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Wednesday 29 June 2022
Fugitive Indicted for COVID FraudRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Abhishek Krishnan, a citizen of the Republic of India, with theft of government property and aggravated identity theft regarding his receipt of unemployment insurance benefits funded by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the indictment, Krishnan, age 39, was a fugitive from justice, living outside the United States, when he received approximately $40,650 in pandemic unemployment assistance obtained by using other people’s identities in his fraudulent application.
The indictment alleges that Krishnan stole federal funds earmarked for North Carolina residents who had become unemployed due to the pandemic. The second count alleges that he used the means of identification of three real people to perpetrate the theft. If convicted, the defendant faces ten-years in prison for theft of government property followed by a mandatory two years in prison for aggravated identity theft.
Previously, in 2019, Krishnan was charged with mail fraud, introducing adulterated and misbranded foods into interstate commerce and money laundering related to the sale of protein powders by his company, American Pure Whey. The 43-count superseding indictment was returned by a separate federal grand jury, also in the Eastern District of North Carolina, after an investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. If convicted of those charges, Krishnan’s faces a statutory maximum of more than 300 years in prison.
The 2018 superseding indictment sought forfeiture of approximately six million dollars in fraud proceeds by the defendant. The government successfully obtained civil orders of forfeiture after the Court found Krishnan was outside the United States and refused to reenter with the specific intent to avoid prosecution. It was during the time that the forfeiture was being contested that the unemployment insurance fraud allegedly occurred.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The United States Marshal Service is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan B. Menzer is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Fort Worth Man Convicted of Possessing Machine GunRead the Press Release
A Fort Worth man discovered with a Glock pistol equipped with a “switch” – a device that converts ordinary semiautomatic pistols into fully automatic machine guns – has been tried and convicted of a federal firearm crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
After proceeding pro se in a bench trial, Judge O’Connor found Keidric Brown, 25, guilty of possessing a machinegun.
“I cannot stress enough how dangerous machine gun conversion devices are and the levels at which they are being used in our communities. Due to the diligent work of our law enforcement partners, specifically the Arlington Police Department, Mr. Brown will now have several years to think about his attempt to brazenly carry a machine gun around our streets,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
According to evidence presented at trial, an Arlington Police Department Officer stopped Mr. Brown’s vehicle on Jan. 17 after discovering its insurance was expired.
An officer testified that she noted the smell of marijuana emanating from the vehicle and initiated a probable cause search.
Under the driver’s seat, she found a Glock 9mm pistol with a 31-round high-capacity, extended magazine and a red plastic switch attached to the rear of the firearm’s slide. The Glock pistol with switch attached was ultimately examined and test fired by an ATF Firearms Enforcement Officer, who concluded it was a machinegun that fired in a fully-automatic fashion.
Glock Switches, also known as machinegun conversion devices, are classified as machineguns under federal law. Unlike semiautomatic firearms, machineguns – weapons that can fire more than one round, without manual reloading, by single function of the trigger – are generally unlawful for non-licensed civilians under the National Firearms Act.
A search of Mr. Brown’s phone revealed text messages and lyrics regarding the purchase and use of Glock Switches.
At trial, prosecutors introduced into evidence Mr. Brown’s rap videos, which included the lyrics, “My Glock, it came with a switch / I aim, I don’t miss” (1:01).
Mr. Brown now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and the Arlington Police Department’s Violent Crime Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Levi Thomas and Frank Gatto prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor presided over trial.
Fort Pierre Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Fort Pierre, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on June 27, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Lisa Herren, a/k/a Lisa Miller, age 43, was sentenced to 26 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Herren was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 8, 2021. She pled guilty on January 27, 2022.
The conviction stemmed from a conspiracy which began in September 2018, in which Herren conspired with others to knowingly and intentionally distribute methamphetamine in and around Stanley County, South Dakota. It was reasonably foreseeable that over 50 grams of methamphetamine was distributed during the course of the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the Stanley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
Herren was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Former Women's Soccer Coach at the University of Southern California Sentenced in College Admissions CaseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former assistant coach of women’s soccer at the University of Southern California (USC) was sentenced yesterday for her involvement in a bribery scheme to facilitate the admission of applicants to selective colleges and universities as purported athletic recruits.
Laura Janke, 39, of North Hollywood, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to time served and one year of supervised release, with 50 hours of community service. Janke was also ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $129,213. In May 2019, Janke pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering. Janke cooperated with the government’s investigation.
While an assistant coach of USC’s women’s soccer team, Janke conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to falsely designate the children of Singer’s clients as soccer recruits in exchange for bribes. Specifically, Janke and co-conspirator Ali Khosroshahin, the team’s head coach, together purported to recruit one or two of Singer’s students to the USC women’s soccer team each year. In reality, the students were not USC-caliber soccer players and they were not actually recruiting them to be members of the team. To deceive USC’s subcommittee on athletic admissions into believing the students were legitimate recruits, Janke and Khosroshahin submitted falsified athletic “profiles,” which they either received from Singer or created themselves and which made the students appear to be elite high school athletes. In exchange, Singer paid Janke and Khosroshahin bribes, funded by the money from his clients, in the form of checks from his fake charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation, made out to the USC soccer program or to their private soccer club.
In June 2019, Khosroshahin pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced today to time served and one year of supervised release.
Case information, including the status of each defendant, is available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Frank, Leslie A. Wright, Kristen A. Kearney and Ian Stearns of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Rensselaer County Correctional Officer Indicted for Sexually Abusing InmateRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Sean Morrissey, age 51, of Waterford, New York, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with abusive sexual contact of a ward, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Morrissey was a correctional officer at Rensselaer County Correctional Facility (“RCCF”) at the time of his alleged crime. According to the indictment, between September 7, 2018 and September 21, 2018, Morrissey knowingly rubbed the genitalia of a female federal detainee, with the intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade, or arouse or gratify the sexual desire of a person. The charge in the indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charge filed against Morrissey carries a maximum term of 2 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 1 year. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Morrissey was arraigned today in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel. He was released with conditions pending a trial to be scheduled before Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark.
Former Police Clerk admits to PerjuryRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - A former St. Marys, West Virginia police department employee has admitted to lying about a program that allowed people charged with crimes to pay cash and gift cards to avoid criminal sanctions, according to United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld.
Carolyn Taylor, 40, of St. Marys, pleaded guilty today to perjury, admitting that she lied to a federal grand jury about the “Slow Down for the Holidays” program. The government-sanctioned initiative allowed those charged with DUI and other crimes in Pleasants County to donate cash, gift cards, or other items of value to dodge prosecution.
Taylor, as the clerk of the police department, helped to collect the donations and was asked about the specifics of her role when she testified earlier this year. She told grand jurors that she had no knowledge of anyone personally benefiting from the program and that all proceeds went to charitable causes. However, investigators discovered that she had used at least one of the program gift cards for her personal benefit.
“A policy that allows one to buy their way out of a DUI is inherently wrong and never should have been implemented in the first place,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “It is not surprising that someone involved with this ill-advised program kept a portion of the donations for herself.”
Taylor faces up to five years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The matter remains active and is being investigated by the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Former Montgomery County Teacher Pleads Guilty to Multiple Child Exploitation Offenses After Traveling to the Philippines to Have Sex with ChildrenRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Craig Alex Levin, 66, of King of Prussia, PA, pleaded guilty to six counts of child exploitation offenses before United States District Court Judge Harvey Bartle, III, stemming from his travel to the Philippines over a nearly three-year period for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minor children, some as young as 12 years of age. He also engaged in commercial sex trafficking by brokering the sale of a minor girl, who was pregnant at the time, for sex with an adult sex offender in exchange for money.
In May 2021, the defendant was charged by Superseding Indictment with multiple counts of interstate and foreign travel for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, sex trafficking of a minor, use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, distribution of child pornography, transfer of obscene material to a minor, and transportation of child pornography. Levin was first indicted with child exploitation offenses related to his travel to the Philippines in February 2020.
According to Court documents, Levin was a retired special education teacher for the Lower Merion School District. Between August 2016 and May 2019, the defendant traveled to the Philippines nine times to have sex with minor children. Prior to and during his travels, Levin created and maintained Facebook accounts that he used to communicate with minors in the Philippines for the purpose of enticing them to engage in illicit sexual conduct with him during his visits to the island nation. In addition, the defendant used Facebook Messenger to send child pornography to minors in the Philippines.
“Mr. Levin, someone who worked for years in a position of trust as a teacher, traveled to country and stayed for months at a time in order to prey on children undetected – or so he thought,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Our Office, together with our law enforcement partners, works day and night to investigate and track criminals like this defendant, even when they try to hide on the other side of the world. Our message to them with this case is simple: you cannot hide; we will find you and we will hold you accountable in a court of law.”
“Craig Levin apparently thought, because he was halfway around the world, he could commit these heinous crimes with impunity,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “He could not have been more wrong. As this case shows, the FBI’s reach is long, and we’ll do everything in our power to end the sexual exploitation of children, be they in Philadelphia or the Philippines. Protecting vulnerable kids from predators like Levin continues to be one of the Bureau’s top priorities.”
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Damiani and Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
Former IRS Employee in Fresno Indicted for Selling MorphineRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Margarita Aispuro-Camacho, 46, of Fresno, was arrested today after a federal grand jury indicted her for illegally selling morphine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Aispuro-Camacho sold the morphine in May 2020. At the time of the sale, she worked as a clerk for the Internal Revenue Service.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration. TIGTA’s responsibilities include investigating misconduct by IRS employees. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Aispuro-Camacho faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Florida Man Indicted for Armed Pharmacy RobberyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Jesse Rance Moore (45, Bell) with Hobbs Act robbery, robbery involving controlled substances, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of crimes of violence. If convicted on all counts, Moore faces a minimum mandatory term of seven years, and up to life, in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on or about January 13, 2022, Moore robbed the North Florida Pharmacy of Fort White. During the robbery, Moore brandished a firearm and took pharmaceutical drugs and controlled substances from an employee of the pharmacy. Moore was arrested and made his initial appearance on June 27, 2022.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake City Police Department, the Chiefland Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kirwinn Mike.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Flandreau Woman Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Flandreau, South Dakota, woman convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on June 27, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Caley Studsdahl, age 24, was sentenced to three years of probation and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25.
Studsdahl was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 8, 2021. She pled guilty on April 4, 2022.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on or about April 21, 2020, when Studsdahl was approached by the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe Acting Chief of Police because there was a tribal warrant for her arrest. The Acting Chief of Police placed Studsdahl in handcuffs, conducted a search, and placed her in the rear cage of his patrol vehicle. Before he could close the door, Studsdahl voluntarily and intentionally assaulted the Acting Chief of Police by spitting on his face and said an obscenity directed at him.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.
Five Gun Traffickers Arrested for Selling over 25 Firearms, Including Assault Rifles, Connected to Four Shootings in BrooklynRead the Press Release
Sixth Defendant Arrested for Trafficking Crack Cocaine In Brooklyn And Queens
A complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Jamel Clarke, Dwayne Harris, Rayon Lovett, Owen Welch and Ronald Welch with engaging in a gun trafficking conspiracy dating back to September 2021, involving the sale of at least 28 firearms, including multiple AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles and AK-47-style assault rifles. At least two of the guns had been previously used in four separate shootings in Brooklyn. Dwayne Harris and Pheod Khan were also charged in the complaint with engaging in a crack cocaine trafficking conspiracy. An additional defendant is also charged in the drug trafficking conspiracy and remains at large.
The defendants were arrested between June 26, 2022 and June 28, 2022. Ronald Welch was arraigned on June 27, 2022, Clarke, Harris, Lovett and Owen Welch were arraigned on June 28, 2022, and Khan was arraigned on June 29, 2022, in federal court in Brooklyn before United States Magistrate Judge Roanne L. Mann. All of the defendants with the exception of Harris and Khan were detained pending trial; Khan’s detention hearing will be completed tomorrow on June 30.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, John B. DeVito, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the complaint.
“As alleged, the defendants brought deadly weapons, including guns involved in at least 4 shootings, and narcotics to the streets of Brooklyn and Queens directly contributing to the cycles of gun violence and drug abuse,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “These arrests demonstrate the commitment by this Office and our law enforcement partners to save lives by stopping the flow of illegal firearms and narcotics into our communities.”
Mr. Peace thanked the NYPD’s Brooklyn South Violent Crime Squad and the United States Marshals Service for their outstanding investigative work on this case.
“These violent gun traffickers have been identified and caught because of the dedication of the law enforcement professionals protecting this City,” said Special Agent in Charge DeVito. “ATF and our partners will continue to do so, while simultaneously disrupting the flow of illegal guns to our streets and preventing violent crime.”
According to the complaint and a memorandum filed in connection with the defendants’ bail hearings, the gun-trafficking operation involved the sale of at least 28 illegal firearms over multiple transactions in Brooklyn and Queens between September 2021 and June 2022. The defendants conducted these firearms sales in vehicles outside of homes in the Prospect Park South neighborhood of Brooklyn, including in locations near Prospect Park, across from a church, and blocks away from a kindergarten through eighth grade public school.
The deals often occurred in the middle of the afternoon and in broad daylight, with the dealers sometimes walking down public streets carrying bags of dangerous firearms past residents. Many of the guns were high-powered shotguns and rifles and included extended magazines and drum clips. Some of the guns had defaced serial numbers so that they would be untraceable by law enforcement. At least two of the guns had been previously used in four separate shootings in Brooklyn.
The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes section. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Weintraub and Andrew D. Reich are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
JAMEL CLARKE
Age: 38
Brooklyn, New YorkDWAYNE HARRIS
Age: 36
Brooklyn, New YorkPHEOD KHAN
Age: 42
Brooklyn, New YorkRAYON LOVETT
Age: 35
Brooklyn, New YorkOWEN WELCH
Age: 42
Brooklyn, New YorkRONALD WELCH
Age: 47
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-MJ-679 (RML)
Federal agents arrest former Ohio National Guard member for making and selling ‘ghost guns’Read the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Federal agents arrested a former member of the Ohio National Guard this morning on charges related to making and selling “ghost guns,” untraceable homemade weapons made in whole or in part with a 3D printer.
Thomas Develin, 24, of Columbus, also allegedly made antisemitic and violent statements while employed to provide security services at local synagogues and Jewish schools.
It is alleged that Develin created ghost guns to sell for profit. It also alleged that Develin possessed homemade conversion devices to convert semi-automatic AR-15 rifles and Glock-type pistols into fully automatic machine guns.
Agents discovered more than 25 firearms in Develin’s residence and vehicle while executing a search warrant in March 2022.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Develin’s Discord and Snapchat activity online revealed a large quantity of antisemitic, white nationalist, racist and misogynistic content. Develin used the fictional name “Patrick Bateman” online.
For example:
- In September 2021, it is alleged Develin posted a picture of the synagogue where he was working at the time and stated, in part, “Having an inner debate that if an active shooter comes in I might just join him.”
- In November 2021, Develin allegedly posted a video of himself sniffing a rifle. In the video, Develin says, “This one smells like dead Jews.”
- In a December 2021 Discord post, Develin allegedly wrote, “Ight, time to turn wright pat airbase into Fort hood in 2009.”
- In January 2022, Develin allegedly posted a picture of a New Albany synagogue with the text, “The holocaust didn’t happen” and “If anything I’ll scream 6 million wasn’t enough.”
- A Snapchat video in March 2022 shows Develin displaying a firearm at a Jewish school in Columbus.
- Develin also allegedly posted multiple times advocating the rape of women.
- Additional messages Develin posted online discussed committing terrorist attacks at John Glenn International Airport and at the Budweiser manufacturing facility in Columbus, and killing a Morgan County Sheriff’s deputy and the deputy’s entire family.
The defendant has been charged in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas with various crimes, including making terroristic threats. Those charges remain pending.
Develin will appear in U.S. District Court this afternoon regarding his federal charges.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the charges. The agencies were assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant United States Attorneys Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Jessica W. Knight are representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Federal Jury Convicts Four Navy Officers of BriberyRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark W. Pletcher (619) 546-9714, Michelle Wasserman (619) 546-8431, Valerie Chu (619) 546-6750, and David Chu (619) 546-8266
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 29, 2022
SAN DIEGO – Former U.S. Navy Captains David Newland, James Dolan and David Lausman and former Commander Mario Herrera – all of whom once served in the Navy’s Seventh Fleet - were convicted on all counts by a federal jury today of accepting bribes from foreign defense contractor Leonard Francis. The jury did not reach a verdict on the charges against Rear Admiral Bruce Loveless.
Nine members of the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet – including the four defendants convicted today - were indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2017. Four other defendants pleaded guilty before trial.
During the trial, three U.S. Navy officials – Commander Stephen Shedd, former Lieutenant Commander Edmond A. Aruffo, and U.S. Navy Captain Jesus Vasquez Cantu – and former Lieutenant Commander Alexander Bryan Gillett of the Royal Australian Navy, testified about the alleged bribery scheme.
This long-running fraud and bribery investigation has resulted in federal criminal charges against 34 U.S. Navy officials, defense contractors and the GDMA corporation. Twenty-nine previously pleaded guilty. With today’s four convictions, 33 defendants have now been convicted of various fraud and corruption offenses.
U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino set a status hearing for July 21, 2022, at 2 p.m. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 11, 2022, at 9 a.m.
DEFENDANTS Case Number: 17CR0623-JLS
Captain David Newland Age 60 San Antonio, Texas
Chief of Staff to the Commander of the Seventh Fleet
Captain James Dolan Age 58 Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Assistant Chief of Staff for Logistics for the Seventh Fleet
Captain David Lausman Age 62 The Villages, Florida
Commanding Officer of U.S.S. Blue Ridge; Commanding Officer of U.S.S. George Washington
Commander Mario Herrera Age 48 Helotes, Texas
Fleet Operations and Schedules Officer for the Seventh Fleet
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Bribery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross pecuniary gain or twice the gross pecuniary loss, whichever is greater
*All defendants
Bribery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201
Maximum Penalty: Fifteen years in prison, a $250,000 fine or twice the gross pecuniary gain or gross pecuniary loss from the offense, or three times the monetary equivalent of the thing of value, whichever is greater
*All defendants
Obstruction of Justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison, a $250,000 fine
*Lausman
Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1349, 1346, 1343
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison, a $250,000 fine
*All defendants
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Defense Criminal Investigative Service
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Defense Contract Audit Agency
Essex County Man Admits Conspiracy to Commit RacketeeringRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted conspiring to murder a federal witness to protect a drug trafficking enterprise of which he was a member, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Ali Hill, 29, of East Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to one count of a superseding indictment charging him with racketeering conspiracy.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2013 to March 12, 2018, Hill was a member of a drug trafficking enterprise responsible for distributing cocaine, heroin, marijuana and fentanyl in and around Newark. Hill became aware that another member of the enterprise was cooperating with federal law enforcement authorities in an investigation into illegal activity. Hill aided other members of the the enterprise in planning the murder of the victim, who was shot to death on March 12, 2018, as the victim walked his dog near a park in Bloomfield, New Jersey.
The count of racketeering conspiracy carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited members of the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief William C. Robinson, and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jesse Levine in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephen II, for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Frazer and Naazneen Khan of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.
Eleven Indianapolis Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Traffickers Sentenced to Federal Prison Following Extensive Federal InvestigationRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Eleven defendants have been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to federal crimes for their involvement in drug trafficking activities in the Indianapolis area.
Beginning in the fall of 2019, federal agents began investigating several individuals for their suspected drug trafficking activities in the Indianapolis area. As the investigation progressed, investigators discovered that methamphetamine was being transported from Muncie, Indiana to Vans Auto Repair in Indianapolis to be distributed. At the conclusion of the investigation, eleven defendants were charged in three different indictments for various drug trafficking charges.
On August 3, 2020, sixteen search warrants and federal arrest warrants were executed by federal agents and officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department in the Indianapolis area. As a result of those search warrants, 31 illegally possessed firearms, 4½ pounds of methamphetamine; ½ kilogram of cocaine; 1 kilogram of fentanyl, and approximately $272,000 in cash drug trafficking proceeds were seized and taken off city streets. Each of the defendants pleaded guilty, and were sentenced, as follows:
Defendant
Sentence
Charge(s)
Travis Beechler, 27,
Indianapolis, IN
30 years in federal prison
5 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine & Heroin; Possession of a Firearm by Felon & During a Drug Trafficking Crime
Antonio Turner, 34,
Indianapolis, IN
15 years in federal prison
5 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine & Fentanyl
Stephen Cole, 45,
Indianapolis IN
Over 24 years in federal prison
5 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine & Fentanyl; Money Laundering
Christopher Shelton, 43,
Indianapolis, IN
Over 21 years in federal prison
5 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine
Scott Nelson, 39,
Indianapolis, IN
10 years in federal prison
5 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine
Joshua Douglas, 40,
Indianapolis, IN
16 years in federal prison
10 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine
Marguerite Collins, 47,
Indianapolis, IN
Over 4 years in federal prison
3 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine
Jarrad Cooney, 34,
Indianapolis, IN
Over 4 years in federal prison
3 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine
Jason Corey, 49,
Indianapolis, IN
6 years in federal prison
4 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine
Halton Butler, 70,
Indianapolis, IN
Over 2 years in federal prison
2 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine
Gary Hatcher Jr., 33,
Indianapolis, IN
Over 20 years in federal prison
5 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine
“Traffickers of methamphetamine and fentanyl further the devastating cycle of substance abuse disorder to satisfy their own greed,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “These prosecutions and sentences demonstrate that we will work tirelessly with our federal and local law enforcement partners to hold the traffickers of these dangerous and deadly drugs accountable for the pain they inflict on our communities.”
“The laundering of illegal drug profits is as important and essential to drug traffickers as the very distribution of their illegal drugs. Without these ill-gotten gains, the traffickers could not finance their organizations,” said Justin Campbell, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Today’s sentencing shows that we are committed, now more than ever, to take the profit away from drug traffickers, to stop the flow of drugs into communities, and to put traffickers and money launderers in prison.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the IRS Criminal Investigations, and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. The DEA, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service provided invaluable assistance.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle P. Brady who prosecuted the case.
These prosecutions are the result 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.
El Paso Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Coercion of a ChildRead the Press Release
EL PASO – An El Paso man was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in prison for his role in enticing a child to engage in sexual activity.
According to court documents, Lawrence Allen Schmidt, 53, began communicating through social media with a 14-year-old girl. Schmidt’s conversation with the child became sexual in nature and he arranged to meet the girl at her house. When he arrived, he had condoms, lubricant and candy in his possession. Unbeknownst to Schmidt, he had been communicating with an undercover employee with the FBI.
On April 4, 2022, Schmidt pleaded guilty to one count of coercion or enticement of a female under 18 years of age.
“Those who seek to manipulate children for their own sexual gratification deserve prison time,” said Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Callahan. “I am thankful for the efforts of our law enforcement partners to remove these predators from our streets.”
“Crimes against children are some of the most reprehensible acts that law enforcement is determined to prevent and punish once they occur,” said FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey. “We are thankful for the collaboration of our Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and El Paso Police Department partners on the El Paso Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is because of this partnership that this individual is now facing a lengthy sentence for his crimes. We encourage parents to speak with their children about the dangers of online predators who use popular apps, games, and websites and to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.”
The FBI, HSI, DPS, and El Paso Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Dos Santos 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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Dubuque School System Administrator and Elementary School Principal Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A former private school administrator and elementary school principal, who stole over $500,000 from the school system at which he worked, was sentenced on June 28, 2022, to more than three years in federal prison.
Todd Charles Wessels, age 50, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 1, 2021 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud. In his plea agreement, and at a sentencing hearing, Wessels admitted he was the Curriculum and Technology Director for a private, religious, not-for-profit school district in Dubuque. Wessels was responsible for ensuring that the school district met the technology needs of approximately 1,800 students at its high school, middle school, and elementary schools. Before 2016, Wessels also served in a dual role as the principal of one of the elementary schools.
Beginning sometime prior to June 2011, and continuing into early 2020, Wessels devised and executed a scheme to make purchases for his own benefit with the school district’s funds. Wessels made purchases of pre-paid debit cards using the school district’s store credit cards at area businesses upon the false and fraudulent pretense that he needed funds for “apps” for students’ computers. Wessels then electronically transferred the balances of the pre-paid debit cards to another account that he controlled at PayPal, Inc., an electronic payment transfer system based in California. Wessels had, without the school district’s knowledge, falsely and fraudulent opened the PayPal account in the school district’s name but under the handle “WENWESS”. Finally, Wessels provided the school district receipts for the purchases of the pre-paid debit cards on the false and fraudulent pretense that the use of the store credit cards was for legitimate purchases. Wessels also sold the school district’s computer equipment on third-party Internet websites without its knowledge or permission.
Based on available records, Wessels admitted he stole over $500,000 as a part of his scheme. Due to a lack of a written inventory and lack of records before 2011, however, the full extent of his scheme remains unknown. The school district hired Wessels in 2001, and he was one of its highest paid employees, earning nearly $100,000 at the time the scheme was discovered. During the time that Wessels was perpetuating his scheme against the school district, the school district was experiencing financial difficulties and closing a number of schools as a result.
In July 2019, a new chief administrator at the school district began looking into Wessels’s spending practices. Wessels repeatedly lied to administrators and submitted fraudulent invoices and receipts to them in order to conceal his scheme to defraud. At meetings in January and February 2020, Wessels provided hardcopy versions of false, fraudulent, and fictitious spreadsheets purporting to show the apps he had purchased. In truth, Wessels had made hundreds of purchases for food, hotel stays and other travel-related expenses for himself and his family, tickets to off-Broadway shows, new pools each year, and expensive electronics such as a virtual reality headset, robots, and Apple televisions. When law enforcement began investigating Wessels, he repeatedly lied to law enforcement officers and hid stolen items in his house during a search.
Wessels was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Wessels was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $503,539 and also to repay $3,927 in legal fees that his victim incurred during the course of the investigation. Wessels must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Williams found that Wessels’s fraud was a “systemic, calculated fleecing of the school district.” Judge Williams also observed that Wessels had not attempted to repay a cent of restitution to his victim since admitting guilt in November.
Wessels was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-1031.
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Des Moines Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Criminal HIPAA ViolationsRead the Press Release
Des Moines, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced today to 27 months in prison following his pleas of guilty to two counts of a federal indictment charging conspiracy to wrongfully obtain and disclose individually identifiable health information, and wrongfully obtaining individually identifiable health information.
According to court documents, Dustin James Ortiz, 49, conspired with a then employee of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Des Moines to obtain individually identifiable health information of an individual which were maintained by the VAMC. The records Ortiz sought to and did obtain pertained to the victim’s mental health conditions and medications. Ortiz obtained this information without authorization required by law. Ortiz then disclosed the records to a third party. Because the conduct involved the intent to transfer and use the health information for personal gain and malicious harm, it was a felony under federal law.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law that requires standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge.
In addition to the 27-month term of imprisonment, the Court ordered the payment of $2,000 in restitution, and a 3-year term of supervised release to follow the prison sentence.
“Our office is committed to giving real meaning to HIPAA’s right-to-privacy protections,” said United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. “HIPAA-covered entities should continue to remind everyone that the privacy provisions of HIPAA are important and have significant consequences if violated.”
“Unlawfully obtaining and releasing veterans’ health records will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley with Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Central Field Office. “This breaches the integrity of the VA healthcare system and is an egregious violation of privacy.”
The co-defendant, a former employee of the VAMC, is set for sentencing on August 4, 2022.
The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Departments of Justice and State Team with Government of Kenya for Regional Symposium on Women in Law Enforcement and Security in AfricaRead the Press Release
As growing numbers of women undertake increasingly significant roles in law enforcement, security, and counterterrorism, the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of State, and the Government of Kenya have joined forces the week of June 27 to July 1, 2022, to host an Africa Regional Symposium on Women in Security.
The gathering, attended by approximately 70 security and law enforcement professionals from eight nations around the globe, amplifies regional and strategic objectives in empowering women as meaningful, essential contributors to security, law enforcement, and counterterrorism. The symposium also provides a forum for women from multiple nations to undertake career-development training, engage in networking opportunities, and bolster the advancement of women in law enforcement while promoting counterterrorism efforts. The symposium includes participants from Ghana, Kenya, Niger, Senegal, and Somalia, as well as Albania, Tunisia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“The Engaging Multinational Policewomen on Equality and Rights (EMPoWER) program represents the very best of the Department of Justice’s International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP)’s commitment to increasing women’s participation and leadership in law enforcement, which bolsters operational effectiveness, expands police institutions’ abilities to engage local communities, broadens the perspective of operating environments, and strengthens police response to crime,” said ICITAP Director Greg Ducot.
“Building the capacity of our law enforcement partners to respond to terrorist incidents and to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators is a key civilian-led line of effort to counter terrorism,” said Director of Programs Sam Pineda of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism. “Unfortunately, women in these professions often encounter stereotypes, assumptions, and cultural hurdles that prevent them from being involved. Expanding the roles of women in security widens the pool of talented candidates for these demanding careers and contributes to countering the global terrorism threat, making all of us more secure.”
In addition, the symposium provides opportunities for senior men and women in U.S. and international security careers to have meaningful interactions with women in the security professions in multiple African nations.
Symposium presenters include:
- S. Army Major General Jami C. Shawley, Commander, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa;
- Supervisory Special Agent Sarah Cloeter, U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS);
- Laurie Freeman, Deputy Director, Office of Programs, State Department Bureau of Counterterrorism;
- Daniel Wathome, Gender Specialist and Training Coordinator, International Peace Support Training Centre, Nairobi, Kenya; and
- Chief Gina V. Hawkins, Fayetteville Police Department, Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Discussion highlights include:
- An executive panel discussion on “Challenges and Lessons Learned in Achieving Success in a Historically Male Dominant Security Domain;”
- Case studies of women in African security units; and
- Presentations on women in tactical leadership.
“Like Kenya, the United States too has ways to go before we can truly realize the full effect. So, what is the advantage of women in peace and security? Does it help reduce conflict? Yes, it does – absolutely,” said Major General Jami C. Shawley.
The Africa Regional Symposium on Women in Security was organized by: The U.S. Department of Justice’s ICITAP and its Engaging Multinational Policewomen on Equality and Rights (EMPoWER) program; The U.S. Embassy, Nairobi, Kenya; the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service’s Antiterrorism Assistance program (DS/ATA); the Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT); U.S. Department of Defense; the British High Commission; the International Peace Support Training Centre of Kenya, the Kenya National Counter Terrorism Centre; and Kenya’s Administration Police Service.
The EMPoWER program, a partnership between the Departments of Justice and State, builds the capacity of women to combat terrorism by supporting them through leadership opportunities and inclusion in counterterrorism efforts. EMPoWER conducted its first regional symposium in March 2022 in Opatija, Croatia, drawing more than two dozen law enforcement participants from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Kenya. Additional symposiums are planned for Asia and the Middle East.
The ATA program is the U.S. government’s premier counterterrorism training and equipment provider for foreign law enforcement agencies. As mandated by U.S. Congress, ATA has three foreign policy objectives: to build counterterrorism capacity of partner countries; to enhance bilateral relationships; and to increase respect for human rights.
To learn more about ICITAP’s capacity building programs around the world, visit: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-icitap
To learn more about State CT and ATA: https://www.state.gov/antiterrorism-assistance-program/.
DeMotte Man Sentenced to 130 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Gregory Marshall, 55 years old, of DeMotte, Indiana was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio on his plea of guilty to distributing methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Marshall was sentenced to 130 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, during the course of the investigation Marshall sold methamphetamine on three separate occasions throughout August and September 2021. The deals took place at his residence, which was eventually searched, resulting in the recovery of additional methamphetamine and marijuana.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Schererville Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin F. Wolff.
Danbury Man Involved in Murder and Arson Scheme Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GEORGE RIVERA, also known as “Pito,” 33, of Danbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a plan to murder an individual and set fire to the Bridgeport business where he worked.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in early morning hours of April 2, 2018, Bridgeport Police patrolling the west side of Bridgeport attempted to stop a car that was operating with unlit taillights. The car fled from police and, during the police pursuit, officers observed several items being thrown from its windows. After the car stopped several blocks away, officers arrested Luis Mercado, who was driving the car, and Dominick Gonzalez, and recovered two loaded handguns and a quantity of marijuana that had been thrown from the car. A search of the car also revealed a black ski mask, a pair of binoculars, and a container of gasoline. The investigation revealed that Mercado, Gonzalez, Rivera, Jason Scott and Luis Mejias were involved in a plan to murder an individual and set fire to the Wood Avenue Body Shop in Bridgeport where the individual worked.
Rivera, Scott and Mejias were arrested later that morning at a hotel in Milford. A search of a hotel room revealed a loaded Smith and Wesson model M&P 15-22 caliber rifle, a loaded Taurus “Judge” revolver, a loaded Anderson Manufacturing AR 15 multi-caliber rifle, a loaded 12-gauge shotgun, additional ammunition, brass knuckles, binoculars, gloves and a knit mask. Investigators also located a seized packaged heroin, ecstasy pills, marijuana, a digital scale and other items in the room, and ammunition and shotgun shells in the trunk of their car.
Each defendant has a criminal history that includes multiple felony convictions. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Specifically, Rivera’s criminal history includes convictions for firearm, drug, burglary, robbery and assault offenses.
On March 25, 2022, Rivera pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Mercado, Gonzalez, Mejias and Scott also pleaded guilty, and Mercado, Mejias and Scott were each sentenced earlier this week to 10 years of imprisonment. Gonzalez awaits sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport and Milford Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to Six Years’ Imprisonment for ArsonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling announced that on June 28, 2022, Chief United States District Judge Pamela Pepper sentenced Darrell Chambliss (age: 31) to 72 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for arson.
According to court records, Chambliss purposefully started a fire in the upper-unit of a duplex in Milwaukee on February 6, 2021. Chambliss had lived in that residence with a former romantic partner, whom he abused. When that victim did not return to the residence on February 6, 2021, Chambliss threatened her and recorded himself placing a mattress pad on top of their stove. Law enforcement ultimately found three separate locations where fires had been intentionally ignited within the residence. Both units in the duplex were rendered uninhabitable, displacing both the woman Chambliss had abused and the family that lived in the unit below.
At the time of the arson, Chambliss was a convicted sex offender with prior convictions for, among other things, first-degree sexual assault of a child, battery, and criminal trespass to a dwelling. He had also previously threatened to commit other arsons in connection with earlier domestic violence incidents.
Mr. Chambliss’s deliberate and violent acts sought to terrorize his intended victim and endangered the lives of the victim’s neighbors and first responders. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to prosecute these types of violent offenders, and I commend the excellent work of the Milwaukee Police Department, the Milwaukee Fire Department, and ATF in seeking to protect the community and bring Mr. Chambliss to justice.
“Offenders are often willing to use whatever tools available, including arson, to inflict harm onto their victims,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Division Kristen deTineo. “In partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s office, the Milwaukee Police Department and Milwaukee Fire Department, we were able to hold accountable this defendant for committing this arson.”
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Milwaukee Police Department, the Milwaukee Fire Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Halopka-Ivery, with assistance from Kevin Clancy, an intern with the United States Attorney’s Office.
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Columbus man sentenced to prison for threatening local reproductive health services facility and an individual patientRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in federal court this morning to one year and one day in prison for threatening to bring a bomb to a local reproductive health services facility.
Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Brime, 26, also threatened to kill a patient whom he believed was seeking reproductive health services, specifically an abortion, at the clinic.
On April 11, 2021, Brime made two separate telephone calls to the local reproductive health care clinic. In the first, he made a death threat relating to the prospective patient and in the second, he made a bomb threat directly to the clinic, telling the clinic staff “my organization will be bringing a bomb to your facility. I suggest you close your doors.”
Specifically, Brime violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act – which makes it a federal crime to threaten the use of force to intimidate anyone receiving or providing reproductive health services. He also transmitted a threat in interstate commerce.
“Reproductive health providers and people seeking access to these services must be able to do so free from violence and threats of violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. “This sentencing should send a strong message that the Justice Department will continue to aggressively enforce the FACE Act and hold those accountable who violate the law. We stand ready to ensure that healthcare providers and people seeking reproductive health services are safe, secure and free from violence and threats of violence.”
“Threatening the life of anyone who seeks any type of health service is a heinous act that should not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker. “People must handle their disagreements to positions that are contrary to theirs in a more civil way than using the threat of force or any kind of intimidation.”
Brime was indicted by a grand jury and arrested in September 2021. He pleaded guilty in February 2022.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and S. Courter Shimeall and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel are representing the United States in this case.
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Cocaine Distributor in Fidelis Way Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A drug distributor within a Boston-area drug trafficking organization (DTO) pleaded guilty yesterday to a drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine and cocaine base.
Nelsin Hernandez, 31, of Brighton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Sept. 22, 2022.
Hernandez was charged with 23 others in June 2020 as part of Operation Snowfall, which ultimately resulted in the charging of two different drug trafficking conspiracies during the overall period of November 2018 through June 2020.
According to the charging documents, beginning in November 2018, law enforcement investigated a DTO in which Hernandez was a drug distributor. The DTO was comprised of Boston-based street gang members and associates in the Commonwealth Development in Brighton, formerly known as Fidelis Way, a multi-apartment public housing development. It is alleged that the DTO assumed control over multiple apartments, where Hernandez and others stored, cooked, packaged, and sold drugs – most of which consisted of cocaine or cocaine base, which the DTO supplied to customers, wholesalers and distributors. As a result, the DTO caused a blight of the development and reduced the quality of life of the other residents. As the investigation continued, law enforcement ultimately identified another DTO operating within the Boston area and targeted its large-scale drug suppliers and their associates.
Hernandez distributed between approximately 100 and 200 grams of cocaine base during the course of his participation in the Fidelis Way DTO. Hernandez is the fourth defendant to plead guilty in the conspiracy. The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty and are pending trial.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement. Assistance with the investigation was provided by the Braintree, Cambridge, Canton, Randolph and Weymouth Police Departments; the Suffolk, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorneys’ Offices; and the Suffolk, Plymouth and Norfolk County Sheriffs’ Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Timothy E. Moran of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Coalport Felon Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Coalport, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on his conviction of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Kenneth Selvage, age 61.
According to information presented to the court, on or about January 24, 2020, to on or about January 25, 2020, Selvage was found in possession of a Mossberg .20-gauge shotgun and ten shells of ammunition. On June 16, 1999, Selvage was convicted in the Court of Common Pleas of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, of Escape, which is a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Federal law prohibits persons who have been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year from possessing firearms.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Ms. Chung commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Selvage.
Charlotte Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy for Falsely Obtaining Coronavirus Relief FundsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Yesenia Rodriguez, 25, of Charlotte, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer today and pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining over $100,000 in COVID-19 relief funds, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s plea hearing, Rodriguez engaged in a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) by, among other things, obtaining an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) based on false information. As Rodriguez admitted in court today, from April 2020 through May 2021, the defendant conspired with another individual, identified in court documents as G.R., to obtain COVID-19 relief funds, including two loans under the EIDL program and federally subsidized unemployment benefits totaling over $100,000.
Plea documents show that in July 2020, Rodriguez electronically submitted a fraudulent EIDL application for a purported hair and nail salon named Yesenia Rodriguez. Rodriguez, who had recently left her job at a national bank, submitted the application for the purported salon, when in fact Rodriguez did not own a salon and, instead, was collecting unemployment. As a result of the fraudulent EIDL application, Rodriguez received $37,500 in relief funding via electronic financial transactions. Rodriguez’s co-conspirator, G.R., also fraudulently obtained EIDL funding totaling $47,500 for a business identified as Company 1. Although Company 1 was a real operating business, G.R. electronically submitted a fraudulent application that contained false representations about its eligibility for EIDL funding, including the date Company 1 was founded. At the time the EIDL application was submitted for Company 1, G.R. was also fraudulently collecting federally subsidized unemployment benefits from the State of North Carolina. Rodriguez and G.R. fraudulently obtained at least $112,000 in disaster relief funds that were intended for existing businesses and individuals harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rodriguez was released on bond following today’s guilty plea. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum prison term of 5 years and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been set.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted March 29, 2020, and it is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others, including the EIDL program, which is an SBA program that provides low-interest financing to small businesses, renters, and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI for their investigation and thanked the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Special Operations and Intelligence Unit for their invaluable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
The Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina remain vigilant in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting wrongdoing related to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you think you are a victim of coronavirus fraud or have information pertaining to fraud involving COVID-19, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or submit a complaint online using the NCDF Web Complaint Form. Members of the public in the Western District of North Carolina are also encouraged to call 704-344-6222 to reach their local Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator.
Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Participation in Violent Marijuana RobberyRead the Press Release
A man who participated in an armed robbery during a drug robbery in which a marijuana dealer was shot was sentenced June 28, 2022, to five years in federal prison.
Cortez Riggins, age 20, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 4, 2022 guilty plea to one count of robbery affecting interstate commerce.
Evidence at a prior hearing and information at sentencing showed that in October 2020, Riggins arranged to buy marijuana from another individual, the eventual victim. Riggins then drove three coconspirators to the purported deal. One of Riggins’s coconspirators entered the victim’s apartment to conduct the drug deal, but instead produced a firearm and demanded the drugs. A shot was fired and Riggins and the other coconspirators kicked in the apartment door and entered. The victim was shot at least five times in the upper torso by Riggins’s coconspirators. While the victim was laying on the floor, bleeding and unconscious, Riggins stole a PlayStation video game system, kicked the victim in the head, and took a designer belt off the victim’s body. Despite sustaining severe injuries from the attack, the victim survived.
Riggins was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. At the sentencing, the judge commented that it was “remarkable” that the victim survived the attack. The judge also noted that Riggins’s actions in kicking the unconscious, bleeding, and likely dying victim were “callous, heartless, thoughtless, [and] cruel.” Riggins was sentenced to 60 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.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Riggins is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Williams.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-00058‑CJW.
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California Man Sentenced on Meth ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Bakersfield, California, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on June 27, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Lee Molica, age 61, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Molica was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 10, 2021. He pled guilty on March 11, 2022.
The conviction stemmed from a traffic stop on May 20, 2021, in Buffalo County, South Dakota. During the stop, law enforcement located two plastic baggies containing approximately 90 grams of methamphetamine, which Molica intended to distribute on the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Indian Reservations.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the FBI, and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Molica was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
California Man Sentenced to 45 Months’ Imprisonment for His Role as A Courier for A Nationwide Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Esgardo Carrillo, age 29, of Stanton, California, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 45 months’ imprisonment and a 2-year term of supervised release, for his participation in a drug trafficking organization that moved large quantities of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine from California to various major Midwest and East Coast cities.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, from at least mid-2018 until April of 2019, Carrillo coordinated a group of couriers, who packaged substantial quantities of illegal drugs in suitcases and transported them via commercial flights from West Coast locations to cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Milwaukee. Carrillo either himself took or coordinated at least 21 such trips during the conspiracy period. Upon arriving at their locations, Carrillo and the other couriers would pass on the illegal drugs to co-conspirators for local distribution.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John prosecuted the case.
This case was part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Branson Sex Offender Sentenced to 12 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A three-time convicted sex offender in Branson has been sentenced in federal court today for possessing child pornography.
Andrew David Ferrill, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes on Tuesday, June 28, to 12 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Ferrill to spend 20 years on supervised release following incarceration.
Today’s sentence includes an enhancement for obstruction of justice. According to court documents, Ferrill intentionally attempted to destroy his Apple iPad when he overheard law enforcement officers speaking to his mother when they arrived to execute a search warrant at his parents’ residence, where he lived. He also uninstalled the Kik application from his iPad.
On Oct. 21, 2021, Ferrill pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography. Ferrill admitted that he uploaded an image of child pornography to the Kik application.
On Aug. 10, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Ferill’s residence. He admitted to investigators that he used an iPad to access the internet and Kik to view child pornography.
Ferrill was convicted in a general court martial on Feb. 18, 2010, while he was enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecent acts with a 14-year-old victim, as well as production, receipt, and possession of child pornography under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Ferrill also was convicted of sexual abuse for assaulting a co-worker in Taney County, Mo., on Nov. 30, 2018. He was on probation for that state offense at the time of this federal offense.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the South Central Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Boise Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Aiding and Abetting the Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Caleb McCall-Teigen, 22, of Boise, was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the production of child pornography.
According to court records, the investigation began after a 5-year-old child disclosed that she had been sexually abused by her nanny. Law enforcement learned that the nanny provided care for four additional children as well as the 5-year-old. The investigation revealed that McCall-Teigen communicated through Snapchat with the nanny and requested that she produce sexually explicit images and videos of the children in her care.
Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) obtained a federal search warrant for McCall-Teigen’s Snapchat account. Within the account, HSI located messages between McCall-Teigen and the nanny, as well as explicit videos of the minor victims. HSI subsequently obtained a federal search warrant for McCall-Teigen’s Boise residence and seized the cellphone he had used for the communication.
U.S. District Judge Billy Roy Wilson ordered McCall-Teigen to serve 20 years of supervised release following his prison sentence and to forfeit the cellphone that was used to commit the offense. As a result of the conviction, McCall-Teigen will be required to register as a sex offender.
“This case reflects the sad reality that there are perpetrators in our communities who use technology and social media to exploit children,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, of the District of Idaho. “The collaboration between local, state, and federal partners in this case shows our joint commitment to protecting children and holding predators accountable to the full extent of the law. We encourage everyone to report suspected child abuse. The child’s report in this case led directly to this investigation and allowed multiple victims to escape further abuse and to receive help.”
“Mr. McCall-Teigen’s acts of coercion and victimization serve as a stark reminder of the lengths that child predators go to satisfy their depravity,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Though this sentence will never truly repair the damage caused by Mr. McCall-Teigen, it is hopefully some comfort to not just the victims and their families, but the entire community.”
The nanny was also charged by Information with five counts of lewd conduct with a minor under 16 and six counts of production of child sexually exploitative material. An arrest warrant is outstanding. An Information is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit made the announcement and commended the cooperative efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Meridian Police Department, the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal 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.
To report suspected child abuse in Idaho, call your local Police or Sheriff’s Department or call the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare: (208) 334-5437 or toll free, (855) 552-KIDS (5437).
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Bangor Man Sentenced to 9+ Years for Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man was sentenced today in federal court for drug trafficking and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Nikolas Raines 30, to 111 months in prison and four years of supervised release. Raines pleaded guilty on June 30, 2021.
According to court records, in November 2020, agents with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency executed a search warrant at a Bangor motel room where Raines was staying. Agents found 310 grams of fentanyl, along with a digital scale, blender and other drug paraphernalia. They also found a loaded .22 caliber revolver close to the fentanyl. Raines was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior Maine felony convictions.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.
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Atlanta Man Sentenced for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JONATHAN JOHNSON, age 32, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to one-hundred fifty (150) months’ imprisonment, eight (8) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee after pleading guilty to a one-count indictment that charged him with possession with intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, On March 31, 2021, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies patrolling Highway 1 in Thibodaux, Louisiana observed a white Mercedes four-door sedan traveling south with tinted windows that appeared to violate state law. The deputies executed a traffic stop of the vehicle and identified the driver as JOHNSON. The deputies checked JOHNSON’s license and learned that his license was suspended. The deputies requested assistance at the scene. As the deputies approached JOHNSON, they observed JOHNSON open the driver’s door of the vehicle and discard three hundred (300) grams of pure crystal methamphetamine onto the ground from a clear plastic bag.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones.
Annapolis, Maryland Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute NarcoticsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Keith L. Brown, a/k/a “Clown”, age 63, of Annapolis, Maryland, pleaded guilty on June 27, 2022, to possession with intent to distribute phencyclidine (PCP), crack cocaine, heroin, and cocaine.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washinton Division; Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Department; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad; and Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess.
According to his guilty plea, in April 2021 Brown participated in several controlled purchases at two residences on Monroe Street in Annapolis, Maryland. Law enforcement observed Brown frequently visiting the two residences. During the transactions at one of the residences, presumed narcotic customers routinely stood in a line on the sidewalk outside of the residence prior to Brown’s arrival. Further, on January 6, 2022, an individual who was seen walking in the vicinity of the location in which Brown’s transactions frequently occurred, overdosed directly in front of a covert law enforcement vehicle. According to the first responders, the non-fatal overdose was attributed to the PCP.
As stated in his guilty plea, on January 13, 2022, law enforcement executed a search and seizure warrant on Brown’s Annapolis, Maryland residence and on Brown’s vehicle. As the result of the search warrant, officers located several controlled substances. Subsequent lab testing confirmed that Brown possessed 470 grams of PCP, 55.5 grams of crack cocaine, 6.2 grams of heroin, and 71 grams of cocaine. On the same day, law enforcement executed search and seizure warrants at several other residences connected to Brown and his associates where officers seized $32,695 in cash as well as a handgun.
Brown and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Brown will be sentenced to 120 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for August 8, 2022, at 3:30 p.m.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended FBI, DEA, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joan C. Mathias and LaRai Everett, who are prosecuting the case. Mr. Barron also thanked Kristy Penny and Alisha Swiger for their assistance.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Albuquerque man sentenced to five years in prison for federal firearms violationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Genaro Ramos, 36, of Albuquerque, was sentenced to five years in prison for possession of a machinegun. Ramos pleaded guilty on March 30.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, in July 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) received information from a business owner who had been approached by Ramos about purchasing 200 Glock firearms that would be taken to Mexico. An ATF undercover agent then made contact with Ramos, who informed the agent that he was purchasing AK-type firearms and 9mm firearms.
In August 2021, the agent sent Ramos photos of two Glock firearms and two AK-type firearms, one of which was fully automatic. In his plea agreement, Ramos admitted that he intended to traffic the firearms to Mexico and knew that one of the firearms was a machinegun. They agreed on a price of $2,600 and arranged to meet. On Aug. 24, 2021, Ramos met with undercover agents. Ramos inspected the firearms, paid the agents $2,600, and took possession of the firearms, including the machinegun. ATF agents arrested Ramos after he had taken possession of the firearms.
Assistant United States Attorney Jaymie L. Roybal prosecuted the case.
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53 Fatalities from Tractor Trailer Smuggling Incident – Charges Filed Against FourRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Homero Zamorano Jr., 45, was arrested today on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in alien smuggling resulting in death, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324.
According to court documents, on June 27, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) responded to the scene of a human smuggling event involving a tractor trailer and 64 individuals suspected of entering the United States illegally. San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) officers advised HSI Agents that they arrived at the location of the tractor trailer in southwest San Antonio after receiving 911 calls from concerned citizens. At the scene, SAPD officers discovered multiple individuals some still inside the tractor trailer, some on the ground and in nearby brush, many of them deceased and some of them incapacitated. SAPD officers were led to the location of an individual, later identified as Zamorano, who was observed hiding in the brush after attempting to abscond. Zamorano was detained by SAPD officers.
Laredo Sector Border Patrol provided HSI agents surveillance footage of the tractor trailer crossing through an immigration checkpoint. The driver could be seen wearing a black shirt with stripes and a hat. HSI agents confirmed Zamorano matched the individual from the surveillance footage and was wearing the same clothing.
HSI confirmed that 48 individuals at the scene were deceased. Of those 22 were Mexican nationals, seven Guatemalan nationals, two Honduran nationals and 17 of unknown origin but suspected to be undocumented non-citizens (UNCs). HSI confirmed the undocumented status of the deceased individuals by utilizing a mobile fingerprint device. Sixteen of the 64 undocumented individuals were transported to local hospitals for medical evaluation. Five died at the hospital. Officials are working with foreign consulate offices for proper notifications to family members of the deceased.
Zamorano is charged by criminal complaint with one count of alien smuggling resulting in death. He is originally from Brownsville but resides in Pasadena, TX. If convicted, Zamorano faces up to life in prison or possibly the death penalty. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Also charged by criminal complaint is Christian Martinez, 28, who was arrested on June 28, 2022 in Palestine. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death. According to court documents, a search warrant was executed on a cell phone belonging to Zamorano. Through investigation, it was discovered that communications occurred between Zamorano and Martinez concerning the smuggling event. If convicted, Martinez faces up to life in prison or could face the death penalty. Martinez had an initial appearance today in Tyler. He will be transported to San Antonio for further proceedings.
In addition to arrests of Zamorano and Martinez, Juan Claudio D’Luna-Mendez, 23, and Juan Francisco D’Luna-Bilbao, 48, both citizens of Mexico, were arrested and had initial appearances on June 27, 2022. According to court documents, the registration for the tractor trailer used in the attempted alien smuggling event came back to a residence in San Antonio. SAPD officers set up surveillance on the residence and observed two males leaving in separate trucks. After traffic stops on both trucks, the drivers were identified as D’Luna-Mendez and D’Luna-Bilbao. D’Luna-Bilboa was in possession of a handgun that was found in the center console of the truck he was driving. A search warrant was executed at the residence where additional firearms were located. Both individuals were determined to be in the U.S. illegally and were charged by criminal complaint with one count of possession of a weapon by an alien illegally in the U.S. in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5). If convicted, both defendants face up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee, San Antonio Division; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Fred J. Milanowski, Houston Division, made the announcement.
The HSI and ATF, with valuable assistance from the San Antonio Police Department and the Palestine Police Department, are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Brown, Matthew Lathrop and Sarah Spears are prosecuting the case.
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.
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22 Indicted After Phoenix-Area TakedownRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced today that the following individuals are in custody following the return of a 70-count indictment by a federal grand jury against 22 Arizonans, including:
- Marcus Wayne Wesley, 35, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Jesus Salazar, 24, of Avondale, Arizona
- Philip Nathaneal Austin, 42, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Alfred Wayne Wesley, 61, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Lequisha Shantai Jack, 36, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Rayvontae Virshon Hampton, 28, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Edward Jewel Norwood, 28, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Michael Dewanz Gibson, 26, of Florence, Arizona
- Joshua Jordaun Jackson, 31, of Buckeye, Arizona
- David Andrew Connelly, 59, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Terry Lee King II, 40, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Lancer Edward Williams Jr., 36, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Tyrell Ann Gray, 53, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Donald Eugene Reed, 60, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Quincy Lamar Davis, 38, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Joseph Kizzee, 36, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Christopher Duane Guy, 30, of Phoenix, Arizona
- James Donald Estell, 41, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Terry Lee King, Sr., 62, of Phoenix, Arizona
- Christopher Marcus Mitchell, 35, of Goodyear, Arizona
Each of the above individuals was charged with either conspiracy to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, or both. A number of the defendants are also charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Furthermore, Marcus Wesley, Hampton, Williams, Austin, Davis, Guy, Estell, and King Sr. are charged with being felons in possession of a firearm. Finally, Hampton, Wesley, and Gray face additional charges for carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and Hampton faces additional charges for transferring or possessing a machinegun.
According to the criminal complaints filed last week, in January 2020, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (“DPS”) began an investigation targeting a drug and firearms supplier in South Phoenix. In February 2021, in conjunction with the DPS investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (“FBI”) Violent Street Gang Task Force began investigating the Lindo Park Crips (“LPC”), a criminal street gang operating in South Phoenix. The investigation targeted numerous LPC members and associates, as well as their drug suppliers. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers seized over 2,430 grams of cocaine, 35,000 counterfeit M30 pills suspected to contain fentanyl, 26 grams of methamphetamine, 4.5 grams of crack cocaine, 32 doses of MDMA, 8 Glock Conversion devices, and 17 firearms. In connection with the investigation, the FBI also executed over a dozen search warrants on June 23, 2022, leading to the additional seizure of ammunition, narcotics, and 62 firearms.
A conviction for conspiracy to distribute or possessing with intent to sell the amounts of cocaine charged carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine. A conviction for conspiracy to distribute or possessing with intent to sell the amounts of fentanyl charged in the complaint carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a $10,000,000 fine. A conviction for illegally possessing a firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A conviction for carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a mandatory penalty of 5 years imprisonment, and a conviction for transferring or possessing a machinegun carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The FBI, Phoenix Police Department, and DPS led the investigation, with significant contributions from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Marshals Service. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-725-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-101_Wesley, et al.# # #
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.12 Members and Associates of the "Route Boys" Charged with Multiple Burglaries, Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
On June 28, 2022, a federal grand jury in Central Islip, New York returned an 18-count superseding indictment charging Carlos Acevedo, Ramon Collado, Naresh Deonarrain, Jason Liriano, Charlie Maisonet, Cavier Nedrick, Eric Nunez, Jose Rosado, Alberto Santiago and Jeffrey Vargas with conspiracy to commit burglary involving controlled substances. The superseding indictment, which was unsealed this morning, also charged the defendants, along with Jonathan Santiago, with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including ecstasy and fentanyl. Furthermore, the superseding indictment charged Luis Cerda, along with Collado, Liriano, Rosado and Alberto Santiago, with conspiracy to commit bank larceny. The defendants were also charged with several related firearms counts, including possessing a ghost gun.
According to court filings, the defendants are members and associates of a burglary and drug trafficking organization known as the “Route Boys.” Over the past two years, the defendants, along with other associates of the Route Boys, committed dozens of burglaries of pharmacies and convenience stores in Nassau, Suffolk, Brooklyn, Queens, Westchester and Rockland Counties, as well as in New Jersey and Connecticut. They then used social media to sell the controlled substances and frequently displayed images of themselves possessing firearms.
Earlier this morning, when agents arrested the defendants, they recovered several loaded guns and observed controlled substances in various defendants’ residences and cars. Acevedo, Cerda, Collado, Deonarrain, Maisonet, Nunez, Jonathan Santiago and Vargas were arrested this morning and will be arraigned on the superseding indictment later today in Central Islip, New York before United States Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay. Liriano, Nedrick, Rosado and Alberto Santiago are presently incarcerated on other charges and will be arraigned on a later date.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) announced the arrests and charges.
“For two years the defendants went on a crime spree targeting local businesses throughout the Tri-State, stealing money and pharmaceuticals to fuel their illegal drug business, and frequently using firearms to commit their crimes,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “This office is working tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect local businesses and put a stop to those who seek to endanger our communities from drugs or guns.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Suffolk County Police Department, Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, Kings County District Attorney’s Office, Queens County District Attorney’s Office, Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance with the investigation.
“This criminal wrecking crew allegedly broke into businesses and pharmacies, stole prescription medications, and created havoc in their Hollywood style getaways,” said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. “These drugs are protected because of how addictive and potentially deadly they can be. The members of this gang showed no regard for the damage they caused the businesses or the danger they put people's lives in illegally pushing drugs, all to fuel their own greed.”
“The NYPD, in close cooperation with our state and federal partners, continues to focus its resources on the relatively small percentage of people responsible for much of our region’s crime and disorder,” stated NYPD Commissioner Sewell. “Neither the law-enforcement community nor the New Yorkers we serve will stand for our neighborhoods to be overrun by individuals or groups operating in illegal guns and drugs, and the havoc so often associated with them. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District, the FBI’s New York Field Office, the Nassau County Police Department, and all of our investigators for their hard work in this important case.”
“The indictments of 12 members of the “Route Boys” is a clear example of the commitment by numerous law enforcement agencies as they continue to work cohesively to bring this group of dangerous felons to justice,” stated Nassau Police Commissioner Ryder. “The results of this extensive investigation will ensure the safety of the public and quality of life in Nassau County as we continue to exhibit a zero tolerance approach for all illegal criminal activity. I would like to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of all of the investigators and their agency’s for a job well done.”
As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, the Route Boys began committing burglaries in late 2020, breaking into convenience stores, check-cashing businesses, laundromats and restaurants, stealing primarily cash and tobacco products. In addition, they often stole free-standing ATMs, forcing them open and stealing the cash from inside the machine. The Route Boys then began targeting small “mom-and-pop” pharmacies throughout the Tri-State area.
Their pattern remained consistent throughout their crime wave: three to four participants would travel to multiple locations in quick succession on a given night, often in a stolen car, with stolen plates that were routinely switched to avoid detection, and then break into the business, either by smashing glass with crowbars, rocks or grinders. Once inside, the defendants or their associates quickly stole controlled substances – including oxycodone, alprazolam and promethazine-codeine cough syrup – and moved on to the next crime, often burglarizing several locations on a single night. After the Route Boys committed a crime, they routinely fled in stolen luxury vehicles at extremely high rates of speed, often crashing into other vehicles and endangering the lives of law enforcement officers and innocent citizens. Route Boys’ members, including Carlos Acevedo, Ramon Collado, Naresh Deonarrain, Jason Liriano, Charlie Maisonet, Cavier Nedrick, Eric Nunez, Jose Rosado, Alberto Santiago and Jeffrey Vargas used social media to sell the controlled substances and frequently displayed images of themselves possessing firearms, including high capacity magazines, scopes and multiple guns at once.
If convicted, Carlos Acevedo, Ramon Collado, Naresh Deonarrain, Jason Liriano, Charlie Maisonet, Cavier Nedrick, Eric Nunez, Jose Rosado, Alberto Santiago, and Jeffrey Vargas all face up to life imprisonment. Jonathan Santiago faces a sentence of up to 40 years’ imprisonment, and Luis Cerda faces a sentence of up to 15 years’ imprisonment. The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Samantha Alessi and Andrew Wenzel are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of paralegal specialist Dejah Turla.
The Defendants:
CARLOS ACEVEDO (also known as “AM” and “Cartier_a.m”)
Age: 25
Brooklyn, New YorkLUIS CERDA
Age: 32
Queens, New YorkRAMON COLLADO (also known as “Greedy”, “greedy.billzz” and “greedyyt2gg”)
Age: 25
Brooklyn, New YorkNARESH DEONARRAIN (also known as “Kans” and “nocheck_kans”)
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New YorkJASON LIRIANO (also known as “S.L. and jay_bigfella”)
Age: 24
Brooklyn, New YorkCHARLIE MAISONET (also known as “Charlie_._rb”)
Age: 20
Brooklyn, New YorkCAVIER NEDRICK (also known as “Chief”, “big.chiefs” and “_bigchiefsrb”)
Age: 25
Hauppauge, New YorkERIC NUNEZ (also known as “Tok” and “therealtok”)
Age: 25
Brooklyn, New YorkJOSE ROSADO (also known as “Cream” and “elite_cream”)
Age: 29
Queens, New YorkALBERTO SANTIAGO (also known as “Kom” and “dot._kom._”)
Age: 26
Queens, New YorkJONATHAN SANTIAGO (also known as “Chop”)
Age: 23
Franklin Square, New YorkJEFFREY VARGAS (also known as “Chito” and “chito_1838”)
Age: 22
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-451 (S-2) (GRB)
10 charged with distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, meth, marijuanaRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – This morning federal agents arrested individuals charged as part of a national narcotics distribution operation bringing drugs into Central Ohio from California.
They have been charged by criminal complaints for allegedly participating in a polydrug trafficking organization involving 76 kilograms of fentanyl including 115,500 fentanyl-laced pills, nine kilograms each of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana, and distributable amounts of heroin and crack cocaine.
“In what is believed to be the largest single fentanyl seizure ever in the Southern District of Ohio, the government has removed approximately $4.5 million worth of fentanyl and fentanyl pills from our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Today’s cooperative law enforcement operation has the potential to save lives.”
This investigation stems from the early-June arrest of Isabel Odir Castellanos, of Los Angeles.
Those charged today include:
Name
Age
City of residence
Darrell Enrico Maurice Peterman Sr.
60
Youngstown, Ohio
Susana Maria Orellana
39
Columbus, Ohio
Martel D. Owens
38
Springfield, Ohio
Dwayne Stanley Childs
33
Columbus, Ohio
Justin M. Berrien
42
Springfield, Ohio
Kelvin R. Battle
47
Springfield, Ohio
Jermaine Anthony Peterson
37
Springfield, Ohio
Linda Laura Marie Houle
47
Springfield, Ohio
Carl Dewayne Jenkins
53
Wadestown, West Virginia
James Ian Sheets
49
Fairview, West Virginia
According to the charging documents, Castellanos transported narcotics from Los Angeles to Columbus via semi-truck. Castellanos is a business owner of a transportation company and a semi-truck driver who frequently travels across the United States.
It is alleged Castellanos delivered the narcotics to Susana Orellana’s residence in Columbus, which served as a stash house. Orellana then allegedly delivered the drugs to mid-level retail distributors. Those mid-level retailers then allegedly sold the drugs in Central Ohio, Youngstown, Ohio, Springfield, Ohio and in West Virginia.
Orellana allegedly collected the drug proceeds and provided them to Castellanos before he returned to California.
Many of the individual drug transactions charged involve tens of thousands of dollars. For example, one drug transaction detailed in an affidavit describes Orellana transporting 5,000 fentanyl pills to Childs’ home in Columbus in exchange for $36,000.
To date, law enforcement officials have seized from the defendants more than $478,000 in cash, a semi-truck, a Porsche Panamera, a BMW X5 and a GMC Terrain.
Defendants are making their initials appearances in federal court in Columbus today.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Orville Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced the charges and commended the cooperative investigation including the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Springfield Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Hunter is representing the United States in this case.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Criminal complaints merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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"R. Kelly" Sentenced to 30 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Robert Sylvester Kelly, the R&B singer also known as “R. Kelly,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly to 30 years in prison. On September 27, 2021, following six weeks of trial, a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Kelly of all nine counts of a superseding indictment charging him with racketeering predicated on criminal conduct including sexual exploitation of children, forced labor and Mann Act violations involving the coercion and transportation of women and girls in interstate commerce to engage in illegal sexual activity.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Steve K. Francis, Acting Executive Associate Director, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced the sentence.
“R. Kelly used his fame, fortune and enablers to prey on the young, the vulnerable and the voiceless for his own sexual gratification, while many turned a blind eye,” stated U.S. Attorney Peace. “Through his actions, Kelly exhibited a callous disregard for the devastation his crimes had on his victims and has shown no remorse for his conduct. With today’s sentence he has finally and appropriately been held accountable for his decades of abuse, exploitation and degradation of teenagers and other vulnerable young people. We hope that today’s sentence brings some measure of comfort and closure to the victims, including those who bravely testified at trial, and serves as long-overdue recognition that their voices deserve to be heard and their lives matter.”
Mr. Peace also thanked the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance with the case.
“Robert Kelly is a prolific serial predator who utilized his wealth and fame to prey on the young and vulnerable by dangling promises of fame, fortune and stardom for his own sexual gratification. For nearly thirty years, Kelly and his accomplices silenced his victims through bribery, intimidation, blackmail and physical violence, confident they were immune to justice” stated HSI Acting Executive Associate Director Steve K. Francis. “Today’s sentence is a victory which belongs to the survivors of Kelly’s abuse. These brave women and men came forward, despite threats to their own personal safety, and were forced to relive the pain of the most traumatic days of their lives to tell the truth and make their voices heard.”
As proven at trial, for nearly three decades, Kelly was the leader of a criminal enterprise (the Enterprise) consisting of himself and an entourage of individuals who served as managers, bodyguards, accountants, drivers, personal assistants and runners for the defendant. As the leader of the Enterprise, Kelly used his fame to recruit women and girls to engage in illegal sexual activity with him. Kelly identified these girls and women at concerts, and then directed members of the Enterprise to escort them backstage following his musical performances. Kelly exchanged contact information with girls and women so that he and other members of the Enterprise could arrange travel and lodging for them to visit Kelly and engage in the charged illegal sexual conduct.
The evidence at trial included the testimony of 45 government witnesses, including more than 10 victims, five of whom are named in the superseding indictment, testimony from employees of the defendant, text messages, video and audio recordings, photographs, phone and travel records, DNA evidence and expert witnesses.
Kelly issued rules that many of his sexual partners were required to follow, including that the women and girls were to call him “Daddy”; they were not permitted to leave their rooms to eat or visit the bathroom without receiving his permission; they were required to wear baggy clothing when not accompanying Kelly to an event; and they were directed to keep their heads down and not look at or speak to other men. Kelly also isolated the women and girls from their friends and family and made them dependent on him for their financial well-being. He required the victims to engage in sex with him and others, and recorded many of the sexual encounters.
Racketeering Act One – Bribery
Kelly bribed a state employee to create an identification card for Jane Doe #1, then 15 years old, so that Kelly could marry Jane Doe #1 because he believed she was pregnant and therefore the marriage could keep him out of jail.
Racketeering Acts Two, Seven and Ten – Sexual Exploitation of a Child – Jane Doe #2, Jane Doe #4 and Jane Doe #5
Kelly coerced Jane Doe #2, Jane Doe #4 and Jane Doe #5 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing video recordings. Over the course of decades, he made these recordings, and other recordings of sexually explicit conduct, using VHS video cameras, Canon camcorders, iPhones and iPads. Such videos constituted child pornography.
Racketeering Acts Six, Eleven and Thirteen – Forced Labor – Jane Doe #4, Jane Doe #5 and Jane Doe #6
Kelly used the threat of physical harm and physical restraint to ensure that his victims, including Jane Doe #4, Jane Doe #5 and Jane Doe #6, performed sexually at his command. As to Jane Doe #4, he slapped her, choked her and spit on her, before demanding she give him oral sex. As to Jane Doe #5, over a period of years, he spanked her, viciously assaulted her, confined her to a room or a bus for prolonged periods of time, including days, and otherwise manipulated her, to ensure that she would perform for him sexually, including with other women and a man. As to Jane Doe #6, he forced her to give him oral sex while there was a gun within Kelly’s reach.
Racketeering Acts Five and Nine – Mann Act Violations – Jane Doe #4 and Jane Doe #5
Between May 2009 and January 2010, Kelly regularly spoke with Jane Doe #4 over the telephone to arrange for Jane Doe #4 to come to his residence in Olympia Fields for the purpose of illegal sexual activity, which was illegal because Jane Doe #4, who was then 16 years old, was too young to consent to sex in Illinois. Similarly, between September 2015 and October 2015, Kelly transported Jane Doe #5, who was then 17 years old, from New York City to Oakland, California for the purpose of illegal sexual activity, as she was too young to consent to sex in California.
Racketeering Acts Eight, Thirteen and Fourteen – Mann Act Violations – Jane Doe #5 and Jane Doe #6
In April 2015, Kelly arranged for Jane Doe #5 to fly from her home in Orlando, Florida, to Los Angeles, California, for the purpose of illegal sexual activity, which was illegal because Kelly knew he had an incurable sexually transmitted disease (STD) and did not inform Jane Doe #5 about the STD prior to engaging in sexual intercourse with her. In May of 2017 and again in February of 2018, Kelly arranged for Jane Doe #6 to fly from her home in San Antonio, Texas, to La Guardia Airport in Queens, New York, for the purpose of illegal sexual activity, which again was illegal because Kelly failed to disclose that he had an incurable STD and obtain Jane Doe #6’s consent to engage in sexual intercourse under those circumstances.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Geddes, Nadia Shihata and Maria Cruz Melendez are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
ROBERT SYLVESTER KELLY (also known as “R. Kelly”)
Age: 55
Chicago, IllinoisE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-286 (AMD)
Tuesday 28 June 2022
Wichita Man Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man has been sentenced to a total of 295 months in prison for drug trafficking crimes.
According to court documents, in March 2022, a federal jury convicted Travis Vontress, 45, of Wichita of the following charges:
- one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
- one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin;
- one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine;
- one count of maintaining a drug involved premises;
- two counts of use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking crime;
- one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and
- one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
The FBI, Wichita Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, Barton County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Postal Service, Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Marshall Service, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Nebraska State Patrol investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak prosecuted the case.
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West Michigan Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms and Intending to Sell Fake Adderall PillsRead the Press Release
Roddrick Wilson intended to sell over 15,000 fake Adderall® pills that subsequently tested positive for methamphetamine at time of his arrest in August 2021
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN —U.S. Attorney Mark A. Totten announced that on June 24, 2022, U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney sentenced Roddrick Montez Wilson, 26, of Muskegon and Grand Rapids, to 23 years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
During a traffic stop in August 2021, Michigan State Police in Muskegon found Wilson in possession of over 15,000 fake pills that appeared to be Adderall®, an amphetamine used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy, but the pills were in fact methamphetamine. Wilson intended to sell the pills, worth an estimated $75,000, and possessed a loaded, stolen firearm in furtherance of that crime. After further investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, investigators learned that law enforcement in Grand Rapids had encountered Wilson in February and June 2021, and on both occasions, found smaller quantities of the same type of fake pills, in addition to a firearm in June and other drugs in February.
Over 15,000 fake Adderall® pills and a stolen firearm seized from Roddrick Wilson in Muskegon, Michigan on August 25, 2021
“Counterfeit pills pose a significant danger to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Totten. “There are often devastating consequences for drug users who ingest fake pills bought off the street. My office is committed to raising awareness about this issue, and prosecuting those individuals who seek to profit off the distribution of counterfeit substances.”
According to the DEA,[1] a nationwide surge in fake prescription pills, made and marketed by criminal drug networks, is driving harm, violence, and overdoses across the United States. Fake pills are marked as legitimate prescription pills to deceive the American public, are easy to purchase, and widely available. Between August and December 2021, almost 10 million fake pills were seized by law enforcement nationwide. You should never take prescription medication that was not prescribed to you by your doctor and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. For more information about the DEA’s “One Pill Can Kill” campaign, visit: https://www.dea.gov/onepill.
Fake pills can be hard to detect. Wilson possessed fake Adderall® pills like the ones depicted below:
Counterfeit Adderall® pills, front and back
Authentic, or real Adderall® pills, are shown below:
Authentic Adderall® pills, front and back
“Across the Midwest, law enforcement is seizing methamphetamine pressed into fake-pill form so that it appears to be a less potent substance, such as Xanax or Adderall. This case should serve as a stark reminder to everyone: the only pill anyone should take is one that has been prescribed by a physician and obtained at a legitimate pharmacy,” said Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Detroit Division.
The DEA, Michigan State Police, and Grand Rapids Police Department investigated this case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan McGraw.
[1] https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2022-03/20220208-DEA_OPCK%20Overview%20and%20Key%20Results.pdf
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Virginia Beach Man Sentenced for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced yesterday to 27 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material in his home.
According to court documents, on or about March 20, 2021, Jason Woolwine, 44, produced a video of himself sexually abusing a four-year-old victim. Woolwine’s exploits were discovered during the child pornography investigation of John Stanley Zelinsky. Zelinsky, 70, of Newport News, confessed to FBI agents that he and Woolwine were romantically involved, shared their sexual fantasies about children over instant messaging application services, and showed federal agents the video he received from Woolwine with the toddler.
The FBI immediately began its investigation into Woolwine and confirmed the information from Zelinsky. Despite Woolwine’s use of anti-forensic evidence destruction software, forensic examination was able to retrieve images of child pornography from Woolwine’s cellular phone, to include the self-produced video with the young boy inside Woolwine’s home.
Zelinsky pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and received a sentence of 7 years’ imprisonment on April 26. On November 5, 2021, Woolwine pleaded guilty to production of child pornography. Woolwine received a sentence of 27 years for his crime.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Osyf prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Norfolk Child Exploitation Task Force (NCETF). The NCETF is composed of FBI agents and detectives from the Chesapeake Police Department, Hampton Police Division, and Newport News Police Department. Assistance in this matter was also provided by federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children. Tips regarding child exploitation can be provided to the task force at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:21-cr-46.
U.S. Citizen Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Electronic Equipment and Technology to the Government of IranRead the Press Release
A dual citizen of the United States and Iran pleaded guilty today to conspiring to illegally export U.S. goods, technology and services to end users in Iran, including the Government of Iran, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
According to court documents, Kambiz Attar Kashani, 44, and his co-conspirators, using two United Arab Emirates companies, evaded U.S. export laws between February 2019 and June 2021 by procuring electronic goods, technology and services from U.S. technology companies for end users in Iran without obtaining required licenses or other authorization from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Kashani acted at the direction of an arm of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI). CBI has been designated by OFAC for having materially assisted, sponsored or provided financial, material or technological support to known terrorist organizations.
Kashani faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and he has agreed to pay a $50,000 fine, in addition to any forfeiture owed. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen for the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Special Agent in Charge Joseph R. Bonavolanta of the FBI’s Boston Field Office made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon and Meredith A. Arfa of the Eastern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney S. Derek Shugert of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
U.S. Citizen Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Electronic Equipment and Technology to the Government of IranRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Kambiz Attar Kashani, a dual citizen of the United States and Iran, pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally export U.S. goods, technology, and services to end users in Iran, including the Government of Iran, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Today’s plea proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Marcia M. Henry. When sentenced, Kashani faces up to 20 years in prison. The defendant has agreed to pay a $50,000 fine.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Joseph R. Bonavolanta, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, announced the guilty plea.
As set forth in court filings, between February 2019 and June 2021, Kashani and his co-conspirators, using two United Arab Emirates companies, evaded U.S. export laws by procuring electronic goods, technology, and services from U.S. technology companies for end users in Iran, including the Government of Iran, without obtaining required licenses or other authorization from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. Kashani acted at the direction of an arm of the Central Bank of Iran, which has been designated by the United States government as acting for or on behalf of terrorist organizations.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon and Meredith A. Arfa are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney S. Derek Shugert of the Justice Department’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Defendant:
Kambiz Attar Kashani
Age: 44
United Arab EmiratesE.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 22-CR-33 (EK)
U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches ADA Settlement with Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc.Read the Press Release
FARGO - United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota completed its investigation and entered into a settlement agreement with Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. ("Ulta") to resolve allegations that Ulta violated the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"). Specifically, a complaint alleged that Ulta refused to allow an individual with a disability who uses a service animal to enter Ulta with her service animal. Ulta operates a retail store located in Fargo, North Dakota, where the alleged incident occurred.
During its investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office found that the complainant attempted to enter Ulta with her service animal. An Ulta employee told the complainant she was not allowed to enter the store with her service animal, and incorrectly told her a North Dakota cosmetology statute prohibited service animals without documentation.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, individuals with disabilities who use service animals may enter places of public accommodations, such as retail stores, with their service animals. There is no requirement that individuals with disabilities show any documentation, licensure, or certification, nor is there a requirement that the service animal be wearing any vest, harness, or collar that indicates it is a service animal. A service animal is simply any dog trained to work or perform tasks for individuals with disabilities. If a place of public accommodation is unsure whether an animal is a service animal, under the ADA they may only ask two questions:
• Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
• What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
Under the settlement agreement, Ulta agreed to adopt a nationwide service animal non-discrimination policy for all its stores, provide relevant training to its employees regarding the ADA, post signage indicating service animals are welcome, and pay $1,000 in damages to the complainant.
"People with disabilities who are accompanied by a service animal are entitled to come and go freely in the community," said United States Attorney Puhl. "The corrective measures agreed to by Ulta will give individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy the largest beauty retailor in the United States, as is required by the ADA. We hope other proprietors will proactively comply with this important civil rights law. Service animals play an important role to ensure the independence of people with disabilities, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring that individuals with disabilities will have full and equal access to places of public accommodation."
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa H. Burkland of the District of North Dakota.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in North Dakota is not accessible to persons with disabilities may file a complaint online at www.ada.gov or contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 701-297-7400.
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U.S. Attorney Romero Announces Arson Charges Against Philadelphia Man for Pizza Shop Fire That Resulted in Death of FirefighterRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Al-Ashraf Basem Khalil, 28, of Philadelphia, PA, was arrested on June 24, 2022, after being charged by Criminal Complaint with arson on June 23, 2022. During a news conference held today with officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; and the Philadelphia Fire Department; First Assistant United States Attorney Nelson S. T. Thayer, Jr., detailed the charges outlined in the Complaint accusing the defendant of causing the arson at 300 W. Indiana Avenue in Philadelphia on June 18, 2022, which resulted in the death of Philadelphia Fire Lieutenant Sean Williamson. The announcement comes the day after funeral services were held for Lt. Williamson.
Specifically, the defendant has been charged with one count of malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce resulting in death, one count of aiding and abetting and willfully causing the same, and one count of making materially false or fraudulent statements. Khalil was arrested Friday afternoon at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, NY, by United States Marshals who thwarted Khalil’s efforts to leave the United States, getting as far as Jordan, until he was forced to return to face these charges. Khalil made his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of New York, where he was detained and ordered transferred to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
As detailed in the Complaint, voluminous video surveillance recovered by investigators showed two suspects – minutes before the fire began in the early morning hours of June 18 – walk behind a dumpster and enter the basement doors of the property at 300 W. Indiana Avenue. The video surveillance further shows the two suspects leave the location about twenty minutes later, shortly after which smoke can be observed that gradually grows thicker emanating from the area of building.
On June 20, 2022, ATF agents interviewed the defendant, the owner of the property, as part of their federal investigation into the origin and cause of the fire. The Complaint alleges that Khalil provided false information about where he was at the time he learned of the fire, and that he stated that he had no plans to travel outside the U.S. in the next year. While he was being interviewed, agents noted that some of the defendant’s clothing appeared to be similar to one of the two suspects captured on the video surveillance footage.
Further, the following day on June 21, 2022, Khalil again met with investigators at their request, and later that day booked a flight from JFK airport to Amman, Jordan with a layover in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. On June 22, 2022, the defendant left the United States on that flight.
“Whenever there is a fire in our city, the brave men and women of the Philadelphia Fire Department put their lives on the line to protect us. Intentionally causing a fire and deliberately putting firefighters and innocent victims in harm’s way is truly unconscionable,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “We are grateful to all of the investigators on this case who moved rapidly to determine the origins of the fire, identify a suspect, and return him to U.S. soil so he can answer these charges before the court. And while we mourn the loss of Lt. Williamson, we are grateful for his life and his service to our city, and hope that by seeking justice in this case we honor his memory.”
“ATF is dedicated to investigating and preventing violent crime,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Arson, just like gun crime, can have serious consequences and as alleged in this case, caused the death of a beloved public servant. Our team of investigators and dedicated prosecutors will continue to seek justice for the victims of these violent acts.”
“The phenomenal effort between U.S. law enforcement agencies and our international partners in quickly capturing this fugitive while attempting to flee to the Middle East demonstrates our global reach and unwavering commitment to justice,” said U.S. Marshal Eric Gartner. “Our hope is that this rapid capture will provide some measure of comfort to the family of Lt. Sean Williamson and the Philadelphia Fire Department.”
“We respond to more than 3,500 structure fires annually, and the majority are unintentional. However, intentional fires are still a problem: last year, more than 650 incendiary incidents were investigated by our Fire Marshal's Office in close partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department and ATF,” said Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam K. Thiel. “This incident demonstrates the tragic consequences of arson. Our thoughts remain with Lt. Williamson’s family, friends and PFD colleagues as this case moves forward and justice is served.”
If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of seven years in prison if, as here, personal injury results to any person. If death results to any person, including a public safety officer performing duties, the statute carries a maximum penalty of life in prison or the death penalty.
The case was investigated by ATF Philadelphia and the ATF’s National Response Team, the Philadelphia Fire Department Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Philadelphia Police Department, with significant assistance provided by the Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Diplomatic Security Service in Amman, Jordan and Dubai, UAE, and INTERPOL Washington. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeanine Linehan and Sarah Damiani.
An Indictment, Information, or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Parents in College Admissions Case SentencedRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two California parents were sentenced today in federal court in Boston for their participation in the college admissions case in which they paid a total of $600,000 to facilitate their children’s admission to college.
Bruce Isackson, 65, and Davina Isackson, 58, of Hillsborough, Calif., were each sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to time served (approximately one day in prison), one year of probation and 250 hours of community service. Additionally, Bruce Isackson was ordered to pay a fine of $7,500 and Davina Isackson was ordered to pay a fine of $1,000. In May 2019, the Isacksons pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Bruce Isackson also pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS. The Isacksons cooperated with the government’s investigation.
The Isacksons conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others – including university athletic coaches and administrators as well as standardized test administrators – to secure their daughters’ admission to elite colleges and universities through bribery and fraud. Specifically, the Isacksons agreed to pay Singer a total of $600,000 to facilitate cheating on their younger daughter’s college entrance exam to obtain an inflated test score, as well as to facilitate both daughters’ college admissions as purported athletic recruits. To conceal the scheme, Bruce Isackson conspired to make the bribes appear as charitable donations by laundering the payments through Singer’s fake charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation, and deducted the payments from their taxes as purported charitable contributions.
Case information, including the status of each defendant, is available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Frank, Leslie A. Wright, Kristen A. Kearney and Ian Stearns of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Two Indian Nationals Admit Receiving over $1.2 Million in Global Robocall Scam That Defrauded Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two Indian nationals admitted to conspiracy to commit wire fraud by accepting illegally obtained $1.2 million in wire transfers from victims across the country, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Arushobike Mitra, 27, and Garbita Mitra, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an information charging them each with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
As part of an international fraud scheme, criminal India-based call centers utilized automated robocalls to victims across the country with the intent of defrauding U.S. residents, particularly the elderly. After establishing contact with victims through these automated calls, other members of the conspiracy would coerce or trick the victims into sending large sums of cash through physical shipments or wire transfers to other members of the conspiracy, including the Mitras. These conspirators used a variety of schemes to convince victims to send money, including impersonating government officials from agencies such as the Social Security Administration, or impersonating law enforcement officers from the FBI or DEA, and threatened victims with severe legal or financial consequences if they did not comply. Another method utilized by the callers involved convincing the victim they were speaking with someone from a tech support company and coercing the victim into granting the caller remote access to their personal computers. The caller would then access the victim’s bank accounts and make it appear to the victim that the caller had inadvertently added money to the victim’s bank account, when in fact the caller had simply transferred money from another one of the victim’s own accounts. The caller would then instruct the victim to “return” the money by way of mail or wire transfer to other members of the conspiracy, including the Mitras. Arushobike Mitra and Garbita Mitra are charged with receiving fraudulent transfers of cash from 48 victims across the country totaling more than $1.2 million.
The conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine of twice the amount of the loss, whichever is greater. Sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for Dec. 13, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott; special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Cyber Intrusion Group, and El Dorado Task Force Asset Identification & Removal Group, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge, Peter C. Fitzhugh in New York; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Damon Wood, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas. He also thanked the Hoboken Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the New York City Police Department, and the Brunswick County, North Carolina, Sheriff’s Office for their assistance.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Meriah Russell of the U.S. Attorney's Office Criminal Division in Camden.
Two Fairbanks Men Indicted for Conspiracy, Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft and Money Laundering in Five Year Check Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned a 31-count indictment charging two Fairbanks men with conspiracy, bank and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.
According to court documents, Jared Post, 25, and Levi Skulstad, 26, defrauded multiple banks and individuals they viewed as vulnerable to scams between 2017 and 2021, obtaining at least $500,000. Post and Skulstad contacted individuals who they called “Plays” via social media or in person and convinced the “Play” to share their bank account information under the pretense they needed to deposit a check into the “Play’s” account. Post or Skulstad then offered the “Play” a portion of the deposited check in return for use of the “Play’s” bank account.
Once the check posted in the “Play’s” account, Post or Skulstad logged in via the “Play’s” remote banking app and withdrew or transferred the funds electronically or directed the “Play” to transfer the funds to one of them via a cash app or Western Union. In reality, the checks Post and Skulstad deposited were stolen and fraudulently altered; and they withdrew the funds prior to the bank flagging the checks as fraudulent and reversing the transaction. The involved banks, the “Plays,” and the initial victim whose checks were stolen, were left paying losses and overdraft fees while Post and Skulstad made off with the cash.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on the most serious indictment count and a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Fairbanks Resident Agency of the FBI’s Anchorage Field Office, Alaska State Troopers, Fairbanks Police Department, Anchorage Police Department and the Vancouver, Washington, Police Department are investigating the case. The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office also assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Tansey 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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