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15 July 2022
Honduran National with History of Illegally Reentering the United States Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Franklyn Leonel Venturas-Calderon, age 28, of Villanueva, Cortes, Honduras, to 37 months in federal prison following his second conviction for illegal re-entry into the United States by a removed alien.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on June 28, 2021, agents with the United States Border Patrol came into contact with Venturas-Calderon at the Livingston Parish Detention Center, following his arrest by the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. Based on identifying information he provided during the course of his arrest, Border Patrol confirmed Venturas-Calderon’s true identity as a Honduran citizen. Immigration records and databases establish that Venturas-Calderon has no lawful status to live, work, or reside in the United States, and further, that he has never applied for or been granted permission to enter the United States by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
This sentence follows Venturas-Calderon’s May 9, 2022, conviction for aggravated assault with a firearm in the 21st Judicial District Court, in Livingston Parish, for which he was sentenced to two years at hard labor. The Court specified that Venturas-Calderon’s federal sentence would run concurrently with that sentence.
This matter was investigated by the United States Border Patrol and the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caroline Gardner.
Guatemalan Woman Indicted for Falsely Using Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Guatemalan national with one count of possession of a false social security card/number.According to court documents, Isabel Xorxe Tay, 35, is accused of using the name and security number of another person to apply for and obtain employment at a company in Dodge City, Kansas, under the guise of being a United States citizen.
The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Michele Bonham aka Michele Williamson, 39, of Wichita was indicted on one count of distribution of methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
Jonathan Bonilla, 26, was indicted on three counts of possession of counterfeit currency. The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting the case.
Ethan Bray, 22, of Wichita was indicted on one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly Gordon and Jason Hart are prosecuting the case.
Jesse James Edwards, 41, of Fort Scott was indicted on count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly Gordon and Jason Hart are prosecuting the case.
Danny Griffin, 37, of Wichita was indicted on one count of fentanyl and heroin conspiracy. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak are prosecuting the case.
Wayne Howard Hunter, 59, of Geneseo was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith is prosecuting the case.
Toreon Jenkins, 21, of Wichita was indicted on one count of use, carry, and possess a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime and one count of collection of extortionate extensions of credit. Wichita Police Department, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General are investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Debra Barnett and Alan Metzger are prosecuting this case.
Deon B. Lacey, 36, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, and Anthony E. Brown, 39, of Washington, D.C., were indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of interstate travel in aid of racketeering. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
Karl Williams Jr., 31, of Wichita of was indicted on one count of possession of counterfeit obligations and one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Fort Stewart soldier admits guilt in prolific fraud scheme targeting COVID-19 relief programs, student loansRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Stewart awaits sentencing after admitting she led a “prolific fraud scheme” in which she and others illegally raked in millions of dollars from COVID-19 relief programs and federal student loan forgiveness.
Dara Buck, a/k/a Dara Butler, 39, of Ladson, S.C., a U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 stationed at Fort Stewart, pled guilty to an information charging her with Conspiracy to Commit an Offense Against the United States, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty plea subjects Buck to a sentence of up to five years in prison and substantial financial penalties and restitution, followed by up to three years of supervised release after completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Dara Buck swore an oath to protect and defend her country, and then engaged in a massive scheme to defraud the nation’s taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “She is now being held accountable for this fraud and betrayal, thanks to the diligence of our civilian and military law enforcement partners.”
As spelled out in the Information and plea agreement, from August 2017 through May 2021, Buck led a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and to secure the fraudulent discharge of federal student loans using falsified disability claims.
Altogether, Buck admitted submitting more than 150 fraudulent PPP loan applications to the Small Business Administrating for herself and others in the conspiracy, resulting in more than $3.5 million in fraudulent disbursements from banks to members of the conspiracy. Buck directly received fraudulently obtained PPP funding, or was paid by conspirators for submitting their fraudulent applications.
In addition, conspirators paid Buck to submit falsified U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs certifications for total and permanent disability to the U.S. Department of Education in order to fraudulently secure the discharge of more than a dozen student loans totaling more than $1 million.
Sentencing in the case will be held before U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker after completion of a pre-sentencing investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
“Falsifying documents to gain access to SBA program funds intended for the nation’s small businesses is reprehensible,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “Our Office will remain relentless in the pursuit of fraudsters who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
SBA’s Acting General Counsel, Therese Meers, stated “This is yet a further example of the significant results achieved through the joint efforts of SBA and other Federal agencies to uncover, and forcefully respond to, fraud committed by individuals seeking to abuse SBA’s assistance programs. Identifying, and aggressively pursuing, fraudulent activity which harms not only the Agency’s financial assistance programs, but the public interest, in general, and, in particular, those in our communities that are the intended beneficiaries of such programs, is one of SBA’s top priorities.”
“CW2 Buck choose to dishonor the U.S. Military and defraud the American people she swore to protect and defend,” stated Special Agent in Charge Cynthia A. Bruce, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “DCIS with our investigative counterparts will continue to diligently investigate those who engage in corruption and other illegal acts.”
“This defendant falsified VA disability documents that were, in turn, used to fraudulently discharge federal loans at the taxpayers’ expense for someone who wasn’t even a veteran,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG is committed to investigating anyone who would exploit VA’s programs and services and will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold wrongdoers accountable.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration is committed to protecting the nation’s tax system from waste, fraud and abuse,” said J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “Abusing a Federal program designed to assist Americans in need by fraudulently applying for loans has and will continue to be aggressively investigated. I want to thank our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s office for their commitment to this goal.”
“I’m proud of the OIG Special Agents and our law enforcement colleagues whose efforts brought about today’s action,” said Reginald J. France, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Southeastern Regional Office. “The OIG is committed to fighting student aid fraud in all its forms and we will continue to pursue anyone who participants in these types of crimes.”
The case is being investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General; the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General; and, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Porter and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Schwedler.
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.
Former Postal Employee Charged with Embezzling the MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that COI MORRIS, age 25, of New Orleans, Louisiana was indicted on July 14, 2022 for embezzling the mail.
According to documents filed in federal court, COI MORRIS was employed by the United States Postal Service as a mail handler at the processing center in New Orleans when he was apprehended stealing the content of mail items he was entrusted to handle for the Postal Service.
The maximum penalty for the offense is five years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to the victim, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of one hundred dollars.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Municipal Director of Finance Pleads Guilty to Misappropriation of $2.5 MillionRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Defendant Victor Cruz-Quintero pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Marcos E. López to one count of misappropriation of government funds from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
On or about October 28, 2014, defendant Victor Cruz-Quintero used his position as the director of finance of the Municipality of Toa Baja to make an unauthorized transfer of $2,538,164.41 from HUD Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program funds into the municipality’s general fund. These funds were utilized to make payroll payments to municipal employees and to pay various municipal contractors.
All federal funds and financing provided by HUD to the Municipality of Toa Baja as a part of the Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program were required to be used only for purposes authorized by HUD. At no time did HUD authorize the Municipality of Toa Baja or any municipal employees to utilize HUD federal funds or financing to pay non-HUD program municipal employees or to otherwise pay non-HUD program municipal contracts.
On March 18, 2021, the Municipality of Toa Baja recognized the misappropriation of these funds and executed a Repayment Agreement with HUD to make five annual payments to HUD totaling $2,605,164.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General (HUD-OIG), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe is in charge of the prosecution of this case.
Defendant Victor Cruz-Quintero faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Florida Men Sentenced to Federal Prison in Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Danny Wayne Holmes (62, Kathleen) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. On June 14, 2022, Judge Berger sentenced codefendant Robert Wayne Watson (59, Seville) to 9 years in federal prison. Holmes had pleaded guilty on February 23, 2022, and Watson had pleaded guilty on March 29, 2022.
According to court documents, Holmes and Watson were part of a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from a distribution hub in Crescent City, through Watson’s home in Seville, to points throughout central Florida, including Holmes’s location in Kathleen. Watson served as the primary conduit for methamphetamine from Crescent City to street-level dealers. Further, Holmes obstructed justice by absconding while on pretrial release in this case.
Eleven others previously pleaded guilty and have been sentenced for their roles in this case. See below for details.
Defendant
(age, city of residence)
Plea Date
Sentence Hearing Date
Incarceration
Alejandro Alvarado
(30, Crescent City)
11/2/21
3/31/22
25 years
Miguel Angel Perez
(29, Deland)
12/14/21
3/31/22
12 years, 3 months
Jose Martinez
(43, Crescent City)
11/16/21
3/31/22
12 years, 3 months
Miguel Angel Ortiz
(39, Crescent City)
11/30/21
2/15/22
5 years, 10 months
Jonathan Arroyo Ontiveros
(25, Crescent City)
11/30/21
2/16/22
5 years, 11 months
Noel Bueno Jr.
(27, Crescent City)
8/24/21
11/16/21
3 years
Robert Wayne Watson
(59, Seville)
3/29/21
6/14/22
9 years
Danny Wayne Holmes
(61, Kathleen)
2/23/22
7/14/22
15 years, 8 months
George Edward Sykes
(46, Bunnell)
11/16/21
4/7/22
6 years, 10 months
David John Doerr
(56, Astor)
11/16/21
2/16/22
4 years, 9 months
Dina Dynnette Kempher
(38, Satsuma)
11/30/21
2/15/22
2 years
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Federal Health Care Fraud Charge Filed against Suburban Chicago PhysicianRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago physician prescribed opioids to patients without a medical examination or visit and then fraudulently billed Medicare for the nonexistent treatment, according to a criminal charge filed in federal court.
ELIZA DIACONESCU, 73, of Lake Forest, Ill., is charged with one count of health care fraud. The charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison. Arraignment is scheduled for July 18, 2022, at 11:00 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez.
The charge was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert J. Bell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the DEA; Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten, Charles W. Mulaney, and Ernest Y. Ling.
The charge was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Opioid Task Force, which was formed in 2019 for the purpose of combatting the growing number of unlawful distributions of controlled substances fueling the nation’s opioid crisis.
A criminal information filed Thursday in federal court alleges that from 2016 to 2021, Diaconescu pre-signed blank prescriptions for hydrocodone, oxycodone, and fentanyl for patients of her pain clinic in Gurnee, Ill., so that the prescriptions could be provided to the patients when she was not at the clinic. The patients picked up the pre-signed prescriptions for the opioids from other workers at the clinic without having a contemporaneous examination with Diaconescu, the information states.
Diaconescu then knowingly submitted false claims seeking reimbursement from Medicare for the purported visits, knowing that such visits did not occur. Diaconescu and others at the clinic created false paperwork indicating that Diaconescu had face-to-face exams with patients when, in fact, the patients had come only to pick up the pre-signed prescriptions and had not visited with Diaconescu, the charge alleges.
The public is reminded that an information is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Federal Crackdown in Yakima County Yields Firearm Seizures and IndictmentsRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that a federal Grand Jury has returned indictments charging multiple Yakima residents with federal firearms offenses.
The Indictments are the result of the collaborative efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), and the Yakima Police Department (“YPD”), who worked together as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”) initiative. PSN is a critical piece of the Department of Justice’s crime reduction efforts. The PSN program focuses on prosecuting individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities. It supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement, schools, the faith community, and local community leaders, to prevent and deter future criminal conduct.
In the Eastern District of Washington, U.S. Attorney Waldref has designated Yakima County for this special community-based crime-fighting program, to focus on reducing gang and gun-related violent crime in the Yakima Valley.
United States Attorney Waldref announced the filing of Indictments today against the following Defendants:
• David Hernandez Moreno, also known as “Peanut,” age 26, of Yakima, Washington. Defendant Moreno has prior convictions for Identity Theft, 4th Degree Assault, and Robbery. He was arrested on April 25, 2022, and has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of federal law.
• Julio Armando Chavez-Medina, also known as “Loki,” age 23, of Yakima, Washington. Defendant Chavez-Medina has previously been convicted of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm on three separate occasions. He was arrested on May 13, 2022, and has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of federal law.
• Alberto Pastrana, age 25, of Yakima, Washington. Defendant Pastrana has previously been convicted of 2nd Degree Assault, 3rd Degree Assault, and 4th Degree Assault. He was arrested on May 6, 2022, and has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine Ibarra has previously been convicted of 1st Degree Burglary and 2nd Degree Assault. He was arrested on June 28, 2022, and has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
• Juan Carlos Moreno-Oregel, also known as “Bambino,” age 21, of Yakima, Washington. Defendant Moreno-Oregel has previously been convicted of 1st Degree Robbery. He was arrested on June 30, 2022, and has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
• Ray Jesus Greedy, age 34, of Mabton, Washington. Defendant Greedy has previously been convicted of 4th Degree Assault. He was arrested on June 3, 2022, and has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
During the arrests in these cases, law enforcement officers recovered seven firearms and three high-capacity magazines. “The heart of the Project Safe Neighborhood initiative is a commitment to keeping our communities in Eastern Washington safe and strong. Our collaborative, focused prosecution efforts are part of the overall community solution to pressing violent crime issues,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. She went on to commend DHS, ATF, and YPD’s Gang Unit for their dedication to combating gang violence and pursuing violent offenders in the Yakima community. “These arrests and Indictments demonstrate the impact we can have when federal, state, and local law enforcement work together.”
“ATF recognizes the role that firearms play in violent crimes, which affect all of us in the Eastern District,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan T. McPherson. “The people of Eastern Washington deserve to live in safety. To ensure that they can, we will continue to work with our partners to remove violent offenders and their firearms from our streets.”
“Illegal firearm activity will not be tolerated in our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “HSI will continue to leverage law enforcement partnerships, to address violence, providing community safety through the dedicated service of our skillful agents.”
“I cannot overstate how important it is to the Yakima Police Department to have such a strong, effective relationship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Matthew Murray, Chief of the Yakima Police Department. “Indicting those who engage in violence in our community is a powerful tool and sends an even more powerful message. In a perfect world, those involved in violent conduct could find the strength to walk away from that life on their own – but if they will not, the Yakima Police Department will do everything we can to hold them accountable and make the community safer and stronger. U.S. Attorney Waldref and her team are present, proactive, and reliable partners in our focused effort to reduce violent crime, including domestic violence, in the Yakima community, and I thank and commend them.”
These cases are being prosecuted by Tom Hanlon, Rick Burson and Michael Murphy, Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fatal stabbing in Crow Agency sends man to prison for five yearsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Lame Deer man who admitted to fatally stabbing another man during an argument at a Crow Agency convenience store on the Crow Indian Reservation was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
James Posey Fisher Sr., 36, pleaded guilty in February to voluntary manslaughter.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. Judge Watters ordered the sentence to run consecutive to pending state cases in Yellowstone and Big Horn counties.
The government alleged in court documents that on June 28, 2020, at the Teepee Station convenience store in Crow Agency, Fisher stabbed the victim, identified as John Doe, once in the chest. The victim died of a single stab wound before reaching the hospital. Fisher and the victim were with other individuals and were drinking heavily. At some point, Fisher and John Doe began arguing in a car that Fisher was driving and continued the argument when they got out at the convenience store. The argument turned physical. Witnesses thought it was only a fist fight until John Doe backed up suddenly, ran a short distance and collapsed. Witnesses realized John Doe had been stabbed because he was bleeding. Fisher jumped back into the car and drove away.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori Harper Suek and Jeanne R. Torske and student intern, Alex Butler, prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
XXXDover-Foxcroft Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Dover-Foxcroft man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to possessing with intent to distribute a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, Malcolm Peirce, 45, was a passenger in a vehicle stopped on I-95 by a Maine State Police trooper in December 2019. The trooper arrested Peirce after determining that there was an active state warrant. The trooper then located 32 individually wrapped 10-gram sticks of suspected heroin inside Peirce’s jacket as well as an additional stick of heroin and small bags of suspected cocaine and methamphetamine in the vehicle. In total, police seized approximately 326 grams of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, 2.94 grams of a mixture containing cocaine, and 2 grams of pure methamphetamine.
Peirce faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. He also faces between three years and a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Maine State Police, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Dorchester Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dorchester man previously convicted of state firearm charges pleaded guilty yesterday to illegal possession of a semiautomatic pistol and ammunition.
Michael King, a/k/a “Rugga”, 30, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper deferred acceptance of the plea until sentencing, which is scheduled for Nov. 9, 2022. Lee was indicted in March 2021.
On Dec. 18, 2020, King possessed a Smith & Wesson, Model 442 Airweight, .38 caliber revolver, loaded with five rounds of .38 caliber ammunition. King is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a prior felony conviction.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Canton Police Chief Kenneth Berkowitz; and Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrisey made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley, Jr. of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
District of Columbia Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics and Use FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Steven Phillips, Jr., 28, of Washington D.C. was sentenced today to five years in federal prison for his role in an ongoing conspiracy to distribute narcotics and a related conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Phillips was the fifth defendant to plead guilty for his role in the charged conspiracies.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Phillips is one of more than a dozen individuals arrested as part of a joint FBI/ATF investigation which resulted in the seizure of more than 34 pounds of marijuana, 16 firearms, and more than $270,000 in cash.
Phillips, who utilized the street nickname “33,” pleaded guilty on April 12, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, as well as oxycodone and codeine. As part of his plea agreement, Phillips admitted to participating in a separate conspiracy to use, carry, and possess firearms. Phillips was sentenced by the Honorable Amy Berman Jackson. Following completion of his prison term, Phillips will be placed on four years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, beginning in approximately June 2018, and continuing through April 2021, Phillips and his co-conspirators maintained drug dealing territory on Trenton Place SE in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C. – a territory they defended by carrying, and discharging, firearms at perceived rivals. As part of his role in the conspiracy, Phillips distributed narcotics in street-level transactions and served as an armed defender of the co-conspirators’ drug dealing territory. Phillips encouraged his co-conspirators to pool their money to buy as many firearms as possible for use in defending their territory and, as part of the conspiracy possessed and trafficked in firearms which he sold and offered for sale to his co-conspirators and others. As part of his sentence, Phillips agreed to forfeit a Glock, Model 45, 9mm semi-automatic handgun, a high-capacity magazine, and 31 rounds of ammunition, all of which were seized from the defendant.
Phillips was arrested on Sept. 3, 2020. He has been detained ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Special Agent in Charge Patterson commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI and ATF. They also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Genevieve de Guzman, Kim Hall, and Teesha Tobias. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson, who investigated and prosecuted the case, with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin Vaillancourt and Christopher Berridge.
Delaware County Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Three BoysRead the Press Release
A Delaware County man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court for sexually abusing three boys, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Jeffery Carl Cunningham, 45, of Eucha, pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under 12 in Indian Country.
Cunningham admitted that in 2003 he sexually abused a 9-year-old boy during an outing at a creek in Delaware County. In 2011, Cunningham woke up a 10-year-old boy who had been asleep in Cunningham’s home when he began sexually abusing the child. Finally, sometime between Jan. 1, 1997 and Dec. 3, 1999, Cunningham woke a third child under the age of 12 by sexually abusing him. The child had also been staying in Cunningham’s home at the time of the abuse.
The FBI and Delaware County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam C. Bailey is prosecuting the case.
*Cunningham’s first name is spelled Jeffery in court documents.
Coweta Man who Fraudulently Obtained Almost $200,000 in Loans from the Small Business Administration Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A Coweta man who received $192,071 from the Small Business Administration after fraudulently applying for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EDIL) and a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan pleaded guilty in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Scott Wayne Jarman, 49, pleaded guilty to two counts of false statement to the United States Small Business Administration.
Jarman faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years of imprisonment and a fine of not more than $250,000. A federal judge will determine appropriate sentences and restitution amounts at the defendants’ sentencing hearing, which will be scheduled by the court.
In his plea agreement, Jarman stated that he submitted false statements and documentation in loan applications to the Small Business Administration on behalf of the business SKT Concessions, which he claimed to own and operate. He further stated that he knowingly certified all the information in the applications and supporting documents were true and correct when he knew the information to be incorrect.
On March 30, 2020, Jarman made false representations about SKT Concessions when applying for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, to include when the business was operational, gross revenue, annual operating expenses, cost of goods sold and number of employees. Jarman was able to secure a loan in the amount of $146, 171 based on the information submitted.
On April 24, 2020, Jarman made false representations about the business when applying for a Paycheck Protection Program loan, to include gross sales, cost of goods sold, gross profits, and car and truck expenses. As a result of the fraudulent information, he secured a loan in the amount of $45,900.
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Office of Inspector General; Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cymetra M. Williams is prosecuting the case.
To learn more about the Justice Department’s COVID response and to report COVID-19 fraud, visit: https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. For further information on the Criminal Division’s enforcement efforts on PPP fraud, including court documents from significant cases, visit the following website: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud.
Connecticut Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses, Making Interstate ThreatsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that GREGORY BUTTS, 51, of Sprague, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses and making threatening communications.
Butts appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford. He has been detained since March 4, 2022, when he was arrested for violating his state probation.
As alleged in the complaint, in November 2020, family and friends of two missing juveniles in Colorado posted information about the missing juveniles on social media pages and included a phone number asking the public to call with information. Butts, with his own phone number blocked, called the number and spoke to a female friend of the missing juveniles, who recorded the conversation. Butts stated that he was with the missing juveniles and had had sexual contact with them. He threatened to harm the missing juveniles if the conversation were recorded or if law enforcement were contacted, and threatened the female friend who answered the phone. He then said that he would return the missing juveniles if the female friend would have sexual intercourse with him. Shortly after the juveniles had been reported missing, they returned home. They were not harmed and had not been kidnapped.
Is it further alleged that investigators determined that the call emanated from a lightly-populated area in Sprague, Connecticut, and that Butts was a registered sex offender living in the area who was on probation following a state conviction for illegal sexual contact with a minor. After a Connecticut probation officer identified Butts’ voice on the recording, probation officers searched Butts’ residence and another residence where he also had been staying and seized a computer, storage devices, multiple cell phones and other items. A search of the seized items revealed thousands of images and videos of child pornography.
It is also alleged that a search of the seized items revealed downloaded conversations Butts had on Snapchat with minors. In the chats, Butts engaged in sexually explicit conversations, made numerous threats and demanded, and sometimes received, sexually explicit photos.
The complaint charges Butts with possession of a child pornography, which, based on his criminal history, carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, which carries mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; and making an interstate threat to injure, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New Haven, Connecticut and Loveland, Colorado, with the assistance of the Connecticut Office of Adult Probation, Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of New London for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com
Coast Guard Investigative Service Arrests 3 Individuals Charged with Conspiracy to Communicate a False Distress SignalRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 14, 2022, a federal grand jury sitting in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Harold Carrion Butter, Justinita Butter, and Miriam Delgado-Serrano with Conspiracy to Communicate a False Distress Signal, in violation of 14 U.S.C. § 521(c) and 18 U.S.C. § 371; Communicating a False Distress Signal, in violation of 14 U.S.C. § 521(c), and 18 U.S.C. § 2; Conspiracy to Destroy, Alter, or Falsify Records in Federal Investigations, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1519 and 371; and Destruction, Alteration, or Falsification of Records in Federal Investigations, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2 and 1519. The announcement was made by United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico W. Stephen Muldrow, and Captain Jose E. Diaz, Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard, Sector San Juan.
Additionally, Justinita Butter and Miriam Delgado-Serrano were charged with multiple counts of making false statements to United States Coast Guard personnel and United States Coast Guard Investigative Service agents, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2).
Pursuant to court filings, on June 28, 2022, Harold Carrion Butter, while trying to evade local authorities regarding a domestic violence case, purposefully hid himself in an attempt to make it seem like he was swept out to sea at La Poza Del Obispo in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Carrion Butter called his mother, Justinita Butter who, after several phone conversations with her son, called local 9-1-1. She falsely reported that her son had not been answering his phone and was missing from the beach at Poza Del Obispo in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Her 9-1-1 call was transferred to United States Coast Guard Sector San Juan, which immediately began to coordinate a search and rescue operation for Carrion Butter. Throughout that night and following two days, through multiple phone calls with Coast Guard Officers, Justinita Butter and Miriam Delgado-Serrano, made multiple false claims that Carrion Butter did not have a phone, must have been swept out to sea, and that there was no other place he could be. All these claims were made while they were both in continuous and surreptitious communication with Carrion Butter through multiple phone calls and text messages.
On July 1, 2022, Carrion Butter was discovered by local Puerto Rico police, in a location near his family home. The United States Coast Guard subsequently ended its search and rescue operation, after having diverted multiple ships, boats, and aircraft from other potential search and rescue missions and criminal-interdictions, and after having expended over $1,000,000 in assets and resources in the search.
“The Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute those who make false reports to law enforcement. The defendants' actions in this case not only placed law enforcement officers and emergency responders participating in the rescue efforts in danger, but diverted essential resources from other law enforcement and potential rescue efforts,” said United States Attorney Stephen Muldrow.
“I want it to be very clear to the people and the maritime community of Puerto Rico, both commercial and recreational, that this unfortunate situation will not deter our response in future cases and maritime emergencies,” said Capt. José E. Díaz, Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander. “Of all our missions, search and rescue, and the safety of life at sea are my top priorities. It is important for everyone to know that the Coast Guard is always ready to respond to rescue people in distress at sea and that no one should ever hesitate to call the Coast Guard for help during a maritime distress.”
“For the Coast Guard, a false distress call diverts assets and personnel away from our critical missions, it is also a crime, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service will treat it accordingly,” said Zinnia James, Coast Guard Investigative Service Special Agent in Charge Southeast Region.
“In the Department of Public Security we do not hold back resources and personnel to safeguard lives and guarantee the safety of the people of Puerto Rico,” said Alexis Torres, Secretary of the Department of Public Security. “Harold Carrion Butter’s actions is unacceptable because he lied to federal and local authorities. Additionally, he placed the lives of emergency responders in jeopardy. The filing of the charges demonstrates show that any person who lies to authorities will have to answer for their actions.”
The prosecutors in charge of the case are, Assistant U.S. Attorney Max Pérez-Bouret, Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section; Deputy Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Bonhomme, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Martin. If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory sentence of not more than 5 years for violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2), less than 10 years in prison for violations of 14 U.S.C. § 521, and up to 20 years for obstruction of justice.
Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Clay County Man Who Sexually Exploited Three Children in His Custody Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Edward Alan Hardin (35, Clay County) to 40 years in federal prison for attempted production of child sex abuse material and possession of child sex abuse material. After serving his prison term, Hardin will be required to register as a sex offender and serve a lifetime of supervised release. Hardin had pleaded guilty on February 17, 2022. As part of his plea agreement, Hardin also admitted to sex trafficking two children under 14 years old and to the online enticement of a third child to engage in illegal sexual activity.
According to court documents, at various times in 2018, 2019, and 2020, Hardin had access to three female children who were in his custody. One of those children – referred to as Minor Victim 1 – had known Hardin since she was a toddler and considered Hardin to be a father figure. Beginning when Minor Victim 1 was about 12 or 13 years old, Hardin provided money and gifts to Minor Victim 1 in exchange for the sexual abuse of Minor Victim 1.
On May 8, 2020, a deputy with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office observed Hardin’s truck parked at a shopping center in Orange Park. As the deputy approached Hardin’s truck on foot, he observed Hardin in the driver’s seat of the truck, and then observed Minor Victim 1 sit up in the passenger seat of the truck. The deputy smelled the aroma of marijuana emanating from the truck. As the deputy approached the passenger door of the truck, he could see that Hardin’s pants were unzipped and that Hardin and Minor Victim 1 appeared nervous. Minor Victim 1 agreed to speak with a detective and disclosed text messages between she and Hardin that showed that Hardin, on multiple occasions, had made arrangements to pay Minor Victim 1 for sex. Minor Victim 1 stated that Hardin had been sexually abusing her in the truck prior to the deputy approaching. Hardin was arrested and admitted to engaging in sexual intercourse with Minor Victim 1 earlier that day, but he claimed it was the first time and that it had been consensual.
Minor Victim 1 also identified two other child victims who had been sexually abused by Hardin.
Minor Victim 2 was interviewed and disclosed that Hardin had transported her to Valdosta, Georgia, to visit a particular theme park in July 2018, when she was 15 years old. Minor Victim 2 informed detectives that Hardin had sexually abused her during the trip and continued to maintain a sexual relationship with her until around March 2020, during all of which time Minor Victim 2 was underage.
Minor Victim 3 was interviewed and disclosed that when she was 13 years old she had attended a sleepover with Minor Victim 1. During the sleepover, Hardin provided Minor Victim 3 and Minor Victim 1 with marijuana, and Minor Victim 3 was encouraged to allow Hardin to sexually assault her, and he did so. Hardin then gave Minor Victim 3 and Minor Victim 1 $20 as payment for the sex act.
Hardin’s phone was searched and contained photos of Minor Victim 2 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Additionally, Hardin’s phone contained text messages to Minor Victim 1 in which Hardin repeatedly requested that Minor Victim 1 produce pornographic images of herself and provide them to Hardin.
“This predator took advantage of the innocence of minor girls and sexually abused them through manipulation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Special Agent in Charge John Condon. “This successful sentencing is a testament to the strength of our law enforcement partnerships and our commitment to serve and protect the community.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Chinle Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Tuesday, Rogche Yoe Begay, 25, of Chinle, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 16 years in prison. Begay previously pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder.
On July 16, 2019, Begay stabbed the victim with a knife, killing him. The crime occurred on the Navajo Nation, where Begay is an enrolled member.
The FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Besancon, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-08185-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-118_Begay# # #
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.
Centerville cocaine dealer sentenced to 57 months in prisonRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Jermaine Treadwell, 31, of Centerville was sentenced in U.S. District Court here to 57 months in prison for possessing cocaine with intent to distribute it. FBI's Southern Ohio Safe Streets Task Force, a multi-jurisdiction agency which includes FBI, Dayton Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Trotwood Police Department, investigated Treadwell.
According to court documents, in May 2021 law enforcement conducted a court authorized search of Treadwell’s residence in Centerville—a residence he shared with his girlfriend and three children. Agents found more than 13 grams of cocaine, a scale, drug cutting agents, approximately $17,000, ammunition, and multiple loaded firearms as well as a key to a storage unit. Law enforcement searched the storage unit and discovered $60,000, a scale with drug residue, cutting agents, and a kilogram hydraulic press with metal molds containing fentanyl residue.
“His actions helped continue the cycle of addiction in his own community,” said Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “The presence of children in this environment exposes another generation to the specter of addiction.”
Treadwell pleaded guilty on October 14, 2021, to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Joining Mr. Parker in announcing the sentence was J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck, Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal, and Trotwood Police Chief Erik Wilson. Senior U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice imposed the sentence on July 14. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Saunders represented the United States in this case.
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Career Criminal Offender Sentenced for Dealing Drugs with a FirearmRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it and possessing a firearm with a fifty-round drum magazine in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to court documents, on Aug. 10, 2021, Nakia Lamont Platt, 29, was found unconscious behind the wheel of a vehicle parked at a gas station pump. Norfolk Police Department officers responding to a call for service observed a bag of cocaine on Platt’s lap. On the floorboard, near Platt’s feet, they also found a loaded Glock semi-automatic pistol.
Platt was classified at sentencing as a career offender based on his prior convictions in state court for attempted robbery, possession of a firearm by a felon, and multiple drug felonies.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney; and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin M. Comstock prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which 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.
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. 2:21-cr-127.
Campbell County Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – An Alexandria, Ky., man, Rodger William Moore, 54, was sentenced on Thursday to 120 months in federal prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for transporting child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, in May of 2019, the Defendant flew from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport to Fayetteville, Arkansas. When he got off the plane, he left his cell phone behind. Airline staff found it, turned it in to lost-and-found, and later accessed it to try to identify the owner. When they did, they observed what appeared to be child pornography and contacted law enforcement. A forensic review of the phone revealed approximately 171 videos and images of child pornography. Then, on a subsequent occasion, Northern Kentucky law enforcement discovered child pornography in his car and on various computers and storage devices in his residence.
Moore pleaded guilty in September 2021.
Under federal law, Moore must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life, after his release.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jerry Templet, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Casey Kilgore, Ft. Thomas Police Department; and Chief Mike Ward, Alexandria Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DHS-HSI, Ft. Thomas Police Department, and Alexandria Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Leonhard.
This case was prosecuted 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 Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Bronx Woman Charged with Trafficking 20 FirearmsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, John DeVito, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Field Division (ATF), and Keechant L. Sewell, Police Commissioner for the City of New York (NYPD), announced today that BRANDY ARIAS was charged with firearms trafficking and traveling interstate with intent to engage in firearms trafficking, in connection with her illegally selling firearms in the Bronx, New York. ARIAS was arrested yesterday and will be presented today before Magistrate Judge James L. Cott in Manhattan federal court.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Brandy Arias was in the business of illegally selling guns on the streets of New York City. Because of the efforts of our law enforcement partners in this investigation, we have taken twenty guns off the streets and prevented more from coming to New York City from another state. Arias’s arrest and prosecution should send a message to anyone attempting to illegally traffick guns in our City that they will be found and prosecuted.”
ATF Special Agent-in-Charge John DeVito said: “This arrest highlights ATF’s mission to stop the flow of illegal firearms into our communities. We will continue to partner with others to disrupt the shooting cycle and to keep people safe. Special thanks to the NYPD’s 46th Field Intelligence Unit for their partnership and commitment to this case.”
NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said: “Stopping the flow of illegal guns into New York City is at the forefront of our public-safety mission. The NYPD and our law-enforcement partners are sending a clear and definitive message: If you traffic in these deadly weapons, you will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. That is the promise we made to the people we serve, and we will never relent in our fight against gun violence. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the ATF’s New York Field Division, and all of the investigators who worked on this important case.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint filed in court today[1]:
From about March 2022 to July 2022, BRANDY ARIAS illegally sold twenty firearms, as well as ammunition and magazines, to an undercover law enforcement officer (the “UC”) in the Bronx, New York. These sales occurred on eight different occasions, including in the middle of the day near a residential building and outside of a fast-food restaurant.
As part of the scheme, in or about June 2022 and July 2022, ARIAS traveled between New York and Florida for the purpose of obtaining firearms to illegally resell in New York. On at least two occasions shortly after traveling to Florida, ARIAS sold firearms to the UC in the Bronx.
On July 14, 2022, ARIAS met the UC outside of a fast-food restaurant in the Bronx with the intent to sell the UC an additional firearm. At that time, ARIAS was arrested.
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BRANDY ARIAS, 21, of the Bronx, New York is charged with one count of firearms trafficking, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and one count of interstate travel with intent to engage in firearms trafficking, which carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the ATF and the NYPD in this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Ni Qian and Madison Reddick Smyser are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Berkeley County man guilty of firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Daniel Kion Garrison, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Garrison, 30, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Aiding and Abetting False Statement During Purchase of Firearm.” Garrison admitted to working with another to illegally purchase a .380 caliber pistol from a licensed dealer in Berkeley County in May 2021.
Garrison faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Armed Drug Trafficker Going to PrisonRead 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 Wilfredo Sanchez, 25, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, was sentenced to serve 168 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Moynihan, who handled the case, stated that Sanchez was arrested on March 23, 2021, following a search of his Saranac Street residence, during which investigators seized over 88 grams of para-flourofentanyl, an analogue of fentanyl, and over 64 grams of cocaine. A loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol, ammunition, digital scales, and drug packaging material were also recovered. At the time of his arrest, Sanchez was on supervised release after serving five years in prison following a March 2017 federal conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The matter was brought by the United States Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. 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.The sentencing was the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito.
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Armed Career Criminal in Akron Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Ralph L. Millender, 47, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko after Millender pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to court records, on November 2, 2019, Akron Police Officers arrested Millender following an altercation he had with another individual. During the dispute, officers became aware that Millender possessed a firearm in his vehicle. Officers then searched the vehicle and located a loaded, semiautomatic weapon.
Millender is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to multiple previous convictions of domestic violence in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas.
During sentencing, Millender was designated as an Armed Career Criminal due to three prior convictions for violent felonies committed on separate occasions.
This case was investigated by the Akron Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Joyce.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Alvin Porterie, Jr., age 51, of Port Allen, Louisiana, to 180 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Court further sentenced Porterie to three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered that the firearm involved be forfeited.
According to admissions made as a part of his guilty plea, on December 8, 2020, a Louisiana State Police trooper conducted a routine roadside welfare check on an apparently disabled vehicle in the median on Airline Highway, near Siegen Lane, in Baton Rouge. Porterie and another man were attempting to change the rear tire on the passenger side of the vehicle. While at the scene, the trooper learned that the vehicle had previously been reported stolen. Porterie ultimately admitted to being in possession of a firearm, which was recovered from the vehicle, and to being a convicted felon. Prior to possessing the firearm, Porterie had been convicted of aggravated battery, as well as multiple counts of distribution of cocaine, in Plaquemine, Louisiana.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Louisiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caroline B. Gardner.
After Acquittal on State Charges, Defendant Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man, who had been acquitted in state court of a May 2019 murder in the City of Roanoke after claiming self-defense, pled guilty today to a federal firearms offense.
Demarcus Shaiquan Glenn, 23, pled guilty in federal court to one count of possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Glenn is expected to be sentenced to 144 months in federal prison.
“Drug dealers with firearms should take heed: You cannot shoot someone during a drug deal and then claim self-defense when you are carrying that firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, a federal crime with a 10-year mandatory minimum,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “The cornerstone of keeping our communities safe is prosecuting anyone who discharges a firearm while participating in the drug trafficking trade, and my Office will continue to prioritize and seek federal charges for anyone who does so within the Western District of Virginia.”
“Today's conviction demonstrates the FBI's commitment to vigorously investigate and bring to justice those who commit violent crimes,” Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador said today. “Keeping illegal guns off our streets is an important step in keeping our communities safe. We encourage residents to immediately report incidents to local law enforcement or the FBI through tips.FBI.gov.”
“The outcome of this investigation is a direct and positive result of state, local, and federal agencies working together to address gun violence in the City of Roanoke,” said Roanoke Police Chief Sam Roman. “Though Glenn was acquitted on charges from our jurisdiction, our public safety partners at the federal level were able to open an investigation and work with our officers and detectives on appropriate, federal charges for this offense. This is a valuable partnership that greatly benefits the residents of Roanoke by keeping violent offenders off our streets. We are grateful to work with agencies at every level of the criminal and judicial system to keep Roanoke safe, and hold those who choose to engage in gun violence accountable.”
According to court documents, T.P., a 16-year-old male, contacted Glenn through a friend on May 31, 2019, in order to purchase two ounces of marijuana. Glenn agreed to sell T.P. the marijuana for $300 and was to meet him at T.P.’s Denniston Avenue residence to conduct the transaction. Glenn later arrived at T.P.’s residence to conduct the transaction. In the course of that transaction, Glenn produced a firearm and shot and killed T.P.
Glenn was charged in state court for the shooting but later acquitted, claiming self-defense.
During his state jury trial, Glenn testified in his own defense. According to Glenn, when he arrived to sell T.P. marijuana, he was carrying a firearm in his right pocket. The firearm was loaded with a round in the chamber. Glenn testified that he carried the firearm for protection because he sold drugs and it can be dangerous. Glenn admitted under oath to discharging that firearm and shooting T.P. in the course of the drug deal.
Federal law prohibits drug dealers from possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Coleman Adams and Kristin B. Johnson are prosecuting the case.
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 works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops 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.
Aberdeen, Maryland Man Who Engaged in Sexual Acts with a Minor Victim Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow today sentenced Anthony Gonzalez, age 40, of Aberdeen, Maryland to 13 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for coercion and enticement of a minor. Judge Chasanow also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Gonzalez must continue to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”).
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Director Darrell R. Reider of the Swatara Township, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, between 2017 and 2019, Gonzalez coerced three minor females to engage in sexual activity. Specifically, in June 2018, Gonzalez made contact with a minor female victim (Victim 1) on a social media application. Although Victim 1’s profile stated that she was 18 years old, Victim 1 informed Gonzalez that her actual age was 16 years old. During their communication, Gonzalez referred to Victim 1 as his girlfriend, discussed getting married to her, and initiated sexual conversations.
In one instance, Gonzalez asked Victim 1 to sneak out of her hotel room that she was sharing with her father to meet Gonzalez. Specifically, on June 27, 2018, Gonzalez traveled from his Bel Air, Maryland residence to meet Victim 1 at the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania hotel. There, Gonzalez and Victim 1 engaged in sexually explicit activity twice. In one sexual encounter, Gonzalez recorded the sexual acts on his cell phone. Additionally, Gonzalez brought Victim 1 a cell phone with the ability to take pictures and videos as her cell phone could not. Following their meeting, Gonzalez asked Victim 1 “Do you always delete our messages from your phone baby?”.
Between 2017 and 2018, Gonzalez met Victim 2, when she was 13 years old. Gonzalez initiated a romantic online relationship with Victim 2. During their conversations, Gonzalez frequently held sexual conversations with Victim 2, convinced Victim 2 to send sexual images, and discussed meeting with Victim 2 in person. When Victim 2 declined and blocked Gonzalez multiple times, a mutual friend encouraged her to communicate with him.
Gonzalez met Victim 3 in 2018 when she was 15 years old. Gonzalez told Victim 3 that they were “boyfriend and girlfriend” and convinced her to send him sexually explicit images at his request. Victim 3 genuinely believed that she had to do what Gonzalez requested because she was his “girlfriend.” In total, Victim 3 sent explicit images over 500 times at the defendant’s request.
As detailed in his plea agreement, on January 24, 2019, a federal search warrant was executed at Gonzalez’s Aberdeen, Maryland residence. As a result of the search warrant, law enforcement seized several devices including two tablets, three cell phones, and a SIM card. In an interview with law enforcement, Gonzalez admitted to engaging in sex acts with Victim 1 and saved the recordings to an internet storage system. He also admitted to law enforcement that he knew Victim 2 was a minor during their conversations and had approximately four sexually explicit images of her.
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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Maryland State Police Department, and the Swatara Township Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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21 Defendants Convicted During Three-Year Investigation into Drug Trafficking and Criminal Activities Led by Inmates Inside State Prison Walls Using Contraband Cell PhonesRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A three-year investigation into an Oklahoma prison-based drug trafficking organization has resulted in 21 defendants being convicted across multiple federal cases. The wrap-up of this investigation and prosecution is jointly announced by Robert J. Troester, United States Attorney, Edward Chavez, DEA Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office, Christopher Altemus, IRS Criminal Investigations, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office, and Wade Gourley, Chief of Police, Oklahoma City Police Department.
Public records reflect that over the course of this investigation, federal, state, and local law enforcement identified and targeted a drug trafficking organization run by Todd Mathew Strand, who was an Oklahoma Department of Corrections inmate already serving a 30-year state sentence for prior drug trafficking activity. Strand, with the assistance of fellow inmate Hugo Gonzalez, Jr., ran his operation from inside state prison using contraband cell phones. The pair then relied on a network of distributors and couriers on the streets to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and collect proceeds from those sales. Further, Strand and his organization gathered firearms (often in exchange for drugs), with at least some of those firearms intended to be exported to Mexico. In one instance, a search of a storage facility controlled by one of Strand’s associates resulted in the seizure of 13 assorted assault rifles, shotguns, parts, and ammunition that had been gathered for exportation to Mexico.
Crimes for which the defendants were convicted include drug distribution, drug conspiracy, money laundering, maintaining drug-involved premises, and illegal firearms possession. Strand also ordered acts of violence, including acts against his own associates, during the course of the conspiracy.
In the end, Strand was sentenced to serve 384 months (32 years) in federal prison. Strand’s second in command, Gonzalez, Jr., was sentenced to serve 264 months (22 years) in federal prison. Numerous other defendants with roles ranging from mid-level dealers and couriers to significant drug traffickers received sentences between 192 months and 36 months. Collectively, the 21 defendants received sentences of more than 187 years in federal prison. In addition, law enforcement seized approximately 46 pounds of methamphetamine and heroin, more than 50 firearms, and $35,000 in drug proceeds.
"This sprawling drug trafficking operation was primarily operated by inmates using contraband cell phones from inside state prison walls," said United States Attorney Robert J. Troester. "Thanks to the dedicated work and coordinated efforts of law enforcement, this drug trafficking network was stopped, and 21 defendants will collectively serve more than 18 decades in prison. I commend each of our law enforcement partners who worked together with prosecutors to achieve this outstanding result."
"Drug trafficking, on our streets and in our prisons, impacts the safety and security of all of our lives," said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas/Oklahoma. "These convictions and prison terms should send a strong message to others that drug trafficking and its related violent crimes are not welcome here. DEA and our partners will continue to identify, disrupt, and destroy, these criminal organizations that choose to distribute drugs."
"The laundering of illegal drug profits is as important and essential to drug traffickers as the very distribution of their illegal drugs," said Gerardo Gomez, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office. "Without these ill-gotten gains, the traffickers could not finance their organizations. The significant sentencings in this investigation should send a clear message to would-be criminals—you will be caught, and you will be punished. We, along with our law enforcement partners, and the United States Attorney’s Office, continue to do our part to put drug traffickers in jail or in this case, keep them in jail."
"This case demonstrates just how dangerous and determined some criminals can be," said Wade Gourley, Chief of the Oklahoma City Police Department. "We are thankful to have law enforcement partners as committed as we are to the safety of the residents who depend on us all."
This investigation was spearheaded by the DEA with assistance from numerous other law enforcement partners, including the Oklahoma City Police Department, the IRS Criminal Investigative Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Sallisaw Police Department, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the Moore Police Department, the Edmond Police Department, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office, and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
These prosecutions were 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Snyder and Jason Harley prosecuted these cases.
Reference is made to public filings for more information.
14 July 2022
Woonsocket Businessman Sentenced for Defrauding the IRSRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Woonsocket businessman described in court documents as a “vital cog” in a tax fraud conspiracy that defrauded the United States of millions of dollars was sentenced today to three years probation, the first fifty-two weekends to be served in detention at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Jesus Jose Mendez, 44, co-owner of J&J Drywall, Inc., a subcontracting business incorporated in Massachusetts and operating in Rhode Island, and his fugitive business partner, paid the bulk of their employees, mostly undocumented workers, cash “under the table,” skirting tax laws and unemployment programs.
According to court documents, from 2013 to 2017, Mendez and his business partner, Jamie Zambrano, 37, of Woonsocket, allegedly used check-cashing businesses to cash more than 600 business receipt checks totaling more than $16 million dollars. While under law enforcement surveillance, Mendez and Zambrano allegedly cashed checks at a Rhode Island check-casher, then travelled to construction sites carrying backpacks full of cash, which they left at the construction sites to be used to pay their employees.
During the same period, Mendez and Zambrano made just over $4 million in deposits in the business’s bank accounts, frequently structured in amounts of less than $10,000. Most of the remaining millions were allegedly used to fund a cash payroll for under-the-table laborers. With the exception of a small number of employees placed on an official payroll and paid by check, it is alleged that income and employment taxes were not withheld or paid to the IRS, and unemployment contributions were not made.
The IRS calculated the total federal tax loss at $2,821,463; the Massachusetts Department of Labor calculated a loss of unemployment contributions to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at $62,730. At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., ordered Mendez to pay the full amounts due the Internal Revenue Service and the Massachusetts Department of Labor.
Zambrano is currently a fugitive facing an indictment charging him with conspiracy to defraud the United States (IRS); 17 counts of failure to collect and pay over taxes; tax evasion; and eight counts of structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams.
The matter was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Labor-Management Standards in Boston and the Rhode Island State Police.
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Woman Pleads Guilty for Leading a Retail Theft Organization that Netted $4.5 MillionRead the Press Release
A Tulsa-area woman who headed a retail theft organization that caused more than $10 million in losses to retailers pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Linda Ann Been, 49, admitted to leading the operation in a blind plea. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy (Count 1); wire fraud (Counts 2-166); conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Count 167); conspiracy to commit money laundering (Counts 168-169); relating to engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity Counts 170-214).
In January, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson and Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor announced charges against 29 members of the organization who were arrested following a joint law enforcement investigation titled Operation Booster Buster. In total, 16 federal defendants have pleaded guilty thus far.
“Cities across the United States, including Tulsa, have seen a sharp rise in organized retail theft. The losses drive up costs for retailers which are then passed on to consumers,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “As shown in this case, my office and our law enforcement partners will diligently work together to identify, investigate and prosecute theft rings operating within northeastern Oklahoma.”
According to state and federal court documents, Been led the ring of “boosters” that netted $4.5 million from the sale of stolen merchandise and over-the-counter products to fencing organizations outside of Oklahoma. “Fences” then sold the stolen products through e-commerce sites, like eBay and Amazon.
Operations were staged out of northeastern Oklahoma and sometimes crossed state lines. Stores targeted include Reasor’s, Sprouts, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Costco, Walgreens, CVS, GNC and others.
For example, on Sept. 4, 2019, several defendants boosted $1,329 worth of over-the-counter products, such as Flonase, Mucinex, Nexium, Zegerid, and Allegra, from a Reasor’s in Jenks, Oklahoma.
Normally, fences paid Been half the market value for each item. Been, in turn, paid boosters half of her expected profit for each item they brought to her. Financial payments for stolen products were normally made through PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App.
Been provided her boosters with a detailed list of items to steal and the pricing she would pay for each. She further instructed her ring on boosting techniques, including box stuffing. Box stuffing occurs when criminals conceal higher-value items inside lower-value item boxes and only paying for the lower-valued items.
Been and her team of boosters stole products from retailers in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Colorado. Been would pay boosters’ expenses when they traveled outside the state. She would further pay boosters’ bond when arrested so they could continue boosting.
Boosters would then deliver the goods to predetermined locations in Tulsa, Sand Springs, and Cleveland, Oklahoma. According to the federal indictment, defendants Billy Osborne, Juston Osborne, helped manage the operation by storing stolen inventory at their residences or businesses and by prepping the merchandise for bulk shipments to fences outside the state. Been also stored stolen merchandise at her residences, prepared inventories, coordinated payment, and shipped the pallets of stolen items.
Two co-defendants who helped Been manage the operation have pleaded guilty:
• Billy Don Osborne, 49: conspiracy to commit money laundering
• Juston Paul Osborne, 37: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Other co-defendants who have pleaded guilty are:
• Brandon Jamal Baldwin, 34: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Ambermeloni Charda Crawford, 24: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Amber Marie Clason, 28: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Toni Larae Crisp, 27 : conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Derek James Enloe, 32: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Corey Ray Fields, 44: conspiracy
• Sharee Nashawn Galloway, 45: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Ashley Nicole Gill, 30: conspiracy
• Brittany Nicole Harkins, 29: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Amanda Kay Johnson, 40: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Daniel Eugene Payne, 53: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Katrina Danielle Robison, 34: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Karissa Ray Russell, 32: conspiracy to commit wire fraud
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Tulsa Police Department, Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, and Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Richard M. Cella and Reagan V. Reininger are prosecuting the case with assistance from the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office.
Whitehall Man Indicted for Possessing Videos and Images of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – A resident of Whitehall, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of Possession of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on July 12, named Erik Jones, 24, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, from in and around September 2021 to in and around December 2021, Jones did knowingly possess visual depictions, namely, images in computer graphic and digital files, the production of which involved the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. More specifically, Jones possessed approximately 350 videos of child pornography and over 500 images of child pornography.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more 20 years in prison. Defendant is also subject to a fine of not more than $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of at least five years. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin J. Risacher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this 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.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Wetzel County man admits to methamphetamine chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Franklin Keith Dotson, of New Martinsville, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Dotson, 38, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Dotson admitted to having methamphetamine in July 2021 in Marshall County.
Dotson faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office, and the Marshall County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Washington, PA Man Charged with CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Washington, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh of cyberstalking, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on July 12, named Eric Scholl, 54, as the sole defendant.
According to Indictment, beginning around March 2021 and continuing through May 2022, after a domestic incident that led to his wife seeking a Pennsylvania Protection from Abuse Order against him, Scholl engaged in a cyberstalking campaign targeting his wife. Among other things, he placed a GPS tracking device on her car which tracked her movements; directed harassing and intimidating emails, texts, and phone calls to her, including using a web-based service that allowed him to disguise his phone number; posted lewd content about her on the internet; impersonated her in messages with others; accessed her mobile phone account and PayPal account without her permission; and threatened her through a text message he transmitted to a family member. Scholl engaged in this course of conduct, and other related and threatening activities, while subject to a domestic violence protection order against him. Scholl’s campaign placed his wife in fear of death or serious bodily injury and caused substantial emotional distress to her.
The law provides for a total sentence of not less than one but not more than ten years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, and a term of supervised release of three years. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Shaler Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Warwick Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Warwick man who admitted to distributing child pornography and, according to court filings, admitted to law enforcement officers that he previously molested a prepubescent child, was sentenced today to ten years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Owen Batista, 27, previously admitted to a federal judge that in August 2020, he posted a link in an online child pornography chat group that, when clicked, directed users to an online storage folder containing images and videos of child sexual abuse. Working in an undercover capacity, a Salt Lake City, Utah, law enforcement officer accessed the link, which was found to contain 738 mp4 video files. Eighteen of the video files were downloaded as a sample; seventeen of them depicted sexual abuse of children.
In October 2020, after it was determined by law enforcement that Batista was the administrator of the files, FBI agents in Providence executed a court-authorized search warrant at Batista’s residence; videos of child sexual abuse, including a collage of images depicting children between the ages of 2 to 10 years old being abused, were discovered on an electronic device belonging to Batista.
According to court documents, at the time of his arrest, when asked if he had ever had inappropriate contact with a child, Batista stated that approximately one year prior he had an “opportunity” alone with a 5-year-old female and that he “took advantage of the moment.” Batista admitted to making multiple videos of this abuse, and to sending these images to another individual. Further investigation determined that Batista had been communicating online with other individuals about the sharing of videos of child sexual abuse. One such person was later identified as a New York man, who was subsequently arrested by the FBI and charged in New York with distribution of child pornography.
Batista was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 120 months in federal prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker.
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United States Attorney’s Office Seeks to Civilly Forfeit Assets in Nearly $6 Million Alleged Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced the filing of a civil complaint seeking forfeiture of assets acquired in an alleged fraud scheme involving almost $6 million.
According to the civil complaint, Brett Cook, deceased, of Fremont, Nebraska, utilized his position as Vice President at Darland Properties to orchestrate an alleged fraud scheme involving Jeff Stenstrom, Brian Cook, and others. The civil complaint alleges Brett Cook directed repair work for Darland Properties’ clients to Stenstrom’s company, Stenstrom Services, Inc., and then billed the clients for work that was not performed, overbilled clients for work that was performed, and submitted inflated invoices to insurance companies to obtain insurance proceeds. This scheme resulted in a loss of approximately $4,250,000, which personally benefitted Brett Cook and Stenstrom.
By 2019, Brett Cook and Stenstrom ceased directly using Stenstrom Services for Darland Properties repairs. Brett Cook then created a new company with his brother, Brian Cook, called Midwest Property Maintenance Solutions. Midwest Property Maintenance Solutions operated in the same manner as Stenstrom Services had, whereby it billed Darland Properties’ clients for work that was not performed, work that had previously been paid for and completed by Stenstrom Services, and overbilled for work that was performed, among other things. The civil complaint alleges that this continued scheme resulted in a loss of at least an additional $600,000, most of which benefitted Brett and Brian Cook.
The civil complaint further alleges that Brett Cook used his Vice President position to fraudulently obtain monies from Darland Properties’ clients by reimbursing himself for personal expenses, requiring subcontractors to pay kickbacks indirectly to him and others in order to obtain work, and by receiving an approximate $850,000 fee for negotiations with insurance companies on behalf of the clients. This conduct resulted in an additional loss of at least $1,100,000 to the clients.
In total, the civil complaint alleges that the schemes identified above resulted in a loss of at least $5,950,000. The fraudulently obtained proceeds were ultimately used to acquire residential and commercial real estate, luxury vehicles, loan payments, credit card purchases, and high-end jewelry and watches.
The Internal Revenue Service is leading the investigation with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A criminal investigation in ongoing.
Uniontown Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Materials Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Uniontown, PA, pleaded guilty on July 12 in federal court to a charge of Production of a Visual Depiction of a Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Zachary Bosh, 39, pleaded guilty to one count before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on Friday, April 12, 2019, a law enforcement officer acting in an undercover capacity (UC) entered a public chat group titled #parentstoys, using an internet-based, free mobile application. The user “ascott5505,” later identified as Bosh, initiated a private chat with the UC.
During the conversation, Bosh sent the UC approximately seven video clips and/or images of a minor victim, one of which depicted the sexual exploitation of the minor victim, and verified with the UC that the video clips and/or images were “live”. The Court was further informed of the content of the communications between Bosh and the UC.
Investigators were able to obtain emergency disclosures from the mobile application as well as internet service provider, enabling them to identify – on the same day – the residence where the video of the minor victim’s sexual exploitation had been produced. During a search of the residence, which also occurred that day, law enforcement seized bedsheets that matched the sheets visible in the video.
Judge Hornak stated sentencing will be scheduled by further order of court. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 15 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court ordered Bosh remain detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation in conjunction with the FBI Washington Field Office’s (WFO) Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Bosh.
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.justice.gov/psc.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Files Suit against Chicago Cubs Alleging Wrigley Field Renovations and Expansion Violated Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois today filed a federal civil lawsuit against the CHICAGO CUBS, alleging the team failed to ensure that recent additions and alterations at Wrigley Field were appropriately accessible to individuals with disabilities, including people who use wheelchairs, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The lawsuit alleges that the team’s renovation, rehabilitation, expansion, and reconstruction of Wrigley Field – a multi-year undertaking known as “the 1060 Project” – discriminated against individuals with disabilities. To facilitate the changes made by the 1060 Project, the Cubs rebuilt a sizable portion of the preexisting Wrigley Field facility, including demolishing and reconstructing the bleachers and tearing down most of the lower grandstand and rebuilding it. These extensive changes were subject to the ADA’s requirements for design, construction, and alterations, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit alleges that throughout the 1060 Project, the Cubs failed to provide wheelchair users with adequate sightlines as compared to standing patrons or incorporate wheelchair seating into new premium clubs and group seating areas. In the general admission areas, the Cubs designed and constructed the wheelchair seating so that it is largely clustered in the last row of seating sections – in violation of the requirements of the ADA Standards for Accessible Design – and failed to remove architectural barriers to access in unaltered portions of Wrigley Field where it was readily achievable to do so, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, names as defendants the Cubs and other corporate owners and operators of the Wrigley Field facility – CHICAGO BASEBALL HOLDINGS LLC, WRIGLEY FIELD HOLDINGS LLC, and WF MASTER TENANT LLC. The suit seeks declaratory, injunctive, and monetary relief to remedy the alleged ADA violations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abraham J. Souza and Patrick W. Johnson represent the government.
“The Cubs rebuilt much of Wrigley Field and had ample opportunity – and a significant ADA obligation – to incorporate wheelchair seating and other accessible elements into the updated facility,” said John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to ensuring equal accessibility for individuals with disabilities.”
“For 32 years, the ADA has set clear requirements to ensure that public venues such as sports facilities are accessible,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously enforce the law to ensure that fans with disabilities and their families are able to enjoy their ballpark experience.”
Title III of the ADA prohibits public accommodations, such as sports stadiums, from excluding people with disabilities from enjoying goods, services, privileges, facilities, and advantages provided. To learn more about the obligations of public accommodations under federal disability rights statutes, call the Department of Justice’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301, 800-514-0383 (TTY).
For more information regarding the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat discrimination in public accommodations, please visit the official ADA government website.
U.S. Attorney, Vermont Attorney General, and Rutland Area NAACP to Co-Host Hate-Free Vermont ForumRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, and the Rutland Area NAACP will be co-hosting a Hate-Free Vermont Forum in Rutland on July 21 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
“The Forum aims to bring policymakers, stakeholders, and community members together for productive and difficult conversations that will work to reduce animus, discord, and misunderstandings,” said Co-facilitator Etan Nasreddin-Longo. “When we began this series of fora back in 2019, its intent was to take the pulse of Vermonters’ experiences of discrimination. Much has happened since that time, and our hope is to engage and to listen to our historically-disadvantaged communities about what they view as the continuing and new problems in 2022.”
Community members are encouraged to join us for a conversation on understanding and addressing bias, discrimination, and hate crimes in Vermont.
When: Thursday, July 21, 2022, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Where: The Forum will be hosted in-person and remotely.- Physical location: Leahy Community Health Education Center, 160 Allen St, Rutland VT
- Remote registration link: https://bit.ly/HateFreeVTRutland
Who: All are welcome. Community members have expressed that some participants may not wish to be recorded during the event, and that participants who are willing to speak with members of the media will designate themselves. Media is asked to join 30 minutes ahead of the start time.
For physical attendance, masks are required. Registration is required for remote attendance.
Two sent to prison for conspiring to import kilos of methRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 60-year-old San Antonio resident has been ordered to federal prison after admitting to conspiring to import 18 kilograms of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Douglas Wayne Tatum pleaded guilty Feb. 1.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Tatum to serve a 188-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Alvarez noted Tatum was more than average participant and had recruited the driver who imported the meth.
At the time of his plea, Tatum admitted that on Sept. 30, 2019, he directed Kandy Martinez to drive into Mexico and smuggle a vehicle loaded with bundles of meth into the United States. He said he would be waiting for her when she returned and would pay her $4,000.
He admitted he drove Martinez from San Antonio to Rio Grande Valley. She then drove into Mexico and exchanged her car for the vehicle loaded with meth.
Martinez attempted to drive the vehicle into the United States at the Donna Port of Entry. At inspection, a search of the vehicle revealed 18 bundles of meth weighing 18 kilograms hidden within the rear panel of the vehicle and in the spare tire.
Martinez, 52, San Antonio, previously pleaded guilty and received a 42-month term of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.
Tatum will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia prosecuted the case.
Two Ohio Gambling Business Owners Plead Guilty to Tax ConspiracyRead the Press Release
An Ohio husband and wife pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the IRS relating to their ownership and operation of illegal gambling businesses in Canton.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2010 through 2018, Jason Kachner and Rebecca Kachner, along with other co-conspirators, owned and operated two illegal gambling businesses, Skilled Shamrock and Redemption Skill Games 777 (Redemption). The Kachners admitted to conspiring together and with the other owners to defraud the IRS by filing false tax returns that omitted most of the income they received from their ownership of the illegal gambling businesses and by using a nominee owner to conceal their ownership of the businesses.
From 2012 through 2017, patrons at Skilled Shamrock wagered a total of more than $34 million, which resulted in more than $4 million in income for the owners of the gambling business. During these years, Jason and Rebecca Kachner received more than $900,000 in income from Skilled Shamrock. In total, from 2009 through 2018, they received approximately $2.3 million in income from Skilled Shamrock and Redemption. They did not report the vast majority of this income on their annual tax returns during these years. Rebecca Kachner also admitted to renting a storage locker to hold cash, which was generated from the illegal gambling businesses. As part of her plea agreement, she agreed to forfeit approximately $241,000 in cash that investigators found in the storage locker.
Rebecca Kachner pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS, and Jason Kachner pleaded guilty to two counts. Sentencing hearings for both defendants will be scheduled at a later date. Both face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of conspiring to defraud the IRS. They also face a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of the Inspector General, the Ohio Casino Control Commission and the Ohio Casino Control Commission are investigating the case. Homeland Security Investigations provided substantial assistance.
Trial Attorneys Richard M. Rolwing and Sam Bean of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Patton and David Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
Two New Jersey Men Admit Health Care Fraud Conspiracy Targeting State Health Benefits ProgramsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – Two New Jersey men today admitted defrauding New Jersey state and local health benefits programs and other insurers by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced.
Brian Pugh, 45, of Absecon, New Jersey, and Thomas Schallus, 45, of Northfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to one count each of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Pugh and Schallus were part of a criminal conspiracy in which state and local government employees were recruited and compensated to receive medically unnecessary compound prescription medications. Pugh and Schallus caused the pharmacy benefits administrator to pay approximately $1.47 million and $477,958.00, respectively, for medically unnecessary compounded prescription medications for individuals they recruited into the scheme.
Pugh and Schallus were previously charged alongside others in an indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and other offenses. Conspiracy leader William Hickman pleaded guilty in June of 2020 to defrauding New Jersey health benefits programs and other insurers out of more than $50 million and is awaiting sentencing. Charges remain pending against co-defendants John Sher, Thomas Sher, and Christopher Broccoli, who are set to proceed to trial before Judge Kugler in Camden federal court on Aug. 15, 2022. The charges against those three defendants are merely accusations, and they remain innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pugh and Schallus each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing for Pugh is scheduled for Nov. 17, 2022, and for Schallus, Nov. 14, 2022.
Attorney for the United States Khanna credited agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jesse Levine in Newark; special agents of IRS Office of Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark; and special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina O. Hud of the Criminal Division, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division Desiree Grace, and R. David Walk Jr., Chief of the Opioid Abuse Prevention & Enforcement Unit.
Defense counsel: Pugh: Michael A. Baldassare Esq. and Jennifer Mara Esq., Newark
Schallus: John C. Whipple Esq., Moorestown, New JerseyTwo Men Who Chose to Flee from Police are Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Two young men from Shreveport were sentenced late yesterday to federal prison for firearms violations, United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced. Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced the two men as follows:
Shelby Alvin Chapple, 30, of Shreveport, was sentenced to 84 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
On October 18, 2020, a Shreveport Police officer patrolling Hollywood Avenue shortly after midnight attempted to stop a car after observing it swerve across the center dividing line multiple times. When the officer activated his cruiser’s overhead lights and siren, the car refused to pull over and, instead, drove through several red lights at high speed. The car eventually turned down a residential street and shutoff its running lights to avoid detection.
During the ensuing police pursuit, the car slowed to a near stop when the driver, later identified as Chapple, jumped from the driver’s seat with the car still in drive and sprinted in between several homes while carrying a handgun loaded with a high-capacity magazine. A police K-9 team eventually located Chapple who was hiding in a wooded area behind the homes. Police found the loaded handgun on the ground where Chapple had discarded it. After being advised of his Miranda rights, Chapple admitted to police that he possessed that gun and threw it before his arrest. At the time of this incident, Chapple was on parole for a prior felony weapons offense.
This case was investigated by the ATF and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon.
The second defendant sentenced was Decoby J. Office, 20, of Shreveport, who received a 24 month prison sentence, followed by 2 years of supervised release.
In this case, a Shreveport Police Department officer tried to stop a car being driven by Office on June 3, 2021. The car fled and during the ensuing pursuit, Office threw a Glock 9mm handgun from the vehicle. Officers were able to recover the weapon and eventually the pursuit ended, and Office was arrested. A Shreveport Police Department officer searched the car and discovered a loaded magazine below the driver’s seat, where Office had been seated. Office possessed the firearm and ammunition knowing that he was prohibited from doing so. His prior felony conviction is for illegal use of a weapon in 2021 in Caddo Parish, Louisiana.
This case was investigated by the ATF and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten.
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Three Federally Charged for Armed Robbery of Columbia Postal CarrierRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Don Everett Peters, III, a/k/a “Pop,” 21, and Shylik Lamont Smalls, a/k/a “Mitch,” 22, both of Columbia, and Elijah Rasue Dewayne Ellis, a/k/a “Smoke,” a/k/a “Black,” 21, of Valdosta, Georgia, all appeared in federal court in Columbia for their first appearance on federal complaints charging them with conspiracy to commit armed robbery of a postal carrier, armed robbery of a postal carrier, and theft/possession of a postal arrow key.
The charges stem from an incident in Columbia on March 17, 2022, where a United States Postal carrier was robbed at gunpoint.
All three face a maximum penalty of 25 years imprisonment on the armed robbery charge, five years on the conspiracy charge, and 10 years on the theft/possession of the arrow key charge. They are all currently detained.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar Fyall are prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis stated that all charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Texas company forfeits proceeds and pays fine after supplying potentially tainted rocket fuel to NASARead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Anahuac Transport Inc. must pay a substantial fine after admitting to fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Corporate representatives Gary Monteau and Brant Charpiot admitted their guilt Feb. 23 on behalf of the company and agreed to forfeit $251,401 in gross proceeds that it obtained from the criminal scheme.
Today, U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett ordered the company to serve three years on probation and to pay an additional fine of $275,000. During the hearing, the court noted the importance of the Johnson Space Center to the identity of the Houston area and how it was a privilege for a company like Anahuac to play a role in the U.S. space program. He noted that Anahuac had abused that privilege.
At the time of the plea, Monteau, Charpiot and Anahuac entered voluntary exclusions with the United States in which each agreed to be banned from federal government contracting for two years.
Anahuac admitted to falsifying its records and delivering potentially tainted rocket fuel for NASA and Department of Defense (DOD) rocket launches.
NASA and DOD entered into contracts with various companies, including Space Explorations Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), to launch rockets with supplies for the International Space Station and with military payloads.
These companies procured fuel for the rocket launches and contracted for transportation of the fuel to the launch sites. Anahuac was in the business of hauling chemicals in tanker trailers. From approximately 2012 through 2020, NASA and DOD subcontracted Anahuac to transport the rocket fuel.
To prevent contamination, Anahuac was required to ensure the tanker trailer they used did not previously contain certain chemicals that may have adverse reactions with the fuel. However, Anahuac intentionally falsified its documents, claiming it had not previously hauled incompatible chemicals with its tanker trailers. In fact, it had.
Anahuac transported the rocket fuel with its contaminated trailers. As a result, NASA used the fuel for rocket launches.
NASA - Office of Inspector General (OIG) and DOD – OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Johnson is prosecuting the case.
Telfair County man sentenced after admitting he bought life insurance policy on woman without her permissionRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Telfair County man has been sentenced in federal court after admitting he took out a life insurance policy on a woman without her knowledge, naming himself as the potential beneficiary.
Jonathan Seay, 56, of McRae-Helena, Ga., was sentenced to three years of probation after pleading guilty to the felony charge of Unlawful Use of a Means of Identification In or Affecting Interstate Commerce, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
“This guilty plea and felony sentence ensures Jonathan Seay is held accountable for this attempt to cash in on an innocent victim’s death,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “It also should serve as a warning to others tempted to try such a cynical ploy at profiting from someone else’s demise.”
As spelled out in court, Seay admitted using a woman’s information without her knowledge or consent to take out a life insurance policy for $250,000, naming himself as the beneficiary in the event of her accidental death. The policy later was discovered and canceled.
“Seay has admitted his wrongdoing and will now be held accountable for his crime of greed,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “No matter the depth of the crime, the FBI will always work with our law enforcement partners to protect our citizens and do everything in our power to stop fraud and restore justice.”
“This type of fraud will not be tolerated in Georgia,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “We value the partnership with federal agencies to ensure these offenders are held accountable and the victims get justice.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry W. Syms Jr. and Jerimiah L. Johnson.
Stockton Methamphetamine Traffickers ChargedRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Stockton residents Jose Curiel, 35, and Roberto Tostado-Cadenas, 43, charging them with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Curiel and Cadenas arranged to sell 115 pounds of methamphetamine to a law enforcement informant. Curiel and Cadenas met with the informant at a public parking lot in Stockton. They told the informant that they had staged the methamphetamine in different cars located in the parking lot. Prior to the drug transaction being completed, law enforcement stopped three of the cars in Curiel’s entourage. Inside of one of the vehicle, law enforcement found 37 pounds of methamphetamine.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, the Stockton Police Department, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, both defendants face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life years in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Stockton Man Indicted for Drug Offenses and Illegal Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Gary Wayne Stuckey, 56, of Stockton, charging him with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of ammunition, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of Stuckey’s vehicle and observed several pounds of marijuana, plastic baggies, and digital scales on the floorboard of the vehicle. They also found a Polymer 80 handgun (a “ghost gun,” an assembled weapon lacking a serial number) wedged in between the driver’s seat and center console, later determined to contain six rounds of ammunition. Stuckey is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions, including a prior conviction for being a felon in possession of ammunition. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered over a pound of methamphetamine, as well as cocaine and ecstasy.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Stockton Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alstyn Bennett is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of the drug charge, Stuckey faces a minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $10 million fine. If convicted of being a felon in possession of ammunition charge, Stuckey faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
Stealing from job lands local woman in prisonRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – A 47-year-old Bay City woman has been ordered to federal prison after admitting defrauding a company of nearly half a million dollars, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Kimberly Knebel Janise pleaded guilty April 5.
Today, U.S. District Judge Jeffery V. Brown sentenced her to 27 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In assessing the term of punishment, the court imposed one month for every two months she stole.
The court also considered victim impact statements, one which described the profound effect of Janise’s embezzlement on the family-owned business and its employees. Janise was further ordered to pay $450,648.04 in restitution to the victims.
Janice worked as an accountant for McAda Drilling Fluids Inc. located in Bay City. In that role, Janice was responsible for paying bills, posting deposits and accounting.
In August 2018, while reviewing business accounts, the company’s president noticed withdrawals linked to Janice’s credit card. The investigation revealed that Janise conducted 67 wire transactions from the company’s business account to pay off her credit card bill totaling almost half a million dollars.
Janise regularly withdrew between $4,000 to $12,000. However, in one particular month, she took $22,000. She continued to steal money to pay for travel and dining, while the company struggled with financial hardships. In fact, the president had not collected a paycheck for two years in an effort to retain employees.
Janise was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI – Texas City conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zahra Jivani Fenelon prosecuted the case.
St. Louis County man sentenced to 12+ years for two carjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a St. Louis County man to 12 years and 10 months in prison for his role in carjacking two drivers in 2021.
On Feb. 9, 2021 Joman Williams and another man stole a 2018 Honda Civic from a man outside his apartment in St. Louis. Williams was armed with a pistol with a distinctive blue-colored laser sight.
Three and a half hours later, at 11:15 p.m., the men pulled up at a gas station in Brentwood in the stolen Civic and Williams stole a 2017 BMW 320i at gunpoint. Williams got into the BMW, but switched back to the Civic before both vehicles drove off.
Richmond Heights police quickly spotted both stolen cars, triggering a chase involving multiple police departments that reached speeds of 112 m.p.h. Police eventually stopped the Civic in Maryland Heights, on the Maryland Heights Expressway near Prichard Farm Road. Williams ran away and was later found hiding in a wooded area. He had a Glock pistol with a blue laser sight and a credit card belonging to the Civic’s owner.
Williams, 22, pleaded guilty March 24 to two counts of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The gun crime carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, consecutive to other charges.
Williams’ companion has not been identified.
The case was investigated by the FBI and multiple area police departments, including St. Louis, Brentwood and Maryland Heights. Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Boyce prosecuted the case.