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28 July 2022
Troy Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Entice a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Lawrence Belcher, age 37, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to attempting to coerce and entice a child to engage in sexual acts with him. 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).
Belcher admitted that between January and April 2022, he sent sexually explicit text messages to someone he believed to be a 13-year-old boy. Belcher asked to meet the child in person in order to engage in sexual acts with the child in his car. On April 14, 2022, Belcher traveled to a motel parking lot in Schenectady County in order to meet and have sex with the child. Belcher was encountered by law enforcement upon his arrival and arrested; he has been in custody since that day.
Belcher has a prior misdemeanor conviction for sexually abusing a child younger than 14 years old, and was a registered sex offender at the time of his arrest in April.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 28, 2022 in Syracuse before United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes. Belcher faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. 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 FBI Special Agents and members of state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Rotterdam and Colonie Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Barnett 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.
Three More Straw Purchasers Plead Guilty in Connection with Beckley-Philadelphia Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Maurice Johnson, 36, of Mount Hope, and Beckley residents Donte Webster, 22, and Kyla Gilbert, 25, each pleaded guilty today to making straw firearm purchases in connection with a conspiracy to traffic more than 130 firearms from the Beckley area to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Johnson, Webster and Gilbert are among more than a dozen individuals charged in connection with the firearms trafficking conspiracy, which took place from around June 2020 to around July 2021. More than 40 of the firearms have been recovered in Philadelphia and have been connected to two homicides, crimes of domestic violence, and other violent offenses.
“Stopping straw purchasers is critical to keeping our communities safe,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “As this case continues to show, great harm is inflicted on people’s lives when firearms are provided to those who are prohibited from possessing them. As I’ve stated before, the fact that firearms are being purchased in southern West Virginia and taken to Philadelphia to be used in homicides should be of great concern both to our state and our nation. I commend the ATF for their continuing work in helping us prosecute this case.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, Johnson and Webster admitted to purchasing firearms for co-defendant Bisheem Jones, also known as “Bosh.” Through an intermediary, Jones provided each with the money to purchase firearms and told them which ones to buy.
Johnson admitted to buying a HS Produkt, Model XDS MOD (Springfield Armory), 9mm pistol and a Ruger, Security-9, 9mm pistol, in Mount Hope on December 29, 2020. Webster admitted to purchasing a Glock 19Gen5, 9mm pistol, a Glock 26Gen5, 9mm pistol, and a Taurus G2C, 9mm pistol in Beckley on July 6, 2021. Webster further admitted that he bought at least 13 firearms for Jones in June and July, 2021, so Jones and others could transport and resell them outside of West Virginia.
Gilbert admitted to purchasing two Ruger, Model Ruger 57, 5.7x28-caliber pistols in Beckley on May 10, 2021, for Denise Johnson, a co-defendant of Jones, Maurice Johnson and Webster. Gilbert admitted that Denise Johnson gave her the money to purchase the firearms and told her which ones to buy. Gilbert further admitted to buying at least four firearms for Denise Johnson in April and May, 2021.
Maurice Johnson, Webster and Gilbert each pleaded guilty to making false statements in acquisition of firearms, admitting they falsely certified on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 that they were the buyers of the firearms when they knew they were buying the firearms for someone else.
Five co-defendants have also pleaded guilty to making false statements in acquisition of firearms, admitting to making straw purchases in the conspiracy: Tyana Bly, Stephanie Cohernour, Arileah Lacy, Terri Lawhorn and Lakeshia Nicole Simon. Co-defendant Derrick Woodard pleaded guilty to interstate travel with the intent to engage in dealing firearms without a license. Six additional defendants have pleaded guilty to firearms offenses related to the same interstate gun trafficking conspiracy: Megan Bickford, Jaleel Delaney, Michelle Grim, Brandon Lawson, Dejaha Morris, and Sequoyah Swain. The case remains pending against Jones, Denise Johnson and three other co-defendants. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maurice Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2022. Webster and Gilbert are scheduled to be sentenced on December 15, 2022. Each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani is prosecuting the cases.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-46 and 5:22-cr-127.
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Third Man Pleads Guilty in the Hostage Taking that Resulted in the Death of a U.S. CitizenRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Mario Peia and Alexandra F. Foster (619) 546-9706/6735
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 28, 2022
SAN DIEGO – Luis Armando Dorantes Rivera Jr. of Tijuana pleaded guilty in federal court today for his role in the kidnapping of Miguel Anthony Rendon, a U.S. citizen, which resulted in Rendon’s death.
Dorantes pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew G. Schopler to Hostage Taking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1203. Dorantes is the third defendant to plead guilty in connection with this crime, after Alan Lomeli-Luna and Wyatt Valencia-Pacheco.
In his plea agreement, Dorantes admitted that on May 29, 2020, at approximately 11:50 p.m., Dorantes and others forcibly removed the victim, Miguel Anthony Rendon, from his hotel room in Tijuana, Mexico. Dorantes and others punched, kicked, and pistol-whipped Rendon. Once subdued, Dorantes and others placed Rendon in a waiting car and drove away.
Dorantes’ co-conspirators then took Rendon to another hotel in Tijuana, Mexico. There, while Rendon was held and detained, Dorantes’ co-conspirators called Rendon’s family and made ransom demands for Rendon’s release. Specifically, Dorantes’ co-conspirators demanded $2,000 to $3,000 or methamphetamine in exchange for Rendon’s release.
On or about May 30, 2020, Dorantes’ co-conspirators intentionally killed Rendon.
“This is a tragic case where a young man paid the ultimate price for getting involved with the wrong people, and his family is forever devastated,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “Drug traffickers don’t hesitate to use extreme violence. We will not hesitate to seek justice for victims.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team as well as the investigating FBI agents for their excellent work on this case.
“Dorantes’ guilty plea confirms the FBI’s commitment to fully investigating violent crimes against U.S. citizens abroad and ensuring everyone involved in the senseless killing of victim Miguel Anthony Rendon is held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI's San Diego Field Office. “This case shines a light on the disregard for human life these defendants had assuming they were outside U.S. jurisdiction and U.S. law enforcement. No defendant is safe from the FBI’s reach. We will pursue any criminal around the world to ensure justice is served – today’s guilty plea is another example.”
Dorantes is scheduled to be sentenced October 31, 2022, at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Court Judge William Q. Hayes. Valencia-Pacheco is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3, 2022 at 9 a.m. and Lomeli-Luna is scheduled to be sentenced on September 12, 2022 at 9 a.m., also before Judge Hayes.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 21CR1683-WQH
Luis Armando Dorantes Rivera, Jr.,
aka “Gordo Rivera” Age: 26 Tijuana
SUMMARY OF CHARGE
18 U.S.C. Sec. 1203 - Hostage Taking
Maximum Penalty: Life in prison
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Tampa Convicted Felon on Probation Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing A Loaded FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Reginald Wester, Jr. (23, Tampa) to 15 months in federal prison possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Westser was also ordered to forfeit the firearm and serve 3 years of supervised release. Wester had pleaded guilty on April 26, 2022.
According to facts presented in court, Wester, a convicted felon, was on state probation for shooting and carrying a concealed weapon. On February 5, 2021, Wester reported to his state probation officer in Tampa for a court ordered drug test. However, instead of providing a valid sample for analysis, Wester provided a false urine sample to his probation officer and was subsequently arrested. An officer with the Tampa Police Department was called to the probation office to transport Wester. The officer seized a loaded 9mm pistol from Wester’s car. As a convicted felon, Wester is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
Wester admitted knowing the loaded pistol was in his car, but claimed it wasn’t his. However, investigators recovered Wester’s DNA from the grip, trigger, front sight, muzzle, and rear site of the pistol.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig Gestring.
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.
Superseding Indictment Charges Murder-For Hire of Nashville Man & WomanRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Four men indicted in December in a kidnapping conspiracy that resulted in the murders of a Nashville man and woman in March 2020 have now been charged with murder for hire, announced U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee.
A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment on Monday, charging Erik Charles Maund, 47, Gilad Peled, 48, and Bryon Brockway, 47, all of Austin, Texas, and Adam Carey, 31, of Richlands, North Carolina, with murder for hire, conspiracy to kidnap resulting in death, and kidnapping resulting in death.
According to the indictment, Maund, a partner in Maund Automotive Group in Austin, Texas, sometimes travelled to Nashville to visit a relative and, in early February 2020, he emailed a woman (H.W.) with whom he had had a prior relationship, for the purpose of seeing her during his upcoming visit to Nashville on February 5-7.
After his visit to Nashville, on March 1, 2020, Maund received a series of text messages from an individual (W.L.) who had a personal romantic relationship with H.W. W.L. demanded payment from Maund and threatened to expose Maund’s relationship with H.W. if W.L. did not receive the money. Maund then enlisted the services of Peled, Brockway, and Carey to assist with dealing with the threats to expose his relationship with H.W. and the extortionate demands.
The indictment further alleges that on March 5, 2020, Maund withdrew $15,000 from his bank account, and on that same day an “intelligence report” was prepared and provided to Peled by a relative of Brockway who worked for an internet-based security company.
A series of actions were then undertaken by Carey and others, including travelling from out of state to Nashville to surveil H.W. and W.L. and creating and using a Pinger account to attempt to communicate with H.W. and L.W. On March 9, 2020, Peled received a document entitled “Tennessee Sitrep,” which stated that Carey and others had surveilled H.W.; confirmed her address and vehicle; confirmed that W.L. had been staying at the same address; and advised that Carey and others would use everything at their disposal to stop the attempted extortion of Maund.
On March 11, 2020, Peled deposited $8,000 in cash into Speartip Security’s business account and $7,000 in cash into his personal bank account. The following day, Maund transferred $150,000, via wire, from his bank account to a bank account controlled by Peled. On that same day, Brockway and Carey, while armed with firearms, confronted H.W. and W.L. in the parking lot of H.W.’s apartment complex in Nashville and murdered W.L. by shooting him multiple times. They then kidnapped H.W. and drove her and the body of W.L. to a construction site on Old Hickory Boulevard in Nashville, where they murdered H.W. by shooting her several times. The bodies were then discarded at the construction site and within hours of the murders, the Pinger account used to communicate was deleted and a rental car rented by Brockway was returned.
Carey then drove Brockway to Memphis, Tennessee, and Brockway caught a flight to Austin, Texas. Carey then drove to Austin from Memphis.
The indictment also alleges that between March 11, 2020, and the present, Maund transferred in excess of $750,000, via wire, from his bank account to an account controlled by Peled, as payment to Peled, Brockway, and Carey for the kidnapping and murder of H.W. and W.L.
All defendants were arrested on December 10, 2021and remain in custody. The indictment also alleges that after being arrested, Peled informed Maund that one of the co-conspirators involved in the kidnapping and murders wanted more money as payment for the criminal acts. Maund agreed to pay the co-conspirator an additional $25,000 and then offered Peled $50,000 to arrange to pay Brockway $100,000 for the murder of the co-conspirator, to cut off any future requests for payment for the original murders.
If convicted, all defendants face up to life in prison.
In addition to the Memphis FBI Field Office and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, investigative and arrest assistance was provided by FBI Field Offices in Charlotte, North Carolina; San Diego, California; San Antonio, Texas; the FBI Critical Incident Response Group; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; the Texas Department of Public Safety; the Austin, Texas Police Department; the Williamson County, Texas Sheriff’s Department; the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina; and the Jacksonville, North Carolina Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert McGuire and Brent Hannafan of the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Stephany of the Eastern District of North Carolina; Matt Harding of the Western District of Texas; and Derek Ko of the Southern District of California.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Springfield, Illinois Man Sentenced to 5 months’ Imprisonment and 3 months Home Confinement for COVID-19 Related Wire FraudRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois man, Charles Jones, 26, of the 500 block of North 13th Street in Springfield, Illinois, was sentenced on July 27, 2022, for COVID-19 wire fraud. He was sentenced to five months’ imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release that includes three months’ home confinement.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Jones applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) from the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”). The loan was funded through the CARES Act in response to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. The EIDL funds were intended to provide low interest loans to businesses that were unable to cover fixed costs due to the pandemic. In the loan application, Jones fraudulently affirmed that he operated an apparel business, “Just Like Jilla,” that employed eleven people and had gross revenues of $1,200,000 for the twelve months prior to January 31, 2020. The representations were false as Jones did not operate a business or employ anyone. The fraud was reported by a local credit union and the funds eventually returned to the SBA.
At the hearing, United States District Judge Sue E. Myerscough admonished Jones that his actions prevented the funds from going to small business that were devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jones was indicted in December of 2020 and plead guilty in March of 2022.
The statutory penalties for wire fraud are up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
“We appreciate the efforts of law enforcement and local financial institutions who have helped identify individuals who have fraudulently obtained pandemic related funds,” stated Assistant United States Attorney, Sierra Senor-Moore.
If members of the public are aware of COVID-19 related loans that they suspect were fraudulently obtained or forgiven, they should report it to the Office of Inspector General for the Small Business Administration, 1-800-767-0385, or online at https://sbax.sba.gov/oigcss/. Reports can be made anonymously.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Sierra Senor-Moore represented the government in the prosecution.
Seven Defendants Plead Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking-Based Charges in Oakland and San LeandroRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Six East Bay residents and one Oregon resident pleaded guilty today to drug trafficking charges that led to the largest seizure of fentanyl in the Bay Area at that time, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan. The guilty pleas were accepted by the Hon. Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, United States District Judge.
In connection with entering their guilty pleas, each defendant submitted to the court a written plea agreement. Javier Castro Banegas-Medina (Castro), 41; Elmer Rosales-Montes, 29; and Jose Ivan Cruz-Caceres, 32, admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl to numerous people who acted as re-distributors, selling the drugs to others. The defendants charged as re-distributors are Jihad Jad Tawasha, 35; William Joseph Laughren, 26; Heather Borges, 34; and Yeny Lizeth Fernandez-Reyes, 26.
Castro admitted in his plea agreement that in the spring of 2021 he led a drug trafficking organization. The organization was created to distribute large amounts of fentanyl in Oakland and San Leandro. Castro acknowledged that, as the leader of the organization, he conspired with others to distribute more than 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of fentanyl. The drug trafficking organization distributed fentanyl from two residences, one located in San Leandro and the other in Oakland were Castro lived with other members of his organization. Castro described in his plea agreement that he set up a price list based on the strength of the fentanyl, which involved dying fentanyl different colors such as blue, yellow, pink, purple, and green. Castro admitted that he and his co-members of drug trafficking organization sold well over 100 orders for fentanyl between approximately April 21, 2021, and May 19, 2021.
Two other defendants, Elmer Rosales-Montes and Jose Ivan Cruz-Caceres, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl from April 21 to May 25, 2021. They admitted in their respective plea agreements that they lived at the Oakland residence with other members of the drug trafficking organization. They each admitted that the two residences were storage and distribution centers for the drugs and that their role was to act on the fentanyl orders that the organization received. Rosales-Montes and Cruz-Caceres delivered the drugs to customers by rendezvousing at a gas station or a car wash near the residences. At those locations, they would engage in hand-to-hand transactions of fentanyl with the buyers in exchange for cash.
The remaining four defendants admitted in their plea agreements to buying the fentanyl and pleaded guilty to purchasing it with the intent to re-distribute it. Yeny Lizeth Fernandez-Reyes admitted that she purchased fentanyl on multiple occasions with the intent to distribute it. For example, she admitted purchasing five ounces on April 21, 2021, and she admitted that a co-conspirator purchased 400 grams on May 10, 2021, of which at least 200 grams were hers for re-distribution. Jihad Jad Tawasha admitted that on April 26, 2021, he drove to the Oakland residence and bought seven ounces of fentanyl, then drove to Modesto where he intended to distribute it. He was arrested three days later with multiple ounces of fentanyl. Heather Rae Borges admitted that she bought fentanyl from the organization on multiple occasions, and that on May 6, 2021, in Oakland she bought 10 ounces of fentanyl which she intended to distribute. However, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on her car and seized the drugs. William Joseph Laughren, Jr., admitted that on May 12, 2021, he bought 12.2 grams of fentanyl from the organization with intent to distribute it, but was arrested before he could do so.
Court documents describe additional circumstances of the arrests of several of the defendants. For example, both Elmer Rosales-Montes and Jose Ivan Cruz-Caceres admitted in their plea agreements that they each were arrested with others at the Oakland residence on May 25, 2021, when law enforcement investigators executed search warrants at both the Oakland and San Leandro residences; both defendants acknowledge in their plea agreements that during the searches the investigators recovered approximately 10 kg of fentanyl and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in multiple calibers that had been hidden in fenceposts surrounding the Oakland property. From both properties, the investigators seized a total of $31,400 in cash which was proceeds from the organization’s drug trafficking activities; and other equipment including dyes, scales, and blenders.
Castro, Rosales-Montes, Cruz-Caceres, and Fernandez-Reyes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(b)(1)(B)(vi). Borges pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(B)(vi). All five defendants face a maximum prison term of 40 years, with a mandatory minimum prison term of 5 years. Laughren and Tawasha pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) &(b)(1)(C). These two defendants face a maximum prison term of 20 years in prison.
In addition to the maximum statutory penalties for their crimes, the court may order each defendant to serve additional periods of supervised release and additional fines. However, any sentence will be imposed only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Sentencing for Castro-Benegas, Rosales-Montes, Cruz-Caceres, and Fernandez-Reyes is set for October 27, 2022. Judge Gonzalez Rogers scheduled further status hearings for Tawasha, Laughren, and Borges on September 29, 2022.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Kleinman and Noah Stern are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Katie Turner, Kay Konopaske, Leeya Kekona and Karina Ruiz. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Investigation, and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. This investigation and prosecution are under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, which 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.
Roseburg Daycare Owner Pleads Guilty to Stealing Government FundsRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—The owner of a Roseburg, Oregon in-home daycare facility pleaded guilty today in federal court for stealing federal childcare funds.
Katie Jo Thompson, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds.
According to court documents, Thompson cared for her disabled child while also operating a licensed childcare business out of her Roseburg residence. Thompson applied for various federal benefit programs administered by the Special Security Administration (SSA) on her child’s behalf. In these applications, Thompson misrepresented her household income, prompting an SSA investigation.
The investigation revealed that Thompson had applied for and received federal Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) program funds administered by the Oregon Department of Human Services (Oregon DHS) to support her business. The ERDC program requires that childcare program operators maintain attendance logs for one year. When SSA investigators obtained these logs from Thompson, they showed that Thompson had misrepresented the number of children in her daycare facility resulting in ERDC payments for childcare not provided. Thompson further claimed children were present in the facility who had never attended.
Thompson also used individuals hired to care for daughter who were funded by Medicaid’s Personal Support Worker program to work in her daycare facility thereby allowing Thompson to forgo paying daycare employees herself.
Between January 2018 and December 2019, Thompson fraudulently received and converted to personal use more than $329,000 in federal assistance funds provided by SSA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
On April 20, 2022, Thompson was charged by criminal information with one count of theft of government funds.
Thompson faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years’ supervised release. She will be sentenced on November 14, 2022, by U.S. District Court Judge Ann L. Aiken.
As part of her plea agreement, Thompson will pay restitution to the agencies she defrauded.
This case was investigated by the SSA Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) with assistance from Oregon DHS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Sowray is prosecuting the case.
Randolph County man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Joshua Dewayne Simmons, of Elkins, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 24 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Simmons, 29, pleaded guilty in February 2022 to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine—Aiding and Abetting.” Simmons admitted to selling methamphetamine in November 2020 in Randolph County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug Task Force investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Project Manager Pleads Guilty to False Statements Regarding Lead Contamination at City ParkRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A project manager pleaded guilty in federal court today to misleading federal authorities about lead contamination in a Granby, Mo., city park after he was hired to conduct remediation at the site.
“This defendant was responsible for cleaning up the contaminated soil at Granby City Park, but he deliberately made false statements and provided false information about the dangerous level of lead contamination that continued to threaten the health and safety of the community,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “This unconscionable deceit cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars to correct, which we intend to recoup through fines or restitution.”
“The Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General is committed to providing strong oversight for grants and contracts,” said Special Agent in Charge Garrett J. Westfall of the EPA OIG’s Western Division Field Office. “Recipients will be held accountable for ensuring that they use taxpayer funds in accordance with federal regulations and to support the health and safety of communities. In this case, a guilty plea by a formerly trusted contractor serves to help restore confidence in the EPA health and environmental programs the people of Newton County, Mo., deserve. The EPA OIG thanks our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners for their dedication to this investigation.”
“Today’s guilty plea highlights the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s commitment to protect the integrity of the DoD procurement process,” said Michael Mentavlos, Special Agent in Charge, DCIS Southwest Field Office. “DCIS, in concert with our federal law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, stand united in ensuring the safety and welfare of our communities.”
“The defendant intentionally provided false information to regulators regarding lead contamination in the Granby community,” said Special Agent in Charge Lance Ehrig of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Missouri. "Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that EPA and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding accountable individuals who choose to violate the law.”
Lynn Eich, 65, of St. Louis, Mo., waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to a federal information that charges him with one count of making a false statement relating to a federal environmental remediation contract.
Eich was employed by Environmental Quality Management as the project manager for a soil remediation project in Newton County, Mo. The remediation company was awarded a contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency, which ultimately totaled nearly $12 million, to perform mine waste remediation at the Newton County Mine Waste Remediation Superfund Site in and around Granby. This area had been previously contaminated with lead in the surface soil deposited through historical mining and smelting operations in the area.
The contract required the removal of contaminated soil and backfilling some areas, including Granby City Park, using clean fill material.
Approximately one month before it was awarded the contract for the Newton County project, the remediation company was also awarded an EPA contract in Oronogo, Mo., to complete a similar but larger soil remediation project. The receipt of both contracts was not expected and caused Eich to request a personnel change to the Newton County project’s Quality Assurance, Quality Control (QAQC) Manager in order to complete both contracts. Eich represented to the Corps of Engineers that the replacement for the QAQC Manager had comparable experience as the person listed on the original application and that the replacement was qualified to fulfill the duties of a QAQC Manager on the Newton County project. In fact, the replacement QAQC Manager was not qualified and had little to no experience testing soil for hazardous materials.
Between Sept. 12 and Oct. 19, 2016, the QAQC Manager failed to properly test fill material that was used to remediate Granby City Park.
On Oct. 14, 2016, the site superintendent, who reported to Eich, received laboratory analysis of two samples taken from the offsite borrow source. One sample indicated lead levels of 640 mg/kg and the other indicated a lead level of 720 mg/kg, both in excess of the contractual requirement of less than 100 mg/kg. The results of these samples were not reported to the EPA or the Corps of Engineers as required by federal environmental laws.
On June 4, 2018, Eich called the Corps of Engineers and indicated that a “hot spot” had been detected in Granby City Park. During the call, Eich misrepresented the scope of the area of contamination at the park by stating that it was less than 1,000 cubic yards. Eich also submitted a map of Granby City Park that showed a limited area of contamination when, as Eich knew, lead contamination was pervasive through the entire park.
By pleading guilty today, Eich admitted that he intentionally made this false statement and provided false information regarding the scope and amount of lead contamination at Granby City Park.
The EPA then conducted its own sampling of Granby City Park, followed by additional sampling by the EPA National Enforcement Investigations Center, which found Granby City Park was still contaminated by lead in the soil. The EPA was required to hire another remediation contractor to conduct a removal project of Granby City Park. The removal project required removal of the contaminated backfill and soil from the park to ensure the health and safety of the community. The removal project was completed in June 2021, resulting in additional costs to the EPA.
Under federal statutes, Eich is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 18, 2023.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brent Venneman and Casey Clark. It was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Inspector General; the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigative Division; the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and the Army Criminal Investigative Division, Major Procurement Fraud Unit.
Postal Robber Sentenced to Two YearsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron today sentenced Defario Antoine Evans (29, Orlando) to two years in federal prison for robbery of a postal carrier. Evans had pleaded guilty on April 15, 2022.
According to court documents, on June 23, 2018, Evans approached a United States postal carrier as the carrier was delivering the mail in Orlando. Evans demanded that the postal carrier give him the postal key. After a brief verbal exchange, Evans placed his left arm behind his back, which the postal carrier interpreted as implying that Evans had a weapon. The postal carrier then cooperated with Evans by raising his arms in the air and stepping backward. Evans continued to step toward the postal carrier, then grabbed the keys from the postal carrier’s belt loop after the postal carrier had removed the keys from his pocket.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.
Philadelphia Woman Sentenced 2 ½ Years in Prison After Pleading Guilty in Connection with Arson of Two Police Cars During 2020 ProtestsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Lore Elisabeth Blumenthal, 35, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison (30 months), two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay more than $95,000 restitution by United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick in connection with the arson of two Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) vehicles during the Spring 2020 civil unrest in Philadelphia.
In June 2020, the defendant was charged by criminal complaint following investigations into multiple arsons of law enforcement vehicles during the protests that occurred in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN. The charges stemmed from incidents which occurred on May 30, 2020, during which Blumenthal set fire to two PPD vehicles that were parked on the north side of Philadelphia City Hall. In March 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of obstructing, impeding and interfering with law enforcement officers engaged in the lawful performance of their official duties during the commission of a civil disorder.
“Now that several of those arrested in Philadelphia in connection with arsons during the 2020 racial justice protests have been sentenced in federal court, it is important to reflect on the gravity of what happened in our city and across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “We witnessed a movement that spurred thousands of people to take to the streets to peacefully protest unequal treatment under the law, but some saw it as an opportunity to commit violent, destructive crimes that endangered the lives of many, and ultimately robbed taxpayer-funded resources from the mission of protecting the public. That is unacceptable, and our Office will continue to work to ensure that all Americans can safely and freely exercise their First Amendment rights, while holding accountable those who would hijack peaceful protests for their own violent and selfish ends.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message—when you are intent on conducting a violent act that breaks federal law, ATF and our law enforcement partners will make sure you are held accountable,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “This type of violent behavior puts our entire community in danger, so the outcome of this investigation is a small victory for all citizens of the Commonwealth.”
“Peacefully protesting is protected activity. Purposeful arson and destruction of property — those are crimes,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “The actions of Lore Elisabeth Blumenthal and others who similarly crossed the line endangered law enforcement and countless bystanders alike, and proved a huge distraction from the message carried by protesters seeking social justice. There are productive ways to express your anger and desire for change, but violence will never be one of them.”
“Investigative successes like this are a testament to the interagency cooperation being practiced by partnering agencies united in the common goal of ensuring our national security and keeping our communities safe,” said William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge for the HSI Philadelphia Field Office. “I am exceptionally proud of how HSI Philadelphia’s Special Agents and Analysts teamed together with our federal, state and local partners in this case, utilizing technology and collaboration to bring the defendant to justice.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Philadelphia Police Department and the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office, with assistance from the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, and is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia Felon Sentenced to over Eight Years in Prison After Conviction for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Kevin Jamelle Archie, 40, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison, and three years of supervised release by United States Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky for illegally possessing a loaded firearm.
In May 2019, the defendant was convicted after trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges stemmed from an incident in September 2016, when Philadelphia Police officers responded to a 911 call for a person with a gun in the area of Frankford Avenue and Pacific Street in the Harrowgate section of lower Northeast Philadelphia. Officers approached Archie when they saw him drop a black metallic object near the wheel well of a parked car and heard the object hit the ground. The officers recovered a firearm loaded with ten rounds of ammunition, and subsequently arrested the defendant. At the time of his arrest, Archie had previously been convicted of a felony – possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances – which barred him from legally possessing a firearm.
“This is the second such sentence handed down today in two different, unrelated cases that are strikingly similar: both defendants were convicted by juries of the charge of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, both incidents occurred in a particularly violent section of the city, and both defendants attempted to discard the firearms they were carrying so as not to be caught by police,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “These cases are noteworthy even if they appear to be simple at first glance because they demonstrate our commitment to fighting violent crime by targeting the most dangerous, repeat offenders.”
“There is no place in our community for firearms to be in the hands of convicted felons,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Office. “ATF will always remain steadfast in our efforts to collaborate with our law enforcement partners and reduce violent crime. Identifying, investigating, and incarcerating armed felons that threaten the safety of the community is at the forefront of our efforts to combat gun crime.”
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. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tom Zaleski.
Philadelphia Felon Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison After Conviction for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Asa Jackson, 40, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to nine years in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney for illegally possessing a loaded firearm.
In March 2022, a jury convicted Jackson of unlawfully possessing a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony. The charges stemmed from an incident in May 2020 in the Harrowgate section of Philadelphia during which Philadelphia Police officers responded to a 911 call that someone had assaulted two women inside a Frankford Avenue corner store and threatened them with a firearm. When officers arrived, they observed a man one block away who fit the description in the call, later identified as Jackson. When Jackson saw the police, he ducked between two parked vehicles and dropped the firearm to the ground. Police apprehended Jackson and recovered a loaded pistol. At the time of his arrest, Archie had previously been convicted of a felony which barred him from legally possessing a firearm.
“Reducing violent crime – especially gun crime – is a priority for our Office, and deterring individuals from illegally carrying weapons on the streets of Philadelphia is part of our strategy,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “We are committed to working with the Philadelphia Police Department and other law enforcement partners to target the most dangerous, repeat offenders and bring them to justice.”
“This sentence ensures that a violent criminal is taken off the streets for a long time,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Keeping our communities safe from violent felons like Jackson will always be our top priority. This outcome highlights the value of the collaborative effort with our local, state, and federal partners to reduce violent crime.”
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. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiwana Wright.
Pennsylvania Man Admits Traveling to New Jersey to Engage in Sexual Activity with MinorRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man today admitted traveling from Pennsylvania to New Jersey in order to engage in illicit sex acts with a minor, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Quentin Anthony Blount, 29, of Easton, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In October 2020, Blount began communicating with an undercover officer on an internet-based application. After an extensive conversation with the undercover officer, Blount agreed to pay the undercover officer in order to have sex with the minor, who he believed was 14 years old. Blount then traveled from Easton to Somerset County, New Jersey, in order to meet with the minor. Blount was arrested upon arriving at the predetermined meeting location.
The charge of traveling to engage in illicit sexual activity carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 8, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and members of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Barnes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Orange Park Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Sex Abuse Images over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Charles Lelande Boston (32, Orange Park) today pleaded guilty to receiving materials over the internet depicting the sexual abuse of children. Boston faces a minimum mandatory term of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison. Boston was arrested on August 12, 2021, and remains in custody. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) conducted an online investigation on a file-sharing network for files containing materials depicting the sexual abuse of children. In January, March, and April 2021, a CCSO detective connected with a computer that had files depicting the sexual abuse of children available online for sharing. Homeland Security Investigations and CCSO later executed a search warrant at the residence associated with that computer and Boston was determined to be the owner of the computer. An examination of Boston’s computer revealed a folder of downloaded files containing approximately 80 files depicting the sexual abuse of children.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' 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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
North Tonawanda Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Michael Kornaker, 50, of North Tonawanda, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to wire fraud and violation of supervised release. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A. C. Penrose, who is handling the case, stated that between June and August 2020, shortly after being released on supervised release from federal prison following a prior fraud conviction, Kornaker fraudulently applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The EIDL program provides funds to small businesses or private, non-profit organizations that suffer substantial economic injury as a result of a declared disaster, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Kornaker applied for $60,500 by using the name and personal information of another person and without that person’s permission.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas Fattorusso.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 30th at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
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New York Man Pleads Guilty to Bank FraudRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Robert Willim, 63, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty in federal court to bank fraud, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between September 14, 2020 and September 18, 2020, Willim entered Citizen Bank branches in New Hampshire and other states and presented counterfeit Passport cards belonging to account holders. Willim then cashed fraudulent checks addressed to the account holders. The checks usually had the account holders’ real Social Security numbers on them. In total, Willim fraudulently obtained $27,102.05 and unsuccessfully attempted to cash additional fraudulent checks totaling another $16,784.20.
Willim is scheduled to be sentenced on December 6, 2022.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter.
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Nebraska Drug Dealer Caught in Southeast Missouri Sentenced to Serve over 20 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU - The United States Attorney's Office announced that Russell E. Ritter-Westerfield, age 45, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced to serve 262 months in federal prison for the offense of Possession with Intent to Distribute Over 500 Grams of Methamphetamine. Ritter-Westerfield appeared for his sentencing hearing today before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
According to court documents, law enforcement officials arrested Ritter-Westerfield at a motel in Marston, Missouri in June 2018. A cooler was found in the motel room, which contained approximately four pounds of methamphetamine. At his guilty plea hearing earlier this year, Ritter-Westerfield admitted that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine. Ritter-Westerfield has an extensive criminal history, including multiple felony drug-trafficking convictions from the State of Nebraska. After serving his 262-month sentence, he will be placed on supervised release for a period of ten years.
This case was investigated by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.
Navajo Nation Man Charged with MurderRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY – Randy Lansing, 38, of Aneth, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation Indian Tribe, was charged by a federal grand jury in the District of Utah with second degree murder within Indian Country for unlawfully killing a member of the Navajo Nation on April 23, 2022, while on Tribal lands.
Lansing has pleaded not guilty to the charges contained in the indictment and his trial is currently scheduled for September 6, 2022.
Assistant United States Attorneys from the United States Attorney’s Office are prosecuting the case. Special Agents from the FBI, along with Patrol Officers and Investigators from the Navajo Nation, are conducting the investigation.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Nashville Man Convicted of Armed Methamphetamine Trafficking in Southeastern KentuckyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Nashville man was convicted on Thursday, by a federal jury sitting in London, of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The jury convicted Marlon Johnson following a three-day trial and about two hours of deliberations.
According to evidence at trial, on November 18, 2019, Johnson led law enforcement officers with the Knox County Sheriff’s Department on a high-speed chase, through residential streets in Corbin, before crashing into a gate and parked car. Johnson then fled on foot, into a cemetery, where he was ultimately apprehended. During a search of his vehicle, law enforcement located more than a kilogram of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm.
Marlon Johnson was indicted on December 20, 2018, following an investigation by the DEA, Knox County Sheriff’s Department, and Operation UNITE.
Johnson will appear for sentencing on November 29, 2022. He faces from 15 years to life in federal prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division; and Sheriff Mike Smith of the Knox County Sheriff’s Department made the announcement. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew H. Trimble.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Mogadore Man Found Guilty of Threating to Retaliate Against WitnessRead the Press Release
A Mogadore man was found guilty on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, of obstructing justice by retaliating against a witness. Andrew F. Dodson, 33, was convicted by a federal jury following a three-day trial before Judge Donald C. Nugent in Cleveland.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in July 2021, federal authorities began an investigation into Dodson following his arrest for OVI and possession of chemicals that could be used to make explosive devices. During the investigation, Dodson lied to federal authorities and pleaded guilty to making false statements in November 2021. Court records state that Dodson was allowed to remain on bond and in the community following his guilty plea.
During this time, Dodson came into possession of a witness statement given to federal authorities during the prior investigation. Court documents show that Dodson then contacted and threatened the witness with the intent to retaliate due to the witness’s cooperation. Dodson was later arrested.
Dodson is scheduled to be sentenced on November 28, 2022, and faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian S. Deckert and Jason W. White.
Middleburg Man Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Federal Prison for Using A Minor to Produce Sexually Explicit ImagesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced Harold Clare Potter III (49, Middleburg) to 20 years and 6 months in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for using a minor to produce sexually explicit images. Potter had pleaded guilty on April 25, 2022. Potter was arrested on October 1, 2021, and has been detained throughout the proceedings in this case.
According to court documents, an officer with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) responded to allegations of a minor being videotaped while showering. Minor Victim 1 (MV1) reported that she had stayed at Potter’s residence from June to July 2021, and, while getting out of the shower, she noticed a black cellphone under the door recording her. When she left the bathroom, Potter told her if she told anyone he would make it look like she was lying. MV1 went to her room and did not leave until another adult came home. During the course of her visit, Potter made several remarks to MV1, including “You turn me on. If you knew what you were doing to me you would run away. You turn me on.”
A CCSO officer later responded to Potter’s home in response to a call that he was suicidal. When the officer made contact, Potter admitted to recording MV1 while she was in the bathroom at his home and that “she turns me on.” He admitted to still having the same cellphone, which he had a family member provide to another officer. He also admitted there were child exploitation materials on the phone.
Following additional investigation, including reviewing Potter’s cellphone and speaking with him, images of MV1 were located on Potter’s cellphone. Potter also admitted to placing a smoke detector hidden camera in the bedroom that had exclusively been used by MV1 in an attempt to obtain nude photographs of her.
“Grown men who prey on the vulnerability and innocence of children are the worst kind of human being,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Through our law enforcement partnerships, we will never rest in our efforts to catch these predators and make our communities safer for our children.”
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' 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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Melbourne Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Distributing Two Images Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of A ChildRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Robert Lee Ripley (47, Melbourne) to 14 years in federal prison and 10 years of supervised release for distributing images of child sexual abuse. The court also ordered Ripley to pay $5,000 in restitution. Ripley had pleaded guilty on February 24, 2022.
According to court documents, on June 24, 2021, Homeland Security Investigation Task Force Officers rescued a female child, approximately five years old, that had been sexually abused by a male subject. The male subject had produced images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of the child. A forensic analysis of the cellphone belonging to the male subject revealed a series of chat sessions through KIK, where he shared images depicting the abuse of the child victim. Specifically, the abuser shared with Ripley, the moderator of a KIK chat group, two images depicting the sexual abuse of the minor. During the chat, it was obvious the abuser had access to the child victim, and he was actively producing those images. After receiving the photos of the victim, Ripley stated, “Yummy,” and then shared the images with the chat group, thereby perpetuating the harm to the victim. After his arrest, Ripley admitted that he would receive images and videos of child pornography through the KIK application and would share those images and videos with other KIK users.
“This predator participated in the online exploitation of children and has caused irreparable harm,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “The vile actions of child predators will not go undetected, and thanks to the painstaking, tireless efforts of HSI Cocoa Beach Child Exploitation Taskforce and HSI Jacksonville, pedophiles will be held accountable to the fullest extent.”
This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ 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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
McAllen pawn shop owner pleads guilty to selling firearmsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 67-year-old man has admitted to charges of providing ammunition to a prohibited person, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Daniel Gallegos pleaded guilty to selling thousands of rounds of various ammunition.
Gallegos is the long-time owner and operator of Danny’s Pawn and Sporting Goods in McAllen.
As part of his plea, Gallegos admitted to selling approximately 280 rounds of .50 BMG caliber ammunition as well as more than 5,000 rounds of various sizes, ranging from .223 caliber to .50 caliber. He provided all of it to someone he knew to be a prohibited person – an individual who was illegally and unlawfully present in the United States - on four separate occasions during 2021.
Gallegos also admitted that he knew the person was prohibited under federal law from possessing the ammunition because the individual was illegally present in the United States.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa will impose sentencing Oct. 18. At that time, Gallegos faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $10,000 maximum fine.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Guerra, Jr. is prosecuting the case.
The Department of Justice launched Operation Guardian targeting firearms and illegal export of firearms in November 2019. On April 8, 2021, President Biden issued executive orders specifically targeting crimes involving guns.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Andrew Alan Spiehs, 42, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today to 17 ½ years (210 months) in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) by Senior United States District Judge Richard G. Kopf. Following his release from prison, Spiehs will serve five years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Information provided to law enforcement indicated Spiehs was involved with the distribution of at least 150 grams (approximately 5 ¼ ounces) of actual or pure methamphetamine and at least 1.5 kilograms, (3 pounds) of methamphetamine mixture in the Lincoln area between August of 2017 and January 31, 2019. On January 31, 2019, investigators made a controlled delivery of a package containing methamphetamine to Spiehs at his Lincoln residence. That package had been intercepted in California and contained at least 100 grams of methamphetamine actual.
Spiehs was released from federal custody on conditions in June of 2019. However, he absconded and was a fugitive for more than two years before being arrested again in Wyoming in August of 2021. As a result, Spiehs received an enhancement to his sentencing range. Spiehs also received an enhancement for possession of a gun during the time he was involved in the drug conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.
Leader of “Genesis II Church of Health and Healing,” Who Sold Toxic Bleach as Fake “Miracle” Cure for Covid-19 and Other Serious Diseases, Extradited from Colombia to the United StatesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Mark Grenon, 64, made his initial appearance today in federal court in Miami, Florida, after being extradited from Colombia. Grenon is charged—along with his three sons, Jonathan Grenon, 36, Jordan Grenon, 28, and Joseph Grenon, 34—with fraudulently marketing and selling “Miracle Mineral Solution,” a toxic industrial bleach, as a cure for COVID-19, cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, autism, malaria, hepatitis, Parkinson’s, herpes, HIV/AIDS, and other serious medical conditions, and with defying federal court orders.
According to an indictment returned by a federal grand jury, the Grenons, all of Bradenton, Florida, manufactured, promoted, and sold a product they named Miracle Mineral Solution (“MMS”). MMS is a chemical solution containing sodium chlorite and water which, when ingested orally, became chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach typically used for industrial water treatment or bleaching textiles, pulp, and paper. The Grenons claimed that ingesting MMS could treat, prevent, and cure COVID-19, according to the charges. The FDA, however, had not approved MMS for treatment of COVID-19, or for any other use. Rather, in prior official warning statements, the FDA had strongly urged consumers not to purchase or use MMS for any reason, explaining that drinking MMS was the same as drinking bleach and could cause dangerous side effects, including severe vomiting, diarrhea, and life-threatening low blood pressure. See https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/danger-dont-drink-miracle-mineral-solution-or-similar-products. In fact, FDA received reports of people requiring hospitalizations, developing life-threatening conditions, and even dying after drinking MMS.
The indictment further alleges that before marketing MMS as a cure for COVID-19, the Grenons marketed MMS as a miracle cure-all for dozens of other serious diseases and disorders, even though the FDA had not approved MMS for any use. The Grenons sold tens of thousands of bottles of MMS nationwide, including to consumers throughout South Florida, according to the allegations. They sold this dangerous product under the guise of Genesis II Church of Health and Healing (“Genesis”), an entity they are accused of creating to avoid government regulation of MMS and shield themselves from prosecution. According to charging documents, Genesis’ own websites describe Genesis as a “non-religious church,” and Defendant Mark Grenon, the co-founder of Genesis, has repeatedly acknowledged that Genesis “has nothing to do with religion,” and that he founded Genesis to “legalize the use of MMS” and avoid “going [ ] to jail.” The Genesis websites further stated that MMS could be acquired only through a “donation” to Genesis, but the donation amounts for MMS orders were set at specific dollar amounts, and were mandatory, such that the donation amounts were effectively just sales prices. The indictment alleges that the Grenons received more than $1 million from selling MMS.
The indictment also charges the Grenons with criminal contempt. The United States previously filed a civil case against the defendants and Genesis II Church of Health and Healing. See United States v. Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, et al., Case No. 20-21601-CV-WILLIAMS. In that civil case, the United States obtained court orders halting the Grenons’ distribution of MMS. According to charging documents, the Grenons willfully violated those court orders and continued to distribute MMS. The Grenons also allegedly threatened the federal judge presiding over the civil case, and threatened that, should the government attempt to enforce the court orders halting their distribution of MMS, the Grenons would “pick up guns” and instigate “a Waco.”
Furthermore, according to statements made in court by federal prosecutors in Miami, a search warrant was executed for Defendant Jonathan Grenon’s house at the time of his arrest, and officers discovered that the Grenons were manufacturing MMS in a shed in Jonathan Grenon’s backyard in Bradenton, Florida. Officers seized dozens of blue chemical drums containing nearly 10,000 pounds of sodium chlorite powder, thousands of bottles of MMS, and other items used in the manufacture and distribution of MMS. The government also recovered multiple loaded firearms, including one pump-action shotgun concealed in a custom-made violin case to disguise its appearance, according to prosecutors.
Trial is set to begin on September 12, in Miami, Florida, before Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Juan Antonio Gonzalez and Assistant Commissioner of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations Catherine Hermsen made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael B. Homer and John Shipley of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations investigated the case.
U.S. Attorney Gonzalez commends and thanks the government of Colombia for its assistance. U.S. Attorney Gonzalez also extends his gratitude to the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) Judicial Attachés in Bogota, Colombia for their substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Mark Grenon to the United States.
An indictment is a charging instrument containing allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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-20242.
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Leader of South Florida Drug-Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 169 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Today, a federal district judge in Miami sentenced 42-year-old Palacio Valdes Farley to over 14 years in prison for conspiring to traffic marijuana, eutylone, and MDMA, as well as conspiring to launder proceeds of the illegal drug activity.
As part of his guilty plea to the charges earlier this year, Farley admitted that from about 2016 to 2019, he organized and led a six-member South Florida drug-trafficking organization (“DTO”). The DTO obtained marijuana from co-conspirators in California, and MDMA from a South Florida co-conspirator, then distributed the drugs in Florida. Farley also admitted that on August 3, 2019, while he was serving a prison sentence at Jackson Correctional Institute in Jackson County, Florida, another member of the DTO was arrested while attempting to smuggle marijuana, eutylone, and MDMA into the prison. The plan was for Farley to distribute the drugs to inmates. As to money laundering, Farley admitted that he conspired with members of the DTO and others to conduct financial transactions intended to disguise the origins of the drug trafficking proceeds.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and John J. Bernardo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence that U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams imposed today.
Other defendants in this case have received the following federal prison sentences: Pedro Ceballos Jaime received 120 months; Karen Xiomara Williams received 62 months; Lisa Flood received 44 months; Willie Hudson received 15 months; Robert Benton received 15 months; Denzel Wilson received 16 months; Shanequa Samuels received 24 months; and Emmanuel White received 27 months. Defendant Stephen Keane is set for sentencing on August 12, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Williams.
The FBI investigated this case, with assistance from Florida Department of Corrections, Office of Inspector General; Broward Sheriff's Office; Fort Lauderdale Police Department; Lauderhill Police Department; and United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Dwayne E. Williams and Dayron Silverio are prosecuting the case. Assistant United States Attorney Annika Miranda is handling asset forfeiture.
This prosecution is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and other priority transnational criminal organizations that threaten the citizens of the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach to combat transnational organized crime. The OCDETF program facilitates complex, joint operations by focusing its partner agencies on priority targets, by managing and coordinating multi-agency efforts, and by leveraging intelligence across multiple investigative platforms.
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 19-cr-20667-Williams.
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Keshena Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation on the Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on July 27, 2022, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Darwin Pamanet (age: 46) to 360 months in federal prison for child sexual exploitation. Pamanet formerly lived in Keshena, which is a community on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Following his prison sentence, Pamanet will serve the remainder of his life on supervised release.
According to court documents, on July 15, 2021, the defendant recorded himself sexually abusing an 8-year-old girl while at a residence on the Menominee Indian Reservation. The abuse was disclosed in early 2022 and led to the discovery of two additional young girls who were victims of the defendant’s crimes.
In sentencing the defendant, Judge Griesbach noted the “obvious need for a substantial sentence” for a “terrible offense.” Judge Griesbach stated the sentence was based on the magnitude of the offense and said “to do this to an innocent child is one of the most heinous crimes possible.” Judge Griesbach observed a strong need to protect the public from the defendant, and in response to a defense request for a lesser sentence, Judge Griesbach stated “some crimes are so unthinkable…that they have to receive a much higher sentence than a lot of other crimes.” Judge Griesbach also remarked upon the need to deter those who might consider similar actions.
The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison in Multi-State Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jonathan Gregory Bush, 39, of Charleston, was sentenced today to eight years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Bush was a member of a multi-state methamphetamine distribution organization operating in and around Charleston. Bush admitted that he obtained large quantities of methamphetamine in Decatur, Georgia and distributed it in and around Charleston during the spring and summer of 2021. On July 19, 2021, law enforcement officers tracked Bush from Charleston to Decatur where they observed him meet with his supplier, co-defendant Ramon David Alston. After following Bush a short distance from Alston’s residence, officers stopped the vehicle and seized 913 grams of “ICE” methamphetamine.
The case is part of a long-term investigation of methamphetamine distribution that resulted in the conviction of 17 individuals for various drug and firearm offenses in three separate indictments. Bush, Alston and 12 others pleaded guilty. The remaining three, Timothy Wayne Dodd, Douglas Jonathan Wesley and Leo Antoine Smith, were convicted at trial.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha and Putnam County Sheriff’s Departments, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Hanks and Alex Hamner prosecuted the case.
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:22-cr-90 and 2:21-cr-00172.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Danise Maurice Fortune, 41, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Fortune sold approximately 11 grams of suspected heroin for $1,300 to a confidential informant in St. Albans on January 25, 2022. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed the controlled substance was approximately 9.2 grams of fentanyl with phencyclidine, also known as PCP.
Fortune is scheduled to be sentenced on November 9, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Charleston Police Department, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-69.
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KC Man Sentenced for Armed Carjacking That Resulted in Police Pursuit, Fatal CollisionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in an armed carjacking that led to a high-speed chase in which he collided with another vehicle and killed another motorist.
Derrell M. Wade, 21, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 13 years in federal prison without parole.
On Jan. 7, 2022, Wade pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Co-defendants Michael A. Brown, 20, and Curtis R. Daniels, 20, both of Kansas City, Mo., also pleaded guilty to carjacking and each were sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole.
Wade and his co-defendants participated in a carjacking that occurred at approximately 10:35 p.m. on Aug. 24, 2021. Wade pressed the barrel of his gun against the forehead of the victim, identified in court documents as “T.R.,” and demanded the keys to his gold 2007 Prius. Another person took T.R.’s cell phone from his hand. T.R. was repeatedly struck in the back with an unknown object by a third person, and told to stay on his knees. The three men then fled in T.R.’s vehicle.
T.R. immediately contacted law enforcement, and used his wife’s cell phone to track his stolen cell phone, using the Find My Phone app. Police officers saw the stolen Prius driving southbound on Lister Avenue, passing over the main thoroughfare of East 23rd Street, at about 11:09 p.m. the same day. Officers pulled behind the vehicle, which was being driven by Wade, and the vehicle accelerated a high rate of speed away from the officers. Officers activated their emergency equipment and initiated a pursuit of the vehicle.
The stolen vehicle traveled at speeds up to 75 miles per hour and ran several stop signs during the pursuit. After running the stop sign at 23rd Street and Lawn Avenue, the Prius collided with another vehicle. This collision resulted in the fatality of an occupant from that vehicle and injuries to another person.
Wade attempted to run away but fell to the ground. As he was falling, he pulled a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and threw it in the grass.
Brown got out of the passenger side rear door of the Prius and began running toward Elmwood Avenue. He was found hiding in a residential backyard and arrested.
Daniels, who was sitting in the front passenger seat of the Prius, was arrested without incident.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Operation LeGend
Operation LeGend is a federal partnership with local law enforcement to address the increase in homicides and violent crime in Kansas City, Mo., in 2020. The operation honors the memory of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, one of the youngest fatalities during a record-breaking year of homicides and shootings. Additional federal agents were assigned to the operation from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Justice Department Obtains Temporary Restraining Order to Prevent Tampa-Area Physician from Writing Opioid PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
A federal court issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting a Tampa-area physician from prescribing opioids and other controlled substances, the Department of Justice announced today.
In a complaint filed on July 18, and unsealed yesterday, the United States alleges that Dr. Neelam Taneja Uppal unlawfully wrote opioid prescriptions in the names of individuals depicted in photographs of driver’s licenses she received via text messages from a third party in exchange for payment for the prescriptions.
The complaint alleges that Dr. Uppal never met the individuals for whom she wrote prescriptions, and that she sold the prescriptions to a third party. The complaint further alleges that Dr. Uppal received thousands of dollars in cash on multiple occasions for a variety of opioid prescriptions. The complaint seeks to permanently bar Dr. Uppal from issuing controlled substances prescriptions, or owning or supervising a pain clinic, and it also seeks civil penalties.
“It is unlawful for a physician to write opioid prescriptions for individuals they have never met and then sell those prescriptions to a third party,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will use every enforcement tool available under the Controlled Substances Act to protect our communities from rogue medical professionals.”
“The illegal distribution and use of opioids have led to a nationwide epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Physicians who prescribe these dangerous drugs without legitimate medical cause violate not only the law, but also their oath to do no harm.”
“At a time when we need to be doing all that we can to prevent drug misuse and overdoses, DEA will not tolerate doctors who knowingly break the law, jeopardizing the safety and health of our communities by recklessly prescribing controlled substances,“ said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “DEA will continue working with our law-enforcement partners to pursue cases against anyone contributing to the deadly overdose epidemic in this country.”
U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber granted the temporary restraining order in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad in the Tampa District Office is conducting the ongoing investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay S. Griffin and Trial Attorneys Thomas S. Rosso and Scott B. Dahlquist of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are handling the case.
The claims made in the complaint are merely allegations that the United States must prove if the case proceeds to trial.
Justice Department Obtains Temporary Restraining Order to Prevent Tampa-Area Physician from Writing Opioid PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – A federal court issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting a Tampa-area physician from prescribing opioids and other controlled substances, the Department of Justice announced today.
In a complaint filed on July 18, and unsealed yesterday, the United States alleges that Dr. Neelam Taneja Uppal unlawfully wrote opioid prescriptions in the names of individuals depicted in photographs of driver’s licenses she received via text messages from a third party in exchange for payment for the prescriptions.
The complaint alleges that Dr. Uppal never met the individuals for whom she wrote prescriptions, and that she sold the prescriptions to a third party. The complaint further alleges that Dr. Uppal received thousands of dollars in cash on multiple occasions for a variety of opioid prescriptions. The complaint seeks to permanently bar Dr. Uppal from issuing controlled substances prescriptions, or owning or supervising a pain clinic, and it also seeks civil penalties.
“It is unlawful for a physician to write opioid prescriptions for individuals they have never met and then sell those prescriptions to a third party,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will use every enforcement tool available under the Controlled Substances Act to protect our communities from rogue medical professionals.”
“The illegal distribution and use of opioids have led to a nationwide epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Physicians who prescribe these dangerous drugs without legitimate medical cause violate not only the law, but also their oath to do no harm.”
“At a time when we need to be doing all that we can to prevent drug misuse and overdoses, DEA will not tolerate doctors who knowingly break the law, jeopardizing the safety and health of our communities by recklessly prescribing controlled substances,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “DEA will continue working with our law-enforcement partners to pursue cases against anyone contributing to the deadly overdose epidemic in this country.”
U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber granted the temporary restraining order in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad in the Tampa District Office is conducting the ongoing investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay S. Griffin and Trial Attorneys Thomas S. Rosso and Scott B. Dahlquist of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are handling the case.
The claims made in the complaint are merely allegations that the United States must prove if the case proceeds to trial.
Jackson Man Sentenced to Serve 78 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU - The United States Attorney's Office announced that Travis J. Anderson, age 49, of Jackson, Missouri, has been sentenced to serve 78 months in federal prison for the offense of Possession of Child Pornography. Anderson appeared for his sentencing hearing today before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
According to court documents, law enforcement officials executed a federal search warrant at Anderson’s residence in March 2021. Numerous items were seized, including Anderson’s mobile phone and several computer hard drives. Investigators subsequently discovered a large volume of child pornography on the devices. At his guilty plea hearing last February, Anderson admitted that he downloaded the material over the internet. After serving his 78-month sentence, Anderson was ordered to be placed on supervised release for 20 years. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Charles County Cyber Crimes Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the Government.
Indianapolis Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Destructive Device Used in Bridge Explosion Outside Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Wayne Turner, 58, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of an unregistered destructive device. Codefendant Isak Turner pleaded guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to 42 months in prison on February 16, 2022.
According to court documents, on December 20, 2019, Wayne, Isak and H.B., were at Wayne’s Indianapolis apartment near East Washington Street. Wayne assembled an improvised explosive device using various materials he kept at his apartment. Isak placed the explosive device in his backpack and the group traveled in H.B.’s car to Speedway, Indiana. They parked the car by the railroad tracks near the 1200 block of Olin Avenue, just south of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The group then walked to the railroad bridge over 16th Street towards the Speedway.
After they reached the bridge, Isak removed the device from the backpack asking H.B. to light it, but she refused. Instead, Isak ignited the device and threw it off the bridge. The device landed on the median of 16th Street and exploded. The destructive device caused a blast crater and visible damage to the railroad bridge and a bridge light fixture. The explosion and debris also damaged a vehicle passing under the bridge at the time, but the driver was unharmed.
Speedway Police Department officers responding to a report of an explosion observed Wayne, Isak, and H.B. walking on the bridge. Officers interviewed the group and executed a search warrant at Wayne’s apartment off East Washington Street. Investigators located materials used to make explosives inside Wayne’s apartment located in an occupied multi-unit building. Wayne and Isak were arrested. H.B. was not charged.
The device assembled by Wayne and ignited and thrown off the 16th Street bridge by Isak, is defined in the National Firearms Act as a destructive device. It was not registered to Wayne or Isak in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by law.
Wayne was arrested and convicted in August 2016 of criminal recklessness in Marion County for similar conduct. On May 28, 2016, the night before the Indianapolis 500 race, Wayne detonated and threw an “M-80” style device over a fence onto Indianapolis Motor Speedway property sending people fleeing in panic. Wayne set off a second explosive device, next to a barricade on Georgetown Road, again causing panic and flight among pedestrians at the scene. At the time of the 2016 arrest, officers found Wayne, apparently intoxicated, and in possession of at least eight cylindrical explosive devices with ignitable wicks.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Columbus Field Division; Chief Randal Taylor of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD); and Chief Charles Upchurch of the Speedway Police Department made the announcement.
ATF, IMPD and Speedway Police Department investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon. As part of the sentence, Judge Hanlon ordered that Wayne and Isak Turner each be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following their release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney William McCoskey who prosecuted this case.
Indianapolis Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Carjacking and Shooting a Man While on Pretrial Release for Attempted CarjackingRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Derrick Hart, 22, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to carjacking, discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and commission of federal felony while on pretrial release.
According to court documents, on December 13, 2018, Hart walked up to J.S., who was sitting in his vehicle, parked at the 4200 block of North Franklin Road, in Lawrence, Indiana. Hart pointed a Taurus G2C 9mm handgun at J.S., took J.S.’s cell phone, and demanded money. J.S. told Hart he had no cash, only credit cards. Hart then demanded J.S.’s car keys and J.S. complied. Hart got in the passenger seat of the vehicle, and ordered J.S. at gunpoint, to drive to the Chase Bank ATM across the street.
J.S. saw a Brinks armored truck at the bank and attempted to get the driver’s attention by revving his car engine. The Brinks truck was servicing the ATM, so Hart ordered J.S. to drive to a different ATM, at 42nd Street. J.S. attempted to grab Hart’s handgun and in the process crashed his car into a fence on the edge of the bank. Hart got out of the vehicle, ran around the back of the car, and fired at J.S. striking him in the arm. J.S. returned fire with his own handgun, striking Hart, as he ran away toward an apartment complex, west of the Chase bank.
Responding officers found Hart nearby with a gunshot wound. Hart was carrying a spare magazine loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition, several loose 9mm rounds, and a small quantity of marijuana on his person. Hart admitted to leaving the handgun near an apartment building, which police later located under a bush. The handgun was loaded, held a magazine loaded with 9mm cartridges, and had blood on its grip. The blood found on the handgun was linked to Hart through DNA analysis.
Hart committed the December 13, 2018, carjacking and shooting while he was on federal pretrial release for similar conduct. On September 26, 2018, Hart was charged by federal criminal complaint with attempted carjacking, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school zone. Before Hart was released from detention, he signed paperwork acknowledging that if he commits a federal felony offense while on pretrial release, he may be punished by up to ten years additional in prison. Hart signed the paperwork and was released. By December of 2018, Hart cut off his ankle monitor and absconded from pretrial release.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana; R. Sean Fitzgerald, acting Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Columbus Field Office for Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Chief Gary Woodruff of the Lawrence Police Department made the announcement.
HSI, ATF and the Lawrence Police Department investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon. As part of the sentence, Judge Hanlon ordered that Hart be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for five years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys William L. McCoskey and Patrick G. Gibson who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Honolulu Man Receives Ten Years in Prison and 25 Years Supervision for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi yesterday sentenced Aaron Anthony Hood, 45, of Honolulu, Hawaii, to ten years of imprisonment and 25 years of supervised release for one count of possession of child pornography. Hood previously pleaded guilty to the child pornography offense on September 17, 2019.
In his plea agreement, Hood admitted that from on or about January 23, 2016, to January 27, 2016, he knowingly possessed at least one video of child pornography. The video was approximately 19 minutes long and depicted a 14-year-old female engaged in sexually explicit conduct with Hood. The video was produced using a cellphone. During Hood’s contacts with the 14-year-old minor he also supplied her with drugs and alcohol.
“Hood’s crimes threatened the overall safety of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors. “Sexually exploitive crimes targeting children carry significant prison penalties and will be vigorously prosecuted by our office.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is committed to protecting our community from predators,” said John F. Tobon, HSI Special Agent in Charge. “We will continue to identify and prosecute those responsible for committing these heinous offenses.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that resulted in the indictment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret C. Nammar and Rebecca A. Perlmutter are prosecuting the case.
Harlan County Man Sentenced to 33 Months for Fraudulently Obtaining COVID Relief LoansRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Harlan, Ky., man, David Christopher Lewis, 49, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier, after pleading guilty to wire fraud, for obtaining Paycheck Protection Program loans under false pretenses.
According to his plea agreement, in May 2020, Lewis submitted two fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of Bubba Fest, LLC and Elite Artists Agency, LLC. Both businesses related to a “comic con”-style event called Bubba Fest that Lewis had organized in prior years. The Paycheck Protection Program was created as part of the CARES Act, a law passed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Paycheck Protection Program loans were designed to provide an incentive for small businesses to keep workers on their payroll during the pandemic; these loans would be forgiven by the United States Small Business Administration, if the borrower established that loan proceeds were used for payroll, rent, or other approved business expenses. The amount of the loan was dependent on the business’s payroll.
As part of his fraudulent PPP loan applications, Lewis provided the bank, First State Bank of the Southeast, with fake tax documents and payroll records misrepresenting the businesses’ number of employees and payroll expenses. As a result, he obtained fraudulent a PPP loan for each business totaling $370,000. Evidence admitted at Lewis’s sentencing hearing established that between May 26 and August 28, 2020, Lewis paid himself or his wife more than $100,000 of the PPP loan money. In his plea agreement, Lewis also admitted to obstructing the FBI’s investigation of his crime by providing a sworn affidavit that lied about the existence and whereabouts of the businesses’ employment and payroll records.
Under federal law, Lewis must serve at least 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Lewis was ordered to pay $370,000 in restitution to First State Bank of the Southeast.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisville Field Office jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Greenview Man Sentenced to Almost 27 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possessing a Firearm with Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Greenview, Illinois man, Jonathan Puddy, 38, of the 400 block of West Douglas Street, was sentenced on July 27, 2022, to 262 months imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 60 months, to be served consecutively to the first charge, for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The total prison sentence of 322 months is to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Joe B. McDade, the government presented evidence that on October 24, 2020 around 1:00 am, Peoria County Sheriff’s deputies stopped a car Puddy was driving. Puddy got out of the car and ran from officers. He jumped a fence and struggled with officers attempting to arrest him. After the officers handcuffed Puddy, they searched him and found a loaded Colt .25 caliber handgun and $1,200 in his pants pockets. In his bag, the deputies found about 274 grams of methamphetamine, about 15 grams of heroin, and about 28 grams of powder cocaine. Puddy admitted to trafficking pounds of ice methamphetamine over the previous month.
Puddy was indicted in November 2020 and has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arraignment in April 2021. Puddy entered a plea of guilty in December 2021.
The statutory penalties for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine are a minimum of 10 years, with a mandatory minimum of 15 years with one qualifying conviction, a maximum $20 million fine, and not less than 5 years supervised release. The penalties for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking are not less than 5 years imprisonment, consecutive to the first charge, a maximum $250,000 fine and not more than 5 years supervised release.
The Peoria County Sheriff’s Department, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Pekin Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Hollingshead-Cook represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Puddy was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. The Department’s renewed commitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods establishes four fundamental principles to guide efforts to reduce violent crime: 1) build trust and legitimacy within communities; 2) invest in community-based prevention and intervention programs; 3) target enforcement and priorities to focus resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of gun violence and other violent crime; and, 4) measure results with the goal to reduce the level of violence in our communities and not to increase the number of arrests and prosecutions as if they were ends in themselves.
Georgia Man is Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Medicaid Programs in Three StatesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Georgia man was sentenced to prison for participating in a scheme that defrauded the Medicaid programs in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia of more than $5 million, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced Glenn Pair, 36, of Stonecrest, Georgia to 70 months in prison and two years of supervised release and ordered the defendant to pay a total of $5,078,444 as restitution.
U.S. Attorney King is joined in making today’s announcement by Adair Ford Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina, Ryan K. Buchanan, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Charlotte Field Office (IRS-CI).
The criminal charges filed against Pair in federal court in the Northern District of Georgia and South Carolina were transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina in September and October 2021, respectively. In October 2021, Pair pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Medicaid fraud in connection with the three federal prosecutions. Pair also pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy offense in the Western District of North Carolina. Today’s sentence resolves all three federal criminal actions against the defendant.
According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, Pair and his co-conspirator, Markuetric Stringfellow, owned and operated an after-school and youth mentoring program known as Do-It-4-The Hood Corporation (D4H). From January 2016 through November 2018, Pair and Stringfellow paid individuals to recruit at-risk youths, in particular children who were Medicaid eligible in North Carolina, for their D4H program. Once enrolled, children were required to submit urine specimens for drug testing. Pair and Stringfellow conspired with certain laboratories to perform the drug testing of the enrolled children’s urine specimens and received kickbacks once the laboratories were reimbursed by the North Carolina Medicaid. In 2017, Pair moved to Georgia, and he and Stringfellow expanded the fraudulent scheme to defraud the state’s Medicaid program.
The South Carolina scheme involved Wrights Care Services LLC (Wrights Care), a qualified provider of Medicaid rehabilitative behavioral health services in South Carolina. Pair and Stringfellow became owners of a Wrights Care franchise in Columbia, South Carolina. Starting in or around 2014, Pair and Stringfellow defrauded the South Carolina Medicaid program by filing fraudulent claims for mental health counseling or other services that were either not provided, partially provided, or did not qualify for Medicaid reimbursement. Pair and Stringfellow submitted falsified patient billing records and fake medical notes to support the fraudulent reimbursement claims filed. After learning there was a Medicaid audit for Wrights Care, Stringfellow attempted to deceive South Carolina Medicaid auditors. In or about March 2015, Stringfellow met other associates of Wrights Care in Columbia for a “note party.” During this gathering and in Pair’s presence, the co-conspirators created false and fraudulent billing records to substantiate previously-submitted fraudulent Medicaid claims, forged signatures, and falsified records subject to the audit, which they then submitted to South Carolina Medicaid auditors in response to the audit.
Over the course of the scheme, Pair, Stringfellow and their co-conspirators submitted thousands of fraudulent claims to Medicaid of the three states totaling over $17 million and received over $5 million in fraudulent reimbursements. In addition, they received $1.8 million in kickbacks from the laboratories that participated in the conspiracy.
Pair is currently released on bond. He will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. Stringfellow was sentenced in February 2021 to 78 months in prison and was ordered pay $5,278,550 in restitution for his role in the scheme.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in South Carolina and the Northern District of Georgia, the FBI in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, and the Medicaid Investigations Division in the three states for their investigative efforts and coordination throughout case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael E. Savage and Graham Billings of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case, assisted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jermaine Sellers with the Medicaid Fraud Investigation Division of the N.C.
Also assisting in the prosecution of this case was Assistant United States Attorney Brook B. Andrews from the Columbia, South Carolina office.
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Former White House Advisor Sentenced to One Year and One Day in Prison for Devising A Scheme to Steal from Charter Schools He FoundedRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SETH ANDREW was sentenced to 366 days in prison in connection with his execution of a scheme to defraud Democracy Prep Public Schools (“DPPS”), a charter school network that he founded, of more than $218,000. United States District Judge John P. Cronan imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Seth Andrew was sentenced today for stealing from those who once trusted him. Andrew committed this crime to attempt to punish non-profit charter schools because they declined his offer to return as their leader. Thankfully, the victim of Andrew’s crime was resilient, and its important work continues. Today’s sentence sends a message that those who engage in fraud schemes and steal from others will face appropriate consequences for their conduct.”
According to previous filings in this case:
In 2005, SETH ANDREW helped to found Democracy Prep Public Schools, a series of public charter schools then based in New York City. In the Spring of 2013, ANDREW left DPPS and accepted a job in the United States Department of Education and, thereafter, as a senior advisor in the Office of Educational Technology at the White House. In November 2016, ANDREW left his role at the White House. Shortly thereafter, in January 2017, ANDREW officially severed his relationship with DPPS.
Under New York state regulations, DPPS’s New York-based charter schools must maintain an “escrow account” that may be accessed only if the school dissolves. Three such escrow accounts, for three New York City-based-DPPS schools, were opened by ANDREW and other DPPS employees, at a bank (“Bank-1”) in 2009, 2011 and 2013, respectively (“Escrow Account-1,” “Escrow Account-2,” and “Escrow Account-3”, collectively, the “Escrow Accounts”). ANDREW was a signatory and had access to the funds in the Escrow Accounts. However, pursuant to the charter agreement, the funds in the Escrow Accounts were reserved in case the schools dissolved, and the funds could not be moved by ANDREW, or anyone, without proper authorization.
In early 2019, apparently frustrated with decisions made by DPPS, and his inability to exercise control over the organization, ANDREW sought to rejoin DPPS. On March 10, 2019, ANDREW sent an email to several members of DPPS, including its Chairman, offering to return as “President,” in exchange for “$25k/month as [a] salaried employee and basic frugal expenses,” plus a $250,000 bonus if he met deliverables ANDREW outlined. ANDREW further stated that “every single day that goes by, this situation becomes exponentially more difficult and the ability to pull out of a nosedive becomes harder. So after 24 hours, my monthly salary expectation will go up every day that we’re not under a signed contract.”
DPPS declined ANDREW’s offer. Eighteen days later, on March 28, 2019, ANDREW entered a Bank-1 branch in New York City and closed both Escrow Account-1 and Escrow Account-2. Bank-1 provided ANDREW a bank check in the amount of $71,881.23 made payable to “Democracy Prep Charter School” (“Check-1”) and a second bank check in the amount of $70,642.98 made payable to “Democracy Prep Harlem Charter” (“Check-2”).
The same day that ANDREW closed Escrow Account-1 and Escrow Account-2, ANDREW entered a Manhattan branch of a different FDIC-insured bank (“Bank-2”) and opened a business bank account in the name of “Democracy Prep Charter School” (“Fraud Account‑1”). To open that account, ANDREW misrepresented to a Bank-2 employee that he was a “Key Executive with Control of” DPPS and supported that misrepresentation by sending emails sent to the Bank-2 employee from a DPPS email account. ANDREW then deposited Check-1 into Fraud Account-1. Five days later, on April 2, 2019, ANDREW used an ATM machine in Baltimore, Maryland to deposit Check-2 into Fraud Account‑1.
On October 17, 2019, ANDREW closed out Escrow Account-3 and received a check (“Check-3”) made payable to “Democracy Prep Endurance” in the amount of $75,481.10. On October 21, 2019, ANDREW deposited Check-3 into an account that he opened at a third bank (“Fraud Account-2”).
Approximately one month later, ANDREW obtained a check from Bank-2 for $144,473.29, which constituted the funds stolen from Escrow Account-1 and Escrow Account-2. ANDREW ultimately deposited those funds into Fraud Account-2, combing all of the stolen funds, then worth approximately $219,954. Five days later, ANDREW rolled the stolen funds in Fraud Account-2 into a certificate of deposit. That certificate of deposit matured on May 20, 2020, which earned ANDREW $2,083.52 in interest. ANDREW then transferred the funds from the certificate of deposit -- including the funds stolen from the Escrow Accounts -- into a bank account held in the name of Democracy Builders, another nonprofit that ANDREW then-controlled, thereby concealing the money’s association with DPPS, and depositing the stolen money into an account under ANDREW’s complete control. The next day, ANDREW sent a wire for $225,000, apparently comprised primarily of funds from the Escrow Accounts, for a down payment on a significant purchase of property for Democracy Builders.
In total, DPPS lost $218,005 as a result of Andrew’s actions.
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ANDREW, 43, previously pled guilty to one count of wire fraud on January 14, 2022, before Judge Cronan. In addition to this prison sentence, ANDREW was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release. Prior to today’s sentencing Andrew paid $218,005 in restitution to DPPS, and $22,537 in forfeiture.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan B. Finkel is in charge of the prosecution.
Former US Air Force Member Sentenced to 15 years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Bryce Carter Studebaker, 25, of Moncks Corner, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for production of child pornography.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that on March 30, 2018, Studebaker, then an Airman in the U.S. Air Force and stationed at Beale Air Force Base in California, communicated on Facebook Messenger with a 14-year-old minor who lived in Tennessee. During the messaging, Studebaker persuaded the minor to produce videos and images of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and to send the videos and images to Studebaker. Authorities discovered the conduct after responding to a call from the minor’s mother who said her daughter had been communicating with an online predator.
United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced Studebaker to 180 months in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OIS). Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean H. Secor prosecuted the case.
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Former Newport Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A 41-year-old man who accessed and uploaded child pornography while boarding in a Newport residence has been sentenced to forty-two months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
In May 2020, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was notified by a social media platform that a user utilizing the online platform had uploaded child pornography. A court-authorized search of the user’s account revealed eleven images of child pornography and thirteen child pornography videos. Agents traced the IP address associated with the account to a Newport residence.
On October 27, 2020, agents executed a court-authorized search of the residence and arrested Craig M. Mulvey, 41, after locating images and videos of child pornography on his laptop computer. He was residing in a bedroom of the residence in exchange for performing odd jobs for the residence’s owner and occupant.
Mulvey pleaded guilty on August 6, 2021, to possession of child pornography.
On October 23, 2021, Mulvey was arrested by Providence Police on a Rhode Island state charge of domestic violence – simple assault and/or battery 3rd+ offense. At a bond revocation hearing two days later in U.S. District Court, Mulvey consented to detention in federal custody.
Mulvey was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to forty-two months of incarceration to be followed by eight years of federal supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. McAdams and Milind M. Shah.
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Former Customs and Border Protection Officer Charged with Kidnapping a MinorRead the Press Release
Authorities arrested former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Aaron Mitchell, 27, of Miami Gardens, Florida, who was charged with kidnapping a minor, announced Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona and Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Ormerod for the FBI Phoenix Field Division.
A federal grand jury in the District of Arizona returned the indictment charging Mitchell with a single count of kidnapping. According to the indictment, on April 25, in Arizona, Mitchell kidnapped and then held the victim, who was under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged offense. In the commission and in furtherance of the offense, Mitchell transported the victim in interstate and foreign commerce and the defendant traveled in interstate commerce and used a means, facility and instrumentality of interstate commerce.
If convicted, Mitchell faces a maximum of life imprisonment, a minimum of 20 years imprisonment, a minimum of five years and up to lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Sierra Vista resident agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carin Duryee for the District of Arizona and Trial Attorney Angie Cha of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
If you have information related to this matter, please call the FBI Phoenix, 623-466-1999 or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Former BOP Correctional Officer Charged with COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Flora woman was arrested Monday after being indicted by a federal grand jury on criminal charges related to her alleged fraud scheme involving federal COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program loans, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge James F. Boyersmith of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Miami Field Office.
According to court documents, Tarshuana Thomas, 34, devised a scheme to obtain PPP funds by filing fraudulent loan applications with entities providing loans as part of the Paycheck Protection Program, including Fountainhead SPF and Capital Plus Financial. Thomas was employed as a Correctional Officer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Yazoo City at the time of the alleged conduct.
Thomas is charged with two counts of wire fraud. The case is set for trial on September 12, 2022. If convicted, Thomas faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
The Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Purdie is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Felon Who Fled Police Sentenced for Possessing a Firearm, Ammunition and Stolen VehiclesRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man was sentenced Thursday in federal court to more than nine years in prison after being found with a firearm, ammunition and two stolen vehicles, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Chief U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III sentenced Corey Keith Gregory Jr., 43, to 115 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
“All too often felons who illegally possess firearms continue their criminal behavior and threaten public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “My office and our law enforcement partners will continue to work side by side to hold individuals like Corey Gregory accountable for the harm they cause to communities across Oklahoma.”
Gregory pleaded guilty on Jan. 12, 2022, to felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, two counts of receipt of stolen property in Indian Country, and felon in possession of ammunition.
According to court documents, on February 14, 2020, Gregory was driving a stolen Chevrolet Silverado when Tulsa police officers pulled him over. Gregory was found to have ammunition in his pocket and a Ruger .357 revolver inside the stolen truck. Additionally, on April 29, 2020, Gregory was driving a stolen Chevrolet Tahoe when officers attempted to pull him over. Gregory fled from officers and crashed the Tahoe. When officers searched the vehicle, they located a loaded magazine.
Federal law prohibits Gregory from possessing firearms and ammunition because he is a felon and has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Nassar and Jessica L. Wright prosecuted the case.
Federal Indictment Charges Man with Illegally Possessing Machine Guns in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been indicted on federal firearm charges for allegedly illegally possessing machine guns in Chicago this year.
JUAN INFANTE, 28, of Chicago, is charged with illegal possession of machine guns and illegal possession of firearms as a convicted felon. Infante had previously been convicted of a felony theft offense and was prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms.
The indictment accuses Infante of illegally possessing four handguns, two of which were equipped with conversion devices known as “Glock switches.” The devices transformed the firearms into machine guns capable of automatically firing more than one shot with a single pull of the trigger. Infante earlier this year sold two of the guns to an individual who was surreptitiously cooperating with law enforcement, according to a federal criminal complaint previously filed in the case.
The indictment was returned Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. A date for arraignment has not yet been scheduled. Infante is currently detained in federal custody without bond after the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a motion for pretrial detention on the basis that Infante posed a danger to the community.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth E. Palmer.
Disrupting illegal firearms trafficking is the focus of the Department of Justice’s cross-jurisdictional strike force. As part of the Chicago firearms trafficking strike force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with the FBI and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is also a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Attorney Lausch and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count in the indictment is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Federal Indictment Charges Man with Illegally Possessing Machine Guns in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been indicted on federal firearm charges for allegedly illegally possessing machine guns in Chicago this year.
JUAN INFANTE, 28, of Chicago, is charged with illegal possession of machine guns and illegal possession of firearms as a convicted felon. Infante had previously been convicted of a felony theft offense and was prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms.
The indictment accuses Infante of illegally possessing four handguns, two of which were equipped with conversion devices known as “Glock switches.” The devices transformed the firearms into machine guns capable of automatically firing more than one shot with a single pull of the trigger. Infante earlier this year sold two of the guns to an individual who was surreptitiously cooperating with law enforcement, according to a federal criminal complaint previously filed in the case.
The indictment was returned Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. A date for arraignment has not yet been scheduled. Infante is currently detained in federal custody without bond after the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a motion for pretrial detention on the basis that Infante posed a danger to the community.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth E. Palmer.
Disrupting illegal firearms trafficking is the focus of the Department of Justice’s cross-jurisdictional strike force. As part of the Chicago firearms trafficking strike force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with the FBI and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is also a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Attorney Lausch and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count in the indictment is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Eustis Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Selling MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Rhiannon Peacock (39, Eustis) to three years and five months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Peacock had pleaded guilty on November 16, 2021.
According to facts presented in court, Peacock conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in the Eustis and St. Petersburg areas within the Middle District of Florida.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig Gestring.
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.