke and Stephanie Zimdahl of the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Mary J. Hahn of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Lottery and Romance Fraud Scheme Participant Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RODNEY THOMAS, JR., 31, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in lottery and romance scams that defrauded primarily elderly victims across the country of millions of dollars.
According to the evidence presented during a trial in this matter, in a lottery scam, scammers notify victims by telephone, through online communications, or by mail, that they have won the lottery. The victims are then told that in order to collect the prize they must pay fees for things like taxes, shipping and processing. Often, once a victim sends a small amount of money, a scammer will ask for larger sums of money with a promise of more winnings. The victims never receive winnings. In a romance scam, scammers take advantage of people looking for companionship by pretending to be prospective companions. Scammers typically create fake online profiles on dating websites that include false personal details such as the death of a spouse, or military service, to lure victims to trust them. Once they have gained the trust of victims, scammers will ask victims for money, falsely claiming to need money for medical or business emergencies, for travel to see the victim, or other purposes.
Between approximately August 2015 and March 2020, Farouq Fasasi and others used lottery scams, romance scams and other fraudulent means to induce elderly victims to provide them with money, gifts and personal details. Fasasi recruited Thomas into the scheme in 2017. Victims sent cash, money orders or checks through the mail to various addresses in Connecticut, and also wired or deposited money into bank accounts in Connecticut controlled by conspiracy members and their associates.
Fasasi, Thomas and other co-conspirators lived together for a time at a residence on Sherman Avenue in New Haven, where many packages containing cash, checks and money orders from victims were delivered. Fasasi and Thomas recruited others into the scheme, including those who served as “money mules.” These individuals used personal bank accounts, and also established and used bank accounts in the names of businesses and charitable organizations, to launder money obtained from fraud victims.
The investigation revealed that these scams defrauded more than 200 victims across the U.S. of more than $5 million. Many of the victims were elderly and vulnerable, and some victims lost their life savings. One Connecticut victim lost more than $1 million.
Judge Underhill will issue a restitution order after additional court proceedings.
On February 15, 2022, Fasasi and Thomas were found guilty of multiple charges stemming from this scheme. On August 8, 2022, Judge Underhill sentenced Fasasi to 14 years of imprisonment and ordered him to pay more than $5.9 million in restitution.
Four other individuals have been charged and convicted of offenses stemming from their participation in this scheme.
Thomas has been detained since May 31, 2022, when his bond was revoked for violating conditions of his release.
“This defendant was an active participant in a scheme that involved the cruel theft from numerous seniors and other vulnerable individuals, and this prison term is appropriate,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “I thank all of our law enforcement partners who investigated this case and helped achieve some justice for the victims of these crimes. The Justice Department has made it a priority to investigate and prosecute those who commit these crimes. If you suspect that you or someone you know may be falling victim to one of these schemes, I encourage you to call your local police department or 833-FRAUD-11 for assistance.”
“Lottery scams and romance scams cost Americans millions every year,” said Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division. “Losses can be monumental and entire fortunes, inheritances and retirement security can be wiped-out. This sentencing demonstrates the commitment of our agency along with our law enforcement partners to bring unscrupulous scam artists to justice.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) aggressively investigates individuals who impersonate Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees or who use the IRS’s tax collecting authority to scam others, especially seniors and other vulnerable populations,” said Trevor Nelson, TIGTA’s Deputy Inspector General for Investigations. “The defendants in this case did just that, targeting and victimizing the most vulnerable in our society. Our mission at TIGTA is to protect the integrity of our nation’s system of tax administration. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who endeavor to corrupt federal tax administration are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Justice Department has established a National Elder Fraud Hotline to provide services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud. The Hotline is staffed by experienced case managers who can provide personalized support to callers. Case managers assist callers with reporting the suspected fraud to relevant agencies and by providing resources and referrals to other appropriate services as needed. When applicable, case managers will complete a complaint form with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for Internet-facilitated crimes and submit a consumer complaint to the Federal Trade Commission on behalf of the caller. The Hotline’s toll free number is 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). For more information, please visit. https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/stop-elder-fraud/providing-help-restoring-hope.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Army-CID, and New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather L. Cherry and Stephanie T. Levick.
Lithonia man operating federal student loan discharge scam sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – De’reek Banks has been sentenced for operating a scheme that caused approximately $48,000,000 in outstanding federal student loans to be fraudulently discharged by exploiting a program intended for disabled military veterans. Banks illegally pocketed about $891,000 in payments from more than 500 student loan borrowers. Many of these borrowers mistakenly believed that they had paid Banks for legitimate student debt relief services.
“This defendant brazenly stole funds from innocent student loan borrowers by exploiting a financial aid program intended to assist military vets who sacrificed their health for the security of our country,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “He tricked borrowers into believing that he could legitimately obtain federal student loan discharges for them while attempting to defraud the U.S. government of almost 50 million dollars.”
“The sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the US Postal Inspection Service to bring to justice fraudsters who seek to exploit victims and federal programs for their own personal gain,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “We are proud to work with our law enforcement partners to unravel and stop this type of fraudulent scheme.”
“I’m proud of the OIG Special Agents and our law enforcement colleagues whose efforts brought about this action,” said Reginald J. France, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Southeastern Regional Office. “The OIG is committed to fighting student aid fraud in all its forms and we will continue to work with our partners to pursue anyone who participants in these types of crimes.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: De’reek Banks offered to help student loan borrowers obtain discharges for federal student loans in exchange for a fee. Banks claimed that special government programs existed for authorizing the discharge of the borrowers’ loans. But Banks’s business relied on false statements he made to Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education responsible for providing billions in financial aid to students.
Banks made false representations to the agency, and fabricated hundreds of Department of Veterans Affairs letters using a fake letterhead, claiming that the borrowers were military veterans who were eligible for student loan discharges due to a total or permanent disability (“TPD”). Banks then used these letters to apply for special TPD discharges with Federal Student Aid that caused the student loan borrowers’ debts to be erased even though the borrowers did not lawfully qualify for the discharge. Banks caused approximately $48,000,000 in student loans to be fraudulently discharged through his scheme.
On August 22, 2022, De’reek Banks, 41, of Lithonia, Georgia, was sentenced to six years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $910,416.69. He pleaded guilty to theft of government property.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal, Deputy Chief of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crime Section, prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Las Vegas Felon Pleads Guilty to Possession of A Machine Gun and "Ghost Guns"Read the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – Alfonzo Lee Womack (29) pleaded guilty yesterday to felon in possession of a firearm and illegal possession of a machine gun. U.S. District Judge Ann R. Traum scheduled sentencing for November 21, 2022.
According to court documents, on October 5, 2020, in a desert area near Sloan, Nev., Womack possessed and fired four firearms, including: (a) a .40 caliber pistol, modified with a Glock Auto Switch, turning it into a machine gun; (b) a 9mm semi-automatic pistol; (c) a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with a mounted laser and light; and (d) a .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle. Additionally, Womack admitted that he possessed and fired two unserialized Privately Made Firearms, including a 5.56mm pistol and 5.56mm short-barreled rifle. While shooting the firearms, Womack used high-capacity magazines. Womack has prior felony convictions in Clark County, Nev. and Sacramento County, Calif. He is prohibited by law from possessing any firearm.
Womack faces a total statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a period of supervised release, and a fine.
U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Patrick Gorman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Cowhig is prosecuting the case.
If you have information about illegal firearms activity, you are urged to submit a tip to ATF by calling the hotline at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867) or through the ReportIt mobile app.
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Kingman Man Sentenced to over Five Years for Possession of Firearms and Ammunition as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, Todd Gehman Howard, 60, of Kingman, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 63 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Howard was previously found guilty of being a Convicted Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition following a jury trial in May 2022.
On October 11, 2019, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Howard’s residence in Kingman, Arizona. Inside the residence, agents discovered 23 firearms, including 21 in a safe in Howard’s bedroom closet, and approximately 7,600 rounds of ammunition. Howard’s firearms included various types of revolvers, shotguns, and semi-automatic rifles. One of the guns in the safe was a Privately Made Firearm (PMF), FAL-type .308 caliber semiautomatic rifle, sometimes referred to as a “ghost gun.” Evidence presented at trial showed the receiver of that firearm was forged in Australia, and that the completed firearm had traveled from the State of Washington to Arizona.
The FBI conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Koehler and William Rubens, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-8033-PHX-PCT-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-145_HOWARD# # #
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.Kentucky Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Homeowners in Three StatesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – William T. Hurst, 45, of Morehead, Kentucky, was sentenced today to eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud. Hurst was also ordered to pay $35,218 in restitution to his eight victims.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Hurst falsely agreed to build pole barns for a pair of residents in Putnam and Jackson counties in March 2021. Hurst received checks as down payments totaling $10,186. Hurst admitted that he cashed or deposited the checks at area banks for his personal use, with no intention of building either barn.
Hurst further admitted that between February 22, 2021, and March 23, 2021, he similarly scammed six other property owners in Ona and Lesage, Cabell County; Charleston, Kanawha County; Coolville and Willow Wood, Ohio; and South Shore, Kentucky. Hurst agreed to build a pole barn or other structure in each instance, but never began any work or bought any needed supplies. These residents paid Hurst a total of $25,032, which he kept for himself. Hurst eventually stopped communicating with the victims.
“This office takes fraud against homeowners and other individuals seriously, and this case reflects our commitment to hold scammers accountable,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for conducting the investigation, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department and the West Virginia Department of Revenue for providing assistance, and Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich for the case’s successful prosecution.”
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-41.
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Jury Finds Three Rock Hill Men Guilty of Large Multi-State Drug OperationRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —A federal jury in Columbia convicted Gabriel L’Ambiance Ingram, a/k/a “Big Shot”, a/k/a “Big Shot Rock”, a/k/a “Rock”, 33, Darrell Larod Crockett, a/k/a “Unc”, a/k/a “Croc”, 50, and Carl Michael Mann, II, a/k/a “Pike”, 39, all of Rock Hill for multiple drug and gun charges relating to a multi-state drug operation out of the Rock Hill and Charlotte, North Carolina area.
Evidence presented during the seven-day trial showed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and York County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) began to investigate a group of defendants who were obtaining large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana from a distributor in Southern California. Based upon the investigation, law enforcement was able to determine that members of the group were flying to California and having the drugs shipped back to the Rock Hill and Charlotte area. After the drugs were shipped back to South Carolina, the group distributed the drugs to local dealers. This group shipped more than 255 packages containing the drugs from California during a one-year time period and distributed more than five kilograms of cocaine, 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, one kilogram or more of heroin, and more than a 1000 grams of marijuana.
Testimony at the trial showed that the group used the fentanyl to make more than 1 million counterfeit Roxicodone pills, which were sold to users in Rock Hill, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte, and Atlanta, Ga. Nineteen defendants were charged in this case. Sixteen defendants pled guilty to their involvement.
More than 250 exhibits were entered into evidence during the trial, and more than two dozen witnesses travelled from California, Charlotte, New York, Georgia, and South Carolina to testify.
The jury ultimately convicted all of the defendants on all charges. Ingram was convicted of being involved in the conspiracy with the others. He was also convicted of possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and heroin, possession with the intent to distribute heroin, possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and three counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Crockett was convicted of being a member of the conspiracy along with possession with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base. Mann was also convicted of being a member of the conspiracy along with possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine. All of the defendants are facing a maximum of life imprisonment for their involvement.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis will sentence the defendants after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the FBI, York County DEU, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Rock Hill Police Department, York County Sheriff’s Office, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William K. Witherspoon, Elliott B. Daniels, Elle E. Klein, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar Fyall prosecuted the case.
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Jury Convicts Five Traffickers for Attempting to Smuggle More Than $20 Million of Cocaine in International WatersRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Isaac Enriquez Oyando (34, Mexico), Romeo Santos Hernandez (36, Mexico), John Macias Agua (34, Ecuador), Jaime Velez Arcentales (40, Ecuador) and Eddy Anchundia Velez (32, Ecuador) guilty of conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Each faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. The sentencing hearings have been scheduled for November 18, 2022. The defendants had been indicted on January 21, 2021. A sixth defendant was severed due to a COVID-19 exposure during the trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants were part of a seven-person crew smuggling 760 kilograms of cocaine from South America to Mexico. On January 14, 2021, aerial surveillance spotted a suspicious vessel in international waters more than 200 miles south of Huatulco, Mexico. A law enforcement detachment from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Steadfast interdicted the vessel and found seven men onboard – including the five convicted at trial – in the process of trying to throw bales of cocaine overboard.
During the trial, the defendants from Mexico claimed that they were tricked into going on a drug trip and the defendants from Ecuador claimed they were adrift at sea and were rescued shortly before the USCG showed up. At trial, the jury heard evidence that investigators learned of a plan that one of the seven co-conspirators would plead guilty and then provide false information to law enforcement exonerating the others. Bran-Lopez was that person, and testified for the defense that he had tricked his co-defendants into thinking they were going on a fishing trip because his family had been kidnapped. However, the timeline of events in Bran-Lopez’s testimony did not match evidence obtained from searches of cellphones and GPS data showing that he and his coconspirators were at sea days before he claimed the kidnapping happened.
This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
Indiana Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Stefanie Marie Wells, 37, of Jasonville, Indiana, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud and aggravated identify theft, after obtaining or attempting to obtain $17,550 using stolen checkbooks and driver’s licenses at West Virginia banks.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Wells wrote a $2,700 check from a stolen checkbook and cashed it at a bank in Mount Hope by presenting a stolen driver’s license on October 19, 2020. Wells admitted to obtaining the stolen license and checkbook some time prior to October 19, 2020.
Wells further admitted to cashing three additional checks totaling $7,400 from the stolen checkbook on October 19, 2020. Wells used the same stolen driver’s license to cash the stolen checks at banks in Beaver and Beckley, and a different stolen driver’s license to cash the third stolen check at a Montgomery bank. Wells admitted to unsuccessfully attempting to cash a $2,650 check from the stolen checkbook while using one of the stolen driver’s licenses at a Charleston bank on October 20, 2020. Wells also admitted to attempting to cash a $2,300 stolen check at a Beckley bank and attempting to withdraw $2,500 by presenting a stolen driver’s license at a Summersville bank on November 23, 2020. Both attempts were unsuccessful.
Wells is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 32 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $1,250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Park Police, the Beckley Police Department, and the Summersville Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-191.
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Helena-West Helena Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Prison for Providing Support to Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Helena-West Helena man has been sentenced to 65 months in prison for providing material support to a terrorist organization. Bilal Al-Rayanni, 31, a naturalized citizen originally from Yemen, was sentenced Friday by United States District Judge Susan Webber Wright. Judge Wright also sentenced Al-Rayanni to 10 years of supervised release following imprisonment.
In July 2014, Al-Rayanni traveled from the United States to Yemen to visit his family, where he stayed until January 2015. While Al-Rayanni was in Yemen, a terrorist organization known as Al Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), also known as Ansar al-Sharira (AAS), began to sweep south from the capital of Sanaa in armed conflict with Houthi rebels. Al-Rayanni admitted to federal agents that while he was in Yemen, he drove a vehicle in an armed convoy as part of an AAS recruiting mission.
Images from Al-Rayanni’s time in Yemen include him with a dagger at his waist bearing the AAS emblem, images of him with the ISIS flag, and images of him in front of a convoy vehicle with an ammunition belt, two rifles, and an AK-47 automatic weapon resting against the vehicle. Al-Rayanni admitted to federal authorities that he drove an AAS recruiter from village to village to recruit fighters to oppose the Houthis.
"While overseas, Bilal Al-Rayanni willingly volunteered to serve as a driver in an armed AQAP/AAS recruitment convoy,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson. “His lengthy federal prison sentence should serve as a warning to other potential supporters of designated foreign terrorist organizations. FBI Little Rock investigators on the Joint Terrorism Task Force remain dedicated to investigating and preventing acts of domestic and international terrorism which target our Arkansas communities.”
This case was investigated by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacy Williams.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Grand Rapids Man Arrested on Federal Straw Purchasing and Firearm Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN —United States Attorney Mark Totten announced today that Jerreil Lamounta Martin has been arrested on charges involving alleged straw purchasing and illegal sale of firearms.
A “straw purchase” is an illegal firearm sale where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses another person who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm. The indictment alleges that between September and October 2021, Martin straw purchased at least 11 handguns from licensed firearms dealers and falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer of these guns. In reality, the indictment alleges, Martin purchased those handguns on behalf of other individuals, then transferred them to his customers, collecting a fee for his illegal service. Numerous guns that were allegedly illegally purchased and trafficked by Martin were later used in crimes.
“We face an epidemic of gun violence in Michigan, like other states across the nation,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. He continued: “No person should fear for their lives merely by going for a walk in their neighborhood, but that fear is real for some families. The recent surge in gun violence is driven, in part, by individuals who illegally supply firearms to violent criminals. When you illegally buy a gun for someone else, you could buy yourself 10 years in federal prison. My office will continue to use federal laws to prosecute straw purchasers and hold them accountable for trafficking illegally purchased firearms.”
“Straw purchasing is a serious crime. Straw purchasers put firearms in the hands of felons and trigger-pullers, and they directly enable the violence that follows,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Resident Special Agent in Charge Andrew Holt. “Our agents are committed to working with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to stop the flow of guns to individuals who cannot legally purchase them.”
The United States Attorney’s Office and the ATF in the Western District of Michigan are focused on prosecuting those individuals who are putting guns in the hands of dangerous criminals.
This case was investigated by the ATF as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative to reduce violent crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor’s offices, and federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement work closely together to identify and prosecute individuals responsible for driving violent crime in our communities to make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Individuals with information or concerns about violent crime or firearms offenses should contact local law enforcement. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit: https://www.justice.gov/psn
An indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Gary Man Sentenced to 21 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Milton Leroy Harvey, Jr., 42 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after a jury found him guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Harvey was sentenced to 21 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on August 1, 2016, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Harvey in Gary, Indiana. As Harvey retrieved his identification from his pocket, an officer observed a butt of a handgun protruding from Harvey’s waistband which was a loaded semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number. Harvey’s criminal history revealed he has a prior federal felony conviction for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, which prohibits him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Gary Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin F. Wolff and Nicholas J. Padilla.
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.
Franklin Man Arrested and Charged with Illegally Manufacturing and Selling “Ghost Guns,” Including Machine Guns and “Glock Switches”Read the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Alexander Clark, 26, of Franklin, Indiana, was charged by criminal complaint for the federal offenses of dealing firearms without a license, possession and/or transfer of machine guns and manufacturing machine guns.
According to court documents, in May of 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) began an investigation into Clark for unlawfully manufacturing and selling privately made firearms, including machine guns. Over the course of the next several months, ATF agents conducted a covert investigation and purchased several 3-D printed Glock style firearms and devices capable of converting semiautomatic rifles to fully automatic machineguns from Clark. A search warrant was executed at Clark’s residence on August 22, 2022, in conjunction with the criminal complaint, and Clark was subsequently arrested.
During the search of Clark’s residence, law enforcement officers seized approximately 30 firearms including several 3-D printed firearms, several “Glock switches” used to convert firearms into machine guns, a suspected fully automatic AR-15 rifle, 3-D printing filament, a laptop with a Glock frame on screen connected to a 3-D printer, and a silencer.
Clark does not possess a Federal Firearms License authorizing him to sell firearms and he had not registered the weapons in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as is required for this category of firearms. 3-D printed firearms of this type are untraceable and are referred to as “ghost guns.” Ghost guns are unserialized, privately made firearms increasingly recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes across the country. Because ghost guns lack the serial numbers marked on other firearms, they are impossible for law enforcement to trace through the ATF’s National Tracing Center.
Clark made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tim A. Baker of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana and was ordered detained pending a hearing. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Columbus Field Division made the announcement.
ATF is investigating this case in collaboration with the Columbus (Indiana) Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson McGrath who is prosecuting the case.
This case is being brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s National Ghost Gun Initiative. The initiative was launched in February 2022 in response to the proliferation of ghost guns in our communities, and the growing number of criminals who unlawfully use or possess these untraceable weapons. The Attorney General directed U.S. Attorney’s Offices to train a national cadre of prosecutors as experts to lead investigations and prosecutions of crimes involving ghost guns. These ghost gun coordinators will also share investigation and prosecution tools with other prosecutors and law enforcement officers. As part of the initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana will focus its investigation and prosecution resources on combatting the illegal possession, use, and sale of ghost guns.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former oil and gas mineral rights investment fund manager charged with fraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 41-year-old Spring resident is set to appear in federal court on charges of fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Christopher Russell Bentley is expected to make his initial appearance today at 2 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheldon.
The criminal information, filed Aug. 16, charges him with one count of fraud. From February 2019 through April 2021, Bentley managed different oil and gas mineral rights investment funds, according to the charges. During that time, he allegedly inflated the value of oil and gas mineral rights he sold to investment funds and used their money to obtain a loan of $6.5 million for personal benefit.
The charges further allege he fraudulently obtained $3,972,492 from investors.
If convicted, Bentley faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Braddock is prosecuting the case.
An information is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Former St. Louis alderman admits taking cash, car, phone as bribesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former St. Louis alderman pleaded guilty Tuesday to all charges against him and admitted taking bribes in the form of a series of cash payments, a car, a phone and campaign contributions to help a local business owner get a property tax abatement.
John Collins-Muhammad pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark to two bribery-related charges and one charge of honest services bribery/wire fraud. As part of his plea, he admitted assisting a business owner obtain a multi-year property tax abatement. The business owner, referred to in court documents as “John Doe,” was developing a property in Collins-Muhammad’s 21st ward.
Beginning in January 2020, Collins-Muhammad accepted a total of $13,500 in cash, $3,000 in campaign contributions, a Volkswagen CC sedan and an Apple iPhone 11 from Doe in exchange for his continued agreement, assistance and use of his official position to provide the property tax abatement for Doe’s property.
After Doe’s development in Collins-Muhammad’s ward received opposition from residents of his ward, Collins-Muhammad falsely represented to the residents that he would not put forward the development for tax incentives. Nonetheless, Collins-Muhammad continued to take legislative action to provide the tax abatement for the development and continued to accept cash and other things of value from Doe.
While the legislative actions were pending, Collins-Muhammad told Doe not to start construction so Doe wouldn’t jeopardize the promised tax break.
His co-defendant, former Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed, joined Collins-Muhammad’s efforts to obtain the promised tax incentive for Doe during August 2021. Thereafter, Doe made cash payments to Reed and continued the cash payments to Collins-Muhammad, the plea agreement says. Reed even promised to override a mayoral veto to pass the tax abatement legislation, the plea says.
Ultimately, in 2022, the efforts of Collins-Muhammad and Reed paid off, and the Board of Aldermen passed legislation providing the promised tax abatement for John Doe’s property development.
Collins-Muhammad did not report the campaign contributions to the Missouri Ethics Commission or deposit any of the cash payments into a bank account.
Collins-Muhammad also introduced Doe to other public officials and suggested he pay cash for their official assistance for other projects. After a June 18, 2020 meeting arranged by Collins-Muhammad with a public official who could purportedly help Doe win government contracts for his trucking company, Doe gave the official $10,000. Collins-Muhammad got $3,000 for setting up the meeting.
The official returned the cash that day and told Collins-Muhammad to instead have Doe write two $5,000 checks to the official’s campaign account. The checks were never cashed or deposited and Doe never received any contracts. Collins-Muhammad then told Doe that the official wanted $2,500 in cash, but Collins-Muhammad used the money to buy a 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer for his own use.
Collins-Muhammad also introduced Doe to co-defendant Jeffrey Boyd, the alderman of a ward in which Doe wished to purchase city-owned property for a development, and told Doe to give Boyd $2,500 cash. Doe gave Collins-Muhammad $1,000 for setting up the meeting, and began providing cash payments to Boyd, the plea agreement says. Boyd ultimately helped Doe purchase the property and also passed legislation in the Board of Aldermen to provide a tax abatement for Doe’s proposed development, the plea agreement says.
Collins-Muhammad is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 6. The honest services bribery/wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. One of his bribery charges carries a 10-year maximum and the other has a five-year maximum.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith is prosecuting the case.
Former Oxnard Resident Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Prison for Enticing Girl into Sending Him Sexually Explicit Images of HerselfRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former resident of Ventura County was sentenced today to 235 months in federal prison for using Instagram to entice a 10-year-old girl into sending him sexually explicit images of herself.
Barry Bryant Rossman, 63, a.k.a. “Ben,” formerly of Oxnard and Santa Rosa, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr., who also placed Rossman on lifetime supervised release and ordered him to pay $427.50 in restitution.
At today’s hearing, Judge Blumenfeld said Rossman’s actions were “clearly planned, clearly sophisticated, and clearly manipulative” and he committed his crimes “knowing that he was elevating his own base needs above the most vulnerable people in society: children.”
Rossman pleaded guilty on May 24 – on what was supposed to be the first day of his trial – to one count of production of child pornography, one count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, and one count of receipt of child pornography.
In late December 2019 and early January 2020, Rossman, then 60 years old, posed as “Ben,” purportedly a 21-year-old man, and used the Instagram account “itsben6969” to contact the victim – a 10-year-old girl in Colorado. When Rossman first contacted the victim, he pretended to have a 13-year-old brother who had mischievously taken his phone and reached out to the victim.
Rossman engaged in conversation with the victim, using flattery and discussing topics such as Christmas gifts. Over the following days, Rossman’s conversations with the victim became increasingly sexually explicit, and Rossman convinced the victim to send him sexually exploitative photographs of herself.
After Rossman and the victim exchanged photographs, videos, and messages, Rossman instructed the victim to delete her messages, claiming that his little brother might get into his Instagram account and Rossman did not want his little brother “loving” the photos like he did. Shortly thereafter, the victim’s mother discovered the messages on her daughter’s phone and called the police.
In May 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Rossman’s residence in Oxnard and found evidence linking his iPhone to the Instagram account used to contact the victim. A federal search warrant affidavit on Rossman’s “itsben6969” Instagram account revealed that Rossman used the account to contact at least hundreds of minors and used the same ruse that he used with the 10-year-old victim approximately 1,633 times, sometimes translating it into other languages.
“For his sexual gratification…Rossman lied to, groomed, and manipulated children to engage in sex acts they were far too young to even understand,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “The wreckage [Rossman] leaves in his wake for even one family aptly speaks to the severity of this offense and the public threat it poses in an Internet-reliant era.”
The FBI and the Erie (Colorado) Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Chelsea Norell and Kathy Yu of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Former Louisville, Kentucky, Police Detective Pleads Guilty to a Federal Crime Related to the Death of Breonna TaylorRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) Detective Kelly Goodlett, 35, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to commit two federal crimes. Goodlett admitted that she conspired with another former LMPD detective, both to falsify an affidavit to obtain a warrant to search Breonna Taylor’s home without probable cause, which resulted in Taylor’s death, and to cover up the false warrant by lying to criminal investigators after Taylor was killed.
According to the plea agreement, Goodlett acknowledged that she helped another LMPD detective, and their supervisor obtain a warrant to search Taylor’s home, despite knowing that the officers lacked probable cause to do so. To establish probable cause, information in an affidavit accompanying a search warrant must be truthful and timely. Goodlett admitted that she knew that the affidavit in support of the warrant to search Taylor’s home was false, misleading and stale.
First, Goodlett admitted that key information in the warrant affidavit was false and misleading. For example, the other LMPD detective claimed in the warrant affidavit that a U.S. Postal Inspector had verified that a target of LMPD’s narcotics investigation, J.G., had been receiving packages at Taylor’s home. Goodlett knew this claim was false because the other detective told her he had learned that “there’s nothing there” and that the Postal Service had not flagged Taylor’s address for receiving any suspicious packages.
The warrant affidavit also claimed that J.G. used Taylor’s home “as his current home address.” Goodlett admitted that this claim was misleading because officers knew that J.G. did not live at Taylor’s home. In fact, Goodlett acknowledged that she and the other detective knew of no evidence that J.G. had even visited Taylor’s home for several weeks before the warrant was obtained.
In addition, the warrant affidavit requested permission for officers to make a “no-knock” entry at Taylor’s home because the alleged drug dealers that LMPD was investigating had a history of fleeing from the police and destroying evidence. Goodlett admitted that all of the information in the warrant affidavit justifying a no-knock entry for Taylor’s home was false as it related to Taylor. Goodlett was not aware of any valid reason to seek a no-knock warrant at Taylor’s home.
Further, Goodlett admitted knowing that the warrant for Taylor’s home would be executed at night by officers with their weapons drawn, creating a risk that a person in the home could be injured or killed.
In addition, Goodlett admitted that the warrant affidavit was “stale” because it lacked up-to-date information showing probable cause to believe that evidence of a crime would be found in Taylor’s home. For example, the affidavit used to obtain a warrant suggested that there was an ongoing relationship between Taylor and J.G. However, as noted in the plea agreement, Goodlett knew that the police had no evidence that J.G. had even visited Taylor’s home for weeks at the time the officers requested a warrant. Before the warrant affidavit was finalized, Goodlett told the other LMPD detective that the warrant affidavit did not have enough current information to connect Taylor or her home to J.G.’s alleged narcotics activity. Goodlett also knew that, the day before officers obtained the warrant, her supervisor had conducted surveillance outside of Taylor’s home in part to search for new information that could freshen up the warrant affidavit, but her supervisor reported that he did not find anything new to connect J.G. to Taylor or her home.
Second, Goodlett admitted that she and the other detective conspired to obstruct justice by providing false information to investigators after Taylor was shot and killed. Specifically, in the plea agreement, Goodlett stated that she and the other detective provided a false “investigative letter” to criminal investigators, repeating the false and misleading claims from the warrant affidavit about J.G. receiving packages at Taylor’s home and using Taylor’s home as “his residence.” Goodlett admitted that she had hoped the false investigative letter would clear her and the other detective of suspicion of wrongdoing.
In her plea agreement, Goodlett also acknowledged that, approximately two weeks after they submitted the false investigative letter, she and the other detective agreed again to provide false information in response to allegations in the media that the other detective had lied in the warrant affidavit. On May 16, 2020, about two months after Taylor’s death, media outlets reported that the Postal Inspector had specifically denied the other detective’s claim, made in the warrant affidavit, that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service had told police that J.G. received packages at Taylor’s home. The next day, the other detective texted Goodlett that a criminal investigator wanted to meet with him. Goodlett further admitted that she and the other detective arranged to meet in the detective’s garage that night. During the garage meeting, the other detective told Goodlett that they needed to get on the same page because if he went down for the false warrant, she would go down too. Goodlett admitted that she and the other detective agreed to repeat a false cover story to others. Specifically, after the garage meeting, Goodlett falsely claimed to criminal investigators that, in January 2020, an LMPD sergeant had told her and the other detective “in passing” that he had verified that J.G. was receiving packages at Taylor’s home.
Goodlett pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings. Goodlett will be sentenced at a hearing to be scheduled at a later date. According to the plea agreement, Goodlett faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division made the announcement.
The FBI Louisville Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Michael J. Songer and Anna Gotfryd of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Dembo for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Former JetBlue Employee Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Loan FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Keily Nunez, a former JetBlue Airways employee, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with false statements Nunez made to obtain loans for himself and his coconspirators pursuant to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Nunez and four coconspirators were charged in June 2021. Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Raymond J. Dearie.
In connection with the scheme, five other defendants previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud: Orlando Sanay, Michael Pimentel Veloz, Fanny Plasencia, Ramon Osvaldo Pena, and Angel K. Colon. In addition, codefendant Keimi Nunez previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud. When sentenced, all defendants face up to 20 years in prison and have agreed to forfeit the fraudulently obtained loan funds.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), announced the guilty pleas.
“Each of the defendants admitted to their part in stealing nearly $1.5 million from a government program designed to help struggling small businesses and families survive the pandemic,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who seek to enrich themselves by abusing government programs.”
“Nunez and his co-conspirators fleeced the government to the tune of over $1.5 million, taking advantage of programs designed to keep small businesses afloat during a time of unprecedented economic volatility,” said HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “Since the early days of the COVID-19 global pandemic, HSI has been committed to uncovering pandemic fraud and holding accountable those who take advantage of tragedy to turn a profit.”
The EIDL program provides qualifying small businesses with low-interest loans. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act expanded EIDL to provide economic support to help offset the temporary loss of revenue experienced by businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As set forth in court filings, between April 2020 and November 2020, the defendants applied for EIDL loans for eleven separate entities. In those applications, the defendants falsely represented the number of employees associated with the entities and misstated the gross revenues for the entities for the 12 months prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For example, Nunez submitted a loan application to the Small Business Association (SBA) in April 2020 claiming that Plasencia was the Chief Operating Officer and Nunez was the manager of FI USA Consulting LLC (FI USA). In the application, Nunez falsely claimed that FI USA had 42 employees and gross revenues of $672,137 for the relevant period. The SBA approved FI USA’s application and on July 13, 2020 wired $149,900 to FI USA’s bank account. In contrast to the claims made in the application, New York Department of Labor records showed that FI USA never reported having any employees. Internal Revenue Service records further revealed that FI USA never filed a tax return since its formation in 2017. There is no evidence that the EIDL funds provided to FI USA were used for business purposes.
Based on the defendants’ false representations, the Small Business Administration approved approximately $1.5 million in loans that were deposited into the defendants’ bank accounts.
In addition to making false statements to obtain the loans, the defendants did not use the relief funding for ongoing business expenses as the EIDL program requires. Instead, they withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from bank accounts that had received EIDL loan funds.
When sentenced, all defendants face up to 20 years in prison and have agreed to forfeit the fraudulently obtained loan funds.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Department of Justice Trial Attorney Patrick J. Campbell and Assistant United States Attorney Garen S. Marshall are in charge of the prosecution, Assistant United States Attorney Tanisha Payne of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendants:
KEILY NUNEZ
Age: 42
Jamaica, New YorkORLANDO SANAY
Age: 41
Elizabeth, New JerseyKEIMI NUNEZ
Age: 42
Woodhaven, New YorkMICHAEL PIMENTEL VELOZ
Age: 41
Garfield, New JerseyFANNY PLASENCIA
Age: 31
Jamaica, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-496 (RJD)
RAMON OSVALDO PENA
Age: 39
Maywood, New JerseyE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-560 (RJD)
ANGEL K. COLON
Age: 39
Garfield, New JerseyE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-202 (RJD)
Foreign trio charged with trafficking protected animalsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Three Mexican nationals have been indicted on charges of attempted exportation of wildlife, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
A federal grand jury returned the two-count indictment against Jonathan Roberto Rojas-Casados, 32, Roberto Rojas-Ramirez, 50, and Roberto Angel Roman-Alvarez, 27, today. They are expected to make their initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future.
The charges allege the men attempted to take over 160 animals out of the country.
On Aug. 3, according to the complaint originally filed in the case, the three men drove two vehicles into the Hidalgo Port of Entry and attempted to travel outbound into Mexico. Rojas-Casados and Roman-Alvarez allegedly rode together in a Ford Econoline while Rojas-Ramirez followed behind in a separate vehicle.
The charges allege authorities sent both vehicles for inspection. Upon a search of the Econoline, they allegedly discovered two boxes that contained over 160 animals that were concealed in small plastic containers and fabric bags located within the boxes. Among the animals were snakes, Chinese water dragons, iguanas, scorpions, tarantulas, frogs, geckos and lizards, according to the charges.
Rojas-Ramirez allegedly picked up the wildlife and loaded the boxes into the vehicle. Then, he contacted Rojas-Casados for assistance in transporting the wildlife in exchange for payment, according to the complaint.
The charges further allege that several of the animals are classified as Appendix II wildlife in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES):
Quantity
Common Name
Scientific Name
10
Ball Python
Pythons regius
3
Colombian Rainbow Boa
Epicrates maurus
2
Black and White Tegu
Salvator merianae
6
Green Iguana
Iguana iguana
5
Forest Armadillo Lizard
Cordylus jonesii
8
Jackson’s Chameleon
Trioceros jacksonii
2
Russian Tortoise
Testudo horsfieldii
10
Red-eyed Treefrog
Agalychnis callidryas
6
Green and Black Poison Dart Frog
Dendrobates auratus
6
Dyeing Poison Dart Frog
Dendrobates tinctorius
10
Curly-hair Tarantula
Tliltocatl albopilosus
10
Emperor Scorpion
Pandinius imperator
It is a violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to export wildlife without a license or permission from the Department of the Interior or Department of Commerce. It is an additional violation of the Lacey Act to export CITES Appendix II wildlife against the ESA. None of the men had a license or permission to export wildlife from the United States, according to the charges.
If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Homeland Security Investigations and Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection and Gladys Porter Zoo. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Florida Man to Plead Guilty to $2.5 Million COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Massachusetts resident has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to filing fraudulent applications to obtain $2.5 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Vinicius Santana, 34, of Boca Raton, Fla. and formerly of Revere, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of unlawful monetary transactions. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. Santana was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint with the single wire fraud offense in June 2022.
According to the charging document, Santana owned Complete Home Care, LLC (CHC), a painting company in Massachusetts. In April 2020, Santana submitted four different PPP loan applications on behalf of CHC. The first three applications, in which Santana allegedly listed five employees and an average monthly payroll of between $10,000 and $18,000, were denied. In the fourth application for CHC, it is alleged that Santana falsely claimed to have 154 employees and an average monthly payroll of $1 million. On May 11, 2020, a bank issued Santana’s company a $2,500,000 loan based on the allegedly false representations in the fourth application.
After receiving the funds, it is alleged that Santana misused the loan proceeds to buy real estate and cars and to invest in cryptocurrency.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the scheme, whichever is greater. The charge of unlawful monetary transactions provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of the greater of either $250,000 or twice the value of the criminally derived property. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Stephen Donnelly, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Patricia Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, New York Region; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie A. Queenin and Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Felon Returned to Federal Prison After Escaping from Cedar Rapids Halfway HouseRead the Press Release
A man who escaped from a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, halfway house while serving a sentence for unlawful firearms possession was sentenced on August 18, 2022, to more than an additional year in federal prison. Ricky Joe Vaughn, age 43, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 8, 2022 guilty plea to one count of escape from custody.
At Vaughn’s plea and sentencing hearings, the evidence showed that Vaughn was sentenced in June 2015 to serve 96 months in federal prison for possessing firearms and ammunition illegally. Vaughn was scheduled to be released from a federal prison in Michigan in February 2022. In November 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) granted Vaughn the privilege of home confinement. In December 2021, after Vaughn violated the terms of his home confinement, the BOP rescinded Vaughn’s home confinement privileges and ordered Vaughn to reside in a Cedar Rapids halfway house. On January 10, 2022, while a resident of the halfway house, Vaughn cut off his ankle monitor at his workplace and fled in another person’s vehicle. The United States Marshal’s Service arrested Vaughn three days later at the other person’s apartment.
Vaughn was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Vaughn was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Vaughn has an extensive criminal history extending back to 2001. In addition to his prior federal firearms conviction, Vaughn’s criminal history in state court includes felony convictions for theft and conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. Vaughn is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the USMS.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-12.
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Federal and State Law Enforcement Partners Join Forces to Crack Down on Violent Pueblo GangRead the Press Release
PUEBLO – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado joined FBI Denver Division, Pueblo Police Department, and the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office at a news conference to announce the results of a five-year investigation into violent gang activity in Pueblo, resulting in the convictions and sentencings of more than a dozen gang members and associates. Members of the enterprise engaged in narcotics trafficking and acts of violence, including murder and assault.
To date, there have been 13 defendants arrested and charged federally and 12 arrested and charged in the state. This has led to a significant reduction in violent crime in the Pueblo area. In 2016, Ace gang members were responsible for 16% of the murder, assault, narcotics possession/distribution, and weapons charges according to the Pueblo Police Department. In 2021, Ace gang members were responsible for less than 2.5% of those crimes.
“This operation took violent offenders off the streets and put them in prison for a long time. Some of the defendants were spreading highly addictive and deadly drugs to Pueblo’s residents. This operation shows the dedication of the investigators with the FBI and the Pueblo Police Department and the determination of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office to help make Pueblo a safer community,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “Our work does not end here. We will continue to hold gang members and drug dealers accountable if they break the law.”
The defendants charged and convicted federally include:
- Emilio Hall, age 27, of Pueblo was sentenced to 32 years in prison after pleading guilty to Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering Activity (VICAR) murder. According to the plea agreement, on June 23, 2019, Hall shot and killed Floyd Robinson in the area of Bessemer Park in Pueblo as retaliation for a perceived offense against the Ace gang. Hall committed the murder in order to increase or maintain his standing in the Ace gang. U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced Hall on June 24, 2022. CASE NUMBER: 21-cr-00141.
- Christopher Ortiz, age 42, of Pueblo, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to being an accessory after the fact. According to the plea agreement, Ortiz was an Ace gang member, and because of his relationship with Emilio Hall, Ortiz destroyed the firearm that Hall used to kill Floyd Robinson. He did this in order to hinder and prevent Hall’s apprehension, trial or punishment for the crime of VICAR murder. U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced Ortiz on August 16, 2022. CASE NUMBER: 21-cr-00141.
- Jose Angel Martinez, age 30, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his plea to possession with intent to distribute heroin and violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). According to the plea agreement, on August 5, 2019, law enforcement conducted an operation to arrest Martinez on a warrant related to a July 18, 2019, fight and assault at a Pueblo bar. The FBI was able to obtain a search warrant of his apartment and recovered seven firearms, approximately 3.5 pounds of heroin, approximately 6.8 ounces of cocaine, approximately 15 grams of crack cocaine, $35,000, and several digital scales and a drug ledger. U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced Martinez on June 27, 2022. CASE NUMBER: 19-cr-00377.
- Leonard Rodriguez, age 30, of Pueblo, was sentenced to 80 months of imprisonment for possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. The conviction was tied to a search warrant executed on September 4, 2019, where police discovered Rodriguez in possession of 507 grams of heroin, 112 grams of methamphetamine, a firearm, numerous rounds of firearm ammunition, items indicative of narcotics trafficking, and thousands of dollars in cash. U.S. District Court Judge Christine M. Arguello sentenced Rodriguez on April 11, 2022. CASE NUMBER: 19-cr-00430.
- James Anthony Lovato, age 37, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine. Lovato was an associate of the Ace gang in Pueblo. According to the plea agreement, on May 21, 2019, detective from the Pueblo Police Department’s Special Investigation Division received a tip from an anonymous source that the defendant possessed a large duffle bag containing pounds of methamphetamine and heroin. While taking Lovato into custody for an outstanding arrest warrant and executing a search warrant on his home, law enforcement discovered he was in possession of over 300 grams of methamphetamine, 40 grams of heroin, and thousands of dollars in cash. Lovato was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson on August 5, 2022. CASE NUMBER: 19-cr-00314.
- Victor Adrian Trujillo, age 38, of Pueblo, was sentenced to 100 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of ammunition by a prohibited person. According to the plea agreement, officers searched for Trujillo to execute a state arrest warrant for escape. Officers identified Trujillo in a vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. Trujillo eluded officers in the vehicle. Officers eventually contacted Trujillo and arrested him. Officers observed, in plain view, a black handgun on the front, driver’s side floorboard between Trujillo’s feet. Trujillo is a convicted felon and cannot possess firearms and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico sentenced Trujillo on September 17, 2021. CASE NUMBER: 19-cr-380.
- Maximillian Esquibel, age 34, of Pueblo, was sentenced to 58 months after a jury convicted him of being a felon in possession of firearms. U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson sentenced Esquibel on December 7, 2020. CASE NUMBER: 19-cr-376.
- Joseph Bachicha, age 38, of Pueblo, was sentenced to 42 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin. According to the plea agreement, on June 23, 2018, officers saw the defendant engage in hand-to-hand drug deal. At the time of his arrest, officers found approximately 49 grams of heroin in his possession. Judge R. Brooke Jackson sentenced Bachicha on February 14, 2019. CASE NUMBER: 18-cr-358.
- Joshua Roy Wisthoff, age 36, of Pueblo, was sentenced to 66 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to the plea agreement, on January 2, 2021, Wisthoff was observed running a red light by a Pueblo Police officer. Another officer arrived on scene and observed a firearm in plain view on the passenger seat of Wistoff’s vehicle. The firearm was used by Wisthoff as protection when he sold methamphetamine. When the vehicle was searched, officers located a digital scale, an empty baggie in the center console, and a baggie containing methamphetamine located between the driver’s seat and the center console, which Wisthoff intended to distribute. U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced Wisthoff on August 8, 2022. CASE NUMBER: 21-cr-092.
- Isaac Chavez, age 39, of Pueblo, was sentenced to 72 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. According to the plea agreement, on August 30, 2019, officers encountered Chavez after he crashed on his motorcycle. He had two active arrest warrants and his driver's license was revoked. Officers found a significant amount of methamphetamine at the scene near his crashed motorcycle. Officers also found methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine in a backpack he dumped while fleeing from officers on foot. U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Blackburn sentenced Chavez on March 21, 2022. CASE NUMBER: 19-CR-426.
In addition, there were a number of cases prosecuted at the state level that are being announced separately by the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
“FBI Denver works with our federal, state and local partners across Colorado to keep communities safe. In Pueblo, we were able to leverage FBI resources to successfully target a violent, criminal gang,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. “We will continue to work with our partners in Pueblo and elsewhere, and we will continue to target violent drug dealers and those who support such operations.”
“The work of the FBI, the US Attorney’s Office, the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, our detectives and investigators in this operation took a large number of violent offenders off the streets of Pueblo and helped make our community safer. We are very thankful for the partnership we have with the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in this environment where violent crime is continuing to increase, not only here in Pueblo, but across the state," said Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Pueblo Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Denver Division, and 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Colorado State Patrol. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Dan McIntyre and Thomas Minser and the Violent Crime and Immigration Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
These cases were also 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.
Federal Jury Convicts Two McCurtain County Residents of Multiple Counts of Assault and Firearms Offenses in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Kevin Ray Ward, age 37, and Anthony Juan Armenta, age 32, both of McCurtain County, were found guilty by a federal jury of one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country, two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, and one count of Use, Carry and Brandish of a Firearm during and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
The jury trial began with testimony on Tuesday, August 16, 2022, and concluded on Friday, August 19, 2022, with the guilty verdicts.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on May 24, 2020, three young men, 17, 19, and 24, returned from fishing on the Mountain Fork River in McCurtain County, when they were confronted by the Defendants. During the confrontation, the Defendants shot at all three of the victims, hitting one twice in the abdomen. The Defendants also beat one of the victims with a pipe, a tire tool, and a pistol.
The guilty verdicts were the result of an investigation by the Idabel Police Department, McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the defendants in this case are members of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in McCurtain County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Patrick R. Wyrick, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting in Oklahoma City, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Ward and Armenta were remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending the imposition of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin D. Traster and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
Essilor Agrees to Pay $16.4 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Liability for Paying KickbacksRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA, PA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced a $16.4 million civil settlement with Essilor International, Essilor of America, Inc., Essilor Laboratories of America, Inc., and Essilor Instruments USA (collectively, “Essilor”), headquartered in Dallas, Texas, to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by causing claims to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid that resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute.
Essilor manufactures, markets, and distributes optical lenses and equipment used to produce optical lenses. The Anti‑Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other federally funded programs. The statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives.
The United States alleges that between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2016, Essilor knowingly and willfully offered or paid remuneration to eye care providers, such as optometrists and ophthalmologists, to induce those providers to order and purchase Essilor products for their patients, including Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Specifically, the United States contends that Essilor, through its Strategic Alliance, Practice Builder Loyalty, Practice Builder Elite, and Growth Financing programs (collectively, “Threshold Programs”) knowingly and willfully offered or paid unlawful remuneration to providers to induce providers to order and purchase Essilor products and knowingly caused providers to submit false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for Essilor products that were tainted by kickbacks that Essilor offered or paid to providers enrolled in Threshold Programs.
“Our healthcare system is predicated on providers making decisions solely in the best interest of the patient,” said United States Attorney Romero. “Kickbacks threaten to corrupt that decision-making. The United States Attorney’s Office stands ready to pursue anyone who fails to abide by the rules that ensure our system functions as it should.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by relators Laura Thompson, Lisa Brez, and Christie Rudolph, former Essilor district sales managers. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned United States ex rel. Laura Thompson & Lisa Brez v. Essilor Int’l, No. 3:15-CV-2853-C (N.D. Tex.) and United States ex rel. Christie Rudolph v. Essilor Labs. of Am., Inc., No. 16-CV-0537 (WB) (E.D. Pa.).
“We sincerely thank Ms. Thompson, Ms. Brez, and Ms. Rudolph. Without the willingness of relators to shed light on allegations of fraud, preserving government program funds would be far more challenging.” said U.S. Attorney Romero.
In connection with the settlement, Essilor entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The CIA requires, among other things, that Essilor hire an Independent Review Organization to review its systems, policies, processes, and procedures for ensuring that any discounts, rebates, or other reductions in price offered to providers comply with the Anti-Kickback Statute. The CIA also requires Essilor to put in place new written review and approval process to ensure all existing and new discount arrangements comply with the Anti-Kickback Statute.
“Kickback schemes can impact medical judgment, eroding the trust of both patients and taxpayers,” said Lisa M. Re, Acting Chief Counsel at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Essilor’s Corporate Integrity Agreement is intended to establish policies and practices so it complies with the Anti-Kickback Statute moving forward.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. For the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the investigation and settlement were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul W. Kaufman and auditor Dawn Wiggins.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Essilor Agrees to Pay $16.4 Million to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Liability for Paying KickbacksRead the Press Release
Essilor International, Essilor of America Inc., Essilor Laboratories of America Inc. and Essilor Instruments USA (collectively, “Essilor”), headquartered in Dallas, have agreed to pay $16.4 million to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by causing claims to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid that resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute.
Essilor manufactures, markets and distributes optical lenses and equipment used to produce optical lenses. The United States alleged that between Jan. 1, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2016, Essilor knowingly and willfully offered or paid remuneration to eye care providers, such as optometrists and ophthalmologists, to induce those providers to order and purchase Essilor products for their patients, including Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. The Anti‑Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other federally-funded programs. The statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives.
“When medical equipment manufacturers provide kickbacks to referring providers, it can compromise the integrity of medical decision-making,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to pursue violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute to ensure that patient care is not influenced by improper financial incentives.”
“The Anti-Kickback Statute was designed to ensure doctors make medical decisions with only their patients’ best interests in mind,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham of the Northern District of Texas. “We are pleased to see Essilor taking financial responsibility for their conduct.”
“Our healthcare system is predicated on providers making decisions solely in the best interest of the patient,” said U.S. Attorney Jacquelin Romero of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “Kickbacks threaten to corrupt that decision-making. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stands ready to pursue anyone who fails to abide by the rules that ensure our system functions as it should.”
“Kickback schemes can impact medical judgment, eroding the trust of both patients and taxpayers,” said Lisa M. Re, Acting Chief Counsel at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Essilor’s Corporate Integrity Agreement is intended to establish policies and practices so it complies with the Anti-Kickback Statute moving forward.”
In connection with the settlement, Essilor entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with HHS-OIG. The CIA requires, among other things, that Essilor hire an independent review organization to review its systems, policies, processes and procedures for ensuring that any discounts, rebates, or other reductions in price offered to providers comply with the Anti-Kickback Statute. The CIA also requires Essilor to implement a new written review and approval process to ensure all existing and new discount arrangements comply with the Anti-Kickback Statute.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by relators Laura Thompson, Lisa Brez, and Christie Rudolph, former Essilor district sales managers. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned United States ex rel. Laura Thompson & Lisa Brez v. Essilor Int’l, No. 3:15-CV-2853-C (N.D. Tex.) and United States ex rel. Christie Rudolph v. Essilor Labs. of Am., Inc., No. 16-CV-0537 (WB) (E.D. Pa.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Texas and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Diana Cieslak and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Braden Civins of the Northern District of Texas and Paul Kaufman of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Essilor Agrees to Pay $16.4 Million to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Liability for Paying KickbacksRead the Press Release
Dallas-based optical company Essilor has agreed to pay $16.4 million to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by causing claims to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid that resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Essilor (including Essilor International, Essilor of America Inc., Essilor Laboratories of America Inc. and Essilor Instruments USA,) manufactures, markets, and distributes optical lenses and equipment used to produce optical lenses.
The United States alleged that between Jan. 1, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2016, Essilor knowingly and willfully offered or paid remuneration to optometrists and ophthalmologists to induce those providers to purchase Essilor products for their patients, including Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. (The Anti Kickback Statute – which is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives – prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other federally-funded programs.)
“When medical equipment manufacturers provide kickbacks to referring providers, it can compromise the integrity of medical decision-making,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to pursue violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute to ensure that patient care is not influenced by improper financial incentives.”
“The Anti-Kickback Statute was designed to ensure doctors make medical decisions with only their patients’ best interests in mind,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham of the Northern District of Texas. “We are pleased to see Essilor taking financial responsibility for their conduct.”
“Kickback schemes can impact medical judgment, eroding the trust of both patients and taxpayers,” said Lisa M. Re, Acting Chief Counsel at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Essilor’s Corporate Integrity Agreement is intended to establish policies and practices so it complies with the Anti-Kickback Statute moving forward.”
In connection with the settlement, Essilor entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with HHS-OIG. The CIA requires, among other things, that Essilor hire an independent review organization to review its systems, policies, processes and procedures for ensuring that any discounts, rebates, or other reductions in price offered to providers comply with the Anti-Kickback Statute. The CIA also requires Essilor to implement a new written review and approval process to ensure all existing and new discount arrangements comply with the Anti-Kickback Statute.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by relators Laura Thompson, Lisa Brez, and Christie Rudolph, former Essilor district sales managers. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned United States ex rel. Laura Thompson & Lisa Brez v. Essilor Int’l, No. 3:15-CV-2853-C (N.D. Tex.) and United States ex rel. Christie Rudolph v. Essilor Labs. of Am., Inc., No. 16-CV-0537 (WB) (E.D. Pa.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Texas and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Diana Cieslak and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Braden Civins of the Northern District of Texas and Paul Kaufman of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Eastern Oregon Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A Baker City, Oregon man with several prior felony convictions was sentenced to federal prison today after he was arrested with multiple firearms and a large quantity of methamphetamine.
Jacob Grammon, 26, was sentenced to 95 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in April 2021, law enforcement in Baker County, Oregon obtained a search warrant for Grammon’s person and vehicle based on reports received of him possessing a large quantity of drugs and several firearms. On April 26, 2021, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from Oregon State Police and other law enforcement officers in Baker and Malheur Counties, conducted surveillance on and ultimately arrested Grammon. Officers located as 9mm pistol on Grammon’s person and two pounds of methamphetamine and several ounces of heroin in his vehicle. Grammon admitted to possessing additional firearms including an AR-15 rifle with a high-capacity drum magazine.
On May 20, 2021, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a four-count indictment charging Grammon with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On May 16, 2022, Grammon pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
This case was prosecuted by the ATF with assistance from OSP and the Baker and Malheur County Sheriff’s Offices. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marco A. Boccato of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Drug Dealer Sentenced to 25 Years for Selling Drugs, Causing Overdoses, and Disposing of A BodyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Sherman Michael Puckett (34, Clearwater) to 25 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 10 grams or more of fentanyl analogues, 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, and heroin; and obstructing of justice. Puckett had pleaded guilty on March 14, 2022.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, from at least July 23, 2018, through September 17, 2019, Puckett conspired with others to distribute over 255 grams of fentanyl, over 37 grams of fentanyl analogues, over 28 grams of cocaine, and over 17 grams of methamphetamine, among other drugs. During this time, Puckett mixed heroin and fentanyl together in his own “recipe,” which he told unwitting customers was heroin alone. As a result of not knowing the contents of what they were ingesting, Puckett’s customers sometimes accidentally overdosed. Puckett was responsible for an unknown number of non-fatal overdoses, which he regarded as an acceptable cost of his business model. The users who survived became addicted to fentanyl and thus loyal customers. As Puckett put it to one witness, “if they [his customers] can survive the high, I will always have a paycheck.”
Puckett maintained a rotating series of hotel rooms and short-stay rentals for the purpose of storing his drugs and selling them to others. In order to evade law enforcement, Puckett moved every few days or weeks. Puckett also trafficked women, whom he paid and kept loyal with drugs. One woman (S.C.) whom Puckett had supplied with drugs died of an overdose in one of Puckett’s hotel rooms. In an attempt to hide the evidence and escape responsibility, Puckett obstructed justice by stripping her body naked, wrapping it in plastic, and dumping it at the base of the Howard Frankland Bridge – on the St. Petersburg side, where it was found the next morning by a local fisherman.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael M. Gordon, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorneys Craig R. Gestring and Samantha E. Beckman.
Convicted Child Molester Sentenced for Immigration Fraud and Judicially Ordered Removed from the United StatesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The United States Attorney announced that today in federal court, Levi Isidoro Velasco-Hernandez, age 40, born in Mexico and residing in Johnston County, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle to six months in prison following a guilty plea to visa fraud. Moreover, Velasco was judicially ordered to be removed from the U.S. following the sentence he is currently serving in prison for violations of state law.
According to court records, on February 3, 2017, Velasco fraudulently applied for and subsequently obtained an immigrant visa by making materially false statements under oath. During the application process, Velasco claimed that he had never engaged in any kind of sexual contact with any person who was being forced or threatened. This was not true because he had in fact taken indecent liberties with an 11-year-old child. At the time Velasco sought the visa, immigration officials were unaware of his crimes because he had not yet been arrested or charged with them.
However, on March 4, 2021, in the Superior Court of North Carolina in Johnston County, Velasco was convicted of ten counts of indecent liberties with a child. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of between 10 and 20 years and ordered to register as a sex offender. According to the indictments to which he pled guilty, Velasco committed the crimes as early as January 1, 2017, which clearly preceded his visa application and thus displayed the falsity of his statements.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sebastian Kielmanovich and Lori Warlick 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. 5:22-cr-00016-1BO(1).
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Cockerell Dermatopathology to Pay $3.75 Million to Resolve Healthcare Fraud ClaimsRead the Press Release
A Texas dermatopathology clinic has agreed to pay the United States more than $3.7 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting fraudulent lab claims to TRICARE and by knowingly concealing an obligation to repay the United States, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Per the terms of a civil settlement executed on Friday, Dallas-based Cockerell Dermatopathology will pay $3,750,000 – including $1,875,000 in restitution – over the next 3 ½ years. Its owner and principal physician, Dr. Clay Cockerell, will be liable if the clinic fails to make any of its payments.
“This settlement resolves allegations concerning the defendant's claims to TRICARE, a health insurance program for service members, veterans, and their families,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners will not stand by as medical providers bill medically irrelevant tests to federal health insurance programs.”
“The Department of Defense (DoD), Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to identifying and neutralizing fraud schemes that not only waste valuable tax payer resources, but impact military readiness,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Mentavlos of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. "DCIS and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue those individuals who defraud the DoD healthcare program known as TRICARE, intended to care for our warfighters, their family members, and military retirees.”
In March 2021, the government filed a civil suit alleging that Dr. Cockerell knowingly permitted the laboratory management company Progen to use CDP’s lab license to submit false claims to federal health insurance programs, including TRICARE, for medically unnecessary tests in return for receiving twenty percent of the net revenue from those tests. The government also alleged that Dr. Cockerell and CDP knowingly avoided and concealed their obligation to repay the United States for the millions of dollars in false TRICARE claims.
In May 2021, Dr. Cockerell and CDP filed a motion to dismiss the Government’s claim that they had knowingly avoided and concealed an obligation to repay the United States. But in an order denying the motion, U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle noted that “[Cockerell Dermatopathology]’s actions — as alleged by the Government — plausibly demonstrate an attempt to conceal or avoid the obligation to the Government.”
The Defense Criminal Investigative Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Guiltinan and Dawn Theiss handled the civil case.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Claremore man pleads guilty to sexually abusing a child starting when she was 9 years oldRead the Press Release
A Claremore man pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court for sexually abusing a child starting when the victim was nine years old and until she was 13, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Raymond Dale Dudley, 60, pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under 12 in Indian Country and sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country.
The plea agreement calls for Dudley to serve between 40 and 45 years in prison. A federal judge will determine whether to accept the plea agreement at a sentencing hearing to be held at a later date.
In his plea agreement, the defendant admitted that he sexually abused the victim repeatedly between 2009 and 2013. Dudley continued to abuse the victim until 2013, when her older sister, who was no longer living at home, reported that she (the older sister) had been sexually abused by Dudley. The younger victim later reported that Dudley promised her in 2013 that he would stop abusing her if she hid the sexual abuse from child protective services workers. She complied, denying any abuse when she was interviewed at the home in 2013. A child forensic interview was not done at the time.
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services believed the older sister’s allegations were unsubstantiated and closed the case. In 2015, she again disclosed that Dudley abused her, but the referral was closed, citing the 2013 investigation.
In 2021, the younger victim, now an adult, spoke about the abuse with an individual she trusted. She stated the abuse would often happen when no other adults were in the home and sometimes it would happen with other children nearby. The individual spoke with Dudley about the allegations. Dudley eventually admitted to the abuse but minimized his actions, suggesting the victim had “egged some of it on.”
Soon after, the victim reported the crimes to the Claremore Police Department. She disclosed that the abuse happened approximately twice a week starting when she was nine years old. Investigators also spoke to the older victim who had reported being abused by Dudley. She stated that Dudley had started sexually abusing her when she was about 14 years old and until she was 18 years old.
Child abuse experts state that disclosure is almost always a process for victims of childhood sexual abuse. Children may not tell for a variety of reasons. These include threats, gifts, or promises to the child, fear of the perpetrator, a lack of opportunity, a lack of understanding of child sexual abuse, or a relationship with the perpetrator. Impediments to disclosure include shame and fear of causing trouble in a family.
Victims most often disclose only when they feel they are in a safe environment.
It is rare for victims to disclose all the details of their abuse to any one person, and even rarer for victims to disclose every incident of abuse at one time. Sometimes, disclosure can take months or even years. Disclosure is determined by an interplay of child characteristics, family environment, community influences, and societal attitudes.
The FBI and Claremore Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chantelle D. Dial and Valeria G. Luster are prosecuting the case.
Chicago Firearms Trafficking Strike Force UpdateRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today provided an update on the cross-jurisdictional Firearms Trafficking Strike Force.
The Department of Justice launched the strike force in July 2021 to disrupt illegal firearms trafficking and reduce gun violence. Led locally by U.S. Attorney Lausch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and to identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes. The Chicago strike force’s efforts have been substantially enhanced by the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD’s) Gun Investigations Team.
According to gun trace data, a significant number of firearms recovered in Chicago originate outside Chicago and are illegally trafficked into the city. The strike force has strengthened coordination between law enforcement in Chicago and counterparts in the locations where many of the firearms originate. In providing the update on the strike force’s efforts, U.S. Attorney Lausch was joined by U.S. Attorneys from around the Midwest.
“Firearms traffickers and straw purchasers enable violence,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “Over the past year, the cross-jurisdictional strike force has increased collaboration with our law enforcement partners and enhanced our longstanding efforts to hold accountable individuals or groups who illegally traffic firearms into Chicago.”
“While I am the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, this Office will continue to recognize that combatting violent crime – particularly gun crimes – requires coordinated, multi-jurisdictional efforts among federal and state prosecutors and federal, state, and local law enforcement,” said Clifford D. Johnson, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana. “We know that through these combined efforts the safety of the citizens in our respective communities is improved. We want all law-abiding citizens to be able to enjoy the many cultural, social, and recreational activities in the Chicagoland area without fear of violence.”
“Whether individuals are trafficking guns from Wisconsin into Chicago or sending guns from other states into places like Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha, we are fully committed to working with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to hold firearms traffickers and straw purchasers fully accountable,” said Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “By working together – both within our districts and across the region – we can make all of our communities safer places in which to live and work.”
“Illegal firearms traffickers help fuel the horrific gun violence inflicted on our communities and families,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Working with law enforcement partners across agencies and jurisdictions, our office will continue to prioritize investigations and prosecutions that stem the tide of crime guns onto the streets of all of our communities and hold gun traffickers accountable.”
“Preventing gun violence is a top priority in our district and region,” said Gregory K. Harris, United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. “These cross-jurisdictional efforts to stem illegal firearm trafficking are an important tool in making our communities safer.”
“Reducing violent crime and gun crimes are top priorities of my office,” said Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. “The statements expressed here show that violent criminals cannot avoid federal prosecution by fleeing to another state. There is literally nowhere to run. We will work with our law enforcement partners across the Midwest to hold violent criminals and gun traffickers accountable and keep our communities safe.”
To investigate and prosecute cases as part of the strike force, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices work closely with U.S. law enforcement agencies, including ATF, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). State and local partners in the Northern District of Illinois include CPD, Illinois State Police (ISP), Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rockford Police Department (RPD).
In the first year of the strike force, several dozen defendants have been charged or convicted in federal courts in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, as illustrated by the examples below.
Northern District of Illinois
- ARSHAD ZAYED, of Orland Hills, Ill., 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 that Zayed managed in the Chicago suburb of Matteson, Ill. The investigation was conducted by FBI, ATF, CPD, ISP, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.
- Two Indianapolis men – DEVANTE T. BROWN and COREY SARTIN – were charged with federal firearm violations for allegedly trafficking ten guns, including four semiautomatic rifles and two “ghost guns,” from Indianapolis to Chicago. The probe was led by ATF and CPD, with assistance from the Dolton, Ill., Police Department.
- Chicago resident ANTHONY PEREZ-FLORES was charged with trafficking more than a dozen guns, including a “ghost gun” and a machine gun, in Chicago. Perez-Flores was on parole for a state firearm conviction when he allegedly sold the guns to an undercover officer. ATF, CPD, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
- DEVON DOW, of Chicago, was charged with trafficking individually manufactured “ghost guns” in Chicago. Dow allegedly sold seven “ghost guns” to an undercover law enforcement officer on the city’s South Side. The firearms were considered “ghost guns” because they contained no identifiable serial number and had been manufactured from parts collected from various sources. HSI and CPD led the probe.
- Five men were indicted for allegedly trafficking guns from St. Louis to Chicago. The charges accuse ROBERT NARUP, of Washington, Mo., of buying firearms at gun shows throughout the United States and illegally selling them to JEROME BOYKIN, of St. Louis, Mo. Boykin then allegedly brought the guns to Chicago and sold them to ROGELIO MANCERA, of Schaumburg, Ill., in exchange for marijuana. The charges accuse Mancera, RODOLFO ORTEGA of Chicago, and HECTOR CHACON of Chicago, with selling the guns on the streets of Chicago. ATF and CPD’s Gun Investigations Team led the probe, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
- A federal jury convicted JOSEPH GHANDOUR, of Glenview, Ill., of illegally selling a “ghost gun” to a convicted felon in a suburban Chicago grocery store parking lot. Unbeknownst to Ghandour, the felon to whom he sold the rifle was cooperating with law enforcement. FBI investigated.
- A man was indicted on firearm charges for allegedly straw purchasing 27 handguns from suburban Chicago stores. MATTHEW JAMAAL JOHNSON, of Dolton, Ill., allegedly falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer, when, in reality, Johnson purchased the guns on behalf of another individual. ATF and CPD led the probe.
- Chicago resident ISMAEL SENE was sentenced to a year in federal prison for straw purchasing handguns in the Chicago suburbs. In one of the transactions, Sene falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer. In reality, Sene purchased the gun on behalf of an individual whom Sene had reason to believe was a convicted felon who was prohibited by federal law from purchasing or possessing a firearm. ATF led the probe, with assistance from CPD.
- A suburban Chicago man was sentenced to eight and a half years in federal prison for trafficking dozens of guns from Kentucky to Chicago. Many of the guns trafficked by JOHN PHILLIPS, of Lyons, Ill., were later discovered by law enforcement at crime scenes in Chicago. The investigation was led by ATF’s Chicago office, with assistance from ATF agents in Louisville, Ky.
- PARIS STEELE, of Chicago, was sentenced in August to more than six years in federal prison for unlawfully dealing shotguns and other firearms in Chicago. While Steele was on bond and awaiting trial, he appeared in videos on social media holding a firearm and threatening violence against others. ATF and CPD conducted the investigation.
- A Chicago man was charged with making materially false statements in the acquisition of more than 20 firearms. STOVALL BUCHANAN acquired the guns from suburban Chicago firearms dealers and allegedly lied on federal forms about his home address and the actual buyer of the guns. ATF investigated, with assistance from CPD.
- Chicago resident JUSTIN GARCIA was charged in August with straw purchasing handguns in a suburban Chicago store on behalf of another individual. ATF investigated, with assistance from CPD.
- Two days after the fatal shooting of Chicago Police Officer Ella French, a Hammond, Ind., man was charged with conspiring to straw purchase the semi-automatic handgun used in the shooting. JAMEL DANZY pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted that he was a straw purchaser who bought the gun from a firearms dealer in Indiana at the request of a convicted felon who was found in possession of the gun after the shootings of Officer French and her partner. Danzy is awaiting sentencing. ATF and CPD led the probe.
Central District of Illinois
- JERON C. MCNEAL, of Peoria, Ill., was sentenced in October 2021 to a year in federal prison for his involvement in a burglary of a federally licensed firearms dealer and for giving false statements to federal law enforcement. A mob smashed the window of the business and approximately nine people entered the store and stole 29 firearms. McNeal drove a get-away car for some of the looters. McNeal’s sister, CHAYLA MCNEAL, was sentenced on the same charges in November 2021. Chayla McNeal stood outside the business, encouraged minor individuals to enter, and appeared to record the looting with her phone. Both McNeals also later lied to federal agents. In April 2021, one of the 29 guns stolen – an FNH 40 caliber pistol – was recovered by the Chicago Police Department.
- APRIL ALEXANDRIA SORIANO, of Springfield, Ill., pleaded guilty in October 2021 to making false statements during the purchase of multiple firearms. Soriano admitted to lying on ATF forms when she indicated she was purchasing the guns for herself when, in fact, she was buying them for someone else. An ATF gun trace revealed that Soriano purchased five firearms in 2019 and 2020. A 9mm Taurus handgun she purchased in East Peoria, Ill., was later discovered by law enforcement during a search of Soriano’s then-residence in Peoria, Ill. A second firearm – a 9mm Ruger handgun – that Soriano purchased in Springfield was later discovered in Chicago following a shooting incident where a victim sustained a gunshot wound.
Northern District of Indiana
- Twenty-four individuals were charged with violating various federal firearms laws, including the straw-purchasing of more than 150 firearms, lying about their eligibility to purchase more than 100 firearms, transferring firearms to a person who resided in another state, and engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Approximately 30 firearms illegally purchased in Indiana were recovered by law enforcement in Chicago and the Chicagoland area, with some of the firearms being linked to shootings and seized from prohibited persons. ATF led the investigations, with assistance from law enforcement throughout the Northern District of Indiana.
Southern District of Indiana
- Six individuals were charged with straw purchasing 90 firearms, more than 20 of which were later discovered at crime scenes in Chicago. ATF led the investigation, with assistance from law enforcement in Chicago.
Eastern District of Wisconsin
- In February, a Chicago man was indicted for an armed carjacking in Milwaukee. SHAMONTE BRYANT is alleged to have stolen a firearm during the carjacking, driven the stolen car and firearm from Milwaukee to Chicago, and used the firearm during a shooting in Chicago the following day. The case was investigated by FBI and the Milwaukee Police Department.
- In April, two individuals from Racine County, Wisc., were charged with conspiring to purchase firearms, alter/obliterate the serial numbers, and sell the firearms to others. As part of the conspiracy, DEANDRE L. RODGERS and VIRIDIANA GARCIA-RAMIREZ are alleged to have purchased at least eleven handguns and one rifle from local gun stores between December 2021 and March 2022. Garcia-Ramirez entered a guilty plea to the conspiracy in July 2022. Rodgers’s case remains pending. The matter was investigated by ATF and the Racine Police Department.
- Between July 2021 and July 2022, three previously convicted felons from Fond du Lac, Wisc. – TREON DENNIS, JASON SPINKS, and SHAKIE DAVIS – entered guilty pleas and were sentenced in federal court for conspiring to have an individual straw-purchase approximately eleven firearms. According to court records, three of the firearms were recovered at crime scenes in the Chicago area. Dennis and Davis were sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. In August 2022, a fourth individual charged in the case, JONATHAN GRIFFIN acknowledged the straw purchases and entered a guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Griffin is set to be sentenced in November. The case was investigated by ATF and the Fond du Lac Police Department.
- In July, two individuals from Milwaukee – STEPHANIE GRIFFITH and WILLIE STATEN – were charged in federal court with straw-purchasing approximately 23 firearms. Staten also was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Three of the firearms were recovered by law enforcement, including one in Illinois. Griffith pleaded guilty, while Staten’s case is pending. The case was investigated by ATF and the Milwaukee Police Department.
Western District of Wisconsin
- SAMUEL SCHILTZ, of Waunakee, Wisc., was sentenced to five years in prison for illegally selling two handguns installed with 30-round magazines and auto sears, which converted the guns into fully automatic machine guns. Schiltz, who was on probation for a felony drug crime at the time of the sale, told an undercover agent that he also sold cocaine and prescription opiates. Schiltz offered other firearms for sale, and he offered to install auto sears on other guns. The Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation and ATF conducted the investigation.
In addition to the sustained focus on firearms trafficking prosecutions, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices endeavor to disrupt violent crime by seeking pre-trial detention for defendants who pose a danger to the community and by pursuing appropriate prison sentences to deter dangerous individuals from continuing to cause violence in their communities. Another critical aspect of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts is Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to pursue lasting reductions in crime.
“A primary goal of our office is to reduce violent crime, and we will continue to use every available federal law enforcement tool to keep people safe,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.
The strike force’s efforts in Chicago and throughout the country remain active and ongoing. The public is reminded that charges are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Charlotte Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Fraud, Drug Distribution and Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Donte O’Neill Clements, 33, of Charlotte, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler on August 19, 2022, and pleaded guilty to participating in a COVID-19 fraud scheme, drug distribution, and illegal gun possession, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Clements’s co-conspirator, Kaila Leaann Shanteau-Jackson, 30, also of Charlotte, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in July 2022 for her role in the scheme.
Jason Byrnes, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed plea documents and statements made in court, from June 2020 to September 2021, Clements engaged in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Labor and the State of Arizona by fraudulently receiving and cashing COVID-19 unemployment insurance (UI) payments that Jackson diverted to Clements. During the relevant time frame, Jackson was employed as a vendor-contractor for a financial institution that serviced the UI benefit program in Arizona through the mailing of pre-paid debit cards to qualified recipients. Jackson held the position of Pre-Paid Claims Initiation Agent with the financial institution and, as part of her employment, Jackson had access to the financial institution’s Pre-Paid Administration System (PAS).
According to court documents, Jackson used her employment credentials to divert and re-route UI benefits payments intended for 138 victims to Clements, herself, and others. To effectuate the scheme, Jackson changed in the PAS database the rightful recipients’ address information to addresses in Charlotte to which Clements and others had access. Once Clements and others received the re-routed pre-paid debit cards, they either withdrew the benefits in cash from ATMs or conducted retail purchases with the stolen funds. During the scheme, Jackson diverted approximately $993,000 in UI benefits to her co-conspirators, of which Clements obtained over $800,000 of the stolen funds.
In addition to pleading guilty to wire fraud for the COVID-19 fraud scheme, Clements pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
A sentencing date for Clements has not been set. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum term of 30 years in prison, and a $1 million fine. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base carries a prison term of up to 20 years and a $1 million fine. The statutory maximum prison term for felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the U.S. Secret Service and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Members of the public in the Western District of North Carolina can also call 704-344-6222 to reach their local Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator.
Central American Drug Trafficker Extradited to the United States on Federal ViolationsRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A Nicaraguan national has been extradited from Honduras to the United States to face drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Raduan Omar Zamora Mayorga, also known as Jose Luis Oliva Meza and “El señor de los cielos” and “patrón de patrones” (in English “the lord of the skies” and “the boss of bosses”), 41, of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 10, 2020, and charged with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine knowing it would be imported to the United States and manufacturing and distributing cocaine knowing it would be distributed into the United States. On May 15, 2022, Zamora Mayorga was arrested in Honduras pursuant to a provisional arrest request by the United States and subsequently, extradited to the United States on August 18, 2022. He appeared in federal court in Plano, Texas on August 22, 2022, for an initial appearance and arraignment and was ordered to be detained pending trial.
According to the indictment, in approximately 2008, an investigation by U.S. law enforcement authorities identified a large-scale drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating throughout South, Central, and North America. The DTO used a sophisticated infrastructure to manufacture, acquire, store, transport and distribute multi-ton quantities of cocaine destined for the United States. It utilized go-fast speedboats, shipping vessels, submersible watercraft, aircraft, semi-trailer trucks and other motor vehicles to transport large cocaine shipments. The cocaine would originate in Colombia and Ecuador, where it is manufactured, processed, and packaged at clandestine drug laboratories. The drugs would then be transported to and through Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Mexico on their way northward. Portions of the cocaine shipments were ultimately imported into the United States for further distribution. The resulting drug proceeds were transported from the United States back to and through the above noted countries.
Information received from confidential sources and law enforcement authorities indicated that Zamora Mayorga was an important member of the DTO operating out of Honduras who allegedly conspired with other DTO members to acquire and transport large cocaine shipments. Zamora Mayorga is alleged to have supplied large quantities of cocaine in Guatemala and elsewhere on behalf of the DTO. According to the indictment, Zamora Mayorga used his own transportation network to smuggle cocaine shipments from Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala for further distribution to the United States. Zamora Mayorga and his co-conspirators were responsible for the importation of thousands of kilograms of cocaine to the United States.
If convicted, Zamora Mayorga faces 10 years to life in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernest Gonzalez.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Honduras to secure the arrest and extradition of Zamora Mayorga to the United States. Special thanks to the Government of Honduras for their help in the capture and extradition of Zamora Mayorga.
An indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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California Man Charged with Using False Identities to Defraud Multiple Individuals and Large Corporate EntityRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a complaint charging RUSSELL DWAYNE LEWIS, a/k/a “Clifford Ari Getz,” a/k/a “Clifford Ari Getz Cohen,” a/k/a “Ari Getz,” a/k/a “Aryeh Getz,” with three counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in connection with multiple schemes to defraud victims out of millions of dollars. Over several years, LEWIS, who falsely claimed to be a billionaire, defrauded his friend and employee out of more than $3 million, money he falsely claimed was being used in business opportunities; defrauded an individual out of more than $500,000, which he falsely claimed was being directed to a real estate investment; and made a fraudulent offer to purchase a corporate entity for $290 million. LEWIS was arrested last night in California and is expected to be presented today before a United States Magistrate Judge in the Central District of California.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendant engaged in a pattern of serial fraud, lying repeatedly and blatantly to friends, associates, and a major corporation about his identity, wealth, and business activities. He did so out of greed, and he now faces serious criminal charges for his alleged conduct.”
FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said: "As alleged, Mr. Lewis played on his victims' misplaced trust and, through a series of deceptions, cheated them out of valuable resources and money. His arrest today shows the FBI's continued determination to hold impostors accountable and force them to deal with the repercussions of their illegal activities in court.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
Between 2016 and 2020, RUSSELL DWAYNE LEWIS engaged in a series of brazen schemes to misrepresent his identity, his wealth, and his professional and personal background in order to defraud multiple individuals and at least one corporate entity. For years, LEWIS lived under assumed names, using the birth date of a real individual with the name of one of his aliases, and utilizing the social security number of yet another individual. As opportunities arose, LEWIS told increasingly outrageous lies to individuals around him, including a close friend of many years, an individual who turned to him for his claimed expertise in astrology, and representatives of a major company he falsely purported to intend to purchase.
In one scheme, LEWIS befriended an individual (“Victim-1”), claiming to Victim-1 that he was a billionaire businessman. As part of their increasingly close friendship, and believing that LEWIS was a successful businessman, Victim-1 solicited professional and investment advice from LEWIS. In response, and with greater frequency over time, LEWIS solicited “investments” from Victim-1 in the tens and then hundreds of thousands of dollars. Eventually, Victim-1 went to work for LEWIS, working to explore opportunities in business and finance to assist LEWIS in identifying investment opportunities. LEWIS continued to ask Victim-1 for money, which was characterized as investments and/or loans, and which Victim-1 routinely provided. LEWIS had Victim-1 seek out investment opportunities, only to repeatedly back out of prospective deals at the last moment, claiming difficulties in accessing his vast wealth. By 2020, Victim-1 had transferred more than $3 million of loan and/or investment funds to LEWIS in less than three years, virtually none of which was ever paid back.
In addition to his purported business activities, LEWIS also separately charged some individuals for astrological readings and analyses. One such individual was a widow with four children who met LEWIS in or about 2018 (“Victim-2”). Victim-2 continued to have contact with LEWIS in the coming years, including for astrological readings. In 2020, over the course of several months, LEWIS defrauded Victim-2 out of approximately $555,000 by pressuring her into paying him money for a purported real estate investment opportunity. In truth, there was no such investment opportunity, and LEWIS spent Victim-2’s money on personal expenses, including office supplies that facilitated and promoted LEWIS’s other schemes. Victim-2 received back virtually none of her “investment.”
Finally, in August and September 2020, LEWIS fraudulently attempted to acquire a corporate entity in bankruptcy proceedings (“Corporation-1”). LEWIS made a purported all‑cash offer to purchase Corporation-1 for $290 million, which resulted in weeks of due diligence processes, legal discussions, and negotiations—including through which Getz and others had access to certain of Corporation-1’s internal business records and materials. Corporation-1 and its representatives dedicated significant time and resources to the purported offer, based on the false premise that LEWIS intended to, and could, pay hundreds of millions of dollars for Corporation‑1. In fact, LEWIS had no intention or ability to purchase Corportion-1, and ultimately he backed out of the deal.
* * *
LEWIS, 52, of Los Angeles, California, is charged with three counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of 24 months in prison.
The statutory maximum and mandatory penalties in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI, and thanked the Beverly Hills Police Department for its exceptional investigative assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Alex Rossmiller and Matthew Podolsky are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is 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 in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
NEW ALBANY – Cornelio Moran-Miranda, 39, of New Albany, Indiana, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
According to court documents, on June 1, 2021, investigators with the New Albany Police Department executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence. During a search of the defendant’s bedroom, officers located approximately 7.75 pounds of cocaine, 2.75 pounds of methamphetamine, 1.41 ounces of heroin, digital scales, and $20,142 in United States currency. During a search of a detached garage to the residence, officers located two rifles, an UZI-style pistol, and a money counter. During a search of the defendant’s truck, officers located a Ruger pistol with an obliterated serial number. The defendant was subsequently arrested.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Indianapolis, made the announcement.
The New Albany Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. The Floyd County Prosecutor’s Office also provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt following the defendant’s guilty plea. As part of the sentence, Judge Pratt ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski who prosecuted this 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.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to over Nine Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Derek Owens (34, St. Petersburg) to nine years and three months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The court also ordered Owens to forfeit a Smith & Wesson, M&P 40C semi-automatic pistol, 16 rounds of ammunition, and $1,073 in cash, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Owens had pleaded guilty on January 23, 2019.
According to court documents, on August 14, 2018, law enforcement officers on routine patrol in St. Petersburg noticed a red Independent Taxi, without a public vehicle certificate displayed, commit a traffic violation. The officers initiated a traffic stop on the taxi. As the taxi slowed down, the rear passenger (Owens) began trying to exit the car. After failing to open the door from the inside, Owens reached his hand out of the window and opened the door from the outside. As Owens exited the moving car, the officers observed a black firearm and firearm holster on Owen’s person as he attempted to flee. The officers observed Owens discard the firearm as he ran towards an alley. The officers then gave chase to Owens on foot, eventually apprehending him approximately one block away from the initial traffic stop. After Owens was secured, an officer returned to the scene where Owens had discarded his firearm.
During a search of Owen’s person, an officer recovered $1,073, a plastic bag containing 82 grams of cocaine, a plastic bag containing 20 grams of cocaine, a plastic bag containing 8 grams of marijuana, and 2 cellphones. The officers also recovered the firearm and holster. Further investigation revealed that the firearm had previously been reported stolen.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
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.
Antigo Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Kelly M. Schultz, 45, of Antigo, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty today in federal district court in Madison to possessing child pornography and was immediately remanded into custody.
U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson scheduled sentencing for November 18. The plea agreement calls for the defendant to be sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by 20 years of supervised release.
In March 2017, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Schultz’s home and seized approximately 150 CDs and DVDs. During the analysis of these items, agents located numerous images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The charge against Schultz was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation; Port Edwards, Markesan, Everest Metro, and Antigo Police Departments; and Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The Langlade County District Attorney’s office also assisted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman is prosecuting the case.
Anchorage Man Indicted for Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging an Anchorage man with being a felon in possession of firearms and for the sale of stolen firearms.
According to court documents, Max Reder, 37, knowingly sold at least nine stolen firearms in October 2020. He also possessed at least 34 firearms knowing he had two prior convictions for burglary in the second degree, a felony, in the State of Alaska. As someone previously convicted of a felony offense, Reder is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance on Wednesday, August 24th before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Anchorage Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George Tran is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Alabama Man Sentenced to over 17 Years for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALPINE – An Alabama man was sentenced yesterday to 210 months in prison for producing child pornography.
According to court documents, Matthew Jacob Metzler, 32, traveled to Arizona to pick up a minor and then brought the child to Pecos where he engaged in sexual acts with the child. A search warrant was executed on Metzler’s cellular phone where child pornography photos along with a sexually explicit video Metzler made with the minor were found.
“Those who engage in crimes against children will be held accountable for their actions,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “In February 2022, Metzler traveled to Arizona to pick up a minor and transported the child across state lines to Pecos, Texas. While in Pecos, Metzler, who was living out of his car, engaged in sexual acts with the child. The child was ultimately located by law enforcement and reunited with family in Arizona. This was a great example of multiple agencies in the West Texas community working together to bring justice for a minor victim. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work tirelessly to protect minor victims.”
On March 24, 2022, Metzler pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography. Metzler has remained in federal custody since his arrest on February 7, 2022.
HSI, along with assistance from the Pecos Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Greenbaum 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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14-Count Indictment Unsealed Charging 12 Defendants in Alleged Armed Drug Trafficking Operation Centered in Milledgeville, GeorgiaRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. –Ten Milledgeville, Georgia, and two Atlanta residents are facing federal drug and firearms charges alleging their participation in the armed distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl and other controlled substances.
Arrest operations which occurred this week were the result of April 2021 and Feb. 2022 search warrants where agents seized approximately 92 kilograms of methamphetamine, 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl, two kilograms of heroin, two kilograms of cocaine, 15 pounds of marijuana and 15 firearms.
The federal indictment was unsealed today charging the following defendants:
Lagary Williams aka Frog, of Atlanta, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, two counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
Brandon Ector aka Big, of Atlanta, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, two counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
Damon Hayes aka D-5, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, four counts of distribution of cocaine base, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
Quintavious Horton aka Bloody Bae, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
Earnest Hamilton, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime;
Antonio Mason, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute;
Travarious Davis aka D Red, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
Alonzo Vasser aka Tie, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
Derrick Ingram, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
Kimdra Wilkerson, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances;
Johnnie Halligan, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; and,
Billy Harper, of Milledgeville, is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
If convicted, each defendant is facing a maximum term of life imprisonment and a $10,000,000 fine.
According to court documents, Hayes, Davis and Vasser are convicted felons who have prior felony convictions for a serious drug felony in the Superior Court of Baldwin County, Georgia.
Williams and Ector remain at-large; initial appearances for the remaining defendants began today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Weigle in the Macon, Georgia, U.S. Courthouse.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office, Jones County Sheriff’s Office, Morgan County Sheriff’s Office and Atlanta-Carolina’s HIDTA Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
22 August 2022
Wanblee Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Wanblee, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury was sentenced on August 18, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Paige Aaron Chipps, age 32, was sentenced to eight years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Chipps was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2021 and pleaded guilty in April 2022. The conviction stems from Chipps assaulting a woman in her home in Wanblee in February 2021 by kicking her while wearing boots. The woman then went outside and fell in the snow and was unable to get up due to her injuries, eventually dying of hypothermia.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Criminal Investigators. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Chipps was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer indicted for depriving a U.S. citizen of rightsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Oscar Orrantia was indicted on Aug. 17 for willfully depriving the rights of a citizen of the United States. Orrantia, 36, of Santa Teresa, New Mexico, made an initial appearance in federal court today. On Aug. 19, Orrantia was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility, Special Agent in Charge Office, El Paso, Texas.
According to the indictment, on June 18, 2019, at the Columbus Port of Entry in Luna County, New Mexico, Orrantia allegedly deprived the victim, identified as John Doe, of his constitutional right to be free from unreasonable seizures. The indictment also alleges that Orrantia’s actions resulted in bodily injury to John Doe.
“Those in whom we entrust the power and responsibility to enforce our laws have a paramount duty to protect the rights provided under the United States Constitution,” said U.S. Attorney Uballez. “We hold these rights sacred. Justice requires that we hold accountable those who abuse their positions and fail to uphold that responsibility.”
“CBP stresses honor and integrity in every aspect of our mission, and the overwhelming majority of CBP employees and officers perform their duties with honor and distinction, working tirelessly every day to keep our country safe,” said CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha. “CBP does not tolerate corruption or abuse within our ranks, and our Office of Professional Responsibility responded to this complaint in a thorough and timely manner.”
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Orrantia faces up to 10 years in prison.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility, Special Agent in Charge Office, El Paso, investigated this case with assistance from the Luna County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and Mark Standridge are prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Provides Update on Chicago Firearms Trafficking Strike ForceRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today provided an update on the cross-jurisdictional Firearms Trafficking Strike Force.
The Department of Justice launched the strike force in July 2021 to disrupt illegal firearms trafficking and reduce gun violence. Led locally by U.S. Attorney Lausch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and to identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes. The Chicago strike force’s efforts have been substantially enhanced by the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD’s) Gun Investigations Team.
According to gun trace data, a significant number of firearms recovered in Chicago originate outside Chicago and are illegally trafficked into the city. The strike force has strengthened coordination between law enforcement in Chicago and counterparts in the locations where many of the firearms originate. In providing the update on the strike force’s efforts, U.S. Attorney Lausch was joined by U.S. Attorneys from around the Midwest.
“Firearms traffickers and straw purchasers enable violence,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch. “Over the past year, the cross-jurisdictional strike force has increased collaboration with our law enforcement partners and enhanced our longstanding efforts to hold accountable individuals or groups who illegally traffic firearms into Chicago.”
“While I am the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, this Office will continue to recognize that combatting violent crime – particularly gun crimes – requires coordinated, multi-jurisdictional efforts among federal and state prosecutors and federal, state, and local law enforcement,” said Clifford D. Johnson, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana. “We know that through these combined efforts the safety of the citizens in our respective communities is improved. We want all law-abiding citizens to be able to enjoy the many cultural, social, and recreational activities in the Chicagoland area without fear of violence.”
“Whether individuals are trafficking guns from Wisconsin into Chicago or sending guns from other states into places like Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha, we are fully committed to working with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to hold firearms traffickers and straw purchasers fully accountable,” said Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “By working together – both within our districts and across the region – we can make all of our communities safer places in which to live and work.”
“Illegal firearms traffickers help fuel the horrific gun violence inflicted on our communities and families,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Working with law enforcement partners across agencies and jurisdictions, our office will continue to prioritize investigations and prosecutions that stem the tide of crime guns onto the streets of all of our communities and hold gun traffickers accountable.”
“Preventing gun violence is a top priority in our district and region,” said Gregory K. Harris, United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. “These cross-jurisdictional efforts to stem illegal firearm trafficking are an important tool in making our communities safer.”
“Reducing violent crime and gun crimes are top priorities of my office,” said Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. “The statements expressed here show that violent criminals cannot avoid federal prosecution by fleeing to another state. There is literally nowhere to run. We will work with our law enforcement partners across the Midwest to hold violent criminals and gun traffickers accountable and keep our communities safe.”
To investigate and prosecute cases as part of the strike force, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices work closely with U.S. law enforcement agencies, including ATF, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). State and local partners in the Northern District of Illinois include CPD, Illinois State Police (ISP), Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rockford Police Department (RPD).
In the first year of the strike force, several dozen defendants have been charged or convicted in federal courts in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, as illustrated by the examples below.
Northern District of Illinois
- ARSHAD ZAYED, of Orland Hills, Ill., 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 that Zayed managed in the Chicago suburb of Matteson, Ill. The investigation was conducted by FBI, ATF, CPD, ISP, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.
- Two Indianapolis men – DEVANTE T. BROWN and COREY SARTIN – were charged with federal firearm violations for allegedly trafficking ten guns, including four semiautomatic rifles and two “ghost guns,” from Indianapolis to Chicago. The probe was led by ATF and CPD, with assistance from the Dolton, Ill., Police Department.
- Chicago resident ANTHONY PEREZ-FLORES was charged with trafficking more than a dozen guns, including a “ghost gun” and a machine gun, in Chicago. Perez-Flores was on parole for a state firearm conviction when he allegedly sold the guns to an undercover officer. ATF, CPD, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
- DEVON DOW, of Chicago, was charged with trafficking individually manufactured “ghost guns” in Chicago. Dow allegedly sold seven “ghost guns” to an undercover law enforcement officer on the city’s South Side. The firearms were considered “ghost guns” because they contained no identifiable serial number and had been manufactured from parts collected from various sources. HSI and CPD led the probe.
- Five men were indicted for allegedly trafficking guns from St. Louis to Chicago. The charges accuse ROBERT NARUP, of Washington, Mo., of buying firearms at gun shows throughout the United States and illegally selling them to JEROME BOYKIN, of St. Louis, Mo. Boykin then allegedly brought the guns to Chicago and sold them to ROGELIO MANCERA, of Schaumburg, Ill., in exchange for marijuana. The charges accuse Mancera, RODOLFO ORTEGA of Chicago, and HECTOR CHACON of Chicago, with selling the guns on the streets of Chicago. ATF and CPD’s Gun Investigations Team led the probe, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
- A federal jury convicted JOSEPH GHANDOUR, of Glenview, Ill., of illegally selling a “ghost gun” to a convicted felon in a suburban Chicago grocery store parking lot. Unbeknownst to Ghandour, the felon to whom he sold the rifle was cooperating with law enforcement. FBI investigated.
- A man was indicted on firearm charges for allegedly straw purchasing 27 handguns from suburban Chicago stores. MATTHEW JAMAAL JOHNSON, of Dolton, Ill., allegedly falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer, when, in reality, Johnson purchased the guns on behalf of another individual. ATF and CPD led the probe.
- Chicago resident ISMAEL SENE was sentenced to a year in federal prison for straw purchasing handguns in the Chicago suburbs. In one of the transactions, Sene falsely certified on federal forms that he was the actual buyer. In reality, Sene purchased the gun on behalf of an individual whom Sene had reason to believe was a convicted felon who was prohibited by federal law from purchasing or possessing a firearm. ATF led the probe, with assistance from CPD.
- A suburban Chicago man was sentenced to eight and a half years in federal prison for trafficking dozens of guns from Kentucky to Chicago. Many of the guns trafficked by JOHN PHILLIPS, of Lyons, Ill., were later discovered by law enforcement at crime scenes in Chicago. The investigation was led by ATF’s Chicago office, with assistance from ATF agents in Louisville, Ky.
- PARIS STEELE, of Chicago, was sentenced in August to more than six years in federal prison for unlawfully dealing shotguns and other firearms in Chicago. While Steele was on bond and awaiting trial, he appeared in videos on social media holding a firearm and threatening violence against others. ATF and CPD conducted the investigation.
- A Chicago man was charged with making materially false statements in the acquisition of more than 20 firearms. STOVALL BUCHANAN acquired the guns from suburban Chicago firearms dealers and allegedly lied on federal forms about his home address and the actual buyer of the guns. ATF investigated, with assistance from CPD.
- Chicago resident JUSTIN GARCIA was charged in August with straw purchasing handguns in a suburban Chicago store on behalf of another individual. ATF investigated, with assistance from CPD.
- Two days after the fatal shooting of Chicago Police Officer Ella French, a Hammond, Ind., man was charged with conspiring to straw purchase the semi-automatic handgun used in the shooting. JAMEL DANZY pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted that he was a straw purchaser who bought the gun from a firearms dealer in Indiana at the request of a convicted felon who was found in possession of the gun after the shootings of Officer French and her partner. Danzy is awaiting sentencing. ATF and CPD led the probe.
Central District of Illinois
- JERON C. MCNEAL, of Peoria, Ill., was sentenced in October 2021 to a year in federal prison for his involvement in a burglary of a federally licensed firearms dealer and for giving false statements to federal law enforcement. A mob smashed the window of the business and approximately nine people entered the store and stole 29 firearms. McNeal drove a get-away car for some of the looters. McNeal’s sister, CHAYLA MCNEAL, was sentenced on the same charges in November 2021. Chayla McNeal stood outside the business, encouraged minor individuals to enter, and appeared to record the looting with her phone. Both McNeals also later lied to federal agents. In April 2021, one of the 29 guns stolen – an FNH 40 caliber pistol – was recovered by the Chicago Police Department.
- APRIL ALEXANDRIA SORIANO, of Springfield, Ill., pleaded guilty in October 2021 to making false statements during the purchase of multiple firearms. Soriano admitted to lying on ATF forms when she indicated she was purchasing the guns for herself when, in fact, she was buying them for someone else. An ATF gun trace revealed that Soriano purchased five firearms in 2019 and 2020. A 9mm Taurus handgun she purchased in East Peoria, Ill., was later discovered by law enforcement during a search of Soriano’s then-residence in Peoria, Ill. A second firearm – a 9mm Ruger handgun – that Soriano purchased in Springfield was later discovered in Chicago following a shooting incident where a victim sustained a gunshot wound.
Northern District of Indiana
- Twenty-four individuals were charged with violating various federal firearms laws, including the straw-purchasing of more than 150 firearms, lying about their eligibility to purchase more than 100 firearms, transferring firearms to a person who resided in another state, and engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Approximately 30 firearms illegally purchased in Indiana were recovered by law enforcement in Chicago and the Chicagoland area, with some of the firearms being linked to shootings and seized from prohibited persons. ATF led the investigations, with assistance from law enforcement throughout the Northern District of Indiana.
Southern District of Indiana
- Six individuals were charged with straw purchasing 90 firearms, more than 20 of which were later discovered at crime scenes in Chicago. ATF led the investigation, with assistance from law enforcement in Chicago.
Eastern District of Wisconsin
- In February, a Chicago man was indicted for an armed carjacking in Milwaukee. SHAMONTE BRYANT is alleged to have stolen a firearm during the carjacking, driven the stolen car and firearm from Milwaukee to Chicago, and used the firearm during a shooting in Chicago the following day. The case was investigated by FBI and the Milwaukee Police Department.
- In April, two individuals from Racine County, Wisc., were charged with conspiring to purchase firearms, alter/obliterate the serial numbers, and sell the firearms to others. As part of the conspiracy, DEANDRE L. RODGERS and VIRIDIANA GARCIA-RAMIREZ are alleged to have purchased at least eleven handguns and one rifle from local gun stores between December 2021 and March 2022. Garcia-Ramirez entered a guilty plea to the conspiracy in July 2022. Rodgers’s case remains pending. The matter was investigated by ATF and the Racine Police Department.
- Between July 2021 and July 2022, three previously convicted felons from Fond du Lac, Wisc. – TREON DENNIS, JASON SPINKS, and SHAKIE DAVIS – entered guilty pleas and were sentenced in federal court for conspiring to have an individual straw-purchase approximately eleven firearms. According to court records, three of the firearms were recovered at crime scenes in the Chicago area. Dennis and Davis were sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. In August 2022, a fourth individual charged in the case, JONATHAN GRIFFIN acknowledged the straw purchases and entered a guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Griffin is set to be sentenced in November. The case was investigated by ATF and the Fond du Lac Police Department.
- In July, two individuals from Milwaukee – STEPHANIE GRIFFITH and WILLIE STATEN – were charged in federal court with straw-purchasing approximately 23 firearms. Staten also was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Three of the firearms were recovered by law enforcement, including one in Illinois. Griffith pleaded guilty, while Staten’s case is pending. The case was investigated by ATF and the Milwaukee Police Department.
Western District of Wisconsin
- SAMUEL SCHILTZ, of Waunakee, Wisc., was sentenced to five years in prison for illegally selling two handguns installed with 30-round magazines and auto sears, which converted the guns into fully automatic machine guns. Schiltz, who was on probation for a felony drug crime at the time of the sale, told an undercover agent that he also sold cocaine and prescription opiates. Schiltz offered other firearms for sale, and he offered to install auto sears on other guns. The Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation and ATF conducted the investigation.
In addition to the sustained focus on firearms trafficking prosecutions, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices endeavor to disrupt violent crime by seeking pre-trial detention for defendants who pose a danger to the community and by pursuing appropriate prison sentences to deter dangerous individuals from continuing to cause violence in their communities. Another critical aspect of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts is Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to pursue lasting reductions in crime.
“A primary goal of our office is to reduce violent crime, and we will continue to use every available federal law enforcement tool to keep people safe,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.
The strike force’s efforts in Chicago and throughout the country remain active and ongoing. The public is reminded that charges are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Announces Drug Summit Agenda, Invites Participation in Person or by LivestreamRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – The Northwestern Pennsylvania Drug Summit will take place on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Johnsonburg Fire Hall, 99 Clarion Road, in Johnsonburg. This event is a free in-person public forum. People may also attend by joining the livestream at: https://www.youtube.com/user/theriver989. The agenda follows.
WELCOMING REMARKS
- The Honorable Cindy K. Chung, United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania (6:00 p.m. – 6:05 p.m.)
OPENING REMARKS and INTRODUCTIONS (6:05 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.)
- A representative for The District Attorney for Elk County, Pennsylvania
- Brief remarks from and District Attorneys who wish to speak
- Joseph Daghir, Commissioner, Elk County, Pennsylvania
- Captain Christopher J. Neal, Pennsylvania State Police, Troop C Commander, Punxsutawney
DISCUSSION
- Drug Trafficking Trends Panel (moderated by FAUSA Troy Rivetti)(6:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.)
- Josh Yohannan, Homeland Security Investigations, formerly with Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office
- Steve Denhup, DEA, Intelligence Group Supervisor – “One Pill Can Kill” Campaign
- Trooper Zach Moran, PA State Police
- Detective Gregg McManus, Elk County DA’s Office
- How Drugs are Affecting our Rural Communities (moderated by EAUSA Stephen R. Kaufman) (6:45 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.)
- Michelle Muccio-Krise, Elk County Coroner
- Suzanne McCullough, Penn Highlands DuBois Hospital, Director of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
- Billie Jo Weyant, Director of CAPSEA (Citizens Against Physical, Sexual, and Emotional Abuse)
- Help is Available for Substance Use Addiction (moderated by AUSA Jessica L. Smolar and EAUSA Stephen R. Kaufman)(7:15 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.)
- Janene Holter, PA AG’s Office, Senior Agent and Director of the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative (LETI)
- Angie Eckstrom, Director, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services of Elk, Cameron and McKean counties
- Eric Kocian, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Saint Vincent College
- Persons in recovery
The Summit is presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the County of Elk District Attorney’s Office, the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative (LETI) of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and The Mecca-Mann Mission, Inc.
Tulsa Man Sentenced for Participating in an Attempted Robbery that Ended in Two DeathsRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man was sentenced Monday in federal court for participating in an attempted robbery and home invasion that ended in two deaths.
“Justin Harjo received an 18-year prison sentence for taking part in a home invasion that resulted in the deaths of an individual living in the home and Harjo’s accomplice,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to confront and deter violent crime in communities across northeastern Oklahoma and hold offenders accountable.”
U.S. District Judge Claire V. Eagan sentenced Justin Tvmvmapky Harjo, 25, of Tulsa, to 216 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. On Oct. 15, 2021, Harjo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to carry, brandish, and use a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to his plea agreement, Harjo admitted that he conspired with Chauncey Thomas to carry, brandish, and use a firearm during a robbery committed on May 23, 2019. He admitted that he and Thomas planned to conduct an armed robbery of victim Dion Carr’s residence. Harjo drove Thomas to Carr’s residence and attempted follow Thomas through a window into the victim’s home. Carr confronted Thomas who was armed with a gun as he entered the residence. Witnesses in the home reported a struggle over the firearm that resulted in both Thomas and Carr getting shot. Carr died at the scene while Harjo helped his accomplice escape. Harjo drove Thomas to a Tulsa hospital, pulled him from the vehicle, and left him at the entrance. Harjo later burned the vehicle used in the robbery in a rural field to destroy evidence and conceal the conspiracy. Thomas died three days after he was left at the hospital.
The Tulsa Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Nassar and Sandra M. Urban prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Sentenced for Domestic Violence on New Orleans Based Cruise Ship After Guilty Verdict in Jury TrialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that GERONIMO FLORES, age 30, of Abilene, Texas, was sentenced on August 18, 2022 to serve 54 months imprisonment, to be followed by three-years of supervised release on each count, to run concurrently. He is also obligated to pay a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee for each count. FLORES was found guilty as charged of two felony offenses after a three-day federal jury trial. The jury found FLORES guilty of domestic violence by strangulation and suffocation in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 113(a)(8) and 7(8) and interstate domestic violence in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2261(a)(1), 2261(b)(5), and 7(8).
FLORES intentionally assaulted his intimate and dating partner while aboard the Carnival Glory cruise ship on December 2, 2021. The Glory was within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States during a voyage that departed from and returned to the Port of New Orleans. During trial, the victim testified that FLORES became physically violent with her after an argument in their cabin aboard the Glory. The argument culminated in FLORES striking her in the head and strangling her using a choke hold. Three of the Glory crew’s security members testified regarding her injuries. The Glory’s medical officer, that examined the victim, testified that in her expert opinion, the victim’s bruising, swelling, and other symptoms were consistent with the described attack.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. He also gave special thanks for the assistance provided by agents and staff with the Department of Homeland Security during the trial. Assistant United States Attorneys Charles D. Strauss and Christopher D. Usher II prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Red Cross of Hurricane Relief FundsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richardson, Texas, man pleaded guilty Friday to conspiring to commit wire fraud to defraud the American Red Cross of disaster relief funds donated to the Red Cross by members of the American public for the benefit of the victims of Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
According to court documents, Muata Khalif, 55, conspired with other individuals to obtain the personal information of Texas residents, and to use that personal information to apply for and obtain Red Cross disaster relief payments in those individuals’ names. In the wake of Hurricane Harvey’s landfall in August of 2017, and the resultant damage to areas of Texas and Louisiana, the Red Cross initiated an “Immediate Assistance Program,” funded by public donations, to provide financial assistance to disaster victims. Upon verifying that an applicant was, in fact, a resident of an affected area in Texas, the Red Cross would provide the applicant with a $400 cash payment, which the applicant could retrieve at, among other designated locations, Wal-Mart Money Centers. To retrieve the $400 Red Cross payment, the applicant needed to be able to provide the applicant’s verified Red Cross client ID number and a corresponding, specific payment reference number.
In October of 2017, Khalif – at the time, a resident of Emporia, Virginia – obtained the client ID and reference numbers of at least 116 individuals. Armed with this information, and over the course of a five-day span, Khalif traveled to Wal-Mart stores located in Emporia, Colonial Heights, Petersburg, and Midlothian to obtain the Red Cross relief payments intended for those individuals. One day into his scheme, Khalif met, befriended, and then recruited a Petersburg Wal-Mart Money Center cashier. Assisted by this Wal-Mart employee, Khalif eventually obtained 116 Red Cross disaster relief payments, totaling more than $46,000 in fraud loss to the Red Cross—funds which had been donated to the Red Cross for the explicit purpose of assisting hurricane victims.
Khalif is scheduled to be sentenced on November 17. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jerald W. Page, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark R. Colombell accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin Cooke and Thomas A. Garnett are prosecuting 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. 3:22-cr-29.
St. Francis Man Indicted for Abusive Sexual Contact, Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, and LarcenyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a St. Francis, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Abusive Sexual Contact, Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, and Larceny.
Brady Makes Room For Them, age 37, was indicted in June of 2022. Makes Room For Them appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on August 19, 2022. He pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine, mandatory minimum five years of supervised release up to life, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on January 27, 2022, in Todd County, South Dakota, Makes Room For Them engaged in sexual contact with a female victim. Later that same day, Makes Room For Them stole a vehicle and was in possession of the vehicle when he was arrested for the sexual contact. All these events occurred while Makes Room For Them had failed to update his registration pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The charges are merely accusations and Makes Room For Them is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler is prosecuting the case.
Makes Room For Them was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.