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Monday 13 June 2022
Preston County residents sentenced for wire fraudRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two Preston County residents were sentenced today for their roles in an insurance fraud scheme, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Cynthia Miller, of Newburg, West Virginia, and Dustin Miller, of Reedsville, West Virginia, were each sentenced today to five years of probation with the first four months on home detention for wire fraud. Cynthia, 36, and Dustin, 41, each pleaded guilty in January 2022 to one count of “Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.” Both admitted to working with others to stage a vehicle accident, fabricate injuries, and file false insurance claims. The crime occurred from March to July 2019 in Taylor and Preston Counties.
Cynthia and Dustin were also ordered to jointly pay $8,474.65 in restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the West Virginia Insurance Commission Fraud Unit investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Palm Springs Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Criminal Charge for Distributing Sexually Explicit Videos of Children via ZoomRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Riverside County man pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for streaming sexually explicit videos of children – some of them toddlers – in a Zoom online meeting room for individuals interested in child exploitation.
Michael John Andersen, 53, of Palm Springs, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, in February 2018, Andersen, using the login name “TattdPigPS,” and other individuals logged into a Zoom meeting room that law enforcement previously identified as a place for people interested in sexually explicit images and videos of children. Within a 10-minute span, Andersen streamed three sexually explicit videos of children – two of the videos featured toddlers.
In March 2018, Andersen again logged into the same Zoom meeting room and again streamed two sexually explicit videos featuring children.
Law enforcement recorded both sessions in which Andersen posted child pornography online.
In August 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Andersen’s home. Andersen admitted to law enforcement that he believed the agents were at his residence because of his activities in “pedophile or perv Zoom rooms.” He also admitted to previously streaming child pornography on Zoom.
A forensic analysis of Andersen’s digital devices, including an iPhone and iPad, revealed approximately 151 images and nine videos of child pornography.
United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson scheduled an October 24 sentencing hearing, at which time Andersen will face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Sonah Lee of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Ohio man was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of heroin and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 30, 2016, Donald Ray Jackson, 38, of Columbus, assisted in the sale of what was purported to be heroin to a confidential informant in Huntington. A forensic chemist who analyzed the substance subsequently found it to contain a mixture of both heroin and fentanyl.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:17-cr-183.
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Office Manager Sentenced for Embezzling over $775,000 from EmployerRead the Press Release
AUSTIN – A Round Rock woman was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for embezzling from her employer.
According to court documents, Cynthia Linette Jones, 52, was the office manager for a Central Texas business. In that role, she had access to the company’s accounting system and checkbook. From 2012 to 2018, she forged over 70 company checks and stole over $775,000.
On November 30, 2021, Jones pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of tax evasion. In addition to the prison sentence, Jones was ordered to pay over $775,000 in restitution to her former employer and over $185,000 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
“Institutions run on trust,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “They depend on trusted individuals to do the right thing in the interests of their coworkers and employers. Today’s sentencing reflects the seriousness of Jones’ abuse of her position and the determination of this office to seek stiff punishments against those who embezzle from their employers.”
“Cynthia Jones violated the trust placed in her by her employer through the multi-year theft of company funds while also violating the duty to report all income, even income illegally earned, to the IRS,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), Houston Field Office. “The sentencing today communicates the severity of both violations Jones committed, which should also serve as a deterrent reminder to other would-be tax evaders and white collar criminals.”
The IRS-CI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Karthik Srinivasan prosecuted the case.
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Montrose Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jared Newman, age 44, of Montrose, Colorado, was sentenced to 55 months in federal prison for wire fraud.
According to the plea agreement, the defendant was the ringleader of a bogus billing fraud scheme while employed as a subcontractor working in the warehouse at the Western Area Power Administration (“WAPA”) in Montrose, Colorado. WAPA is a government agency within the U.S. Department of Energy that is responsible for supplying and marketing electricity generated from federal dams to public entities within the U.S. As part of Newman’s scheme, he enlisted the assistance of friends and family members to create various shell companies which were in turn used to submit fraudulent invoices to WAPA for goods which were never provided to the government. After receiving funds for the nonexistent goods, Newman and his associates split the stolen funds. Newman received his funds by way of “kickbacks” which totaled $652,292. Newman used most of the funds to support his lavish lifestyle, which included making personal expenditures on such things as a private airplane and a vacation home located on Lake Havasu in Arizona. As part of his sentence, Newman will be responsible for paying WAPA’s total loss of $879,392 back to the government as restitution.
“This was a complex fraud, carried out over a long period of time, and it resulted in a substantial loss to the government,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “We will go after anyone who cheats the government for their own personal gain.”
“Those who steal from the government steal from all of us, and we will continue to make sure they are found out and held accountable,” said Department of Energy Inspector General Teri L. Donaldson. “I’d like to thank our partners at DOJ and GSA for their hard work on this case, and also WAPA who brought this matter to our attention.”
"Procurement fraud schemes such as this one harm the taxpayer and are a violation of the public's trust," said Special Agent in Charge Jamie Willemin of the GSA Office of Inspector General, Southwest and Rocky Mountain Division. "GSA OIG special agents are committed to working with their partners to find and hold accountable those who violate that trust."
United States District Court Judge Regina Rodriguez sentenced the defendant Jared Newman on June 8, 2022.
The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General and the U.S. General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General jointly conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Tim Neff handled the prosecution of the case.
Case number: 21-cr-00300-RMR
Middleton Man Sentenced to 40 Months for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Ramar A. Brown, 26, Middleton, Wisconsin was sentenced on Friday, June 10 by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 40 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. This prison term will be followed by 36 months of supervised release. Brown pleaded guilty to this charge on March 7, 2022.
On October 12, 2021, Fitchburg Police Department (FPD) officers planned to arrest Ramar Brown who was the subject of unrelated state investigations and was observed operating a stolen vehicle. When officers approached and identified themselves to Brown, he fled. He was eventually apprehended by FPD officers. During his flight, Brown threw a bag to the ground. Officers searched the bag and found a Glock 9mm handgun loaded with a 28-round extended magazine. Brown’s DNA was later found on the Glock handgun.
Brown was prohibited from legally possessing a firearm based on multiple prior felony convictions. At the time of this incident, he was on state extended supervision for a prior armed robbery conviction. His state supervision was revoked in January 2022, and he is currently serving a state prison sentence of just over 2 ½ years on that case. Judge Conley ordered this federal sentence to run concurrently with the remainder of Brown’s state prison sentence.
At sentencing, Judge Conley noted that the handgun being loaded with an extended magazine was an aggravating factor, as was the fact that Brown was on state supervision for armed robbery when he committed this offense.
The charge against Brown was the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach involves collaboration by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent and deter gun violence.
Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being Twice DeportedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced June 10, 2022 to almost three months in federal prison.
Hector Vasquez-Vasquez, age 36, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Tama County, Iowa, received the prison term after a guilty plea on April 11, 2022, to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Vasquez-Vasquez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. In March 2005 Vasquez-Vasquez was arrested in Florida on drug charges using an alias and was convicted in June 2005 of felony possession of cocaine and marijuana. Vasquez-Vasquez was first deported to Mexico by immigration officials in October 2007. In January 2018, Vasquez-Vasquez was returned to Mexico after illegally reentering the United States. He was again formally deported to Mexico in October 2018 following his arrest by immigration officers in the United States. On March 8, 2022, immigration officers learned Vasquez-Vasquez had illegally returned to the United States and found Vasquez-Vasquez at the Tama County Jail following his arrest on state charges.
Vasquez-Vasquez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Vasquez-Vasquez was sentenced to 86 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Vasquez-Vasquez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-24.
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Maryland man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Darren Anthony Burnett, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced today to 60 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Burnett, 38, pleaded guilty in February 2022 to one count of “Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.” Burnett admitted to having a 9mm pistol while trafficking cocaine and marijuana in October 2020 in Berkeley County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley D. Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Romance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON W.Va. – A Maryland man pleaded guilty today to receipt of stolen money, for his role in a scheme that defrauded more than 200 victims, many of them elderly, of at least $2.5 million.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Oluwabamishe Awolesi, also known as Oluwabamise Johnson, 29, of Beltsville, Maryland, admitted that one victim of the scheme transferred a total of $90,000 into Awolesi’s checking account in September 2018. He kept $12,000 of the total and forwarded the rest to others involved in the scheme.
Awolesi lived in Huntington during his involvement in the scheme. Three indictments targeting the scheme allege that from 2016 to 2020, multiple defendants participated in a series of romance and other online scams designed to coerce vulnerable victims into sending money to various bank accounts controlled by them. The indictments describe romance scams as online schemes that target individuals looking for romantic partners, friendship, and other close personal and business relationships on dating websites and other social media platforms. Members of the fraud and money laundering conspiracy created profiles using fictitious names, locations, and images which allowed them to cultivate relationships with the victims. To carry out the schemes alleged in the indictments, victims were often led to believe that they were in relationships with U.S. residents working abroad. However, the investigation revealed that the individuals the victims viewed as their romantic partners were false personas created by members of the fraud and money laundering conspiracies.
At the early stages of the romance scams, the fraudsters frequently requested relatively small gifts, such as gift cards and cell phones from their victims. As the relationships continued, they requested increasingly larger sums of money from their victims. Mr. Awolesi opened bank accounts and received the proceeds of the romance scams through those accounts. Members of the fraud and money laundering conspiracy also occasionally used cryptocurrency and celebrity meet-and-greet scams to obtain money from their victims.
Awolesi, a citizen of Nigeria and the United States, is scheduled to be sentenced on September 19, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,00 fine. As part of his plea, Awolesi agreed to pay $90,000 in restitution.
The cases are the result of a long-term investigation that spanned approximately two years. United States Attorney Will Thompson made today’s announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), the West Virginia State Police, and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Kathleen Robeson and R. Gregory McVey are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10am-6pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-68.
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Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in the Murder of A Federal Witness and Two OthersRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jerell Adgebesan, age 34, of Baltimore and Hagerstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to participating in the June 25, 2016, murders of three individuals in Mercersburg, Franklin County, one of whom was cooperating with state and federal drug investigators. The guilty plea was before United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner. Adgebesan faces a possible life sentence.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the charges against Adgebesan were the result of a six-year investigation into three murders that occurred on June 25, 2016, on a property along Welsh Run Road in Mercersburg, Franklin County. When Pennsylvania State Police officers were called to the scene, they found Wendy Ann Chaney, 39, Hagerstown, Md, Brandon Cole, 47, Fayetteville, PA, and Phillip Matthew Jackson, 36, Mercersburg, PA, all to have been shot in a barn on victim Jackson’s property. The three victims had their hands zipped-tied behind their backs and had been set on fire. Jackson and Cole were shot once in the head. Chaney was shot twice, once in the back and once in the head. Wendy Chaney and Brandon Cole were already dead when the police responded to the scene. Phillip Jackson was transported to York Hospital where he died shortly after arrival.
The evidence presented at the guilty plea proceeding established that Wendy Chaney was in a relationship with co-defendants Kevin Coles and Torey White and had been previously assisting both with their drug distribution operation. Coles, White and co-defendant Devin Dickerson learned that Chaney was cooperating with federal authorities and contracted for her to be murdered. Adgebesan and co-defendant Kenyatta Corbett recruited members of a Baltimore based gang known as the Black Guerilla Family and others from Baltimore to travel to the Jackson property to kill Wendy Chaney. Adgebesan knew these individuals from Baltimore. The killers were promised that they could take as payment $20,000 that was to be in a safe in the barn and any drugs and firearms that they could locate on the Jackson property. Once there, the killers encountered not only Wendy Chaney but also Brandon Cole and Phillip Jackson. Chaney was killed to protect the drug trafficking activities of Coles, White, Dickerson, Corbett, and others. Jackson and Cole were murdered to prevent them from being witnesses to the crimes of violence that were committed at the Jackson property. The killers never found any money on the property but stole some drugs and firearms.
Adgebesan, along with other individuals, were charged in connection with the investigation:
- Kevin Coles, age 36, of New York, NY and Hagerstown, Maryland, was found guilty after a guilty trial in April of multiple crimes, including murder for hire, robbery, and drug trafficking, and is awaiting sentencing;
- Devin Dickerson, age 31, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine and is awaiting sentencing;
- Kenyatta Corbett, age 38, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
- Michael Buck, age 30, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
- Nicholas Preddy, age 29, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to attempting to kill a witness and is awaiting sentencing;
- Johnnie Jenkins-Armstrong, age 22, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
- Terrance Lawson, age 31, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness;
- Tyrone Armstrong, age 30, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness;
- Christopher Johnson, age 31, Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to multiple counts including murder for hire and is awaiting sentencing
- Mark Johnson, age 35, Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to obstructing the grand jury’s investigation and is awaiting sentencing; and
- Llesenia Woodard, age 46, Hagerstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty to providing false testimony to the grand jury investigating the murders and is awaiting sentencing.
Joshua Davis, age 30, previously pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy to locate and kill an individual believed to be cooperating with federal authorities in the investigation of the triple murders. Davis was sentenced to serve 100 months’ imprisonment. Torey White’s trial is scheduled for January 2023.
The following federal, state and local law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation: Drug Enforcement Administration Harrisburg Resident Office; Pennsylvania State Police, Chambersburg; Pennsylvania State Police, Troop H; Franklin County Drug Task Force; Franklin County Adult Probation; Pennsylvania State Probation and Parole; Hagerstown Police Department, Criminal Investigation Division; Drug Enforcement Administration, Hagerstown Resident Office; Washington County Narcotics Task Force; Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office, Strike Force Group 1; Maryland State Police Homicide Unit; Baltimore Police Department Narcotics, Fugitive And Homicide Units; Baltimore County Police Department Narcotics and Gang Unit; Federal Bureau of Investigation Evidence Management Unit, Quantico, VA; US Marshal’s Service Harrisburg, PA and Phoenix, AZ; Franklin County District Attorney’s Office; United States Attorney’s Office, District Of Maryland; and the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, and Senior Litigation Counsel Michael Consiglio are prosecuting the case.
This case was part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This prosecution is also part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) identified as “Retribution for Welsh Run.” OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Maryland Man Admits to Extortion in Connection with a Maryland State Contract for Information TechnologyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Kenneth Coffland, age 67, of Riva, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to extortion committed in connection with the operation of a state government contract for information technology (IT) services.
The guilty plea was entered on late on June 7, 2022, and announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, Coffland used his relationship with co-defendant Isabel FitzGerald to compel Company # 1 to re-hire Coffland for a position on a state contract that he had resigned from 18 months earlier, at a substantially increased salary and with a bonus agreement that was far more lucrative than that what Coffland had previously enjoyed.
From 2009 to September 2011, Coffland was an employee of Company # 1, an IT company that held a large contract with the Maryland State Department of Human Resources (DHR) to operate a data center that was used to host various applications that provided social welfare benefits under various federal and state programs (“the Hosting Contract”). In 2010, Company # 1 promoted Coffland to the position of Hosting Director on this contract, with overall responsibility for ensuring that Company # 1’s operation of the data center met its contractual obligations to DHR. Coffland’s annual salary as Hosting Director in 2010-11 was approximately $171,000, plus a potential bonus of up to 20% of his salary.
While working first as an employee of Company # 1 on the Hosting Contract and later as the Hosting Director, Coffland developed a close working relationship with Isabel FitzGerald, who was then DHR’s Chief Information Officer (“CIO”) and was directly responsible for overseeing the performance of the Hosting Contract. By the spring of 2010, Coffland’s and FitzGerald’s relationship had evolved into a close personal one.
Although FitzGerald resigned from DHR effective October 2011, starting at least in December 2011 and continuing through early December 2012, FitzGerald served as a consultant to the Secretary of DHR and to her successor as CIO. She dealt directly with Company # 1 and its officials who had responsibility for the Hosting Contract and advised the Secretary of DHR on matters relating to the Hosting Contract.
On Friday, September 23, 2011, after FitzGerald had given notice that she was resigning her position as CIO, Coffland resigned his position as Hosting Director with Company # 1. The following Monday, September 26, 2011, Coffland started work for Company # 2, which was responsible for reviewing and reporting to the State concerning Company # 1’s performance on the Hosting Contract. In his new position, Coffland’s sole job was to monitor and report to DHR on his previous employer’s performance on the Hosting Contract, which continued to involve working closely with FitzGerald in her new role as an DHR consultant.
In December 2012, FitzGerald was appointed Deputy Secretary for Operations of DHR, a position that reported directly to the DHR Secretary and that oversaw the Hosting Contract and numerous additional offices within DHR. As detailed in Coffman’s plea agreement, after FitzGerald was appointed as DHR’s Deputy Secretary, in early 2013 she caused her successor as CIO to instruct Company # 1 to remove the person who then held the position of Hosting Director. FitzGerald then met with Company # 1’s program manager concerning its “problematic performance” on the Hosting Contract. During this conversation, FitzGerald told Company # 1’s program manager that if it rehired Coffland as Hosting Director, she believed he would be able to fix the performance issues she discerned and that the State would then be willing to award Company # 1 a five-year contract renewal, after the original five-year term of the Hosting Contract expired in 2014. FitzGerald subsequently communicated the substance of her discussion with Company # 1’s program manager to Coffland.
According to the plea agreement, although it was reluctant to do so, largely because of its discomfort with what it perceived to be the relationship between FitzGerald and Coffland, Company # 1 offered the Hosting Director position to Coffland in February 2013, with a salary and bonus arrangement that were an improvement over what which he had received during his previous tenure in the position. However, Coffland rejected Company # 1’s initial offer, and countered with a demand for a salary and bonus structure that far exceeded what he had previously received. Coffland also demanded that he be hired as an independent contractor rather than an employee.
Given FitzGerald’s position, Company # 1 felt that it had no choice but to agree to Coffland’s demands, and it offered him the Hosting Director’s position as an independent contractor in April 2013. Company # 1 also agreed to pay Coffland at a rate of $125 per hour, up to a maximum of 2,400 annual hours – a potential annual salary of $300,000. In addition, Company # 1 agreed to Coffland’s demand for a quarterly bonus of up to $50,000.00, resulting in a potential annual bonus of $200,000. Coffland forwarded Company # 1’s emailed offer to his personal email address and from there to FitzGerald’s personal email address, and he discussed Company # 1’s offer with FitzGerald before he accepted it.
On July 2, 2013, Coffland returned to the Hosting Director position as an independent contractor.
Isabel Fitzgerald, age 52, of Annapolis, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to bribery in connection with a scheme to receive financial benefits from two senior members of an information technology company in exchange for influence in connection with the performance of favorable official acts. She is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13, 2020.
Coffland faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison followed by up to 3 years of supervised release for extortion. U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm has scheduled sentencing for October 13, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Jefferson M. Gray, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Man sentenced to 8 years in prison for stealing firearms from Hannibal farm supply storeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Monday sentenced a man who stole firearms from a Hannibal farm supply store and sold one to an undercover federal agent to eight years in prison.
Dalton Culp, 29, of Hannibal, was also ordered to repay more than $5,000 to the Farm and Home Supply store in Hannibal. Culp and others stole seven guns from the store early on the morning of June 26, 2020. A special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives later learned that Culp had a gun for sale. The agent, working undercover, bought a Kimber 9mm pistol from Culp on Sept. 3, 2020. The serial number of the gun had been partially obliterated, but it appeared to match one of the guns taken in the burglary.
After his arrest, Culp, 29, of Hannibal, admitted participating in the burglary and keeping the Kimber pistol for himself, his plea agreement says.
Culp, who has prior felony convictions, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court March 7 to three felonies: theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee, possession of a stolen firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On March 30, Judge Fleissig sentenced Culp’s cousin, Cory Culp, 28, of Ralls County, to 21 months in prison.
A charge of possession of a stolen firearm is pending against a third defendant, Kyle Stolberg, 22.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hannibal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce prosecuted the case.
Photo courtesy of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A photo captured during the theft of firearms from Farm and Home Supply in Hannibal, Missouri on June 26, 2020.Man Who Led Police on a Car Chase Trying to Destroy Evidence of Methamphetamine Smuggling Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Springdale, Arkansas, man who led Saraland police and other law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase on Interstate 65 on July 9, 2021, was sentenced today to 210 months in federal prison for his participation in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine ice.
According to court documents, 22-year-old Umberto Rosales Mendoza, was identified as the driver of the Honda Accord that was traveling 80 miles per hour on the interstate through Saraland, Alabama, near Exit 13 in Mobile County. A Saraland police officer attempted to stop the vehicle after activating his blue lights and siren, but Mendoza abruptly changed lanes and exited the interstate at Celeste Road. Mendoza ran the red light at the intersection and traveled at a high rate of speed onto Shelton Beach Road. There, the passenger in the Honda threw out a black plastic trash bag later found to contain approximately 12 kilograms of methamphetamine ice when it was seized by the police. Mendoza crossed into the opposite lane of traffic, passing some vehicles and running others off the road. Mendoza continued to Interstate 65 southbound, and there reached speeds of 114 miles per hour, even passing vehicles in the left emergency lane. Mendoza attempted to exit the interstate at the Dauphin Street exit, where he ran another red light and caused an innocent civilian to strike the Honda on the passenger side. Mendoza the jumped out of the Honda and fled on foot across southbound Interstate 65, narrowly avoiding being hit by multiple vehicles before he was apprehended by a Saraland police officer.
Both Mendoza and his passenger, co-defendant Luis Alexander Guzman Calderon, also of Springdale, Arkansas, entered guilty pleas to the federal charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Jeffery U. Beaverstock imposed the 210-month sentence in Mendoza’s case this afternoon. The judge further ordered that Mendoza would also serve five years on supervised release following his imprisonment. As conditions of his supervision, Mendoza will also undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse, he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion, and he will undergo mental health testing and treatment. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that Mendoza pay $100 in special assessments.
The case was investigated by the Saraland Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.Makah Tribal member sentenced to 16 months in prison for carjacking and threatening young boysRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A enrolled member of the Makah Tribe was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 16 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Nicolas Joseph James Johnson, 33, pleaded guilty to robbery in March 2022. U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle noted the trauma suffered by three young boys who were ordered out of the car at knifepoint.
According to records filed in the case, on the evening of September 18, 2021. Johnson carjacked a vehicle from outside the Mini-Market on Bay View Avenue in Neah Bay, Washington. There were three brothers in the car, ages 16, 12 and 10. Johnson used a machete to threaten the boys and ordered them out of the car. After the boys got out Johnson sped off and led police on a high-speed chase.
Johnson has two prior convictions in state court related to stolen vehicles. He had just terminated supervision on the state convictions when he committed this crime.
The case was investigated by the Neah Bay Police Department and the FBI.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London. Mr. London serves as Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Leader of Mexico’s United Cartels Extradited to U.S. to Face Charges of Importing over 1100 Pounds of Crystal MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Adalberto Fructuoso Comparan-Rodriguez, a/k/a “Fruto,” who is the former mayor of Aguililla, Mexico and, according to the allegations, a leader of the United Cartels in Michoacán, Mexico, made his initial appearance in federal court in Miami, Florida today after his extradition from Guatemala. A South Florida grand jury returned an indictment charging Comparan-Rodriguez with drug trafficking crimes in April 2021.
Also prosecuted for their alleged roles in the methamphetamine scheme are Alfonso Rustrian, of Mexico; Adalberto Fructose Comparan-Bedolla, (the son of Comparan-Rodriguez); Carlos Basauri-Coto; Silviano Gonzalez-Aguilar; and Salvador Valdez.
According to the allegations, in January 2021, Comparan-Rodriguez and Rustrian met in Cali, Colombia with a person they believed to be a money launderer and drug trafficker associated with Hezbollah (“buyer”). Rustrian explained that Comparan-Rodriguez was a leader of the United Cartels, and that they could supply hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine to the buyer, it is alleged. They ultimately agreed that Comparan-Rodriguez and Rustrian would send 500 kilograms of methamphetamine from Mexico, through Texas, to the Miami area, according to the charges.
To make the methamphetamine undetectable, members of the organization hid it inside different materials. On March 20, 2021, according to the allegations, a truck carrying concrete tiles filled with methamphetamine arrived in Miami. It is alleged that Comparan-Bedolla helped crack the concrete tiles open and remove approximately 200 kilograms of methamphetamine from them. The rest of the meth (over 300 kilograms) arrived in Miami on March 26, 2021, say the court documents. This time, it was dissolved within five-gallon buckets of house paint.
According to the allegations, Comparan-Bedolla and two chemists (Gonzalez-Aguilar and Valdez) worked for days inside a warehouse, extracting pure crystal methamphetamine from the paint. Law enforcement agents seized the meth before it hit the streets and made arrests.
On March 30, 2021, Guatemalan authorities arrested Comparan-Rodriguez based upon a provisional arrest request by the United States. The government of Guatemala ordered him extradited based upon an extradition request by the United States. U.S. Attorney Gonzalez extends his gratitude to the government of Guatemala for its assistance, as well as the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) for its substantial assistance in securing Comparan-Rodriguez’s arrest and extradition. Rustrian was also arrested in Guatemala in March 2021, at the request of the United States. Rustrian was extradited to the United States in January 2022.
DEA Miami investigated this case. OIA, along with the DEA’s Mexico City, Guatemala City, and Bogota Country Offices; Hialeah Police Department; Hialeah Gardens Police Department; City of Miami Police Department; Aventura Police Department; Miami Beach Police Department; Miami-Dade County Police Department; and Miramar Police Department assisted in this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederic “Fritz” Shadley is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling asset forfeiture.
This investigation and prosecution was carried out by members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The South Florida HIDTA, established in 1990, is made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who, cooperatively, target the region’s drug-trafficking and money laundering organizations. The South Florida HIDTA is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which sponsors a variety of initiatives focused on the nation’s illicit drug trafficking threats.
Criminal complaints and indictments are charging documents that contain mere allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt 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-20221.
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Justice Department Announces Charges Against Alleged Gun TraffickerRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that a man who allegedly purchased guns later used in multiple incidents in the United States and Canada has been charged with federal firearm crimes. According to court documents, Demontre Antwon Hackworth, 31, allegedly purchased at least 92 guns from federally licensed firearms dealers, including 75 guns in just six months from a single dealer that later relinquished its seller’s license.
“As part of the Department-wide anti-violent crime strategy we launched last year, we are marshalling the resources of every one of our U.S. Attorneys’ offices, law enforcement agencies, grant-making entities, and other components to work in partnership with state and local law enforcement to disrupt violent crime,” Attorney General Merrick B Garland said at a press conference in Washington, DC on Monday. “We are cracking down on the criminal gun-trafficking pipelines that flood our communities with illegal guns, and we have instructed our federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents to prioritize prosecutions of those who are responsible for the greatest gun violence. The case we are announcing today is just one example of those efforts.”
“The second amendment protects the rights of law-abiding citizens – but not prohibited persons, or those who arm them,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham for the Northern District of Texas. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF Dallas, and the entire Department of Justice is working our level best to keep guns away from dangerous offenders before they can put finger to trigger.”
“Illegal firearms trafficking is not a victimless crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeff Boshek of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Dallas Field Division. “There are real consequences when individuals illegally engage in the business of buying and selling firearms. ATF will continue to use all available resources to strategically target and identify illegal firearms sales, trafficking patterns, and sources of crime guns; and to interrupt the illegal flow of firearms to criminal gang members, felons, firearm traffickers, and all persons who are otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.”
Despite claiming to be the actual transferee (i.e. buyer) of the firearms, Hackworth allegedly engaged in the business of reselling the guns without a federal firearm license and without conducting required background checks. Federal law prohibits individuals engaging in the business of dealing in firearms – defined as repeatedly devoting time and attention to purchasing and reselling guns for pecuniary gain – from doing so without a license.
At least 16 of the guns Hackworth purchased are alleged to have been subsequently recovered in Texas, Maryland, and Canada from incidents that include homicide, aggravated assault, and drug trafficking.
As alleged in the indictment, according to an analysis by the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), three of the recovered guns had been used in multiple crimes. One gun was used in three separate criminal incidents – two aggravated assaults and one unlawful possession; and two more were used in two incidents each. At least 14 of the 16 recovered guns were recovered in incidents within one year of purchase. One was recovered from an incident just seven days after Hackworth purchased it.
Hackworth was indicted on June 7 for dealing firearms without a license and making false statements during the purchase of a firearm. He was arrested by ATF agents in Dallas on Friday and made his initial appearance in the Northern District of Texas on Monday. If convicted, he faces up to 35 years in federal prison, with a statutory maximum penalty of five years for dealing without a license and up to 10 years for each count of false statement during purchase. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The ATF’s Dallas Field Division, in partnership with the agency’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) program, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanna Etessam is prosecuting the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert for the Northern District of Texas.
Justice Department Announces Charges Against Alleged Gun TraffickerRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that a man who allegedly purchased guns later used in multiple incidents in the United States and Canada has been charged with federal firearm crimes. According to court documents, Demontre Antwon Hackworth, 31, allegedly purchased at least 92 guns from federally licensed firearms dealers, including 75 guns in just six months from a single dealer that later relinquished its seller’s license.
“As part of the Department-wide anti-violent crime strategy we launched last year, we are marshalling the resources of every one of our U.S. Attorneys’ offices, law enforcement agencies, grant-making entities, and other components to work in partnership with state and local law enforcement to disrupt violent crime,” said Attorney General Merrick B Garland. “We are cracking down on the criminal gun-trafficking pipelines that flood our communities with illegal guns, and we have instructed our federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents to prioritize prosecutions of those who are responsible for the greatest gun violence. The case we are announcing today is just one example of those efforts.”
“The second amendment protects the rights of law-abiding citizens – but not prohibited persons, or those who arm them,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham for the Northern District of Texas. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF Dallas, and the entire Department of Justice is working our level best to keep guns away from dangerous offenders before they can put finger to trigger.”
“Illegal firearms trafficking is not a victimless crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeff Boshek of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Dallas Field Division. “There are real consequences when individuals illegally engage in the business of buying and selling firearms. ATF will continue to use all available resources to strategically target and identify illegal firearms sales, trafficking patterns, and sources of crime guns; and to interrupt the illegal flow of firearms to criminal gang members, felons, firearm traffickers, and all persons who are otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.”
Despite claiming to be the actual transferee (i.e. buyer) of the firearms, Hackworth allegedly engaged in the business of reselling the guns without a federal firearm license and without conducting required background checks. Federal law prohibits individuals engaging in the business of dealing in firearms – defined as repeatedly devoting time and attention to purchasing and reselling guns for pecuniary gain – from doing so without a license.
At least 16 of the guns Hackworth purchased are alleged to have been subsequently recovered in Texas, Maryland, and Canada from incidents that include homicide, aggravated assault, and drug trafficking.
As alleged in the indictment, according to an analysis by the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), three of the recovered guns had been used in multiple crimes. One gun was used in three separate criminal incidents – two aggravated assaults and one unlawful possession; and two more were used in two incidents each. At least 14 of the 16 recovered guns were recovered in incidents within one year of purchase. One was recovered from an incident just seven days after Hackworth purchased it.
Hackworth was indicted on June 7 for dealing firearms without a license and making false statements during the purchase of a firearm. He was arrested by ATF agents in Dallas on Friday and made his initial appearance in the Northern District of Texas on Monday. If convicted, he faces up to 35 years in federal prison, with a statutory maximum penalty of five years for dealing without a license and up to 10 years for each count of false statement during purchase. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The ATF’s Dallas Field Division, in partnership with the agency’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) program, conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanna Etessam is prosecuting the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert for the Northern District of Texas.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jefferson County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Richard Brent Collum, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Collum, 36, pleaded guilty in February 2022 to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Collum, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of a prior conviction, admitted to having a .45 caliber handgun in August 2021 in Jefferson County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Helman prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Charles Town Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Jefferson County man sentenced for fentanyl chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Howard Anson Peterson, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 12 months of incarceration for a fentanyl charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Peterson, also known as “Happy,” 57, pleaded guilty in March 2022 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Fentanyl.” Peterson admitted to working with another to distribute fentanyl in February 2021 in Jefferson County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Helman prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Loudon County, Virginia Task Force investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Jefferson County man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael Lynch, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced today to three years of probation for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Lynch, 58, pleaded guilty in January 2022 to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Cocaine Base and Cocaine Hydrochloride.” Lynch admitted working with others to distribute cocaine base, also known as “crack,” and cocaine hydrochloride, also known as “coke,” from July 2018 to June 2021 in Jefferson County and elsewhere.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police, the DEA Task Force Montgomery County, Maryland; and the Frederick, Maryland, HIDTA group investigated. The EPDTF consists of the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Ranson Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Martinsburg Police Department.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Inmate Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Sholanda Thomas, 38, an inmate at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) in Chowchilla, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges for submitting fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to the California Employment Development Department in her own name and the names of other inmates, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Thomas sent her own and other inmates’ personal identifying information to Christina Smith, who was on parole and had previously been an inmate at CCWF, to submit the fraudulent claims in their names. The underlying applications falsely represented that the inmates had been working as carpet cleaners, hair stylists, mechanics, and other jobs. This was impossible because they were incarcerated and ineligible for benefits. The loss to the EDD and the United States is over $250,000. Thomas split the proceeds with Smith and her other co-conspirators.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Investigative Services Unit, and the EDD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.
Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Sept. 12, 2022. For the conspiracy charge, she faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. For the aggravated identity theft charge, she faces a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to any other sentence and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Smith pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in federal prison in September 2021.
Illinois Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Operating Subscription-Based Computer Attack PlatformsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Illinois man was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for running websites that allowed paying users to launch powerful distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attacks that flood targeted computers with information and prevent them from being able to access the internet.
Matthew Gatrel, 33, of St. Charles, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt.
At the conclusion of a nine-day trial in September 2021, a federal jury found Gatrel guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit unauthorized impairment of a protected computer, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of unauthorized impairment of a protected computer.
“Gatrel ran a criminal enterprise designed around launching hundreds of thousands of cyber-attacks on behalf of hundreds of customers,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “He also provided infrastructure and resources for other cybercriminals to run their own businesses launching these same kinds of attacks. These attacks victimized wide swaths of American society and compromised computers around the world.”
Gatrel owned and operated two DDoS facilitation websites: DownThem.org and AmpNode.com. DownThem sold subscriptions allowing customers to launch DDoS attacks while AmpNode provided “bulletproof” server hosting to customers with an emphasis on “spoofing” servers that could be pre-configured with DDoS attack scripts and lists of vulnerable “attack amplifiers” used to launch simultaneous cyberattacks on victims.
Records from the DownThem service revealed more than 2,000 registered users and more than 200,000 launched attacks, including attacks on homes, schools, universities, municipal and local government websites, and financial institutions worldwide. Many AmpNode customers were themselves operating for-profit DDoS services.
Gatrel offered expert advice to customers of both services, providing guidance on the best attack methods to “down” different types of computers, specific hosting providers, or to bypass DDoS protection services. Gatrel himself often used the DownThem service to demonstrate to prospective customers the power and effectiveness of products, by attacking the customer’s intended victim and providing proof, via screenshot, that he had severed the victim’s internet connection.
Gatrel’s DownThem customers could select from a variety of different paid “subscription plans.” The subscription plans varied in cost and offered escalating attack capability, allowing customers to select different attack durations and relative attack power, as well as the ability to launch several simultaneous, or “concurrent” attacks. Once a customer entered the information necessary to launch an attack on their victim, Gatrel’s system was set up to use one or more of his own dedicated attack servers to unlawfully appropriate the resources of hundreds or thousands of other servers connected to the internet in what are called “reflected amplification attacks.”
Co-defendant Juan Martinez, 29, of Pasadena, pleaded guilty in August 2021 to one count of unauthorized impairment of a protected computer and was sentenced to five years’ probation. Martinez was one of Gatrel’s customers and became a co-administrator of the site in 2018.
The FBI’s Anchorage Field Office and its Los Angeles-based Cyber Initiative and Resource Fusion Unit investigated this matter. Akamai Technologies, Inc.; Cloudflare, Inc.; DigitalOcean, Inc.; Google, LLC; Palo Alto Networks - Unit 42; University of Cambridge Cyber Crime Centre; and Unit 221B, LLC assisted this investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Cameron L. Schroeder, Chief of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crime Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Adam Alexander of the District of Alaska are prosecuting this case.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to four years and two months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 9, 2020, Trevor Wesley Davis, 29, sold a pound of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $4,000 on a 16th Street parking lot in Huntington.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the West Virginia State Police Drug and Violent Crime Task Force West.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-177.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute heroin and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 10, 2021, law enforcement officers observed multiple suspected hand-to-hand drug transactions at a Fifth Avenue residence in Huntington involving an individual later identified as Curtis Leroy Hayes, Jr., 47. When Hayes left the residence in a vehicle, officers initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle. Hayes was arrested, and officers found approximately 6.4 grams of suspected heroin on his person. Hayes admitted to officers that he had been selling heroin for several months. Officers executed a search warrant at Hayes’ residence, where they recovered a loaded Bryco Arms, Jennings Model Nine 9mm pistol in his bedroom.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Hayes knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his convictions for first-degree murder and second-degree murder in Cabell County Circuit Court on December 19, 1995, and for possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on March 27, 1995.
Hayes is scheduled to be sentenced on September 19, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1.25 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is prosecuting the case.
This case is 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. 3:21-cr-251.
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Four-Count Federal Indictment Returned for Columbia Man for Possessing Firearms and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a four-count indictment against Kenneth Archie, 41, of Columbia, for two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute.
The indictment alleges that Archie possessed a firearm after having previously been convicted of a prior felony on November 6, 2020. The indictment further alleges that Archie possessed a firearm after having previously been convicted of a prior felony, possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessed a quantity of marijuana with the intent to distribute on June 14, 2021.
Archie faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine and is currently detained.
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.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and City of Columbia Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Former federal agent convicted of corruption in connection to illicit Syrian relationshipRead the Press Release
HOUSTON –A 48-year-old former special agent with Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) has been convicted of obstructing justice, making false statements and accepting money and gifts for official acts, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
A federal jury deliberated for less than three hours before convicting Leatrice Malika DeBruhl-Daniels following a six-day trial.
DeBruhl-Daniels was a veteran NCIS special agent working in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. There, she met Nadal Diya, a Syrian businessman living in Dubai looking for help in securing a visa to the United States. At that time, Diya was the target of several federal investigations.
The jury heard from 16 government witnesses, which included numerous agents and Diya himself. Testimony revealed that in 2017, DeBruhl-Daniels used her position to get certain benefits from Diya in exchange for providing information to him about his visa status. The gifts included an expensive birthday party at Diya’s home, approximately $1,400 in cash and the promise of a job for her son in Diya’s company.
The relationship with Diya eventually became sexual. During that relationship, she revealed he was a target of an FBI counterterrorism investigation, information that was classified at the time. She also told him that if he came to the United States, he would likely be arrested.
In late December 2017, federal agents had questioned Debruhl-Daniels about Diya. However, she failed to disclose her intimate relationship with him, the gifts he had given her, the job he offered her son and the classified information she provided.
Following the interview, she also visited with Diya and coached him on what to say in a subsequent interview.
Several months later in May 2018, she left Dubai for Hawaii for a highly sensitive and coveted job. However, she soon learned she would not get the new position. It was only then she confessed to superiors and investigators about her illicit relationship, the monies, party and gifts she had received and the classified information she had previously revealed.
Debruhl-Daniels testified in her own defense at trial. She claimed, among other things, that the classified information she revealed to Diya was public information. She further attempted to convince the jury she did not have a duty to reveal any of the details of her personal relationship with Diya nor her disclosures to him.
The jury did not believe her claims and found her guilty.
Diya, 49, Dubai, previously pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
U.S. District Judge Gray Miller presided over trial and set sentencing for Debruhl-Daniels for Aug. 15. At that time, she faces 20 years for each of the four obstruction counts, five years for each of six false statement counts of conviction, another eight for a false statement with terrorism enhancement as well as two years for the bribery conviction.
She was remanded to custody pending that hearing.
NCIS led the investigation with the assistance of the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Commerce and Department of State. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arthur R. Jones and Alamdar S. Hamdani are prosecuting the case.
Former Pinch Elementary Counselor Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The former counselor at Pinch Elementary in Kanawha County pleaded guilty today to attempted production of child pornography and attempted enticement of a minor.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Todd Christopher Roatsey, 43, of Elkview, admitted to posing as an 18-year-old boy while using the Snapchat instant messaging application to communicate with multiple minor females.
Beginning in January 2020, Roatsey began communicating via Snapchat with one girl he believed to be 16 and a second female he believed also to be a minor. He persuaded each to record and send him numerous sexually explicit videos that depicted each female masturbating. Roatsey also sent both girls videos of himself masturbating
Roatsey further used this Snapchat account to communicate with several minor females he knew through his position as a Pinch Elementary School counselor. These communications included more than 100 Snapchat conversations Roatsey recorded with two of these minor females, both approximately 12 years old and one of whom was then a student at Pinch Elementary. During these conversations, Roatsey told the girls that they were “hot” and “sexy” and received numerous videos of the minor females doing “TikTok” style dance routines wearing only sports bras and shorts. In other videos, the minor females would do various gymnastics poses such as full backbends.
Roatsey also admitted to distributing, receiving, possessing, and accessing child pornography, including images and videos depicting infants and toddlers, through a variety of media between at least October 9, 2019, through July 16, 2021. Specifically, Roatsey possessed child pornography on devices seized from his residence, including his cell phone, and on the encrypted cloud-based file storage service Mega. Using both Mega and the messaging application Kik, Roatsey also distributed various images and videos of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct to other individuals.
On October 28, 2021, Roatsey deleted the Snapchat account he used to engage in these activities within hours of Homeland Security Investigations executing a search warrant at his residence and seizing numerous electronic devices found to contain child pornography. By deleting the account, he obstructed justice by making various Snapchat records inaccessible to law enforcement and unavailable for any subsequent federal prosecution.
“The crimes to which the defendant pleaded guilty today are truly horrific,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “They are made even worse because the defendant was a school counselor at a grade school. Schools are often the only constant for so many of our children, and are often seen for some children as their only safe place. Due to the challenges our children face today, it has never been more important for our children to have grown-ups at school they can turn to and trust. Our children need to feel safe in our schools.”
“The demand for justice in this case could not have been more clear, and was made possible by the excellent investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and its task force officers,” Thompson continued. “I also commend Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald for prosecuting the case.”
“Mr. Roatsey abused his position of trust in order to victimize the most vulnerable members of our society” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brenda Nevano of HSI Washington, D.C. “Today, he will begin the process of repaying his debt to society. HSI Washington, D.C. is proud to have partnered with the United States Attorney’s Office to bring Mr. Roatsey to justice, and we will continue to work tirelessly to protect the law-abiding citizens under our care.”
Roatsey is scheduled to be sentenced on September 14, 2022. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Roatsey faces between 25 and 35 years in prison, to be followed by federal supervised release for the rest of his life. He must also register as a sex offender.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., presided over the hearing.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-235.
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Former Federal Medical Center Correctional Officer Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation and Sexual Abuse of InmatesRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Christopher Brian Goodwin, 46, was sentenced to 135 months on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for deprivation of rights under color of law and three counts of sexual abuse of a ward.
Goodwin was employed as a correctional officer through the Bureau of Prisons, at FMC Lexington, and committed the offenses upon four inmates under his custody and supervision. According to his plea agreement, Goodwin grabbed one victim as she attempted to exit an office space and placed himself between her and the door so he could monitor the hallway through a window. Goodwin proceeded to sexually assault the victim against her will, knowing there were no cameras in that vicinity. He admitted he had deprived the inmate of her Constitutional right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment and his actions also resulted in bodily injury to the victim.
According to his plea agreement, Goodwin also admitted to unlawfully touching the breasts, buttocks, and groin area of three more victims on multiple occasions between April and September of 2019. According to his plea, he sexually abused these three inmates by unlawfully engaging in oral sex.
Goodwin pleaded guilty to the charges in March 2022.
Under federal law, Goodwin must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years and subject to sex offender registry laws of Kentucky.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; William Hannah Special Agent in Charge, Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General; and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The DOJ-Office of the Inspector General and FBI handled the investigation. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tashena A. Fannin and Kate K. Smith.
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Former Employee of PA-Based Gaming and Casino Company Charged with Insider TradingRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that David Roda, 36, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged by Criminal Information with insider trading.
The defendant was an employee of Penn Interactive, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Penn National Gaming, Inc., and served as its Director of Backend Architecture. The Information alleges that in this capacity, Roda learned in early July 2021 that Penn National was considering a potential acquisition of Score Media and Gaming, Inc., and knew that he had a duty to keep this information confidential. Nonetheless, on July 22, 2021, using this material, non-public information, Roda purchased 200 Score Media call option contracts for approximately $13,000. Moreover, after a senior officer at Penn Interactive informed Roda in August 2021 that the acquisition would be announced within days, Roda allegedly purchased 300 more Score Media call option contracts for approximately $7,000. The following day, Penn National announced its agreement to acquire Score Media, and Score Media’s stock price rose drastically. The defendant then closed out his Score Media call option contracts for approximately $580,000, netting personal profits of approximately $560,000.
“Insider trading undermines faith in our financial markets and harms ordinary investors who play by the rules,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “As alleged, David Roda placed himself above the law by using information to which he had privileged access to cheat the market and other investors. Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to maintain the integrity of the financial markets.”
“David Roda allegedly traded on material, non-public information and made out like a bandit,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Insider trading like that is patently unfair to investors and a direct threat to the integrity of our financial markets. The FBI takes this crime seriously, and if you decide the risk of such illegal behavior is worth the potential reward, know that we will investigate and ensure you’re held accountable.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Murray. The parallel civil enforcement proceeding was filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office, under the direction of Norman Ostrove.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Florida man sentenced for unlawfully accessing IRS system and fraudulently filing tax returnsRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Keith Joseph, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced today to 60 months of incarceration for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Joseph, age 37, pleaded guilty in January 2022 to one count of “Wire Fraud” and one count of “Aggravated Identity Theft.” Joseph admitted to fraudulently accessing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) eAuthentication online taxpayer system, which has servers located in Berkeley County, from March 2015 to March 2017. Joseph obtained personal identifying information of taxpayers without their knowledge to gain access to the IRS online taxpayer system. Once he had access, Joseph unlawfully obtained income tax transcripts and fraudulently filed tax returns using the taxpayers’ personal identifying information.
Joseph was ordered to pay $142,237 in restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Cybercrime Investigations Division investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Florida Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Defrauding California of over $10 Million in Tax RevenueRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Akrum Alrahib, 43, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced today to five years in prison and ordered to pay over $10 million in restitution for conspiring to commit mail fraud in non-cigarette tobacco schemes that defrauded the State of California of over $10 million in unpaid excise taxes, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Non-cigarette tobacco (known as Other Tobacco Products or OTP) consists of tobacco products such as cigars, chewing tobacco, and leaf tobacco. During the relevant time period, California imposed an average excise tax of about 28.13% of the wholesale cost of the OTP between April 2016 and June 2016; 27.30% between July 2016 and June 2017; and 65.08% between July 2017 and December 2017. California licensed tobacco distributors are required to collect this tax when they distribute the product within the state. The distributor must then submit to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) in Sacramento (formerly the Board of Equalization) monthly reports reflecting the amount of untaxed OTP sold in the previous month and the amount of excise tax owing, and the payment of the excise tax.
According to court documents, between April 2016 and December 2017, Alrahib led two conspiracies involving multiple individuals and businesses operating in California. As the leader, Alrahib provided untaxed OTP to various individuals and companies in California, knowing that the products would be sold illegally without collecting the required excise tax, resulting in a loss to the State of California of over $10 million in tax revenue.
“Today’s sentence is the result of a highly successful, collaborative effort involving federal and state investigators and prosecutors, working side-by-side,” U.S. Attorney Talbert stated. “We will continue to root out illegal conduct and tax evasion in the tobacco products industry.”
“The primary goal of ATF in combating tobacco trafficking is to enforce the federal laws relating to the trafficking of domestically produced and counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco products,” said Special Agent in Charge Patrick Gorman, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), San Francisco Field Division. “Partnerships are the backbone of law enforcement. ATF will continue to work alongside our partners to investigate incidents of illegal conduct and tax evasion of tobacco products.”
“Tax evasion is a serious crime, depriving our communities of critical resources and exposing law-abiding businesses to unfair competition,” said California Department of Tax and Fee Administration Director Nick Maduros. “We will continue to work with federal and state prosecutors to bring tax evaders to justice.”
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rosanne L. Rust and Michael D. Anderson prosecuted the case.
Five-Count Federal Indictment Returned for Columbia Man for Possessing Firearms and DrugsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a five-count indictment against Erick Jonathan Stewart, 27, of Columbia, for conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute various drugs, possessing of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The indictment alleges that Stewart conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and tramadol. The indictment further alleges that Stewart possessed a firearm after having previously been convicted of a prior felony, possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessed a quantity of marijuana, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and tramadol with the intent to distribute on May 5, 2021. Lastly, the indictment alleges that Stewart possessed a firearm after having previously been convicted of a prior felony on June 20, 2021.
Stewart faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine and is currently detained.
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.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and City of Columbia Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Five people face federal charges for fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief fundingRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Five people face charges including bank and wire fraud for allegedly using false information to secure thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds.
The charges, via indictments or informations, accuse the defendants of applying for Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding by using false financial information, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges carry statutory penalties upon conviction of up to 30 years in prison, along with fines of up to $250,000 and a period of supervised release after completion of any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“CARES Act funding provided a valuable safety net for small businesses that struggled financially during the worst of the global pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to identify and hold accountable those who would attempt to exploit these public assistance programs for their own personal enrichment.”
Those charged in the Southern District include:
- Brandon Lamar Williams, a/k/a “NH Skilo,” 30, of Savannah, charged in a second superseding federal indictment with two counts of Wire Fraud related to fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Williams also is charged in seven other counts with drug and firearm charges that carry penalties of up to life in prison.
- Cameron Mills, 30, of Hephzibah, Ga., charged with Bank Fraud; False Statement on a Loan Application; and Wire Fraud, related to applications that enabled him to secure a PPP loan.
- Jennai Mance, 34, of Fort Stewart, Ga., charged and pled guilty to Wire Fraud, related to a PPP application.
- Matthew Patsches, 24, of Hudson, Fla., pled guilty to an information charging him with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, related to two April 2021 applications for PPP loans.
- Willie Craft, 28, of Round Rock, Texas, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, related to a PPP application and Economic Injury Disaster Loan application.
As alleged in the charges, the fraudulent loan applications in these cases combined to cause lenders to pay more than $130,000 to defendants.
Criminal indictments and informations contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases are being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
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.
Federal charges target drug trafficking organization bringing 20+ kilo loads of methamphetamine to Southwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
Tacoma – Multiple members of a methamphetamine trafficking ring were indicted last week in U.S. District Court for seven federal felonies related to their drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Some of the conspirators, have been charged in state court over the last ten years, but fled the jurisdiction and then returned using different names. Four of the defendants are detained pending further hearings. One remains a fugitive.
“These defendants are responsible for huge loads of methamphetamine, which continues to cause death and destruction in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “In one instance they brought 55 pounds of methamphetamine to Western Washington via Amtrak train – fortunately law enforcement seized the drugs at the Kelso train station.”
The indicted defendants are:
Jesus Venegas-Gatica, 35, of Lakewood, Washington
Jose Venegas-Gatica, 34, of Fresno, California
Juan Tolentino-Chino, 33, of Astoria, Oregon
Cristobal Venegas Diaz, 47, of Centralia, Washington
Esteban Martinez-Ortiz, 32, a citizen of Mexico, being sought by law enforcement.
According to records filed in the case, the Venegas family has been involved in drug trafficking since at least 2012. Defendant Jesus Venegas-Gatica was charged in Lewis County in 2012 in connection with a 15-pound load of methamphetamine. He fled the jurisdiction and returned under a different name. In 2013, law enforcement seized 70 pounds of meth and ten firearms from members of the drug trafficking organization. The criminal complaint details another arrest in 2019 in Kitsap County with 20 pounds of meth. In each of those cases the drug distributors fled and used aliases to return to drug trafficking.
Meth loadThe current case charges various large-scale methamphetamine deals in Cowlitz, Lewis, Grays Harbor, Pierce, and Thurston Counties. According to one informant, the Venegas family transported 20 to 25 kilograms of methamphetamine to Washington each month. Law enforcement tied these defendants to trafficking more than 105 pounds of meth at locations ranging from casino parking lots to outlet mall stores. In one instance, law enforcement caught a co-conspirator getting off an Amtrak train in Kelso, Washington with 55 pounds of methamphetamine in his luggage that he had transported from Sacramento, California.
In May 2022, authorities recovered another 19 kilos of methamphetamine when they executed search warrants at various defendant’s homes and cars.
“The culmination of this investigation signifies the DEA’s unyielding pursuit of drug trafficking organizations,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division. “This organization was responsible for distributing more than one hundred pounds of methamphetamine in Western Washington. The DEA, along with its federal, state and local partners will relentlessly pursue drug traffickers to keep our communities safe and healthy, no matter how long it takes.”
Due to the large amounts of drugs involved, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum ten-year prison term.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Tacoma Resident Office, the Lewis County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET), and the Grays Harbor Drug Task Force (GHDTF).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Dillon in consultation with the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office.
Load of methamophetamine venegas_indictment.pdf venegas_complaint.pdfFederal Jury Finds Greenbrier County Man Guilty of Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – After four days of trial, a federal jury convicted Jason Shortridge, 39, of Ronceverte, of possession and attempted distribution of child pornography.
Evidence at trial revealed that on May 1, 2019, Shortridge downloaded and made available for sharing child pornography online using a peer-to-peer file sharing program. Law enforcement subsequently executed a search warrant at Shortridge’s residence and seized a computer belonging to Shortridge. A forensic examination of the computer located hundreds of images of child pornography, primarily from the deleted space of the computer. Two computer forensic experts testified that during their examination of Shortridge’s computer, they recovered child pornography as well as search terms used to actively search for child pornography. Evidence showed that Shortridge possessed over 600 computer graphic image files containing images and videos of child pornography involving prepubescent minors.
Shortridge faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced.
“Such crimes of child sexual exploitation must never be tolerated, and I commend the investigative work of the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia State Police, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI),” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Blackwell and Monica D. Coleman and the trial team for prosecuting the case.”
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the jury trial.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-223.
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Eastern Panhandle woman sentenced for bank fraudRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Ana Amesquita, of Kearneysville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day of incarceration for bank fraud, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Amesquita, 27, pleaded guilty in February 2022 to one count of “Bank Fraud.” Amesquita was the head teller at the Inwood branch of City National Bank. In June 2019, Amesquita began a scheme to process ATM deposits without the supervision of a second bank employee, violating the bank’s policy. She would then take some of the cash for her own personal use and misrepresent the facts in the general ledger
Amesquita was also ordered to pay $144,661 in restitution to the bank.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Secret Service investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
District Court Enjoins Vermont Pharmacy from Distributing Drugs Not Made in Compliance with FDCARead the Press Release
A federal court permanently enjoined a Colchester, Vermont, compounding pharmacy from distributing drugs unless they are manufactured in compliance with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), the Justice Department announced.
In a complaint filed May 20, the United States alleged that Edge Pharm Inc., and its owners and operators Marc Chatoff and Kurt Radke, violated the FDCA by manufacturing and distributing adulterated and misbranded drugs, by causing drugs to become adulterated and misbranded while held for sale, and by introducing new unapproved drugs into interstate commerce. According to the complaint, the defendants manufactured injectable drugs intended to be sterile under conditions that fell short of the minimum requirements to ensure sterility. The complaint further alleged that U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspections of the Edge facility between 2014 and 2021 revealed record-keeping violations, labelling inadequacies, improper airflow, structural disrepair and the presence in cleanroom suites of mold species that can cause diseases in humans which may be deadly to immunocompromised patients.
“Compounding pharmacies must ensure that their products are safe,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to work closely with the FDA to ensure that drugs are compounded in compliance with the law.”
“Edge Pharma LLC has put patients’ lives at risk by repeatedly producing drugs under insanitary conditions and failing to follow good manufacturing practice requirements,” said Director Donald Ashley of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) Office of Compliance. “While compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, all drug firms must prioritize patient safety, which Edge Pharma has been unable to do. This consent decree ensures that Edge Pharma will be held accountable, and FDA will continue to take all necessary steps within our regulatory authority to protect the health of the American public.”
The defendants did not admit or deny the allegations in the government’s complaint, but agreed to settle the suit and be bound by a consent decree of permanent injunction. The consent decree requires, among other things, that the defendants stop manufacturing and distributing drugs until they take specific remedial measures and demonstrate to the FDA that they will comply with federal law. Judge Chief Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford of the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont entered the order against the defendants.
The government was represented by Trial Attorney David G. Crockett of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, with the assistance of Claudia Zuckerman of the FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont provided valuable assistance.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Contra Costa County Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Mail Theft and Bank Fraud Scheme Committed Throughout Northern CaliforniaRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Richard Beldon Waters III, 29, formerly of Contra Costa County, was sentenced today to four years in prison for bank fraud and possession of stolen U.S. mail, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between April and August 2020, Waters and co-defendant Desiree Bello aka Desiree Sanchez, 28, of Contra Costa County, perpetrated a mail theft and bank fraud scheme throughout Northern California.
The scheme involved stealing U.S. mail from residential mailboxes and harvesting bankcards, identification documents, financial information, checks, and personally identifiable information (PII) for use in fraudulent activity. Waters and Bello used the identification and PII of the mail theft victims to obtain money and property from banks and businesses.
On at least two occasions, Waters and Bello used identification documents and financial instruments of mail theft victims to purchase and lease vehicles from car dealerships. For example, on June 25, 2020, Bello entered a Hyundai dealership in Stockton to lease a new Hyundai Genesis G80 using a stolen identity. She made an initial $7,000 payment with a check in the victim’s name, and also submitted a lease application using the victim’s name, date of birth, California Driver’s License number, and Social Security Number. The dealership ultimately approved the application. Bello was able to drive the new G80, valued at approximately $55,490, off the lot.
Additionally, on two separate occasions in May 2020, Waters knowingly possessed stolen mail. On May 11, 2020, he was arrested in Folsom where he possessed over 300 pieces of stolen mail. Similarly, on May 18, 2020, he was arrested in El Dorado Hills where he possessed five large trash bags of mail that he and his co-schemers had just stolen minutes earlier from a residential complex.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Stockton Police Department, the Folsom Police Department, the Concord Police Department, the Pittsburg Police Department, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Artuz prosecuted the case.
In March 2022, Bello was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for committing the same crimes as Waters.
Colchester Man Convicted of Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Carl Martin, 37, of Colchester, Vermont, was convicted on five of six counts on June 10, 2022, in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, following a five-day jury trial before United States District Judge William K. Sessions III.
In October 2020, Martin was charged in a multi-count federal grand jury indictment with participating in a conspiracy to sell cocaine from Fall 2018 to October 23, 2019, selling cocaine to an undercover agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on four occasions in late 2019, and during one of those drug distributions, trading cocaine for a semiautomatic pistol. According to court records and proceedings, the drug undercover investigation resulting in the charges here followed an earlier investigation into Martin’s involvement in a shooting that occurred in front of Nectar’s, a restaurant in Burlington, in February 2018. The shooter in that incident, Rashad Nashid, was sentenced to 12 ½ years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of illegal firearm possession.
On June 10, 2022, the jury returned a verdict of guilty on five of six counts. The jury found Martin guilty on all counts except the count charging Martin with trading cocaine for a semiautomatic pistol. Judge Sessions ordered Martin to be detained after the jury returned its verdict and pending his sentencing.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the ATF, the Burlington Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Vermont State Police in the investigation and prosecution of Martin. United States Attorney Kerest also stated, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to collaborate with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute drug traffickers who possess and use firearms in Vermont. Prosecution of firearm-related offenses remains one of our top priorities and we appreciate the diligent and courageous work of the officers throughout Vermont on these cases.”
Martin faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release of at least three years, and up to a $1,000,000 fine. Martin’s actual sentence, however, will be determined by the sentencing judge with guidance from the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The prosecution of Martin was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wendy L. Fuller, Andrew C. Gilman, and Owen C.J. Foster. Martin was represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.
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. Please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn for more information.
Cleveland man admits to drug traffickingRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Lamark Hall, Jr., of Cleveland, Ohio, has admitted to a cocaine charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Hall, also known as “Cuz,” 40, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Cocaine Base.” Hall admitted to selling cocaine base in June 2019 in Ohio County.
Hall faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton J. Reid is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Clearfield Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Clearfield, PA pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Andrew Knepp, 44, of Clearfield PA, pleaded guilty to Count Two of the Superseding Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.
In connection with the guilty plea, from July 2019 to June 2020, Knepp did conspire to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for October 13, 2022. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and maximum sentence of life in prison, a fine of $10,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Knepp. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Millcreek Police Department, Erie Bureau of Police, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Beverly Hills Man Pleads Guilty to Charge for Attempting to Hire Hitman to Murder a Woman He Briefly Dated but Later Rebuffed HimRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Beverly Hills man pleaded guilty today to a federal murder-for-hire charge for attempting to hire a hitman to kill a woman he briefly dated and who repeatedly tried to break off their relationship.
Scott Quinn Berkett, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire.
According to the affidavit in support of a criminal complaint in this case, Berkett met the victim online in 2020, and the woman flew to Los Angeles to meet Berkett in late October 2020. The victim, who described Berkett’s behavior as “sexually aggressive,” tried on several occasions to break off the relationship following the October trip, the affidavit states.
In April 2021, a family member, who had learned that Berkett continued to contact the victim, called and sent text messages to Berkett’s father’s phone, and, on April 20, Berkett appears to have responded saying “consider this matter closed.”
Berkett admitted in his plea agreement that, soon afterward in April 2021, he solicited and paid for murder-for-hire services via a website on the darknet that purportedly offered such services. Berkett provided the darknet group with specific directions and details about his target. As payment for the victim’s murder, Berkett send the darknet group bitcoin payments totaling approximately $13,000.
In May 2021, an undercover law enforcement officer contacted Berkett while posing as the hitman Berkett believed he had hired from the darknet group. The undercover officer sent Berkett pictures of the victim. Berkett confirmed that the pictures showed his intended victim and that he had made bitcoin payments to obtain her murder. Berkett further requested proof of her murder and made an additional $1,000 payment to the undercover officer via Western Union for her death.
United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi scheduled a September 12 sentencing hearing, at which time Berkett will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Kathy Yu of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.
Berkeley County man sentenced for role in drug trafficking and firearms conspiracyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Matthew Todd Crimm, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 30 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Crimm, 30, pleaded guilty in February 2022 to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Eutylone.” Crimm admitted to working with others to distribute Eutylone from June 2019 to December 2020 in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties and elsewhere.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Harpers Ferry Police Department, and the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C. investigated. The EPDTF consists of the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Ranson Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Martinsburg Police Department.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding an Elderly VeteranRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Shawn Phillips, age 44, of Baton Rouge, to 33 months in federal prison following his conviction for wire fraud, to run consecutively to his pending state charges. The Court further sentenced Phillips to three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $50,718.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, Phillips befriended the victim, then took advantage of that friendship to steal over $50,718 over a 16-month period, January of 2020 to May of 2021. Phillips convinced the victim to loan him the money by claiming he needed to borrow money until his large inheritance came in. Yet, unbeknownst to the victim, at no point was Phillips expecting any inheritance.
Even when Phillips left Baton Rouge and moved to Georgia, he continued his scheme, convincing the victim to send 43 wire transfers from Baton Rouge to Georgia to fund his lifestyle there. Throughout the course of the scheme, Phillips continued his fraudulent assertion that he was waiting on an inheritance, even at points claiming to need additional money from the victim to get the ‘inheritance’ out of the court system.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M.P. Thornhill, who also serves as the Elder Justice Coordinator for the Middle District of Louisiana.
The Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative aims to combat elder financial exploitation by expanding efforts to investigate and prosecute financial scams that target seniors; educate older adults on how to identify scams and avoid becoming victims of financial fraud; and promote greater coordination with law enforcement partners. For more information, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 74 Months in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Darrell Dewayne Waller, age 47, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 74 months in federal prison following his convictions for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, MDMA, and marijuana, and possession of a firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The Court further sentenced Waller to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered that the firearms involved be forfeited.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on April 8, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant for Waller’s residence and his vehicle. The searches of the residence and the vehicle yielded a Bersa, Model 380 ACP, .380 caliber, semi-automatic pistol, a Titan, Model 25 ACP, .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Smith & Wesson, Model (TBD), .32 long caliber revolver, and a Beretta USA Corp, Model 92G, 9mm caliber, semi-automatic pistol as well as cocaine base, fentanyl, cocaine, MDMA, and marijuana,
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy S. Johnson.
Arizona Resident Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud in a False Billing Scheme to Defraud a Food CompanyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Glen Michael Martinka, 72, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty today to mail fraud, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, beginning no later than Nov. 1, 2009, and continuing through approximately April 2012, Martinka, in his role as part owner and manager of a brokerage firm known as TSG Empire Roadrunner LLC, knowingly engaged in a false billing scheme to defraud a food company whose products the brokerage firm sold to various retailers and distributors. Martinka provided invoice numbers to his co-defendant Jeffrey Scott Davis, who, at the time, was the national sales manager for the food company. Davis then approved and submitted invoices on TSG Empire Roadrunner LLC letterhead for charges the brokerage firm was not entitled to receive. The false invoices also directed the food company to send payments to an Arizona address that Martinka controlled, rather than the brokerage firm’s headquarters where legitimately owed commissions were sent. Martinka split the fraudulently obtained money with Davis by directing checks made payable to Davis be mailed to Davis in California.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley D. Weger is prosecuting the case.
Martinka is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on Sept. 12, 2022. Martinka faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss, and a three-year term of supervised release. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Mail fraud and conspiracy charges remain pending against Davis. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Saturday 11 June 2022
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of “Molly”Read the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Frederick A. Powers, age 42, of Syracuse, pled guilty yesterday to distributing N-Ethylpentylone, also known as “molly,” a Schedule I controlled substance.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Matt Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Lieutenant Timothy Pritchard of the Oswego County Drug Task Force; and Chief Joseph Cecile of the Syracuse Police Department.
As part of his guilty plea, Powers admitted that on November 30, 2021, he distributed approximately 267 grams (approximately 10 ounces) of N-Ethylpentylone, also known as “molly,” to a customer outside his residence in Syracuse, in exchange for $2,500.
At sentencing, scheduled for October 12, 2022, Powers faces a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Oswego County Drug Task Force (comprised of Special Agents of HSI, members of the Oswego City Police Department, Fulton Police Department, Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Border Patrol), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Syracuse Police Department, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie.
Binghamton Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Adam Baldwin, age 41, of Binghamton, New York, pled guilty yesterday to attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
As part of his guilty plea, Baldwin admitted that in September 2021, he agreed to receive shipments of methamphetamine, which he provided to another individual in exchange for payment. Baldwin had the shipments delivered to a store in Alexandria Bay, New York, where he picked them up. In October 2021, law enforcement intercepted two of the packages addressed to Baldwin, which contained a total of approximately 1,070 grams of pure methamphetamine.
At his sentencing scheduled for October 12, 2022, Baldwin faces a minimum term of 10 years and up to life in prison, a post-incarceration term of at least 5 years and up to lifetime supervised release, and a maximum fine of $10 million. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by HSI, the Metro-Jefferson Drug Task Force (comprised of detectives from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Watertown Police Department, and the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office), and the Santa Ana Police Department in California, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie.
Friday 10 June 2022
Youngstown Man Sentenced to Prison for Selling over 100 Firearms Without a LicenseRead the Press Release
A Youngstown man was sentenced to 18 months in prison today by U.S. District Judge Benita Y. Pearson after he pleaded guilty to selling over 100 firearms without a license.
According to court documents, Josh Hones, 36, illegally possessed and sold over 100 firearms in the Youngstown area between July 2019 and August 2020. According to court documents, Hones admitted to selling firearms to and from pawnshops, gun shops, online and through Facebook messenger. Court records state that some of the firearms sold by Hones were then used to threaten people, shoot a car, facilitate drug trafficking and were later obtained by convicted felons.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated this matter.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine Makridis.
Woman Who Defrauded Illinois Bank Using Fake Identity Sentenced to 30 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
East St. Louis, Ill. – Heather Harper, 38, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced to thirty months
in prison on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, in connection with her involvement in a conspiracy to commit
bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
In December 2020, Harper conspired with others to cash stolen checks and fraudulently obtain funds
from financial institutions using stolen IDs—including driver’s licenses—belonging to real
individuals living in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The scheme targeted banks located in
Southern Illinois and Missouri.When she pled guilty, Harper admitted that her conspirators broke into vehicles in the St. Louis
area to steal checkbooks and IDs belonging to various individuals. Harper also admitted
that her conspirators wrote checks from the stolen checkbooks made payable to other persons from
whom the group had stolen identities. Harper went to banks around St. Louis and the Metro East and
attempted to cash checks made payable to the persons whose identities had been stolen. Harper often
disguised herself to look like the individuals on the stolen IDs, using accessories such as wigs.
Harper admitted that on December 11, 2020, she successfully cashed a check made payable to a person
whose identity had been stolen at First Bank in O’Fallon, Illinois.The investigation was conducted by local law enforcement agencies, including the
O’Fallon (IL), Webster Groves, Shrewsbury, Maryland Heights, Des Peres, and St. Charles
County Police Departments, along with the United States Secret Service, Fairview Heights Domicile
Office of the Springfield Resident Office. Charges against Harper for defrauding banks in St. Louis
County are still pending.
Assistant United States Attorney Zoe J. Gross prosecuted the case.