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Monday 27 June 2022
Statement from United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins on the Motion to Dismiss in United States v. BaptisteRead the Press Release
“Today’s dismissal of the criminal charges against Joseph Baptiste and Roger Boncy is the result of recently discovered contemporaneous communications about calls recorded on December 19, 2015 between defendant Boncy and an undercover FBI agent. These communications were never disclosed to the prosecutors on the case prior to the evening of June 23, 2022. Moreover, the FBI does not have the original recordings it made of the December 19, 2015 calls.
These defendants were first tried and convicted in 2019. The trial judge vacated their convictions pursuant to Rule 33 for ineffective assistance of counsel. The First Circuit affirmed the granting of a new trial. In preparation for that retrial, and in response to requests from defense counsel, the FBI gave the recently discovered materials to the prosecutors late last week and we promptly produced them to defense counsel the next day.
As the government, our charging decisions deeply impact people’s lives. We have an obligation to provide all discoverable evidence in our possession to the defense. That is a core principle of the criminal legal system. After a careful review of this entire matter, we dismiss these charges in the interest of justice.”
South Florida Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Attempted Online Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A federal district judge sitting in Ft. Pierce, Florida sentenced Zachary S. Spiegel, 38, of Jensen Beach, to 120 months in prison after a jury found Spiegel guilty of attempted on-line enticement of a minor.
For several weeks in January of this year, Spiegel communicated online and by text message with someone whom he believed was a 14-year-old girl named Shayla. In reality, “Shayla” was a fictional persona created by a 16-year-old boy who was trying to identify child predators in the area. On January 9, Spiegel attempted to persuade Shayla to meet him in the parking lot of a Fort Pierce shopping plaza for sex in his car. Spiegel sent Shayla graphic descriptions of the sex acts he would perform on her, as well as photos of his erect penis. They agreed on a time and place to meet, but Spiegel did not make it. Spiegel later explained to Shayla that while on his way to their rendezvous, law enforcement officers pulled him over for speeding and he decided to return home. After this incident, the 16-year-old boy contacted law enforcement.
Spiegel kept communicating with a person he believed was the 14-year-old Shayla. As he had done before, Spiegel made sexually explicit comments, sent several more photos of his face and penis, and talked about meeting Shayla in person.
A law enforcement investigation led officers to Spiegel. They executed a search warrant at his Jensen Beach home on January 20, where they found him in possession of the cellular phone he had used to communicate with “Shayla.”
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Anthony Salisbury, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence that U.S. District Court Judge Paul C. Huck handed down on June 22.
HSI Miami, HSI Fort Pierce, and the Fort Pierce Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacey Bergstrom and Justin Hoover are prosecuting it.
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 the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions 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.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-14017.
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South Carolina man sentenced to 30 years in prison for sex trafficking and drug crimes in MontanaRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Charleston, South Carolina, man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for his conviction in a large sex trafficking and drug investigation that involved more than a dozen women and girls who were forced by threats and violence into prostitution in Montana and taken to other states, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Louis Gregory Venning, also known as “December,” 42, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, sex trafficking of a minor, transportation of a person with intent to engage in prostitution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. Restitution, which is mandatory, will be determined at a later hearing.
“Venning targeted young women and girls, including a minor, to force them into his interstate prostitution network,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. “He gave those victims drugs and some income, while at the same time he coerced, cajoled and forced them into a life of commercial sex, traveling from town to town and state to state to set up the business for a few days at a time, all to enrich himself. Those victims were emotionally and physically abused, not only by Venning, but also by his customers. Today’s sentence is an example of the hard work my office is doing to address this problem in Montana and to protect and seek justice for these victims."
“Venning preyed on vulnerable women and girls, taking away their voice and their dignity through manipulation and violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennis Rice, of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The FBI shares in an unwavering commitment to aggressively investigate and help eliminate this form of modern-day slavery and seek assistance and justice for victims.”
In courts documents and in statements in court, the government alleged that from 2012 to 2020, Venning sex trafficked women and girls, identified as Jane Does, and distributed cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. Venning coerced, threatened and controlled more than a dozen victims to engage in commercial sex for his profit. Venning used the internet and social media to meet and recruit victims, some of whom were homeless and using drugs, into working for him. He further controlled his victims by providing them drugs and by threatening and physically abusing them. Venning forced the victims to engage in commercial sex for him in Billings and other Montana communities. Venning also took some of victims from Montana to work in other states, including Wyoming, Missouri and Georgia.
The government further alleged that in 2019, Venning met Jane Doe 9 in a Missoula motel after responding to one of Jane Doe 9’s own ads for commercial sex. Venning discussed how she would work for him and ultimately she did. Venning became abusive toward Jane Doe 9, including physically assaulting her. In August 2018 in Billings, Venning coerced a minor girl, identified as Jane Doe 8, who was under the age of 18, to engage in commercial sex. In 2012, Venning transported another victim, identified as Jane Doe 5, from Montana to Georgia and Missouri to engage in prostitution.
In addition, Jane Does 3 and 4 told law enforcement that while working for Venning in commercial sex, he gave them cocaine. Social media posts collected during the investigation show Venning bragging about and sending pictures of cocaine to various individuals.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno B. Baucus and Bryan T. Dake prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Billings Police Department.
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Smuggling narcotics to three cities lands traffickers in prisonRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 47-year-old Cuban national has been sent to federal prison following his conviction of conspiring to distribute large quantities of marijuana and cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Juan Suarez-Pupo pleaded guilty March 29.
Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered Suarez-Pupo to serve 144 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described Suarez-Pupo as a leader within the drug trafficking organization and that he oversaw smuggling operations in both Texas and Florida. He also had connections to sources of supply in Mexico and the Dominican Republic. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Suarez-Pupo’s extensive involvement in drug trafficking and his previous conviction for alien smuggling for which he had served 37 months in prison. Judge Marmolejo stated that Suarez-Pupo had placed himself in this situation by his own choices.
In April 2019, authorities initiated an investigation on a drug trafficking organization operating in Laredo. They seized 615 kilograms of marijuana and approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine. They also seized $26,000 in drug proceeds.
The marijuana had an estimated street value of approximately $400,000, while the cocaine is valued at $250,000.
Co-defendant and Laredo resident Charlie Gonzalez, 36, was previously sentenced to 135 months for his role in the conspiracy to smuggle narcotics to Houston, Dallas and Louisville, Kentucky. Judge Garcia Marmolejo found that, like Suarez-Pupo, Gonzalez was a leader within the drug trafficking organization and that he had significant involvement. The court also considered Gonzalez’s 27 prior arrests, which included 11 assaults, six gun charges, two money laundering offenses and a murder. Judge Marmolejo additionally imposed a sentencing enhancement against Gonzalez for threatening the life of the federal agent who arrested him.
Additional co-conspirators Ildefonso Martinez Jr., 40, Laredo, and Jesus Antonio Trevino-Cabrera, 43, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, were also previously sentenced for their involvement. They received prison terms of 36 and 26 months, respectively.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation dubbed Operation The World is Yours.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the OCDETF operation with the assistance of Border Patrol and Laredo Police Department. 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Day prosecuted the case.
Sioux City Man to Federal Prison for Distributing MethRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced to over 10 years in federal prison on June 24, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City.
William Thompson, 62, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on February 8, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Thompson was previously convicted of possession of methamphetamine and unlawful user/felon in possession of a firearm in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, in 2000. Thompson was also convicted of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance as a habitual offender in the Iowa District Court for Woodbury County in 2011.
Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that between 2019 and June 8, 2021, Thompson and others who worked at the Madonna Rose Café participated in the distribution of approximately 10 pounds methamphetamine. On four separate occasions between April and May 2021, Thompson distributed methamphetamine out of the Café to individuals cooperating with law enforcement. In June 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Café building and seized approximately one pound methamphetamine from Thompson. Thompson agreed to plead guilty to his conspiracy, but arrived for his first scheduled change of plea hearing under the influence of methamphetamine.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Thompson was sentenced to 126 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of five years of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Thompson remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4066.
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Schenectady County Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Keith Mussenden, age 38, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to the sexual exploitation of a minor. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Mussenden admitted that between June 2019 and February 2020, he exchanged messages through multiple social media applications with the victim, a then-14-year-old girl who resided outside the State of New York. Through these messages, Mussenden persuaded, induced, and enticed the victim to take sexually explicit images of herself and send them to him over the Internet. Within the same timeframe, Mussenden also sent the victim pictures of his penis in the hopes of obtaining sexually explicit images of the victim in return. Mussenden further engaged in livestreamed video chats with the victim during which he requested that the victim perform sexual acts while he also engaged in sexual acts.
Mussenden, who remains detained pending his sentencing scheduled for October 26, 2022, faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. The Court will also impose a term of supervised release of between 5 years and life, and Mussenden will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of this conviction. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the Rotterdam Police Department and the New York State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel L. Williams and Dustin C. Segovia as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Salisbury Woman Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting an Infant in Her CareRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salisbury woman pleaded guilty on June 24, 2022 in federal court in Boston to the sexual exploitation of an infant.
Desiree Daigle, 26, pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a child before U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV who scheduled sentencing for Oct. 24, 2022. Daigle was arrested and charged in November 2018.
“Ms. Daigle grossly exploited and sexually victimized an infant, took a video of her abuse which she shared with others. Her conduct tears at the hearts of all parents. This kind of case drives my office’s mission to do all that it can to prosecute individuals like Ms. Daigle, who prey on innocent and defenseless children,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to use every tool in our arsenal to investigate and prosecute those who exploit our most vulnerable and bring justice to victims.”
“What Desiree Daigle has admitted to today is enough to make anyone’s stomach turn. There are few situations more urgent than when a child is physically at risk. People like her, who sexually exploit children, do serious lasting harm, and to engage in the manufacturing and trading of child sexual abuse material only perpetuates the abuse,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI is committed to finding such predators, locking them up, and ensuring the children they have victimized are safe.”
In November 2018, Daigle was identified in online chats exchanging various child pornography files with another individual. Some of the images depicted an infant in Daigle’s care, apparently taken in Daigle’s home. During the chats, Daigle discussed plans for the other individual to meet the child in person so that they could sexually abuse the child together.
The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Amesbury, North Andover, Salisbury, Arlington, Billerica, Methuen, and Haverhill Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Chief of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Real Estate Developer Found Guilty of Fraud, Bribery and Obstruction Charges for Paying $500,000 in Cash to City OfficialsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A real estate developer and one of his companies were found guilty by a jury today of federal criminal charges for providing $500,000 in cash to then-Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar and his special assistant in exchange for their help in resolving a labor organization’s appeal of their downtown Los Angeles development project.
Dae Yong Lee, a.k.a. “David Lee,” 57, of Bel Air, and 940 Hill LLC, a Lee-controlled company, each were found guilty of three felonies: one count of honest services wire fraud, one count of bribery, and one count of falsification of records in federal investigations.
According to evidence presented at his nine-day trial, Lee, a commercial real estate developer, was the majority owner of 940 Hill LLC and was planning on building a mixed-use development located at 940 South Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles. The development was to include 14,000 square feet of commercial space and more than 200 residential units.
In August 2016, after a labor organization filed an appeal that prevented the 940 Hill project from progressing through the city’s approval process, Lee called Justin Jangwoo Kim, a Huizar fundraiser, to request Huizar’s help in dealing with the appeal. At the time, Huizar was the chairman of the city’s Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee, a body that oversaw many of the city’s most significant commercial and residential projects.
In September 2016, George Esparza, then Huizar’s special assistant, informed Kim that Huizar would not help the 940 Hill project for free and would require a financial benefit. In 2017, after several months of bribe negotiations, Lee provided cash totaling $500,000 to Kim to deliver to Huizar and Esparza, including in a liquor box.
Two years after paying the bribe, Lee and 940 Hill LLC impeded a federal criminal investigation by altering accounting and tax records to falsely categorize the $500,000 bribe as a legitimate business expenditure for resolving the labor organization appeal.
United States District Judge John F. Walter scheduled a September 19 sentencing hearing, at which time Lee will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the honest services wire fraud count, 20 years for the obstruction count, and 10 years for the bribery count. Defendant 940 Hill LLC will face a statutory maximum fine of $1.5 million or twice the gross gain or gross loss from the offense.
Kim pleaded guilty in June 2020 to a federal bribery offense. Esparza pleaded guilty in July 2020 to one count of racketeering conspiracy. Both men are cooperating with the investigation and are scheduled to be sentenced in September.
The next scheduled trial in this case is against Shen Zhen New World I LLC, an entity owned by real estate developer Wei Huang – another defendant in the case. Both defendants are charged with bribing Huizar related to another downtown Los Angeles development project and are scheduled to go to trial on October 18. Huang remains a fugitive.
Huizar and former Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan are scheduled to go to trial February 21, 2023, on federal charges alleging they conspired to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Huizar allegedly agreed to accept at least $1.5 million in illicit financial benefits and faces dozens of additional federal criminal charges.
Assistant United States Attorney Mack E. Jenkins, Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Assistant United States Attorneys Veronica Dragalin and Cassie Palmer, also of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, are prosecuting this case.
Any member of the public who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter in the City of Los Angeles is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s tip line at tips.fbi.gov or to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.
Raleigh Bank Robber Sentenced to 92 Months’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. –Kijuan Haassan Sharp was sentenced today in federal court to 92 months’ imprisonment for his conviction for bank robbery. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $160,600.00 in restitution.
Sharp pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery on January 14, 2022.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on August 5, 2019, Kijuan Sharp entered a SunTrust Bank in Raleigh. Sharp told an employee he was there to open a bank account. Sharp, who was carrying a plastic grocery bag, was escorted to the employee’s office, where Sharp placed the bag on her desk. The employee observed what she thought was a bomb inside the bag. Sharp then gave the employee a handwritten note stating that “there is a bomb in the bag, I have a surveillance van and if police are alerted the bomb will go off, place as much money as you can in the bag.” The employee went to the bank vault and gave $160,000 to Sharp. Sharp fled the bank and got away. It was later determined that the bomb was a hoax. The FBI and Raleigh Police Dept. received a tip that Sharp was the bank robber. Sharp also began posting himself holding stacks of money and wearing similar clothes as the bank robber on social media. Several days after the robbery, Sharp purchased a new car. Agents obtained a search warrant for Sharp’s residence and found receipts for $50,000 in recently purchased jewelry, men’s designer clothes with price tags still on them, and the components that Sharp used to make the hoax explosive device.
Daniel P. Bubar, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane J. Jackson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-00384-FL-1.
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Providence Man Sentenced in Fraudulent Checks, Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Providence man who led a counterfeit check scheme that defrauded banks of tens of thousands of dollars has been sentenced to five years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Terrance Richardson, 30, pleaded guilty on March 24, 2022, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and twelve counts of bank fraud.
At the time of his guilty plea, Richardson admitted that beginning in as early as April 2020, he conspired with others to create and deposit counterfeit checks drawn on the accounts of actual businesses. The counterfeit checks were typically deposited into the accounts of individuals who agreed to participate in the conspiracy in exchange for a cash payment. Many of those individuals were solicited through Facebook.
In many instances, soon after the counterfeit checks were deposited, the proceeds were quicky withdrawn from ATMs before banks could determine that the checks were fraudulent. Banks deemed some of the checks to be fraudulent prior to any money being withdrawn.
At sentencing on Friday, U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., sentenced Richardson to sixty months in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. Ricardson was ordered to pay restitution to banks totaling $83,296.51, representing the actual loss to banks as a result of his criminal conduct.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ly T. Chin.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the FBI, United States Secret Service, Rhode Island State Police, and the Providence and Bethel CT, Police Departments.
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Prison guard charged with accepting bribes to allow inmate to receive smuggled itemsRead the Press Release
DUBLIN, GA: A federal prison guard faces the possibility of substantial time as an inmate after being charged with multiple counts of accepting bribes to allow smuggled material into a prison.
Tiffany Fletcher, 35, of McRae, Ga., a corrections officer and counselor at the privately operated McRae Correctional Facility, is charged with five counts of bribery, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to three years of supervised release after completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The safety and integrity of federal corrections facilities demands that the staff of these facilities maintain the highest ethical and legal standards,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We continue to partner with investigative agencies to combat the flow of contraband material into these facilities.”
McRae Correctional Facility, in Telfair County, is operated by the private corrections company CoreCivic and houses male inmates under contract with the federal Bureau of Prisons. As described in the indictment, Fletcher is accused of accepting five cash bribes totaling $4,390 from June to December 2019, and in return acted “in violation of her official duties as a correctional officer” by failing to “report or investigate prohibited objects being brought into McCrae Correctional Facility.”
“Fletcher is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for turning a blind eye to contraband being brought into the prison,” said James F. Boyersmith, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Miami Field Office. “Correctional Officers who engage in bribery undermine the safety and integrity of federal prisons.”
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless
The case is being investigated by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo.
Preston County man sentenced for role in drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – David Gamble, of Masontown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 70 months of incarceration for his role in methamphetamine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin drug distribution operation, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Gamble, age 58, pleaded guilty in February 2022 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Gamble admitted to working with another to distribute methamphetamine in April 2020 in Monongalia County.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zelda E. Wesley and Sarah E. Wagner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI's Northern West Virginia Drug Task Force in partnership with the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The Task Forces have members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Monongalia County Sheriff's Office; the Preston County Sheriff’s Office; Mineral County Sheriff’s Office; and the Morgantown, WVU, Granville and Star City Police Departments. The investigation was also assisted by the following law enforcement partners: the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office, the FBI in Houston, Texas; the Houston Police Department's Multi Agency Gang Initiative; the United States Postal Inspection Service in Houston; and, the FBI and DEA in Los Angeles, California.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/25-people-indicted-drug-trafficking-operation-spanned-several-states
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 31 Years for Violating Federal Drug and Gun LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 31 years and eight months in prison on his conviction for federal drug and firearms laws, specifically conspiracy to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on James Perrin, age 44.
According to information presented during the jury trial of Perrin and co-defendant Price Montgomery in 2018, Perrin and Montgomery operated a heroin distribution network out of Montgomery’s residence in the Mt. Washington section of Pittsburgh during 2013 and 2014. In June of 2014, investigators seized approximately three kilos of heroin and 16 firearms from Perrin and Montgomery during searches of a vehicle occupied by Perrin and Montgomery and Montgomery’s residence.
Assistant United States Attorneys Heidi M. Grogan and Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Western Pennsylvania Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the IRS - Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Perrin.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced the Dustin M. Frank, 40, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for possession of child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Frank to 36 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Frank will being a five-year term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender. Chief Judge Rossiter also ordered Frank to pay $6,000 in restitution.
In August of 2019, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force received information from a third party that child pornography was found on a computer the third party had previously loaned to Frank. On November 22, 2019, the FBI executed a federal search warrant of Frank’s Omaha residence and seized numerous digital devices. A search of those digital devices located 128 unique images of minors under the age of 12 years old engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the images showed toddlers and infants being sexually abused.
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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 414 Months for Kidnapping, Sexual Assault, and Possession of ContrabandRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky.— A Portsmouth, Ohio man, Charles Glorioso, 53, was sentenced to a total of 414 months on Monday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning for kidnapping, sexual assault, and possession of contraband.
According to the testimony at his trial, on July 10, 2020, and the early hours of July 11, 2020, Glorioso and Nathan Welch kidnapped a woman at knifepoint. The victim was driving the two in her vehicle, from Portsmouth, into Greenup County, Kentucky. There, the victim testified, both men physically and sexually assaulted her, until she was allowed to leave, when she traveled back across the river on foot. The incident was reported to police and she was transported to the hospital, for treatment of multiple injuries sustained during the assault. Later, where the assault took place in Greenup County, officers located the victim’s abandoned vehicle, her belt, shoe, as well as the knife used during the kidnapping and assault, all in or near her vehicle.
In addition to that conviction, Glorioso had pleaded guilty previously to two counts of possession of contraband while incarcerated.
Glorioso was convicted in March 2022. Welch was convicted for his role in December 2021. Welch was sentenced in March 2022, to 384 months and three years of supervised release.
Under federal law, Glorioso must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Office; Col. Phillip Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Chief Debby Brewer, Portsmouth Police Department, jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by FBI, KSP, the Portsmouth Police Department, and the Ohio Bureau of Investigation. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francisco Villalobos and Zachary Dembo.
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Norwich Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAMES BAKER, 36, of Norwich, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 3, 2021, Norwich Police stopped Baker for a motor vehicle violation and subsequently found a loaded, .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol under the driver’s seat of the vehicle, and more than 600 bags of fentanyl on his person.
Baker’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for assault, burglary, weapon and drug offenses. 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.
Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for September 27, at which time Baker faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Baker has been detained since February 3, 2021.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Norwich Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program.
PSN, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, 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.
Northern Nevada Man Sentenced for Assaulting A Passenger and Interfering with Flight Crew Onboard an Aircraft En Route to Las VegasRead the Press Release
RENO, Nev. – A Gardnerville, Nev., resident was sentenced Friday by Chief U.S. District Judge Miranda M. Du to five years of probation, six months of home confinement, and restitution in the amount of $49,079, for assault and interference with crew members during a flight from Seattle to Las Vegas.
Daniel A. Parkhurst (41) pleaded guilty on February 22, 2022 to one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants, and one count of simple assault in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.
According to court documents, on October 31, 2019, Parkhurst touched a female passenger’s inner thigh without consent. Parkhurst started to punch the female passenger multiple times after she smacked his hand away. Flight attendants and other passengers intervened to stop Parkhurst from punching the female passenger. As a result of Parkhurst’s behavior, the flight was forced to land in Reno where Parkhurst was removed from the plane and arrested.
U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Reno-Tahoe International Airport Police Department, and the Office of the Nevada Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randolph J. St. Clair and Penelope Brady prosecuted the case.
If you think you are a victim of sexual assault aboard an aircraft, report the incident to your flight crew and to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or contact your local FBI office.
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Normandy, Franklin, and Loudon “Nfl” Gang Member Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Participate in a Racketeering EnterpriseRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Juawan Davis, age 25, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. Following his guilty plea, U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Davis to 13 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
The sentence 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 Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Secretary Robert Green of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, from 2017 to April 2019, Davis participated in the Normandy, Franklin, and Loudon “NFL” drug trafficking enterprise (DTO) and self-identified as an NFL member. The term “NFL” stands for Normandy, Franklin, and Loudon, which are three adjacent streets that run through the Edmondson Village in Baltimore. Members of NFL have social and familial ties to the Edmondson Village neighborhood in southwest Baltimore. Members of the NFL distributed large quantities of heroin, cocaine base, and fentanyl to drug users and drug redistributors from Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. In furtherance of the enterprise, NFL members shared narcotics supplies and distributed narcotics on a daily basis, including heroin mixed with fentanyl. Drug customers believed they were purchasing heroin, but in reality, the NFL DTO often altered the heroin with fentanyl or sold fentanyl to customers without any heroin.
As detailed in his plea agreement, law enforcement intercepted communications identified Davis as a participant in the NFL’s drug trafficking activities. Specifically, Davis obtained heroin and fentanyl in distribution quantities from other NFL members, which he then sold to customers on a regular basis. Davis agrees that it was reasonably foreseeable to him that he and other NFL members distributed over one kilogram of heroin during his participation in the DTO.
Additionally, Davis intimidated, threatened, and publicly shamed individuals who the enterprise thought to be cooperating with law enforcement. For example, on January 11, 2018, Davis posted a photo of a former NFL drug distributor on social media, in which Davis identified the former distributor as a “rat” or a person who cooperated with law enforcement. Similarly, on January 31, 2018, Davis posted discovery information from a state prosecution which identified a witness in the case. Davis made this post to assist an NFL member who was pending trial in that case. The witness later refused to testify in state court and the case was dismissed against the NFL member.
Further, on December 20, 2018, agreed to provide an associate with one of his handguns after the associate requested the firearm. In the process of retrieving the firearm, Davis traveled to his Baltimore home and shared a live stream video of himself brandishing a pistol. Shortly after retrieving the pistol from his home, the law enforcement stopped Davis at a nearby gas station where agents searched his car and recovered 40 grams of a heroin fentanyl mix and a pistol loaded with ammunition.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, DEA, ATF, DPSCS, the Montgomery Police Department, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter J. Martinez, John W. Sippel, and James Wallner, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile.
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New York City Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Shakespeare Cruz, age 48, of New York City, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine in the Northern District of New York, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, and New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Cruz admitted that he distributed multiple kilograms of heroin and cocaine from 2014 through January 2019. Cruz further admitted that he and his co-conspirators arranged for the drugs to be transported from New York City to Lewis County, New York, where the drugs were then re-distributed to others.
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also sentenced Cruz to a 5-year term of supervised release to begin after Cruz serves his term of imprisonment and ordered Cruz to pay a forfeiture judgment in the amount of $200,000, representing the proceeds of his drug trafficking offense.
This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), the New York State Police, the United States Marshals Service, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and the Lewis County District Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicolas Commandeur, Adrian LaRochelle, and Andrew Beaty.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms and Drug Distribution ConvictionsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on June 23, 2022, QUENTRELL BERTHOLOTTE, age 29 of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced by the Honorable District Court Judge Barry W. Ashe. BERTHOLOTTE previously pleaded guilty as charged to a four-count indictment. He was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2) in Counts 1 and 2; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B) in Count 3; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i) in Count 4.
BERTHOLOTTE was sentenced to a total of ten (10) years imprisonment and four (4) years of supervised release. He was sentenced to 46 months for Counts 1 and 2, and 60 months for Count 3, all to run concurrently. As to Count 4, he was sentenced to 60 months to run consecutive to all other sentences. He is also required to pay a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee for each count.
According to court documents, BERTHOLOTTE came under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) in December of 2020. On January 14, 2020, he was seen on video surveillance wielding a 5.56 caliber “ghost gun,” which does not have a serial number. During a search of his girlfriend’s apartment on April 22, 2021, investigators found over forty (40) grams of fentanyl, the “ghost gun,” a Glock 27 semi-automatic handgun, and over $30,000.00 in U.S. currency. BERTHOLOTTE was previously convicted of a drug trafficking offense in Orleans Parish.
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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles D. Strauss.
New Mexico Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristopher N. Houghton receives 2021 DOJ Criminal Division Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished ServiceRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – On June 22, Assistant United States Attorney Kristopher N. Houghton was selected as a recipient of a 2021 Criminal Division Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service. Houghton was selected for this award to recognize his superior performance through exceptional leadership over the Department of Justice’s extraditions and operations program in Colombia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since February of 2020, Houghton has been on special detail as Deputy Judicial Attaché and now Judicial Attaché for the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the Department of Justice.
In 2021, Houghton and Deputy Judicial Attaché Jamie Mickelson hired, trained and led a team of local staff in Bogotá, Colombia, and worked closely with the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs jointly completing 190 extraditions and submitting over 200 provisional arrest requests to the Government of Colombia. Houghton’s work resulted in the arrest and extradition of Dairo Úsuga David (alias “Otoniel”), whom Colombia’s President likened to Pablo Escobar, as well as the extradition of four individuals identified by the Attorney General as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets, the development of countless narco-terrorism cases and bilateral public corruption cases, and the arrest for extradition of a group responsible for drugging, kidnapping and robbing U.S. special forces soldiers. Additionally, Mr. Houghton served as principal counsel to the U.S. Ambassador on all bilateral law enforcement matters, including during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am proud of Mr. Houghton’s work towards maintaining the Department’s most effective bilateral criminal justice relationship in the Western Hemisphere,” said United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez. “It is an honor to lead this talented team of attorneys, and Mr. Houghton’s exemplary service represents the standard of excellence our dedicated staff works every day to achieve. Mr. Houghton’s contributions have ensured that justice is never beyond our reach.”
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New Britain Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ARMANDO GONZALEZ, 40, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2019, the DEA’s Hartford Task Force began investigating a Mexican-based drug trafficking organization that was distributing fentanyl and heroin in Connecticut. The investigation revealed that Gonzalez and other members of the organization received kilogram-quantities of narcotics, primarily fentanyl, from a source in Mexico, and then distributed the drug to street-level distributors. Members of the organization delivered cash generated from the sale of narcotics to a money broker in Brooklyn, New York, who assisted in laundering the narcotics proceeds before they were transferred to leaders of the drug trafficking organization. Between August and October 2019, investigators seized more than $200,000 in cash from members of the drug trafficking organization.
Gonzalez and his associate, David Cintron, used several locations to store, process and package fentanyl for street stale, including office space on Pratt Street in Hartford, an apartment in the Asylum Hill neighborhood in Hartford, and an apartment in New Britain. On December 18, 2019, Cintron was arrested on state charges shortly after he drove from the Pratt Street location and was found in possession of approximately 4,860 wax paper sleeves of fentanyl, 90 grams of unpackaged fentanyl, and other items used to process and package narcotics.
Gonzalez, Cintron and three associates were arrested on federal charges on April 28, 2020. On that date, investigators searched the New Britain apartment and seized numerous bags of suspected fentanyl, items used to process and package narcotics, a 9mm firearm, 9mm ammunition, and cash. Cintron was located in the bathroom of his Manchester residence, flushing suspected fentanyl in the toilet.
On June 3, 2020, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Gonzalez, Cintron and eight others with narcotics distribution and money laundering offenses. On March 28, 2022, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Gonzalez has been detained since his arrest.
Gonzales’s criminal history includes a state assault conviction, stemming from an incident where he stabbed a two victims at a nightclub, and federal conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Cintron pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. Agencies assisting the investigation include the DEA New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Strike Force and the New York Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Morgantown man admits to firearms conspiracyRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Curtis Neal, of Morgantown, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Neal, 44, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the False Statement in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms.” Neal admitted to working with others to illegally purchase several firearms from a licensed dealer in Monongalia County in November 2019.
Neal faces up to 10 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 Zelda E. Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
More charges filed in fraud and kickback schemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas ‐ A 56-year-old woman has been taken into custody on charges related to a healthcare fraud and kickback scheme, announced Jennifer B. Lowery.
Nora Alaniz, South Padre Island, is set to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker at 10 a.m. today. Previously charged was Dr. Tajul Shams Chowdhury, 72, McAllen. He will again appear on the charges in the superseding indictment in the near future.
The 16-count superseding indictment returned June 21 charges Alaniz and Chowdhury with conspiracy to pay and receive illegal kickbacks in exchange for the referral of prescriptions for compound drugs.
Alaniz is a registered nurse and the former owner of a home health care company located in Hidalgo County, according to the charges, while Chowdhury is a physician who also previously operated a medical clinic in Edinburg.
Alaniz allegedly received kickbacks disguised as employee salaries from a local pharmacy. In turn, she paid Chowdhury and employees of his medical clinic for the referrals.
The superseding indictment alleges Chowdhury wrote prescriptions and referred them to the pharmacy. As a result of the illegal kickback scheme, the pharmacy received more than $300,000 from healthcare benefit programs such as Medicare and Medicaid from January to July 2017, according to the charges.
The indictment further alleges Alaniz received over $70,000 in kickbacks.
Chowdhury and five others were originally charged July 15, 2021, for conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, multiple counts of healthcare fraud, illegal kickback conspiracy and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Four have already pleaded guilty in relation to the charges in the original indictment.
If convicted o the new charges, Chowdhury and Alaniz face up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
U.S. Postal Service - Office of Inspector General (OIG), FBI, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Labor – OIG, Veterans Affairs - OIG, Texas Health and Human Services and the Department of Health and Human Services - OIG, Texas Attorney General's Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Texas Department of Insurance conducted the investigation. The South Padre Island Police Department provided assistance with the arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Mescalero man sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison for firearms violationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Wallace Reid Rice was sentenced on June 23 to three years and 10 months in prison. Rice, 29, of Mescalero, New Mexico, and a citizen of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2021, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on July 25, 2021, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Police responded to a report of domestic violence at Rice’s residence on the Mescalero Apache Reservation. An investigation revealed that Rice was in possession of a 9mm handgun and ammunition. At the time, Rice had been convicted in federal court of possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and had been convicted in tribal court of domestic violence. As a previously convicted felon and a person previously convicted of domestic violence, Rice cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Upon his release from prison, Rice will be subject to three years of supervised release.
The Mescalero Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Matilda McCarthy Villalobos prosecuted the case.
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Marion County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Dennis Lee Boyce, of Fairmont, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 24 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Boyce, 50, pleaded guilty in March 2022 to one count of “Unlawful Possession of Firearm.” Boyce, a person prohibited from having firearms because of a prior conviction, admitted to having four rifles and two shotguns in January 2020 in Marion County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Man Sentenced for Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A California man was sentenced 36 months in prison following a jury conviction in March 2022 on one count of mail fraud and one count of making a false representation in a bankruptcy proceeding.
According to court documents, in January 2018, Nana Baidoobonso – Iam, 69, engaged in a scheme in which he mailed an Involuntary Petition in Bankruptcy to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Kansas. The defendant signed the Involuntary Petition in Bankruptcy under the penalties of perjury and falsely claimed that an individual owed him $630,000 and owed a second person $1.26 million.
The U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Trustee Program investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger prosecuted the case.
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Leader of Oxycodone Distribution Network Pleads Guilty to Decade-Long ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Front Royal woman pleaded guilty today to being the ringleader of a decade-long oxycodone distribution network, sourcing high-dosage oxycodone pills from a doctor in Arlington.
According to court documents, Candie Marie Calix, 40, nominally worked as an office manager for a physician in Arlington, referred to in court records as Doctor-1. Between 2012 and 2022, Doctor-1 prescribed Calix nearly 40,000 oxycodone 30-mg pills and more than 9,000 oxycodone 15-mg pills. Doctor-1 also prescribed similar quantities of oxycodone 30-mg and 15-mg pills to Calix’s relatives, including her mother, grandparents, great-grandmother, brother, and husband. These quantities were far in excess of therapeutic doses, and Calix personally distributed or directed others to distribute most of the pills that Doctor-1 prescribed to Calix and her family members.
Calix functioned as the gatekeeper to Doctor-1; she recruited individuals she knew from around Front Royal to be “patients” of Doctor-1 and obtain large quantities of oxycodone. These “patients,” in turn, typically kicked back the oxycodone 30-mg pills they were prescribed to Calix to redistribute, and kept the oxycodone 15-mg pills for their own use. Calix recruited at least 12 individuals to be “patients” of Doctor-1.
Calix and her co-conspirators used coded language to refer to the pills they distributed, for example, referring to oxycodone 30-mg pills as “tickets,” “blueberries,” or “muffins.” The co-conspirators typically sold oxycodone 30-mg pills at a cost of $25 per pill, and over the course of the conspiracy, generated at least $5,000 per month in profits.
Two of Calix’s co-conspirators, Kendall Sovereign, 56, and Jessica Talbott, 35, both of Front Royal, also pleaded guilty to their involvement in the conspiracy. Sovereign and Talbott are both scheduled to be sentenced on September 21.
Calix is scheduled to be sentenced on September 28. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh is prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principle mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-115.
Leader of Large Cedar Rapids Heroin and Fentanyl Ring Uncovered by Wiretap Pleads Guilty to Six Federal CrimesRead the Press Release
A man who led a multi-year heroin and fentanyl distribution ring pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Brian Jarell Dennis, age 32, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin, four counts of distributing controlled substances (heroin, fentanyl, and another synthetic form of fentanyl called acetyl fentanyl), and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
At the plea hearing, Dennis admitted that he conspired to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin between 2017 and June 2021. He also admitted that, in early June 2021, he possessed a firearm after he had previously been convicted of a felony. Dennis also admitted to personally distributing substances containing heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl on four occasions in December 2020 and January 2021.
Evidence presented at prior hearings showed that during the early part of 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration in Cedar Rapids initiated a wiretap investigation into Dennis’s drug distribution ring. That evidence showed that during the months of the wiretap, Dennis employed intermediaries whom he supplied with purported heroin (which almost always also contained fentanyl or another synthetic opioid) to distribute to customers. Several of those customers regularly distributed that purported heroin to other individuals.
Seven other individuals, Cody Scott Deklotz, Andrew James Lehman, Jerry Dwayne Banghart, Melinda Salvatora Werning, Thomas Nathaniel May, and Demico Demon Irvin, previously pled guilty to the heroin conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing. Ryan Rick Schlitter was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy. Three other individuals charged in the same indictment are still pending trial.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Dennis remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Dennis faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $14,250,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21‑CR‑32‑CJW.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Le Mars Man to Federal Prison for Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed firearms, stored them for a convicted felon, and provided a false statement to a firearms dealer was sentenced June 24, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City to more than three years in federal prison.
Jason Blau, 46, from Le Mars, Iowa, pled guilty on February 10, 2022, to being a drug user in possession of firearms and providing a false statement to a federal firearms dealer.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that Blau was a daily user of methamphetamine. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Blau’s residence in January of 2021, and seized drug user paraphernalia, methamphetamine, thousands of rounds of ammunition and 17 guns, including rifles, shotguns, and handguns. Blau had obtained guns and ammunition from Robert Hansen, and stored them for Hansen, who was a convicted felon. Blau had previously straw-purchased (with a false statement) two AR-15 rifles for Hansen. Hansen asked Blau to purchase and store guns because Hansen was prohibited from doing so due to his criminal history.
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.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Blau was sentenced to 45 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of three years of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Blau remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4053.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
KC Man Pleads Guilty to $10 Million Conspiracy to Distribute 1,000 Kilos of MethRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a nearly $10 million conspiracy to distribute almost 1,000 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Joshua A. Brown, 38, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from Sept. 1, 2018, to Nov. 5, 2019.
Brown was arrested on March 26, 2019, after he paid $5,000 to purchase methamphetamine from a co-defendant through an intermediate, who was a confidential law enforcement source. Kansas City, Mo., police officers then arrested Brown in the parking lot of the apartment building where he received the methamphetamine.
Brown, who was driving a stolen Volkswagen Jetta, had a loaded Smith and Wesson .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun in his waistband when he was taken into custody. The handgun also had been reported as stolen. Officers searched the Jetta and found a red backpack that contained an Iver Johnson Arms .32-caliber revolver, an Arminus Titan Tiger.38-caliber revolver, and an Iver Johnson Arms .45-caliber revolver, all of which had been reported as stolen. The backpack also contained a blue Nike bag with approximately 735.7 grams of pure methamphetamine and 23.7 grams of marijuana.
Brown told investigators he purchased whole kilograms of methamphetamine every few days. Brown admitted he sold methamphetamine by the ounce and made $150 profit on each ounce sold.
Brown is among 16 defendants who have pleaded guilty in two separate indictments that resulted from this investigation.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government and Brown agree to a sentence of at least 20 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole. Brown must also pay a money judgment not to exceed $9,961,839, representing all of the proceeds obtained as a result of the drug-trafficking conspiracy. The forfeiture is based on a conservative street price of $2,300 for 226 grams (a half-pound) of methamphetamine and the total conspiracy distribution of nearly 979 kilograms (978,859 grams) of methamphetamine. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Sean T. Foley, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bradshaw. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Mid-Missouri Drug Task Force.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri. A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program that identifies the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Justice Department Sues Kansas Department of Health and Environment to Protect the Rights of a U.S. Army National Guard MemberRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it has filed a lawsuit in federal court in the District of Kansas against the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), to protect the employment rights of Army National Guard Staff Sergeant (SSG) Stacy Gonzales. The Department of Justice alleges that KDHE violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) when it took action to eliminate SSG Gonzales’ position because she had an upcoming military deployment.
“This lawsuit reinforces the Justice Department’s strong commitment to protecting the rights of those who serve in our country’s armed forces,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “We owe a solemn duty to members of the National Guard and Reserve to act when any employer seeks to deny them an opportunity to earn a living because they are called to duty.”
“Any attempt to deny someone employment based upon their dedicated military service to this country is wrong and a violation of that person’s civil rights,” said U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard for the District of Kansas. “It is the responsibility of the Justice Department to take action to support our servicemembers and we take that responsibility very seriously.”
According to the complaint, SSG Gonzales was employed as a Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) with the Finney County, Kansas, Department of Health from 2001 to 2010, a position funded by and under the direct control and supervision of KDHE. During this time, she also performed active military service including deployments to Iraq and Kuwait, as well as periodic training. The complaint alleges that upon her return from active service overseas in 2007, SSG Gonzales began to experience hostility from KDHE regarding her military obligations. The complaint further alleges that upon notice that Gonzales had orders for an overseas deployment in 2010, KDHE eliminated the funding for SSG Gonzales’ DIS position, thereby eliminating the position. The lawsuit seeks the recovery of SSG Gonzales’ lost wages and other employment benefits, as well as liquidated damages.
USERRA protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to retain their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations, and provides that servicemembers shall not be discriminated against because of their military obligations. The Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at www.justice.gov/crt-military/employment-rights-userra and www.justice.gov/servicemembers as well as on the Department of Labor’s (DOL) website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.
This case stems from a referral by the DOL, at SSG Gonzales’ request, after an investigation by the DOL’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. The case is being handled by Robert Galbreath in the Employment Litigation Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson Shaw in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas.
Justice Department Secures Settlements with 16 Employers for Posting Job Advertisements on College Recruiting Platforms That Discriminated Against Non-U.S. CitizensRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced that it signed settlement agreements requiring 16 private employers to pay a total of $832,944 in civil penalties to resolve claims that each company discriminated against non-U.S. citizens in hiring. According to the department, each company posted at least one job announcement excluding non-U.S. citizens on an online job recruitment platform operated by the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). One employer posted as many as 74 discriminatory advertisements on Georgia Tech’s platform, while several of the employers posted discriminatory advertisements on other college or university platforms as well. The department determined that the advertisements deterred qualified students from applying for jobs because of their citizenship status, and in many cases the citizenship status restrictions also blocked students from applying or even meeting with company recruiters.
“Unlawful hiring discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status is a widespread problem across higher education in the United States, putting many jobs out of reach of qualified college students and recent graduates,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to enforcing the law to ensure that students and job applicants — including lawful permanent residents, U.S. nationals, asylees and refugees — are protected from unlawful discrimination. We will hold employers accountable for using on-campus recruiting platforms in a discriminatory manner and work to provide relief for victims.”
The department’s involvement in these matters began after a lawful permanent resident filed a discrimination complaint with the Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section, alleging that a company advertised a U.S.-citizens only position on a Georgia Tech job recruitment platform. The department’s investigation discovered a rash of other facially discriminatory advertisements on Georgia Tech’s job recruiting platform as well as other platforms operated by colleges and universities across the United States. The department proceeded to open investigations of the employers with which it is settling, and continues investigations into additional employers.
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) generally prohibits employers and recruiters from limiting jobs based on citizenship or immigration status unless required by a law, regulation, executive order or government contract. The INA protects U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, refugees, asylees and recent lawful permanent residents from citizenship status discrimination in hiring, firing and recruitment or referral for a fee. Regardless of whether colleges or universities run afoul of the INA in the way they operate their job recruitment platforms, employers themselves are liable if the advertisements they post on those platforms violate the INA.
Under the terms of their individual settlement agreements with the department, the following 16 employers will pay civil penalties in varying amounts, depending, in part, on the number of discriminatory advertisements they posted:
EMPLOYER
PENALTY AMOUNT
KPMG LLP
$306,656
Keyot LLC
$256,928
Area-I, Inc.
$103,600
CapTech
$33,152
Akuna Capital
$29,008
American Express Company
$29,008
Sealed Air Corporation
$24,864
Clarkston-Potomac Group
$12,432
Toast, Inc.
$8,288
Blackbaud
$4,144
Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc.
$4,144
CONMED
$4,144
Edward Jones Investments
$4,144
KNAPP Inc.
$4,144
SimpleNexus, LLC, f/k/a L Brewer and Associates, LLC, d/b/a LBA Ware
$4,144
The Royster Group, Inc.
$4,144
TOTAL
$832,944
In addition to paying the civil penalties, the 16 employers must also require their recruiting staff to undergo training on their obligations under the INA’s anti-discrimination provision and to refrain from including specific citizenship or immigration status designations in their campus job postings unless the restrictions are required by law. They will also ensure that their other recruiting practices and policies comply with the INA’s anti-discrimination provision.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation.
Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. IER’s website has more information on how employers can avoid discriminating based on citizenship status when hiring and recruiting. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a free webinar; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER. View the Spanish translation of this press release here.
Johns Creek man pleads guilty to defrauding elderly manRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Aziz Choukri has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after admitting that he defrauded a 79-year-old retiree of approximately $650,000.
“Fraud schemes targeting the elderly are a particularly egregious type of fraud that often deplete the victims’ entire life savings,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This conviction affirms our commitment to prosecuting those who prey on our most vulnerable citizens.”
“The victimization of the elderly through financial scams represent one of the most significant types of cases the Secret Service investigates to combat fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven Baisel of the U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office. “Those who prey on the vulnerable and cheat them out of their life savings through their cunning lies and financial schemes must recognize that the Secret Service, along with our many law enforcement partners, will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law and bring a measure of justice to the victims.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: In 2016, Choukri met the victim, then 79 years old, at a fitness facility in Alpharetta, Georgia. Choukri cultivated a close relationship with the elderly victim to gain his trust. Choukri convinced the victim to invest almost $650,000 in his music management company. Choukri convinced the victim that the investment carried no risk and was guaranteed to earn a return.Specifically, Choukri promised that the victim would be compensated the full amount of any investment, plus interest, and even told the victim that he would guarantee him a $1,000,000 return. Choukri did not tell the victim that the money would be used to fund Choukri’s lifestyle.
Instead of using the money as an investment in a music business, Choukri used the victim’s money largely on Choukri’s own personal expenses, including, among other things, Choukri’s activities of daily living (e.g., fast food, gas, and uber), payments for his daughter’s college tuition and sorority expenses, dental work for his girlfriend, payments to his girlfriend for tutoring and babysitting, and repayment of a personal loan. Choukri also transferred a significant amount of the victim’s money to his children’s accounts and withdrew thousands of dollars in cash. Notably, Choukri’s accounts show that almost all of Choukri’s income in 2016 and 2017 was from the victim.
Aziz Choukri, 59, of Johns Creek, Georgia, pleaded guilty to wire fraud on June 16, 2022. Sentencing is scheduled for September 14, 2022, before U.S. District Court Judge Eleanor L. Ross.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Adams and Tal C. Chaiken are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is part of the Department of Justice Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force. The Strike Force focuses on investigating and prosecuting defendants associated with foreign-based fraud schemes that disproportionately affect American seniors. These include romance scams, phone scams, mass-mailing fraud schemes, and tech-support fraud schemes. For further information on these scams, see https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/senior-scam-alert.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Jamestown Man Indicted by A Federal Grand Jury for Selling Fentanyl That Led to Two DeathsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Steven Mojica Medina, 34, of Jamestown, NY, with distribution of heroin, fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl causing death, narcotics conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine, using and maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 30 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a 1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Misha A. Coulson and Michael J. Adler, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, on August 30, 2018, Medina sold acetyl fentanyl which resulted in the death of an individual identified as J.H. On September 9, 2018, Medina sold heroin, acetyl fentanyl, and fentanyl, which resulted in the death of an individual identified as J.T.
The indictment further states that:
• Medina conspired with others to sell heroin, fentanyl and cocaine;
• Used a residence on Euclid Avenue in Jamestown to conduct his drug trafficking activities; and
• Possessed firearms while conducting drug trafficking activities. In May 2015, Medina was convicted on a gun charge in Chautauqua County Court and is legally prohibited from possession firearms and ammunition.
Medina was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and was detained.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Indianapolis Man Sentenced to 27 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- James Winbush IV, 26 years old, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Winbush was sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on August 9, 2021, law enforcement in Merrillville, Indiana stopped a vehicle for speeding. During a search of the vehicle, an officer recovered a .40 caliber pistol loaded with an extended magazine, which Winbush admitted to possessing. Winbush’s criminal history revealed he has a prior felony conviction in Lake County, Indiana for burglary, and as such, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives/ Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force with the assistance of the Merrillville Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Padilla.
This case was 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.
Huntington Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Nigerian Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington woman was sentenced today to three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for her role as a money mule in a Nigerian fraud scheme that scammed money from individuals, many of whom were elderly. Patricia Dudding, 70, was also ordered to pay $1,788,589.24 in restitution
According to court documents and statements made in court, Dudding admitted that she received and wired fraudulent funds through numerous accounts she set up in her name at several different banks from May 2018 through July 2019. Dudding admitted that she did so at the direction of an individual she met online and knew as “Lucas Bennito Antonio” or “Lucas.” Dudding received numerous deposits in those bank accounts from “Lucas” and other individuals located in the United States and abroad. Dudding, and unnamed co-conspirators, would then transfer these funds to bank accounts located in Nigeria.
Dudding further admitted that she became aware that the activities of “Lucas” were not legitimate. A series of employees at the various banks questioned Dudding about her transactions, and in several instances closed her accounts for suspected fraud. To further the scheme, Dudding made false and fraudulent representations to these financial institutions to make it appear that the wire transfers were being sent for legitimate purposes. On April 26, 2019, Dudding sent a wire transfer of $39,000 from her account to an individual in Montana. Upon questioning by a bank employee, Dudding lied about the wire transfer to aid Lucas in completing the transfer of funds to the designated recipient in Montana.
Dudding further admitted that she withdrew victim funds for her personal benefit. According to Dudding, she used the funds to pay her utility and satellite television service. She also used the funds to purchase groceries, drug store items, gasoline, department store items, and restaurant meals. Dudding also made numerous cash withdrawals.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson prosecuted the case.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at https://www.ovc.gov.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-1.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for the distribution of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, Deandre Antonio Ziegler, 31, who is also known as “Little D,” admitted to distributing crack to an undercover informant on five different occasions in July and August 2020.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department Drug Unit and the FBI’s Southern West Virginia Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) West Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-17.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Curtis Ray Pelfrey, Jr., 36, admitted that he used eDonkey, an online file sharing program, from November 2018 to December 2019 to download and share videos and images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Pelfrey further admitted that on October 7, 2019, he used his computer to receive videos containing child pornography. Pelfrey admitted that 24 videos and five images he possessed on his computer depicted minors engages in sexually explicit conduct. Several of the images and videos have been identified as depicting known children. Pelfrey admitted that he engaged in this sort of activity since 2014.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie White prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-244.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Role in Multi-State Drug RingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to 17 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a multi-state drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl and other illegal drugs in the Huntington area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Scott Lee Midkiff, 36, admitted that he participated in the drug trafficking conspiracy from the summer of 2020 to July 2021. During the conspiracy, Midkiff frequently obtained quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl to distribute to various customers in the Huntington area. Midkiff provided the drugs to customers on consignment and was aware his customers intended to redistribute the drugs. Midkiff also admitted that he participated in arranging drug transactions by steering customers to certain drug dealers when customers would contact him.
On April 5, 2021, investigators seized over 1.2 pounds of methamphetamine, 130 grams of fentanyl and $84,000 in cash that Midkiff had arranged to be hidden in a vehicle parked in Huntington. When a search warrant was executed in the investigation on July 29, 2021, agents seized an additional 133 grams of fentanyl and $11,600 from a residence Midkiff shared with another individual.
Midkiff previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. The case is the result of a long-term investigation that disrupted the DTO and its distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base, also known as “crack.” All 18 defendants have pleaded guilty.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force is comprised of officers with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus, Ohio also assisted in the investigation.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-109.
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Hungry Texan sentenced for smuggling methRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 30-year-old Austin man has been ordered to federal prison for attempting to smuggle meth into the country while eating a cheeseburger, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Yen-Tsun Huang pleaded guilty Nov. 3, 2020.
Today, U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton ordered him to serve a total of 90 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Huang, a citizen of Taiwan, will lose his legal permanent resident status and be issued an immigration detainer upon completion of his incarceration.
On July 4, 2020, Huang was a passenger in a vehicle that attempted to pass through a Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint. Law enforcement noticed Huang displayed suspicious behavior by eating a cheeseburger immediately upon arrival. A K-9 also alerted authorities to the presence of narcotics within the vehicle.
Authorities referred him to secondary inspection. There, they discovered brick-shaped objects strapped to each of Huang’s thighs. They contained a total of 738.56 grams of meth.
Huang will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis E. Robinson prosecuted the case.
Helena pawn shop employee sentenced to three years in prison for firearm crimeRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — An employee of a Helena pawn shop was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm and lying during a firearm purchase at the business, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Isaiah Maurice Morsette, 39, of Boulder, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to prohibited person in possession of a firearm and to false statement during a firearms transaction.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents filed in the case, the government alleged that in 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began investigating Modern Pawn & Consignment after learning that Morsette was involved in the purchase of 88 pounds of gunpowder stolen from Montana Outdoor Sports in February 2021. The investigation found numerous violations of federal firearms laws. Morsette’s wife and co-defendant, Catherine Suzanne Morsette, was the federal firearms licensee for the business, while Morsette was the firearms and ammunition expert. Catherine Morsette, who was convicted in the case and sentenced to four years of probation, deferred to her husband on firearms-related matters.
On July 14, 2021, the ATF arrested several suspects, including Morsette, and searched the business. The ATF recovered 110 firearms, some of which were determined to be stolen, and an assortment of ammunition.
Morsette has felony convictions and at the time he possessed firearms, he knew he had been convicted of felony sexual intercourse without consent in December 2011 in Montana.
In March 2021, an undercover ATF special agent went to Modern Pawn, where Morsette told the special agent that he would have two Smith & Wesson 9mm pistols available for sale in four days. Morsette handed the special agent both pistols and discussed other firearms for sale or coming up for sale.
In April 2021, two undercover ATF special agents went to Modern Pawn where special agent #2 eventually bought a Savage 6.5 Creedmoor rifle from Morsette for special agent #1. Morsette handed the rifle to special agent #1. When special agent #1 asked about not having a Montana address yet, Morsette told the special agent to purchase the firearm from him anyway. With Morsette present, special agent #1 called special agent #2 and asked him to come to the store. While waiting for the second special agent to arrive, Morsette handed special agent #1 a box of ammunition. Special agent #2 arrived at the store and with Morsette filled out an ATF form for the rifle’s purchase. When special agent #2 asked about a question on the form regarding the actual purchaser of the firearm, Morsette responded, “yeah, it’s your gun brother, as far as I’m concerned.” Morsette knowing executed the ATF form stating that special agent #2 was the actual purchaser of the Savage rifle, when in fact he knew that special agent #1 was the actual purchaser.
The ATF investigated the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Gainesville Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Federal Prison for Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Octavius Durdley, 43, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison following his conviction on one count of failing to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentenced.
Durdley was convicted by a federal jury in February 2022. Evidence introduced at trial revealed Durdley was originally convicted and sentenced in 2010 of a federal sex offense which required him to comply with both state and federal registration requirements. Upon his release in May 2019, he initially complied with SORNA’s registration requirements. However, in October 2019, he announced his intention not to comply with any supervision or registration requirements. In December 2019, he was found to have violated his federal supervision and was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment. Following his release from prison in January 2021, he again failed to comply with his supervision or registration requirements until he was arrested in April 2021.
“This sentence is yet another example of the unwavering commitment to the protection of our most vulnerable and should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would attempt to harm them,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who prey upon our children.”
Durdley’s prison sentence will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, with requirements that he continue to register under SORNA.
United States Marshal Don Ladner remarked, “The U.S. Marshals are committed to ensuring that sex offenders follow all federal registration requirements. If these offenders fail to do so and break the law, we will fully investigate and prosecute their violations.”
The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), which was passed by Congress in 2006 as part of the Adam Walsh Act, provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States and seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs. In part, SORNA requires registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.This conviction was the result of an investigation by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney F.T. Williams prosecuted this case.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Four Jacksonville-Area Men Sentenced to Federal Prison Terms for Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Orlando Pina (31, Atlantic Beach), Tawfiq Goggans (25, Jacksonville), Juan Carlos Muniz-Alvarez (33, Jacksonville), and Juan Carlos Muniz-Alvarez (33, Jacksonville) have been sentenced to federal prison terms for their involvement in a conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of pure/actual methamphetamine in the Jacksonville area.
According to court documents, between December 2018 and September 2020, Pina supplied Goggans with two to six pounds of methamphetamine every week or two in Jacksonville. When arrested, Pina, having been previously been convicted of a felony offense, unlawfully possessed a firearm which was seized by law enforcement officers. In March 2022, Pina pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure/actual methamphetamine. On June 23, 2022, Pina was sentenced to 13 years and 8 months in federal prison. He was held accountable for distributing at least 1.5 kilograms and up to 4.5 kilograms of pure/actual methamphetamine.
On March 9, 2022, Goggans pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure/actual methamphetamine. He was sentenced on June 7, 2022, to 5 years in federal prison. Goggans was held accountable for distributing at least 1.5 kilograms and up to 4.5 kilograms of pure/actual methamphetamine.
On February 25, 2022, Muniz-Alvarez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure/actual methamphetamine. He was sentenced on June 1, 2022, to 10 years in federal prison. Muniz-Alvarez was held accountable for distributing at least 1.5 kilograms and up to 4.5 kilograms of pure/actual methamphetamine.
On April 1, 2021, Windle pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of pure/actual methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison on July 12, 2021.
“The illicit opioid crisis continues to ravage our communities, prematurely end lives, and tragically destroy families at the seams,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge John Condon. “The sentencings of these criminals to a combined 428 months in a federal penitentiary is a testament to the partnerships we have with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to stop the peddling of poison.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Clay County Sheriff's Office, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hackenberry.
Fort Wayne Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Steven J. Hecke, age 37, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was found guilty following a five-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
The jury found Hecke guilty of two counts of distributing methamphetamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Hecke’s sentencing will be scheduled by separate order of the Court. Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the District Court Judge after consideration of federal statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the Allen County Drug Task Force; the Allen County Sheriff’s Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Indiana State Police; and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller and Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
This case was 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.
Former Portland Attorney Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Client FundsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A former Portland attorney pleaded guilty today to multiple felony charges after perpetrating a scheme to defraud her clients and use the proceeds to pay for personal expenses.
Lori E. Deveny, 56, pleaded guilty to mail, bank, and wire fraud; aggravated identity theft; money laundering; and filing a false tax return.
According to court documents, between April 2011 and May 2019, Deveny systematically stole funds she held in trust for her clients. The funds were derived from insurance proceeds due and payable to her clients. Deveny is accused of forging client signatures on settlement documents she sent to various insurance companies, making unauthorized transfers of funds to personal accounts and falsely telling clients that the insurance companies were to blame for delays in settling claims. Many of Deveny’s clients never received the insurance payout they were owed.
Deveny used the proceeds of her scheme to pay for personal credit card and loan payments, numerous big game hunting trips to Africa and the resulting taxidermy costs, other vacations, her husband’s photography business, home remodeling, expensive cigars and other expenses associated with a lavish lifestyle.
On May 7, 2019, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 24-count indictment charging Deveny with mail, bank, and wire fraud; aggravated identity theft; money laundering; and filing a false tax return.
Deveny will be sentenced on November 23, 2022, before U.S. District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman.
As part of her plea agreement, Deveny has also agreed to pay restitution in full to her victims as determined by the government and ordered by the court.
Mail and wire fraud are punishable by up to 20 years in prison and money laundering is punishable by up to 10 years. All three offenses carry maximum fines of $250,000 or twice the gross gains or losses resulting from the offense and three years’ supervised release. Bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and five years’ supervised release. Filing a false tax return is punishable by up to three years in prison, a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gains or losses resulting from the offense, and one year of supervised released. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by up to two years in prison running consecutive to any other carceral sentence imposed.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI and is being prosecuted by Claire M. Fay, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Former New Bedford Police Union Treasurer Sentenced for Stealing Union FundsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former New Bedford Police Department (NBPD) officer and NBPD Union Treasurer was sentenced today for stealing nearly $50,000 in union funds.
Joshua Fernandes, 41, of New Bedford, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to three months in prison and two years of supervised release, of which the first six months will be served in home confinement with location monitoring for the first three months. The government recommended a sentence of one year in prison. Fernandes was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $47,851. In October 2021, Fernandes pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
“Mr. Fernandes took an oath to protect and serve the people of New Bedford. Instead, he violated the trust bestowed upon him by both the New Bedford community and his fellow officers,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “For several years, Mr. Fernandes stole tens of thousands of dollars in union funds and recklessly spent it on a range of personal expenses including beach vacations, phone bills and online dating. Adding insult to injury, he tried to cover up his theft by backfilling the depleted accounts with more stolen funds from the Union’s retirement investment account. Public officials who misuse their positions of trust for their own personal enrichment will be prosecuted. No one is above the law.”
“As a police officer, and union treasurer, Joshua Fernandes took an oath to uphold the law, but today he was sent to prison for breaking it. Fernandez stole tens of thousands of dollars in union funds—the hard-earned money of his fellow officers—and instead spent it on himself to settle more than four hundred personal charges, such as beach vacations, event tickets, children’s toys, and online dating,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “What he did is abhorrent, and today’s sentencing should be a warning to others that the FBI is committed to rooting out public corruption and preserving trust in law enforcement.”
Fernandes abused his position as Union Treasurer by using nearly $50,000 in union funds to pay for personal expenses including vacations, family outings, and a monthly wireless family phone plan, among other things. Fernandes carried out his scheme by reimbursing his personal credit card accounts with union funds and by using the union’s credit cards to pay directly for non-union expenses.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta and Jonathan Russo, District Director of U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor Management Standards made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Executive Director of Madison Daycare Center Sentenced to 30 Months for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Nichole Genz, 41, Evansville, Wisconsin, was sentenced Friday June 24 by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 30 months in federal prison for wire fraud. Judge Peterson also ordered Genz to pay restitution in the amount of $216,561.85. Genz pleaded guilty to the charge on December 3, 2021.
Genz pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud from 2013 to 2018 as part of a scheme to defraud her employer Park Towne Development Corporation (PTD). PTD had various subsidiary entities, including a daycare center called Learning Gardens Child Development Center. Genz worked as the Executive Director at Learning Gardens from September 3, 2013 until October 2, 2018, when she was fired.
Genz and the PTD Accounting Manager participated in a scheme to defraud the company through various methods of embezzlement, which included: (1) diverting Learning Gardens tuition checks into the Learning Gardens petty cash account; (2) cashing altered checks by diverting them to the Learning Gardens petty cash account; (3) creating false bank statements for the Learning Gardens petty cash bank statement that hid the check diversions; and (4) misuse of the company credit card and debit cards for personal purchases. Genz submitted monthly expense reports that falsely coded her personal expenditures as Learning Gardens business expenses, and she attached receipts to the expense reports with handwritten notations falsely indicating the purchases were for Learning Gardens.
At Friday's sentencing hearing, which involved the taking of evidence and lasted over 7 hours, Judge Peterson noted that while the PTD Accounting Manager—who is now deceased—was the primary embezzler in the tuition check diversion part of the fraud scheme, Genz was aware of it and helped cover it up. The judge explained that the PTD Accounting Manager and Genz working together inflicted more harm to the victim company, and made it a more serious crime, than had it been just one person engaged in the scheme. Judge Peterson also told Genz that he did not think she had made a sincere and forthright effort to accept responsibility for her conduct, and that her slow efforts to come to terms with her actions, worried him about her future prospects for not reoffending.
In imposing the 30-month prison sentence, Judge Peterson told Genz he needed to impose such a sentence for specific deterrence – to deter her from future criminal conduct, as well as for general deterrence to the public – that tells future offenders who embezzle from their employers that they will face prison time.
The charges against Genz are the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Graber is handling the prosecution.
Former Cargo Handler at LAX Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Stealing Four Gold Bars Headed from Australia to New YorkRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former cargo handling company employee at Los Angeles International Airport was sentenced today to 12 months in federal prison for stealing four gold bars that were part of a larger shipment headed from Australia to New York.
Marlon Moody, 39, of South Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who also ordered him to pay a fine of $7,500.
Moody pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of conspiracy to commit theft of an interstate or foreign shipment.
A co-defendant, Brian Benson, 36, also of South Los Angeles, also pleaded guilty in July 2021 to the same charge.
Both men worked for Alliance Ground International (AGI), a company that provided ground handling services at LAX. On the evening of April 22, 2020, a shipment of gold bars arrived at LAX on Singapore Airlines. A total of 2,000 gold bars, each weighing one kilogram and valued at approximately $56,000, were being shipped at the direction of a Canadian bank. During a stopover at LAX, the gold was offloaded and secured, but an inventory that evening showed one box containing 25 gold bars was missing.
Moody found the missing box of gold bars near the Singapore Airlines cargo warehouse on the morning of April 23, placed the box on a belt loader and drove that vehicle to a nearby location, where he removed four of the bars. Soon after, Benson arrived to pick up Moody in a company van, where they exchanged text messages about the gold bars because other employees were in the van. The two defendants later left the airport and went to a nearby parking lot, where Moody gave Benson one of the four gold bars.
The lost box with the 21 remaining gold bars was discovered by other cargo handlers later on April 23, and authorities began an investigation that ultimately led to Moody and Benson.
Moody gave one gold bar to a relative on May 4 “and directed the family member to exchange the gold bar for a vehicle and/or money,” according to court documents. Around this time, Moody buried the remaining two gold bars in the backyard of his residence.
The FBI recovered all four gold bars about two weeks after they went missing from LAX.
“[Moody] conspired to steal and actually stole $224,000 worth of gold and kept $112,000 worth for himself,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “As an AGI employee, defendant was entrusted with handling cargo shipments at LAX and granted access to certain sections of the airport. [Moody] squandered that trust by stealing from those who relied on him to handle their property.”
Benson served a four-month prison sentence for the crime he committed in this case.
The FBI, the Federal Air Marshal Service, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Los Angeles Airport Police investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Lyndsi C. Allsop of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Final Defendant of Three Arrested for Role in Kidnapping, Carjacking, and Firearm Offense Against FBI EmployeeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a woman from Kersey, Colorado, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for her role in Kidnapping, Carjacking, and Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
Lourdes Bonilla, age 23, was indicted on May 19, 2022. She made her initial appearance before U.S. Judge Daneta Wollmann on June 24, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment. Juan Francisco Alvarez-Sorto, age 24, and Deyvin Morales, age 27, made their initial appearances before U.S. Judge Daneta Wollmann on June 9, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment
The maximum term of imprisonment upon conviction for each count is as follows: up to life for Kidnapping; up to fifteen (15) years for Carjacking; and a mandatory minimum of seven (7) years up to life for Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Each count also has a maximum fine of $250,000.
According to the indictment, on or about May 6, 2022, near Red Shirt, in the District of South Dakota, the defendants, Juan Francisco Alvarez-Sorto, a/k/a Juan Francisco Alvarez, a/k/a “Juanito R.,” a/k/a “Juan Jr.,” Deyvin Morales, a/k/a Deyvin Eliabid Escriba Morales, a/k/a Deybi Eleabit Escriba Morales, a/k/a “Guate,” a/k/a “Watay,” a/k/a “Chapine,” and Lourdes Alondra Bonilla, a/k/a “Bhabie Doze,” a/k/a “Princess_Doze,” did willfully and knowingly kidnap and abduct a victim. At the time, the victim was engaged in the performance of their official duties as a professional support employee with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The defendants also took the victim’s vehicle, with force, violence, and intimidation, and brandished a rifle during the commission of the charged criminal conduct. It is alleged that the defendants aided and abetted each other in committing the charges set forth in the indictment.
The charges are merely accusations, and each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
The defendants were all detained pending further court proceedings in South Dakota. A trial date of August 16, 2022, has been set.