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22 July 2022
New Haven Teen Charged with Gunpoint CarjackingRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that TIHAJA ORTIZ-TUCKER, 18, of New Haven, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with carjacking.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Violent Crime Task Force and several police departments have been investigating multiple violent carjackings that have occurred recently in Connecticut. One carjacking involved a victim who had posted her vehicle for sale on Facebook Marketplace. On July 7, 2022, Ortiz-Tucker and others met the victim on Thompson Street in Bridgeport and test drove her car. The victim reported that, after the test drive, Ortiz-Tucker reached into a black fanny pack-style pouch slung over his shoulder and pulled out a 9mm handgun and pointed it at her. Ortiz-Tucker instructed the victim to get out of the car or he was going to shoot her. The victim complied, and Ortiz drove away in the victim’s vehicle.
It is further alleged that Ortiz-Tucker is suspected of being involved in other gunpoint carjackings, including two carjackings of Uber drivers on May 2 and May 4, 2022. In both instances, an Uber driver picked up the carjacker in New Haven and drove to Wallingford where their cars were taken from them. Both cars were later recovered in the same area of Hamden.
Ortiz-Tucker appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing that is scheduled for July 26.
The complaint charges Ortiz-Tucker with conspiracy, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and with possessing and brandishing a firearm in connection with a crime of violence, namely carjacking, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least seven years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Violent Crime Task Force, the Connecticut State Police and the Wallingford, New Haven, Hamden, Waterbury, and Bridgeport Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah P. Karwan and Tara E. Levens.
Movie Producer Sentenced to over 21 Years for Role in Film Financing SchemeRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida - Yesterday, a federal district judge in South Florida sentenced a 44-year-old former actor and movie producer from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to 262 months in prison for his role in a financing scheme that defrauded investors out of more than $60 million. The defendant, Jason Van Eman, also was ordered to pay certain victims over $9 million in restitution.
The sentence comes after a federal jury found Van Eman guilty of conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering in May.
According to the evidence, Van Eman held himself out as a film producer and financier, offering to fund independent motion pictures, Broadway shows, music festivals, and other productions. Van Eman promised the victims (producers and others seeking financing), that his partner (a co-conspirator named Benjamin McConley) would match any cash that the victims contributed to their projects. Then, with the combined starting capital (which made the projects more attractive to investors), McConley would apply for and secure financing from financial institutions.
Based on these lies, victims sent over $60 million to accounts controlled by the fraudsters. Contrary to what Van Eman promised victims, his partner never matched their cash contributions or applied for financing. Instead, Van Eman and his co-conspirators stole the victims' money by transferring it to their personal and corporate bank accounts, often within days of deposit. To make the scam more believable, Van Eman and McConley recruited Benjamin Rafael, a bank employee, whose role was to assure victims that their cash contributions had been matched and that their money was secure - neither of which was true.
Van Eman, McConley, and Rafael used the stolen money to purchase luxury automobiles, personal watercraft, real estate, jewelry, home furnishings, designer clothes, hotel accommodations, and private and commercial air travel. Van Eman used some of the stolen cash to fund movies in which he was cast as an actor.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and John J. Bernardo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal.
FBI Miami Field Division investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Browne and Yisel Valdes prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 19-cr-20447.
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Mount Vernon Man Charged with Sex Trafficking of A MinorRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a criminal complaint charging RAI THOMAS with sex trafficking of a minor and use of interstate facilities to promote sex trafficking and prostitution. THOMAS was arrested this morning and will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Rai Thomas exploited a teenage girl who lived at a residential facility for vulnerable and at-risk youth, and caused her to engage in commercial sexual activity at hotels throughout the Bronx and Brooklyn for his own profit. Thomas’s alleged conduct is particularly insidious given his minor victim’s vulnerable status and living situation. This Office, along with our law enforcement partners at the FBI, will continue to identify, investigate, and prosecute those engaged in the sex trafficking of minors.”
FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said: "Human traffickers exploit at-risk teenagers, using their vulnerabilities against them. Make no mistake - these criminals are forcing children to have sex so they can make money. We are doing everything we can to help the victim in this case, but she may not be the only one. Please reach out to us at 1-800-CALL-FBI to report any information that could help ensure Thomas faces justice for his alleged crimes."
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
In January and February 2022, THOMAS recruited Minor Victim-1 to engage in commercial sexual activity and caused her to do so on multiple occasions in hotels within the Bronx and Brooklyn, New York. THOMAS facilitated and benefited from the scheme in numerous ways, including by recruiting and enticing Minor Victim-1 to engage in commercial sex; coordinating the transportation of Minor Victim-1 to the hotels and reserving the hotel rooms in which she engaged in commercial sex; facilitating the advertisement of Minor Victim-1 on various websites to customers for commercial sex; and profiting from the sex trafficking scheme.
There may be other victims of this alleged conduct. If you have information to report, contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
* * *
THOMAS, 27 of Mount Vernon, New York, is charged with (1) sex trafficking of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison, and (2) use of interstate facilities to promote unlawful activity, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, and the New York City Police Department. Mr. Williams noted that the investigation is ongoing.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Qais Ghafary is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitutes only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Montana Man Indicted on Multiple Wildlife ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Hardin, Montana, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, Lacey Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act violations.
Harvey Hugs, age 59, was indicted on May 19, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta L. Wollman on July 18, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to five years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that at various times between August 20, 2020, and March 3, 2021, Hugs knowingly transported, sold, received, and acquired bald and golden eagles, when Hugs should have known the protected birds were taken, possessed, transported, and sold in violation of, and in a manner unlawful under the laws and regulations of the United States. Hugs further and with wanton disregard for the consequences of his actions, possessed, sold, bartered, and offered to sell and barter a bald and golden eagles and parts thereof.
The charges are merely accusations and Hugs is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges is prosecuting the case.
Hugs was released on bond pending trial. A trial date of September 20, 2022, has been set.
Mission Man Indicted for Arson and BurglaryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Arson and Third Degree Burglary.
Tommy Vargas, a/k/a Tommy Lee Spotted Eagle, age 32, was indicted on July 11, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on July 21, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 25 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on February 27, 2021, in Mission, Vargas unlawfully entered the Sinte Gleska Maintenance Building and stole multiple pieces of property. As he was leaving the premises, Vargas willfully and maliciously set fire to and burned the building.
The charges are merely accusations and Vargas is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler is prosecuting the case.
Vargas was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date is set for September 13, 2022.
Mexican nationals charged with illegally transporting aliens resulting in deathRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico announced today that Jose Luis Aguilera-Guzman and Jesus David Nuñez-Monreal have been charged with illegally transporting a group of undocumented non-citizens, three of whom died as they crossed into the United States. Aguilera-Guzman, 25, and Nuñez-Monreal, both of Mexico, made an initial appearance in federal court today where they face charges of conspiracy and bringing in and harboring aliens resulting in death. Aguilera-Guzman and Nuñez-Monreal will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for July 27.
According to a criminal complaint, on July 19, Aguilera-Guzman and Nuñez-Monreal allegedly led a group from Mexico into Luna County, New Mexico. The group had run out of water and were lost when some members of the group became unable to continue traveling northward. Responding to a distress call, Border Patrol Agents, Luna County Sheriff Deputies and a New Mexico National Guard helicopter searched for the group and found seven members of the party. Agents learned that three people had been left behind, and those members were later found dead.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Aguilera-Guzman and Nuñez-Monreal face up to life in prison or death.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated this case with assistance from U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Luna County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico National Guard. Assistant United States Attorney Mark Standridge is prosecuting the case.
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Mexican national admits to transporting 85 aliens in hot trailerRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 31-year-old undocumented alien himself has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport undocumented aliens for financial gain, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Jose Luis Vega-Arzate, Nuevo Laredo, Temaulipas, Mexico, drove into the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint north of Laredo on May 11. At initial inspection, he displayed nervous behavior and had trouble shifting gears.
After a K-9 also alerted to the trailer, authorities broke the seal, opened it and discovered 85 individuals locked inside the vehicle. They were later determined to be illegally present in the United States.
At that time, Vega-Arzate told authorities that he had agreed to pay $8,000 to have himself smuggled from Mexico into the country and transported to Austin. He volunteered to drive the tractor trailer through the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint to receive a large reduction in his own transportation fee. He did not possess experience or a commercial driving license to drive a tractor trailer in Texas.
According to court documents, he was cautioned to avoid stopping on the way to San Antonio because the undocumented individuals could die due to lack of ventilation resulting from the trailer’s lack of movement.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing Oct. 20. At that time, Vega-Arzate faces up to 20 years in federal prison and possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of BP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Homero Ramirez is prosecuting this case.
Mexican National Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking; Porterville Co-conspirator Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Maria Delgado, 31, of Culiacán, Mexico, was sentenced today to four years in prison for her participation in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Delgado delivered 1,350 fentanyl pills to an undercover officer in exchange for $9,500. She also received 2.2 pounds of heroin in Los Angeles for distribution in Porterville.
Another member of the conspiracy, James Cox, 58, of Porterville, pleaded guilty today to participating in the drug conspiracy. According to court documents, Cox and another individual received over a pound of methamphetamine in two separate transactions from co-defendant Renato Aguilera, 30, of Porterville. Aguilera has pleaded guilty to participating in the drug conspiracy and was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison.
Cox is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 14, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Cox faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million 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.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Porterville Police Department, the Coalinga Police Department, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Metric Lab Services, Metric Management Services LLC, Spectrum Diagnostic Labs LLC, and Owners Agree to Pay $5.7 Million to Settle Allegations of False Claims for Unnecessary Genetic TestingRead the Press Release
Metric Lab Services LLC and Metric Management Services LLC (collectively, Metric) and Spectrum Diagnostic Labs LLC (Spectrum) and two of their owners and operators, Sherman Kennerson and Jeffrey Madison, have agreed to pay $5.7 million to resolve allegations that they caused the submission of false claims to Medicare by paying kickbacks in return for genetic testing samples, the Department of Justice announced today.
Metric and Spectrum were clinical laboratories in Mississippi and Texas, which Kennerson and Madison co-owned and operated along with other individuals. The United States alleged that Metric, Spectrum, Kennerson and Madison participated in a genetic testing fraud scheme with various marketers. These marketers solicited genetic testing samples from Medicare beneficiaries. The marketers arranged to have a physician fraudulently attest that the genetic testing was medically necessary, and Metric and Spectrum would process the tests, receive reimbursement from Medicare and pay a portion of that reimbursement to the marketers.
In an attempt to conceal the nature of the kickback arrangement, Metric and Spectrum entered into sham agreements with marketers to provide various consulting, marketing and other services at an hourly rate. In reality, however, Metric and Spectrum paid the marketers a percentage of revenue, including Medicare reimbursement, in return for the samples. The marketers then generated sham invoices for hourly services that matched the agreed-upon kickback amount.
“Laboratories that attempt to profit from unlawful kickbacks will be held accountable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to pursue those who undermine the integrity of federal health care programs and waste taxpayer dollars.”
“Rather than compete fairly for business, these labs engaged in a brazen kickback scheme to rake in millions of dollars of Medicare money,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “A patient’s needs must guide medical decisions, not who is paying the biggest kickback. Today’s settlement recoups millions of dollars for the Medicare program, and demonstrates this Office’s continuing resolve to protect the integrity of federal healthcare programs.”
“When health care providers engage in kickback schemes, the trust of both patients and taxpayers are at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This case shows our commitment to investigating such allegations in order to protect the Medicare program’s ability to subsist and serve its mission.”
Kennerson and Madison have previously each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States in connection with this scheme and are awaiting sentencing. United States v. Kennerson, No. 20-cr-00448 (BRM) and United States v. Madison, No. 20-cr-00449 (BRM) (D.N.J.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, with assistance from HHS-OIG.
The matter was handled by Trial Attorney J. Jennifer Koh and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew A. Caffrey III for the District of New Jersey.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability except to the extent admitted by Kennerson and Madison in their criminal pleas.
Mescalero woman charged with assault in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Lucinda Ann “Pug” Yuzos was charged by criminal complaint with assault of a spouse or intimate partner resulting in substantial bodily injury in Indian Country. Yuzos, 48, of Mescalero, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, made an initial appearance in federal court today and will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for July 27, 2022.
According to the complaint, on May 31, Yuzos allegedly assaulted her intimate partner at a residence on the Mescalero Apace Reservation. After confronting the victim, who is also an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, Yuzos allegedly struck him across the head with a blunt object. The victim sustained a gash across his temple and forehead and was flown by medivac to University Hospital in El Paso, Texas, for emergency treatment.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Yuzos faces up to five years in prison.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Joni Autrey Stahl is prosecuting the case.
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Members of Bronx Street Gang and Their Hitman Charged with Racketeering, Firearms Offenses, and MurderRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), today announced additional charges against six alleged members of a street gang known as the “Young Bronx Money Getters” or “YBMG” in the Bronx, New York. SHPENDIM HAXHAJ, a/k/a “White Mike,” YELTSIN BELTRAN, a/k/a “Yells,” BORIS BELTRAN, a/k/a “Bebe,” JEREMY CEDENO, a/k/a “Jerm,” FRANCISCO ORTEGA, a/k/a “Fresh,” and IVIS PERDOMO, a/k/a “Light,” all of whom are members of YBMG, were charged in a Superseding Indictment with racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses. HAXHAJ, YELTSIN BELTRAN, BORIS BELTRAN, CEDENO, and PERDOMO were also charged with engaging in violent crimes in aid of racketeering. LUCAS CHAJECKI, a/k/a ‘Luc Luc,” whom members of YBMG allegedly hired to commit a murder, HAXHAJ, and BORIS BELTRAN, are additionally charged with the August 16, 2019 murder of Isael Lagares in the Bronx. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.
SHPENDIM HAXHAJ, YELTSIN BELTRAN, BORIS BELTRAN, JEREMY CEDENO, FRANCISCO ORTEGA, and IVIS PERDOMO were already in custody in connection with charges contained in a previous indictment related to this prosecution. LUCAS CHAJECKI is in state custody in connection with his alleged murder of Isael Lagares and will be transferred into federal custody.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, YBMG was an extremely violent street gang that brutalized the Bronx with guns and drugs for at least 15 years. Among YBMG’s many victims was Isael Lagares, who was allegedly gunned down at the age of 27 by Lucas Chajecki at the direction of Shpendim Haxhaj and Boris Beltran. With this superseding indictment, we take another step towards holding YBMG’s members and leaders accountable for their alleged crimes.”
Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Office of DEA Frank A. Tarentino III said: “The DEA’s mission is to keep people safe and healthy. We accomplish this by holding accountable those who cause the most harm in our communities. Just like defendants in this investigation who are charged with some of the most serious violent crimes imaginable. I applaud the tenacity of the investigative team in bringing these violent offenders to justice and holding them accountable.”
According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment filed today in federal court:[1]
From at least in or about 2006 to in or about 2021, YBMG was a criminal enterprise centered in the Bronx, New York. In order to make money for the gang, protect the gang’s territory, and promote the gang’s standing, members of YBMG engaged in, among other things, narcotics trafficking and violence, including murder. To that end, YBMG members sold heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, promoted their gang affiliation on social media, possessed firearms, and engaged in shootings as part of their gang membership and narcotics trafficking.
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, on or about August 16, 2019, SHPENDIM HAXHAJ and BORIS BELTRAN hired LUCAS CHAJECKI to murder a rival gang member, and CHAJECKI then shot and killed Isael Lagares in the Bronx, New York.
YBMG members also participated in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics in New York and elsewhere. SHPENDIM HAXHAJ, YELTSIN BELTRAN, BORIS BELTRAN, JEREMY CEDENO, FRANCISCO ORTEGA, and IVIS PERDOMO participated in a conspiracy with other individuals to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin, five kilograms of cocaine, and marijuana from at least in or about 2006 up to and including 2021.
Between in or about 2006 and in or about 2021, SHPENDIM HAXHAJ, YELTSIN BELTRAN, BORIS BELTRAN, JEREMY CEDENO, FRANCISCO ORTEGA, and IVIS PERDOMO also possessed, used, brandished, and discharged firearms in furtherance of the narcotics conspiracy in which they all participated. SHPENDIM HAXHAJ, YELTSIN BELTRAN, BORIS BELTRAN, JEREMY CEDENO, and IVIS PERDOMO are further charged with engaging in violent crimes in aid of racketeering, and using, brandishing, and discharging firearms in furtherance of these crimes of violence.
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A chart containing the names of the defendants who were charged today, and the charges and maximum penalties they face, are attached. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencings of the defendants would be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI, DEA, and NYPD.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit and White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Mathew Andrews, Frank Balsamello, Christopher Brumwell, and Benjamin Gianforti are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defendant
Age
Charges
Maximum Penalties
SHPENDIM HAXHAJ, a/k/a “White Mike”
30
Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy; Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Murder for Hire; Murder for Hire Conspiracy; Use of a Firearm Resulting in Death; Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
Mandatory life in prison
YELTSIN BELTRAN, a/k/a “Yells”
30
Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy; Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum 30 years in prison (20 years to run consecutive to any other sentence)
BORIS BELTRAN, a/k/a “Bebe”
24
Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy; Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Murder for Hire; Murder for Hire Conspiracy; Use of a Firearm Resulting in Death; Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
Mandatory life in prison
JEREMY CEDENO, a/k/a “Jerm”
36
Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy; Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum 30 years in prison (20 years to run consecutive to any other sentence)
IVIS PERDOMO, a/k/a “Lite”
40
Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy; Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Attempted Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum 30 years in prison (20 years to run consecutive to any other sentence)
FRANCISCO ORTEGA, a/k/a “Fresh”
33
Racketeering Conspiracy; Narcotics Conspiracy; Use, Brandishing, and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Narcotics Conspiracy
Maximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum 20 years in prison (10 years to run consecutive to any other sentence)
LUCAS CHAJECKI, a/k/a “Luc Luc”
26
Murder in Aid of Racketeering; Murder for Hire; Murder for Hire Conspiracy; Use of a Firearm Resulting in Death
Mandatory life in prison
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment, and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Medical Device Manufacturer Biotronik Inc. Agrees to Pay $12.95 Million to Settle Allegations of Improper Payments to PhysiciansRead the Press Release
Biotronik Inc. (Biotronik), a medical device manufacturer based in Oregon, has agreed to pay $12.95 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by causing the submission of false claims to Medicare and Medicaid by paying kickbacks to physicians to induce their use of Biotronik’s implantable cardiac devices, such as pacemakers and defibrillators.
“Paying kickbacks to doctors to influence their selection of medical devices undermines the integrity of federal healthcare programs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When medical devices are used in surgical procedures, patients deserve to know that their device was selected based on quality of care considerations and not on improper payments from manufacturers.”
“Kickbacks to doctors are illegal because they impose hidden costs on the health care system and they taint the doctor-patient relationship,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie S. Christensen for the Central District of California. “The resolution to this matter concludes a lengthy investigation that demonstrates our commitment to take strong action when patient care takes a backseat to generating profits.”
"Valuable taxpayer dollars that fund Medicare and Medicaid are meant to support the delivery of health care services most suitable for beneficiaries. The payment of kickbacks to medical providers to impel their use of certain devices can improperly divert those dollars and undermine the quality of care being provided to patients," said Special Agent in Charge Timothy DeFrancesca of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "HHS-OIG remains dedicated to working with fellow law enforcement agencies to safeguard the integrity of federal health care programs and the services they cover."
The Federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare and other federally funded programs. The statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives.
The settlement announced today resolves allegations that Biotronik engaged in a kickback scheme to pay certain favored physicians to induce and reward their use of Biotronik’s pacemakers, defibrillators and other cardiac devices. In particular, Biotronik allegedly abused a new employee training program by paying physicians for an excessive number of trainings and, in some cases, for training events that either never occurred or were of little or no value to trainees. Biotronik allegedly made these payments despite concerns raised by its own compliance department, which warned that salespeople had too much influence in selecting physicians to conduct new employee training and that the training payments were being over-utilized. The settlement also resolves allegations that Biotronik violated the Anti-Kickback Statute when it paid for physicians’ holiday parties, winery tours, lavish meals with no legitimate business purpose and international business class airfare and honoraria in exchange for making brief appearances at international conferences.
Medicaid is funded jointly by the states and the federal government. The States of Arizona, California, Illinois, Missouri and Nevada paid for a portion of the Medicaid claims at issue and will receive a total of approximately $933,400 from the settlement with Biotronik.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Jeffrey Bell and Andrew Schmid, both of whom were previously employed as independent sales representatives for Biotronik. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. Mr. Bell and Mr. Schmid will receive approximately $2.1 million as their share of the recovery in this case. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Bell, et al. v. Biotronik, Inc. et al., No. 2:18-cv-1895 (C.D. Cal.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. HHS-OIG assisted in the investigation.
The matter was handled by Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Breanna Peterson and Jonathan Hoerner and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Paik for the Central District of California.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Man Charged with Multi-Million Dollar Medicare Fraud in Connection with False Claims for Durable Medical EquipmentRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Scott J. Lampert, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) New York Regional Office announced today the arrest of MATTHEW WITKOWSKI on charges of conspiracy and health care fraud. As alleged in a Complaint unsealed today in federal court, and at a presentment held this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jared M. Strauss of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, WITKOWSKI, ran a company dedicated to illegally buying written orders for durable medical equipment (“DME”) such as leg, arm, and back braces, and then selling those written orders to DME supply companies, which in turn used those orders to file fraudulent Medicare claims. These fraudulent claims are estimated to have resulted in payments to WITKOWSKI’s coconspirators of at least $10 million. WITKOWSKI was arrested yesterday evening at the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, after he flew in from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Witkowski remains in custody, with a detention hearing scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on July 27, 2022, before the Magistrate Judge is Alicia O. Valle in Fort Lauderdale.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Medicare is a valuable taxpayer-funded program designed to provide affordable health care to beneficiaries over 65 or with disabilities, not to lining the pockets of those who would enrich themselves through fraud. Here, the defendant is charged with illegally selling written orders for medical equipment used to bilk Medicare out of millions of dollars.”
HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert said: “The alleged fraud scheme that the defendant engaged in was motivated by pure greed. HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue all those who seek to unlawfully enrich themselves by victimizing participants of the Medicare program.”
As alleged in the Complaint and at the detention hearing held this morning:[1]
From at least August 2019 through at least April 2021, WITKOWSKI and an unnamed co-conspirator (“CC-1”) engaged in a scheme to defraud Medicare and to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits the buying and selling of written orders for goods and services paid for by Medicare, including DME. WITKOWSKI illegally purchased fraudulent written orders for DME, and then sold those written orders to pharmacies and DME suppliers, including in New York City. Those pharmacies and DME suppliers then used those written orders as the basis for millions of dollars of fraudulent claims to Medicare. Many of these fraudulent written orders used names and personal health information of Medicare beneficiaries, without the beneficiaries’ authorization or prior knowledge. Many of these written orders also contained professional information of doctors and other health-care providers enrolled in the Medicare program, as well as the purported electronic signatures of these providers, which were falsified and created without the authorization or knowledge of these providers.
During the course of the scheme, WITKOWSKI and CC-1 took in more than $3.5 million from DME suppliers, who made these payments to True Prospects Marketing, Inc., a company controlled by Witkowski and CC-1. The Government estimates that the orders for DME illegally sold by True Prospects were used to bill Medicare for more than $10 million.
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WITKOWSKI, 36, of the Dominican Republic, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years; and one count of health care fraud, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. The maximum potential penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of HHS-OIG.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney David Raymond Lewis is in charge of the prosecution.
The allegations contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Lynnwood, Washington, man arrested for allegedly making interstate threats of racially motivated violenceRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 37-year-old Lynnwood, Washington man was arrested yesterday afternoon and is charged in U.S. District Court in Seattle with making interstate threats, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Joey David George will make his initial appearance on the criminal complaint today, Friday July 22nd at 2:00 PM. He is being held at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, Washington, pending further court hearings.
According to the criminal complaint, on July 19 and 20, 2022, George allegedly telephoned a grocery store in Buffalo, New York and threatened to shoot Black people in the store. In the second call George allegedly ranted about a “race war.” Law enforcement traced the phone number and identified George as the person who made the call.
“The Buffalo community is trying to heal from the horrific shooting at a Tops grocery store. I cannot imagine the type of fear such hate fueled threats engendered in those just trying to go about their daily lives, said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “We cannot tolerate this kind of hate in our community and will not sit by while people seek to terrorize others across our country.”
In addition to the calls to Buffalo, George is charged in connection with a May 2022, call to a restaurant in San Bruno, California. In that call George allegedly threatened to shoot Black and Hispanic patrons in the restaurant.
The criminal complaint describes other threatening calls George allegedly made over the last 12 months to businesses in Maryland, Connecticut, and Washington State where George allegedly used racial slurs and threats to shoot customers at the businesses because of his racial hatred.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint 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.
The case is being investigated by the FBI with the assistance of multiple local police departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas Woods and Rebecca Cohen in consultation with the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
george_complaint.pdfLittle Eagle Man Sentenced to Prison for Embezzlement from Standing Rock Tribal OrganizationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Little Eagle, South Dakota, man convicted of embezzlement and theft from an Indian tribal organization was sentenced on July 18, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Donel Takes The Gun, age 55, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $15,935.93 in restitution to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Takes The Gun was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 7, 2021. He pled guilty on April 21, 2022.
According to court documents, between about October 2017 and March 2020, Takes The Gun embezzled, stole, and converted approximately $16,000 of monies, funds, and credits belonging to the Running Antelope District of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, an Indian Tribal Organization. Takes The Gun, an elected official of the Running Antelope District, used those monies on personal items, expenditures, and gambling.
This case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Takes The Gun was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his custody sentence.
This case was brought pursuant to the Guardians Project, a federal law enforcement initiative to coordinate efforts between participating agencies, to promote citizen disclosure of public corruption, fraud, and embezzlement involving federal program funds, contracts, and grants, and to hold accountable those who are responsible for adversely affecting those living in South Dakota’s Indian country communities. The Guardians Project is another step of federal law enforcement’s on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination, and positive action on behalf of tribal communities. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the participating agencies include: the FBI; the Offices of Inspector General for the Departments of Interior, Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, Agriculture, Transportation, Education, Justice, and Housing and Urban Development; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General.
For additional information about the Guardians Project, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (605) 330-4400. To report a suspected crime, please contact law enforcement at the federal agency’s locally listed telephone number.
Little Eagle Man Indicted for Assault and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Little Eagle, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault with Intent to Commit Murder, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.
Raul Tomas Mata, age 21, was indicted on July 11, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on July 21, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $400 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on April 29, 2022, in Little Eagle, Mata fired a gun towards several residences with intent to commit murder. A minor was struck and seriously injured by one of the bullets fired by Mata.
The charges are merely accusations and Mata is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, Standing Rock Agency, the FBI, the Corson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook is prosecuting the case.
Mata was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Leader of international drug trafficking organization and his trusted lieutenant plead guilty to federal chargesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A top leader of a violent international drug trafficking organization that distributed heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine in the Puget Sound region, pleaded guilty this week in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Luis Arturo Magana-Ramirez, 34, of Fife, Washington, faces a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up to life in prison when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on November 1, 2022.
In his plea agreement, Magana-Ramirez admits he led a transnational drug trafficking organization. Law enforcement has linked the organization to the CJNG cartel in Mexico. Magana-Ramirez was responsible for bringing large amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into western Washington. Magana-Ramirez also pursued those who owed drug debts to the organization. At various times on the wiretap, federal law enforcement heard Magana-Ramirez threatening to beat or murder those who owed the organization money. In at least one instance, law enforcement moved in to protect a target of Magana-Ramirez’ threats of violence.
When Magana-Ramirez was arrested on July 28, 2020, he possessed two firearms – one of them had been reported stolen and the other had an obliterated serial number. Magana-Ramirez could not legally possess firearms as he is a Mexican national who is illegally present in the U.S. Possession of firearms by an illegal alien is punishable by up to ten years in prison. In all, this drug ring was responsible for bringing more than 120 pounds of meth into the region as well as heroin, fentanyl pills and cocaine.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend no more than 17 years in prison when Magana-Ramirez is sentenced in November.
Also this week, one of Magana-Ramirez trusted lieutenants also pleaded guilty. Jorge Mondragon, 26, of Kent, also faces a mandatory minimum ten years in prison due to the amount of heroin and methamphetamine he trafficked as part of the organization. He, too, illegally possessed firearms. Mondragon is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his two 2018 felony convictions in King County Superior Court for unlawfully possessing firearms.
According to the plea agreement, Mondragon was one of the conspirators involved in threatened violence over drug debts. During the investigation, Mondragon also threatened to leave one target needing a wheelchair and law enforcement had to intervene. On July 16, 2020, in Kent, Mondragon jumped from an embankment and ran from police. He attempted to hide a stolen firearm that he had in his possession. When investigators served a search warrant at Mondragon’s residence, they found another firearm and ammunition. At Mondragon’s storage locker they located additional ammunition.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend no more than 11 years in prison for Mondragon when he is sentenced by Judge Coughenour on October 25, 2022. However, Judge Coughenour is not bound by either of the recommendations for these defendants, and can sentence the defendants up to the maximum of life in prison.
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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Tacoma Resident Office in partnership with Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement Team (TNET), Kent Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, SeaTac Police Department, Thurston County Narcotics Team (TNT), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amy Jaquette and C. Andrew Colasurdo.
Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty to Unemployment Benefits Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man pleaded guilty today to participating in a scheme to fraudulently obtain nearly $70,000 in unemployment benefits issued by the State of Massachusetts’s Employment Security Department (ESD).
Clyde Edward Austin, 64, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Mahan scheduled sentencing for October 21, 2022.
From April 2020 to June 2020, Austin fraudulently submitted ESD applications for at least 11 people —without those persons’ consent. As part of the scheme, Austin and another person agreed to use Austin’s two bank accounts in Nevada to receive the fraudulent unemployment benefits. In total, the ESD transferred approximately $68,579 in benefits for the fraudulent claims.
At sentencing, Austin faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release, and a fine.
U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Karon Ransom for the U.S. Secret Service made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel R. Schiess is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Las Cruces woman sentenced to four years in prison for wire fraud and false tax returnsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Sandra Roberto was sentenced to four years and three months in prison for wire fraud and false and fraudulent tax returns. Roberto, 44, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, pleaded guilty on Jan. 29, 2021.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, Roberto began working for Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) in 2009, first as a fuel clerk and later in the accounting office. Beginning in 2011 and continuing to 2018, Roberto exploited her position to embezzle approximately $1,130,215 from MVT.
MVT used third-party payment processors Comdata and EFS, for whom Roberto was the primary contact at MVT. Roberto would load cash advances onto debit cards used by MVT drivers, then contact Comdata or EFS for authorization codes to remove extra funds from the cards. Roberto would then use blank checks obtained from Comdata or EFS, enter the authorization codes and deposit the funds directly into her own bank account. From 2011 to 2018, Roberto deposited 1,735 such checks. Roberto the used the money for personal expenditures such as rent and the purchase of vehicles, flights, hotel accommodations and other items.
MVT discovered Roberto’s embezzlement during an annual financial reconciliation in January 2018. When confronted, Roberto admitted to the embezzlement and was terminated from her position.
In her plea agreement, Roberto admitted that she knowingly failed to report any of the illegally embezzled funds as income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). For example, for 2017, Roberto embezzled $260,705 from MVT, but only reported $31,932 in income. The sum of Roberto’s additional tax due from 2013 to 2018 is $250,473.
Upon her release from prison, Roberto will be subject to three years of supervised release. Additionally, Roberto has agreed to pay restitution to MVT in the amount of $1,130,215 and to the IRS in the amount of $250,473, for a total principal amount of $1,380,688.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Ry Ellison and Richard Williams prosecuted the case.
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Laplace Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling from ChurchRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ANITA WILLENE HOBDY, age 68, from LaPlace, pled guilty on July 21, 2022 to wire fraud, stemming from fraudulent charges made from First Baptist Church of LaPlace.
The government previously charged HOBDY in a one-count bill of information with wire fraud involving conduct from 2015 through 2021. According to court documents, HOBDY worked as a bookkeeper for a church’s daycare and embezzled over $175,000 from church accounts during that period.
HOBDY faces up to twenty years in prison. HOBDY also faces up to three years of supervised release after release from prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain to HOBDY or the gross loss to any victims, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee .
The Honorable Eldon E. Fallon set sentencing for October 27, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Secret Service and the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses is in charge of the prosecution.
Justice Department Launches Environmental Justice Investigation into the City of Houston, TexasRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it has opened an environmental justice investigation into the City of Houston’s operations, policies and practices related to illegal dumping. The investigation, which will be led by the Civil Rights Division, will examine whether the City responds to requests for municipal services, including in response to illegal dumping, in a manner that discriminates against Black and Latino Houston residents in violation of federal civil rights laws.
“Illegal dumpsites not only attract rodents, mosquitos and other vermin that pose health risks, but they can also contaminate surface water and impact proper drainage, making areas more susceptible to flooding,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “No one in the United States should be exposed to risk of illness and other serious harm because of ineffective solid waste management or inadequate enforcement programs. We will conduct a fair and thorough investigation of these environmental justice concerns and their impact on Black and Latino communities in the City of Houston.”
“Illegal dumpsites can raise significant concerns regarding public health and safety, property values, and quality of life,” said U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery for the Southern District of Texas. “We look forward to working with the Civil Rights Division to ensure the City of Houston is in compliance with its federal civil rights obligations.”
The investigation will examine whether the City’s enforcement and solid waste management operations, policies and practices in response to illegal dumping have resulted in discrimination against Black and Latino residents in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI). Title VI prohibits recipients of federal financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color or national origin.
The Civil Rights Division’s Federal Coordination and Compliance Section is conducting this investigation with the support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. Prior to the announcement, the department informed the City of Houston’s mayor’s office and legal department of the investigation’s initiation.
Addressing discriminatory environmental and health impacts through enforcement of the nation’s civil rights laws is a top priority of the Department of Justice. In May 2022, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the creation of the first-ever Office of Environmental Justice. He also announced the issuance of the Justice Department’s Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy, which provides a roadmap for using the department’s civil and criminal enforcement authorities and tools, including civil rights authorities, to achieve environmental justice. In July 2022, the department released its 2022-26 Strategic Plan, which includes protecting civil rights and advancing environmental justice as an area of focus. In November 2021, the Civil Rights Division announced its first Title VI environmental justice investigation of Justice Department recipients, the Alabama Department of Public Health and Lowndes County Health Department.
“The Justice Department’s recent creation of the Office of Environmental Justice and a Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy affirm our deep commitment to pursuing equal justice under law,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This investigation exemplifies the department’s commitment to alleviating disproportionate environmental burdens borne all too often by communities of color, low-income communities and tribal communities.”
Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Federal Coordination and Compliance Section by email at [email protected] or by phone at 1-888-TITLE-06 (1-888-848-5306). Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Additional information about the Environment and Natural Resources Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/enrd. View the Spanish translation of this press release here.
Jury Convicts Felon for Drug Trafficking Crimes and Gloucester County ShootingRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Gloucester County man yesterday on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, and discharging a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in August 2020, Nathan DeAlbert. Mattocks, 37, a previously convicted felon, was arrested after the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office received an emergency call from an individual reporting that he was being shot at by a person following in another vehicle while driving on a main road in Gloucester County. Following an investigation, law enforcement identified a vehicle matching the description in which Mattocks was an occupant. Officers arrested Mattocks and discovered “Roxacet 30” pills containing fentanyl and a semi-automatic pistol in the vicinity of the crime scene connected to Mattocks.
Further investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF); Gloucester County Sherriff’s Office; and other local law enforcement partners revealed Mattocks’ history of dealing heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana within the Middle Peninsula region.
Mattocks was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute schedule I and II controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute schedule I and II controlled substances, discharge of a firearm in relation to or in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession and carrying of a firearm during or in relation to a drug trafficking crime, tampering with a witness, retaliating against a witness, and obstruction of justice, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on November 29. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Washington Field Division; and Darrell W. Warren, Jr., Gloucester County Sheriff, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Samuels and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Kaplan prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:21-cr-6.
Jonesport Man Sentenced to 3+ Years for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Jonesport man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for a wire fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Donald McMahon, 34, to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release. McMahon pleaded guilty on January 13, 2022.
According to court records, from April 2020 through October 2020, McMahon embezzled approximately $100,000 from a bank account belonging to an estate being probated in Washington County. McMahon obtained unauthorized access to the estate account and utilized PayPal to transfer funds for his own use.
The FBI and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
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Jamaican Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Federal Prison for Operating Sweepstakes Scam Targeting Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Romario Mark Anthony Murray, 27, of Montego Bay, Jamaica was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and three counts of mail fraud. The convictions stemmed from activities designed to defraud elderly victims of their money through false promises of sweepstakes prizes. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida.
"Americans are fed up with the constant barrage of scams that maliciously target the elderly and other vulnerable citizens," said U.S. Attorney Coody. "Given our large elder population, Florida experiences far too many instances of fraud against unsuspecting, vulnerable seniors. With the assistance of our dedicated law enforcement partners, we are committed to investigating and vigorously prosecuting those who seek to steal the hard-earned savings of our senior citizens."
Since the late 1990s, telemarketers in Jamaica have been engaging in a scam in which they contact victims in the United States and falsely claim their targets have won large sweepstakes prizes. Victims, who are primarily elderly, are induced to send cash or cash equivalents in order to release their supposed prizes. The victims’ funds are often transported by wire transfers and United States Postal Service packages.
Court documents reflect that between 2017 and 2019, Murray and others conspired together to receive wire transfers and packages mailed by victims, totaling $608,801.99. The conspirators then took a percentage of the funds for themselves before forwarding the remainder to Murray in Jamaica. Nineteen victims were identified through banking records and law enforcement analysis.
Murray’s prison sentence will be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
“This sentencing should send a clear message to criminals defrauding American residents,” said Juan A. Vargas, Acting Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will relentlessly pursue them, regardless of international borders, and bring them to justice.”
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Spaven prosecuted the case following a joint investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Panama City Police Department.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Jacksonville pharmacist, pharmacy owner sentenced for illegally filling drug prescriptions issued by south Georgia ‘pill mill’ doctorRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A pharmacist and a pharmacy owner have been sentenced to close out the prosecution of a white-coat operation that illegally distributed more than half a million opioid pills and other drugs.
Gilbert Nelson Weise Jr., 58, of Fleming Island, Fla., was sentenced to 46 months in prison, fined $5,000 and ordered to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Weise previously pled guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Dispense Schedule IV Controlled Substances.
U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also sentenced Amy G. Taylor, 43, of Green Cove Springs, Fla., to four years of probation and a $5,000 fine after she pled guilty to Misprision of a Felony.
“These defendants opened the floodgates to opioid abuse by unlawfully dispensing massive amounts of prescription drugs into an uncontrolled environment,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “They hid behind their lab coats and professional affiliations to become nothing more than illegal drug dealers.”
Five others were previously sentenced after pleading guilty for their roles in the criminal activity which spanned from about October 2014 through June 2017, primarily in St. Mary’s, Ga., and Jacksonville, Fla. David Joseph Muyres, 60, of Fleming Island, Fla.; Mark Alan Ciopryna, 53, of Jacksonville, Fla.; and Silverly Ann May, 51, of St. Augustine, Fla., have completed prison sentences after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges. Courtney G. Gilley, 42, of Fleming Island, Fla., and Rhonda G. Weise, 65, of Fleming Island, Fla., are serving probationary terms after pleading guilty to Misprision of a Felony. The eighth defendant, a physician, was charged in the indictment but was determined to be mentally incompetent to stand trial.
“Addressing the diversion and abuse of opioids, as well as other controlled pharmaceuticals, continues to be one of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s top priorities,’’ said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “The defendants in this case admitted to running a ‘pill mill’ and dispensed large quantities of controlled substances. This investigation was a success because of the spirited level of law enforcement cooperation.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Gilbert Weise Jr. and others conspired to dispense hydromorphone, oxycodone, and hydrocodone, among other drugs, for no legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice, through prescriptions from a nominal pain management clinic known as Coastline Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Inc., in St. Mary’s, Ga.
Coastline generated significant amounts of cash by illegally dispensing controlled substances to drug-seeking customers who typically paid approximately $300 cash in exchange for prescriptions. When pharmacies began refusing to fill Coastline’s prescriptions because of suspected improper dispensation, Gilbert Weise Jr. was recruited to fill Coastline’s prescriptions at Weise Prescription Shop in Jacksonville.
Evidence presented in court revealed that Weise unlawfully dispensed more than 500,000 pain pills, sold 100,000 hydromorphone pills to a drug dealer for $100,000, and frequently filled stacks of pain pill prescriptions presented and paid for by multiple drug dealers. During the conspiracy, Weise Prescription Shop, a small locally owned pharmacy, was the top purchaser of hydrocodone powder in the United States and the eighth largest purchaser of oxycodone powder in the United States. Weise Prescription Shop purchased more than 17 kilograms of opioid powder to meet the high demand for opioids from Coastline.
In 2015, Amy Taylor, along with Gilbert Weise Jr.’s wife, Rhonda Weise, and Rhonda Weise’s daughter, Courtney Gilley, purchased Coastal RX Pharmacy in Jacksonville. Coastal RX Pharmacy began filling large numbers of Coastline’s illegal prescriptions shortly after its acquisition. Coastal RX was financed in part with a $120,000 loan from Ciopryna. Ciopryna loaned the money with the understanding that it would be repaid in installments of opioid pills that he could then sell on the street for profit. Each of the three co-owners of Coastal RX Pharmacy admitted that they knew of and concealed the unlawful conspiracy.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Savannah Resident Office and Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office Investigator Charles Sikes, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys E. Greg Gilluly Jr., Matthew A. Josephson and Karl I. Knoche.
Jacksonville Convicted Felon Indicted for Possessing A Firearm While Trafficking in FentanylRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of a three-count indictment charging Johnny Deangelo White (45, Jacksonville) with possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted, White faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the fentanyl offense, up to 5 years’ imprisonment for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and up to 10 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The indictment also notifies White that the United States intends to forfeit the firearm and ammunition traceable to the offense. White was arrested in Jacksonville and made his initial appearance on July 14, 2022, before United States Magistrate Judge Joel B. Toomey and following his detention hearing on July 21, 2022, he was ordered detained pending trial.
According to the indictment, on April 27, 2022, White was in possession of a firearm while trafficking in fentanyl. At the time of the incident, White had previous felony convictions for shooting or throwing a deadly missile, grand theft auto, two possession of cocaine offenses, and three prior sale of cocaine offenses. As a previously convicted felon, White is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro. The forfeiture will be handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Isanti Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Firearms from ShipmentsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – An Isanti man has pleaded guilty to stealing multiple firearms from shipments destined for Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) businesses, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, beginning in August 2021, law enforcement began receiving notifications of firearm thefts from shipments to FFLs. The carrier for the firearms shipments was XPO Logistics, a logistics company with facilities in St. Cloud and Fridley. On March 9, 2022, XPO Logistics contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to report an additional 11 firearms were solen from a recent shipment, including one Century Arms model Draco NAK 9 9mm semiautomatic AK pistol and ten Canik model Rival 9mm semiautomatic pistols. ATF agents later obtained surveillance video showing Jason Thomas Cikotte, who was then working as a weight inspector at the company, removing the firearms from pallets.
According to court documents, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Cikotte’s Isanti residence. Inside the house, law enforcement found the 11 stolen firearms, as well as other firearms and accessories. ATF agents determined that Cikotte had stolen a total of 185 firearms.
Cikotte pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Ann D. Montgomery to one count of theft of firearms. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 17, 2022.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF and the Isanti Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez is prosecuting the case.
Illinois Man Sentenced to Nearly a Decade in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed guns was sentenced to over nine years in prison on July 21, 2022, in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Dillon D. Grundman, age 23, from Inverness, Illinois, received the sentence after a January 4, 2022 guilty plea to being an unlawful drug user in possession of multiple firearms.
In a plea agreement, Grundman admitted to traveling to Iowa and possessing four firearms. In December 2020, law enforcement investigated a shooting of a residence in Waterloo, Iowa, associated with Grundman’s ex-girlfriend’s family. Prior to the shooting, Grundman sent a “snap” of the rear of the residence from his Snapchat Account. Officers later discovered a note in Grundman’s phone with directions to the residence. After the shooting, officers located Grundman and recovered shell casings in his vehicle, which were consistent with the ones recovered inside the shot-up residence. In the plea agreement, Grundman also admitted to being an unlawful user of marijuana while in possession of the firearms.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Grundman was sentenced to serve 114 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 3‑year term of supervised release following his term of incarceration. There is no parole in the federal system. Grundman remains in the custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason D. Norwood and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21‑CR‑02040.
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Henderson Man Charged in Federal Court with Dealing Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Henderson man with possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
According to the indictment and other information presented in a criminal complaint, Tyren Omarious Hargrove, 21, sold heroin laced with fentanyl to a confidential informant working with the Henderson Police Department in May 2022. On June 3, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence associated with Hargrove and found more than 4,000 dosage units of heroin laced with fentanyl and almost $60,000 in U.S. currency. Hargrove, who was on post-release supervision by the state of North Carolina at the time of the offense, was arrested on various state charges but quickly bonded out of state custody. He later failed to appear for court in Vance County Superior Court. On June 22, 2022, Hargrove was located by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol during a traffic stop. Hargrove initially yielded to the traffic stop but then fled, leading troopers and deputies from the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office on a chase reaching speeds of approximately 115 mph. After a tire deflation device was deployed, Hargrove’s car was disabled, and he attempted to flee on foot. After a short foot chase, Hargrove was apprehended.
If convicted, Hargrove faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Henderson Police Department, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Vance County Sheriff’s Office, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, and the District Attorney’s Office for the 11th Prosecutorial District are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Dodson is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Hattiesburg Felon Sentenced to Statutory Maximum of 120 Months in Federal Custody for Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Hattiesburg man was sentenced to the statutory maximum of 120 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Jackson Field Office. The sentence also included restitution of $6,916.37 and a term of three years of supervised release following his release from confinement.
According to court documents, Harley Cox III, 40, possessed a firearm on or about May 3, 2021. On that date, Cox discharged the firearm into an occupied residence in Forrest County and then fled. Forrest County Sheriff’s Office teamed up with Lamar County Sheriff’s Office and eventually located Cox in Lamar County. When found, Cox was in possession of multiple firearms. He had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including drug distribution.
Forrest County Sheriff Charlie Sims announced: “We appreciate the assistance of all of our partner agencies in getting a violent offender off of the streets. Project Safe Neighborhoods allows agencies to share information and collaborate on cases which has greatly assisted us in our efforts to address violent crime in our community.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Forrest County Sheriff’s Office, and Lamar County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew W. Eichner and Shundral Cole prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Former mayoral candidate sentenced for stealing from the Paycheck Protection ProgramRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Olivia Ware, a former mayoral candidate for the City of Conyers, has been sentenced to prison for using a company she started to steal over $323,000 from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
“Ware shamelessly took advantage of a program designed to assist others in need during an unprecedented challenge to our nation,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “In her various public roles, including running for mayor, Ware asked people to trust in her ability to lead. Unfortunately, what she has shown is a willingness to defraud taxpayers to enrich herself.”
“It is shameful that Ware tried to profit from a bad situation. This scheme took desperately needed money away from people struggling during the COVID pandemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “This isn’t a victimless crime, every time a fraudster like this stole money, legitimate applicants were unable to get those funds to help themselves and their families.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: the PPP was an emergency funding program created to assist small business owners and their employees during the coronavirus pandemic. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the Small Business Administration but were underwritten and issued by authorized financial institutions.
Before the pandemic, Olivia Ware formed a Georgia company called Let’s Talk About the Family, Inc. (Let’s Talk), where she identified herself as its CEO. But the investigation revealed that Let’s Talk had not filed federal or state records indicating it paid any taxes or wages to any employees for several years prior to 2020. Yet in April 2020, Ware submitted a PPP loan application to an authorized PPP lender for Let’s Talk.
The application attached fictitious and forged federal tax records purporting to show Let’s Talk was earning millions of dollars in revenue and had 54 employees prior to the pandemic. Ware also sent the bank a list of Let’s Talk’s 54 purported employees, identified by their names and other personal information, purporting that Let’s Talk paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in salaries. However, many of the so-called employees, when contacted by federal agents, reported that they had never even heard of Ware or Let’s Talk.
As a result of the materially false information from Ware, a bank issued $323,100 in PPP funds to Let’s Talk. Ware then spent the fraudulently obtained PPP proceeds for her own benefit, including to buy a $24,000 swimming pool, furniture, and a multitude of other home improvement items. She also used stolen PPP funds to pay down the mortgage on her primary residence.
Olivia Ware, 63, of Oxford, Georgia, was sentenced to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $323,100 in restitution to the Small Business Administration. The sentence was imposed following Ware’s guilty plea to bank fraud on March 23, 2022.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trevor C. Wilmot and Bernita B. Malloy prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Postal Service Letter Carrier Sentenced for Stealing MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that JAVONTE RICHARD, age 29, of New Orleans, was sentenced on July 21, 2022 to (1) year of probation for Theft of Mail by a Postal Service employee, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1709.
According to court documents, the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (“USPS-OIG”) received complaints from the public concerning missing parcels received by the Johnson Post Office in Metairie, that were later determined to be entrusted to RICHARD. On November 14, 2019, USPS-OIG Special Agents placed a package in the mail to be processed and delivered by RICHARD while on her route. The item was a mail package addressed to a fictitious person and address from another fictitious person and address. While on her route, RICHARD opened the package. Shortly after, USPS-OIG Special Agents stopped RICHARD and observed her retaping the package. RICHARD later admitted to opening the package and removing it from the mail.
United States Chief District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown sentenced RICHARD to (1) year of probation, 100 hours of community service and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon M. Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Philadelphia Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that William Watts, Sr., 56, of Philadelphia, PA, pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky to the charges of receiving and possessing child pornography.
In June 2022, the defendant was charged by Information with child exploitation offenses. The FBI arrested the defendant in October 2021 after investigating a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. At the time of his arrest, the defendant was a police officer in Philadelphia’s First Police District and had amassed a collection of hundreds of images of child pornography between his online accounts and electronic devices. Watts has since resigned his position with the Department, and as a result of his conviction, he faces a sentence of up to forty years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and mandatory restitution of at least $3,000 per child victim, and other fines and penalties. Watts remains incarcerated at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia pending sentencing.
“Watts has admitted to seeking out videos of children being abused for his own gratification – thus adding to the demand for these types of images to be produced and more children to be victimized,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Our Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to doing the difficult work of investigating and prosecuting these heinous crimes in order to hold people like this defendant accountable, no matter their position in the community or occupation.”
“That William Watts repeatedly broke the law while sworn to uphold it is disappointing,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “That he was collecting images of children being sexually abused is disturbing. All those who seek out this despicable material are perpetuating the victimization of innocent children. That’s why the FBI so doggedly pursues these cases. Protecting kids from this physical and emotional trauma is our priority.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Harrell.
Former Kentucky Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Officer Indicted for Civil Rights Violations and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned an indictment, which was unsealed today, charging a Kentucky man with using his former position as a probation officer to engage in unwanted sexual contact with individuals under his supervision.
According to court documents, Ronald R. Tyler, 55, of Shepherdsville, Kentucky, has been charged with engaging in unwanted sexual contact with four individuals who were under his supervision and with making false statements during an interview with the Kentucky State Police for the purpose of obstructing an investigation into allegations he had sexually assaulted females under his supervision.
Tyler made an initial appearance on the indictment today. He is charged with four counts for allegedly violating the civil rights of probationers by subjecting them to unwanted sexual conduct, and one count for the allegedly false statement to investigators. One of the civil rights counts alleges that the offense involved aggravated sexual abuse. If convicted, Tyler faces a maximum of life imprisonment. A federal district court judge would determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky; and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
The FBI and the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Public Integrity Unit jointly investigated the case through the Louisville Public Corruption Civil Rights Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda E. Gregory of the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Kentucky Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Officer Indicted for Civil Rights Violations and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned an indictment, which was unsealed today, charging a Kentucky man with using his former position as a probation officer to engage in unwanted sexual contact with individuals under his supervision.
According to court documents, Ronald R. Tyler, 55, of Shepherdsville, Kentucky, has been charged with engaging in unwanted sexual contact with four individuals who were under his supervision and with making false statements during an interview with the Kentucky State Police for the purpose of obstructing an investigation into allegations he had sexually assaulted females under his supervision.
Tyler made an initial appearance on the indictment today. He is charged with four counts for allegedly violating the civil rights of probationers by subjecting them to unwanted sexual conduct, and one count for the allegedly false statement to investigators. One of the civil rights counts alleges that the offense involved aggravated sexual abuse. If convicted, Tyler faces a maximum of life imprisonment. A federal district court judge would determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky; and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
The FBI and the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Public Integrity Unit jointly investigated the case through the Louisville Public Corruption Civil Rights Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda E. Gregory of the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Former Chicago Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Heroin and Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IOWA – On July 18, 2022, Pierre Fontain Black, age 31, originally of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to 192 months in prison for his role in a large-scale heroin and fentanyl conspiracy.
Black was charged in July 2021 along with 27 individuals as the result of a months’ long investigation into heroin and fentanyl distribution within Des Moines that included the use of court-authorized wiretaps. According to court documents, Black had a large drug distribution network, which he helped run and control. Black prepared and stored the drugs containing heroin and fentanyl, controlled how and to whom drugs were delivered, and monitored drug proceeds. Black and his co-conspirators utilized several phones to communicate solely with drug customers. Black would travel to and from Chicago with large quantities of drugs containing heroin and fentanyl for redistribution in Des Moines. Black and several individuals involved in the drug conspiracy are members of the Black P. Stone Nation criminal street gang. Black pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl in February 2022.
At sentencing, Chief United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose found that Black maintained his Des Moines residence for drug trafficking and that he was an organizer or leader of the drug trafficking organization.
U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Omaha, the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force (MINE), and the Central Iowa Gang Task Force (CIGTF).
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Florida Man Charged with $1.6 Million Cares Act Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Florida man will make his initial court appearance today on charges related to his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $1.6 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) payments, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Mohamed A. Awad, 60, of Ocala, Florida, is charged by complaint with two counts of wire fraud. He was arrested July 21, 2022, in Virginia and made his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge William E. Fitzpatrick in the Eastern District of Virginia. He was detained pending transfer to the District of New Jersey.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. The PPP allowed qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1 percent. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities.
The CARES Act also authorized the U.S. Small Business Association to provide EIDLs of up to $2 million, through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Awad engaged in a scheme to illegally obtain over $1.6 million in PPP and EIDL loans through numerous misrepresentations to lenders. He submitted fraudulent loan applications that fabricated numbers of employees and misrepresented company information, to induce PPP and EIDL lenders to approve the loan applications that they otherwise would not have approved. Awad submitted falsified tax documents in support of PPP applications. According to IRS records, none of the purported tax documents that Awad submitted were ever in fact filed with the IRS. Awad transferred the loan proceeds among various bank accounts he controlled, withdrawing significant amounts in cash and transferring at least approximately $760,000 out of the country via wire transfers to banks based in Egypt.
The charges each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Damon Wood, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sharon MacDermott; special agents of the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, under the direction of Stephen Donnelly, Eastern Region; special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca in New York; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Final Defendants in Moultrie Meth Trafficking Network SentencedRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – The remaining defendants guilty of participating in a methamphetamine trafficking network based out of Moultrie, Georgia, were sentenced to prison for their crimes.
Robert Lee Smith, III, 46, of Moultrie, was sentenced to 360 months imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release after he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. April Contreras, 31, of Moultrie, was sentenced to 262 months imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release after she pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Louis Sands handed down the sentences yesterday. There is no parole in the federal system.
“These defendants are responsible for supplying a significant amount of methamphetamine to a quiet Southwest Georgia community, much of which was orchestrated out of the local jail,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Law enforcement at every level are working to stop drug traffickers profiting from the sale of deadly controlled substances that cause overdoses and violent crime in our communities.”
“The lengthy sentence in this case clearly fits the crimes,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “This defendant brokered the distribution of methamphetamine, even while incarcerated. Because of the hard work and dedication of DEA and its law enforcement partners, this defendant will now have to face the consequences of his actions.”
“Illegal drugs have no place in Georgia. They are dangerous and threaten the safety of our communities. We will continue to work diligently along with our local and federal partners to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking organizations,” said GBI Director Vic Reynolds.
The following co-defendants previously entered guilty pleas and were sentenced:
Melissa Barrow, 48, of Moultrie, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to serve 188 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release;
Aubrey Thompson, 55, of Moultrie, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 96 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release;
Corey Haynes, 42, of Moultrie, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to serve 43 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release; and,
Roderick Smith, 40, of Moultrie, pleaded guilty to use of a communication facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to five years of probation.
According to court documents, GBI began investigating a drug distribution conspiracy in Colquitt and Brooks counties in Nov. 2020, initially based on information that co-defendant Contreras was selling methamphetamine in the region. During the course of the investigation, agents discovered that co-defendant Robert Smith, who was incarcerated at the Colquitt County Jail, was working with Contreras and co-defendants Thompson and Haynes in the sale of controlled substances. Co-defendant Barrow, working under the direction of Contreras, sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant (CI). Barrow would also collect drug proceeds on behalf of Contreras. Co-defendant Roderick Smith was directed by Robert Smith to provide cash to Contreras for the purposes of methamphetamine trafficking. In all, this methamphetamine trafficking network is accountable for the distribution of between 1.5 kilograms and 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by DEA, FBI, GBI, Georgia State Patrol, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Brooks County Sheriff’s Office, Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office and Moultrie Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melody Ellis prosecuted the case.
Felon Indicted on Firearm Charges in Connection with ShootingRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging Darrius Jaques Garrett (33, Orlando) with two counts of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Garrett faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Garrett that the United States intends to forfeit all firearms and ammunition recovered as a result of the offense conduct.
According to court documents, on May 27, 2022, Garrett was charged with knowingly possessing a Glock pistol and .22 caliber rounds of ammunition in connection with a shooting. At approximately 4:00 p.m. that day, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to Americana Boulevard in Orlando where they found a man who had sustained gunshot wounds to the torso. That individual was later treated and released from the hospital. Surveillance images from a nearby business captured the shooting.
Five days later, on June 1, 2022, Garrett was observed in the same area by deputies with the same Dodge Charger depicted on the video. Inside, deputies found a loaded Glock firearm that authorities allege was used in the shooting.
Garrett is a five-time convicted felon and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney D. Richardson-Jones.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety – one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and re-entry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Federal Jury Convicts Antlers Resident of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Stetson Bruce, age 33, of Antlers, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a Federal jury of two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country.
The jury trial began with testimony on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, and concluded on Thursday, July 21, 2022, with the guilty verdicts.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on more than one occasion during the time period of May 1, 2018, to May 31, 2020, the defendant sexually abused a five-year-old child. The evidence further revealed that on at least one occasion, another child witnessed the abuse.
The guilty verdicts were the result of an investigation by the Pushmataha County Sheriff’s Office, the Choctaw Nation Tribal Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the defendant is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in Pushmataha County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Bernard M. Jones, II, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting in Oklahoma City, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Bruce was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending the imposition of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony C. Marek and Hannah Jones represented the United States.
Evansville Woman Sentenced for Embezzling over $100,000 from her Former Employer and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE – LaDonna Livers, 67, of Evansville, Ind. was sentenced late yesterday afternoon to a year and a day after pleading guilty to the felony offenses of wire fraud and filing false federal income tax returns.
According to court documents, from approximately March 2009 to November 2017, Livers worked as the office manager for an Evansville business. As the office manager, she oversaw and conducted all financial operations for the business. Livers used her position to illegally enrich herself by embezzling funds from her employer’s bank accounts. Over the course of approximately five years, Livers stole $109,743.73 from her employer by making unauthorized transfers from the employer’s bank accounts to her own bank and credit card accounts.
The unauthorized transfers constituted income for Livers, and therefore should have been reported on her tax returns. Livers did not report any of this income, as required by law. Despite knowing that her tax returns were false, Livers certified that they were accurate and filed them with the Internal Revenue Service.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana; Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Indianapolis; and Justin Campbell, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that Livers be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for one year following her release from prison. Livers was also ordered to pay $109,743.73 to the victim and $24,315 to the Internal Revenue Service, as restitution.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Miller who prosecuted this case.
El Departamento de Justicia lanza una investigación de justicia medioambiental en la Ciudad de Houston, TexasRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha iniciado una investigación de justicia medioambiental de las operaciones, políticas y prácticas de la Ciudad de Houston en lo que se refiere al vertido ilegal. La investigación, que será dirigida por la División de Derechos Civiles, examinará si la Ciudad responde a solicitudes de servicios municipales, incluyendo en respuesta al vertido ilegal, de una manera que discrimina a residentes negros y latinos, en contra de las leyes federales de derechos civiles.
“Los vertederos ilícitos no solo atraen a roedores, mosquitos y otros parásitos que representan un riesgo a la salud, sino que también contaminan el agua de superficie y afectan el drenaje adecuado, lo que hace que ciertas zonas sean más susceptibles a la inundación”, afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Nadie en los Estados Unidos debe ser expuesto al riesgo de la enfermedad u otro tipo de daño grave a causa de una gestión ineficaz de los residuos sólidos o de programas inadecuados de aplicación de la ley. Nosotros realizaremos una investigación justa y completa de estas preocupaciones de justicia medioambiental y su impacto en las comunidades negras y latinas de la Ciudad de Houston”.
“Los vertederos ilegales pueden generar un nivel de inquietud significativo en cuanto a la salud y seguridad públicas, los valores de las propiedades y la calidad de vida”, declaró Jennifer B. Lowery, la Fiscal Federal para el Distrito Sur de Texas. “Estamos deseando colaborar con la División de Derechos Civiles para garantizar que la Ciudad de Houston cumpla con sus obligaciones federales en lo que se refiere a los derechos civiles”.
La investigación examinará si la aplicación de la ley de la Ciudad, así como sus operaciones, políticas y prácticas de gestión de los residuos sólidos en respuesta al vertido ilícito, han resultado en la discriminación de residentes negros y latinos, en contra del Título VI de la ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 (Título VI). El Título VI prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de raza, color de piel y origen nacional por parte de beneficiarios de fondos federales.
La Sección Federal de Coordinación y Cumplimiento de la División de Derechos Civiles está dirigiendo esta investigación, con el apoyo de la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Sur de Texas. Antes de la declaración, el Departamento informó a la Alcaldía de la Ciudad de Houston y su departamento legal del lanzamiento de la investigación.
Una de las prioridades principales de la División de Derechos Civiles es abordar los impactos discriminatorios en el medioambiente y la salud mediante la aplicación de las leyes nacionales de derechos civiles. En mayo del 2022, el Fiscal General Merrick Garland anunció (solo en inglés) la creación de la primera Oficina para la Justicia Medioambiental. También anunció la emisión por parte del Departamento de Justicia de la Estrategia Integral de Aplicación de la Justicia Medioambiental (solo en inglés), la cual ofrece una hoja de ruta para el uso de las herramientas y autoridades de cumplimiento de las leyes civiles y penales del Departamento, incluyendo las autoridades de derechos civiles, para lograr la justicia medioambiental. En julio del 2022, el Departamento emitió su Plan Estratégico 2022-26 (solo en inglés), que incluye la protección de los derechos civiles y la promoción de la justicia medioambiental como áreas de enfoque. En noviembre del 2021, la División de Derechos Civiles anunció su primera investigación de justicia medioambiental bajo el Título VI de beneficiarios del Departamento de Justicia, el Departamento de Salud Pública de Alabama y el Departamento de Salud del Condado de Lowndes.“La creación reciente por parte del Departamento de Justicia de la Oficina para la Justicia Medioambiental y una Estrategia Integral de Aplicación de la Justicia Mediomabiental afirma nuestro compromiso sólido a perseguir la justicia equitativa frente a la ley”, comentó el Fiscal General Auxiliar Todd Kim, de la División del Medioambiente y Recursos Naturales del Departamento de Justicia. “Esta investigación ejemplifica el compromiso del Departamento a aliviar las cargas medioambientales desproporcionadas que en demasiados casos caen sobre las comunidades de color, las comunidades de bajos ingresos y las comunidades indígenas”.
Se le pide a cualquier persona con información relevante que se comunique con la Sección Federal de Coordinación y Cumplimiento por correo electrónico a [email protected] por teléfono al 1-888-TITLE-06 (1-888-848-5306). Para más información sobre la División de Derechos Civiles, visite su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt-espanol. Para más información sobre la División del Medioambiente y Recursos Naturales, visite su sitio web en www.justice.gov/enrd (solo en inglés). Haga clic aquí para ver este comunicado de prensa en inglés.
Durham County Man Sentenced to 360 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – A North Carolina man was sentenced on July 22, 2022, to 360 months in prison, followed by a 15-year term of supervised release, for knowingly receiving child pornography after multiple tips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) led to his arrest.
According to court documents, Timothy James Bryant, 27, was identified by agents from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NSCBI), after a NCMEC tip revealed that a Twitter user in Durham was suspected of uploading images of suspected child pornography to the platform in 2019 and 2020. In October 2020, the NCSBI executed a search warrant at Bryant’s residence where they located several items that contained child pornography. Bryant was arrested later that day on state charges without incident.
Subsequent interviews and search warrants revealed Bryant to be in possession of multiple devices containing over twenty-five thousand images and videos of child pornography. During the pendency of the state case, NCMEC received a new tip from Snapchat regarding suspected inappropriate conduct by a user that the NCSBI connected to Bryant in March 2021. A federal search warrant for Bryant’s phone revealed that his device contained additional videos of child pornography. At the time of his arrest, Bryant had been previously convicted of two counts of Third Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor in Durham County Superior Court in 2014.
He was charged by Indictment in the Middle District of North Carolina in April 2021 with one count of knowingly receiving and attempting to receive child pornography and one count of knowingly possessing child pornography. In September 2021, Bryant pled guilty to one count of receiving child pornography. In addition to his imprisonment and supervised release, Bryant was ordered to pay $133,500 in restitution to 27 victims.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Durham Police Department assisted with the investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kennedy Gates. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and focuses on coordinating federal, state, and local resources to better identify and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. www.projectsafechildhood.gov
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Donaldsonville Woman Indicted for Mail Fraud and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury recently returned a three-count indictment charging Tynea Lynnshay Gray, age 23, of Donaldsonville and Prairieville, Louisiana, with mail fraud and wire fraud. Gray appeared for her arraignment and pled not guilty to the pending charges.
According to the indictment, between June 2020 and October 2021, Gray submitted claims for unemployment insurance benefits in California in her name and in the names of other individuals. Gray also submitted claims for Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) benefits in the names of fictitious businesses and based on fictitious business profits and losses.
Further, Gray obtained names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers of others, and submitted fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance benefits in their names, with and without their knowledge or consent. Gray captured people’s identifying information through social media and used the information to file numerous unemployment insurance claims. Upon submitting the claims and receiving the funds, she either gave a portion of the funds to others or kept all the funds for herself. Through her scheme, Gray obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in prepaid debit cards in the mail.
In February 2021, Gray also devised a scheme to defraud a lender and the United States, through the Small Business Administration, by filing false and fraudulent applications for PPP funds. In furtherance of the scheme, on or about February 2, 2021, she submitted a false and misleading PPP application in the business name of “Royaldiamondzkollection LLC” seeking PPP funds. Gray submitted a forged bank statement, false tax documents, and made misrepresentations in her PPP applications.
Throughout the course of the fraudulent schemes, Gray caused over $550,000 in prepaid debit cards to be mailed to her addresses, to which she and others were not entitled. Additionally, Gray caused $20,833 to be deposited into her bank account, to which she was not entitled.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor-OIG and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner.
NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.
Denison Youth Pastor Convicted of Child Exploitation ViolationsRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – An Anna, Texas man has been convicted for child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Chad Michael Rider, 48, was found guilty of three counts of the sexual exploitation of children, also referred to as the production of child pornography. The jury returned the verdict late today following a five-day trial before U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant.
According to the court documents and testimony at trial, in August 2022, Homeland Security Investigations agents were investigating David Pettigrew, of Denison, for child pornography offenses. Agents seized a computer hard drive from Pettigrew’s office at the Denison Church of the Nazarene. Forensic review of the device revealed videos of Pettigrew and Rider setting up to film children while bathing at the church. Additional videos were located in which Rider filmed two other children in residential settings.
“One of the sacred safe havens for children is the church and all it stands for. Yet Rider and his conspirators purposefully used it as a lure to bring children in and then, despicably, exploited those children for their own perverted gratification,” said U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston. “The jury heard all of the evidence and rendered its judgement and the law of the Eastern District of Texas federal court will render its punishment soon, at least as such punishment that may rendered on earth.”
Under federal statutes, Rider faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison on each count. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from Anna Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa J. Miller and Jay Combs.
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Delray Beach Woman Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Her Role in International Boiler Room ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn K. Mizelle today sentenced Tracy Lee Jedlicki (56, Delray Beach) to 30 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of her sentence, the Court also ordered Jedlicki to forfeit $750,000, a 4.01 carat diamond ring, a 11-carat diamond necklace, and a South Florida residence worth more than $2 million. The Court also ordered Jedlicki to pay $3,244,592 in restitution to the victims. Jedlicki had pleaded guilty on February 24, 2022.
According to court documents, Jedlicki and her coconspirators operated international boiler rooms in Panama and elsewhere. The boiler rooms used high-pressure sales techniques to defraud individuals who believed they were investing substantial amounts of money in regulated financial products or markets, such as options in commodities and stocks. The majority of the victims targeted by the boiler rooms operated by Jedlicki and her coconspirators were located in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
Jedlicki and her coconspirators then laundered fraud proceeds generated by the boiler rooms through several money laundering rings, to overseas accounts, with the launderers receiving a percentage of the funds they had moved. Jedlicki's duties included, among other tasks, arranging travel for boiler room workers to the boiler room locations, calling victims while posing as an employee of a fake investment firm to set up loading calls for coconspirators operating the boiler rooms, serving as a liaison between the boiler rooms and a money laundering organization, maintaining records of coconspirator wire transfer payments to foreign and domestic bank accounts, and reconciling payments between the boiler rooms and the money laundering organization.
Jedlicki herself received a 2% referral fee for referring victims’ funds to a money laundering ring and used the funds to perpetuate the conspiracy and for her own personal enrichment. Jedlicki and her coconspirators wired or caused to be wired victims’ funds in the approximate amount of $3,244,592 to money laundering accounts in furtherance of the wire fraud conspiracy.
“We are committed to stopping transnational criminal organizations that target the elderly with fraudulent investment schemes that use high-pressure tactics,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Dumas. “This conviction should send a message that HSI and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), working with together with our international partners, are a formidable investigative force that is unwavering in our pursuit of fraudsters.”
“These boiler rooms used high-pressure sales to peddle millions of dollars in bogus investments to unsuspecting victims across the globe,” said Brian Payne, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office. “Thanks to the investigative work of IRS-CI and HSI special agents, another transnational criminal organization has bit the dust.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee and Assistant United States Attorney Craig Gestring.
Dallas Man Arrested and Charged in Connection with Multiple Bank Robberies across Northeast TexasRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A Dallas man has been arrested and charged in connection with multiple bank robberies across the Metroplex area, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Mark Robert Disch, 53, was named in a complaint filed in the Eastern District of Texas on July 19, 2022, charging him with two counts of bank robbery. Disch was arrested on July 21, 2022 and appeared in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kimberly C. Priest Johnson today.
According to the complaint, Disch is alleged to have robbed five Texas banks between May 25 and June 27, 2022: two in the Eastern District of Texas and three in the Northern District of Texas. The banks were located in Lewisville, Arlington, DeSoto, Sulphur Springs, and University Park. Using video surveillance and witness accounts, along with other investigative techniques, law enforcement officers and federal agents were able to identify Disch and determine he was in the immediate vicinity of each bank robbery.
If convicted, Disch faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
A complaint, information or indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dallas Police Department, the Sulphur Springs Police Department, the Lewisville Police Department, and the University Park Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Eastern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan R. Hornok with assistance from Northern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Hammond.
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Cottage Grove Man Sentenced to Prison for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Cottage Grove man was sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in November 2021, Michael Thomas Prall, 43, used force, violence, and intimidation to steal thousands of dollars from three separate banks. On November 30, 2021, Prall entered a Wells Fargo bank in Cottage Grove, and presented a note to the teller directing the teller to give him the money in her cash drawer. Prall threatened that if the teller did not quickly do as he asked, he would shoot her or someone else in the bank. The teller complied with the Prall’s demand, and the defendant fled on foot. Law enforcement located and arrested Prall following a short foot chase.
According to court documents, Prall was also responsible for a bank robbery on November 5, 2021, at a U.S. Bank in Bloomington, where he stole $2,558 and a November 19, 2021, robbery at a Bremer Bank in Woodbury, where he stole approximately $4,589.
Prall was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz. Prall pleaded guilty to one count bank robbery on March 22, 2022.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Cottage Grove Police Department, the Woodbury Police Department, the Bloomington Police Department, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Washington County Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander D. Chiquoine prosecuted the case.
Colorado Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Denver, Colorado, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on July 20, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Timothy Zuk, age 49, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100, and a $1,000 fine.
Zuk was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 11, 2020. He pled guilty on April 18, 2022.
Beginning in at least January 2015, Zuk was involved with several other individuals to distribute pounds of methamphetamine and heroin in and around the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. Zuk was the source of supply for several individuals who resided on the reservation. They would make trips to Denver to pick up methamphetamine from Zuk to distribute on the reservation. Zuk also made several trips to South Dakota to bring methamphetamine to them to distribute. Over 90,000 kilograms of converted drug weight of narcotics was involved in this conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Zuk was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to over Five Years in Federal Prison for Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A prohibited person who possessed a firearm was sentenced today to 63 months in federal prison.
Rakeem Leonard, age 31, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the sentence after a February 11, 2022 guilty plea to one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. At the plea hearing, Leonard admitted that, on July 19, 2021, he possessed a Taurus 9 mm pistol after having been convicted of two felonies and while he was subject to a no contact order.
Leonard was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Leonard was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the High Risk Unit of the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 21-53.
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