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Monday 23 May 2022
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 24, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Norway Avenue address of Roy Bills, 56. Officers found multiple firearms in the basement: a Diamondback 5.56mm AR-15 rifle; a Savage AXIS XP .308-caliber Winchester bolt-action rifle; a Derya Arms, model VR-80, 12-gauge shotgun; a GSG .22-caliber pistol; and a Beretta 96 .40-caliber pistol. Officers also located ammunition with the firearms. Bills admitted to possessing the firearms and ammunition.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Bills was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his November, 7, 2016 felony conviction in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia for conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
Bills is scheduled to be sentenced on August 29, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-60.
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Hilton Man Going to Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Stephen Reed Pattison, 33, of Hilton, NY, who was convicted of possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, was sentenced to serve 96 months in prison by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who handled the case, stated that in December 2016, Pattison was convicted of Domestic Assault in the Second Degree in Boone County, Missouri, and was legally prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. On October 30, 2020, Pattison was taken into custody on a parole absconder warrant from Missouri. In November 2020, law enforcement officers conducted a search of the Church Road residence that Pattison shared with his girlfriend and recovered two firearms, 25 rounds of ammunition, a black tactical vest with an expandable baton and knife, various items of white supremacist and Nazi paraphernalia.
As part of his guilty plea, Pattison admitted that he attempted to obstruct justice by telling his girlfriend to lie to the police and testify falsely that the firearms recovered did not belong to him. Pattison also attempted to obtain false affidavits from the individuals who gave him the firearms and ammunition. Pattison wanted the individuals to state that they gave the firearms to his girlfriend after he was taken into custody.
As detailed in a complaint against Pattison, he is a supporter of white supremacist ideology who frequently expressed racial animus and disdain for activist and political groups, such as Black Lives Matter and Antifa, and aggressively and sometimes violently expressed his disagreement with local protests in Rochester over the deaths of George Floyd and Daniel Prude.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Joint Terrorism Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
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Former Starksboro Resident Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on May 23, 2022, Isaac Liberty-Hanlon, 43, formerly of Starksboro, Vermont, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William K. Sessions III to a time-served period of imprisonment and a three-year term of supervised release for possessing a firearm in 2020 after having been previously convicted of a felony offense. Liberty-Hanlon is presently residing in Hartwell, Georgia.
According to court records and proceedings, on July 24, 2020, troopers with the Vermont State Police searched Liberty-Hanlon’s home in Starksboro pursuant to a search warrant. They located and seized a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver from Liberty-Hanlon’s room, and he acknowledged possessing the firearm. Liberty-Hanlon was determined to be a felon, having been convicted in 2009 of aggravated assault in Addison County, Vermont.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Vermont State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives in the investigation and prosecution of Liberty-Hanlon.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Lasher prosecuted the case for the United States. Liberty-Hanlon was represented by Robert Behrens, Esq.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. https://www.justice.gov/psn
Former Postal Worker Sentenced for Defrauding Department of Labor of $732,000 in Disability PaymentsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced George Utley (56, Oklahoma City) to 30 months in federal prison for receiving stolen government property, specifically, Department of Labor (DOL) Disability Benefit Payments. Utley was also ordered to make full restitution to the DOL and to forfeit $732,459.46, representing the value of the stolen funds. Utley had pleaded guilty on February 14, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, Utley is a former mail handler for the United States Postal Service (USPS). In January 2009, Utley falsely claimed a job-related back injury to receive workers’ compensation disability benefits through the Department of Labor – Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (DOL-OWCP). The monthly payments ranged from approximately $2,600 (2011), to upwards of $3,300 (2019). These payments were the product of theft because Utley failed to truthfully report his prior accidents/injuries, his other sources of income and employment, and any improvements to his purported injury.
An investigation by the USPS – Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) revealed that Utley had falsely testified in a 2011 DOL deposition that he never had suffered a previous back injury or been in an automobile accident. Despite Utley’s allegations of tremendous, debilitating back pain, he only had received $14 worth of prescription pain medication during the 10-year benefit period. Utley also failed to report his other sources of income and employment—he had incorporated and operated a rubbish removal business for many years and had received monthly government housing assistance payments of $1,412 as the landlord for a property in Pennsylvania. Recorded video surveillance captured Utley doing yard work at his Florida home, repeatedly lifting and carrying heavy items, working on a race car, and hitching a flatbed car carrier, box trailer, and fifth-wheel RV to his truck. A search of Utley’s email account and Facebook postings revealed photographs of Utley’s vacations (Key West and the Grand Canyon) and extensive physical activity (weightlifting, bicycling, deep-sea fishing, etc.). Utley’s fraudulent activity resulted in him receiving $732,459.46 in disability benefit payments to which he was not entitled.
“Taking taxpayer dollars to which you are not entitled is theft—period,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “Our agents at HSI Orlando, working alongside the USPS OIG, are committed to finding those who aim to abuse programs meant to lend a helping hand and bring them to justice.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Former Mont Vernon Attorney Sentenced to 48 Months for Engaging in Multi-Million Dollar Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CONCORD –Joseph A. Foistner, 68, of Mont Vernon, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for his involvement in a fraud and money laundering scheme, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
Following a two-week trial in December of 2021, U.S. District Judge Paul Barbadoro found Foistner guilty of four counts of bank fraud, as well as charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and making misrepresentations during bankruptcy proceedings.
According to exhibits and witness testimony during the trial, Foistner used fraudulent means to apply for over $8 million in loans from five different financial institutions, laundered money, and made material misrepresentations during bankruptcy proceedings between 2015 and 2018. Foistner, at the time of the scheme, was a licensed attorney in Massachusetts who did not have any paying clients and earned no income through his law firm. In order to obtain millions of dollars in loans from multiple financial institutions, Foistner provided banks with misleading documents that suggested that he was operating a lucrative law firm. For example, he claimed that he was a “seasoned attorney” with international clients and that his firm earned over a million dollars in annual income. In fact, all the firm’s purported income was based upon bogus, unpaid invoices the firm submitted to entities that the defendant controlled, including bankrupt entities.
The defendant also made other false statements to obtain bank loans, including lying about whether he was involved as a party in any lawsuits and denying that he had an interest in other companies. He also falsely represented that he had a salary by mischaracterizing loan proceeds as a salary. In one of the bank fraud schemes, the defendant submitted false information to obtain a loan by claiming that his wife was earning over $200,000 per year as a paralegal. The loans made to Foistner were backed by either the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Small Business Administration.
The evidence further showed that Foistner committed several crimes during Chapter 7 bankruptcy court proceedings in 2017 and 2018. He made false representations by denying that he held or controlled property owned by others when he actually controlled funds that were held in the name of a business. He also made false statements under oath by lying about what happened to the proceeds of one of the fraudulent loans and lying about not knowing the location of a piece of real estate that had been purchased in part with funds he borrowed and had subsequently funneled into bank accounts not in his name.
After his conviction, Foistner was disbarred by order of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in January 2022.
The financial institutions affected by Foistner’s scheme were Merrimack Valley Credit Union, North American Savings Bank, Celtic Bank, Newtek, and St. Mary’s Bank. A further hearing will be held to determine the restitution amounts owed by Foistner.
In addition to his prison sentence, Foistner was ordered to forfeit his interest in a residential property in Mont Vernon that was purchased with proceeds from his fraud scheme.
“As the evidence at trial established, Foistner used brazen fraud schemes to obtain millions of dollars and undermined the integrity of bankruptcy proceedings by making repeated misrepresentations,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “His illegal conduct was even more disturbing because he was a licensed attorney – an officer of the court. This substantial prison sentence finally holds Foistner accountable for his serious crimes and sends a deterrent message to potential white-collar criminals that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and, upon conviction, will face serious prison sentences for their crimes. I am grateful for the dedicated efforts of our law enforcement partners who worked so hard to ensure that justice was done in this case.”
“Joseph Foistner stole millions of dollars from entities he thought would never notice. In doing so, he took advantage of programs that were designed to help veterans and small businesses, and today, he was held accountable for his disgraceful conduct,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners in unraveling fraudulent schemes like this one to ensure those behind them are brought to justice.”
“OIG is committed to bring fraudsters to justice who seek to use falsified information to exploit vital economic programs,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG continues to root out fraud and protect the integrity of SBA’s programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
“The defendant fraudulently exploited VA’s loan guaranty program meant to help service members, veterans, and eligible surviving spouses become homeowners,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “The sentence today reflects the VA OIG’s commitment to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who defraud VA programs.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Office of Inspector General of the Small Business Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles L. Rombeau and Seth R. Aframe and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Kinsella, Assistant U.S. Attorneys John S. Davis and Kasey Weiland previously worked on this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Rabuck is assisting with the forfeiture aspects of this case.
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Former Federal Agent Found Guilty of Enticing a Minor and Engaging in Sex Tourism in the PhilippinesRead the Press Release
East St. Louis, Ill. – A Cahokia, Illinois, man was found guilty as charged last
week for Enticement of a Minor, Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct, and
Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct in a Foreign Place. Sentencing is set for August 24, 2022, in
front of the Honorable Judge Stephen P. McGlynn.According to evidence presented during trial, Joseph Albert Fuchs, III, an American citizen, met a
14-year-old girl while visiting the Philippines. Fuchs then engaged in sexual conversations with
the minor using Facebook. During those conversations, Fuchs discussed ways to evade detection of
her age when he would return to the Philippines to engage in sexual acts with her at a hotel. Fuchs
then returned to the Philippines in March of 2019 and engaged in sexual acts with the 14- year-old
minor. During this time, Fuchs was a special agent for the United States Postal Service Office of
Inspector General (USPSOIG). USPSOIG provided their full cooperation into the
investigation. Investigation further revealed that Fuchs sent nearly $1,000.00 to the minor over a
year long period.“Today’s guilty verdict should serve as a warning to those in positions of power or trust that if
you engage in this behavior and seek to harm the innocent, you will be held accountable and brought
to justice,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Angie Salazar.Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the investigation, with assistance from the HSI
Attaché Manila, the Philippine National Police, and the Cahokia Police Department. The case was
prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ali Burns and Laura Reppert.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006
by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and
Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to
locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and
rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit
www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit
www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”Former CEO of NYC Non-Profit Sentenced to Prison for Honest Services FraudRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that VICTOR RIVERA was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for conspiring to commit honest services fraud. RIVERA, who used to lead Bronx Parent Housing Network (“BPHN”), a non-profit organization that operated soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and affordable-housing facilities in New York City, schemed to enrich himself through bribes and kickbacks from BPHN’s contractors. RIVERA was sentenced by United States District Judge Sidney H. Stein.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Victor Rivera abused his position of authority at a non-profit established to help the most vulnerable in order to line his own pockets. For this egregious violation of trust, he is now sentenced to prison.”
According to allegations in the Information, other court filings, and statements made in court:
RIVERA was the President and Chief Executive Officer of BPHN, which annually spent millions of dollars in public funds on real estate, security, cleaning, construction, and food expenses, among other costs related to the housing and social services BPHN provided. From at least in or about 2013 until in or about 2020, RIVERA engaged in a scheme to enrich himself and his relatives by soliciting and accepting bribes and kickbacks from contractors doing work related to or for BPHN. The scheme yielded RIVERA hundreds of thousands of dollars in illicit gains.
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In addition to his prison sentence, RIVERA, 62, of Stony Point, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release. RIVERA was also ordered to forfeit $1,249,158.93, and to pay BPHN $902,269.23 in restitution.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the New York Department of Investigation. Mr. Williams also thanked the Internal Revenue Service for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys David Abramowicz and Tara La Morte are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Art Dealer Sentenced to 7 Years for $86 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that INIGO PHILBRICK, an art dealer specializing in post-war and contemporary fine art with galleries in London, United Kingdom, and Miami, Florida, was sentenced today to 84 months in prison in connection with a multi-year scheme to defraud various individuals and entities in order to finance his art business. U.S. District Judge Sydney H. Stein imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Inigo Philbrick grew his purportedly successful art business by collateralizing and reselling fractional shares in high dollar contemporary art. Unfortunately, his success was built on brazen lies, including concealed ownership interests, fake documents, and even an invented art collector. When the house of cards fell apart, Philbrick fled for a remote island in the Pacific, leaving many of his victims without recourse. For his extensive fraud, Philbrick is now sentenced to a substantial prison term.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint, Indictment, and statements made in court:
From approximately 2016 through 2019, to finance his art business, PHILBRICK engaged in a scheme to defraud multiple individuals and entities in the art market located in the New York metropolitan area and abroad. PHILBRICK made material misrepresentations and omissions to art collectors, investors, and lenders to access valuable art and obtain sales proceeds, funding, and loans (the “Fraud Scheme”). PHILBRICK knowingly misrepresented the ownership of certain artworks, for example, by selling a total of more than 100 percent ownership in an artwork to multiple individuals and entities without their knowledge; and by selling artworks and/or using artworks as collateral on loans without the knowledge of co-owners, and without disclosing the ownership interests of third parties to buyers and lenders. PHILBRICK furnished fraudulent contracts and records to investors to artificially inflate the artworks’ value and conceal his scheme, including a contract that listed a stolen identity as the seller.
Over the years, PHILBRICK obtained over $86 million in loans and sale proceeds in connection with the Fraud Scheme. Artworks about which PHILBRICK made these fraudulent misrepresentations in furtherance of the Fraud Scheme include, among others, a 1982 painting by the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat titled “Humidity,” a 2010 untitled painting by the artist Christopher Wool, and an untitled 2012 painting by the artist Rudolf Stingel depicting the artist Pablo Picasso.
By in or about the fall of 2019, PHILBRICK’s Fraud Scheme began to come to light as various investors and lenders learned about the fraudulent records PHILBRICK had provided and the material misrepresentations and omissions he had made. By in or about mid-October, a lender officially notified PHILBRICK that he was in default of approximately a $14 million loan, and by November 2019, various investors had filed civil lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions regarding PHILBRICK’s Fraud Scheme in connection with various artworks. At around the same time, PHILBRICK’s art galleries in Miami and London closed, and PHILBRICK stopped responding to legal process. PHILBRICK fled the United States shortly before public reporting began about the lawsuits. A fugitive, PHILBRICK resided in Vanuatu from approximately October 2019 until he was arrested there on June 11, 2020, in connection with this case.
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In addition to the prison term, PHILBRICK, 34, a U.S. citizen previously residing in London, United Kingdom, was sentenced to two years of supervised release. PHILBRICK was further ordered to pay a forfeiture of $86,672,790.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Art Crime Team.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica K. Feinstein and Cecilia E. Vogel are in charge of the prosecution.
Ford County Sex Offender Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Ford County man, Richard Cruse, 37, of the 200 block of North Center Street, in Melvin, Ill., has been sentenced to 324 months (27 years) to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for distribution and possession of child pornography.
In March 2021, a federal grand jury charged Cruse with two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography for crimes he committed in November 2019 and September 2020. Cruse was initially arrested by Ford County authorities and charged with two counts of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child and Indecent Solicitation of a Child. Cruse was transferred to the custody of the U.S. Marshals service after the federal indictment, where he has remained. He pleaded guilty in January 2022 to the three-count indictment.
Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm found that the Cruse engaged in pattern of sexual abuse and exploitation of a minor. In imposing the 27-year imprisonment sentence, Judge Mihm noted that the harm done to victims for some criminal offenses is “temporary,” but contrasted that with Cruse’s conduct remarking, “it is clear from all that we’ve heard in this case that is not true. The harm is permanent.” Judge Mihm also ordered $9,000 in restitution to three separate victims from the child pornography files Cruse trafficked.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ford County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation with the cooperation of Ford County State’s Attorney Andrew Killian. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly Peirson and represented the government in this prosecution.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Florida Man Charged with Operating a “Grandparent Scam” in the Pittsburgh AreaRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Florida has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The two-count Indictment, returned on May 19, named Adrian Orozco Perez, 25, currently detained at the Walton County Jail in Monroe, GA, as the sole defendant.
According to Indictment, in February 2022, the defendant traveled to the Pittsburgh area to execute a scheme to defraud targeting elderly victims. To execute the scheme, members of the conspiracy called the victims, posed as an attorney, and falsely represented that one of the victim’s relatives, typically a grandchild, had been incarcerated and needed money for bail and legal fees. The defendant then posed as a courier or bail bondsman, visited the victims at their homes, and collected the fraudulently obtained money. Perez engaged in similar conduct in Georgia and Tennessee.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police, and Walton County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fort Washakie Man Pleads Guilty to Assault by StrangulationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that DENVER LEE JOHN, SR., 43, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming pleaded guilty to assault by strangulation at a change of plea hearing on May 9, 2022, before United States District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal. Sentencing has been set for July 28, 2022.
If convicted, John faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment; three years of supervised release; up to a $250,000 fine and a $100 special assessment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This crime is being investigated by the Wind River Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson is prosecuting the case.
Case No. 21-00008-NDF
Ethete Man Sentenced for Assault by StrangulationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that CALVIN ANDERSON WHITE, 32, of Ethete, Wyoming was sentenced for assault by strangulation at a sentencing hearing on May 10, 2022, before Chief United States District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl. White was sentenced to 16 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $2,699.70 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.
The prosecution stemmed from a domestic violence incident that occurred at a residence on the Wind River Indian Reservation. “These types of assaults cannot be tolerated,” said United States Attorney Bob Murray. “It affects every fiber of the community when violent assaults happen. People need to feel safe and free from violence regardless of where they are or what they are doing. Our office will continue to prosecute these crimes to the fullest extent of the law.”
This crime was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy W. Gist is prosecuting the case.
Case No. 21-cr-00123-SWS
District Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Killing Man in Northeast Washington and Stabbing Inmate at JailRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tavon Davis, 27, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for fatally beating a man in June 2017 and, in a separate offense, stabbing an inmate in the neck at the District of Columbia Jail, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Davis pleaded guilty in July 2021, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of voluntary manslaughter while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 9 ½ to 14 years. The Honorable Marisa Demeo accepted the plea and, on May 20, 2022, sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Davis will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of June 28, 2017, Davis killed the victim, Michael Vest, on the porch of a residence in the 1300 block of Trinidad Avenue NE, using a wooden object to strike him in the head multiple times. Police were called at approximately 8 a.m., and Mr. Vest, 29, was discovered slumped in a chair. He was pronounced dead a short time later. An autopsy determined that he died from blunt force trauma.
Davis was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department on June 30, 2017. He was held at the D.C. Jail while awaiting trial. On July 3, 2020, according to the government’s evidence, he stabbed another inmate in the neck using a homemade knife. The victim attempted to shield himself with his hands, and, as a result, his arms also were injured.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the matter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, and Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuels. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Santiago and Prava Palacharla, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Correctional Officer Sentenced for Attempting to Smuggle Drugs into Fort Myers FacilityRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Leslie Spencer (49, Port Charlotte) to 30 months in federal prison for attempting to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. Spencer had pleaded guilty on September 21, 2021.
According to court records, Spencer worked as a correctional officer at the Charlotte Correctional Institution’s offsite work camp located in Fort Myers. The FBI learned that Spencer was accepting payments from prisoners in exchange for smuggling contraband into the prison, including drugs and cellphones.
In March 2021, Spencer agreed to smuggle three ounces of methamphetamine, three ounces of MDMA, and two cellphones into the prison for an inmate working as an FBI confidential source. Spencer told the confidential source to make sure the items were packaged in a way that they could be discreetly brought into the prison. Spencer also told the source of additional steps that he would take to avoid security measures implemented at the prison to prevent employees from smuggling in contraband.
After the deal had been agreed to, Spencer met with an undercover FBI special agent posing as a supplier of drugs. The two met in the parking lot of a Fort Myers retail store, where the undercover agent provided Spencer with sham methamphetamine and MDMA, cellphones, and payment for the smuggling operation. Upon leaving the retail store, Spencer was arrested by federal agents.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
Chittenden County Man Charged with Threatening State Officials and Members of Legal CommunityRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Josh Puma, 35, formerly of Chittenden County, was arraigned today in Burlington before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on three counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce to injure the person of another. Puma pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate Judge Doyle ordered Puma detained pending trial.
According to court documents and proceedings, the instant charges involve allegations that Puma called a Vermont Department of Corrections reporting line and threatened to kill a state court judge, a defense attorney, and a state prosecutor and to sexually assault that same prosecutor. The calls were recorded, and Puma specifically stated that when he is released from jail, he will use violence and kill and maim those state officials, in addition to harming and killing other members of the legal community. Puma was recently ordered hospitalized by the state court due to mental health considerations.
If convicted of these offenses, Puma faces a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment on each count alleged in the Indictment. Any actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the Indictment are merely accusations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Vermont State Police.
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy Fuller. Josh Puma is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
UPDATE
The second paragraph of this press release was updated to reflect the allegations in the public record.
Chinle Man Sentenced to Prison for Assault and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Bo Channon Davis, 35, of Chinle, Arizona, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 63 months in prison, with credit for six months he spent in tribal custody for this offense. He will also be placed on supervised release for three years after his prison term is complete. Davis previously pleaded guilty to one count of Assault on a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon, one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
On July 28, 2018, Davis, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, threatened two Navajo Police Department officers with a rifle. Davis is prohibited from possessing a firearm because he is a convicted felon. The offenses occurred on the Navajo Nation in Chinle, Arizona.
The Navajo Nation Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew C. Cassell, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-8234-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-080_Davis# # #
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.Charleston Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with a thwarted Fourth of July 2021 murder scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, James Edward Bennett III, 31, was one of four men who armed themselves at a Rand residence on July 4, 2021, and drove to Charleston’s West Side where they intended to shoot another man. Alerted to the plot, police in marked cruisers converged on the area. The four men abandoned their vehicle in a Lee Street parking lot due to the increased police presence. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the vehicle and recovered four loaded firearms. Bennett admitted to possessing two of the firearms: a Taurus, Model G2C, 9mm pistol; and a Spike’s Tactical, Model SL15, .223-caliber pistol.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Bennett is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions for: first-degree robbery on July 13, 2010; voluntary manslaughter on July 17, 2017; and unlawful wounding on August 21, 2019, all in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
Two of the three other men have admitted to roles in the Fourth of July 2021 incident. Brian Dangelo Terry, 37, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and to count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Treydan Leon Burks, 32, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Both men face sentencing on June 30, 2022. The fourth man, Douglas Johnathan Wesley, 33, of Charleston, is scheduled for trial on May 24, 2022.
The drug offenses arise from Burks’ and Terry’s participation in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in Kanawha County. Of the 17 defendants charged in the DTO conspiracy, 11 others have also pleaded guilty: Ramon David Alston, Jonathan Gregory Bush, Kaitlyn Brooke Combs, Kelly Cordle, Denise Marie Cottrill, Shane Kelly Fulkerson, Brittany Frances Gilbert, Angie Lane Harbour, Scott Edward Hudson, Jason Robert Oxley, and Michael Antonio Smith. Timothy Wayne Dodd was convicted on March 24, 2022, following a two-day jury trial. In addition to Wesley, Leo Antoine Smith, 38, of Cross Lanes, also faces trial on May 24, 2022.
“The collaborative approach of our law enforcement partners allowed for a quick response that averted a real potential for bloodshed,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) for their excellent investigative work in this case.”
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-172, 2:21-cr-00171, and 2:21-cr-00211.
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Central Falls Men Sentenced for Roles in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Two men from Central Falls who played integral roles in a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) that shipped dozens of kilos of cocaine into Rhode Island through the U.S. Postal Service were sentenced today to federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
George Mojica, 42, and Angel Delgado, 25, were sentenced to serve seven years and five years respectively. The two men previously admitted to the court that they retrieved numerous packages delivered to residences around Rhode Island, each containing a kilo or more of cocaine. United States Postal Inspection Service agents determined that sender and recipient names on the packages were not associated with the delivery addresses listed on the packages.
According to court documents, numerous packages were intercepted by U.S Postal Service Inspectors and DEA and found to each contain significant quantities of cocaine. Based on the packages seized; the known size and weights of many of the parcels not intercepted; and positive K9 alerts on packaging materials discarded by DTO members, the DTO is believed to have shipped and/or attempted to ship approximately 51 kilos of cocaine to Rhode Island between January 2018 and December 2019.
Mojica pled guilty on December 7, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine; and possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 84 months in federal prison to be followed by 4 years of federal supervised release.
Delgado pleaded guilty on January 7, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge McElroy to 60 months of incarceration to be followed by 5 years of federal supervised release.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.
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Carjacking Suspects Facing Federal Charges After Multi-Agency PursuitRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Three Nashville, Tennessee, men and a Nashville woman are facing federal charges following a multi-agency pursuit that began in Nashville and ended in Clarksville, Tenn., announced U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Javon Kelly, 20, Juan Rodriguez, 19, I’yendale Byrd, 18, and Armesia Newsom, 18, were charged Friday in a criminal complaint with carjacking and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to the criminal complaint, on May 11, 2022, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) TITANS Unit detectives were conducting surveillance in the area of the Cumberland Pointe Apartments, after receiving information from the FBI of a planned shooting, which was to be carried out by a member of the Vice Lords Gang. Detectives observed Kelly and Rodriguez, who were armed with handguns, enter a vehicle driven by Newsom and also occupied by Byrd. Detectives continued surveillance of the car as it travelled in a reckless manner on Buena Vista Pike.
A MNPD detective attempted to stop the car, but it fled into Montgomery County and struck a light pole in Clarksville, after which the suspects fled on foot. While being pursued by Clarksville Police officers, the suspects approached a Chevrolet Silverado truck, pointed their guns at the driver and ordered him from the truck. The suspects then entered the truck and fled again, before crashing in Clarksville and being apprehended. At the time of the arrest, five firearms were recovered from the suspects.
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, and up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Wildasin commended the cooperative effort of all agencies in the apprehension of these defendants, including the FBI; the MNPD TITANS Team and Aviation Unit; the Tennessee Highway Patrol Aviation Unit; and the Clarksville Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Brantley is prosecuting the case.
The charges are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Cody Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that PHILLIP AARON DOBBINS, 44, of Cody, Wyoming pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Dobbins appeared for a change of plea hearing before United States District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on May 9, 2022. Sentencing is set for July 28, 2022.
Dobbins faces a maximum sentence of 5 to 40 years’ imprisonment, four years to life of supervised release, up to $5 million in fines and a $100 special assessment. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This crime was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, the Cody Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Forwood is prosecuting the case.
Case No. 21-cr-84-NDF
Casper Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that DANIEL HENDRICKS, age 33, of Casper, Wyoming was sentenced on four counts of production of child pornography. Hendricks appeared for a sentencing hearing before Chief United States Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on May 10, 2022. Hendricks was sentenced to a total of 540 months’ imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $500 pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018, and a $400 special assessment.
Daniel Hendricks came to the attention of law enforcement when Facebook reported that he was sharing child pornography on its platform. The Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force acted swiftly to execute search warrants on Hendricks’ home and devices. Forensic analysis revealed he had been sexually abusing an infant victim for the purpose of creating and distributing videos and photographs of that conduct.
“I am extremely proud of the collaborative effort between local, state and federal agencies in this case,” said United States Attorney Bob Murray. “The exploitation of children is reprehensible, and the highly skilled and dedicated special agents who investigate child exploitation crimes help us ensure that we can identify and arrest perpetrators while protecting our most vulnerable population, our children."
This crime was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Christyne M. Martens prosecuted the case.
Case No. 21-cr-00133-SWS
Saturday 21 May 2022
Latham Man Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Scott Weinbloom, age 47, of Latham, New York, was ordered detained yesterday on a charge of possessing child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to the complaint, Weinbloom possessed images and videos of child pornography on an encrypted thumb drive located at his residence on May 18, 2022.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Weinbloom had a detention hearing yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and was ordered detained pending trial. If convicted of possessing child pornography, Weinbloom faces up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes investigators from the New York State Police and Colonie Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Segovia.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Friday 20 May 2022
Woodmere Man Pleads Guilty to Obtaining Stolen Credit Card Information and Using it to Purchase GasolineRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that Charles E. Smith, Jr., 52, of Woodmere, Ohio, pleaded guilty on May 19, 2022, to an Information charging him with one count of access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, from May 2019 through May 2020, Smith purchased stolen credit and debit card account information, including account numbers and addresses, off of the dark web. Smith then used a credit card reader encoder/writer to program that information onto blank cards and used those cards to make fraudulent purchases of gasoline at various gas stations in Northern Ohio. Court records state that Smith purchased the gasoline to fuel vehicles used to deliver packages for Amazon.
In total, court documents state that Smith purchased at least $10,621.23 in gasoline using over 100 stolen debit and credit card accounts. After his arrest, investigators later determined that Smith had purchased more than 600 stolen debit and credit card accounts from the dark web, affecting victims in 25 states.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on August 25, 2022. Smith faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison and a maximum of twelve.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Payum Doroodian.
Virginia Beach Woman Sentenced for Lottery Scheme Defrauding Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach woman was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for defrauding elderly victims across the United States of several hundred thousand dollars in a lottery and sweepstakes scheme.
According to court documents, Terry Lynn Miller, 62, signed a cease-and-desist order with the United States Postal Service in June 2019, in which she agreed to stop participating in fraudulent lottery and sweepstakes schemes. In those schemes, victims would be falsely told they had won millions of dollars but needed to first pay thousands of dollars in taxes and fees to receive their winnings. After signing the order, Miller immediately resumed her participation in the scheme and continued until she was arrested in May 2021. Miller would deposit the money the victims sent her into her personal bank accounts, and then convert it and funnel it to her co-conspirators. Miller also forged victim signatures on fraudulent checks and mailed locked briefcases to victims. The victims were told the briefcases contained their winnings and that they would receive the combination to the lock when they paid their taxes and fees. However, Miller had packed the briefcases with Hampton Roads newspapers and magazines. In sum, about ten victims were defrauded of over $220,000. Some victims lost their life savings.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Greg L. Torbenson, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Gantt prosecuted the case.
Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. Elder abuse is an intentional or negligent act by any person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to an older adult. It is a term used to describe five subtypes of elder abuse: physical abuse, financial fraud, scams and exploitation, caregiver neglect and abandonment, psychological abuse, and sexual abuse. Elder abuse is a serious crime against some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens, affecting at least 10 percent of older Americans every year. Together with our federal, state, local and tribal partners, the Department of Justice is steadfastly committed to combatting all forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation through enforcement actions, training and resources, research, victim services, and public awareness. This holistic and robust response demonstrates the Department’s unwavering dedication to fighting for justice for older Americans.
If you think you or someone you know might be a victim of a lottery mailing scheme, you can file a report with the United States Postal Inspection Service at https://www.uspis.gov/report. Requests to transfer or accept funds from a private individual as a prerequisite to receiving winnings are indicators of a possible fraud scheme. For more information on how to identify a potential lottery scheme, visit https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/fake-prize-sweepstakes-lottery-scams
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-56.
UDF Executives Sentenced to Combined 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Four United Development Funding executives have been sentenced to a combined 20 years in federal prison for fraud, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
In January, a federal jury convicted UDF CEO Hollis Morrison Greenlaw, UDF Partnership President Benjamin Lee Wissink, UDF CFO Cara Delin Obert, and UDF Asset Management Director Jeffrey Brandon Jester of ten counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and securities fraud. They were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor.
Mr. Greenlaw was sentenced to seven years in federal prison; Mr. Wissink to five years; Ms. Obert to five years; and Mr. Jester to three years. The judge also ordered Mr. Greenlaw, Mr. Wissink, and Ms. Obert to pay fines of $50,000 each.
“UDF executives comingled funds, shuffling money from one fund to another without disclosing their actions to investors or regulators,” U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham said following the verdict. “The Northern District of Texas has always been tenacious in its pursuit of white collar criminals and this case is no exception. We were proud to bring these defendants before a jury and are pleased that the judge saw fit to sentence them to a lengthy prison term.”
“Today’s sentences reaffirm the FBI’s commitment to hold executives accountable for engaging in corporate fraud and defrauding investors. We will continue working with our partners to investigate anyone that attempts to manipulate investment funds for their own personal benefit,” said Matthew DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Dallas Field Office. “Our agents, analysts, and forensic accountants dedicated years to ensuring this investigation was done with the utmost precision. It is the reason why these defendants will now spend years in federal prison.”
According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants orchestrated a scheme to mislead investors and the SEC about their funds’ performance.
Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Grapevine, UDF utilized a family of five funds – UDF I, II, III, IV, and V – to invest in various residential real estate developers and private homebuilders.
When developers failed to repay money they borrowed from one fund, triggering multi-million dollar shortfalls, the defendants transferred money out of another fund in order to pay distributions to the original fund’s investors, all without disclosing the transfers to the SEC and the investing public.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany H. Eggers (NDTX Criminal Chief), Rachael Jones, Elyse Lyons, and Errin Martin prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney Will Thompson Presents 2022 Law Enforcement AwardsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson honored an array of federal, state and local law enforcement professionals today for their outstanding contributions to investigations and cases in the Southern District of West Virginia.
During a ceremony at the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse in Charleston, Thompson presented 2022 Law Enforcement Awards to more than 60 individuals.
The awards recognize both invaluable assistance within specific categories of cases and office initiatives as well as overall exemplary service over the past year:
Category: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigations identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States. OCDETF investigations use a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Operation Shutdown Corner (U.S. vs. Jones, 5:19-cr-227):
Special Agent Jennifer King, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Forensic Examiner Melinda Cash, FBI
Staff Operations Specialist Rose Chestnut, FBI
Intelligence Analyst Sarah Cole, FBI
Resident Agent in Charge David Bullard, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Special Agent Rob DiDomenico, U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Sergeant Rob Richards, West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation
Detective David Snuffer, Beckley Police Department
Detective Will Reynolds, Beckley Police Department
Sergeant Brian Acord, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department
Detective Ray Hall, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department
For a multi-jurisdictional, long-term investigation that targeted a drug-trafficking organization (DTO) operating between California and the Southern District of West Virginia. All 17 defendants charged in the case have been convicted, with the final defendant sentenced to more than 16 years in prison. The investigation linked the defendants to large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin mixed with fentanyl as well as to firearms shipped back to California. Approximately 26 firearms were recovered along with a bump stock, a device that allows semi-automatic firearms to operate as machine guns.
Operation Second Wave (includes U.S. vs. Terrell, 2:20-cr-154):
Special Agent Jennifer King, FBI
Special Agent Michael McDonald, FBI
Special Agent Georgia Marshall, FBI
Special Agent John Reese, FBI
Special Agent Jarred Shockey, FBI
Staff Operations Specialist Rose Chestnut, FBI
Forensic Examiner Melinda Cash, FBI
Forensic Accountant Tammie Blundon, FBI
Resident Agent in Charge David Bullard, ATF
Special Agent Ben Henrich, Drug Enforcement Administration
Postal Inspector Josh Mehall, U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Special Agent Todd Phillips, U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General
Sergeant Curtis Adkins, West Virginia State Police-BCI
Detective Owen Morris, Charleston Police Department
Detective Brian Middleton, Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department
Detective Jon Vernon, Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department
Deputy Steve Martin, Putnam County Sheriff’s Department
For an investigation that resulted in the dismantling of a drug-trafficking operation (DTO) that involved the distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana THC products in Kanawha and Fayette counties. More than a dozen individuals were convicted in the case, with five of them each sentenced to at least 10 years in prison. Those convicted included a United States Postal Service mail carrier who delivered drugs to the co-conspirators in packages addressed to fictitious individuals along his route.
Category: Project Safe Neighborhoods
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, and 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.
U.S. vs. Boone (3:21-cr-101):
Detective Stephen Maniskas, Huntington Police Department
Lieutenant Ryan Bentley, Huntington Police Department
Sergeant Ronnie Lusk, Huntington Police Department
PFC Jordan McClellan, Huntington Police Department
PFC Bradley Koeppen, Huntington Police Department
Patrolman Ryan Donoho, Huntington Police Department
Patrolman Sean Brinegar, Huntington Police Department
Patrolman Hun Tak, Huntington Police Department
For the successful prosecution of an eight-time felon captured after a shooting and resulting police pursuit in Huntington. A stolen firearm was found in the vehicle of the defendant, who was sentenced to more than eight years in prison.
Category: Drug & Violent Crime
U.S. vs. Fields (2:20-cr-00128):
Officer William Keith McGraw, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Police
For investigating a Fayette County man suspected of deer poaching, who was later determined to be convicted of voluntary manslaughter for beating a young woman to death with a tire iron. The investigation resulted in federal convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and the defendant was sentenced to six year and six months in prison.
Category: Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is 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, 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.
U.S. vs. Humphrey (5:21-cr-5):
Special Agent Phil Gunther, FBI
Special Agent James Harrison, FBI
Forensic Examiner Melinda Cash, FBI
Detective Wayne Long, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department
Detective E. E. Simon, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department
Detective C.D. Suman, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department
Detective R. A. Robinson, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department
Detective R. S. Queen, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department
Captain L. D. Lilly, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department
Sergeant Steven A. Sommers, Mercer County Sheriff’s Department
Detective Jarred Payne, Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department
For the investigation and successful prosecution of a Beckley man who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the attempted production of child pornography.
FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force:
Supervisory Special Agent Tony Rausa, FBI
Special Agent Jared Jankowski, FBI (Task Force Coordinator)
Special Agent Genevieve Baushke, FBI (Task Force Coordinator)
The FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force was recognized for its work in the Humphrey case as well as additional successful prosecutions, including of a Berkeley County man sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempted enticement of a minor; a Virginia man sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempted sex trafficking of a minor; and an Upshur County man sentenced to 14 years in prison for attempted sex trafficking of a minor.
Category: Civil Rights
U.S. vs. Maynard (2:21-cr-65):
Special Agent James F. Lafferty II, FBI
Special Agent Greg Lipari, FBI
Sergeant Andrew Shingler, West Virginia State Police–BCI
A former Logan County Police Department officer was sentenced to nine years in prison after a federal jury convicted him of violating an arrestee’s civil rights by using excessive force against him. The outstanding work of these honorees ensured that justice was served in the case.
Category: White Collar Crime
U.S. vs Vladimirov (2:20-cr-54):
Special Agent Devon Selbee, U.S. Secret Service
Special Agent Terry Hedrick, U.S. Secret Service
Resident Agent in Charge Wade Fleming, U.S. Secret Service
Detective Jeremy Thompson, South Charleston Police Department
For the successful prosecution of the first known federal case that took down and convicted the organizer of a retail theft-based fencing organization. The leader, a native of Bulgaria living in Cross Lanes, acquired goods stolen by people addicted to heroin. Paying these “boosters” a fraction of the retail value, the ringleader resold the items online for significant profit. He was sentenced to more than eight years in prison after a federal jury found him guilty of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
U.S. vs. Pinson (2:19-cr-250):
Postal Inspector Seth Summers, U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Special Agent J.T. Waggy, FBI
Special Agent Cedric Jefferson, FBI
Special Agent Jack Remaley, FBI (retired)
First Sergeant J. M. “Mike” Parde, West Virginia State Police-BCI
Special Agent Bruce Adkins, National Insurance Crime Bureau
Intelligence Analyst Rhonda Edwards, West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner
A $4.3 million fraud scheme targeted Toyota Motor Sales and its buyback program for Tacoma customers. Four individuals pleaded guilty in the case. The leader of the scheme, a used car dealership owner, was sentenced to six years in prison after a federal jury convicted him of mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and aggravated identify theft.
U.S. vs. Dudding (3:22-cr-1):
Special Agent Devon Selbee, U.S. Secret Service
Special Agent Terry Hedrick, U.S. Secret Service
Detective Jeremy Thompson, South Charleston Police Department
Special Agent Meg Faden, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General
A Huntington woman acting as a money mule for a Nigeria-based online scammer pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting an unlawful money transaction and faces sentencing June 27, 2022. The investigation targeted the numerous accounts and multiple banks used to send and receive fraudulent funds, and led to the seizure of nearly the entire $1.788 million the defendant is required to pay in the case.
U.S. vs. McLaughlin (2:20-cr-182):
Detective James Hart, Parkersburg Police Department
For his investigation into a $1 million scam involving the purchase and sale of collector cars, which resulted in the conviction of an Ohio businessman who was sentenced to more than seven years in prison.
U.S. vs. Phillips (3:21-cr-135):
Special Agent Todd Berry, FBI
Special Agent Michael McDonald, FBI
Special Agent Jarred Shockey, FBI
Special Agent Phil Gunther, FBI
Special Agent James F. Lafferty II, FBI
Special Agent Georgia Marshall, FBI
Special Agent John Reese, FBI
Sergeant Bradford Burner, West Virginia State Police–BCI
Sergeant Richard Stephenson, West Virginia State Police
Lieutenant Jason Lanham, Summersville Police Department
Asset Forfeiture Coordinator Jaime Cochran, U.S. Marshals Service
A longtime employee stole approximately $4.72 million from a Huntington-based non-profit organization that provides services and support to children and families. The investigation resulted in her conviction, a $4.65 million restitution order and a sentence of seven years in prison.
Category: Outstanding Community Partner Award
Larry Snidow, Health Education Specialist, WV Health Right
Nurse Larry Snidow was among the first health care professionals called to the front lines as Charleston prepared to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Snidow worked countless hours administering COVID-19 tests and vaccinations while educating businesses and individuals about health safety protocols. Snidow routinely visited homebound individuals in their residences for COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.
Category: Collaborative Law Enforcement AwardUnited States Marshals Service
Michael Baylous, U.S. Marshal
Anthony Santoro, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal
Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Fred Lamey
Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Matt Ingram
Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Chris Leachman
Administrative Officer Chris Thompson
By encouraging, developing and maintaining partnerships, the United States Marshals Service provides invaluable assistance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia and across the district’s law enforcement community. Thompson commended them for being the ultimate team players.
Category: Drug & Violent Crime Task Force of the Year
Beckley/Raleigh County Drug & Violent Crime Task Force
Task Force Commander: Sergeant Rob Richards, West Virginia State Police-BCI
This task force consists of the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department. Its outstanding cooperative law enforcement efforts included the successful Operation Shutdown Corner investigation (see OCDETF category).
Law Enforcement Officers of the Year
Special Agent Jennifer King, FBI
Sergeant Curtis Adkins, West Virginia State Police-BCI
Detective Jeremy Thompson, South Charleston Police Department
This year’s honorees are known for their passionate commitment to every case they work; their skills and tenacity as investigators; and their selfless dedication to getting the job done.
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.
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Tupelo Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – A Tupelo man was sentenced today to 200 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana.
According to court documents, Jeremy K. Mairidith, 40, was convicted following his guilty plea in November of leading a drug trafficking organization which conspired to sell and distribute methamphetamine and marijuana. On Thursday morning, U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Mairidith after hearing arguments and comments from Mairidith, his counsel, and prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Following the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner stated: “Today’s sentence demonstrates that individuals and drug trafficking organizations who bring narcotics and violence into our communities will not be tolerated. Our local, state and federal law enforcement partners who worked this investigation for years should be proud that the individuals involved were finally brought to justice.”
Mairidith is one of nine defendants convicted for his role in the drug trafficking organization.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and FBI Jackson Division’s Oxford Resident Agency investigated the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods programs in partnership with state and local law enforcement. Multiple agencies played critical roles in the investigation, including the Tupelo Police Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, North Mississippi Narcotics Unit, DEA, Corinth Police Department, Alcorn County Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi Highway Patrol, United States Postal Inspection Service, Mississippi Department of Corrections and the United States Marshal’s Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad M. Doleac, Jay Hale and Scott Leary prosecuted the case.
This operation was one of many parts 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.
Three Men Sentenced for Selling Vehicles with Rolled Back OdometersRead the Press Release
Three men were sentenced today for selling vehicles on the internet after re-placing the vehicles’ odometers in order to sell the vehicles at a higher price. In an attempt to avoid detection, the vehicles would be registered in several different names and then ultimately sold to the unsuspecting public. The public would not have purchased the vehicles had they known the true mileage on the vehicles.
Jerret Schreiber, age 50, from Parkersburg, Iowa, received 6 months prison term and 6 months home confinement after he pled guilty to wire fraud. Evidence in the case proved Schreiber was involved in the sale of at least 17 vehicles. He was ordered to repay $90,832.55 in restitution to the victims of his offense. At sentencing, Schreiber made a payment of $45,000 towards his restitution obligation.
David Stangeland, age 33, from Cedar Falls, Iowa, received a one month prison term after he pled guilty to conspiracy to commit odometer fraud. Evidence in the case proved Stangeland was involved in the sale of at least 21 vehicles. He was ordered to repay $85,050 in restitution to the victims of his offense. At sentencing, Stangeland made a payment of $22,400 towards his restitution obligation.
Dustin Arends, age 36, from New Hartford, Iowa, received three years’ probation after he pled guilty to odometer tampering. Evidence in the case proved Arends was involved in the sale of at least 6 vehicles. He was ordered to repay $23,200 in restitution to the victims of his offense. At sentencing, Arends made a payment of $14,000 towards his restitution obligation.
The three men were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Schreiber was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set. Stangeland was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on June 23, 2022, at 10:00 am. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Cole and investigated by the United States Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the United States Postal Inspection, and the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-2010.
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Tax Return Preparer Sentenced in Fraud Scheme Involving over 160 VictimsRead the Press Release
BAY CITY - A Gladwin, Michigan man was sentenced yesterday to 46 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud and tax evasion, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Sarah Kull, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
Sentence was Mark Alan Patterson, 53. Patterson was a tax return preparer in Beaverton, Michigan who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and tax evasion in connection with a scheme to steal the tax refunds of over 160 clients. Patterson admitted to stealing over $600,000 as part of his scheme.
“Mr. Patterson violated the trust of his clients. Rather than carry out his ethical responsibilities as a tax return preparer, this defendant stole money from his clients to enrich himself,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “Through the efforts of the IRS agents in the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jules DePorre, each and every victim in this case will receive as much restitution as possible.”
According to court documents, Patterson worked as a tax return preparer for Schuster Tax Service in Beaverton, Michigan. From 2015 until February 2020, Patterson stole various portions of clients’ tax refunds by directing portions of clients’ tax refunds into bank accounts that Patterson controlled. Patterson did not inform the clients that he was taking the money from their tax refunds and instead deceived them by giving them unfiled versions of returns showing that they had a smaller refund amount.
In late February of 2020, Jennifer Schuster Semer, owner of Schuster Tax Service, informed law enforcement officers that Patterson, her former employee, had engaged in a potential fraud scheme. Ms. Semer discovered client tax returns dating back to 2015 that had refunds electronically diverted, in part, to bank accounts under Patterson’s control. Ms. Semer immediately contacted the Beaverton Police Department who greatly assisted throughout the IRS investigation.
United States Attorney Dawn Ison, in announcing the sentence, praised Ms. Semer and Brad Davis, chief of the Beaverton Police Department for their cooperation.
Syracuse Felon Pleads Guilty to Handgun PossessionRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Rodney Ogletree, age 38, of Syracuse, pled guilty yesterday to illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Syracuse Police Chief Joseph Cecile.
As part of his guilty plea yesterday, Ogletree admitted that on September 16, 2020, he possessed a loaded Glock Model 23, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine in Syracuse when he was driving a car stopped by Syracuse Police. Ogletree could not lawfully possess a handgun, having sustained three previous felony convictions, two of which were for being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the time of his arrest in this case, Ogletree was serving a three-year term of federal post-imprisonment supervised release.
Ogletree faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on September 19, 2022, by Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue. As part of yesterday’s court proceeding, Ogletree also admitted that he violated the conditions of a previously imposed sentence of supervised release by possessing a firearm and engaging in new criminal conduct, for which he faces an additional sentence of imprisonment of up to 2 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case was investigated by the Syracuse Police Department, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Stratford Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDWARD GALPIN, 40, of Stratford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 216 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for offenses related to the sexual exploitation of multiple children.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Galpin was an administrator of a private Kik messaging app chat group that provided a forum for members to discuss their sexual interest in young children and exchange images and videos of child sexual abuse. As a group administrator, Galpin distributed child pornography, requested it from other group members, and removed from the group certain members who did not share child pornography. Galpin possessed and shared a significant amount of child pornography, including images and videos of prepubescent minors and content portraying sadistic and masochistic conduct and the sexual abuse of toddlers.
The investigation also revealed that Galpin used Instagram to identify young girls for the purpose of soliciting or producing child pornography. In one instance, Galpin arranged to meet with a 17-year-old girl, picked her up at her house, and engaged in sexually explicit conduct with her. Galpin recorded the sexual encounter and then shared images and videos on Kik. In another instance, Galpin identified a 15-year-old girl via Instagram and enticed her to send him sexually explicit images of herself. The victim did so using Instagram’s “self-destruct” feature, which automatically deletes an image after a short time. However, Galpin recorded video of his conversation with the victim so he could retain the images he received. In a third instance, Galpin contacted an eighth-grade girl via Instagram direct message and subsequently received from her a video and other images of her engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Galpin also used spy cameras to record videos of women and girls while they were undressing. He then distributed the videos, including video of a minor girl, via Kik.
In June 2020, Galpin contacted a Kik account operated by an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 14-year-old girl. Galpin asked the “girl” when her “mom” would be away from home and arranged to meet the “girl” at a coffee shop in Connecticut. On June 25, 2020, after Galpin arrived at the scheduled time and place, law enforcement approached him and seized his iPhone. He was arrested later that day. Forensic analysis of Galpin’s iPhone revealed nearly 2,000 child sexual abuse videos and images, included videos and images that Galpin had produced.
Galpin was originally charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was then transferred to the District of Connecticut.
On March 10, 2021, Galpin pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography and two counts of distribution of child pornography. He has been detained since his arrest.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New Haven and Washington, D.C., and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Springfield Man Faces Federal Pipe Bomb ChargeRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Anibal Castro, Jr., 33, of Springfield, Vermont, has been charged with unlawful possession of a “destructive device” (“Pipe Bomb”), in violation of the National Firearms Act. On May 20, 2022, Castro appeared for his arraignment in U.S. District Court in Burlington and pled not guilty to the charge. At a prior hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle granted the government’s motion for detention and ordered Castro detained until trial.
According to court records, the government alleges that on April 6, 2022, while the Springfield Police Department and Vermont State Police were executing a state search warrant at Castro’s Valley Street residence, they discovered a ten and one-half inch pipe bomb. The pipe was made of aluminum with crimped metal ends covered in tape and had a pyrotechnic fuse extending out from inside the pipe. The words “BYE BYE !!” were written on the outside of the pipe. The pipe contained 650 BB pellets and black powder. The government alleges that the presence of BBs “further weaponized” the device.
The charge against Castro is an accusation only and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, Castro faces a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Any actual sentence will be advised by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Springfield Police Department, and the Vermont State Police. The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Perella. Castro is represented by Sara Puls, Esq. of the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime https://www.justice.gov/psn
South Florida Army Veteran Lied About Disability, Stole Money from VARead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A South Florida veteran (and self-proclaimed bodybuilder) who exaggerated his mental and physical impairments to increase the disability payments he received from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pled guilty yesterday to theft of government funds from a federal agency and now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
As part of his guilty plea, Zachary Barton, 36, admitted he lied on a mental health test by reporting to the VA that he had been in combat, qualifying him for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder benefits. Barton also falsely reported that he could not lift more than 10 to 20 pounds or walk without a cane. The VA found that Barton was 100% disabled based on these lies. In fact, Barton routinely performed strenuous weight-lifting – leg pressing 650 pounds and chest pressing over 300 pounds. He drove, walked his pet, and shopped with no difficulty.
As a result of his misrepresentations, Barton received approximately $245,286 in VA benefits to which he was not entitled. Sentencing is scheduled for August 11, 2022, in Fort Pierce before Judge Aileen M. Cannon.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and David Spilker, Special Agent in Charge, VA Office of the Inspector General, Southeast Field Office, announced the guilty plea.
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robin Waugh. Assistant United States Attorney Gabrielle Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-80106.
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South Carolina Man Admits to Selling HandgunsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Joshua Meighen, age 38, of Seneca, South Carolina, pled guilty yesterday to transferring a firearm and ammunition to a convicted felon, and selling a firearm to an out-of-state resident, announced, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
As part of his guilty plea yesterday, Joshua Meighen admitted that while he was living in South Carolina, he contacted a Central New York resident who was known to Meighen as a convicted felon and arranged for a sale through the U.S mails of a Taurus 9mm caliber semiautomatic pistol and 25 rounds of ammunition. Meighen admitted that he sent the pistol and ammunition from South Carolina to Central New York, where it was recovered at a post office facility in Syracuse on October 14, 2021. Meighen further admitted that he also mailed a Phoenix Arms .22 caliber pistol, and a Stoeger 9mm caliber pistol from South Carolina to a New York resident in Binghamton, New York, which were seized on November 10, 2021, by the United States Postal Inspection Service through the execution of a federal search warrant.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 19, 2022, at which time Joshua Meighen faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison for transferring a firearm and ammunition to a convicted felon, and up to 5 years in federal prison for selling a firearm to an out-of-state resident, as well as a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term pf post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force, and the Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard R. Southwick.
Six Individuals Charged with Federal Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Victor Nevarez, Juan Rivera Arzate, Adhemar Castaneda Becerril, and Pedro Gaona Salse were four of six charged defendants arrested and arraigned yesterday in federal court on narcotics trafficking charges, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon.
Victor Nevarez, 49, who resides in San Jose, California, and Juan Rivera Arzate, 38, also of San Jose, were charged together in a four-person indictment unsealed yesterday with engaging in a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine from December 13, 2020, to March 8, 2022. According to representations by the government attorney at their arraignment hearing yesterday, agents seized more than ten kilograms of methamphetamine, thousands of dollars in cash, and a pistol in conjunction with the arrests of Nevarez and Arzate.
Pedro Gaona Salse, 28, of San Jose, was arrested and arraigned on a complaint filed yesterday with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to the complaint, DEA agents executed a search warrant at Gaona’s residence in the early morning of May 19, 2022. Gaona was present in the home. Next to a toilet in the bathroom nearest Gaona’s bedroom, the agents found approximately 80 grams of a gray substance believed to be fentanyl. At Gaona’s arraignment hearing yesterday, the government attorney represented that agents also found a pistol at Gaona’s residence.
Adhemar Castaneda Becerril, 26, of Gilroy, was arrested and arraigned on a separate complaint filed yesterday charging him with possession with the intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense methamphetamine. According to the complaint, in the early morning of May 19, DEA agents also executed a search warrant at Castaneda’s residence. Castaneda was home at the time. During the search, agents found in the laundry room a saucer pan with a dark liquid substance inside. The dark liquid tested presumptively positive as methamphetamine. The substance weighed approximately 2.6 kilograms (more than 5.8 pounds). According to the complaint, other items were located near the liquid methamphetamine that, in combination, are consistent with clandestine methamphetamine conversion labs.
Nevarez, Arzate, Castaneda, and Gaona appeared for arraignments yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Nathanael M. Cousins. All were detained in custody pending upcoming detention hearings. The hearings are scheduled next week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cousins.
The charges, in sum, include an indictment charging Victor Nevarez, Juan Rivera Arzate, and others, with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B). The complaint against Adhemar Castaneda Becerril charges him with possession with the intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense 50 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B). These charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years in prison, a maximum fine of $5,000,000, and a period of supervised release following imprisonment of at least 4 years. The complaint against Pedro Gaona Salse charges him with possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C). This charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and a period of supervised release following imprisonment of at least 3 years. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Indictments and complaints merely allege that crimes have been committed, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Michael G. Pitman and Daniel Kassabian are the Assistant U.S. Attorneys prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Sahib Kaur. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-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.
Savannah Man Pleads Guilty to Athens Dollar General Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – A Savannah resident has pleaded guilty to robbing an Athens Dollar General Store in 2019, brandishing a firearm and threatening store employees during the crime.
Londell Nunn, 30, of Savannah, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery before U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on Wednesday, May 18. Nunn faces a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.
“Nunn’s armed robbery terrorized store employees and put the Athens community on alert. This kind of violent criminal action will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I want to commend the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and FBI for apprehending Nunn and helping us bring him to justice.”
“Any time an individual takes a gun into a place of business to rob it, victims are traumatized and there is a potential for tragic consequences,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Thanks to the combined efforts with our local partners, Nunn will face serious consequences for his crime.”
According to court documents, Nunn entered the Dollar General located at 1125 West Broad Street in Athens on Sept. 6, 2019. He approached an employee, showed the employee a gun he was keeping in his waistband and demanded money from the cash register. The employee did not have the register keys and called a store manager. The store manager struggled to open the cash register to which Nunn responded, “This is how people get killed.” The register was opened and Nunn escaped with some cash, wearing a ski mask he pulled over his face just before he was handed the money.
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 FBI and Athens-Clarke County Police Department investigated the case.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney and Criminal Chief Shanelle Booker is prosecuting the case.
Salem Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Firearm in Relation to Fentanyl Pill Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salem man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in a case resulting from his role in a prolific drug trafficking organization that supplied counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl to suppliers on the North Shore of Massachusetts.
Ernest Johnson, 34, a/k/a “Yo Pesci,” a/k/a “Mr. Live Mr. Drive,” pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Sept. 13, 2022.
Johnson was arrested and charged in June 2021 along with co-conspirators Vincent Caruso, Laurie Caruso and Nicole Benton. On Oct. 1, 2021, Benton pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing which is set for Sept. 8, 2022. Additional charges were brought against Vincent Caruso by a federal grand jury on Jan. 19, 2022.
According to the charging documents, Johnson was a member of a large drug trafficking organization (DTO) operated by Vincent Caruso, a self-admitted Crip gang member, that included Benton and Vincent Caruso’s mother, Laurie Caruso, among others. The DTO allegedly sold counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl – produced using multiple large pill presses – to street gangs for further distribution on the North Shore of Massachusetts. It is alleged that one pill press weighed 1,000 pounds and was capable of producing 15,000 pills per hour. According to the charging documents, a single counterfeit fentanyl pill retails between $10-$20, thereby generating millions of dollars in retails sales.
Johnson possessed and used firearms in furtherance of the drug trafficking activities. Additionally, Johnson used social media to post and message photos and videos that depicted firearms (including an AR15), fentanyl pills, cash and high-end jewelry. In a number of videos, Johnson described his involvement in shootings, beatings and drug trafficking and identified people he believed to be a “rat” or a “snitch.” Based on prior felony convictions, Johnson was prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy: Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts States Police made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk County District Attorneys’ Offices; Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk and Hancock (Maine) County Sheriffs’ Departments; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine; Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; and the Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Danvers, Everett, Lynn, Malden, Salem, Saugus, Somerville, Revere, Bolton (Maine), Bangor (Maine), Portland (Maine) and Westbrook (Maine) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The operation was conducted by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Roscommon Man Was Sentenced to over 19 Years in Prison on Charges of Possessing, Receiving and Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BAY CITY – A Roscommon County man was sentenced yesterday to 235 months in federal prison on charges of possessing, receiving, and transporting child pornography, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by acting Special Agent in Charge James C.Harris, III, Homeland Security Investigations and Sheriff Ed Stern, Roscommon County Sheriff’s Department.
Sentenced was Scott Lantzy, 49. Lantzy was convicted by a federal jury in October, 2021, after a 4 day trial which was conducted before United States District Judge Thomas Ludington in Bay City. The jury deliberated approximately 45 minutes before returning the guilty verdicts.
According to evidence presented during the trial, Lantzy, is a serial sex offender with four prior CSC convictions, one conviction for accosting a minor, and a Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) related conviction spanning from 1998 until present. Lantzy came to the attention of law enforcement when he impersonated an EMT at a high school football game. During the game, Lantzy came onto the field to aid an injured player. He accompanied the teen to the hospital, where he made his way into the emergency room. He continued to attempt contact with the injured player the following day. A few months before the football game, Lantzy befriended another high school student who testified at the trial. This student testified that while housesitting for Lantzy, Lantzy called him and told him that he had left him a camera and condoms and that the student should send Lantzy pictures of what he and his friend were doing while house sitting. When Lantzy arrived home, the student testified that he saw pictures of child pornography on Lantzy’s personal cell phone. This led detectives from the Roscommon County Sheriff’s Department to execute a search warrant on Lantzy’s home.
Lantzy was convicted of two counts of possession/access with intent to view child pornography; one count of possession of child pornography; one count of transportation of child pornography; and one count of receipt of child pornography.
“Protecting children from dangerous child predators is one of my office’s top priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “I commend our law enforcement partners for their hard work and dedication to investigating and prosecuting crimes against children.”
“Our communities are safer when Lantzy and others like him are behind bars,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris III. “Lantzy’s repeated attempts to lure and exploit children are sickening and I’m proud of the special agents and our law enforcement partners who helped put him away.”
The case was investigated by the Roscommon County Sheriff’s Department and special agents of Homeland Security Investigations in Sault Ste. Marie and Detroit, with assistance from the Michigan State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tim Turkelson and Alison Furtaw.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty in Drug and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics and money laundering laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Tracey Phillips, 36, formerly of the City’s Marshall-Shadeland neighborhood, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from in and around June 2013, and continuing thereafter to on or about March 19, 2014, Phillips conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least five but less than 15 kilograms of cocaine and at least three but less than 10 kilograms or more of heroin. Additionally, from in and around June 2013, and continuing thereafter to on or about March 19, 2014, Phillips conspired with others to knowingly conduct and attempt to conduct financial transactions involving property representing the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for October 4, 2022, at 1:45 pm The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine of not more than $10,500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Charles A. Eberle is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation led the investigation that led to the prosecution of Tracey Phillips.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Physician Assistant Convicted of Distributing over 1.2 Million Opioid PillsRead the Press Release
A Texas physician assistant was convicted today for distributing more than 1.2 million opioid pills during his employment at two Houston-area clinics that operated as pill mills.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, physician assistant Charles Thompson, 76, of Houston, illegally prescribed and helped others illegally prescribe controlled substances to individuals posing as patients at West Parker Medical Clinic (West Parker) and Priority Wellness Clinic (Priority Wellness).
Trial evidence showed that from June 2015 through July 2016, while at West Parker, Thompson helped a doctor unlawfully prescribe hydrocodone and carisoprodol, a combination of controlled substances known as the “Las Vegas Cocktail,” to thousands of individuals posing as patients. Thompson himself also issued unlawful prescriptions for carisoprodol (a muscle relaxant). So-called “runners” brought numerous people to pose as patients at West Parker and paid the clinic approximately $220 to $500 in cash for each visit that resulted in prescriptions for dangerous drugs. Throughout the scheme, West Parker made approximately $1.75 million from prescriptions, from which Thompson was paid over $208,000. A jury previously convicted James Pierre, the doctor who worked at West Parker, of unlawfully prescribing over one million opioid pills.
Court documents and trial evidence also show that Thompson helped others illegally prescribe controlled substances, including hydrocodone and oxycodone, at Priority Wellness from May to July 2017, which opened in December 2016 after West Parker closed. Trial evidence showed that Priority Wellness operated as a pill mill, in a similar manner to West Parker: runners brought people posing as patients to Priority Wellness and paid the clinic between $300 and $600, depending on whether the purported patient was getting a prescription for hydrocodone or oxycodone, almost always prescribed in combination with carisoprodol. Throughout the scheme, Priority Wellness made approximately $1.1 million and Thompson made between $700 and $900 per day in cash.
Thompson was convicted of one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances and seven counts of unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances in connection with his conduct at West Parker. He was convicted of one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances and one count of unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances in connection with his conduct at Priority Wellness. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 3 and faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of conviction. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
To date, six individuals have pleaded guilty in connection with their conduct at West Parker or Priority Wellness.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery for the Southern District of Texas; and Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the DEA’s Houston Division made the announcement.
DEA Houston investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Aleza Remis and Trial Attorney Maryam Adeyola of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Trial Attorney John-Alex Romano of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Muschenheim for the Southern District of Texas is handling forfeiture.
Panamanian Intermediaries Each Sentenced to 36 Months for International Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares (Luis Martinelli Linares) and Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares (Ricardo Martinelli Linares) were each sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for their roles in a massive bribery and money laundering scheme involving Odebrecht S.A. (Odebrecht), a Brazil-based global construction conglomerate. The proceedings were held before United States District Judge Raymond J. Dearie.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Kenneth A. Polite Jr., Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentences.
“The Martinelli brothers used American banks to commit their selfish, greedy fraud – and now it is the American legal system serving justice with today’s sentencing, especially for the people of Panama,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Together, the Department of Justice, this Office and our law enforcement partners stand firm against international corruption and will use all tools at our disposal to root it out.”
“Ricardo and Luis Martinelli Linares directed millions of dollars in bribes through U.S. banks to their own Swiss accounts in order to help Odebrecht gain corrupt influence at the highest levels of the Panamanian government,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s sentences show that the Department of Justice remains committed to prosecuting individuals who enable and profit from laundering corrupt payments to foreign officials through the U.S. financial system, as well as those who attempt to spend the proceeds of corruption in the United States.”
“The defendants laundered millions of dollars in bribes through the U.S. financial system to benefit a close relative and maintain their luxury lifestyles,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s sentencing shows that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to bringing to justice anyone who enables the corruption of public officials for personal gain.”
The overarching Odebrecht scheme involved the payment of more than $700 million in bribes to government officials, public servants, political parties, and others in Panama and other countries around the world to obtain and retain business for the company. On December 21, 2016, Odebrecht pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York to a criminal information charging it with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for its involvement in the bribery and money laundering scheme.
In December 2021, both defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and admitted that they had agreed with others to establish offshore bank accounts in the names of shell companies to receive and disguise over $28 million in bribe proceeds from Odebrecht for the benefit of a close relative, a high-ranking public official in Panama. According to court documents, approximately $19 million of the bribes were transferred through U.S. banks. Luis Martinelli Linares also used some of the proceeds of the scheme to purchase a $1.7 million yacht and a $1.3 million condominium in the United States, and Ricardo Martinelli Linares spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds to pay personal expenses.
Luis Martinelli Linares and Ricardo Martinelli Linares were initially arrested at el Aeropuerto Internacional la Aurora in Guatemala on July 6, 2020, pursuant to a provisional arrest request from the United States, as they were attempting to depart Guatemala on a private plane. The defendants were charged on February 4, 2021, in an indictment in connection with this bribery and money laundering scheme. Both defendants were ultimately extradited from Guatemala.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alixandra Smith of the Office's Business and Securities Fraud Section, Trial Attorney Michael Culhane Harper of the Criminal Division's Fraud Section, and Trial Attorneys Michael Redmann and Barbara Levy of the Criminal Division's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Mantell and Tanisha Payne of the Office's Asset Recovery Sectin are handling forefiture matters. The FBI's International Corruption Unit in New York is investigating this case.
The Defendants:
LUIS ENRIQUE MARTINELLI LINARES
Age: 40
Panama City, PanamaRICARDO ALBERTO MARTINELLI LINARES
Age: 43
Panama City, PanamaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-65 (RJD)
Panama Intermediaries Each Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for International Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
Two brothers, each a dual-citizen of Panama and Italy, were each sentenced to 36 months in prison for laundering $28 million in a bribery and money laundering scheme involving Odebrecht S.A. (Odebrecht), a Brazil-based global construction conglomerate. The defendants were also ordered to forfeit more than $18.8 million, pay a $250,000 fine and serve two years’ supervised release.
Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares, 40, and Ricardo Enrique Martinelli Linares, 42, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and admitted to agreeing with others to establish offshore bank accounts in the names of shell companies to receive and disguise over $28 million in bribe proceeds from Odebrecht for the benefit of a close relative, a high-ranking public official in Panama. According to court documents, approximately $19 million of the bribes were transferred through U.S. banks. Luis Martinelli Linares also used some of the proceeds of the scheme to purchase a $1.7 million yacht and a $1.3 million condominium in the United States, and Ricardo Martinelli Linares spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds to pay personal expenses.
On Dec. 21, 2016, Odebrecht pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York to a criminal information charging it with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) for its involvement in the bribery and money laundering scheme. According to court documents, the scheme involved the payment of more than $700 million in bribes to government officials, public servants, political parties, and others in Panama and other countries around the world to obtain and retain business for the company.
The defendants were initially charged by criminal complaint on June 27, 2020. Pursuant to a provisional arrest request from the United States, they were arrested at el Aeropuerto Internacional la Aurora in Guatemala on July 6, 2020, as they were attempting to depart Guatemala on a private plane, and later held on extradition requests from the United States. Both defendants filed multiple challenges and appeals opposing the extradition request in Guatemalan courts before ultimately being extradited to the United States, Luis Martinelli Linares on Nov. 15, 2021, and Ricardo Martinelli Linares on Dec. 10, 2021.
On Feb. 4, 2021, Luis Martinelli Linares and Ricardo Martinelli Linares were charged with conspiracy and money laundering charges by an indictment filed in federal court in Brooklyn.
“Ricardo and Luis Martinelli Linares directed millions of dollars in bribes through U.S. banks to their own Swiss accounts in order to help Odebrecht gain corrupt influence at the highest levels of the Panamanian government,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s sentences show that the Department of Justice remains committed to prosecuting individuals who enable and profit from laundering corrupt payments to foreign officials through the U.S. financial system, as well as those who attempt to spend the proceeds of corruption in the United States.”
“The Martinelli brothers used American banks to commit their selfish, greedy fraud – and now it is the American legal system serving justice with today’s sentencing, especially for the people of Panama,” said U.S. Attorney Peace. “Together, the Department of Justice, this office and our law enforcement partners stand firm against international corruption and will use all tools at our disposal to root it out.”
“The defendants laundered millions of dollars in bribes through the U.S. financial system to benefit a close relative and maintain their luxury lifestyles,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s sentencing shows that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to bringing to justice anyone who enables the corruption of public officials for personal gain.”
The FBI’s International Corruption Unit in New York is investigating this case, with the support of FBI Legal Attaché Panama. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing their arrest and extradition from Guatemala.
Trial Attorney Michael Culhane Harper of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Barbara Levy and Michael Redmann of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alixandra E. Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Mantell of U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York’s Civil Division is handling forfeiture matters.
Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
The Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative in MLARS was formed to prosecute money launderers and forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where appropriate, to use those recovered assets to benefit the people harmed by the corruption and abuse of office. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to [email protected].
One Defendant Sentenced to Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Two Defendants Plead Guilty to Sex Trafficking Conspiracy and Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
Two Defendants Used Online Ads to Conspire to Cause and Repeatedly Caused a Long Island Minor to Engage in Prostitution
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Robert Gallimore, a resident of Sebring, Florida, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert to 144 months’ imprisonment for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.
Also earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Terron Newsome, also known as “Loso,” and Fredjy Exavier pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge James M. Wicks to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor and sex trafficking of minor (Jane Doe #1). Newsome also admitted during his plea hearing to attempting to engage in the sex trafficking of a 12-year-old victim (Jane Doe #2) in December 2018. When sentenced, each defendant faces up to life in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence, Rodney K. Harrison, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) joined in announcing the guilty pleas.
“These defendants manipulated, abused and exploited children who they saw as objects to control rather than as young people to be cherished and protected,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Along with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to protecting our children and ensuring that those who perpetrate sex crimes against them face serious consequences.”
“These individuals committed unthinkable acts against children, exploiting them for their own personal gain,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Harrison said. “I hope today’s guilty pleas help the victims move forward from these tragedies and I extend my thanks to Eastern District of New York and our law enforcement partners for ensuring these criminals are answering for their heinous crimes.”
The Sentencing
As indicated in court filings, Gallimore was a Florida state corrections officer who, over the period of a week in 2018, caused a 16-year-old Long Island girl to repeatedly generate sexually explicit and masochistic child pornography of herself and to send it to him under the threat that images and videos would be disseminated throughout her school if she did not continue to comply. In addition to terrorizing the victim into producing child pornography at his direction, Gallimore also unsuccessfully sought to solicit sex from the minor victim.
The Guilty Pleas
As charged in the indictment and as stated at the plea hearing, in or about and between March 2014 and December 2018, Newsome and Exavier conspired to engage in the sex trafficking of Jane Doe #1 and used the internet to set up “dates,” i.e. sexual intercourse or other sex acts, with “Johns” for money at various motels on Long Island. During the conspiracy, the defendants knew that Jane Doe #1 was under the age of 18. Newsome also admitted that in December 2018, he attempted to cause Jane Doe #2 to engage in sex trafficking.
Both of the government’s cases are being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Charles N. Rose is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
ROBERT GALLIMORE
Age: 32
Sebring, FloridaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-363 (JS)
TERRON NEWSOME (also known as “Loso”)
Age: 25
Central Islip, New YorkFREDJY EXAVIER
Age: 25
Central Islip, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-70 (DRH)
OK Man Indicted for Hotel Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging an Oklahoma man with two counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery, two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Darrell E. Black, 28, of Midwest City allegedly committed armed robberies at the Extended Stay America hotel in Wichita on May 27, 2017, and at the Days Inn and Suites hotel in Wichita on May 29, 2017.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Tommy Anderson, Sr., 50, of Wichita, Kan. is charged with ten counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of prohibited person in possession of a firearm, two counts of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, two counts of using or maintaining drug premises, and one count of prohibited person in possession of ammunition. The Wichita Police Department is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting the case.
Jaidyn Irving, 22, of Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting the case.
Bradley Wicks, 39, of Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case.
Alberto Vasquez, 48, of Tucson, Ariz., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance-fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.
Ever Quintana-Lopez, 31, of Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, one count of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, one count possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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North Royalton Man Sentenced to Prison for Failure to Pay Taxes Collected from Employees and Embezzling from an Employee Health Care PlanRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that John George Medas, 69, of North Royalton, Ohio, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay $562,505,13 in restitution. Medas previously pleaded guilty to failure to pay over taxes from employees and embezzling from his employees’ healthcare plan.
According to court documents, Medas owned and operated various manufacturing businesses and served as President of Guarantee Product Specialties, Inc., Fulton Manufacturing Industries, LLC, and FMI Products, LLC. Court documents state that while operating these businesses, Medas withheld payroll tax from employees but failed to pay these taxes to the IRS. Court records show that from April 2014 to January 2019, Medas failed to pay over $760,725
In addition, court documents state that between July and September 2016, Medas withheld $3,807 in employee pre-tax health contributions and embezzled the funds.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and the U.S. Department of Labor. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. McDonough.
Nigerian Man Extradited from United Kingdom for Participating in Business Email Compromise ScamsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that CHIBUNDU JOSEPH ANUEBUNWA, a citizen of Nigeria, was extradited from the United Kingdom and arrived in the United States this afternoon. ANUEBUNWA was extradited on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his alleged participation in a multimillion-dollar business email compromise campaign that targeted thousands of victims around the world, including in the United States. ANUEBUNWA will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty. In connection with the same conspiracy as ANUEBUNWA, co-defendant DAVID CHUKWUNEKE ADINDU was previously sentenced to 41 months in prison, and co-defendant ONYEKACHI EMMANUEL OPARA was previously extradited from South Africa and sentenced to 60 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged in the indictment, Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa tried to steal money from thousands of businesses around the world by impersonating corporate executives and sending phony emails to company employees. Today’s extradition should serve as a warning to those who think they can defraud victims in the United States from halfway around the world: the United States and its international partners will find you and hold you accountable no matter how long it takes.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
Between 2014 and 2016, ANUEBUNWA, OPARA, and ADINDU participated in business email compromise scams (“BEC scams”) targeting thousands of victims around the world, including in the United States. As part of the BEC scams, emails were sent to employees of various companies directing that funds be transferred to specified bank accounts. The emails purported to be from supervisors at those companies or third-party vendors that did business with those companies. The emails, however, were not legitimate. Rather, they were either from email accounts with a domain name that was very similar to a legitimate domain name, or the metadata in the emails had been modified so that the emails appeared as if they were from legitimate email addresses. After victims complied with the fraudulent wiring instructions, the transferred funds were quickly withdrawn or moved into different bank accounts. In total, the BEC scams attempted to defraud millions of dollars from victims.
ANUEBUNWA and others carried out BEC scams by exchanging information regarding: (1) bank accounts used for receiving funds from victims; (2) email accounts used for communicating with victims; (3) scripts for requesting wire transfers from victims; and (4) lists of names and email addresses for contacting and impersonating potential victims.
* * *
ANUEBUNWA, 39, of Lagos, Nigeria, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and one count of wire fraud, which also carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the FBI and thanked the Yahoo E-Crime Investigations Team for their assistance. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from the United Kingdom. Mr. Williams also thanked the United Kingdom’s Crown Prosecution Service for their assistance in today’s extradition.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew K. Chan and Daniel Loss are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
New York man arraigned on bank robbery chargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Marc Candelaria, 34, of Wantagh, New York, appeared in federal court on May 19 for an arraignment and detention hearing where he was charged with bank robbery. Candelaria will remain detained until space is available at La Pasada Halfway House, where he will be on conditions of release pending trial.
A federal grand jury indicted Candelaria on May 10. According to the indictment, on Oct. 30, 2021, Candelaria allegedly robbed the Bank of America on Paseo de Peralta in Santa Fe. If convicted, Candelaria faces up to 20 years in prison.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Santa Fe Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado is prosecuting the case.
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New York and Wisconsin Men Convicted at Trial for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Michael Aponte, 32, of Syracuse, New York, and Rawy Correa-Perez, 31, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were convicted on May 19, 2022, following a jury trial before United States Judge Brian C. Buescher, of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Sentencing for both are scheduled for August 25, 2022. Aponte and Correa-Perez are facing a term of imprisonment of at least ten years to life for each count. There is no parole in the federal system.
At trial, Douglas County Nebraska deputies testified that on February 26, 2021, they stopped a vehicle driven by Aponte for a traffic violation. Correa-Perez was a passenger in vehicle. During the contact with Aponte and Correa-Perez, deputies noted several indicators of criminal behavior. Deputies deployed “Bezos”, a certified drug detection canine, who indicated to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed 13, one-kilogram bricks of cocaine in the vehicle’s spare tire.
The Drug Enforcement Administration assisted in the investigation. DEA special agents testified to obtaining and analyzing electronic data that was obtained from Apple, Inc. for both Aponte and Correa-Perez. The electronic data contained photographs consistent with the drug trade. Special agents also provided expert testimony, including that the cocaine had a value of approximately $390,000.
In addition, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Services Bureau assisted in the analysis of both the cocaine and fingerprints that were obtained from the cocaine packaging.
This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
New Haven Man Admits Role in Mail Theft, Identity Theft and Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that MARQUIS WILLIAMS, 45, of New Haven, pleaded guilty yesterday in Hartford federal court to a charge stemming from a mail theft, identity theft and bank fraud scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, since at least 2018 through November 2019, Williams and his associate, Dara Morrison, stole mail from hundreds of residential mailboxes in Connecticut. The mail pieces contained checks, driver’s licenses, passports, social security cards, banking information, and other personally identifying information from businesses and individuals throughout Connecticut, including elderly nursing home residents. Williams and Morrison used stolen identities to produce fake identification, and then used the fake identification to cash or deposit stolen checks. Williams and Morrison also used the stolen checks to create additional, forged copies of checks that they then cashed or deposited into accounts they opened using stolen identities. Morrison also used and attempted to use stolen credit cards.
More than 70 bank fraud victims have been identified during this investigation. The government contends that Williams and Morrison stole $118,452.26 through this scheme, and they attempted to steal another $58,416.
Williams pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on September 14.
Morrison, 41, of New Haven, pleaded guilty to the same offense on May 12, 2021. She also awaits sentencing.
Williams and Morrison are detained pending sentencing.
Williams’ and Morrison’s criminal histories include prior federal convictions for similar crimes. In 2002, Williams was sentenced to 51 months of imprisonment for conspiracy, identity fraud and credit card fraud offenses.
This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service and the Hamden, Wallingford, Waterford, Guilford and Old Saybrook Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Oakes and Hal Chen.
New Bern Man Receives 18 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine, Cocaine and Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Jonathan Pak, 36, of Craven County, was sentenced to 216 months in prison for the distribution of approximately five kilograms of methamphetamine, two and a half kilograms of cocaine, more than 390 grams of heroin and 160 grams of fentanyl.
According to court documents, evidence presented in court and other documents, from December 2019, up to and including January 2020, the United States Postal Service (USPS) seized two packages each containing one pound of methamphetamine, and one package containing half a kilogram of cocaine addressed to addresses associated with Pak. Additionally, ATF agents discovered that Pak had received 34 packages from October 2018 until January 2020 to various addresses.
On January 20, 2021, Craven County Sheriff’s Deputies and New Bern Police Detectives, working with ATF, made a controlled purchase from Pak of 16 grams of heroin in the Academy Sports parking lot in New Bern, North Carolina. On January 26, 2021, Detectives made a traffic stop of Pak following a sale Pak made of a quantity of heroin in the Lowe’s Home Improvement parking lot in New Bern. Law enforcement recovered more than 900 grams of methamphetamine, 160 grams of fentanyl and more than 100 grams of heroin.
This is part of operation “Fighting Jelly Fish” which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, 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.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security, United States Postal Service, the Craven and Onslow County Sheriffs’ Office and the New Bern and Kinston Police Departments investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo 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. 4:21-cr-00033-M-1.