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Wednesday 8 June 2022
Mexican Man Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Martin Perez-Amaro, age 33, of Mexico, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury and charged with illegal reentry into the United States.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Perez-Amaro had been deported in September 2018, and is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after that date. He was located in Lackawanna County on May 8, 2022.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 2 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Memphis Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Distribution of Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Jeffrey Luellen a/k/a “Roxy”, 45 has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for distribution of heroin and fentanyl. Joseph C. Murphy Jr., United States Attorney, announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, on May 12, 2018, detectives with the Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit (OCU) responded to a suspected heroin overdose call at a local residence.
Upon arrival, law enforcement discovered the victim was dead on the scene with the cause of death later being determined as fentanyl overdose. Witnesses identified Jeffrey Luellen a/k/a "Roxy” as the individual who sold the substance ingested by the victim.
Throughout the investigation, detectives obtained surveillance video from a local gas station capturing the transaction. Law enforcement also conducted undercover purchases from Luellen and executed a search warrant at his hotel room.
On June 20, 2018, Luellen admitted to being a heroin distributor.
On June 3, 2022, United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Luellen to 188 months in federal prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Musselwhite and Michelle Kimbril-Parks prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
###Maryland Drug Dealer Convicted at Trial for the Murder of a Woman and Her Seven-Year-Old Child and for Federal Drug Trafficking and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury today convicted Andre Ricardo Briscoe, a/k/a “Poo”, age 38, of Baltimore and Cambridge, Maryland, on federal drug distribution charges, use of a firearm to commit murder in relation to drug trafficking crimes, killing a witness to prevent communication with law enforcement and being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition.
The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Mark K. Lewis of the Cambridge Police Department.
“This case is nothing short of tragic. A mother and her child, who was believed to be a witness, were senselessly murdered by defendant Andre Briscoe,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “Let this conviction serve as a message to those who would take a life that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland will prosecute anyone who harms, or attempts to harm, witnesses.”
“There is a little boy who should be a teenager right now, but who instead was murdered at only seven years old because he witnessed the murder of his mother. That kind of callous disregard for their lives is reprehensible,” said ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby. “ATF and our partners work tirelessly to take violent offenders off the street and give victims the justice they deserve. While it can never make up for their loss, we hope that today the family of Jennifer Jeffrey and her son feel some sense of justice. ATF will continue in our mission to stop trigger-pullers, protect victims and witness, and help create safer communities in Baltimore.”
“Andre Briscoe displayed a total disregard for human life as he murdered an innocent child in a heinous act of violence,” said Thomas J. Sobocinski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “Violence and intimidation of witnesses will not be tolerated. Rest assured the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue and hold accountable those who seek to terrorize our communities and hurt innocent people.”
According to the facts proven at his 12-day trial, from March through October 2015, Briscoe conspired with others to distribute heroin. On May 25, 2015, Briscoe traveled from his home in Cambridge, Maryland, to the home of Kiara Haynes, with whom he was romantically involved. He told Haynes that he planned to steal heroin from Jennifer Jeffrey, a long-time friend of Haynes. According to trial testimony, during the course of the evening, Briscoe explained that Jeffrey had heroin and he planned to rob and kill Jeffrey to get the heroin. Haynes told Briscoe she would help him get a gun.
Haynes subsequently contacted a relative whom she knew to have a gun. The relative was incarcerated at the time. Haynes told the relative on a recorded jail line that she needed the gun so Briscoe could rob Jeffrey of her drugs. In exchange for allowing Haynes to use the gun, Haynes promised to give the inmate “like 30 [grams]” of the stolen heroin and give him the gun back. The inmate agreed to loan Haynes the gun. After the call, Haynes and the co-defendant met with the inmate’s brother, who gave Haynes a .45 caliber firearm. Briscoe and Haynes returned to Haynes’s apartment with the gun.
Later that night, Briscoe left Haynes’s apartment to go hang out with Jeffrey at Jeffrey’s nearby home. When Haynes woke up later she realized that Briscoe had not returned and got upset. Between 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Haynes walked over to Jeffrey’s home and began banging on the door and yelling for the Briscoe to come out. Jeffrey’s relative opened the door and told Haynes that children were in the house asleep and that Haynes should go home, which she eventually did.
As detailed during trial testimony, at approximately 7:23 a.m., Briscoe walked back from Jeffrey’s residence to Haynes’s apartment. Briscoe told Haynes that Jeffrey had shown him a large amount of heroin and that Jeffrey’s child did not feel well and had not gone to school that day. At approximately 11:41 a.m. Haynes overheard Briscoe on the phone with Jeffrey, who was talking about making breakfast for Briscoe. Briscoe retrieved the .45-caliber gun from Haynes’s bedroom and told Haynes that he was going to Jeffrey’s to get the drugs.
Briscoe returned to Haynes’s apartment and told her that Jeffrey and her child were dead and gave Haynes a bag of heroin as her “cut” of Jeffrey’s drugs. As detailed in Haynes’s plea agreement, she returned the gun to the inmate’s relative along with the heroin given to her by Briscoe, as payment for the use of the gun. On May 28, 2015, after a receiving a call for assistance, the Baltimore Police Department discovered Jeffrey and her child dead in their home.
In November 2021 co-defendant Kiara Haynes, age 36, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting the use and discharge of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime and crime of violence, causing the death of Jennifer Jeffrey and her seven-year-old son. Haynes is scheduled to be sentenced on June 29, 2022.
Briscoe faces a maximum sentence life in prison for use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and a crime of violence related to the murder of Jeffrey; a mandatory life sentence for use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and crime of violence, causing death, related to the murder of Jeffrey’s child and for killing a witness to prevent communication with law enforcement. Briscoe also faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy to distribute and for possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; and a maximum of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett scheduled sentencing for Briscoe on September 20, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended ATF, the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Cambridge Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana J. Brusca and Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted the case and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abigail E. Ticse, Michael C. Hanlon and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Wilkinson for their assistance.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Manager in Camden Drug-Trafficking Organization Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A manager of a Camden drug-trafficking organization today admitted conspiring to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin, more than 280 grams of crack cocaine, and unspecified quantities of cocaine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Juan Figueroa, 24, of Camden, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an indictment charging him with conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute: one kilogram or more of heroin, 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, fentanyl and cocaine.
Seventeen other members of the drug-trafficking conspiracy previously have pleaded guilty in this case. The charges against one other defendant, Christopher Vasquez, remain pending, and he is scheduled to go on trial beginning July 18, 2022.
Figueroa admitted that he acted as a manager of the drug trafficking organization based in the area of the 400-500 block of Pine Street in Camden. He also acted as a “runner,” supervising and directing others involved in distributing controlled substances. He provided drugs to his conspirators and collected drug proceeds from them.
The count to which Figueroa pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of a lifetime in prison, and a $10 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 11, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gabe Rodriguez; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; the Camden County Sherriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Larry Robb; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.
This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations that remain pending against Vasquez are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel for Juan Figueroa: Michael Riley Esq., Mount Holly, New Jersey
Man Charged with Murder on the Umatilla Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Umatilla, Oregon, man has been charged with murdering an adult male victim on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
Kawlija Nicoah Scott, 25, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with murder.
According to the complaint, on May 25, 2022, Umatilla Tribal Police Department officers responded to a stabbing at a residence on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Officers and paramedics found an adult male on scene who had sustained multiple stab wounds including one to his chest. Life-saving efforts were made, but the victim later died at a nearby hospital.
Further investigation revealed that Scott had stabbed the victim in the victim’s residence before fleeing the scene. Witnesses observed Scott running down a nearby road and waving two knives in the air. A short time later, tribal police officers located Scott and arrested him without incident.
Scott made his initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Armistead. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Umatilla Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley R. Cadotte is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Prison for Committing COVID Relief Fraud While on Pretrial ReleaseRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident was sentenced today to one year and nine months in prison for filing fraudulent loan applications that sought over $100,000 in loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Keyawn Lloyd Cook Jr. (27) pleaded guilty on March 9, 2022 to one count of wire fraud. In addition to imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro sentenced Cook to three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Cook — while on pretrial release for an attempted robbery charge — submitted at least five fraudulent loan applications over a 15-month period for Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funding and for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding. As part of the scheme, Cook submitted loan applications in the names of multiple fake businesses claiming to operate in various industries. Cook falsely claimed to have between nine and 12 employees in applications for EIDL funding and, in his PPP application, he falsely claimed gross revenues of $50,000 by a non-existent barber shop. In total, Cook sought to fraudulently obtain over $100,000 in COVID relief funds for which he was not eligible.
In a separate case, Cook was sentenced in March 2022 to five years in prison for an attempted robbery during an armored car delivery to a bank in 2019.
U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI; Special Agent in Charge Weston King for the Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General’s (SBA OIG) Western Region Office; Special Agent in Charge Albert Childress for the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and Acting Special Agent in Charge Cory Nootnagel for the Western Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (FRB-OIG) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI, SBA OIG, IRS-CI, FRB-OIG, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Oliva and Kimberly Frayn prosecuted the case.
In May 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 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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Kansas Man Sentenced for Attempted RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced for the attempted robbery of a Kansas City, Kansas convenience store in which a clerk was shot in the face. Jakel Webster, 26, of Kansas City was sentenced to 212 months in prison.
On April 28, 2020, Webster and Jorden Brownlee, 22, of Lenexa entered a Quick Shop on Metropolitan Avenue. After Brownlee unsuccessfully tried to breech the enclosed cashier area with a baseball bat, Webster fired an apparent SKS-style rifle, striking the clerk. Webster admitted he fired a second shot at the clerk before he and Brownlee fled the scene without any stolen goods and leaving the clerk bleeding on the floor.
The injured clerk was taken to the hospital in critical condition. He has had multiple surgeries due to problems stemming from his gunshot wounds. As part of sentencing, a federal judge ordered Webster to pay approximately $318,000 in restitution, primarily for injuries sustained by the clerk.
Codefendant Jorden Brownlee was sentenced to 97 months in prison for attempted robbery.
The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask prosecuted the case.
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Justice Department, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and National Institute of Standards and Technology Withdraw 2019 Standards-Essential Patents (SEP) Policy StatementRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (the Agencies) announced today the withdrawal of the 2019 Policy Statement on Remedies for Standards-Essential Patents Subject to Voluntary F/RAND Commitments (2019 Statement). After considering public input on the 2019 Statement and possible revisions, the Agencies have concluded that withdrawal of the 2019 Statement is the best course of action for promoting both competition and innovation in the standards ecosystem.
On Jan. 8, 2013, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a Policy Statement on Remedies for Standards-Essential Patents Subject to Voluntary F/RAND Commitments (2013 Statement). On Dec. 19, 2019, the Agencies withdrew the 2013 Statement and issued the 2019 Statement, which offered the views of the Agencies and expressly recognized that it had “no force or effect of law.”
In July 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy noting that, “[a] fair, open, and competitive marketplace has long been a cornerstone of the American economy.” He encouraged the Agencies to review the 2019 Statement to ensure that it adequately promoted competition.
In response to the Executive Order, on Dec. 6, 2021, the Agencies issued a Draft Policy Statement on Licensing Negotiations and Remedies for Standards-Essential Patents Subject to Voluntary F/RAND Commitments and a request for public comments through a Dec. 6, 2021 news release, extending the deadline for comments in a Dec. 13, 2021 news release. The Agencies thank the wide range of individuals, organizations and other stakeholders who submitted comments, all of which have been considered.
After a review of those comments and a collaborative deliberation on how best to proceed, the Agencies are announcing the withdrawal of the 2019 Statement. As noted in the Withdrawal of the 2019 Statement on Remedies for Standards-Essential Patents Subject to Voluntary F/RAND Commitments, “[a]fter considering potential revisions to that statement, the Agencies have concluded that withdrawal best serves the interests of innovation and competition.”
“The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is focused on creating incentives to generate more innovation, especially in underserved communities and in key technology areas, and maximizing that innovation’s widespread impact,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director Kathi Vidal. “Forging our global leadership in new industries cannot happen without greater investment in research and development in technologies that may become international standards. We also need greater U.S. engagement in global standards-setting organizations from our large multi-national companies, as well as from small- to medium-sized businesses and start-ups. I stand behind any measure that will enable innovation that will drive sustainable, long term growth in the U.S. economy.”
“The withdrawal of the 2019 Statement will strengthen the ability of U.S. companies to engage and influence international standards that are essential to our nation’s technology leadership and that will enable the global technology markets of today and tomorrow,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director Laurie E. Locascio. “A common thread in so many of the thoughtful stakeholder comments we received is a commitment to America’s industry-led, voluntary, consensus-based approach to standards development. This approach consistently delivers the best technical solutions, and I wholeheartedly support it.”
“The Antitrust Division will carefully scrutinize opportunistic conduct by any market player that threatens to stifle competition in violation of the law, with a particular focus on abusive practices that disproportionately affect small and medium sized businesses or highly concentrated markets,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “I am hopeful our case-by-case approach will encourage good-faith efforts to reach F/RAND licenses and create consistency for antitrust enforcement policy so that competition may flourish in this important sector of the U.S. economy.”
In exercising its law enforcement role, the Justice Department will review conduct by standards essential patent (SEP) holders or standards implementers on a case-by-case basis to determine if either party is engaging in practices that result in the anticompetitive use of market power or other abusive processes that harm competition. In addition, in accord with President Biden’s Executive Order, the Agencies plan to continue to cooperate as appropriate on matters that affect the intersection of competition, standards development and intellectual property rights.
Standards-developing organizations (SDOs) and the widespread and efficient licensing of SEPs on reasonable and non-discriminatory (RAND) or fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms (collectively F/RAND) help to promote technological innovation, further consumer choice, and enable industry competitiveness, including in emerging technologies and by new and small-to medium-sized market entrants.
SDOs may require parties participating in the standards development process to voluntarily commit to making patents essential to the standard available on F/RAND terms. The specific F/RAND commitments are contractual obligations that vary by SDO. U.S. laws and regulations govern the interpretation of those contractual obligations and otherwise govern the conduct of parties participating in SDOs.
Justice Department Sues to Shut Down Miami Return PreparersRead the Press Release
The United States has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida seeking to bar three Miami tax return preparers from owning or operating a tax return preparation business and preparing federal income tax returns for others, as well as to require the defendants to disgorge the fees they received for fraudulently prepared returns.
The civil complaint was filed against Cindy Odige, Rudy Aly, Rhonda Hudge and TUPS Tax LLC. According to the complaint, Odige, Aly and Hudge prepared and filed tax returns that falsely understated their customers’ federal income tax liabilities by fabricating businesses and related business expenses; making up education, fuel, residential energy, qualified and family sick leave, and mortgage interest credits; and inventing household help income and business losses to maximize customers’ Earned Income Tax Credits.
According to the complaint, the defendants prepared thousands of tax returns for tax years 2015 through 2020. The complaint alleges that the IRS reviewed income tax returns for 98 of the defendants’ customers and found that returns for 85 of those customers had fraudulent or fabricated information, often included without the customers’ knowledge or consent. As a result, the complaint alleges, the defendants have cost the United States lost tax revenue, as well as the time and resources necessary to investigate the fraudulent returns. The complaint further alleges that the defendants harmed their customers, who could potentially face large income tax debts and may be liable for penalties and interest.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. (More information can also be found here.) The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer, has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers, and offers information on how to avoid “ghost” tax preparers, whose refusal to sign a return should be a red flag to taxpayers. The IRS also has a checklist of things to remember when filing income tax returns in 2022.
In addition, IRS Free File, a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $73,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronical federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free. The IRS has tips on how seniors and individuals with low to moderate income can get other help or guidance on tax return preparation, too.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Jury delivers guilty verdict against mailman for distributing drugsRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal jury sitting in Corpus Christi has convicted a 30-year-old Alice man for conspiring to distribute narcotics through the mail, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The jury deliberated for more than two hours before convicting Rudolph Balboa on three counts of conspiring to use a communication facility to distribute THC products following a three-day trial.
At trial, the jury heard testimony from law enforcement that Balboa abused his position as a mailman to make illicit deliveries of narcotics between August 2019 and January 2020. Balboa carried out the scheme with the help of two co-conspirators, both of whom testified against Balboa at trial.
The jury also heard from postal inspectors and special agents who had performed a search of some of the packages and discovered THC products in them. They also testified how they conducted surveillance on Balboa and recorded him making deliveries at locations other than those addressed on the packages.
At trial, the defense attempted to convince the jury Balboa had no idea what was inside the packages. However, the jury viewed video evidence and heard Balboa had previously confessed to the scheme. They also viewed text messages from Balboa’s cellphone confirming some of the deliveries.
The jury ultimately did not believe Balboa’s testimony and ultimately found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos presided over trial and set sentencing for Aug. 31. At that time, Balboa faces up to four years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Smith and Liesel Roscher are prosecuting the case.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of First-Degree Felony Murder of a Senior Citizen in Killing of Man in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Tyrone Williams, 52, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree felony murder of a senior citizen and other charges in a mid-day attempted robbery that took place in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Williams also was found guilty of attempted robbery of a senior citizen. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Williams faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the crimes. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the government’s evidence, at 11:45 a.m. on March 29, 2020, Bobby Poole Jr. 81, was walking home after going on his daily mile-long walk to a convenience store. On his way home, in the 900 block of Eastern Avenue NE, Mr. Poole was knocked down by Williams and a second unknown assailant. The two went through his pockets. Mr. Poole hit his head on a metal fence during the robbery, suffering brain injuries. He died on May 6, 2020, from complications of blunt force trauma to the head
Surveillance video from the convenience store shows Williams had been casing Mr. Poole and the convenience store and following him afterwards. The attack is not shown on video, but a civilian witness, who had just run into Williams at the store, saw Williams and the second assailant fleeing the area where Mr. Poole was found. Williams was located at the convenience store afterwards and is identified through surveillance video.
Williams was arrested on March 29, 2020. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal, Chimnomnso Kalu, and Daniel Lenerz, Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera, Lead Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris, Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, and Litigation Technology Supervisor Leif Hickling and Litigation Technology Specialist Paul Howell.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Ganjei and Ariel Dean, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Jury Convicts California Man in Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – After a week-long trial, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict convicting
a California man of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Deliver Controlled Substances.
Arturo Ledesma, Jr., 33, of Watsonville, CA, was charged in a superseding indictment on December
10, 2019, with Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
between January 2017 and May of 2018. The jury heard evidence that Ledesma supplied marijuana and
methamphetamine to co-conspirators in California and Pennsylvania starting in 2017. In May of 2018,
co-conspirators were arrested in Madison County, Illinois, while they trafficked more than 30
pounds of methamphetamine across the country.Sentencing will be held on September 19, 2022, before the Honorable Chief Judge Nancy
Rosenstengel.Co-Defendants Enrique Vazquez and Dastisha Velez of Reading, Pennsylvania; Mitchell Abreu of
Pawtucket, Rhode Island; Jeremy Inderyas of Brooklyn, New York; and Lauren Korn of Basking Ridge,
New Jersey, have all previously pled guilty to their roles in this drug conspiracy.The Illinois State Police (ISP); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); and the United States
Marshal Service (USMS) participated in this investigation.This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF
identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the
United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel Kapsak, John Trippi, and Amanda Fischer prosecuted the
case.Jackson Man Sentenced for Escape from Federal CustodyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to serve 11 months in federal prison, to run consecutive to a prior federal felony sentence, for escape from federal custody, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca.
According to court documents, on or about January 19, 2022, Henry Steverson, 51, failed to report to a halfway house in Jackson as a condition of his pending release from federal custody with the Bureau of Prisons. Steverson had been serving a prior federal felony conviction for drug distribution when he failed to report to the halfway house. His failure to report resulted in his classification as an escapee from federal custody.
The United States Marshal’s Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn Murray prosecuted the case.
Hibbing Man Sentenced to 66 Months in Prison for Sexually Assaulting a MinorRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Hibbing man was sentenced to 66 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for sexually assaulting a minor, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on June 22, 2019, on the Bois Forte Indian Reservation, Devon Michael Johnson, 26, sexually assaulted a minor after getting her intoxicated.
Johnson was sentenced on June 6, 2022, in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank. On March 31, 2021, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a minor.
This case was the result of investigations conducted by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Provinzino and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina Allery prosecuted the case.
Great Falls Woman Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls woman who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine after law enforcement seized nearly four pounds of the drug from her vehicle was sentenced today to five and a half years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Lillian Marie Lapier, 45, pleaded guilty in February to a superseding information charging her with possession with intent to distribute meth.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Lapier and co-defendant Rhonda Lapier met in 2021 with an out-of-state meth supplier, purchased several pounds of meth and brought it back to Montana. Upon return, Rhonda Lapier stopped at her Helena residence and unloaded nearly three pounds of meth, which was later seized. Lillian Lapier continued toward Great Falls, where law enforcement stopped her and recovered nearly four pounds of meth from her vehicle.
Lillian Lapier told law enforcement that she and Rhonda Lapier had left Las Vegas, Nevada, together after re-suppling with meth from a California-based supplier. Lillian Lapier also told officers she had been getting about two pounds of meth every week to a week and a half for the past three to four months. The approximately six pounds of meth seized is the equivalent of 21,744 doses. Rhonda Lapier was sentenced to more than five years in prison for conviction in the case. A third co-defendant, Ashley Nicole Rico, was sentenced to 54 months in prison for her conviction in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Russell Country Drug Task Force, the Missouri River Drug Task Force, FBI, Great Falls Police Department Cascade County Sheriff’s Office and Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
Georgia Resident Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Unemployment Fraud Targeting Several StatesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An Austell, Georgia resident pleaded guilty today to using stolen identities to fraudulently collect more than $4 million in unemployment benefits from the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES) and attempting to defraud at least five other states, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.
Olushola Adewole Afolabi, 39, of Austell, Georgia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Abdul K. Kallon. Afolabi’s co-defendant, Olugbeminiyi Aderibigbe, 38, of Powder Springs, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in May.
“Defrauding government programs designed to assist struggling Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic is shameful,” said U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona. “The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will aggressively target individuals who used a national pandemic as an opportunity to line their own pockets.”
“The defendants stole millions intended for those suffering during the pandemic and sent the proceeds overseas. Thanks to the hard work of the Northern District of Alabama, these criminals have been brought to Justice,” Office of Deputy Attorney General, Director of COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Kevin Chambers said. “This case and others to come demonstrate the Department’s commitment to aggressively pursue and disrupt transnational actors who exploited pandemic relief programs.”According to court documents, Afolabi and co-conspirators orchestrated a scheme from September 2020 through July 2021 to defraud the Illinois DES into paying out more than $4 million in unemployment insurance benefits. As part of the scheme, the conspirators filed fraudulent claims using stolen identities of elderly Illinois residents. The conspirators deposited the proceeds of the fraudulent claims into bank accounts opened specifically to perpetrate the fraud. Afolabi and co-conspirators then used the associated debit cards to withdraw cash and purchase money orders from retail stores across the Northern District of Alabama and elsewhere. The conspiracy further laundered the unemployment insurance funds by using the money orders to purchase salvaged automobiles in the United States and ship them to Nigeria.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan “Jack” Harrington and Edward J. Canter are 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 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.
Gang Member Involved in Bridgeport Courthouse Shooting Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ASANTE GAINES, also known as “Santi,” 25, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 190 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a Bridgeport gang-related activity, including a brazen daytime shooting that occurred in front of a state courthouse in Bridgeport in January 2020.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. Gaines has been a member of the “Greene Homes Boyz” (“GHB/Hotz”), a gang based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End, whose members and associates distributed heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and Percocet pills; committed numerous acts of violence against rival gang members and other individuals, and celebrated their criminal conduct on social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube. GHB/Hotz members and associates also committed acts of intimidation and made threats to deter potential witnesses to their crimes and to protect gang members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities. From approximately 2017 until August 2020, GHB/Hotz members were aligned with members of the “Original North End” (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport, against rival groups in Bridgeport, including the East End, East Side and PT Barnum gangs, as well as 150, which is a geographic gang based on the West Side of Bridgeport.
The investigation revealed that Gaines participated in gang-related drug trafficking, and helped plan the retaliation shootings of members of opposition gangs. On January 27, 2020, he assisted GHB/Hotz and O.N.E. members who attempted to kill East End gang members and associates in a brazen afternoon shooting in front of a Bridgeport courthouse. At 12:11 p.m. on that date, Bridgeport Police responded to the area of 172 Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport after a Shot Spotter activation detected approximately 20 shots being fired in front of the state courthouse located there. Upon arrival, investigators discovered that four victims had been shot while sitting inside a black Chevrolet Impala. One victim was shot in the side of his chest and was left paralyzed and a second victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his back, shoulder and wrist. The victims’ vehicle had approximately 23 entry bullet holes in the driver’s side and windshield area.
After the shooting, Gaines and others attempted to destroy a vehicle used during the shooting by setting it on fire in Naugatuck.
Gaines has been detained since February 13, 2020. On October 19, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, and one count of attempted murder and aiding and abetting, in violation of the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (“VCAR”) statute.
Gaines and seven associates were charged federally for their roles in the courthouse shooting and other gang activity, and Gaines is the last to be sentenced. His seven associates also pleaded guilty and are currently serving prison terms of between eight and 40 years. The prosecution of numerous other individuals involved in Bridgeport gang activity is ongoing.
This investigation has been conducted by ATF, the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Stratford and Naugatuck Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Stephanie T. Levick and Karen L. Peck.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
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.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.
Gaines attended a Project Longevity “call-in’ in December 2019, but did not pursue services that were offered to him.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Frisco City Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that United States District Judge Callie V.S. Granade sentenced defendant Wesley Hodges, 24, to thirty years in prison for Production of Child Pornography and Distribution of Child Pornography offenses. Hodges entered a guilty plea to those offenses on March 3, 2022.
According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, in early June 2021, Hodges came to law enforcement’s attention because an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation Task Force Officer (“undercover TFO”) was conducting an investigation within a Kik messenger chat room dedicated to child pornography. On or about June 4, 2021, the undercover TFO observed Hodges share child pornography within that chat room. While in this chat room, Hodges stated he was from Alabama. A review of Hodges’s Kik profile showed a photograph of Hodges. The undercover TFO began a private one on one chat with Hodges in which Hodges shared additional child pornography. Hodges subsequently invited the undercover TFO to continue their conversation on Facebook Messenger. Hodges and the undercover TFO became “friends” on Facebook and began a private message thread. While privately chatting with the undercover TFO via Facebook Messenger, Hodges distributed several pornographic images and videos of a minor who was known to him. Hodges told the TFO that he knew the minor and could convince her to send pornographic images of herself. Hodges initiated a group chat between himself, the undercover TFO, and the minor. The undercover TFO also messaged the minor privately to try to obtain information about her, potential abuse, and her location in order to initiate protective law enforcement action. Through investigation, law enforcement was able to determine Hodges’ identity and location. The undercover TFO communicated with local FBI and state law enforcement regarding his communications and swift plans for apprehension were made due to Hodges’ access to minors. At the time of his arrest, Hodges was found to have thousands of images of child pornography. Further investigation revealed that Hodges had been distributing images of child pornography in many online chatrooms. The minor child was interviewed and confirmed that Hodges had been abusing her for years.
The victim and her parents were present at the sentencing hearing and addressed the Court by submitting written letters.
Judge Granade imposed a thirty-year sentence of incarceration. The judge also ordered Hodges to serve a lifetime term of supervised release upon his discharge from prison. Judge Granade ordered that Hodges pay $29,294.00 in restitution to his victims and $300 in special assessments. Hodges will be required to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison and is to have no contact with minors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Monroeville Police Department, and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Kacey Chappelear and Beth Stepan prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources.
Fred D. Godley Jr. and Companies to Pay $1.25 Million for Asbestos CleanupRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement under which Fred D. Godley Jr. and two of his companies – 436 Cone Avenue LLC and F.D. Godley Number Three LLC – will pay $1.25 million for government cleanup work at the Pineville Textile Mill Superfund Site in Pineville, North Carolina, and the Old Davis Hospital Superfund Site in Statesville, North Carolina.
The cleanup effort removed almost 4,000 tons of asbestos-contaminated debris from the Old Davis Hospital Superfund Site and oversaw the removal of asbestos-contaminated debris and drums of oil containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the Pineville Textile Mill Superfund Site. Asbestos and PCBs are carcinogenic hazardous substances and may pose risks to human health.
The Justice Department, on behalf of the EPA, sued the defendants in 2019 to recover the United States’ unpaid cleanup costs under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (also commonly known as “CERCLA” or “the Superfund law”). The United States’ complaint alleged that Godley’s companies owned and operated the two sites. The complaint further alleged that Godley, as the companies’ manager, also operated the sites and made the decision to demolish aged and dilapidated buildings without ensuring that asbestos was surveyed and safely removed before demolition began. These demolition activities caused the release and threat of release of asbestos and PCBs into the air and ground and potentially offsite into nearby residential neighborhoods.
The settlement comes on the heels of a successful trial, completed in January in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, in which a jury returned a verdict finding Godley personally liable for the government’s costs at the Old Davis Hospital Superfund Site under the legal doctrine of piercing the corporate veil.
“This settlement and the jury’s verdict send the message that an individual cannot hide behind the corporate shield when he creates and perpetuates a public health risk in the community,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
“EPA is committed to protecting communities by enforcing an individual’s obligations to properly manage and dispose of hazardous waste,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman. “This verdict reflects EPA’s continued commitment to protect human health and the environment by ensuring compliance with state and federal environmental laws.”
The consent decree requires Godley and his companies to reimburse the EPA $1.25 million in costs, and requires Godley to provide the EPA notice, information, and access and to ensure proper asbestos inspections and abatement whenever he undertakes future demolition activities on properties that he owns and/or controls, regardless of whether he does so in his individual capacity or on behalf of a business entity.
The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The consent decree will be available for viewing at https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Former St. Louis correctional officer sentenced to four years for inmate’s attackRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Court Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a former correctional officer at the St. Louis jail to four years in prison for allowing two inmates to attack another inmate last year.
Demeria Thomas, 39, pleaded guilty in February to a felony charge of deprivation of rights under color of law. She admitted that on March 22, 2021, while employed by as a corrections officer at the St. Louis Justice Center, she unlocked an inmate’s cell door allowing two inmates inside to attack the occupant. During the attack, Thomas told other inmates to stay away, preventing them from coming to the aid of the victim.
Several minutes later, Thomas walked to the open door of the cell and calmly instructed the attackers to leave. She then closed the door to the cell, making no effort to render aid to the bleeding and incapacitated victim, who lost a tooth while suffering a broken jaw and a concussion. Thomas also failed to disclose the assault and filed no report of the incident.
Jail officials didn’t learn of the attack until two days later.
In court Tuesday, FBI Special Agent Darren Boehlje testified that one of the attackers said Thomas and the victim had a verbal altercation earlier that day. Thomas then threatened to falsely claim he’d exposed herself to her unless he participated in the attack.
In a letter, the victim’s mother said the victim still suffers from PTSD, headaches and seizures from the attack, adding, “The person who was supposed to keep him safe is the one who instigated this attack.”
Judge Schelp called the crime “depraved” and said, “I don’t buy into your excuses for what you did.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Former Southeast Missouri police chief sentenced on civil rights chargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Tuesday sentenced the former police chief of a small town in Bollinger County to nine months in behind bars for using excessive force while detaining a woman during a custody dispute.
Marc F. Tragesser, 55, was police chief of Marble Hill at the time. On Nov. 25, 2018, he went to the Marble Hill home where a woman was staying. He was accompanied by the paternal grandmother of the woman’s children, and falsely claimed he had a court order allowing the grandmother to take the children.
When the woman asked to see a copy of the court order, Tragesser shoved her against the wall, knocking off her eyeglasses, and then handcuffed her. He also arrested her boyfriend.
Tragesser detained the woman in his police vehicle for 90 minutes, only releasing her when she agreed to turn over her children to their grandmother, his plea says. The grandmother did not have custody or visitation rights. Tragesser continued to refuse her requests to see the court order. The woman did not see her children again until March of 2019.
Earlier in the day, he’d threatened to arrest the homeowners, and allowed the grandmother to take property from the home, only some of which belonged to her son.
Tragesser pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor charge of deprivation of rights under color of law, which carries a maximum penalty of one year behind bars.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Former Owner of Chicago Health Care Company Sentenced to a Year in Federal Prison for Billing Medicare for Non-Existent TreatmentRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The former owner of a Chicago home health care company has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining $1.2 million from Medicare through a phony billing scheme.
HENRY SMILIE was the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Home Physician Services LLC, which arranged in-home health care services for patients who were purportedly elderly and homebound. From 2012 to 2014, Smilie participated in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting approximately $1.97 million in false claims, causing the federally funded program to pay Smilie’s company at least $1.2 million. The false claims pertained to “care plan oversight” services that were either not rendered or involved treatment that was far less intricate than portrayed in the claims submitted by Smilie’s company to Medicare.
Smilie, 61, of Lake Zurich, Ill., pleaded guilty to a federal health care fraud charge. U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso imposed the year-and-a-day sentence Tuesday and also ordered Smilie to pay $1.2 million in restitution to Medicare.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General participated in the investigation.
“Smilie’s crime is a significant one,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kartik K. Raman argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “In a world that has limited funds to pay for health care, and where budgets are ever-tightening, Medicare paid Smilie and his company for fraudulent claims that could have been used to pay for necessary medical services elsewhere.”
To report health care fraud related to Medicare, log on to https://www.medicare.gov/basics/reporting-medicare-fraud-and-abuse.
Former Orangeburg Public Schools Employee Sentenced to Almost Three Years for Defrauding School District of More Than $550,000Read the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Former Orangeburg School District Employee David Cortez Marshall was sentenced today to almost three years for defrauding the Orangeburg County School District of over $550,000.
“Fraud of any nature is illegal and wrong, but fraud against a public school – in the middle of a pandemic – is unconscionable,” said U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis. “Mr. Marshall’s prison sentence reflects the seriousness of his offense and our dedication to deterring public fraud. His restitution order ensures that he’ll be obligated to pay back every penny he stole from the public.”
"Today, justice was served, and a criminal was held accountable,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Columbia Special Agent in Charge, Susan Ferensic. “Our work is not finished. We will continue to hold perpetrators accountable and see that their crimes are thoroughly investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent.”
Evidence presented to the Court showed that Marshall, a former media communications specialist employed by the Orangeburg County School District, created a scheme to defraud the district while purchasing remote learning cameras for school classrooms. Through the use of shell companies, fabricated documents, forged signatures, and a false identity, Marshall steered the district’s purchasing contracts to companies he created and controlled, purchased the cameras, then sold them to the school at a substantial markup. Marshall also received funds from the school district for the cameras that he never paid to the seller. Through his scheme to defraud, Marshall received more than $550,000 in illegal proceeds. His scheme was eventually discovered by other school district employees, who confronted Marshall and reported the matter to the FBI for further investigation.
United States District Judge Mary G. Lewis sentenced Marshall to 33 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Marshall was also ordered to pay approximately $600,000 in restitution.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brook Andrews is prosecuting the case.
Former New Mexico State Police officer sentenced to seven years in prison for distribution of marijuana, methamphetamineRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Daniel Capehart was sentenced on June 7 to seven years in prison. A federal jury convicted Capehart, 37, of Bloomfield, New Mexico, on July 22, 2021, of three counts of distribution of marijuana and methamphetamine, two of which occurred within 1,000 feet of a school or playground in San Juan County, New Mexico.
According to court records, on three occasions, Capehart, who at the time was a patrol officer with the New Mexico State Police, provided illegal drugs to people he had encountered during his duties as an officer. In all three instances, undercover officers were investigating Capehart’s conduct. On June 21, 2018, and again on June 23, 2018, Capehart delivered marijuana that he thought would be received by a 16-year-old girl he met during a traffic stop. On June 28, 2018, Capehart executed a plan to conduct a traffic stop, confiscate methamphetamine from the driver, and provide the methamphetamine to a woman he had met through is duties as a police officer. The driver, however, was an undercover officer. On June 29, 2018, Capehart drove to a local park and delivered more than five grams of methamphetamine. Capehart was arrested later that day.
Upon his release from prison, Capehart will be subject to eight years of supervised release.
The FBI, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Region II Narcotics Task Force investigated this case. The HIDTA Region II Narcotics Task Force is comprised of officers and investigators from the Farmington Police Department, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Bloomfield Police Department and Aztec Police Department, and is part of the HIDTA program created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the case as 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.
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Former Evergreen City Councilman Sentenced for Threatening to Injure a Police Officer During a Live Radio BroadcastRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – An Evergreen man was sentenced today to three years of probation for threatening to injure an Evergreen police officer during a live radio broadcast.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at his trial, Luther James Upton, 74, threatened to injure the victim officer on May 18, 2021, during his morning radio show on 101.1 FM WPPG – The Power Pig. The jury heard evidence that Upton, then an elected Evergreen city councilman, was arrested by the victim officer in November 2020 for driving under the influence of alcohol and getting into a vehicular accident. Video of the DUI incident showed Upton attempting to use his position on the city council to pressure the victim officer not to arrest him. On the morning of the radio broadcast at issue, Upton referenced prior incidents involving the victim officer and said on the radio, among other things, “I dare him to stop me again. ‘Cuz when he pulls me over, I’m gonna put him down.” At his guilty plea hearing following one day of trial, Upton admitted that he meant to convey a true threat to injure the victim officer.United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose ordered Upton to undergo mental health and substance abuse treatment while on probation. The court also ordered Upton to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Florida Man Arrested for $2.5 Million COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Massachusetts resident and owner of a Massachusetts-based painting company has been arrested and charged in connection with allegedly filing a fraudulent loan application to obtain $2.5 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Vinicius Santana, 34, of Boca Raton, Fla. and formerly of Revere, was charged with one count of wire fraud. Santana was arrested Monday evening at Miami International Airport. He appeared in federal court in Miami yesterday afternoon and will appear in Massachusetts at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Santana owned Complete Home Care, LLC (CHC), a painting company in Massachusetts. In April 2020, Santana submitted four different PPP loan applications on behalf of CHC. The first three applications, in which Santana allegedly listed five employees and an average monthly payroll of between $10,000 and $18,000, were denied. In the fourth application for CHC, it is alleged that Santana falsely claimed to have 154 employees and an average monthly payroll of $1 million. On May 11, 2020, a bank issued Santana’s company a $2,500,000 loan based on the alleged false representations in the fourth application.
After receiving the funds, it is alleged that Santana misused the loan proceeds to buy cars and invest in cryptocurrency.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the scheme, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Stephen Donnelly, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Patricia Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, New York Region; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin A. Saltzman and Mackenzie A. Queenin of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are 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.
The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Jury Convicts Jamaal Parker on Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Following a two-day trial in United States District Court, a jury convicted Jamaal Parker, also known as “MoneyMaal,” 37 of Chattanooga, of conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”), maintaining and using a drug premise, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Sentencing is set for October 14, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. in United States District Court before United States District Judge Travis R. McDonough, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Parker faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to a maximum of life in prison.
The evidence presented at trial showed that Parker and others trafficked kilogram quantities of cocaine from a source of supply in Atlanta, Georgia, and distributed cocaine and cocaine base from a residence on Hoyt Street in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The investigation culminated with the March 2019 arrest of Parker, in which he was found in possession of 4 kilograms of cocaine and a loaded firearm.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge of Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the joint investigation which led to indictment and subsequent conviction of Parker included the DEA Chattanooga Resident Office, DEA Atlanta Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Chattanooga Field Office, Chattanooga Police Department, and Georgia State Patrol. Numerous agencies from the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force assisted in the investigation.
The investigation was conducted as part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin T. Brown and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Winne represented the United States at trial.
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Federal Inmate Charged with Assault with A Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on June 7, 2022, Richard Anthony Trent, age 43, a federal prison inmate, was indicted by a federal grand jury for assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on May 17, 2022, while an inmate at United States Penitentiary, Canaan (USP Canaan), in Wayne County, PA, Trent assaulted another inmate with a 7-inch grey metal weapon sharpened to a point and commonly referred to as a “shank”.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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ER Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – An emergency room doctor from Golden, Mississippi has been sentenced to almost 3 years in prison today for failing to pay his taxes.
According to court documents, and evidence presented at trial, Dr. Kevin L. Crandell was an emergency room physician who earned $30,000 to $40,000 per month and stopped paying personal income taxes in 2007. During the years 2006 through 2012, Crandell accrued approximately $972,493 in tax debt, including penalties and interest. At trial, the Government presented evidence that Crandell submitted a false and fraudulent IRS Form 433-A in 2014 to the Internal Revenue Service in an attempt to negotiate a payment plan for his outstanding tax liabilities. Crandell falsely represented on that form that his expenses exceeded his income. Crandell also failed to list assets and business bank accounts, which he was using for personal expenses. Though Crandell attempted to blame a tax resolution service he hired in 2010, the evidence at trial showed that Crandell intentionally manipulated his pay stubs to show a decrease in his 2014 annual income before submitting the pay stubs to the tax resolution service.
U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock heard comments from the defendant, his counsel and the United States before sentencing Crandell to 33 months in prison and restitution in the amount of $972,493.
“It is fundamentally unfair to the millions of Americans who pay their taxes each year for others to purposely and flagrantly evade their tax responsibilities and obligations,” remarked U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “Today’s sentence provides a measure of accountability for one individual who deliberately defrauded the IRS and hopefully sends a message to those who would seek to evade their legitimate tax obligations.”
“To build faith in our nation’s tax system, honest taxpayers need to be reassured that everyone is paying their fair share,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “The IRS Criminal Investigation together with the Department of Justice, will investigate and prosecute those who violate our tax system.”
The IRS investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clay Dabbs and Philip Levy.
Department of Justice Announces Next Steps in Critical Incident Review of the Law Enforcement Response to the Mass Shooting in Uvalde, TexasRead the Press Release
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice announced additional details regarding the critical incident review of the law enforcement response to the mass shooting on May 24 in Uvalde, Texas, which will be conducted by the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The goal of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses; identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events; and provide a roadmap for community safety and engagement before, during, and after such incidents.
The assessment will examine issues including policies, training, communications, deployment and incident command, tactics, and practices as they relate to preparing for and responding to active shooter events, as well as the post-incident response. It will also include a review of survivor and victim family support and resources.
“Nothing can undo the pain that has been inflicted on the loved ones of the victims, the survivors, and the entire community of Uvalde,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “But the Justice Department can and will use its expertise and independence to assess what happened and to provide guidance moving forward.”
The COPS Office will lead the critical incident review with the support of a team of federal staff and subject matter experts. Those experts have extensive experience in a variety of relevant areas, including emergency management and active shooter response, school safety, incident command and management, tactical operations, officer safety and wellness, and victim and family support. Those experts include:
- Chief Rick Braziel (retired), Sacramento, Calif.
- Deputy Chief Gene Deisinger (retired), Virginia Tech, Va.
- Director of Public Safety Frank Fernandez (retired), Coral Gables, Fla.
- Albert Guarnieri, FBI Unit Chief.
- Major Mark Lomax (retired), Pennsylvania State Police, Pa.
- Laura McElroy, CEO, McElroy Media Group.
- Sheriff John Mina, Orange County, Fla.
- April Naturale, Assistant Vice President, Vibrant Emotional Health
- Chief Kristen Ziman (retired), Aurora, Ill.
The department is committed to moving as expeditiously as possible in the development of the report. The review team will carry out a number of critical steps, including developing a complete incident reconstruction, reviewing relevant documents (e.g., manuals, policies, videos, photos), conducting site visits, and interviewing a wide variety of stakeholders, including law enforcement, government officials, school officials, witnesses, families of the victims, and community members.
The findings, lessons learned, and recommendations contained in the report will be based on national standards and best and emerging practices in the field of policing, current research, community expectations, and innovative solutions tailored to the critical incident review. A final report will be issued at the completion of the review.
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to agency for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 135,000 officers.
Convicted Felon Sentenced on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Mondraques Newby, 30, has been sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Joseph C. Murphy Jr., United States Attorney, announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, on March 2, 2020, Memphis Police Officers observed a red Ford Focus being driven by a male suspected to be Mondraques Newby who had outstanding warrants. When officers contacted Newby at a traffic stop, a strong odor of marijuana was emanating from the vehicle. Mondraques Newby was confirmed as the driver along with a female passenger.
Officers observed in plain view, sitting on Newby’s lap, 20.5 grams of marijuana, a black scale with green residue and a clear plastic bag with approximately 30 pills of MDMA. Newby was detained and officers recovered a black and silver 9mm pistol from inside of Newby's waistband. The pistol was loaded with one live round in the chamber and eight live rounds in the magazine. An additional live round was found underneath the driver's seat. Newby claimed ownership of the gun and drugs.
Newby was previously sentenced on March 3, 2010, to seven years’ incarceration for aggravated robbery. In 2015, he also had a prior conviction as a convicted felon in possession of a firearm for which he received a three-year sentence of incarceration. As a result of his felony convictions, Newby is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms.
On June 2, 2022, United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr., sentenced Newby to 100 months in federal prison with three years of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Memphis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The PSN initiative is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our communities safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
###Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Armed Fentanyl Trafficking and Possession of a “Ghost Gun”Read the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Manassas man pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and possessing a firearm during drug trafficking.
According to court documents, from in or around May 2020 through December 2021, Justice Edward Ansah, 26, conspired with others to distribute counterfeit, pressed pills containing fentanyl. During the conspiracy, the defendant sold hundreds of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills to customers in northern Virginia. At the time of his arrest in December of 2021, Ansah was carrying a privately manufactured 9mm firearm devoid of a serial number or other unique identifier, aka “ghost gun”. A search of Ansah’s two residences in Manassas revealed over 6,700 grams of fentanyl, over 1450 grams of cocaine, and tens of thousands of grams of marijuana and THC products. The search also resulted in the discovery of two additional privately manufactured firearms devoid of serial numbers, two pistols, one rifle, various ammunition, and over $28,000 in cash. Ansah had previously been convicted of a felony offense in Virginia and was thus prohibited from possessing firearms at the time of this offense.
Ansah is scheduled to be sentenced on September 14. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Washington Field Division; and Peter Newsham, Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael C. Tucker is prosecuting 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. 1:22-cr-88.
Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARVIN LLOYD, 51, last residing in Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 87 months of imprisonment for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service into individuals who were receiving shipments of cocaine from Puerto Rico and California and distributing the drug in and around Hartford. The investigation revealed that Lloyd coordinated the shipment of numerous parcels containing kilogram-quantities of cocaine, and also parcels containing large quantities of marijuana, from California to addresses in Hartford. When the drug parcels arrived, Jesus Rodriguez, a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier, delivered them to Lloyd. Rodriguez also distributed cocaine, some of which he received from Lloyd, to his own drug customers, and delivered parcels to other cocaine traffickers in the Hartford area.
Lloyd was arrested on May 21, 2019. On June 4, 2019, a grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Lloyd, Rodriguez and 17 others with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and related offenses. Lloyd pleaded guilty on August 18, 2021.
Lloyd, a citizen of Jamaica, has been detained since his arrest and faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
Rodriguez has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Child Predator Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Sexually Explicit Material of a MinorRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE – Christopher J. McGee, 45, of Evansville, was sentenced today to twenty-four years in federal prison for production and attempted production of sexually explicit material involving minors.
According to court documents, on July 12, 2021, McGee persuaded a 15-year-old minor female to produce sexually explicit images of herself and send the images to McGee.
On July 15, 2021, McGee communicated with the minor female through Skype text messaging and image transmissions. These communications included discussions about ongoing sexual activity and sending nude images to McGee. A witness picked up McGee’s cell phone and observed a chat session between the minor and McGee in which it was apparent that they were discussing sexual acts they had participated in with each other. The witness confronted the McGee and contacted the Evansville Police Department. McGee left his residence before police arrived and McGee destroyed and discarded his cell phone.
Investigators discovered that McGee had been engaging in sex acts with the minor and that the minor was providing McGee with nude images of herself. The minor’s cell phone was secured and examined by law enforcement officials, which resulted in the recovery of the text messages between the minor and McGee. Throughout the text messages, McGee persuades the minor to take nude photos of herself and send them to him.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Evansville Police Department investigated the case. The Vanderburgh County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office also provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young following McGee’s guilty plea. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that McGee be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for life following his release from prison. McGee must also register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger who prosecuted this case.
In fiscal year 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
Camden Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Large Amounts of Heroin, Cocaine and CrackRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden man was sentenced today to 100 months in prison for conspiring to distribute large amounts of heroin, cocaine, and crack in the city of Camden, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Paul Salcedo, 31, of Camden, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute one hundred grams or more of heroin as well as quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
A total of 19 defendants were arrested in late 2018 on drug-trafficking charges based on the FBI’s investigation of a drug-trafficking organization that ran the open-air narcotics trade on the 400-500 block of Pine Street in Camden for several months in 2018. The organization included street-level sellers who worked various shifts selling drugs to customers and collecting drug proceeds. These street-level sellers were supervised by shift managers, who in turn were supervised by higher-level “runners” like Salcedo, who supplied the sellers with pre-packaged heroin, some of which was mixed with fentanyl, as well as cocaine and crack cocaine. The runners also collected drug proceeds from the shift managers and provided those proceeds to higher-level members of the conspiracy.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Salcedo to four years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gabriel Rodriguez; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay; the Camden County Sherriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief of Police Larry Robb; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.
This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Aliabadi and Patrick C. Askin of the U. S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
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Defense counsel: Troy A. Archie Esq., Cinnaminson, New Jersey
California Man Facing Federal Charges in Maryland for Attempted Murder of a United States JudgeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A criminal complaint was filed today charging Nicholas John Roske, age 26, of Simi Valley, California, for federal charges of attempted murder of a Supreme Court Justice. Roske is expected to have an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt today at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan.
The criminal complaint was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and U.S Marshal Johnny Hughes.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on June 8, 2022, at approximately 1:05 a.m., two United States Deputy Marshals saw an individual dressed in black clothing and carrying a backpack and a suitcase, get out of a taxicab that had stopped in front of the residence of a current Justice of the United States Supreme Court. The individual looked at the two Deputy U.S. Marshals, who were standing next to their parked vehicle, and then turned to walk down the street.
Shortly thereafter, Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center received a call from Nicholas John Roske, who allegedly informed the call taker that he was having suicidal thoughts and had a firearm in his suitcase. Roske also allegedly stated that he traveled from California to Maryland to kill a specific Supreme Court Justice. Montgomery County Police Department officers were dispatched to the location near the residence where they encountered Roske, who was still on the telephone with the Montgomery County Emergency Communications Center. Roske was taken into custody and law enforcement officers seized the backpack and the suitcase that were still in his possession.
As detailed in the affidavit, a search of the seized suitcase and backpack revealed a black tactical chest rig and tactical knife, a pistol with two magazines and ammunition, pepper spray, zip ties, a hammer, screwdriver, nail punch, crow bar, pistol light, duct tape, hiking boots with padding on the outside of the soles, and other items.
Roske was transported to the Montgomery County Police Department where, after being advised of his constitutional rights, Roske allegedly told detectives that he was upset about the leak of a recent Supreme Court draft decision regarding the right to abortion as well as the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
If convicted, Roske faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for attempted murder of a United States Judge. 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.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen O. Gavin, who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, and its efforts to protect national security, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/anti-terrorism.
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Box Elder Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine, Fentanyl on Rocky Boy’s Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Box Elder man who admitted to distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl pills on and around the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation was sentenced today to twelve and a half years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Michael James Lamere, 39, pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in late 2020, investigators received reports that Lamere was obtaining meth and other drugs in Washington and distributing them on and around the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation. Lamere also used others to wire money to his Washington supplier. In August 2021, law enforcement stopped Lamere, who had an active warrant and was on his way to the reservation. A search warrant was executed on his vehicle and law enforcement seized more than 300 fentanyl pills, meth and heroin. When interviewed, Lamere described picking up pounds of meth every few weeks in Washington and bringing it to Montana to sell for a profit. He also said he had stashed another half-pound of meth in Shelby, on his way to the reservation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Tri-Agency Task Force and Hill County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
Biddeford Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Child Sexual Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Biddeford man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for sexually exploiting a minor and transporting child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Jason Proulx, 44, to 40 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. Proulx pleaded guilty on September 27, 2021.
According to court records, in 2016 or 2017, Proulx recorded sexually explicit videos of a girl who was seven or eight years old at the time. In July 2019, Proulx uploaded the videos to a French website. Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at a residence in Biddeford in June 2020. Proulx was present and agreed to speak with investigators. After initially denying any involvement with pornography, he eventually admitted that he had sexually abused the girl and recorded videos of the abuse in a room in the residence.
In discussing the reasons for her sentence, Judge Torresen noted that the videos Proulx created and shared would remain on the internet forever. As a result, she said, the victim and her family would have a “cloud over their heads to the end of their days.” Judge Torresen also noted that Proulx’s crimes were committed against the most vulnerable victims in society.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Biddeford Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Batavia Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID FraudRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Danielle Tooley, 37, of Batavia, NY, pleaded guilty to wire fraud before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that between July 9 and December 4, 2020, Tooley applied for and collected unemployment benefits to which she was not entitled, benefits that were connected to federal COVID-19 relief programs. The scheme came to the attention of law enforcement on November 24, 2020, when Tooley was arrested for criminal possession of a controlled substance during a vehicle traffic stop on Clinton Street in Bergen, NY. A New York State Police trooper observed a crack pipe with white residue inside Tooley’s vehicle. Tooley admitted at the time that she had crack cocaine in the center console of the vehicle. As they prepared for Tooley’s vehicle to be towed, troopers recovered six New York State unemployment benefit cards issued to individuals other than Tooley, which they turned over to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Subsequent investigation determined that Tooley consistently withdrew money from bank accounts associated with the benefit cards.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Labor Racketeering and Fraud, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone; the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Todd Allen; the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Jeffrey Burr; the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Sharon B. MacDermott; and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase.Sentencing is scheduled for August 17, 2022, at 3:30 p.m. before Judge Wolford.
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Ankeny Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Failing to File Income Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – Kevin Jeffrey Stiller, age 59, of Ankeny, was sentenced Tuesday, June 7, 2022, to 18 months in prison for failing to file income tax returns. Stiller pleaded guilty on February 3, 2022, to two counts of failure to file income tax returns, one for each of the calendar years 2015 and 2017. Senior Judge James E. Gritzner imposed a 9-month prison sentence on each count, to be served consecutively, that is one after the other. Following completion of his prison term, Stiller will be on supervised release for one additional year. Stiller is responsible for paying his tax liability in full.
Stiller is the owner and operator of Spruce Hill Tree Service and he received taxable income from this business. Stiller knew he was required to file federal income tax returns for the years 2015 and 2017 and he willfully failed to do so. Stiller additionally failed to file federal income tax returns for the years 2008 – 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2019.
“The foundation of our tax system is the voluntary filing of tax returns by each citizen required to do so. Mr. Stiller flagrantly disregarded this basic duty for nearly 15 years”, stated Tyler Hatcher, Special Agent in Charge for IRS Criminal Investigation. “This sentence highlights the seriousness of filing income tax returns timely and accurately as prescribed by law otherwise you will be held accountable for not doing so.”
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Kerndt.
Albuquerque man pleads guilty in the murder of a U.S. letter carrierRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Melisa Llosa, Inspector in Charge of the Phoenix Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), announced today that Xavier Zamora pleaded guilty to second degree murder of an employee of the United States and using a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death. Zamora, 20, of Albuquerque will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on April 22, 2019, Jose Hernandez, a United States Postal Carrier, was delivering mail to a community mailbox outside Zamora’s home on Terracotta Place Southwest in Albuquerque. Hernandez observed Zamora strike Zamora’s mother during an argument and attempted to intervene. Zamora became angry and retrieved a handgun from his house. Zamora went back outside, confronted Hernandez, and fatally shot Hernandez in the stomach. Zamora fled the scene and disposed of the weapon.
“José Hernandez died protecting a stranger from violence. His selfless courage in the course of his duties embodies the highest ideals of the Postal Service—to bind the nation together,” said U.S. Attorney Uballez. “We cannot replace the husband, the father, the friend who was taken in this act of violence, but today’s plea represents a significant step toward justice. The United States will continue to hold accountable those who plague our communities with senseless gun violence, and to protect the federal employees who serve our nation.”
“USPS Letter Carrier Jose Hernandez was a veteran who cared about the community he served, choosing to intervene when he believed his customer was in danger,” stated Inspector in Charge Melisa Llosa. “Our thoughts remain with the Hernandez family, friends, and co-workers who continue to process this senseless crime. Investigations of Zamora and others who commit heinous crimes against USPS employees will always be the highest priority of U.S. Postal Inspectors. We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners for their support during this investigation.”
By the terms of the plea agreement, Zamora faces 22 years in prison.
USPIS investigated this case with assistance from the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, Albuquerque Police Department and New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Niki Tapia-Brito and Eva M. Fontanez are prosecuting the case.
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Tuesday 7 June 2022
Williston, Vermont Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on June 7, 2022, Matthew Fidler, 35, of Williston, Vermont, was sentenced in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, to serve 100 months in prison after his guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered Fidler to serve a five (5) year term of supervised release and to pay a $100 special assessment.
According to court records and proceedings, on February 9, 2021, officers with the South Burlington Police Department encountered Fidler in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn in South Burlington. When law enforcement attempted to confirm Fidler’s identity because he was the subject of two outstanding arrest warrants, Fidler attempted to flee. After a brief chase, Fidler was subdued and taken into custody. During a search of Fidler’s person incident to arrest, law enforcement found a loaded handgun and distribution quantities of what was determined to be methamphetamine and heroin.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the South Burlington Police Department, and the State of Vermont Department of Public Safety, Forensic Laboratory, in the investigation and prosecution of Fidler.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson handled the prosecution of Fidler. Brooks G. McArthur represented Fidler.
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. https://www.justice.gov/psn
Walker Man Faces Federal Charges in Connection with Interstate Transmission of a Threat to Injure Florida CongresswomanRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that a federal arrest warrant and criminal complaint was issued charging Charles T. Germany, age 66, of Walker, Louisiana, with interstate transmission of a threat to injure another.
The criminal complaint and supporting affidavit alleges that, on May 27, 2022, Germany, from his home in Walker, Louisiana, called U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy’s office in Washington DC and left a voice message threatening to kill the Congresswoman. Germany called the Congresswoman’s office again later the same day and left another threatening message. If convicted, Mr. Germany faces a sentence of up to five years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Gathe commended the outstanding actions and efforts of the law enforcement agencies who worked to quickly identify the suspect and bring this complaint, including the United States Capitol Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Kleinpeter.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Charges Florida Man with Sexual Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the arrest of THOMAS RIVERA. RIVERA is charged with communicating online with a 13-year-old girl and persuading the girl to meet him in Dutchess County, New York to engage in sexual activities. RIVERA was presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court and detained.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Through the use of video game chats, Thomas Rivera is alleged to have found and lured a 13-year-old girl into meeting him in person for the purpose of exploiting her for sex. The conduct alleged against Rivera is assuredly terrifying to any parent, and a reminder that a seemingly innocuous video game can be utilized as a weapon by online predators; we urge anyone caring for children to be mindful of their children’s online activities.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint[1] filed on June 3, 2022 in White Plains federal court:
On or about April 3, 2022, at approximately 4:50 p.m., the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department (“TPPD”) received a report from the Town of Hyde Park Police Department concerning a 13-year-old girl being raped by a subject named “Thomas” at a hotel (“Hotel-1”) in the Town of Poughkeepsie. TPPD officers were dispatched to Hotel-1. Upon their arrival, they determined that a “Thomas Rivera” was staying in a particular room and they went to that room. RIVERA opened the door and was detained. A 13-year-old child (“Victim-1”) was found in the bathroom. Victim-1 advised that RIVERA, the defendant, had attempted to rape her.
On or about May 3, 2022, a Special Agent of the FBI (“Agent-1”) met with Victim-1, who stated, among other things and in substance and part, that she met RIVERA online in or about February 2022, while playing an online video game. Thereafter, they communicated via various gaming apps and social media platforms, including Discord and Snapchat. Victim-1 told RIVERA that she was 14 years old and in middle school. RIVERA told her that he was 31 and would be turning 32 in March. Victim-1 reported that RIVERA repeatedly asked Victim-1 to take and send him nude photos of herself. RIVERA told her that he was going to come and see her. They made a plan and he picked her up near her house.
At the time of his arrest by TPPD officers on April 3, 2022, RIVERA possessed a phone, which was seized. RIVERA’s phone revealed sexually explicit messages between RIVERA and Victim-1 exchanged via Snapchat from in or about February 23, 2022 up to in or about April 3, 2022.
On April 3, 2022, RIVERA was interviewed by TPPD detectives. Among other things, RIVERA admitted that he met Victim-1 online playing games about two months ago, that they began speaking daily via voice calls and text, that they discussed sex, and that he travelled to New York to see Victim-1. RIVERA was charged in Town of Poughkeepsie Justice Court with Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree, and was released on bail.
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.
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RIVERA, 32 of Lauderhill, Florida is charged with one count of enticement of a minor, which carries a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The statutory minimum and maximum 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.
Following today’s presentment, Judge McCarthy ordered that THOMAS RIVERA be detained.
Mr. Williams praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department, the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, the Town of Hyde Park Police Department, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, and the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office. He added that the investigation is ongoing.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two sentenced to federal prison for robbery of downtown St. Louis McDonald’sRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former employee of a downtown McDonald’s restaurant and the man who helped him rob the restaurant at gunpoint in 2019 were sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court to federal prison.
U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark sentenced the former employee, Ronald Scott, 23, of St. Louis County, to nine years and four months in prison. Keith Austin, 26, of St. Louis, received a six-year term. Both pleaded guilty in January to a robbery charge and a charge of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
They admitted that on Sept. 18, 2019, they were caught trying to open a cash register by the manager of the McDonald’s at 1119 North Tucker Boulevard. Scott pulled a gun and yelled “Get back,” before they took a cash register drawer containing about $340 and drove off in a Chevrolet Impala, their plea agreements say.
St. Louis police located the Impala two days later and arrested Austin, who admitted being one of the masked men who robbed the restaurant. Scott was arrested about a year later, and admitted pointing a gun at the manager during the robbery, the plea agreements say
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case.
Two Plead Guilty to Conspiracy in Nigerian Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Natchez, Miss. – Two defendants in a Nigerian fraud scheme pled guilty today to conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge David Denton of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
According to court documents, Edafe Onoetiyi, 34, of Nigeria, but living in Dallas, Texas; and Susan Johns, 54, of Bothwell, Washington, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Natchez. The defendants conspired with each other and other individuals to defraud American citizens by transferring bank account information, personally identifiable information, and other access devices to create and transfer fraudulent loans and perpetrate other forms of theft, resulting in the fraudulent transfer of hundreds of thousands of dollars both internally within the United States as well as to locations abroad, including Canada and Nigeria. Many of the victims of the fraud were romance scheme victims, wherein fraudsters concealing their true identities duped innocent victims into either sending money or allowing the fraudsters to use their bank account to move fraudulently obtained money.
“The United States Attorney’s office for the Southern District of Mississippi will prosecute those who prey upon American citizens by fraud and deceit,” said U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca. “The efforts of Homeland Security Investigations led to this prosecution and we are grateful.”
“Perpetrators of fraud and romance schemes are using technology to their advantage to target new audiences and cause devastating financial impacts on unsuspecting victims,” said HSI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge David Denton. “HSI special agents and our law enforcement partners are committed to investigating fraud and protecting our citizens from the damage that can occur when our personal information falls into the wrong hands.”
Onoetiyi and Johns will be sentenced on September 6, 2022, in Natchez. They each face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Today’s convictions are the result of a multi-year investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section assisted with preparation of the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Chalk and Andrew W. Eichner are prosecuting the case.
Twelfth Defendant Sentenced in Dog-Fighting, Drug Distribution RingRead the Press Release
The 12th defendant prosecuted as part of an extensive investigation into a dog-fighting and cocaine distribution network spanning three states was sentenced for his crimes in federal court today.
Shelley Johnson aka Gold Mouth, 40, of Macon, Georgia, was sentenced to 37 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $25,000 fine by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self III after he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture. As a condition of his supervised release, Johnson is prohibited from owning or possessing dogs. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, law enforcement investigated a criminal organization involved in both cocaine distribution and organized dog fighting based out of Roberta, Georgia, which extended into North Georgia, Florida and Alabama from May 2019 until February 2020. In February2020, law enforcement executed 15 residential search warrants and seized more than 150 dogs that were being used for organized dog-fighting. A 136- count indictment was unsealed on Jan. 29, 2021, charging 11 individuals with various criminal activities. Three other individuals, including Johnson, were charged by criminal information.
During this time period, Johnson communicated with co-conspirator Jarvis Lockett about fighting and breeding dogs, dogs mauled and killed as a result of fighting, sharpening a dog’s teeth for fighting purposes, cash prizes for fights, and various topics detailing the business and the brutality of dog-fighting. Johnson attended a dog fight and participated as a handler inside the ring during the dog fight. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Johnson’s Macon residence on Feb. 26, 2020, recovering 13 pit bull terrier type dogs with scarring consistent with dog-fighting. In addition, agents found evidence of dog fighting activities including a digital scale, weighted collars, heavy chains, ground stakes and a variety of medical supplies to treat animals for injuries sustained from dog fighting activities.
“Johnson participated in a brutal criminal enterprise that profited from the suffering of animals,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD).“Dog-fighting is a crime, and also closely associated with other serious crimes. The sentences in this prosecution show those who engage in this cruel and inhumane practice face significant prison time.”
“The brutality of dog-fighting alone is sickening; but this case demonstrates the strong union that exists between this bloody and inhumane business and the world of illegal gun and drug trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary for the Middle District of Georgia. “Our office is committed to not only prosecuting dog-fighting participants, but working alongside our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, we will root out the entire criminal network and hold them responsible for their crimes.”
“This investigation and prosecution should send a strong zero-tolerance message to those individuals involved in the inhumane torture of animals for entertainment,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Williams, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG). “We appreciate the collaboration with our law enforcement partners in pursing these purveyors of death and senseless suffering.”
The following co-conspirators have been convicted and sentenced in this case:
Lekey Davis, aka Kee Boo, 46, of Talbotton, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 210 months of imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base;
Christopher Raines, aka Binky, 51, of Talbotton, was sentenced to serve 135 months of imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release and pay a $10,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base;
Jarvis Lockett, aka J-Rock, 41, of Warner Robins, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 10 years of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture and cocaine distribution;
Derrick Owens, aka Doomie, 38, of Woodland, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 10 years of imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine;
Jason Carter, 39, of Phoenix City, Alabama, was sentenced to serve 97 months of imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine;
Vernon Vegas, 50, of Suwanee, Georgia, was sentenced to serve the maximum five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and pay a $10,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture;
Shaquille Bentley, 27, of Roberta, Georgia, was sentenced to serve four years of imprisonment after pleading guilty to use of a communication facility;
Rodrick Walton, aka Rodrie Walton, 42, of Shiloh, Georgia, was sentenced to serve two years of imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture;
Reginald Crimes, 39, of Preston, Georgia, was sentenced to serve two years of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture;
Lee Benney, 55, of Reynolds, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 21 months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture; and,
Bryanna Holmes, 25, of Fort Valley, Georgia, was sentenced to serve three years of probation after pleading guilty to use of a communication facility.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Keyes for the Middle District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Banu Rangarajan of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.
The case was investigated by ENRD, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), USDA-OIG, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, the Merriweather County Sheriff’s Office, the Peach County Sheriff’s Office, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the Byron Police Department and the Fort Valley Police Department.
Tucson Brothers Sentenced to 11 Years for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On Friday, brothers Osmar Martinez-Ochoa, 30, and Hector Martinez-Ochoa, 28, of Tucson, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker to each serve 11 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The Martinez-Ochoa brothers previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.
The investigation in this case revealed that the Martinez-Ochoa brothers ran a drug trafficking organization that supplied street dealers in Tucson. Over the course of the investigation, the brothers and their organization were responsible for the distribution or possession with intent to distribute at least 10 kilograms of “ice” methamphetamine, 1.44 kilograms of heroin, and 180 grams of fentanyl. As part of a series of search warrants executed in this case, agents seized five firearms, including an AK-47 style assault rifle, and more than $50,000.00 in cash from the Martinez-Ochoa brothers.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Tucson Counter Narcotics Alliance, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, the Tucson Police Department, and the Oro Valley Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-1864-01 and -02-TUC-JCH (LCK)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-087_Martinez-Ochoa# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.The Dalles Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Transporting and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A resident of The Dalles, Oregon was sentenced to federal prison today for transporting and possessing thousands of images depicting child sexual abuse.
Nickolas K. Parsons, 27, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison and 10 years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in late 2019, as part of an ongoing investigation, officers identified a Twitter user who sent two MEGA links to child pornography. MEGA is an encrypted online file sharing service. Investigators traced the user’s Twitter account to Parsons’ residence in The Dalles where, in March 2020, they executed a federal search warrant. After seizing his mobile phone, Parsons admitted to viewing child pornography online and provided investigators with his MEGA account information. The account was later found to contain thousands of files containing child pornography.
On June 9, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Parsons with transporting and possessing child pornography. On February 22, 2022, he pleaded guilty to both charges.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Natalie K. Wight, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at www.ice.gov/tips.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. Child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, child victims suffer re-victimization each time the image of their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the NCMEC’s website at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Steubenville man indicted on firearms chargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Eugene Charles Williams, of Steubenville, Ohio, was indicted today on firearms charges, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Williams, 35, was indicted today on one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm” and one count of “Obliterated Serial Number.” Williams, a person prohibited from having firearms because of a felony conviction, is accused of having a 9mm handgun with an obliterated serial number in January 2022 in Brooke County.
Williams is facing up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearms charge and faces up to five years of incarceration and fine of up to $250,000 for the obliterated serial number charge. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer T. Conklin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.