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Wednesday 25 May 2022
Canadian Man Pleads Guilty to Pseudoephedrine Importation ChargesRead the Press Release
A Canadian man who unlawfully imported pseudoephedrine from Canada into the United States and Australia during 2011 and 2012 pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Joseph Damgajian, age 42, from Laval, Quebec, Canada, was convicted of one count of using the United States and Canadian mail systems to distribute pseudoephedrine, one count of unlawfully importing pseudoephedrine into the United States, and one count of making false customs declarations to illegally import pseudoephedrine into the United States.
In a plea agreement, Damgajian admitted that, during 2011 and 2012, he was selling pseudoephedrine on the Internet. A methamphetamine lab search in July 2011 identified Damgajian as a source for pseudoephedrine, a chemical used to manufacture methamphetamine. Damgajian sold over 3 kilograms of pseudoephedrine through an online market. He hid the pseudoephedrine in vitamin bottles that he resealed in an effort to avoid the seizure of the substances by customs officials. Agents in the United States purchased pseudoephedrine from Damgajian and coordinated with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who seized additional packages of pseudoephedrine Damgajian was illegally sending from Canada to other countries, including the United States and Australia.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Damgajian remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Damgajian faces a possible maximum sentence of 16 years’ imprisonment, a $750,000 fine, and seven years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canadian Postal Inspectors, Canadian Border Services Agency, Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of: the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 12-CR-2035.
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California man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Victor L. Roebuck, II, of Long Beach, California, has admitted to a marijuana charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Roebuck, 34, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana.” Roebuck admitted to having marijuana in May 2021 in Ohio County.
Roebuck faces up to five 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 Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Brownsville repeat criminal gets federal prison time for smuggling cocaineRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 56-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of possession with intent to distribute 8.872 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Jose Antonio Garcia Jr. pleaded guilty Feb. 28.
Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales ordered Garcia to serve 130 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding Garcia’s lengthy and varied criminal history. Dating back to 1985, he has nine burglary convictions, five thefts, eight drug or alcohol-related crimes and an alien smuggling attempt in 2014.
On Dec. 27, 2021, Garcia drove a white 2012 Freightliner semi-truck into an inspection lane at the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint located near Falfurrias. During inspection, authorities conducted a search of the vehicle. Law enforcement then referred Garcia to secondary inspection. At that time, they discovered nine bundles in an empty cardboard Huggies diaper box found underneath a sleeper seat inside the truck.
The bundles were later determined to be 8.872 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of $443,600.
Garcia has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Parker Gochenour prosecuted the case.
Arizona meth conspiracy results in local federal convictionRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 42-year-old Corpus Christi resident has pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Alfredo Delacruz admitted his role in the conspiracy which spanned from March 1 to Oct. 22, 2021.
The investigation began in September 2021. At that time, law enforcement had discovered Delacruz was receiving parcels containing meth from Phoenix, Arizona, to then be distributed in the Corpus Christi area.
On Oct. 21, 2021, authorities executed a search warrant at Delacruz’s residence. There, they discovered money, a ledger, approximately 16 grams of cocaine, several grams of marijuana, a Springfield Arms 9mm semiautomatic pistol, Taurus 9mm pistol, SAR Arms K2P Pistol, SCCY CPX-2 9mm semiautomatic pistol, Ruger .22 Caliber, semiautomatic pistol, Beretta .25 caliber pistol and an ammunition magazine.
Delacruz admitted he made an agreement with a supplier located in Arizona and had sold meth and cocaine for approximately six months. Delacruz received packages containing meth via UPS and sent cash proceeds from the sales to his supplier.
As part of his plea, he took responsibility for 10 to 12 packages, each containing up to five pounds of meth. The total amount of the narcotics exceeded approximately $300,000.
U.S. District Judge Nevla Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing Aug. 24. At that time, Delacruz faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.
Delacruz was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Parker Gochenour is prosecuting the case.
Annapolis MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to Life in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Three Violent MurdersRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez, a/k/a “Picaro,” “El Pastor,” and “Gasper,” age 24, of Annapolis, Maryland, to life in federal prison for a racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit murder in aid or racketeering, as well as related violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including three murders, connected to his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13.
On October 31, 2019, after a nine-day trial, a federal jury convicted Sandoval-Rodriguez of murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, in connection with a murder that occurred on March 11, 2016.
On January 24, 2022, after a three-month trial, a federal jury convicted Sandoval-Rodriguez of racketeering charges, along with co-defendants Jose Joya Parada, a/k/a “Calmado,” age 21; Oscar Armando Sorto Romero, a/k/a “Lobo,” age 23; and Milton Portillo Rodriguez, a/k/a “Little Gangster,” a/k/a “Seco,” age 26. Sandoval-Rodriguez and Portillo-Rodriguez were also convicted of multiple counts of murder in aid of racketeering.
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; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations, Baltimore Office; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Chief Jason Lando of the Frederick City Police Department; Frederick County Sheriff Charles A. “Chuck” Jenkins; Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III; Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.
MS-13 is a national and international gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador and other central American countries. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland. Sandoval Rodriguez, Portillo Rodriguez, and Joya Parada were members of the Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (“FLS”) clique. Co-defendant Oscar Sorto Romero was part of the Parque Vista Locos Salvatruchas (“PVLS”) clique.
At all times of this conspiracy, members of MS-13 were expected to protect the name, reputation, and status of the gang from rival gang members and other persons. To protect the gang and to enhance its reputation, MS-13 members were expected to use any means necessary to force respect from those who showed disrespect, including acts of intimidation and violence. MS-13 had mottos consistent with its rules, beliefs, expectations, and reputation, including “mata, viola, controla,” which translates as, “kill, rape, control,” and “ver, oir y callar,” which means, “see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing.” One of the principal rules of MS-13 is that its members must attack and kill rivals, often referred to as “chavalas,” whenever possible.
MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence both to maintain membership and discipline within the gang, as well as against rival gang members. Participation in criminal activity by a member, particularly in violent acts directed at rival gangs or as directed by gang leadership, increase the respect accorded to that member, resulting in that member maintaining or increasing his position in the gang, and opens the door to promotion to a leadership position.
The evidence at both trials established that between 2015 and 2017, Sandoval-Rodriguez and his co-defendants engaged in a pattern of racketeering, drug trafficking, extortion, murder, and brutal acts of violence against suspected rivals of the gang in an effort to increase MS-13’s power in the Frederick County, Montgomery County, and Anne Arundel County areas of Maryland.
Evidence presented at the 2019 trial established that Sandoval-Rodriguez participated in the murder of a suspected rival gang member on March 11, 2016. During this murder, Sandoval Rodriguez lured the victim to Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, Maryland, with the intention of killing him. Surveillance video from a nearby laundromat captured Sandoval-Rodriguez and the victim walking toward Quiet Waters Park on the evening of the murder. Once the victim arrived at the park, members of the gang struck him in the head with a branch or stick, and the assailants, including Sandoval-Rodriguez, repeatedly stabbed the victim with a knife, killing him. While Sandoval-Rodriguez and other members of the gang committed the murder, other MS-13 members and associates stood watch outside the park to ensure no one entered or left the park, and to watch for police, so that the gang could complete the murder. After the victim was killed, MS-13 members and associates buried him in a shallow grave inside the park, but Sandoval-Rodriguez did not bury the body because of the cut on his finger and fear that he would leave evidence at the scene. The body was not recovered until Aug. 28, 2017, when it was exhumed by law enforcement. After his arrest, Sandoval-Rodriguez’s writings about the murder as well as additional MS-13 paraphernalia was recovered among his personal belongings in jail. Sandoval-Rodriguez participated in the murder to raise his status in the gang and to assert the authority of MS-13 in Annapolis.
Trial evidence related to Sandoval-Rodriguez at his second trial focused on his participation in several murders, including a 17-year-old victim., who was believed to be a rival gang member. Specifically, the evidence showed that on March 31, 2017, the gang lured a 17-year-old from Annapolis to Wheaton Regional Park, where they stabbed him over 100 times, dismembered him, removed his heart, and buried him in a clandestine grave. Evidence was presented that Sandoval-Rodriguez and Portillo Rodriguez lured the victim out and along with other MS-13 members and associates, brought him from Annapolis to Wheaton Regional Park. Sandoval-Rodriguez, Portillo Rodriguez, and Joya Parada participated in the murder by stabbing, cutting, and dismembering the victim and Joya Parada also helped to dig the victim’s grave.
Trial evidence also demonstrated that Sandoval-Rodriguez participated in a murder that occurred on June 24, 2017. In that murder, the gang used a female associate to lure a 21-year-old woman into a car and then took her to a wooded area in Crownsville, where she was killed, her body was dismembered, and she was buried in a clandestine grave. Co-defendant Portillo-Rodriguez aided in the planning of the murder and helped lure the victim into a car. Sandoval-Rodriguez traveled to the wooded area earlier in the day to dig a hole for the victim’s grave. MS-13 members caused the victim to lose consciousness, removed her clothing, and decapitated the victim with a machete. Sandoval-Rodriguez and Portillo-Rodriguez participated in the murder by stabbing and slashing the victim’s body with a machete, dismembering the body, and burying the body in a wooded area. As a result of their participation in the murder, Sandoval-Rodriguez, Portillo-Rodriguez, and other gang members were promoted within MS-13.
More than 30 MS-13 gang members and associates have been convicted in these cases.
Co-defendants from Sandoval-Rodriguez’s first case, Marlon Cruz-Flores, age 25; Fermin Gomez-Jimenez, age 23; Moises Alexis Reyes-Canales; and Manuel Martinez-Aguilar, aka El Lunatic, aka Zomb, age 22, all of Annapolis, previously pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and a firearms offense. Both Gomez-Jimenez and Cruz-Flores were sentenced to 38 years in prison, Reyes-Canales was sentenced to 35 years in prison, and Martinez-Aguilar was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
On April 20, 2022, Chief Judge Bredar sentenced Joya Parada to 50 years in federal prison, for a racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, and related violent crimes in aid of racketeering. Portillo Rodriguez and Sorto Romero were each sentenced to life in federal prison, for a racketeering conspiracy and for racketeering, as well as related violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including multiple murders.
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. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is 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 that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. commended the FBI; HSI; ATF, the Frederick Police Department; the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; the Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County Police Departments; and the Anne Arundel, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorneys for their work in these investigations, and the Baltimore County Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Polite thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig and Trial Attorney Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who handled the first trial. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark, Zachary Stendig, and Anatoly Smolkin, who handled the second trial.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Abingdon Man Sentenced on Bankruptcy Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – An Abingdon man, who concealed bank accounts and other assets from a federal bankruptcy court during his Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, was sentenced yesterday to 12 months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $4,000 fine.
Ronald Eugene Lefler, 67, pled guilty in March 2020 to one count of bankruptcy fraud when he knowingly and fraudulently failed to disclose and otherwise concealed assets from the United States Trustee and from creditors in a pending bankruptcy case before the United States Bankruptcy Court.
According to court documents, on September 20, 2015, Lefler filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Western District of Virginia and testified under oath that he had fully disclosed all known bank accounts within his control and that he had deposited all of his income into a “debtor-in-possession” bank account, a requirement under the bankruptcy proceedings. Lefler also disclaimed, under oath, to not owning any other assets not otherwise reported, including other vehicles and watercraft.
A subsequent investigation determined that Lefler not only concealed assets of value, including multiple livestock and a houseboat, but also maintained and actively used separate bank accounts at Eastman Credit Union. Records showed that Lefler opened these accounts under false names and used the money for his personal lifestyle expenses, including numerous large withdrawals at the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in North Carolina.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Murphy prosecuted the case.
41 Members of a Violent Gang Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations in San Juan, Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On May 17, 2022, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 41 violent gang members from the municipality of San Juan with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), San Juan and Carolina Strike Forces were in charge of the investigation of the case, with the collaboration of the United States Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI).
“Last year we arrested Carlos Manuel Cotto-Cruz, aka “Wasa”, the leader of this violent organization. We continued to work non-stop to put an end to the organization’s violence, and today we have dismantled its drug trafficking activities,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “This operation reflects the excellent collaboration between our state and federal law enforcement partners – coordinated through our OCDETF task force program.”
“It’s important to highlight that during today’s operation, we arrested various drug trafficking leaders in Puerto Rico,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, San Juan Field Office. “We know this doesn’t mean our work is done, and what I want tom make clear is that we won’t stop.”
The indictment alleges that from 2016 to the date of the return of the indictment, the drug trafficking organization distributed heroin, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, marihuana, Oxycodone (Percocet), Alprazolam (Xanax), and Buprenorphine (Suboxone) within 1,000 feet of the Vista Hermosa, Villa España, and Luis Lloréns Public Housing Projects, and other areas nearby. The object of the conspiracy was to operate a drug-trafficking organization to distribute controlled substances in many areas in the municipality of San Juan, and to ship narcotics to the Continental United States, for significant financial profit.
During the course of the investigation, members of the conspiracy received shipments of narcotics at the coastlines of Puerto Rico from vessels that had traveled from Venezuela and Dominican Republic. Members of the organization transported and distributed kilogram quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico into the continental United States.
As part of the conspiracy, the co-conspirators used abandoned apartments in the Public Housing Projects to prepare the drugs for distribution at the drug points. They would also rent different properties or locations using home rental applications like AirBnb, in order to use them as stash places to store kilogram quantities of heroin, cocaine, crack, marihuana, U.S. currency, firearms, and ammunition in order to avoid detection from law enforcement.
The defendants acted in different roles in order to further the goals of their organization, to wit: leaders/suppliers, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts, and facilitators. The members of the gang used force, violence, and intimidation to maintain control of the areas in which they operated. They held meetings to discuss the operations of the drug-trafficking organization and to plan violent acts against members of their own gang or members of a rival gang. Twenty-six defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime:
Carlos Manuel Cotto-Cruz, a/k/a “Wasa/Zion/Loco/Alto Rango/Ministro”
Héctor Luis Santiago-Medina, a/k/a “Gordo Casco/El Incorregible”
Luis Daniel García-Hernández, a/k/a “Luisda/Ele-D/El Enano”
Jermaine Calderón-Echevarría, a/k/a “Jey/Jeso/Pupi”
Victor Isaac Del Valle-Rivera
José Luis Castro-Vázquez, a/k/a “Manota”
Fabián Nieves-Rosales, a/k/a “Chino”
Karem Lynette Varcárcel-Cruz, a/k/a “La Prieta”
Pedro Alejandro Ocasio-Hernández, a/k/a “Chino”
Giovanni Andrés Reyes-Cruz, a/k/a “Koala/Ken Y/El Animal/Koa”
Luis Manuel Vega-Quiles, a/k/a “Luisma/Sangre”
Gabriel Casanova-Yales, a/k/a “Gaby Luchy”
Fernando Ian Canino-Ortiz, a/k/a “Ian”
Carlos J. Santos-Díaz, a/k/a “Mambiche”
Luis Miguel Muñóz-López, a/k/a “Chino/Chino Grillo”
Luis Alberto Cintrón-Collazo, a/k/a “Pacho/El Negro”
Pablo De La Cruz-Arias, a/k/a “Pablo El Diablo”
Pedro Victor Nieves-Hernández, a/k/a “Pedrito”
Mario Alexander Rivera
Carlos A. Benítez-Rolón, a/k/a “Charlie/Charlie El Negro”
Jesús David Maldonado-Morales, a/k/a “Chu/Chuito”
Arsenio Laborde-Figueroa
Juan Francisco Torres-Huertas, a/k/a “Cano/Canito/Jonathan”
Julio Ángel Galarza-Rosado
Alex Darnel Rodríguez-Huertas, a/k/a “Darnel”
Lino Acosta-López
The other defendants are:
Luis Manuel Ortiz-Romero, a/k/a “Yiyo”
Luis Nike Santiago-Medina
Juan Ruiz-Díaz, a/k/a “Pra Pra”
Rubén Figueroa-Rodríguez, a/k/a “Rubén el Gordo”
Yan Carlos De Jesús-Ortíz a/k/a “Cepi/Cepi El Escudo”
Omar Quiles-Arce a/k/a “Tibu”
Kevin Jomar Maldonado-Rosa
Kristian Damián Martínez-Cruz
Ángel Rafael Torres-Reyes, a/k/a “Mickey Wood”
Orlando José Rodríguez-Lara, a/k/a “Trippy”
Kibanielle Ichael Colón-Muñíz, a/k/a “Kiba/Kiva”
Chris Anthony Jiménez-Ortiz
Kenny J. Rodríguez-Rodríguez, a/k/a “Kencho/Kenny Kencho/Ian”
Keyshla Michelle Rodríguez-Acevedo
Kelvin Joel Torres-Flores
Defendants Héctor Luis Santiago-Medina and Keyshla Michelle Rodríguez-Acevedo are facing one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, the object of the conspiracy was to conduct financial transactions with the proceeds of drug trafficking to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds. For example, they used the proceeds from the sale of the narcotics to purchase vehicles. At times they submitted false financial documents and made false statements to financial institutions to receive loans to purchase automobiles and paid the loans with the narcotics proceeds. They also registered the vehicles in the names of co-conspirators, but the vehicles were used by other individuals from the organization.
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, AUSAs Corinne Cordero-Romo and Pedro Casablanca, and Special AUSA R. Vance Eaton are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. All defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $58,151,800.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
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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"Long Time Coming" Update: Parkersburg Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg woman was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for her role in a multi-state conspiracy responsible for distributing methamphetamine and other controlled substances in the Parkersburg area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Era Dawn Corder, 47, of Parkersburg, admitted to obtaining and re-distributing several ounces of methamphetamine in the Parkersburg area between June and September 2021. Corder obtained this methamphetamine from Carlo Ramsey, at times on consignment with the understanding that she would pay Ramsey back later with the proceeds. Corder and Ramsey would coordinate over the phone when Corder needed additional methamphetamine.
Corder pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In total, Corder was responsible for over 325 grams of methamphetamine during the course of the conspiracy.
Carlo Ramsey, Floyd Dermonta Ramsey, Ambera Roberts, Matthew Edward Depew, and Robert Sanders, Jr., previously pleaded guilty to felony charges in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, as a result of a nearly year-long investigation dubbed “Long Time Coming.” Roberts was sentenced to one year and six months in prison, Depew was sentenced to five years in prison, and Floyd Ramsey was sentenced to three years in prison. All other defendants are awaiting sentencing. The investigation also resulted in more than a dozen arrests on state criminal complaints in Wood County.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the excellent investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force (PNTF), the Parkersburg Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Vienna Police Department, the Williamstown Police Department, the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Boyd County, Kentucky, Sheriff’s Department, the Russell, Kentucky, Police Department and the Raceland, Kentucky, Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe handled the prosecution.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-163.
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Tuesday 24 May 2022
Zebulon Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Firearm Offense After Shooting at Officer During High-Speed ChaseRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Zebulon man who fired at a Wendell Police Department (WPD) officer during a high-speed chase was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Cedrick Tyler Armstrong, 37, was previously convicted on November 18, 2021, following a two-day jury trial before United States District Judge James C. Dever, III.
Michael Easley, Jr., the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, commented: “Today, Mr. Armstrong received a well-deserved sentence. His conduct endangered innocent members of our community and directly threatened the lives of those brave law enforcement officers who have sworn to protect us. My office will not tolerate those who threaten the safety and security of our district.”
According to court documents, on October 12, 2018, an Investigator with the Wendell Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle where Armstrong was the front seat passenger. After a baggie from the glove box field-tested positive for cocaine, police tried to remove the driver and Armstrong from the vehicle. The Investigator was able to secure one handcuff to the driver’s left arm before a struggle ensued and the driver fled the stop in the vehicle, dragging the Investigator approximately 25 feet. The Investigator sustained injuries but was able to pursue the vehicle along with other Wendell Police Officers. The driver led law enforcement on a high-speed chase through multiple counties reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. Several minutes into the chase, approximately nine shots were fired from the passenger side of the vehicle at a pursuing Wendell PD officer, and the chase was terminated shortly thereafter for public and officer safety. A search of the area where the shots were fired located a spent 9mm shell casing.
Armstrong and the driver avoided law enforcement for several hours but were found and arrested later that night at a residence on Beauty Avenue in Raleigh, NC. A search of the residence found a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine hidden in the reservoir of the toilet. Forensic examination of the gun and a shell casing recovered from the area where the shots were fired confirmed that the gun found at the residence on Beauty Avenue fired that casing. The handcuffs, a handcuff key, drugs, and the vehicle keys were also recovered from the residence on Beauty Avenue where the driver and Armstrong were apprehended. Additionally, Investigators executed a search warrant on the vehicle after it was recovered and found another 9mm round matching the same make and caliber of the ammunition found with the gun at Beauty Avenue and the shell casing recovered from the scene of the shooting. A review of Armstrong’s phone also recovered text messages in which he admitted to shooting at law enforcement. Armstrong also faces a number of pending state charges for the incident.
Michael Easley, Jr. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Wendell Police Department investigated the case with the assistance of the Wake County Sherriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), the Raleigh Police Department, and the Zebulon Police Department. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Dave Fitzgerald and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Stephany prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-CR-00450-D.
Yakima Woman Indicted for COVID-19 Relief Fraud as part of U.S. Attorney’s COVID-19 Fraud Strike ForceRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, has announced that Karla Padilla, age 48, of Yakima, Washington, was indicted this week on seven counts of fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funding. This Indictment is the most recent set of charges resulting from the COVID-19 Relief Fraud Strike Force launched by the U.S. Attorney’s Office earlier this year.
On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act provided a number of programs through which eligible small businesses could request and obtain relief funding intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic for small and local businesses. One such program, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), provided government-backed loans to small businesses which could be forgiven so long as the proceeds were used for payroll and other eligible expenses. Another program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, provided low interest loans that could be deferred until the conclusion of the pandemic to provide “bridge” funding for small businesses to maintain their operations during shutdowns and other economic circumstances caused by the pandemic. The PPP and EIDL programs have provided billions of dollars in aid, the vast majority of which have not been paid back, including hundreds of millions of dollars disbursed within Eastern Washington.
“COVID-19 relief programs were designed to lift up our community during crisis, and due to the number of people and businesses that requested funding, some deserving small businesses were not able to obtain funding to keep their businesses in operation,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We created the COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force because combatting pandemic-related fraud and holding those accountable who abused these programs is critical to the strength and safety of our community in Eastern Washington. The Strike Force works to ensure that limited resources are used to protect our local small businesses and the critical jobs and services that they provide for the community.”
In February 2022, U.S. Attorney Waldref and the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) began working with federal law enforcement agencies to create and launch a COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force that would leverage partnerships between different agencies to aggressively investigate and prosecute fraud against COVID-19 relief programs in Eastern Washington. The Strike Force consists of agency representatives from the USAO, Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs OIG, General Services Administration OIG, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Energy OIG, and others. Cases investigated and prosecuted by the Strike Force have resulted in numerous indictments, criminal prosecutions, and civil penalties.
The Indictment announced today charges seven counts of fraud arising from one EIDL and two PPP loans obtained by Padilla in 2020 and 2021 on behalf of her supposed collectible car business identified as Queen B Collectibles. The Indictment alleges that Queen B Collectibles was not a legitimate business, had no employees, receipts or business operations, and was not eligible for any EIDL or PPP funding, and that Padilla submitted false information in order to fraudulently obtain over $59,000 in EIDL and PPP funding. The Indictment also alleges that Padilla unsuccessfully and fraudulently attempted to obtain four additional EIDLs for Queen B Collectibles, which SBA did not fund.
“I commend the stellar investigative work on these cases performed by the Strike Force and especially in this case by SBA OIG and TIGTA,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute those who abuse and misuse COVID-19 relief funding, and to strengthen our communities by protecting our small and local businesses.”
This case was investigated by the Eastern District of Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force, with SBA OIG and TIGTA as the lead investigative agencies. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyler H.L. Tornabene, Assistant United States Attorney Dan Fruchter, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Frieda K. Zimmerman.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Waipahu Man Arrested for Threats to Injure Others and Bomb Buildings in UtahRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Bryan Melvin Brandenburg, 63, of Waipahu, made his initial appearance today in United States District Court in Honolulu on charges filed in a criminal complaint that he transmitted threats to injure another person and false threats to kill, injure and intimidate an individual, and to damage and destroy a building and other real property, by means of an explosive. The appearance followed Brandenburg’s arrest yesterday at his Waipahu residence. United States Magistrate Judge Wes Reber Porter ordered him detained pending a detention hearing on May 27.
According to court documents, while in Hawaii, on May 4, 2022, Brandenburg, who had pending divorce proceedings in a Utah state court, sent email communications to court personnel in Utah threatening to bomb the 3rd District Courthouse in Salt Lake City, the mayor’s office, the state capitol, every Ivy League school, and the federal courthouse in San Diego. Multiple media persons in Utah also received email communications from Brandenburg on May 4 and May 6 threatening to bomb the Salt Lake City courthouse, “Hall Labs,” and the University of Utah (identified as “U of U”) Center for Medical Innovation.
“Sending threats to kill people or destroy property is a serious matter that we will investigate and prosecute,” said Clare E. Connors, United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii. “It does not matter if the threats are false or made to people and places outside of Hawaii. This conduct causes harm and is unlawful.”
“This arrest confirms the FBI’s commitment in investigating threats of violence by means of an explosive to the fullest extent of the law,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “Whether you threaten someone in Hawaii or elsewhere, the FBI will do whatever is necessary to protect the public to ensure their safety. We ask the public to be vigilant and report things that may seem suspicious or threatening to the FBI to (808) 566-4300 or tips.fbi.gov.”
Brandenburg is charged in the criminal complaint with one count of transmitting in interstate a communication containing a threat to injure the person of another and one count of conveying false threats through interstate commerce to kill, injure, or intimidate an individual or damage or destroy a building or other real property by means of an explosive. If indicted and convicted on those charges, Brandenburg faces maximum terms of imprisonment of five years on the count threatening injury and ten years the six false bomb threat charge.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Ching is handling the prosecution.
Wagener Man Indicted on 15 Counts of Firearm Possession and Narcotics DistributionRead the Press Release
Columbia, South Carolina — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a 15-count indictment charging Anthony Tyrone Whitfield, 44, of Wagener, for possessing firearms and ammunition as a prohibited felon, for distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, and for possessing and using firearms in connection with his drug distribution activities.
The indictment alleges that on nine occasions between December 2018 and September 2021 Whitfield distributed, attempted to distribute, or was in possession with intent to distribute, methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, including at least 50 grams of methamphetamine on two occasions. The indictment also alleges that he was in possession of six firearms and various rounds of ammunition on three different dates, and that he possessed or used firearms in connection with his drug trafficking activity also on three occasions.
The indictment also alleges that Whitfield is subject to an enhanced sentence by virtue of a conviction for a serious drug felony offense in South Carolina state court in 2017.
Whitfield faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment on numerous charges, and a mandatory five years consecutive to any other term of imprisonment on charges related to the possession of a firearm in connection with drug trafficking. Whitfield is currently detained on state charges and his arraignment in federal court is scheduled for May 31, 2022, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paige J. Gossett.
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.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, and the Salley Police Department, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott B. Daniels is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Virginia Man with Multiple Prior Felony Convictions Sentenced to over Three Years in Firearms CaseRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Virginia man was sentenced today to three years and a month in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Michael Gray Golding, 34, was arrested by Foley Police Department (FPD) officers on May 5, 2021. On that day, FDP responded to a 911 call reporting that Golding was at a hotel in Foley, Alabama with an active arrest warrant out of Virginia and likely armed. FPD encountered Golding in his vehicle in the hotel parking lot. FPD verified that Golding had an extraditable warrant for his arrest out of Virginia for contempt of court in a felony case where he failed to appear for sentencing. FPD secured the area where Golding was parked and ordered Golding to exit the vehicle. After approximately one hour of ordering Golding to exit the vehicle, Golding got out and was taken into custody without incident.
FPD officers searched Golding’s vehicle and found a Glock, Model 23, .40-caliber pistol, a sawed-off Remington Model 870 shotgun, and ammunition. Brass knuckles, drug paraphernalia, and drugs for personal use were also found in the vehicle.Prior to possessing these two guns, Golding had been convicted of multiple felonies, including possession of a controlled substance, eluding law enforcement, and possession of a drug with intent to distribute. Golding failed to appear for his sentencing for his possession with intent to distribute case in Virginia, which led to his active arrest warrant. Under federal law, Golding is prohibiting from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his felony convictions.
Senior United States District Court Judge William H. Steele ordered Golding to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he may participate in substance abuse treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Steele ordered Golding to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Foley Police Department investigated the case.Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Kopf prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
United States enters into settlement agreement with Mason methadone clinicRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI –A Mason, Ohio, methadone clinic has agreed to pay the government $37,500 following a DEA inspection of the clinic.
“This settlement shows that companies operating methadone clinics have a duty to do so with diligence,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “While it is important work, sloppiness in this area can lead to the improper diversion of drugs onto the streets, which would defeat the very purpose of these clinics’ existence: to provide those with opioid addictions a safe way to heal and recover. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to ensure clinics operate appropriately; no one is above the law.”
The Craig and Frances Lindner Center of HOPE operated a methadone clinic in Mason, Ohio, known as HOPE Center North. Methadone is a Schedule II controlled substance.
According to the settlement, the DEA conducted an inspection of HOPE Center North on July 15, 2020. The inspection included a review of the methadone clinic’s physical and operational security measures, required controlled substance recordkeeping, records of receipt and dispensation of methadone, and a recordkeeping accountability audit of methadone.
The settlement details that the DEA noted seven potential recordkeeping violations at HOPE Center North.
For example, the DEA noted that the clinic failed to provide the DEA with a biennial inventory of its controlled substances and did not keep complete and accurate inventory records. HOPE Center North also failed to keep accurate DEA forms evidencing the shipment and disposal of methadone from the facility.
As part of the settlement, HOPE Center North agrees to comply with all controlled substance recordkeeping standards as required by law.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Kent Kleinschmidt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced the settlement. Deputy Civil Chief Brandi Stewart is representing the United States in this matter.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects More Than $330k in Restitution from Defendant in Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that the Financial Litigation Program (FLP) of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio collected $333,549.82 in restitution from a defendant convicted of participating in a $40 million mortgage fraud scheme.
According to court records, a notice of judgment satisfaction was approved for Defendant John J. Dubay on Monday, May 23, 2022. In 2014, Dubay was convicted by a jury of bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Dubay and others were part of a mortgage fraud conspiracy involving dozens of properties along Florida’s Gulf Coast. As part of the scheme, Dubay and others acted as straw buyers who made false statements, misrepresentations and other omissions in the mortgage loan application process.
As a result of the scheme, Dubay and others obtained numerous home mortgage loans under false and fraudulent pretenses with a total face value of approximately $40 million, many of which ended up in default and foreclosure.
Dubay was sentenced to prison in September 2015 and ordered to pay $333,549.82 in restitution for his role in the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the FBI. The financial litigation was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzana K. Koch. This case was criminally prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert J. Patton and Om Kakani.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss.
While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
Two Maryland Residents Found Guilty by Jury of Federal Charges Related to Sex Trafficking of MinorsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Willis Lewis, 48, and Brittany Jones, 32, have been found guilty by a jury of federal charges, including sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, sex trafficking of minors, and related offenses, in connection with their trafficking of a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl between April and May of 2019.
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 Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdict was returned May 23, 2022, following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Lewis, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, and Jones, of Suitland, Maryland, remain in custody. The Honorable Royce C. Lamberth scheduled sentencing for Sept. 2, 2022.
According to the government’s evidence, Jones, working with two co-conspirators who since pleaded guilty, brought the two victims to Lewis for the purposes of trafficking them. After they were in Lewis’s custody, Lewis, along with another co-conspirator, set up “dates” for the two girls each day for almost two weeks and Lewis pocketed the money that the two girls made from these dates. Lewis used a loyalty contract, a firearm, and acts of violence committed against the co-conspirator in front of the victims to coerce the victims into performing commercial sex for his profit. Law enforcement became involved in this investigation after the two victims ran away from a residential facility in Virginia and the facility filed a missing person’s report.
At trial, the co-conspirators testified against Lewis and Jones and were corroborated by independent evidence, including material from the digital devices and cell phone location data.
Both defendants were arrested on July 30, 2019.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia, including the Metropolitan Police Department. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhoodgov
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of the MPD Detectives and Special Agents of the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, as well as the MPD’s Human Trafficking Unit. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Justice Department, including Paralegal Specialists Genevieve De Guzman, Karla Nunez, and Irina Tchernoskoutova, and Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant.
Finally, they commended the work of Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Janani Iyengar, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Two Charged with Sex Trafficking Adult Women in Pennsylvania, Florida and TexasRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A man from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a woman from Kensington, Maryland, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges related to sex trafficking, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The five-count Indictment, returned on May 19 and unsealed today, named Philip Walker, a/k/a Phillip Walker, a/k/a Sean, a/k/a Sean Santana, a/k/a Money, 36, and Anjali Lindsey, 22, as defendants.
According to the Indictment, from in and around November 2019 to April 2022, Walker and Lindsey conspired to commit sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud or coercion, on adult females, known to the Grand Jury, causing these adult females to engage in commercial sex acts. The conspiracy charges that their conduct occurred in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Texas. Walker and Lindsey are also charged with interstate travel or transmission, using the internet and cell phones, in aid of the prostitution business.
Further, Walker is separately charged with two counts of sex trafficking two different adult females, known to the Grand Jury, using force, threats of force, fraud or coercion to cause them to engage in commercial sex acts. He is also charged with inducing and enticing of one of these adult females to travel from Ohio to Pennsylvania with the intent that the adult female engage in prostitution.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence, as to Walker, of not less than 15 years to life in prison, a fine not to exceed $250,000.00 or both. As to Lindsey, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine not to exceed $250,000.00 or both. 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 Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Narcotics Division, conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
The sex trafficking charges in the indictment concern specific victims. Additional members of the public who may have information about Walker and Lindsey’s involvement in sex trafficking are encouraged to call the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office at (412) 432-4000.
This prosecution is part of Operation T.E.N. (Trafficking Ends Now). Operation T.E.N. serves as an umbrella coalition for law enforcement, community, and non-profit partners in the 25 counties in the Western District of Pennsylvania. This coordinated effort aims to end human trafficking through education and improved cooperation across agencies and service providers, thereby enhancing the office’s ability to empower victims of human trafficking to become thriving survivors.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Texas Man Guilty of Lewd Acts on Flight from Seattle to PhoenixRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Antonio Sherrodd McGarity, 34, of Arlington, Texas, pleaded guilty last week to Lewd, Indecent, or Obscene Acts While on an Aircraft and was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Fine to 48 days in prison, followed by one year of probation. McGarity is also prohibited from flying commercially in the United States while on probation. A conviction for this offense carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail.
On April 2, 2022, during a Southwest Airlines flight from Seattle to Phoenix, McGarity exposed himself while other passengers sat next to him in the emergency exit row. McGarity also masturbated several times. The passenger sitting beside McGarity reported the incident to a flight attendant who then informed Phoenix Police and FBI agents on the ground. Immediately upon landing, McGarity was arrested and charged with committing a lewd, indecent, or obscene act while on an aircraft. In addition to this offense, McGarity has several prior state and local convictions for lewd and lascivious conduct.
The Phoenix Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Hakala and Tim Courchaine, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 22-03085MJ-PHX-MTM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-081_McGarity# # #
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.Telluride Man Charged with Making Threats to Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
Telluride – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Bryan Randolph Cornwell, age 39, of Norwood, has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with making threats by means of explosives.
According to the arrest affidavit, Cornwell was contacted during an investigation of a fentanyl overdose. As a result of Cornwell’s interaction with the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement observed and reported that Cornwell became increasingly agitated. He then allegedly sent threatening text messages to one of the investigators.
Cornwall made his appearance in federal court in Grand Junction on May 23, 2022, where he was apprised of the charges pending against him. The Detention hearing is scheduled for May 25, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. before Magistrate Judge Gordon Gallagher. The preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 6, 2022 at 12:30 p.m. before Magistrate Judge J. Candelaria.
If convicted, Cornwell faces no more than ten years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
The FBI is working with the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office on this investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey Graves and R. Josh Player are handling the prosecution.
The charges contained in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Case number: 22-mj-91.
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Tallahassee Man Manufacturing “Ghost Guns” Sentenced to 87 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Carlos A. Urena, 38, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle. Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney, for the Northern District of Florida announced the sentence.
“Removing ‘ghost guns’ from the hands of convicted felons is essential in fighting violent crime and protecting the public,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This investigation and the resulting sentence demonstrate that cooperation between law abiding citizens and law enforcement makes our communities safer.”
After receiving a tip that Carlos Urena was illegally in possession of a large number of firearms, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD), began a joint investigation. Financial documents revealed that Urena had spent approximately $8000 at various websites which sell firearm parts and part-kits between June 17, 2021, and July 7, 2021. On July 22, 2021, ATF and TPD executed federal search warrants at Urena’s home and business. They recovered eight AR-15 style firearms, a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, three polymer-80 Glock-style pistols, a Springfield Armory 9-millimeter pistol, an ATA Arms 12-gauge shotgun, thousands of rounds of ammunition in various calibers, firearm parts including high-capacity magazines and AR-style firearm receivers, and tools related to assembling firearms. Most of the firearms recovered were privately made firearms, commonly called “ghost guns” because they do not have serial numbers and are difficult to trace, which Urena had assembled himself from parts ordered from the internet.
“ATF continues to work vigorously with our law enforcement partners to ensure the safety and protection of the communities that we serve,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge, Craig W. Saier, “and to make sure the felons in possession of firearms are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Urena was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he was a convicted felon. Urena had nine prior felony convictions. Less than a month before the search warrants, he had been placed on state probation for child abuse and for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
“Our officers and detectives work diligently to rid our community of illegal guns and reduce the likelihood of those guns ending up in the wrong hands,” said Deputy Chief Jason Laursen of the Tallahassee Police Department. “This conviction is a testament to the vital role the judicial system plays in holding those accountable who aide individuals in the illegal possession of firearms that could be used in violent crimes against the citizens of Tallahassee.”
Following his 87-month prison sentence, Urena will be on federal supervised release for three years. The Court also imposed a $50,000 fine. This sentencing resulted from the collaborative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works 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.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Sugar Creek Man Indicted for Stealing 36 Firearms from Gun StoreRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Sugar Creek, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for stealing 36 firearms in the burglary of a Lone Jack, Mo., gun store.
Edward A. Robinson, Jr., 22, was charged in a two-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, May 18. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon Robinson’s arrest and initial court appearance.
Deputies with the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department responded to an alarm at MTC Gun, a federally licensed firearms dealer in Lone Jack, at 5:16 a.m. on Feb. 7, 2022. Deputies found evidence of forced entry at the building and began searching the area. A short time later, they found Robinson in a nearby field. Robinson was standing next to a motorcycle, with a large black bag slung over his shoulder. Deputies found the stolen firearms inside the bag and arrested Robinson.
The federal indictment charges Robinson with one count of stealing 36 firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and one count of possessing 36 stolen firearms.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bradshaw. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Staten Island Man Sentenced for Distributing Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Nalerton Charles, also known as “Lite,” was sentenced by United States District Judge I. Leo Glasser to 210 months’ imprisonment for distribution and possession with intent to distribute narcotics. Charles pleaded guilty to the charge in November 2021.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), and Kevin P. Bruen, Superintendent, New York State Police (NYSP), announced the sentence.
“Charles contributed to the terrible opioid epidemic in our district by selling heroin laced with fentanyl, and on occasion fentanyl alone, with flagrant disregard for the potentially deadly consequences of the drugs to users,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendant’s conviction and today’s sentence are the result of the relentless efforts by this Office and our law enforcement partners to prosecute traffickers dealing lethal drugs for profit and bring justice for the victims and families devastated by the opioid scourge.”
“Fentanyl is responsible for nearly 80% of all drug-related overdose deaths in New York,” stated DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Tarentino. “It is cases like this that highlight the dangers of synthetic drugs and the consequences associated with illicit drug use and drug trafficking. I commend the members of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York for their relentless work in keeping the communities safe.”
“As this case demonstrates, anyone who peddles this deadly poison in our city will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” stated NYPD Commissioner Sewell. “The callous disregard for human life displayed by this defendant is indicative of the reckless and negligent depravity of dealing illegal drugs. These criminals prey on some of our community’s most vulnerable people, and the NYPD will never cease in our efforts to bring them to justice. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, the DEA, and all of our investigators for their outstanding work on this case.”
“Mr. Charles sentencing illustrates the work of a strong law enforcement partnership that has resulted in a dangerous individual being taken off the streets. Drugs such as heroin and fentanyl destroy families, communities and put lives at risk. This sentencing sends a clear message that we will not tolerate the illegal drug activity and the deadly consequences associated with it. We will remain vigilant in pursuing and prosecuting criminals who threaten the safety of our neighborhoods,” stated NYSP Superintendent Bruen.
Between July 2018 and April 2019, Charles sold at least 40 grams of fentanyl and heroin laced with fentanyl. The investigation revealed that on September 9, 2018, a 43-year-old individual (John Doe-1) died of a drug-related overdose at his residence on Staten Island. Drug packaging found near John Doe -1’s body was consistent with the packaging that Charles used for the narcotics he sold, and a search of John Doe-1’s phone indicated that he had purchased narcotics from Charles the night before his death. On April 23, 2019, a 29-year-old individual (John Doe -2) died of a drug-related overdose at his residence on Staten Island. A search of John Doe -2’s phone revealed text messages between Charles and John Doe -2. On the morning of John Doe-2’s death, he texted Charles, “Is it mix w fentonal…Just wanna know to be careful”. Shortly before John Doe -2’s body was discovered, Charles texted Victim-2: “U good”. Autopsies performed on both victims revealed traces of heroin and fentanyl in their bodies. Additionally, Charles sold pure fentanyl to a confidential source and an undercover NYPD officer in doses that could have been lethal if consumed.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Justice, in 2019, nearly 71,000 people died from drug overdoses, making it a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. The increase in overdose deaths has been driven in large part by fentanyl – a drug that has been described as 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. In 2019, over 14,000 people died in the United States from a drug overdose involving heroin. From 2013 to 2019, the synthetic opioid death rate increased by more than 1,000 percent. Of those deaths, over 70% involved a prescription or illicit opioid. Among New York State residents, the number of overdose deaths involving any opioid increased each year between 2010 and 2017, with an overall increase of 200.2 percent from 1,074 in 2010 to 3,224 in 2017, according to the New York State Health Department.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Department of Justice Trial Attorney Miriam L. Glaser Dauermann of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section under the supervision of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
The Defendant:
NALERTON CHARLES (also known as “Lite”)
Age: 38
Staten Island, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-293 (ILG)
St. Matthews Man with History of Violence Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Federal Prison for Firearm and Methamphetamine PossessionRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Jerry Jarell McKnight, Jr., 28, of St. Matthews, was sentenced to more than six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence presented in court showed that on January 6, 2019, around 11:00 P.M., an officer with the Santee Police Department observed a vehicle travelling on US-15 in Santee speeding and committing various traffic violations. The officer conducted a traffic stop, and upon approaching the vehicle noticed the smell of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. The officer conducted a search and recovered from McKnight, a passenger in the vehicle, methamphetamine packaged in numerous types of packaging consistent with distribution, a digital scale, and a loaded Springfield Armory .40 caliber pistol. An analysis conducted by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) determined that McKnight’s DNA was on the firearm and its magazine, and McKnight appeared to make admissions related to the firearm and drug distribution on recorded jail calls.
Evidence presented also indicated that McKnight had numerous prior felony convictions, including two related to homicides and one related to an additional shooting, to include a 10-year sentence for assault and battery 1st degree (in which a person was shot in Orangeburg County), accessory after the fact of a felony (in which a person was shot and killed in Orangeburg County), and accessory after the fact of a felony (in which a person was shot and killed in Orangeburg County), as well as convictions related to drug possession, burglary, and shoplifting.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced McKnight to 77 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of court ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. The Court revoked McKnight’s credit for acceptance of responsibility for conduct following his guilty plea, including numerous frivolous court filings and making claims inconsistent with acceptance of responsibility.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Santee Police Department, the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, and SLED. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case.
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St. Louis man sentenced to two years in prison for N-95 mask scam, PPP fraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced Prince Vamboi, 40, to two years in prison for $212,848 worth of frauds including a N-95 mask scam and a $18,750 fraudulent loan through the Paycheck Protection Program.
Vamboi opened multiple bank accounts in the St. Louis area in 2019 using aliases and counterfeit identification documents that he then used to facilitate a series of frauds, his plea agreement says.
In 2019, he deposited a $35,098 check that had been altered to replace the name of a Texas company with the name of one of Vamboi’s companies.
In 2020, a Vamboi co-conspirator convinced a Wisconsin company to send $159,000 to a Vamboi-controlled bank account to pay for N-95 masks. The company, Verona Safety Supply, never received the masks.
In 2021, Vamboi fraudulently obtained a $18,750 loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, which was intended to help companies avoid layoffs. He also deposited fraudulently-obtained unemployment insurance benefits from the state of Washington.
“The United States Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate those who deal in checks stolen from the U.S. Mail as part of their fraud schemes,” said Inspector in Charge William Hedrick, head of the Inspection Service’s Chicago Division, which includes the St. Louis Field Office.
Vamboi pleaded guilty February 22 to three felony counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one bank fraud count.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Diane Klocke prosecuted the case.
Springfield Man Arrested for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man was arrested today on a drug offense involving fentanyl distribution.
Christian Camacho, 25, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Camacho was released on conditions following an initial appearance this afternoon in federal court in Springfield before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Katherine A. Robertson.
According to the indictment, in Hampden County on or about March 30, 2022, Camacho knowingly possessed 40 grams or more of fentanyl intended for distribution.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 40 years in prison, four years of supervised release and a fine of $2 million. 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; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Southwest Washington Man Indicted for Overdose Death of Portland TeenRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Portland has returned a superseding indictment charging a Vancouver, Washington man for his role in a fentanyl distribution scheme that led to the overdose death of a Portland teenager.
Manuel Antonio Souza Espinoza, 24, has been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, resulting in death; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“Our community is flooded with counterfeit prescription pills that can take an innocent victim’s life in the blink of an eye. Sadly, taking a pill to get high does not have the same stigma or barrier to entry for many unwitting victims, leading to tragic results,” said Scott Erik Asphaug, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “We urge everyone, regardless of age, to talk with their friends and loved ones about the risks of taking pills not prescribed to them by a medical professional. Please help to protect those closest to you while we in law enforcement continue to battle this urgent public health and safety crisis.”
“HSI, along with our law enforcement partners, pursue those fueling the opioid epidemic in this region which is claiming the lives of so many young victims,” said Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Robert Hammer, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in the Pacific Northwest. “This heartbreaking story is a constant reminder to the public that the only safe medications are ones prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.”
“All overdose cases are tragic, but this one involving a person so young was heartbreaking, and our sympathies are extended to his loved ones,” said Chief Chuck Lovell. “I’m grateful for the ongoing and important work of the members of PPB’s Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit, investigative assistance from the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force, and our federal partners. Any time an arrest like this is made, our city gets a little bit safer. However, addressing this issue is going to take more than law enforcement. We need the community to recognize this problem and help us promote awareness that these fentanyl pills and powder are lethal and are a significant threat to our community.”
According to court documents, the investigation that ultimately led to Espinoza’s arrest began after the tragic overdose death of a Portland teenager who, in March 2022, ingested a counterfeit “M30” Oxycodone pill manufactured with fentanyl. The investigation revealed that Espinoza—a known, high-volume Portland area drug dealer—was the third-level supplier of the counterfeit pills. On March 31, 2022, using a confidential informant, investigators arranged a controlled purchase of 1,000 pills from Espinoza. When Espinoza arrived at the agreed upon location, he was immediately arrested. Investigators located the 1,000 pills in his vehicle along with a loaded .40 caliber handgun with extended magazine.
On March 31, 2022, Espinoza was charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Later, on April 21, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland indicted him on the same charges.
Espinoza made his initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
If convicted, Espinoza faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Asphaug, Special Agent in Charge Hammer, and Chief Lovell made the announcement.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Portland Police Bureau, and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office with assistance from the Clackamas County Inter-agency Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott M. Kerin is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Opioid abuse affects communities across the nation. Provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that there were more than 100,000 drug overdoses in the U.S. during the 12-month period ending April 2021, an increase of nearly 29% from the previous 12-month period. Synthetic opioids (primarily fentanyl) accounted for more than three quarters of these deaths. Drug overdose continues to be the leading cause of injury or death in the U.S.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 3-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult male. The availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 8am and 11pm Pacific Time daily.
This prosecution is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the U.S. 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.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison and Ordered to Pay $1,938,193.15 in RestitutionRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Sven Eric Marshall, Jr., 64 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio on his plea of guilty to mail fraud, securities fraud, and bank fraud, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Marshall was sentenced to 121 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,938,193.15 in restitution to the various victims of his offenses.
According to documents in this case, Marshall practiced law as an attorney in South Bend in the area of wills, trusts, estates, and other elder law matters. He also provided financial accounting services and sold investment securities. From approximately 2003 until its collapse in December 2017, Marshall’s investment business, Trust & Investment Advisory Services of Indiana, Inc., defrauded investors by paying their supposed investment returns with other investors’ money. He also used investors’ money for his personal expenses. Marshall stole more than $730,000 from 16 different investors over the course of his scheme. Many of Marshall’s victims invested their entire life savings and suffered substantial financial hardship after they lost their money.
In addition to defrauding investors, Marshall also embezzled more than $1.3 million from seven clients who had hired Marshall to prepare their wills and estates. Marshall did not distribute the victims’ money according to their directives, but instead, used the estates’ money for his own personal and business expenses. The beneficiaries of these wills never received the money the victims wanted to leave them. These beneficiaries included numerous local churches, schools, religious communities, and charitable organizations.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Luke N. Reilander and John M. Maciejczyk.
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Slidell Woman Charged with Misappropriating Veteran’s FundsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that SLOANE SIGNAL-DEBOSE, age 51, a resident of Slidell, was charged on May 23, 2022 with misappropriating funds from a veteran while SIGNAL was the veteran’s fiduciary.
The government filed a one-count bill of information that charged SIGNAL with misappropriation by a veteran’s fiduciary, in violation of Title 38, United States Code, Section 6101. According to the bill of information, from 2016 until 2018 SIGNAL was a fiduciary for a veteran who needed assistance with the management of his affairs, and she had control over the veteran’s finances and bank accounts. During that time, SIGNAL took over $100,000 from the veteran’s accounts and used it as the down payment on a home for SIGNAL that was only in SIGNAL’s name. SIGNAL also used additional funds from the veteran to pay contractors working on SIGNAL’s home. SIGNAL then submitted false records to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs to hide her misuse of the veteran’s funds.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, SIGNAL faces up to five years in prison. SIGNAL also faces up to three years of supervised release after release from prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain to SIGNAL or the gross loss to any victims, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses is in charge of the prosecution.
Ship Owner and Operator Plead Guilty to Environmental and Safety CrimesRead the Press Release
Empire Bulkers Limited and Joanna Maritime Limited, related companies based in Greece, pleaded guilty today to knowing violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and the Ports and Waterways Safety Act related to the Motor Vessel Joanna.
The guilty pleas took place today in federal court in New Orleans, Louisiana, before U.S. District Court Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon. If the proposed plea agreement is approved by the court, the companies will be fined $2 million ($1 million each), and serve four years of probation subject to the terms of an environmental compliance plan that includes independent ship audits and supervision by a court appointed monitor.
“Deliberate violation of environmental and safety laws pose a serious threat to U.S. ports and waters, as well as to those working on ships,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “These corporations knowingly engaged in dangerous and deceitful misconduct that warrants robust enforcement of the law.”
“This prosecution sends a clear and deterrent message that those who cut corners and break the law will be vigorously prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Duane Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “These companies will be under close supervision going forward.”
In pleading guilty, Empire Bulkers and Joanna Maritime admitted to knowingly falsifying the ship’s Oil Record Book, a required log, that concealed overboard discharges of oil contaminated waste made in violation of MARPOL, an international treaty to which the United States is a party. The criminal violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships was discovered by a U.S. Coast Guard inspector who noticed that a valve handle used to sample the oil content of overboard discharges was out of position during a March 2021 inspection in New Orleans, according to a joint factual statement filed in court. A metal piece found welded inside enabled overboard discharges to occur while the sample being evaluated by the Oil Content Monitor was being diluted with fresh water.
A Coast Guard advisory issued in 2008 as well as a notice from the manufacturer of the monitor warned about this exact method of tricking the oil content monitor. Overboard discharges are only permissible if they are processed through an oily water separator and measured by the oil content monitor to contain a concentration of oil less than 15 parts per million (ppm) without dilution. The entries made in the oil record book relating to overboard discharges and presented to the Coast Guard falsely indicated that discharges had occurred through 15 ppm equipment. The ship owner and operator also admitted that discharge entries in the oil record book had been co-signed by an engineer that did not have anything to do with the operations or have knowledge of their accuracy.
The Coast Guard discovered an unreported safety hazard during the same inspection. After Coast Guard was on the vessel, ship representatives sought permission to maneuver from the Bonnet Carre Anchorage to the CCI Buoys further upriver where cargo operations were scheduled to take place. Coast Guard inspectors travelling with the ship during the voyage noticed drops of oil in the engine room. They followed the trail of oil which led near the purifier room. When they looked inside, the purifier room, the Coast Guard discovered that the discharge line from the pressure relief valves had been disconnected and crimped closed thus disabling both pressure relief valves. The safety relief valves on the fuel oil heaters serve a critical safety function because they allow pressure to be released and oil diverted to a waste oil tank. In papers filed in court, the defendants admitted that the plugging of the relief valves and the large volume of oil leaking from the pressure relief valve presented hazardous conditions that had not been immediately reported to the Coast Guard in violation of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act. Had there been a fire or explosion in the purifier room, it could have been catastrophic and resulted in a loss of propulsion, loss of life, and pollution, according to the factual statement.
Ship Owner and Operator Plead Guilty to Environmental and Safety CrimesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Empire Bulkers Limited and Joanna Maritime Limited, related companies based in Greece, pleaded guilty today to knowing violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and the Ports and Waterways Safety Act related to the Motor Vessel Joanna.
The guilty pleas took place today in federal court in New Orleans, Louisiana, before U.S. District Court Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon. If the proposed plea agreement is approved by the Court, the companies will be fined $2 million ($1 million each), and serve four years of probation subject to the terms of an environmental compliance plan that includes independent ship audits and supervision by a Court Appointed Monitor.
“Deliberate violation of environmental and safety laws pose a serious threat to U.S. ports and waters, as well as to those working on ships,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “These corporations knowingly engaged in dangerous and deceitful misconduct that warrants robust enforcement of the law.”
“This prosecution sends a clear and deterrent message that those who cut corners and break the law will be vigorously prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Duane Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “These companies will be under close supervision going forward.”
In pleading guilty, Empire Bulkers and Joanna Maritime admitted to knowingly falsifying the ship’s Oil Record Book, a required log, that concealed overboard discharges of oil contaminated waste made in violation of MARPOL, an international treaty to which the United States is a party. The criminal violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships was discovered by a U.S. Coast Guard inspector who noticed that a valve handle used to sample the oil content of overboard discharges was out of position during a March 2021 inspection in New Orleans, according to a joint factual statement filed in court. A metal piece found welded inside enabled overboard discharges to occur while the sample being evaluated by the Oil Content Monitor was being diluted with fresh water. A Coast Guard advisory issued in 2008 as well as a notice from the manufacturer of the monitor warned about this exact method of tricking the Oil Content Monitor. Overboard discharges are only permissible if they are processed through an Oily Water Separator and measured by the Oil Content Monitor to contain a concentration of oil less than 15 parts per million without dilution. The entries made in the Oil Record Book relating to overboard discharges and presented to the Coast Guard falsely indicated that discharges had occurred through 15 ppm equipment. The ship owner and operator also admitted that discharge entries in the Oil Record Book had been co-signed by an engineer that did not have anything to do with the operations or have knowledge of their accuracy.
The Coast Guard discovered an unreported safety hazard during the same inspection. After Coast Guard was on the vessel, ship representatives sought permission to maneuver from the Bonnet Carre Anchorage to the CCI Buoys further upriver where cargo operations were scheduled to take place. Coast Guard inspectors travelling with the ship during the voyage noticed drops of oil in the engine room. They followed the trail of oil which led near the purifier room. When they looked inside, ,the purifier room, the Coast Guard discovered that the discharge line from the pressure relief valves had been disconnected and crimped closed thus disabling both pressure relief valves. The safety relief valves on the fuel oil heaters serve a critical safety function because they allow pressure to be released and oil diverted to a waste oil tank. In papers filed in court, the defendants admitted that the plugging of the relief valves and the large volume of oil leaking from the pressure relief valve presented hazardous conditions that had not been immediately reported to the Coast Guard in violation of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act. Had there been a fire or explosion in the purifier room, it could have been catastrophic and resulted in a loss of propulsion, loss of life, and pollution, according to the factual statement.
San Francisco Physician to Pay More Than $1,000,000 to Settle Allegations of False Medicare ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Bay Area physician Dr. Roger Wang has agreed to pay $1,033,666.42 to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by charging Medicare for non-FDA-approved drugs and associated services, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds; Special Agent in Charge, Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Steven J. Ryan; and Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Criminal Investigations, Los Angeles Field Office, Lisa L. Malinowski.
According to the settlement, viscosupplements, such as Synvisc, Synvisc One, and Orthovisc, are FDA-approved drugs injected for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain. The United States has alleged that Wang, a rheumatology specialist practicing in San Francisco, purchased and injected into his patients versions of Synvisc, Synvisc One, or Orthovisc that were not approved by the FDA for distribution in the United States and therefore were not covered by Medicare, and billed Medicare for the drugs and injections. The settlement agreement resolves claims the United States might have brought based upon these allegations.
“When Medicare pays for drugs and services, the government expects doctors to follow the rules in place to protect patient safety,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds. “In this case, the rules require doctors seeking reimbursement from Medicare for injecting viscosupplements to use FDA-approved drugs. This office will hold accountable anyone who seeks to cut corners by defrauding American taxpayers and risking harm to patients by using unapproved medications.”
"Physicians who bill Medicare for ineligible medications and procedures defy basic requirements for their participation in the program and wrongfully attempt to collect taxpayer funds," stated HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan. "We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate bad actors that cheat federal health care programs and flout their safeguards meant to protect patients’ health and well-being.”
“Drugs and devices that are produced and distributed outside the FDA’s oversight present the prospect of harm to the public health,” said Special Agent in Charge Lisa L. Malinowski, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Los Angeles Field Office. “We commend DOJ and HHS-OIG for their commitment to protecting American patients.”
According to the settlement, the United States alleged Wang knowingly submitted thousands of false claims for reimbursement for non-FDA-approved Synvisc and Orthovisc and related procedures. Specifically, the United States alleged that Wang used non-FDA-approved drugs that were packaged and labeled for use in foreign markets. At least some of the labeling, according to the settlement, was for additional uses not approved in the United States. In addition, the United States alleged that, from June 30, 2015, to December 1, 2019, Wang knowingly submitted claims to Medicare for reimbursement for non-FDA-approved Synvisc and Orthovisc, and for injection procedures, even though neither the non-FDA-approved drugs nor the injections of those drugs are covered by Medicare. Pursuant to the settlement, the United States agreed to resolve the government’s claims resulting from Wang’s conduct, including the government’s claims under the False Claims Act, codified at 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733, and certain other related claims, for more than $1 million.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Pyle is handling the matter. The settlement is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations.
Rockland County Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Ponzi-Like Securities Fraud Scheme Targeting Local Haitian CommunityRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that RULESS PIERRE was sentenced to 84 months in prison yesterday in connection with his Ponzi-like securities fraud schemes that primarily targeted PIERRE’s own Haitian community in Rockland County, New York. PIERRE was convicted of securities fraud, wire fraud, and structuring offenses after a jury trial in May 2021 before U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein, who imposed the sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Ruless Pierre violated the trust of his closest friends and fellow community members. Pierre’s brazen lies caused many of his victims not only financial losses, but long-lasting emotional damage as well. This sentence achieves some measure of justice for Pierre’s victims and puts fraudsters on notice that we will protect investors from those that would violate their trust.”
According to the Complaint, the Indictment, and the evidence presented at trial:
Investment Promissory Fraud
From at least November 2016 through October 2019, PIERRE solicited money from investors in Ruless Pierre Consulting Group (“RPCG”) by falsely promising them that he would earn a 20% return on their initial investment every 60 days through stock trading (the “Promissory Note Fraud”). The investments were written down in documents known as “Investment Promissory Notes.” These investment contracts generally promised that the investor would be paid 20% interest every 60 days and that the investor could withdraw all funds from the investment with 30 days’ notice. Based on these documents and the false representations of PIERRE, the investors understood that their principal and interest were guaranteed.
During the course of the investment fraud scheme, PIERRE fraudulently obtained over $2 million from approximately 100 investors. After receiving money from investors, PIERRE deposited the money into one of his personal bank accounts or bank accounts of RPCG. PIERRE then transferred the money to trading accounts, where he engaged in unprofitable day trading. Despite his trading losses, PIERRE repeatedly and falsely represented to investors, including in investment statements containing fictitious balances, that the trading was profitable and that their investments were growing as promised. In addition to losing their money, PIERRE also used investors’ funds to pay for personal expenses, including luxury vehicles. Additionally, PIERRE further concealed the truth from investors by using money obtained from new investors to make redemption payments to previous investors, in Ponzi-like fashion.
The Franchise Investment Fraud
Beginning in or about November 2018, PIERRE began to offer investors, including some individuals who invested in his Promissory Note Fraud, the opportunity to purchase partnership interests in a partnership that would run three fast-food franchise locations (hereinafter, the “Franchise Investment Fraud”). At the time, PIERRE did not own any of the fast-food franchises, but he was in discussions regarding purchasing them. Each investment was memorialized in a document entitled “Silent Partnership Agreement.”
The Silent Partnership Agreements promised the investors a 5% monthly return on the investment, in addition to a 40% pro rata share of the quarterly gross operating profit. The minimum investment was $5,000.
The Silent Partnership Agreements further provided that PIERRE was the General Partner, and that he was responsible “for the complete management, control, and policies related to the operation and conduct of the business.”
PIERRE received financial statements for the franchise locations, which showed minimal profits. Nonetheless, PIERRE promised investors an unrealistic 5% monthly return on their investment.
In or about April 2019, PIERRE purchased one fast food franchise for approximately $50,000. Pierre did not purchase the other franchises.
PIERRE deposited the fast-food franchise investors’ money in various bank accounts, which commingled the funds from the Franchise Investment Fraud with the Promissory Note Fraud. In Ponzi-like fashion, PIERRE fraudulently misappropriated some of the fast-food franchise investors’ money to pay back investors in the Promissory Note Fraud.
In total, PIERRE raised at least $200,000 by selling the Silent Partnership Agreements to at least 18 investors. Some of the investors were paid their five percent monthly distribution, but the vast majority of the investors were not been made whole. The fast-food franchise went out of business in December 2019.
The Embezzlement Fraud Scheme and Structuring
In the another scheme, PIERRE embezzled money from his former employers. From approximately 2007 until February 2016, PIERRE was the director of finance for two different hotels, which were owned by the same company (“Company-1”). One hotel was located in the Palisades, New York (“Hotel-1”), while the other was located in Armonk, New York (“Hotel-2”) (collectively, “the Hotels”). As the director of finance, PIERRE was the signatory on several bank accounts held in the name of the management companies that managed the Hotels (“Management Companies”).
After August 2018, PIERRE no longer worked at either Hotel-1 or Hotel-2, but he regularly wrote himself checks payable to cash from the Management Companies’ bank accounts. Specifically, from September 2018 through March 2019, PIERRE wrote over 70 checks to “cash” or “petty cash” from one of the bank accounts for Hotel-1, for over $300,000.
In addition, from March 2017 through 2019, PIERRE deposited large amounts of cash into his personal bank accounts in amounts that were generally less than $10,000. The deposits were conducted at various bank locations and typically took place on the same day, consecutive days, or within a short period of time. For example, in just seven months, from June 2018 through December 2018, PIERRE deposited approximately $225,612, through 138 cash deposits all under $10,000, into a bank account in the name of RPCG.
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In addition to the prison term, PIERRE, 52, of Nanuet, New York, was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release and was ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $3,701,893.91 and restitution to victims in the amount of $2,030,337.32.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations and thanked the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Internal Revenue Service, the New York City Police Department, and the New York City Sherriff’s Office, which assisted in the investigation. Mr. Williams also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has brought and filed a civil enforcement action against the defendant.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Skinner is in charge of the prosecution.
Randolph County woman admits to methamphetamine chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Tara Lynn Leary, of Valley Head, West Virginia, has admitted to a methamphetamine charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Leary, 32, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute at Least Fifty Grams of Methamphetamine.” Leary admitted to distributing at least 50 grams of methamphetamine fin January 2020 in Randolph County.
Leary faces not less than 10 years and up to life incarceration and a fine of up to $10,000,000 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 Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Rafael “Raphy” Pina Sentenced to 41 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. District Judge Francisco A. Besosa sentenced Rafael “Raphy” Pina-Nieves to a term of 41months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, 200 hours of community service and a fine of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for firearms violations being a convicted felon, and possession of a machinegun. Pina-Nieves was found guilty by a federal jury on December 22, 2021.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Pina-Nieves knowing that he had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, knowingly possessed: one Glock pistol, Model 19, 9mm caliber; one Smith & Wesson, Model SD40, .40 caliber, and 526 total rounds of live ammunition, including 148 rounds of .40 caliber handgun ammunition, 123 rounds of .357 caliber handgun ammunition, 3 rounds of .45 caliber handgun ammunition, 170 rounds of .25 caliber handgun ammunition, 3 rounds of 5.7 caliber handgun ammunition, 35 rounds of 7.62 caliber rifle ammunition, 18 rounds of 7.92 caliber rifle ammunition, 1 round of 12 gauge shotgun ammunition, and 25 rounds of 9mm caliber handgun ammunition.
The Glock pistol, Model 19, 9mm caliber possessed by Pina-Nieves was a machine gun, as it was modified to shoot more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico, Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, and Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-C.I. made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, were in charge of the investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys María L. Montañez-Concepción and José Ruiz-Santiago prosecuted the case.
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Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 8 ½ Years for Gunpoint Robbery of North Broad Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Antoine Jordan-Harris, 22, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Karen S. Marston for his participation in a robbery of a 7-Eleven convenience store during a period of civil unrest in Philadelphia.
In April 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The charges arose from an incident in the early morning hours of October 27, 2020, when the defendant—armed with a baseball bat and a handgun—entered a 7-Eleven on North Broad Street. Moments later, and without provocation, the defendant lifted his bat and proceeded to strike and break a television and multiple displays throughout the store. With the baseball bat in his left hand, the defendant approached the checkout counter and removed a handgun from his hoodie pocket. The defendant raised the handgun at the cashier who ducked behind the counter for cover. Then, the defendant reached over the counter, pointed the handgun at the cashier, and demanded the money from the store register. The defendant continued to point the handgun at the cashier and began to count down from 10 while the cashier struggled to empty the registers. After receiving the money, the defendant fled from the store.
“The defendant was so determined to rob this store that he came prepared to terrify and intimidate with two different weapons,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “His complete disregard for other people and for the law is appalling. Hopefully others will learn from the example set by this case -- if you rob a store in Philadelphia with a firearm, you are going to face serious federal prison time as a result. Our Office is committed to being ‘All Hands On Deck’ working with our law enforcement partners to bring criminals to justice.”
“As a result of this sentencing, Philadelphia is a safer place for our citizens,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “This incredibly violent crime is exactly what ATF, and our law enforcement partners are committed to investigating. We will continue to identify the most violent offenders and see they are held accountable for their heinous acts.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Roberta Benjamin and Lauren Stram.
Owner of the Taxman Financial Services Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Aiding in Filing False TaxesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that LEROI G. JACKSON, age 50, of New Orleans, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan to three (3) years in prison for aiding and assisting in the filing of false federal tax returns, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 7206(2). JACKSON previously pleaded guilty to this charge, which stems from his operation of The Taxman Financial Services LLC (“Taxman”), a business that prepared federal and state tax returns for customers and had offices in New Orleans and LaPlace, among other locations.
According to court records, federal agents determined that JACKSON filed false income tax returns for numerous Taxman customers. For example, JACKSON would create false business losses or false education credits, all without his clients’ knowledge. JACKSON had several employees obtain an IRS Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN), which allowed the employees to file customer taxes. However, many of these employees never used their EFINs. Instead, JACKSON would use his employees’ EFINs to file false tax returns for customers. JACKSON profited by charging customers at least $500 per return, which would be deducted from the customer’s refund. From tax years 2014 through 2016, JACKSON admitted that he caused a tax loss to the United States of $241,214.00.
“Today, Mr. Jackson admitted to owning a tax preparation business that blatantly ignored the tax laws by preparing false tax returns and misusing his electronic filing privileges,” said Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey, Atlanta Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Dishonest return preparers use a variety of methods to cheat the government, including falsifying information on the tax returns to generate larger refunds for their clients. Criminal Investigation will continue to ensure that all tax practitioners, tax preparers and others who practice in the tax law profession adhere to professional standards and follow the law.”
In addition to the three-year term of imprisonment, Judge Morgan sentenced JACKSON to one year of supervised release. He is also required to pay restitution to the United States totaling $241,214.00 as well as a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. As part of his plea, JACKSON agreed to a permanent injunction that prohibits him from ever preparing tax returns for any other taxpayer.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, which handled this investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew R. Payne and K. Paige O’Hale handled the prosecution.
Orange County Man Arrested on Federal Stalking Charge Alleging Multiyear Harassment Campaign Against Prominent Online GamerRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County man is expected to appear in federal court today after his arrest on a federal criminal complaint alleging that he stalked a professional online gamer during a multi-year harassment campaign.
Evan Baltierra, 29, of Trabuco Canyon, was arrested by FBI agents on Monday afternoon, and he is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, since July 2020, Baltierra has orchestrated a campaign of harassment targeting the victim, her boyfriend, her friends and her boyfriend’s family. The victim, a resident of Canada, is a prominent professional gamer in the community of “World of Warcraft,” a long-running and popular multiplayer online role-playing game.
In November 2019, the victim traveled to Anaheim to attend “Blizzcon,” an annual gaming convention that focuses on several video game franchises, including “World of Warcraft.” The victim met Baltierra in person at a meet-and-greet with her fans at the Anaheim Convention Center.
Following the convention, Baltierra allegedly asked the victim to be his “valentine.” In response, she politely told him she had a boyfriend. Baltierra then allegedly expressed a desire to visit the victim in Canada, an offer she declined.
After learning from an online friend in June 2020 that Baltierra was trying to find out where she lived because he wanted to visit her, the victim decided to remove Baltierra as moderator of her stream channel and block him from her social media.
Baltierra allegedly continued to contact the victim via direct message on various platforms, including Twitter, Instagram and Reddit, and also via email. He allegedly contacted the victim’s boyfriend and her colleague via the same online platforms. Many of these messages contained threats of violence toward the victim.
Baltierra also allegedly created fictitious online profiles that displayed photographs of the victim, including pornographic photographs where it appears that Baltierra photoshopped the victim’s face onto the photograph. He then sent the photoshopped pictures to the victim’s friends and family, and regularly posted the photographed pictures on various internet chat rooms, the affidavit alleges.
Despite obtaining a temporary restraining order against Baltierra in Orange County Superior Court in February 2021 and Baltierra signing an agreement in which he promised to end the harassment campaign, Baltierra allegedly continued to stalk the victim.
In March 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Baltierra’s residence and seized several items, including a thumb drive that contained many photoshopped nude images with the victim’s face on them, and evidence on Baltierra’s iPhone of email accounts with which he used to send the victim harassing messages, the affidavit states.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Baltierra is charged with one count of stalking. If convicted, Baltierra would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
The FBI is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Jake D. Nare of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Omaha Man – Repeat Offender – Sentenced to 135 Months for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Patrick D.J. Nicks, 42, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for distribution and possession of child pornography. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Nicks to imprisonment for 135 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing his term of imprisonment, Nicks will begin a 15-year term of supervised release. Nicks must also pay $23,000 in restitution to victims of child pornography offenses.
In November of 2018, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation into Nicks after receiving 15 CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The CyberTips indicated that a user had been uploading images of child pornography using Microsoft Skype. Acting on the information contained within the CyberTips, investigators were able to determine that Nicks was the probable suspect. On July 9, 2020, officers executed a warrant to search Nicks’s Omaha residence and obtained Nicks’s electronic devices.
A forensic examiner completed a review of the data contained on each of the digital media items seized from Nicks. The examiner found evidence of child pornography on two devices, an HP laptop and a Dell desktop computer. The examiner found evidence of files depicting child pornography in at least 10 videos and more than 450 photos. Nicks admitted trading, sharing, and receiving images of child pornography with other Skype users.
Nicks was previously arrested in 2006 and charged with Possession of Child Pornography in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska. He was convicted on May 2, 2006, and sentenced on July 27, 2006 to imprisonment for a term of 36 months, followed by a 2-year term of supervised release.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Omaha Man Sentenced to Ten-Year Consecutive Sentence for Robbery of Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Kenneth S. Jones, 41, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for the crime of robbery in violation of the Hobbs Act. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Jones to 120 months’ imprisonment, to be served consecutive to the 220-month sentence to imprisonment Jones received in the Southern District of Texas on June 6, 2019. Judge Buescher also ordered Jones to pay over $500,000 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On the evening of February 17, 2018, an Omaha jewelry store, Pretty in Patina, was robbed by a lone suspect, later determined to be Jones. Jones entered the store wearing a mask and gloves and approached the jewelry counter, pointing what appeared to be a handgun at the store clerk and demanding jewelry. He threw a garbage bag at one of the employees and placed a pillowcase on the counter. Employees put jewelry in the pillowcase and Jones left the garbage bag in the store. Numerous items were taken from the store, valued at several hundred thousand dollars. The same day, the Omaha Police Department crime lab determined that four fingerprints found on the garbage bag belonged to Jones. On March 2, 2018, Omaha Police officers executed a warrant to search defendant’s last known address in Omaha. Officers located two rings from the jewelry store and investigators determined that Jones gave them to a resident who was instructed to sell them.
On April 17, 2018, having fled to Texas, Jones robbed a convenience store in McAllen, stole a store clerk’s car, and drove to a bank. Jones then robbed the bank of over $10,000 using what appeared to be a handgun and abandoned the stolen car. Jones hailed a taxi on foot and was tracked to a hotel in the area. Investigators searched his room at the hotel and recovered most of the cash from the bank, a realistic-appearing black BB gun, and the car keys to the stolen car he had left behind at the bank. The taxi driver was interviewed and reported that Jones had used the taxi service to travel to several nearby jewelry and pawn shops.
On April 18, 2018, investigators contacted a pawn shop in McAllen, Texas. They learned that between March 18, 2018, and April 14, 2018, the defendant pawned approximately 40 pieces of jewelry there. Investigators confirmed that several of those jewelry pieces were taken in the robbery of the jewelry store in Omaha. Jones was located and arrested in McAllen and a realistic looking BB gun was found in his motel room.
Jones was thereafter convicted of Bank Robbery by Force or Violence in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and was sentenced to imprisonment for 220 months.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the McAllen (Texas) Police Department.
Ohio man charged with aiding and abetting plot to murder former PresidentRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Iraqi citizen living in Columbus, Ohio, has been charged federally with an immigration crime and with aiding and abetting a plot to murder former United States President George W. Bush.
Shihab Ahmed Shihab Shihab, 52, was arrested by FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force agents this morning and appeared in federal court here at 2:30pm. His case was unsealed at that time.
Shihab originally entered the United States in September 2020 on a visitor visa, and in March 2021, he filed a claim for asylum with United States citizenship, which is pending review. He lived in both Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis and worked at markets and restaurants in both cities.
It is alleged that Shihab exchanged money with others in an attempt to illegally bring foreign nationals to the United States.
For example, in August 2021, Shihab allegedly intended to help who he thought was another Iraqi citizen enter the United States for a fee of $40,000. Shihab provided specific instructions on how he would smuggle the person into the United States after 60 days. In October and December 2021, Shihab accepted tens of thousands of dollars for the purported smuggling. In reality, the individual was fictitious, and the interaction was coordinated under the direction of the FBI.
The charging document also alleges that Shihab planned to smuggle four additional Iraqi foreign nationals into the United States for the purpose of killing former President George W. Bush in retaliation of Iraqi deaths during “Operation Iraqi Freedom.” Shihab then allegedly planned to smuggle the four out of the United States via the United States/Mexico border after they carried out the assassination.
In furtherance of the assassination plot, Shihab allegedly traveled to Dallas in February 2022 to conduct surveillance of locations associated with the former President. In March 2022, it is alleged Shihab met with others in a hotel room in Columbus, Ohio, to look at sample firearms and law enforcement uniforms.
Attempting to illegally bring an individual into the United States is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Aiding and abetting the attempted murder of a former United States Official carries a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, National Security Division; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Jaime Carazo, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica W. Knight and Trial Attorney Frank Russo from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Northern Virginia Resident Settles Allegations of Fraudulently Obtaining Paycheck Protection Program LoansRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Latifa Brooks, a resident of McLean, has agreed to pay $107,347 to settle a civil fraud case alleging that she fraudulently applied for and received two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and subsequently fraudulently obtained forgiveness on both loans.
On March 31, 2022, the United States filed a Complaint against Brooks under the False Claims Act (FCA) and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA). According to the allegations in the Complaint, in April 2021, Brooks obtained two PPP loans, totaling $42,601, based on her asserted status as an independent contractor and the sole proprietor of Superb Movers, Inc. The United States alleged Brooks listed false gross income amounts and submitted fake tax returns in support of the PPP applications. In September 2021, Brooks obtained forgiveness for both PPP loans through allegedly falsely certifying compliance with all PPP rules and requirements.
As a part of this resolution, Brooks agreed to repay $47,772 for the loan forgiveness amounts and processing fees that the Government paid because of Brooks’ allegedly false claims and statements, and an additional $59,575 to settle the United States’ claims for treble damages under the FCA and civil penalties under the FCA and alternatively the FIRREA. The Complaint filed by the United States is a result of EDVA’s ongoing effort to use data analysis to proactively identify fraudulently obtained PPP loans.
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Small Business Administration.
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Hochul and Krista Anderson.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The civil claims settled by this agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Related court documents and information from the civil lawsuit are available on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cv-00359. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Newark Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and HeroinRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that a Newark man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiring to sell various illicit drugs. Chief U.S. District Judge Colm F. Connolly accepted the plea.
According to court documents, Malik Moss, known as “Bleek,” 37, worked with known co-conspirators, who have not yet entered guilty pleas, to sell methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin to various buyers in New Castle County, Delaware. The Drug Enforcement Administration learned about Moss’s drug dealing, in part, through court-approved monitoring of his phone calls and text messages for several months in late 2021.
Moss pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and maximum of life in prison. Chief Judge Connolly will determine his sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“The widespread impact of drug distribution is incalculable,” stated U.S. Attorney Weiss. “Working with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, we will continue to apply the rule of law to stop the flow of dangerous substances into our communities.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander P. Ibrahim and Ruth Mandelbaum.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 22-cr-24.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Four Carjackings and Four Violations of the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – WAYNE ONEAL, age 20, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to an eight-count (8) bill of information for four carjackings, and four counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
For each count of carjacking, ONEAL faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
For each count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, ONEAL faces a minimum term of imprisonment of seven (7) years, up to a maximum term of imprisonment of life, to be run consecutive to each other, and all other counts, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to five (5) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
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 develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives along with the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Trummel.
National Labor Organization Employee Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling More Than $270,000 from UnionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Donnell Owens, a former employee of the American Federation of Government Employees, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for an embezzlement scheme in which he stole more than $270,000 from the labor union.
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 Mark Wheeler, Director of the Washington District Office of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards.
Owens, 34, of District Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty in October 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of embezzlement and theft of labor union assets. He was sentenced by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton. Following his prison term, Owens will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also must pay $273,745 in restitution and an equal amount in a forfeiture money judgment.
According to the statement of offense submitted to the Court and admitted by Owens, from October 2014 through June 2018, Owens worked as a Secretary to the Director of Communications at the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a labor organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. which represents workers in various functions of the private sector and the government affecting commerce throughout the United States and overseas. During this period, Owens embezzled more than $270,000 in AFGE funds for his use and the use of others.
As detailed in court documents, throughout the scheme Owens abused and misused his position and employment at AFGE in order to seek and obtain illegal monetary gains at the expense of the labor organization. For example, Owens submitted false and fraudulent check requests for payments related to services, such as photography and videography, that were purportedly provided by alleged vendors. As a result of these submissions, AFGE funds were subsequently disbursed. These check requests listed fictitious dollar amounts for fake work assignments supposedly performed by vendors, who were not actually hired by AFGE. In fact, the purported vendors who allegedly performed the fake work assignments were really friends and associates of Owens, who he recruited as part of his illegal scheme.
As Secretary to the Director of Communications, Owens also had access to an Amazon account and a union credit card linked to it. During the scheme, Owens also used this account and linked credit card to embezzle items and make dozens of unauthorized personal purchases, including clothing, shoes, jewelry, and party supplies. Additionally, Owens used union credit cards to purchase items from other online retailers for personal use, including T-shirts for his online business, microphones, and flowers.
To avoid detection and cover up the fraud, Owens provided falsified signatures, fraudulent expense vouchers, and altered receipts for these items. However, the investigation revealed photos of Owens, his family members, and associates wearing the clothing purchased on Amazon with the union credit card on social media accounts belonging to the defendant.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne P. McNamara of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Miller and Paralegal Specialists Amanda Rohde and Mariela Andrade.
Multiple Defendants Sentenced in a Scheme to “Straw Purchase” FirearmsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Today, Chief U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced one of six defendants charged in a scheme to “straw purchase” firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Explosives, and Firearms Special Agent in Charge Mickey French.
“This kind of criminal activity escalates violent crime in our communities,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove illegal firearms from our neighborhoods before they can be used in a homicide or other violent crime.”
“A person violates federal law the moment that they purchase and transfer a firearm to an individual who cannot legally possess them,” SAC French said. “The ATF is committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to investigate and prosecute the “straw purchasers” in conjunction with the individuals who receive these firearms and use them to commit violent criminal acts.”
Freddie Ward, 23, of Uniontown, was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Ward pleaded guilty to giving a false statement during the purchase of a firearm in October 2021.
On April 28th, Dayquan A. Haley, 23, of Boston, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Haley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to falsify information on firearm acquisition records in December 2021.
On March 30th, Michael Tiree Coleman, 24, of Tuscaloosa, was sentenced to 5 years’ probation. Coleman pleaded guilty to giving a false statement during the purchase of a firearm in October 2021.
Darius Marquise Collins, 25, of Boston Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to giving a false statement during the purchase of a firearm in March 2022.
Jeremy Bernard Brown, 30, of Tuscaloosa, pleaded to giving a false statement during the purchase of a firearm in August 2021.
Demarcus Montez Walker, 25, of Tuscaloosa, pleaded guilty to giving a false statement during the purchase of a firearm in July 2021.
According to court documents, ATF Birmingham Field Division received a referral from ATF's Crime Gun Intelligence Center about multiple firearms purchases from Three Factors Unlimited, Inc., doing business as Wade's Pawn Shop, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Between November 2019 and March 2021, Walker, Brown, and Coleman – the straw purchasers – purchased approximately 42 handguns from Wade's Pawn Shop. Coleman also purchased three firearms from Blue Bore Armory in Demopolis, Alabama. During that time, Haley, Collins, and Ward partnered with Walker, Brown, and Coleman, who were permitted to buy guns from licensed dealers in Alabama. As Massachusetts residents, Haley and Collins could not buy handguns from licensed dealers in Alabama and take them back to Massachusetts. The straw purchasers falsified documents by specifically stating that they were the actual buyers when in fact they were buying the firearms for Haley, Collins, and Ward. Haley and Collins provided the straw purchasers with funds to buy firearms and also paid them for purchasing the firearms.
On March 11, 2020, a traffic stop was conducted in South Carolina in which Haley was in possession of several firearms, 14 of which were purchased by Walker at Wade's Pawn Shop. Several of the other firearms that Walker purchased were recovered by law enforcement in Boston, Massachusetts. One of the firearms purchased, by Walker in Alabama on November 18, 2019, was used in a homicide in Boston, Massachusetts on April 15, 2020.
On July 20, 2020, Uniontown police officers encountered Collins and Haley, at the E&Z Event Center in Uniontown, Alabama. Collins and Haley were in possession of multiple firearms which had been purchased by Brown at Wade’s Jewelry and Pawn in July 2020.
These cases are a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ campaign "Don’t Lie for the Other Guy" is a part of PSN aimed at reducing firearm “straw purchases”, the illegal purchase of a firearm by one person for another, and to educate would-be straw purchasers of the penalties of knowingly participating in an illegal firearm purchase. More information about the campaign can be found at: www.dontlie.org.
The ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples and Darius Greene are prosecuting the cases.
Mineral County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael Anthony Coleman, of Piedmont, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Coleman, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of Firearm.” Coleman, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of a prior conviction, admitted to having three rifles and three pistols in November 2021 in Mineral County.
Coleman 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 Kimberley D. Crockett is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Meth Dealers Who Plotted to Kill DEA Agent Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
Two drug traffickers who plotted to assassinate a DEA task force office have plead guilty, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Manuel Gomez-Garcia, 35, and Jorge Humberto Velazco Larios, 29, were indicted in the summer of 2020. Mr. Gomez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in September 2020 and to conspiracy to use interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire in March 2022. Mr. Larios pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and conspiracy to use interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire today.
Both defendants, believed to be affiliated with Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generation (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most violent and powerful drug cartels – admitted to plotting a hit on a DEA task force office assigned to their drug case.
“These defendants plotted to murder an officer who routinely risks his own safety to rid our streets of dangerous drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “The Justice Department will not tolerate retaliatory violence against its own. We are prepared to move mountains to protect the men and women who protect us.”
“DEA Special Agents and Task Forces Officers know the inherent risks they face when they go out to enforce our mission, disrupt criminal networks, and curb the flow of drugs from reaching our neighborhoods. Drug related violence affects us all and there is nothing more serious than the intent to take a person’s life,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Dallas Field Division. “Through our drug investigation and the tenacious efforts from our colleagues at FBI Dallas to hold these individuals accountable, we are pleased that their admission of guilt means they will now pay for their crimes.”
“Last year 73 law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in line of duty incidents. Those statistics are a stark reminder that officers face a multitude of threats every day,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno. “The FBI is committed to keeping our law enforcement partners safe. In this instance, a dangerous act was prevented and ensured that a law enforcement officer made it home safely.”
According to court documents, while behind bars on drug charges, Mr. Gomez told another individual at the jail he wanted to “off” the officer. He set the budget at $20,000: $5,000 up front and $15,000 following the hit.
In a subsequent phone call with an individual outside the jail, Mr. Gomez confirmed he wanted the DEA Task Force Officer murdered.
Mr. Gomez then called his girlfriend and his sister in Mexico to arrange for delivery of the murder-for-hire fee. He advised them that the co-defendant in his drug case, Mr. Larios, would also contribute to the up-front payment.
Meanwhile, Mr. Larios, also behind bars, called an unindicted co-conspirator and asked him to deliver money to a workshop “so we can take care of something.”
On June 11, the unindicted co-conspirator, referred to in court documents by the nickname “Roberto,” made a $3,000 “down payment” for the murder of the agent. Five days later, he made an additional $2,000 payment on behalf of Mr. Gomez and Mr. Larios.
Mr. Gomez once again called his contact outside the jail. He described the DEA agent he wanted killed, then instructed the individual to call his girlfriend and sister, who he said had documents that could help the hit man figure out the name of the target.
Shortly thereafter, his sister received a photo of DEA task force officer “T.H.” via the messaging app, WhatsApp. The following day, she flashed the image during a jailhouse video call with Mr. Gomez.
“Yes, that’s him,” Mr. Gomez told her, smiling.
The defendants now face up to life in federal prison.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Texas Department of Public Security, the U.S. Marshals Service, and ICE Enforcement & Removal Operations investigated the drug case with the assistance of the Midlothian Police Department and Ellis County Sheriff’s Office. The FBI’s Dallas Field Office - Violent Crime Task Force investigated the murder-for-hire in close collaboration with the DEA. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Customs & Border Protection assisted. Assistant U.S. Attorneys PJ Meitl and Travis Elder prosecuted the drug case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert is prosecuting the murder-for-hire.
Maryland man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kevin William Medrano, of Hagerstown, Maryland, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Medrano, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of “Unlawful Possession of Firearm.” Medrano, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of a prior conviction, admitted to having a 9mm pistol in January 2021 in Berkeley County.
Medrano 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 Kimberley D. Crockett is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Making Threats Against the National Security Agency and Its EmployeesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Ryan Matthew Conlon, age 38, of Halethorpe, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to making interstate threatening communications concerning the National Security Agency (NSA) and its employees. After accepting his guilty plea, U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Conlon to six months of home detention as part of three years’ probation, which is the sentence recommended by Conlon and the government.
The guilty plea and sentence were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, Conlon has a history of making threatening communications to government agencies, sometimes implicating other individuals as the party making the threat. In early 2021, he was behind several communications threatening to blow up the NSA and shoot government employees. FBI agents investigated and identified Conlon as the person behind the threats. Agents confronted Conlon, who admitted to his conduct, acknowledged that it was criminal, and agreed that he would stop making such calls.
However, on December 29, 2021, the FBI received a submission on the FBI Tipline in Washington, D.C. stating that a specific person will blow up NSA Headquarters; had built a bomb in his basement; and will murder the NSA Director. The caller continued that the person would shoot up all federal NSA employees and was a danger to NSA and a national security threat. The caller stated that the individual and his accomplice had been plotting to blow up NSA Headquarters for a month and planned to attack on New Years Day.
The FBI was able to identify the telephone number from which the call was made. The number was traced to Conlon.
On December 31, 2021, the FBI received another submission on the FBI Tipline in Washington, D.C. warning that a truck with bombs inside was ready to go to the White House and that there was child pornography in the truck, as well. The caller provided the Maryland license number of the truck.
Again, the FBI traced the origin of this communication to Conlon. When Conlon was later confronted and arrested, he acknowledged that he might have made the threatening communications which, in fact, he had. Conlon sent the communications with the intent to threaten the NSA Director and NSA employees, or with the knowledge that the communications would be viewed as a threat.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Michael Cunningham, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Manchester Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Christopher Yule, 30, of Manchester, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for drug trafficking and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 29, 2020, Manchester police detectives received information that a female would be traveling from Manchester to Lawrence, Massachusetts to obtain a significant amount of drugs for redistribution in New Hampshire. Surveillance officers observed her drive to Lawrence and park in an area known as a distribution “hot spot.” A vehicle registered to Yule parked close by and turned off its lights. Within a minute, the cars departed. Surveillance units followed both vehicles.
When Yule’s vehicle returned to Manchester, it was stopped by the police for a traffic violation and suspicion of drug activity. Jacob Brady was the driver of the vehicle and Yule was a passenger. Yule and Brady both engaged in furtive movements within the vehicle as officers approached. Both individuals were instructed to step out of the vehicle. Brady explained that he and Yule traveled to Lawrence so Yule could meet with his drug source and purchase drugs. He further disclosed the drugs were in the glove compartment.
During the encounter, an officer observed through the window a tied-off glassine baggie of suspected fentanyl protruding from a side compartment area. Yule consented to a search of the vehicle and officers located over 78 grams of fentanyl and over six grams of cocaine base (crack).
On March 27, 2021, Hooksett police officers responded to a call reporting a male “passed out” in a rental van in a hotel parking lot known as a “hot spot” for drug activity in Hooksett. The caller stated a needle and firearm were visible in the vehicle. Officers found Yule slumped over in the driver’s seat with a needle and tourniquet visible next to him. Officers also saw a firearm in the open driver’s door compartment. After securing the firearm, they awakened Yule.
Officers learned that Yule was a convicted felon and he was placed under arrest for being a felon in possession of a firearm. During a search incident to arrest, officers located syringes in Yule’s pockets, $3,170 in his wallet and two small bags of suspected drugs, which Yule identified as “crack.”
On March 30, 2021, pursuant to a search warrant, officers searched the van and found over 58 grams of methamphetamine and over five grams of fentanyl. They also located holsters, loaded 9mm magazines, and other firearm accessories.
Yule previously pleaded guilty on January 7, 2022. Brady previously pleaded guilty on January 7, 2022, and was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison on April 15, 2022.
“By trafficking in methamphetamine and fentanyl, this defendant was endangering the community,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “The dangerous nature of his drug trafficking was enhanced not only by his possession of a gun, but by possessing a gun after having been convicted of a felony. As this sentence demonstrates, we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to protect public safety and hold armed drug traffickers accountable for their illegal conduct.”
This matter was investigated by the Manchester Police Department and the Hooksett Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joachim H. Barth.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.). In July of 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the District of New Hampshire and nine other federal districts. The goal of S.O.S. is to combat the large number of overdoses and deaths associated with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. In New Hampshire, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is focusing its efforts on prosecuting synthetic opioid trafficking cases arising in Hillsborough County, which includes Manchester and Nashua.
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