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29 June 2022
Justice Department’s Criminal Division Creates New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force to Focus on Illegal Opioid PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
WATCH THE ANNOUNCEMENTAssistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division today announced the formation of the New England Prescription Opioid (NEPO) Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of the Health Care Fraud Unit in the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for three federal districts, as well as law enforcement partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the FBI. The mission of the NEPO Strike Force is to identify and investigate health care fraud schemes in the New England region, and to effectively and efficiently prosecute individuals involved in the illegal distribution of prescription opioids and other prescribed controlled substances. The NEPO Strike Force will primarily target criminal conduct by physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals, focusing upon both health care fraud and drug diversion offenses, as relevant based upon the facts of the particular case.
“This NEPO Strike Force expands and sharpens the Justice Department’s response to the nation’s opioid epidemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In the last year, more than 75,000 people in the United States lost their lives due to overdose. Since 2018, some of the greatest spikes in the drug overdose death rate have occurred in New England. The NEPO Strike Force will help to address one of the root causes of the epidemic: unlawful prescription and diversion of opioids. Together with our partners, we will fulfill the department’s solemn promise to deploy critical resources to address the opioid crisis.”
Assistant Attorney General Polite was joined in the announcement in Concord, New Hampshire, by U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire; U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont; Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of HHS-OIG; Assistant Administrator Kristi N. O’Malley of the DEA Diversion Control Division; and Acting Deputy Assistant Director Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
“The formation of NEPO presents a tremendous opportunity for our three Northern New England states to disrupt the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire. “As a state, we are grateful to the Department of Justice to be part of this initiative and excited that it will be based here in New Hampshire.”
“Maine’s opioid overdose death rate has skyrocketed, and law enforcement has identified the opioid epidemic as the number one issue officers face,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “While the trafficking of illegal drugs, in particular fentanyl, is well publicized, 23% of overdose deaths in Maine are the result of pharmaceutical opioids, and many of those who died from illicit substances very likely first tried pharmaceuticals, either their own or those of a friend or family member. This Strike Force will provide vital resources to help fight a growing epidemic, and along with our partners, we will pursue any medical personnel who misuse their position to endanger lives through the overprescribing of opioids for their own financial gain.”
“The announcement of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners in Vermont and elsewhere to hold accountable health care providers who exploit the opioid epidemic for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “Health care providers who issue illegal opioid prescriptions undermine important efforts to address the epidemic while putting patients at risk of overdose and physical harm.”
“HHS-OIG is unwavering in our commitment to hold accountable providers who illegally prescribe opioids for personal profit while neglecting the safety and wellbeing of their patients,” said Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Along with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is proud to support the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force in a collaborative effort to assist communities plagued by the opioid epidemic.”
“At a time when the United States is losing tens of thousands of Americans to opioid overdoses every year, it has never been more critical to ensure doctors and health care practitioners are prioritizing the safety and health of their patients,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The creation of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force further strengthens our important cooperation with partners in the region to hold accountable any practitioner who recklessly distributes opioid medications.”
“The formation of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force provides the FBI and our law enforcement partners with important collective resources to combat health care fraud and drug diversion schemes within the region,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI will not tolerate those medical professionals willing to sacrifice patients’ health for their personal profit and will work tirelessly to root out and bring to justice those individuals who illegally distribute prescription opioids and other controlled substances.”
The NEPO Strike Force will operate as a partnership between prosecutors and data analysts with the Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont, and special agents with HHS-OIG, DEA, and the FBI. It will operate out of the Concord, New Hampshire, area, supporting the three districts that make up the NEPO Strike Force region. In addition, the NEPO Strike Force will work closely with other federal and state law enforcement agencies, including the State Medicaid Fraud Control Units.
Today’s NEPO Strike Force announcement builds on the demonstrated success of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in late 2018, ARPO has partnered with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. Over the past three years, ARPO has charged 111 defendants, collectively responsible for issuing prescriptions for over 115 million controlled substance pills. To date, more than 60 ARPO defendants have been convicted.
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Information about available treatment programs is available as follows:
New Hampshire: For a referral to addiction treatment services, please call 211. If you or a loved one is in a substance use crisis please call/text the New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point at 1-833-710-6477. New Hampshire residents can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Maine: The Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach Naloxone and Safety (OPTIONS) initiative is a coordinated effort of the Maine Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) and other state agencies to improve the health of Mainers using substances through harm reduction strategies, helping them on the road to recovery, and dramatically reducing the number of fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses. Go to https://knowyouroptions.me. If you or a loved one are struggling with opiate addiction, please contact 211 to receive help and find information about local treatment programs.
Vermont: No matter where in Vermont you are, there are resources to help. Vermont 211 (https://vermont211.org/) is available. To speak to someone about substance use resources including treatment options, call VT Helplink 802-565-LINK (toll free at 833-565-LINK) or visit online at VTHelplink.org, and Vermont Alcohol and Abuse Programs (802-651-1550). All information and referral services are free and confidential.
For individuals seeking help in other states, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.
Justice Department’s Criminal Division Creates New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force to Focus on Illegal Opioid PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division today announced the formation of the New England Prescription Opioid (NEPO) Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of the Health Care Fraud Unit in the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for three federal districts, as well as law enforcement partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the FBI. The mission of the NEPO Strike Force is to identify and investigate health care fraud schemes in the New England region, and to effectively and efficiently prosecute individuals involved in the illegal distribution of prescription opioids and other prescribed controlled substances. The NEPO Strike Force will primarily target criminal conduct by physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals, focusing upon both health care fraud and drug diversion offenses, as relevant based upon the facts of the particular case.
“This NEPO Strike Force expands and sharpens the Justice Department’s response to the nation’s opioid epidemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In the last year, more than 75,000 people in the United States lost their lives due to overdose. Since 2018, some of the greatest spikes in the drug overdose death rate have occurred in New England. The NEPO Strike Force will help to address one of the root causes of the epidemic: unlawful prescription and diversion of opioids. Together with our partners, we will fulfill the department’s solemn promise to deploy critical resources to address the opioid crisis.”
Assistant Attorney General Polite was joined in the announcement in Concord, New Hampshire, by U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire; U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont; Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of HHS-OIG; Assistant Administrator Kristi N. O’Malley of the DEA Diversion Control Division; and Acting Deputy Assistant Director Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
“The formation of NEPO presents a tremendous opportunity for our three Northern New England states to disrupt the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire. “As a state, we are grateful to the Department of Justice to be part of this initiative and excited that it will be based here in New Hampshire.”
“Maine’s opioid overdose death rate has skyrocketed, and law enforcement has identified the opioid epidemic as the number one issue officers face,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “While the trafficking of illegal drugs, in particular fentanyl, is well publicized, 23% of overdose deaths in Maine are the result of pharmaceutical opioids, and many of those who died from illicit substances very likely first tried pharmaceuticals, either their own or those of a friend or family member. This Strike Force will provide vital resources to help fight a growing epidemic, and along with our partners, we will pursue any medical personnel who misuse their position to endanger lives through the overprescribing of opioids for their own financial gain.”
“The announcement of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners in Vermont and elsewhere to hold accountable health care providers who exploit the opioid epidemic for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “Health care providers who issue illegal opioid prescriptions undermine important efforts to address the epidemic while putting patients at risk of overdose and physical harm.”
“HHS-OIG is unwavering in our commitment to hold accountable providers who illegally prescribe opioids for personal profit while neglecting the safety and wellbeing of their patients,” said Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Along with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is proud to support the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force in a collaborative effort to assist communities plagued by the opioid epidemic.”
“At a time when the United States is losing tens of thousands of Americans to opioid overdoses every year, it has never been more critical to ensure doctors and health care practitioners are prioritizing the safety and health of their patients,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The creation of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force further strengthens our important cooperation with partners in the region to hold accountable any practitioner who recklessly distributes opioid medications.”
“The formation of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force provides the FBI and our law enforcement partners with important collective resources to combat health care fraud and drug diversion schemes within the region,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI will not tolerate those medical professionals willing to sacrifice patients’ health for their personal profit and will work tirelessly to root out and bring to justice those individuals who illegally distribute prescription opioids and other controlled substances.”
The NEPO Strike Force will operate as a partnership between prosecutors and data analysts with the Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont, and special agents with HHS-OIG, DEA, and the FBI. It will operate out of the Concord, New Hampshire, area, supporting the three districts that make up the NEPO Strike Force region. In addition, the NEPO Strike Force will work closely with other federal and state law enforcement agencies, including the State Medicaid Fraud Control Units.
Today’s NEPO Strike Force announcement builds on the demonstrated success of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in late 2018, ARPO has partnered with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. Over the past three years, ARPO has charged 111 defendants, collectively responsible for issuing prescriptions for over 115 million controlled substance pills. To date, more than 60 ARPO defendants have been convicted.
*********
Information about available treatment programs is available as follows:
New Hampshire: For a referral to addiction treatment services, please call 211. If you or a loved one is in a substance use crisis please call/text the New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point at 1-833-710-6477. New Hampshire residents can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Maine: The Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach Naloxone and Safety (OPTIONS) initiative is a coordinated effort of the Maine Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) and other state agencies to improve the health of Mainers using substances through harm reduction strategies, helping them on the road to recovery, and dramatically reducing the number of fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses. Go to https://knowyouroptions.me. If you or a loved one are struggling with opiate addiction, please contact 211 to receive help and find information about local treatment programs.
Vermont: No matter where in Vermont you are, there are resources to help. Vermont 211 (https://vermont211.org/) is available. To speak to someone about substance use resources including treatment options, call VT Helplink 802-565-LINK (toll free at 833-565-LINK) or visit online at VTHelplink.org, and Vermont Alcohol and Abuse Programs (802-651-1550). All information and referral services are free and confidential.
For individuals seeking help in other states, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.
Justice Department’s Criminal Division Creates New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force to Focus on Illegal Opioid PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
CONCORD, N.H. – Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division today announced the formation of the New England Prescription Opioid (NEPO) Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of the Health Care Fraud Unit in the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for three federal districts, as well as law enforcement partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the FBI. The mission of the NEPO Strike Force is to identify and investigate health care fraud schemes in the New England region, and to effectively and efficiently prosecute individuals involved in the illegal distribution of prescription opioids and other prescribed controlled substances. The NEPO Strike Force will primarily target criminal conduct by physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals, focusing upon both health care fraud and drug diversion offenses, as relevant based upon the facts of the particular case.
“This NEPO Strike Force expands and sharpens the Justice Department’s response to the nation’s opioid epidemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In the last year, more than 75,000 people in the United States lost their lives due to overdose. Since 2018, some of the greatest spikes in the drug overdose death rate have occurred in New England. The NEPO Strike Force will help to address one of the root causes of the epidemic: unlawful prescription and diversion of opioids. Together with our partners, we will fulfill the department’s solemn promise to deploy critical resources to address the opioid crisis.”
Assistant Attorney General Polite was joined in the announcement in Concord, New Hampshire, by U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire; U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont; Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of HHS-OIG; Assistant Administrator Kristi N. O’Malley of the DEA Diversion Control Division; and Acting Deputy Assistant Director Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
“The formation of NEPO presents a tremendous opportunity for our three Northern New England states to disrupt the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire. “As a state, we are grateful to the Department of Justice to be part of this initiative and excited that it will be based here in New Hampshire.”
“Maine’s opioid overdose death rate has skyrocketed, and law enforcement has identified the opioid epidemic as the number one issue officers face,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “While the trafficking of illegal drugs, in particular fentanyl, is well publicized, 23% of overdose deaths in Maine are the result of pharmaceutical opioids, and many of those who died from illicit substances very likely first tried pharmaceuticals, either their own or those of a friend or family member. This Strike Force will provide vital resources to help fight a growing epidemic, and along with our partners, we will pursue any medical personnel who misuse their position to endanger lives through the overprescribing of opioids for their own financial gain.”
“The announcement of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners in Vermont and elsewhere to hold accountable health care providers who exploit the opioid epidemic for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “Health care providers who issue illegal opioid prescriptions undermine important efforts to address the epidemic while putting patients at risk of overdose and physical harm.”
“HHS-OIG is unwavering in our commitment to hold accountable providers who illegally prescribe opioids for personal profit while neglecting the safety and wellbeing of their patients,” said Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Along with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is proud to support the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force in a collaborative effort to assist communities plagued by the opioid epidemic.”
“At a time when the United States is losing tens of thousands of Americans to opioid overdoses every year, it has never been more critical to ensure doctors and health care practitioners are prioritizing the safety and health of their patients,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The creation of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force further strengthens our important cooperation with partners in the region to hold accountable any practitioner who recklessly distributes opioid medications.”
“The formation of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force provides the FBI and our law enforcement partners with important collective resources to combat health care fraud and drug diversion schemes within the region,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI will not tolerate those medical professionals willing to sacrifice patients’ health for their personal profit and will work tirelessly to root out and bring to justice those individuals who illegally distribute prescription opioids and other controlled substances.”
The NEPO Strike Force will operate as a partnership between prosecutors and data analysts with the Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont, and special agents with HHS-OIG, DEA, and the FBI. It will operate out of the Concord, New Hampshire, area, supporting the three districts that make up the NEPO Strike Force region. In addition, the NEPO Strike Force will work closely with other federal and state law enforcement agencies, including the State Medicaid Fraud Control Units.
Today’s NEPO Strike Force announcement builds on the demonstrated success of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in late 2018, ARPO has partnered with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. Over the past three years, ARPO has charged 111 defendants, collectively responsible for issuing prescriptions for over 115 million controlled substance pills. To date, more than 60 ARPO defendants have been convicted.
*********
Information about available treatment programs is available as follows:
New Hampshire: For a referral to addiction treatment services, please call 211. If you or a loved one is in a substance use crisis please call/text the New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point at 1-833-710-6477. New Hampshire residents can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Maine: The Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach Naloxone and Safety (OPTIONS) initiative is a coordinated effort of the Maine Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) and other state agencies to improve the health of Mainers using substances through harm reduction strategies, helping them on the road to recovery, and dramatically reducing the number of fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses. Go to https://knowyouroptions.me. If you or a loved one are struggling with opiate addiction, please contact 211 to receive help and find information about local treatment programs.
Vermont: No matter where in Vermont you are, there are resources to help. Vermont 211 (https://vermont211.org/) is available. To speak to someone about substance use resources including treatment options, call VT Helplink 802-565-LINK (toll free at 833-565-LINK) or visit online at VTHelplink.org, and Vermont Alcohol and Abuse Programs (802-651-1550). All information and referral services are free and confidential.
For individuals seeking help in other states, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP(4357) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.Justice Department's Criminal Division Creates New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force to Focus on Illegal Opioid PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force to Combat Unlawful Prescribing Amidst Continuing Opioid Epidemic
CONCORD, N.H. – Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division today announced the formation of the New England Prescription Opioid (NEPO) Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of the Health Care Fraud Unit in the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for three federal districts, as well as law enforcement partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the FBI. The mission of the NEPO Strike Force is to identify and investigate health care fraud schemes in the New England region, and to effectively and efficiently prosecute individuals involved in the illegal distribution of prescription opioids and other prescribed controlled substances. The NEPO Strike Force will primarily target criminal conduct by physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals, focusing upon both health care fraud and drug diversion offenses, as relevant based upon the facts of the particular case.
“This NEPO Strike Force expands and sharpens the Justice Department’s response to the nation’s opioid epidemic,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In the last year, more than 75,000 people in the United States lost their lives due to overdose. Since 2018, some of the greatest spikes in the drug overdose death rate have occurred in New England. The NEPO Strike Force will help to address one of the root causes of the epidemic: unlawful prescription and diversion of opioids. Together with our partners, we will fulfill the department’s solemn promise to deploy critical resources to address the opioid crisis.”
Assistant Attorney General Polite was joined in the announcement in Concord, New Hampshire, by U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire; U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont; Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of HHS-OIG; Assistant Administrator Kristi N. O’Malley of the DEA Diversion Control Division; and Acting Deputy Assistant Director Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
“The formation of NEPO presents a tremendous opportunity for our three Northern New England states to disrupt the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young for the District of New Hampshire. “As a state, we are grateful to the Department of Justice to be part of this initiative and excited that it will be based here in New Hampshire.”
“Maine’s opioid overdose death rate has skyrocketed, and law enforcement has identified the opioid epidemic as the number one issue officers face,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “While the trafficking of illegal drugs, in particular fentanyl, is well publicized, 23% of overdose deaths in Maine are the result of pharmaceutical opioids, and many of those who died from illicit substances very likely first tried pharmaceuticals, either their own or those of a friend or family member. This Strike Force will provide vital resources to help fight a growing epidemic, and along with our partners, we will pursue any medical personnel who misuse their position to endanger lives through the overprescribing of opioids for their own financial gain.”
“The announcement of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners in Vermont and elsewhere to hold accountable health care providers who exploit the opioid epidemic for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “Health care providers who issue illegal opioid prescriptions undermine important efforts to address the epidemic while putting patients at risk of overdose and physical harm.”
“HHS-OIG is unwavering in our commitment to hold accountable providers who illegally prescribe opioids for personal profit while neglecting the safety and wellbeing of their patients,” said Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Along with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG is proud to support the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force in a collaborative effort to assist communities plagued by the opioid epidemic.”
“At a time when the United States is losing tens of thousands of Americans to opioid overdoses every year, it has never been more critical to ensure doctors and healthcare practitioners are prioritizing the safety and health of their patients,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The creation of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force further strengthens our important cooperation with partners in the region to hold accountable any practitioner who recklessly distributes opioid medications.”
“The formation of the New England Prescription Opioid Strike Force provides the FBI and our law enforcement partners with important collective resources to combat health care fraud and drug diversion schemes within the region,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI will not tolerate those medical professionals willing to sacrifice patients’ health for their personal profit and will work tirelessly to root out and bring to justice those individuals who illegally distribute prescription opioids and other controlled substances.”
The NEPO Strike Force will operate as a partnership between prosecutors and data analysts with the Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont, and special agents with HHS-OIG, DEA, and the FBI. It will operate out of the Concord, New Hampshire, area, supporting the three districts that make up the NEPO Strike Force region. In addition, the NEPO Strike Force will work closely with other federal and state law enforcement agencies, including the State Medicaid Fraud Control Units.
Today’s NEPO Strike Force announcement builds on the demonstrated success of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in late 2018, ARPO has partnered with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. Over the past three years, ARPO has charged 111 defendants, collectively responsible for issuing prescriptions for over 115,000,000 controlled substance pills. To date, more than 60 ARPO defendants have been convicted.
*********
For anyone needing information about available treatment programs, it is available as follows:
New Hampshire: For a referral to addiction treatment services, please call 211. If you or a loved one is in a substance use crisis please call/text the New Hampshire Rapid Response Access Point at 1-833-710-6477. New Hampshire residents can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Maine: The Overdose Prevention Through Intensive Outreach Naloxone and Safety (OPTIONS) initiative is a coordinated effort of the Maine Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) and other state agencies to improve the health of Mainers using substances through harm reduction strategies, helping them on the road to recovery, and dramatically reducing the number of fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses. Go to https://knowyouroptions.me. If you or a loved one are struggling with opiate addiction, please contact 211, where Maine residents can receive help and find information about local treatment programs.
Vermont: No matter where in Vermont you are, there are resources to help. Vermont 2-1-1(https://vermont211.org/) is available. To speak to someone about substance use resources including treatment options, call VT Helplink 802-565-LINK (toll free at 833-565-LINK) or visit online at VTHelplink.org, and Vermont Alcohol and Abuse Programs (802-651-1550). All information and referral services are free and confidential.
For individuals seeking help in other states, please call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP(4357) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.
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Justice Department Sues to Block Booz Allen Hamilton’s Proposed Acquisition of EverWatchRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today to block Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation’s (Booz Allen) proposed acquisition of EverWatch Corp. (EverWatch), a subsidiary of EC Defense Holdings LLC. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, alleges that the merger agreement threatens imminent competition for a government contract to provide operational modeling and simulation services to the National Security Agency (NSA). Unless enjoined, the transaction would eliminate competition for this defense contract, leaving NSA to face a monopoly bidder.
“Booz Allen’s agreement to acquire EverWatch imperils competition in a market that is vital to our national security,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Both the acquisition agreement and the underlying transaction violate federal antitrust law.”
NSA periodically issues a contract for the provision of operational modeling and simulation services to support its signals intelligence data missions. As part of the procurement process, it plans to issue requests for proposals for the next iteration of this contract imminently. Prior to the merger agreement, Booz Allen and EverWatch competed head-to-head to win this NSA contract. Shortly before NSA was scheduled to release the requests for proposal, however, Booz Allen decided to buy its only rival instead. The complaint alleges that the merger agreement violates Section 1 of the Sherman Act because it immediately reduced each company’s incentive to bid aggressively. The complaint further alleges that the proposed transaction substantially lessens competition, in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act.
As alleged in the complaint, NSA is a leading defense intelligence agency, specializing in cryptology, signals intelligence, and cybersecurity, and is responsible for providing signals intelligence to our nation’s policymakers and armed forces. Signals intelligence, which is derived from electronic signals and emissions in communications systems, plays a vital role in our national security by providing America’s leaders with critical information needed to defend the United States and to advance the country’s goals and alliances globally.
Booz Allen is a publicly traded professional services company that provides a broad range of services and solutions in management, technology, consulting and engineering. Booz Allen is incorporated in the State of Delaware. It is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, and has an office in Annapolis Junction, Maryland.
EverWatch is a subsidiary of EC Defense Holdings LLC, which is itself owned by the private equity firm Enlightenment Capital. EverWatch provides a range of services to the defense and intelligence community focused on data science, intelligence and cybersecurity. EverWatch is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, and has an office in Annapolis Junction, Maryland.
Justice Department Secures Relief for U.S. Navy Reservist Against Florida Manufacturer Tapesouth Inc.Read the Press Release
The Justice Department announced that it had resolved a claim that Tapesouth Inc. violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) by failing to promptly reemploy U.S. Navy Reservist James Radtke following his leave for a military service obligation. Radtke is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve assigned to Unmanned Patrol Squadron 19 at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida.
“Given the sacrifices that servicemembers already make every day, and the uncertainties they face during their military service obligations, it is simply inexcusable when employers violate USERRA by failing to promptly reemploy them in their proper positions upon the completion of their service obligations,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “We honor all servicemembers for their service to our nation, and this settlement signals the Justice Department’s ongoing commitment to protecting and enforcing their rights under federal law.”
In March 2020, Lt. Cdr. Radtke notified Tapesouth Inc. that he would be away on a full-time active-duty military service obligation from April through July 2020. Radtke alleged that after contacting Tapesouth Inc. in July 2020, to return to his previous position as the company’s Vice President of Operations, Tapesouth Inc. terminated his employment in violation of USERRA. Under the terms of the settlement, Tapesouth Inc. has agreed to compensate Radtke for lost income in the amount of $2,500 and provide USERRA training to all its employees.
Congress enacted USERRA to encourage non-career service in the uniformed services by reducing employment disadvantages; to minimize the disruption to the lives of persons performing military service, their employers and others, by providing for the prompt reemployment of such persons upon their completion of such service; and to prohibit discrimination against persons because of their service in the uniformed services or if they pursue a claim under USERRA.
The Department of Labor (DOL) referred this matter following an investigation by their Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. The Employment Litigation Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division handled the case and continues to work collaboratively with the DOL to protect the jobs and benefits of military members. The Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at www.justice.gov/crt-military/employment-rights-userra and www.justice.gov/servicemembers, as well as on the Department of Labor’s website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.
Inmate at Federal Correctional Institution Sentenced for Committing Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – A federal prisoner housed at the Federal Correctional Institution in Pollock, Louisiana (FCI-Pollock) has been sentenced for voluntary manslaughter, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Jose G. Mercado-Gonzalez, 27, has been sentenced by United States District Judge David C. Joseph to spend an additional 135 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for this offense.
On October 16, 2021, Mercado-Gonzalez was an inmate at the Bureau of Prisons, FCI-Pollock. On that date, Mercado-Gonzalez was moved to a cell in the Special Housing Unit at FCI-Pollock where he had an altercation which ended in him killing his cellmate. When the victim was found by officers at the prison, he had sustained injuries which caused him to lose his life.
A federal grand jury charged Mercado-Gonzalez on March 24, 2021 and he pleaded guilty to the charge of voluntary manslaughter on March 17, 2022. At the time of this offense, Mercado-Gonzalez was serving a federal sentence for re-entry of a removed alien.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg.
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Inmate admits to assaulting another inmate, sentencedRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Mark Justin Daniels, an inmate at Federal Corrections Institution Hazelton in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 24 months of incarceration after admitting to an assault charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Daniels, 36, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm.” Daniels admitted to assaulting another inmate in January 2021.
His sentence will run consecutively to any sentence he is currently serving.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Prisons investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Indictment Charges New Haven Man with Robbery and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging JERMAINE CANNON, 19, of New Haven, with charges stemming from two gunpoint robberies of a New Haven business in November 2021.
The indictment was returned on June 7, 2022. On June 24, Cannon appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. He has been detained since his arrest on state charges on November 11, 2021.
The indictment alleges that on November 10, 2021, and again on November 11, 2021, Cannon, brandishing a firearm, robbed Howard Mini Mart & Deli, located on Howard Avenue in New Haven.
The indictment charges Cannon with two counts of interference with commerce by robbery, an offense that carries a maximum term imprisonment of 20 years, and two counts of carrying, using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that carries mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of at least seven years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
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.
Hickory Man Is Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced Koby Dale Tevepaugh, 32, of Hickory, N.C., to 235 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for drug trafficking and firearm offenses, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
According to filed documents and court proceedings, between September and November 2021, Tevepaugh trafficked large amounts of methamphetamine in and around Catawba County. On November 10, 2021, Tevepaugh shot a firearm at a neighbor and proceeded to barricade himself in his home. Court records show that Tevepaugh eventually surrendered to law enforcement. Upon his surrender, law enforcement seized from Tevepaugh’s residence four kilograms of methamphetamine, $189,270 in cash, and five firearms. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized an additional $22,465 in drug proceeds. Tevepaugh has multiple prior convictions for Breaking and Entering, First Degree Burglary, and felony drug offenses, which resulted in an increased sentence.
Tevepaugh previously pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of, and possession with intent to distribute, methamphetamine and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation which has led to the federal prosecution of more than 60 individuals for drug trafficking. Law enforcement have also seized more than 27 kilograms of cocaine, 3.5 kilograms of heroin, 29 kilograms of fentanyl, 49 kilograms of methamphetamine, 70 firearms, more than $385,000 in cash, and over $800,000 in other property.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the Homeland Security Investigations; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations; the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office; Burke County Sheriff’s Office; the Hickory Police Department; the Morganton Department of Public Safety; the Longview Police Department; the Huntersville Police Department, and the Gastonia Police Department for their coordination and investigation of the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven Kaufman, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Hanover Paving Company Owner Sentenced for Million-Dollar Tax Evasion SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a commercial and residential paving business in Hanover was sentenced today for a tax evasion scheme in which he failed to report nearly $1.7 million in income.
William E. Dyer, 57, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to one year and one day in prison and one year of supervised release. Dyer was also ordered to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $597,881. On Nov. 18, 2021, Dyer pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion.
Dyer owned and operated Pilgrim Paving. From 2014 through 2018, Dyer diverted payments from Pilgrim Paving customers by directing customers to write checks to him and then cashing those checks. Dyer failed to report over $1.7 million in diverted receipts and additional business deposits on the tax returns that he filed or that he directed a tax preparer to file on his behalf. As a result of this conduct, Dyer underreported his personal income tax obligations, causing a loss to the Internal Revenue Service of nearly $600,000.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Hagerstown, Maryland Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty to Federal Fentanyl and Heroin Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Thamar Smith, age 48, of Hagerstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; and Sheriff Douglas Mullendore of the Washington County Narcotics Task Force.
According to his guilty plea, on March 18, 2019, law enforcement received an anonymous tip from a Hagerstown, Maryland storage facility customer reporting that an individual driving a large SUV and a storage unit conducted a suspected drug deal at the facility. Law enforcement determined that the reported vehicle was registered to Smith and that the unit had been rented to Smith under a fraudulent New York State driver’s license that bore Smith’s photograph and the alias “Michael Silver”.
From March 20 to April 24, 2019, law enforcement surveilled activity at the suspected unit on a daily basis and observed Smith opening the storage unit to weigh and process suspected narcotics for distribution. Smith accessed the storage unit on 39 separate occasions and obtained at least 250 grams of narcotics during his visits.
Through further investigation, law enforcement determined that Smith supplied narcotics to Tyler and Eddie Ware, Hagerstown, Maryland heroin and fentanyl drug dealers. On at least 30 separate occasions between April 8 and May 8, 2019, Smith visited Tyler Ware’s residence. Additionally, in Through further investigation, law enforcement determined that Smith supplied narcotics to Tyler and Eddie Ware, who were Hagerstown, Maryland heroin and fentanyl drug dealers. On at least 30 separate occasions between April 8 and May 8, 2019, Smith visited Tyler Ware’s residence. Additionally, in less than one month, Smith and Tyler contacted each other 714 times by cell phone.
As stated in his plea agreement, on August 9, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Smith’s Hagerstown, Maryland residence. During the execution of the search warrant, Smith informed law enforcement that he had a storage unit in Hagerstown, Maryland and told officers where he kept the keys to the unit.
As a result of the executed search warrant at Smith’s storage unit, law enforcement located 15.4 grams of heroin, 8.9 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin, digital scales with suspected heroin residue, numerous small plastic baggies, and a glass jar containing a suspected cutting agent.
Tyler and Eddie Ware pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl on October 28, 2020, and January 11, 2021; respectively.
Smith and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Smith will be sentenced to 92 months in federal prison followed by 4 years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for October 7, 2022, at 9:30 a.m.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA and the Washington County Narcotics Task Force for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christina A. Hoffman and Joan Mathias, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Habitual Armed Felon Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Third Illegal Firearm Possession OffenseRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE – Rodney Allen Cannon, Jr., 36, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release.
According to court documents, on February 13, 2021, officers with the Evansville Police Department stopped Cannon for committing multiple traffic violations. Further investigation led to a search of the vehicle where officers located a loaded pistol belonging to Cannon underneath the driver’s seat. Cannon is prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions, including dealing in cocaine in Marion County, Indiana, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, also in Marion County. Cannon was also previously convicted of a felony in federal court for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Cannon was still on federal supervised release for that conviction at the time of his arrest.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Evansville Police Chief Billy Bolin made the announcement.
The Evansville Police Department investigated the case. The Vanderburgh County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also provided valuable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young following the defendant’s guilty plea. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Gulfport Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Calfus W. Drummond (37, Gulfport) to 11 years and 6 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; cocaine and marijuana; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Drummond had pleaded guilty on December 7, 2021. This federal sentence is to run consecutive to a 7-year prison sentence that a state court previously imposed on Drummond for possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute. The court also ordered Drummond to forfeit a Glock 19 pistol, Romrarm/Cuigar Draco pistol, Iver Johnson revolver, FIE E22 pistol, Glock 17 pistol, Ruger P90 pistol and 177 rounds of ammunition.
According to court documents, on October 9, 2018, Drummond pleaded nolo contendere to a 10-count Information in state court in Manatee County. The state charges that Drummond had pleaded to include possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute. Drummond was on bond when he pleaded guilty and later failed to appear for his sentencing, becoming a fugitive.
On February 4, 2021, law enforcement officers located Drummond at a hotel in Manatee County. The officers detained Drummond as he was getting into his car. The officers recovered a loaded firearm from the passenger seat of the car. The firearm was located underneath a backpack that officers had observed Drummond carrying. The officers searched the backpack and discovered 15 grams of fentanyl, 13.8 grams of methamphetamine, and 57 grams of cocaine. The officers also recovered four pounds of marijuana from inside Drummond’s car. More than $6,700.00 was seized from Drummond’s person during a search incident to arrest.
On that same day, subsequent to Drummond’s arrest, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Drummond’s residence and located two bags near Drummond’s front door. One bag contained three firearms, 35 grams of cocaine, 2 grams of fentanyl, and 210 grams of methamphetamine. The second bag contained nearly 1,890 grams of fentanyl and 115 grams of marijuana. Officers also officer recovered $9,836, a Ruger 45, and ammunition from Drummond’s bedroom, an additional 29 grams of fentanyl, 349 grams of methamphetamine, and 116 grams of marijuana were located inside the home. Two firearms and assorted ammunition were recovered from a shed located the back of the residence.
This case was investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
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.
Guatemalan Citizen Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALPINE – Robinson Mendoza-Gomez, 22, a Guatemalan citizen, was sentenced on Monday to 21 months for assaulting a federal officer.
According to court documents, on December 14, 2021, Border Patrol agents near Van Horn attempted to apprehend a group of suspected undocumented noncitizens. Mendoza demanded one of the agents release a person in the group. Mendoza then charged and struck the agent injuring the agent’s face.
“An assault on a federal officer is detrimental to a peaceful society and impacts us all,” said Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Callahan. “The United States Attorney’s Office takes such violations seriously and will vigorously prosecute them.”
“The men and women of the United States Border Patrol work tirelessly to keep our borders safe every day,” said FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey. “Assaults on Border Patrol agents or any other law enforcement officer will not be tolerated and will be investigated swiftly by our office so they can continue to carry out their sworn duty to protect our community and nation.”
On March 2, 2022, Mendoza pleaded guilty to one count of Forcibly Assaulting a Federal Officer. Mendoza has remained in federal custody since his arrest on December 14, 2021.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott V. Greenbaum prosecuted the case.
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Greene County man who shot ODNR officer sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for illegal gun possessionRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Greene County man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to nine years and 364 days in prison for illegally possessing the gun he used to shoot an Ohio wildlife officer.
Brian R. Liming, 45, of Jamestown, Ohio, was indicted by a federal grand jury and arrested by ATF agents in April 2021. He pleaded guilty in August 2021.
According to court documents, on Dec. 20, 2020, Liming illegally possessed a loaded 20-gauge shotgun. On that date, an officer with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources was shot while investigating illegal deer hunting near Martinsville, Ohio.
Liming was previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, which prohibited him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Liming was convicted locally in Clinton County Common Pleas Court of felony assault and misdemeanor hunting charges related to the shooting and sentenced to 54 months of incarceration. Liming’s federal sentence will run consecutively to his local one.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Brucato and Adam Cullman, Department of Justice Trial Attorney from the Environment and Natural Resources Division are representing the United States in this case.
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Georgia Couple Sentenced to Combined 90 Years in Prison for Producing Child Sexual Assault MaterialRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – A Valdosta, Georgia, couple who admitted to producing child sexual assault material involving multiple minor victims was sentenced to the maximum prison term allowed by law today for their crimes.
Jayson E. Wright, 36, was sentenced to serve the maximum 360 months in prison per count consecutively for a total of 720 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release and $625,000 in restitution to four victims after he previously pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography. Kara Wright, 33, was sentenced to serve 360 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release and $415,000 in restitution to four victims after she previously pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography. Both defendants will have to register as sex offenders for life upon their release from federal prison. The sentences were handed down by U.S. District Judge Louis Sands at the C.B. King U.S. Courthouse in Albany. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The Wrights have justifiably received the maximum prison sentences allowed under law for their unconscionable and heinous acts against children,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will do everything in our power to protect children from predators such as the Wrights who deviously take advantage of a child’s vulnerability.”
“The defendants’ heinous predatory behavior is deserving of a lengthy prison sentence to ensure they cannot inflict further harm on other victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “We are very appreciative of the invaluable assistance and teamwork we receive from our law enforcement partners on cases like this.”
“The close working relationship between the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and our state and federal partners is crucial to capturing child predators like the Wrights and holding them accountable so they will never harm another innocent child,” said Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Semales prosecuted the case with support from Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim.
Gang Members and Others Who Used Violence to Take Control of New York Fire Mitigation Industry Charged with Racketeering and ExtortionRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Ricky J. Patel, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the New York Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Keechant L. Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and Jocelyn Strauber, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced the unsealing of a two-count Indictment charging nine defendants with racketeering conspiracy and extortion conspiracy. Eight of the defendants were arrested yesterday and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron in federal court in Manhattan. Defendant JATIEK SMITH was arrested and presented in the District of Puerto Rico. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.
The defendants, who include members of the violent Bloods street gang, took control of First Response Cleaning Corp. (“First Response”), a Brooklyn-based company which provides clean-up services to properties damaged by fire. The defendants used First Response as a vehicle to extort other participants in the fire mitigation industry and to assert control over the industry using violence and threats of violence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “We are smoking out corruption and violence in the fire mitigation industry with today’s charges. As alleged, the defendants used threats and violence to take over a company and then an industry. Thanks to our law enforcement partners’ work, today’s arrests bring an end to the defendants’ violent scheme.
FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said: “We allege gang members deployed mob-like tactics, using extortion and violence in their attempts to take over an entire industry designed to help victims after a fire. They employed violence to force other companies and vendors to do their bidding. Thanks to the incredible work by the FBI and our law enforcement partners, this crew can no longer threaten to kill people's families, retaliate against potential witnesses, and profit off of someone else's loss.”
HSI Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Ricky J. Patel said: “Members of the Bloods allegedly infiltrated the First Response Cleaning Corporation and utilized violence to command dominance and compliance over their competitors within the insurance industry. This criminal organization took advantage of people in time of personal and professional turmoil to enrich themselves at others expense. HSI will continue to work alongside our partners to disrupt and dismantle complex criminal organizations who seek to exploit legitimate businesses to further their violent agendas.”
NYPD Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said: “This indictment is a clear demonstration that those who use violence, force and threats of force to inflict harm on New Yorkers – will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Due to the relentless efforts of the NYPD, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, and all of our law enforcement partners, these defendants are now forced to answer for their alleged gang-motivated crimes. I thank everyone who worked on this important case.”
DOI Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber said: “As alleged, the defendants used violence and threats of violence to seize control of the fire restoration industry in New York City, and submitted false claims to insurance companies in a scheme to ensure insurance coverage for defective restoration work. DOI is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and the NYPD to dismantle this charged criminal enterprise and to hold its members accountable for their illegal and violent charged conduct.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed yesterday in Manhattan federal court and statements made in court filings[1]:
First Response is an emergency mitigation services (or “EMS”) company which provides clean-up services to properties damaged by fire. When properties suffer fire damage, property owners often hire an EMS company to clean up the damaged property. Property owners also often rely upon adjusters—either a “public adjuster” or an “independent adjuster”—to investigate, process, and submit the insurance claims to their insurer. A public adjuster is paid by the property owner with a percentage of the settlement paid out by the insurer on the insurance claim, while an independent adjuster works for and is paid by the insurer.
Beginning in 2019, defendants JATIEK SMITH, a/k/a “Tiek,” SEQUAN JACKSON, a/k/a “Supa,” ANTHONY MCGEE, a/k/a “Touch,” KAHEEN SMALL, a/k/a “Biz,” DAMON DORE, a/k/a “Demo,” HASIM SMITH, a/k/a “Hoodie,” RAHMIEK LACEWELL, a/k/a “Ready,” and MANUEL PEREIRA, a/k/a “Manny,” many of whom are members of the Bloods street gang,worked together to take control of First Response. JATIEK SMITH was the leader of the crew. After taking control of First Response, SMITH and the others then used force and threats of force against other EMS companies and public adjusters to exert control over the entire fire mitigation industry. Defendant OCTAVIO PERALTA was a public adjuster who participated in the enterprise’s efforts to defraud and who helped the conspirators solidify their control over the industry. The enterprise’s threats included threats to kill or shoot their victims and members of the victims’ families. With the backing of these threats of force, they imposed a system of rules upon other EMS companies and on public adjusters, including a strict rotation system in which the defendants dictated which companies got which losses. The enterprise also extorted money from EMS companies and public adjusters and required these other companies to pay if they wanted to continue to work without being attacked. On multiple occasions, the enterprise used force against other EMS companies and public adjusters to ensure that they submitted to the rules, including physically assaulting victims. They sometimes created video recordings of this violence and distributed the recordings within the industry to threaten other victims. The enterprise also helped submit false insurance claims for damaged properties and threatened violence or retaliation against potential witnesses who were believed to be cooperating with the federal investigation into the enterprise’s crimes.
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JATIEK SMITH, 37, of Staten Island, New York; JACKSON, 33, of Staten Island, New York; MCGEE, 32, of Staten Island, New York; SMALL, 35, of Brooklyn, New York; DORE, 36, of Staten Island, New York; HASIM SMITH, 29, of Staten Island, New York; LACEWELL, 37, of Staten Island, New York; PEREIRA 38, of Brooklyn, New York; and OCTAVIO PERALTA, 42, of Staten Island, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion. Each count carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, for a combined statutory maximum of 40 years in prison.
The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, HSI, NYPD, and DOI. Mr. Williams also thanked the HSI Puerto Rico Gang Unit and the National Insurance Crime Bureau for their assistance with this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Mollie Bracewell, Rushmi Bhaskaran, and Adam S. Hobson, 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.
Fugitive Indicted for COVID FraudRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Abhishek Krishnan, a citizen of the Republic of India, with theft of government property and aggravated identity theft regarding his receipt of unemployment insurance benefits funded by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the indictment, Krishnan, age 39, was a fugitive from justice, living outside the United States, when he received approximately $40,650 in pandemic unemployment assistance obtained by using other people’s identities in his fraudulent application.
The indictment alleges that Krishnan stole federal funds earmarked for North Carolina residents who had become unemployed due to the pandemic. The second count alleges that he used the means of identification of three real people to perpetrate the theft. If convicted, the defendant faces ten-years in prison for theft of government property followed by a mandatory two years in prison for aggravated identity theft.
Previously, in 2019, Krishnan was charged with mail fraud, introducing adulterated and misbranded foods into interstate commerce and money laundering related to the sale of protein powders by his company, American Pure Whey. The 43-count superseding indictment was returned by a separate federal grand jury, also in the Eastern District of North Carolina, after an investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. If convicted of those charges, Krishnan’s faces a statutory maximum of more than 300 years in prison.
The 2018 superseding indictment sought forfeiture of approximately six million dollars in fraud proceeds by the defendant. The government successfully obtained civil orders of forfeiture after the Court found Krishnan was outside the United States and refused to reenter with the specific intent to avoid prosecution. It was during the time that the forfeiture was being contested that the unemployment insurance fraud allegedly occurred.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The United States Marshal Service is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan B. Menzer is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Fort Worth Man Convicted of Possessing Machine GunRead the Press Release
A Fort Worth man discovered with a Glock pistol equipped with a “switch” – a device that converts ordinary semiautomatic pistols into fully automatic machine guns – has been tried and convicted of a federal firearm crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
After proceeding pro se in a bench trial, Judge O’Connor found Keidric Brown, 25, guilty of possessing a machinegun.
“I cannot stress enough how dangerous machine gun conversion devices are and the levels at which they are being used in our communities. Due to the diligent work of our law enforcement partners, specifically the Arlington Police Department, Mr. Brown will now have several years to think about his attempt to brazenly carry a machine gun around our streets,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
According to evidence presented at trial, an Arlington Police Department Officer stopped Mr. Brown’s vehicle on Jan. 17 after discovering its insurance was expired.
An officer testified that she noted the smell of marijuana emanating from the vehicle and initiated a probable cause search.
Under the driver’s seat, she found a Glock 9mm pistol with a 31-round high-capacity, extended magazine and a red plastic switch attached to the rear of the firearm’s slide. The Glock pistol with switch attached was ultimately examined and test fired by an ATF Firearms Enforcement Officer, who concluded it was a machinegun that fired in a fully-automatic fashion.
Glock Switches, also known as machinegun conversion devices, are classified as machineguns under federal law. Unlike semiautomatic firearms, machineguns – weapons that can fire more than one round, without manual reloading, by single function of the trigger – are generally unlawful for non-licensed civilians under the National Firearms Act.
A search of Mr. Brown’s phone revealed text messages and lyrics regarding the purchase and use of Glock Switches.
At trial, prosecutors introduced into evidence Mr. Brown’s rap videos, which included the lyrics, “My Glock, it came with a switch / I aim, I don’t miss” (1:01).
Mr. Brown now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and the Arlington Police Department’s Violent Crime Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Levi Thomas and Frank Gatto prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor presided over trial.
Fort Pierre Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Fort Pierre, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on June 27, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Lisa Herren, a/k/a Lisa Miller, age 43, was sentenced to 26 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Herren was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 8, 2021. She pled guilty on January 27, 2022.
The conviction stemmed from a conspiracy which began in September 2018, in which Herren conspired with others to knowingly and intentionally distribute methamphetamine in and around Stanley County, South Dakota. It was reasonably foreseeable that over 50 grams of methamphetamine was distributed during the course of the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the Stanley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
Herren was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Former Women's Soccer Coach at the University of Southern California Sentenced in College Admissions CaseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former assistant coach of women’s soccer at the University of Southern California (USC) was sentenced yesterday for her involvement in a bribery scheme to facilitate the admission of applicants to selective colleges and universities as purported athletic recruits.
Laura Janke, 39, of North Hollywood, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to time served and one year of supervised release, with 50 hours of community service. Janke was also ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $129,213. In May 2019, Janke pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering. Janke cooperated with the government’s investigation.
While an assistant coach of USC’s women’s soccer team, Janke conspired with William “Rick” Singer and others to falsely designate the children of Singer’s clients as soccer recruits in exchange for bribes. Specifically, Janke and co-conspirator Ali Khosroshahin, the team’s head coach, together purported to recruit one or two of Singer’s students to the USC women’s soccer team each year. In reality, the students were not USC-caliber soccer players and they were not actually recruiting them to be members of the team. To deceive USC’s subcommittee on athletic admissions into believing the students were legitimate recruits, Janke and Khosroshahin submitted falsified athletic “profiles,” which they either received from Singer or created themselves and which made the students appear to be elite high school athletes. In exchange, Singer paid Janke and Khosroshahin bribes, funded by the money from his clients, in the form of checks from his fake charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation, made out to the USC soccer program or to their private soccer club.
In June 2019, Khosroshahin pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced today to time served and one year of supervised release.
Case information, including the status of each defendant, is available here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Frank, Leslie A. Wright, Kristen A. Kearney and Ian Stearns of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Rensselaer County Correctional Officer Indicted for Sexually Abusing InmateRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Sean Morrissey, age 51, of Waterford, New York, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with abusive sexual contact of a ward, announced 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).
Morrissey was a correctional officer at Rensselaer County Correctional Facility (“RCCF”) at the time of his alleged crime. According to the indictment, between September 7, 2018 and September 21, 2018, Morrissey knowingly rubbed the genitalia of a female federal detainee, with the intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade, or arouse or gratify the sexual desire of a person. The charge in the indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charge filed against Morrissey carries a maximum term of 2 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 1 year. 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.
Morrissey was arraigned today in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel. He was released with conditions pending a trial to be scheduled before Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark.
Former Police Clerk admits to PerjuryRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - A former St. Marys, West Virginia police department employee has admitted to lying about a program that allowed people charged with crimes to pay cash and gift cards to avoid criminal sanctions, according to United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld.
Carolyn Taylor, 40, of St. Marys, pleaded guilty today to perjury, admitting that she lied to a federal grand jury about the “Slow Down for the Holidays” program. The government-sanctioned initiative allowed those charged with DUI and other crimes in Pleasants County to donate cash, gift cards, or other items of value to dodge prosecution.
Taylor, as the clerk of the police department, helped to collect the donations and was asked about the specifics of her role when she testified earlier this year. She told grand jurors that she had no knowledge of anyone personally benefiting from the program and that all proceeds went to charitable causes. However, investigators discovered that she had used at least one of the program gift cards for her personal benefit.
“A policy that allows one to buy their way out of a DUI is inherently wrong and never should have been implemented in the first place,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “It is not surprising that someone involved with this ill-advised program kept a portion of the donations for herself.”
Taylor faces up to five years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The matter remains active and is being investigated by the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Former Montgomery County Teacher Pleads Guilty to Multiple Child Exploitation Offenses After Traveling to the Philippines to Have Sex with ChildrenRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Craig Alex Levin, 66, of King of Prussia, PA, pleaded guilty to six counts of child exploitation offenses before United States District Court Judge Harvey Bartle, III, stemming from his travel to the Philippines over a nearly three-year period for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minor children, some as young as 12 years of age. He also engaged in commercial sex trafficking by brokering the sale of a minor girl, who was pregnant at the time, for sex with an adult sex offender in exchange for money.
In May 2021, the defendant was charged by Superseding Indictment with multiple counts of interstate and foreign travel for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, sex trafficking of a minor, use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, distribution of child pornography, transfer of obscene material to a minor, and transportation of child pornography. Levin was first indicted with child exploitation offenses related to his travel to the Philippines in February 2020.
According to Court documents, Levin was a retired special education teacher for the Lower Merion School District. Between August 2016 and May 2019, the defendant traveled to the Philippines nine times to have sex with minor children. Prior to and during his travels, Levin created and maintained Facebook accounts that he used to communicate with minors in the Philippines for the purpose of enticing them to engage in illicit sexual conduct with him during his visits to the island nation. In addition, the defendant used Facebook Messenger to send child pornography to minors in the Philippines.
“Mr. Levin, someone who worked for years in a position of trust as a teacher, traveled to country and stayed for months at a time in order to prey on children undetected – or so he thought,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Our Office, together with our law enforcement partners, works day and night to investigate and track criminals like this defendant, even when they try to hide on the other side of the world. Our message to them with this case is simple: you cannot hide; we will find you and we will hold you accountable in a court of law.”
“Craig Levin apparently thought, because he was halfway around the world, he could commit these heinous crimes with impunity,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “He could not have been more wrong. As this case shows, the FBI’s reach is long, and we’ll do everything in our power to end the sexual exploitation of children, be they in Philadelphia or the Philippines. Protecting vulnerable kids from predators like Levin continues to be one of the Bureau’s top priorities.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Damiani and Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
Former IRS Employee in Fresno Indicted for Selling MorphineRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Margarita Aispuro-Camacho, 46, of Fresno, was arrested today after a federal grand jury indicted her for illegally selling morphine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Aispuro-Camacho sold the morphine in May 2020. At the time of the sale, she worked as a clerk for the Internal Revenue Service.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration. TIGTA’s responsibilities include investigating misconduct by IRS employees. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Aispuro-Camacho faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Florida Man Indicted for Armed Pharmacy RobberyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Jesse Rance Moore (45, Bell) with Hobbs Act robbery, robbery involving controlled substances, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of crimes of violence. If convicted on all counts, Moore faces a minimum mandatory term of seven years, and up to life, in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on or about January 13, 2022, Moore robbed the North Florida Pharmacy of Fort White. During the robbery, Moore brandished a firearm and took pharmaceutical drugs and controlled substances from an employee of the pharmacy. Moore was arrested and made his initial appearance on June 27, 2022.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake City Police Department, the Chiefland Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kirwinn Mike.
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.
Flandreau Woman Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Flandreau, South Dakota, woman convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on June 27, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Caley Studsdahl, age 24, was sentenced to three years of probation and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $25.
Studsdahl was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 8, 2021. She pled guilty on April 4, 2022.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on or about April 21, 2020, when Studsdahl was approached by the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe Acting Chief of Police because there was a tribal warrant for her arrest. The Acting Chief of Police placed Studsdahl in handcuffs, conducted a search, and placed her in the rear cage of his patrol vehicle. Before he could close the door, Studsdahl voluntarily and intentionally assaulted the Acting Chief of Police by spitting on his face and said an obscenity directed at him.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.
Five Gun Traffickers Arrested for Selling over 25 Firearms, Including Assault Rifles, Connected to Four Shootings in BrooklynRead the Press Release
Sixth Defendant Arrested for Trafficking Crack Cocaine In Brooklyn And Queens
A complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Jamel Clarke, Dwayne Harris, Rayon Lovett, Owen Welch and Ronald Welch with engaging in a gun trafficking conspiracy dating back to September 2021, involving the sale of at least 28 firearms, including multiple AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles and AK-47-style assault rifles. At least two of the guns had been previously used in four separate shootings in Brooklyn. Dwayne Harris and Pheod Khan were also charged in the complaint with engaging in a crack cocaine trafficking conspiracy. An additional defendant is also charged in the drug trafficking conspiracy and remains at large.
The defendants were arrested between June 26, 2022 and June 28, 2022. Ronald Welch was arraigned on June 27, 2022, Clarke, Harris, Lovett and Owen Welch were arraigned on June 28, 2022, and Khan was arraigned on June 29, 2022, in federal court in Brooklyn before United States Magistrate Judge Roanne L. Mann. All of the defendants with the exception of Harris and Khan were detained pending trial; Khan’s detention hearing will be completed tomorrow on June 30.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, John B. DeVito, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the complaint.
“As alleged, the defendants brought deadly weapons, including guns involved in at least 4 shootings, and narcotics to the streets of Brooklyn and Queens directly contributing to the cycles of gun violence and drug abuse,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “These arrests demonstrate the commitment by this Office and our law enforcement partners to save lives by stopping the flow of illegal firearms and narcotics into our communities.”
Mr. Peace thanked the NYPD’s Brooklyn South Violent Crime Squad and the United States Marshals Service for their outstanding investigative work on this case.
“These violent gun traffickers have been identified and caught because of the dedication of the law enforcement professionals protecting this City,” said Special Agent in Charge DeVito. “ATF and our partners will continue to do so, while simultaneously disrupting the flow of illegal guns to our streets and preventing violent crime.”
According to the complaint and a memorandum filed in connection with the defendants’ bail hearings, the gun-trafficking operation involved the sale of at least 28 illegal firearms over multiple transactions in Brooklyn and Queens between September 2021 and June 2022. The defendants conducted these firearms sales in vehicles outside of homes in the Prospect Park South neighborhood of Brooklyn, including in locations near Prospect Park, across from a church, and blocks away from a kindergarten through eighth grade public school.
The deals often occurred in the middle of the afternoon and in broad daylight, with the dealers sometimes walking down public streets carrying bags of dangerous firearms past residents. Many of the guns were high-powered shotguns and rifles and included extended magazines and drum clips. Some of the guns had defaced serial numbers so that they would be untraceable by law enforcement. At least two of the guns had been previously used in four separate shootings in Brooklyn.
The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes section. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Weintraub and Andrew D. Reich are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
JAMEL CLARKE
Age: 38
Brooklyn, New YorkDWAYNE HARRIS
Age: 36
Brooklyn, New YorkPHEOD KHAN
Age: 42
Brooklyn, New YorkRAYON LOVETT
Age: 35
Brooklyn, New YorkOWEN WELCH
Age: 42
Brooklyn, New YorkRONALD WELCH
Age: 47
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-MJ-679 (RML)
Federal agents arrest former Ohio National Guard member for making and selling ‘ghost guns’Read the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Federal agents arrested a former member of the Ohio National Guard this morning on charges related to making and selling “ghost guns,” untraceable homemade weapons made in whole or in part with a 3D printer.
Thomas Develin, 24, of Columbus, also allegedly made antisemitic and violent statements while employed to provide security services at local synagogues and Jewish schools.
It is alleged that Develin created ghost guns to sell for profit. It also alleged that Develin possessed homemade conversion devices to convert semi-automatic AR-15 rifles and Glock-type pistols into fully automatic machine guns.
Agents discovered more than 25 firearms in Develin’s residence and vehicle while executing a search warrant in March 2022.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Develin’s Discord and Snapchat activity online revealed a large quantity of antisemitic, white nationalist, racist and misogynistic content. Develin used the fictional name “Patrick Bateman” online.
For example:
- In September 2021, it is alleged Develin posted a picture of the synagogue where he was working at the time and stated, in part, “Having an inner debate that if an active shooter comes in I might just join him.”
- In November 2021, Develin allegedly posted a video of himself sniffing a rifle. In the video, Develin says, “This one smells like dead Jews.”
- In a December 2021 Discord post, Develin allegedly wrote, “Ight, time to turn wright pat airbase into Fort hood in 2009.”
- In January 2022, Develin allegedly posted a picture of a New Albany synagogue with the text, “The holocaust didn’t happen” and “If anything I’ll scream 6 million wasn’t enough.”
- A Snapchat video in March 2022 shows Develin displaying a firearm at a Jewish school in Columbus.
- Develin also allegedly posted multiple times advocating the rape of women.
- Additional messages Develin posted online discussed committing terrorist attacks at John Glenn International Airport and at the Budweiser manufacturing facility in Columbus, and killing a Morgan County Sheriff’s deputy and the deputy’s entire family.
The defendant has been charged in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas with various crimes, including making terroristic threats. Those charges remain pending.
Develin will appear in U.S. District Court this afternoon regarding his federal charges.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the charges. The agencies were assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant United States Attorneys Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Jessica W. Knight are representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
Federal Jury Convicts Four Navy Officers of BriberyRead the Press Release
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark W. Pletcher (619) 546-9714, Michelle Wasserman (619) 546-8431, Valerie Chu (619) 546-6750, and David Chu (619) 546-8266
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 29, 2022
SAN DIEGO – Former U.S. Navy Captains David Newland, James Dolan and David Lausman and former Commander Mario Herrera – all of whom once served in the Navy’s Seventh Fleet - were convicted on all counts by a federal jury today of accepting bribes from foreign defense contractor Leonard Francis. The jury did not reach a verdict on the charges against Rear Admiral Bruce Loveless.
Nine members of the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet – including the four defendants convicted today - were indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2017. Four other defendants pleaded guilty before trial.
During the trial, three U.S. Navy officials – Commander Stephen Shedd, former Lieutenant Commander Edmond A. Aruffo, and U.S. Navy Captain Jesus Vasquez Cantu – and former Lieutenant Commander Alexander Bryan Gillett of the Royal Australian Navy, testified about the alleged bribery scheme.
This long-running fraud and bribery investigation has resulted in federal criminal charges against 34 U.S. Navy officials, defense contractors and the GDMA corporation. Twenty-nine previously pleaded guilty. With today’s four convictions, 33 defendants have now been convicted of various fraud and corruption offenses.
U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino set a status hearing for July 21, 2022, at 2 p.m. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 11, 2022, at 9 a.m.
DEFENDANTS Case Number: 17CR0623-JLS
Captain David Newland Age 60 San Antonio, Texas
Chief of Staff to the Commander of the Seventh Fleet
Captain James Dolan Age 58 Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Assistant Chief of Staff for Logistics for the Seventh Fleet
Captain David Lausman Age 62 The Villages, Florida
Commanding Officer of U.S.S. Blue Ridge; Commanding Officer of U.S.S. George Washington
Commander Mario Herrera Age 48 Helotes, Texas
Fleet Operations and Schedules Officer for the Seventh Fleet
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Bribery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross pecuniary gain or twice the gross pecuniary loss, whichever is greater
*All defendants
Bribery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201
Maximum Penalty: Fifteen years in prison, a $250,000 fine or twice the gross pecuniary gain or gross pecuniary loss from the offense, or three times the monetary equivalent of the thing of value, whichever is greater
*All defendants
Obstruction of Justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison, a $250,000 fine
*Lausman
Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1349, 1346, 1343
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison, a $250,000 fine
*All defendants
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Defense Criminal Investigative Service
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Defense Contract Audit Agency
Essex County Man Admits Conspiracy to Commit RacketeeringRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted conspiring to murder a federal witness to protect a drug trafficking enterprise of which he was a member, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Ali Hill, 29, of East Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to one count of a superseding indictment charging him with racketeering conspiracy.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2013 to March 12, 2018, Hill was a member of a drug trafficking enterprise responsible for distributing cocaine, heroin, marijuana and fentanyl in and around Newark. Hill became aware that another member of the enterprise was cooperating with federal law enforcement authorities in an investigation into illegal activity. Hill aided other members of the the enterprise in planning the murder of the victim, who was shot to death on March 12, 2018, as the victim walked his dog near a park in Bloomfield, New Jersey.
The count of racketeering conspiracy carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited members of the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief William C. Robinson, and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jesse Levine in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephen II, for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Frazer and Naazneen Khan of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.
Eleven Indianapolis Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Traffickers Sentenced to Federal Prison Following Extensive Federal InvestigationRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Eleven defendants have been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to federal crimes for their involvement in drug trafficking activities in the Indianapolis area.
Beginning in the fall of 2019, federal agents began investigating several individuals for their suspected drug trafficking activities in the Indianapolis area. As the investigation progressed, investigators discovered that methamphetamine was being transported from Muncie, Indiana to Vans Auto Repair in Indianapolis to be distributed. At the conclusion of the investigation, eleven defendants were charged in three different indictments for various drug trafficking charges.
On August 3, 2020, sixteen search warrants and federal arrest warrants were executed by federal agents and officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department in the Indianapolis area. As a result of those search warrants, 31 illegally possessed firearms, 4½ pounds of methamphetamine; ½ kilogram of cocaine; 1 kilogram of fentanyl, and approximately $272,000 in cash drug trafficking proceeds were seized and taken off city streets. Each of the defendants pleaded guilty, and were sentenced, as follows:
Defendant
Sentence
Charge(s)
Travis Beechler, 27,
Indianapolis, IN
30 years in federal prison
5 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine & Heroin; Possession of a Firearm by Felon & During a Drug Trafficking Crime
Antonio Turner, 34,
Indianapolis, IN
15 years in federal prison
5 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine & Fentanyl
Stephen Cole, 45,
Indianapolis IN
Over 24 years in federal prison
5 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine & Fentanyl; Money Laundering
Christopher Shelton, 43,
Indianapolis, IN
Over 21 years in federal prison
5 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine
Scott Nelson, 39,
Indianapolis, IN
10 years in federal prison
5 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine
Joshua Douglas, 40,
Indianapolis, IN
16 years in federal prison
10 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine
Marguerite Collins, 47,
Indianapolis, IN
Over 4 years in federal prison
3 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine
Jarrad Cooney, 34,
Indianapolis, IN
Over 4 years in federal prison
3 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine
Jason Corey, 49,
Indianapolis, IN
6 years in federal prison
4 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine
Halton Butler, 70,
Indianapolis, IN
Over 2 years in federal prison
2 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine
Gary Hatcher Jr., 33,
Indianapolis, IN
Over 20 years in federal prison
5 years supervised release
Distribution of Methamphetamine
“Traffickers of methamphetamine and fentanyl further the devastating cycle of substance abuse disorder to satisfy their own greed,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “These prosecutions and sentences demonstrate that we will work tirelessly with our federal and local law enforcement partners to hold the traffickers of these dangerous and deadly drugs accountable for the pain they inflict on our communities.”
“The laundering of illegal drug profits is as important and essential to drug traffickers as the very distribution of their illegal drugs. Without these ill-gotten gains, the traffickers could not finance their organizations,” said Justin Campbell, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Today’s sentencing shows that we are committed, now more than ever, to take the profit away from drug traffickers, to stop the flow of drugs into communities, and to put traffickers and money launderers in prison.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the IRS Criminal Investigations, and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. The DEA, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service provided invaluable assistance.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle P. Brady who prosecuted the case.
These prosecutions are the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the 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.
El Paso Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Coercion of a ChildRead the Press Release
EL PASO – An El Paso man was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in prison for his role in enticing a child to engage in sexual activity.
According to court documents, Lawrence Allen Schmidt, 53, began communicating through social media with a 14-year-old girl. Schmidt’s conversation with the child became sexual in nature and he arranged to meet the girl at her house. When he arrived, he had condoms, lubricant and candy in his possession. Unbeknownst to Schmidt, he had been communicating with an undercover employee with the FBI.
On April 4, 2022, Schmidt pleaded guilty to one count of coercion or enticement of a female under 18 years of age.
“Those who seek to manipulate children for their own sexual gratification deserve prison time,” said Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Callahan. “I am thankful for the efforts of our law enforcement partners to remove these predators from our streets.”
“Crimes against children are some of the most reprehensible acts that law enforcement is determined to prevent and punish once they occur,” said FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey. “We are thankful for the collaboration of our Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and El Paso Police Department partners on the El Paso Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is because of this partnership that this individual is now facing a lengthy sentence for his crimes. We encourage parents to speak with their children about the dangers of online predators who use popular apps, games, and websites and to report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.”
The FBI, HSI, DPS, and El Paso Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Dos Santos prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Dubuque School System Administrator and Elementary School Principal Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A former private school administrator and elementary school principal, who stole over $500,000 from the school system at which he worked, was sentenced on June 28, 2022, to more than three years in federal prison.
Todd Charles Wessels, age 50, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 1, 2021 guilty plea to one count of wire fraud. In his plea agreement, and at a sentencing hearing, Wessels admitted he was the Curriculum and Technology Director for a private, religious, not-for-profit school district in Dubuque. Wessels was responsible for ensuring that the school district met the technology needs of approximately 1,800 students at its high school, middle school, and elementary schools. Before 2016, Wessels also served in a dual role as the principal of one of the elementary schools.
Beginning sometime prior to June 2011, and continuing into early 2020, Wessels devised and executed a scheme to make purchases for his own benefit with the school district’s funds. Wessels made purchases of pre-paid debit cards using the school district’s store credit cards at area businesses upon the false and fraudulent pretense that he needed funds for “apps” for students’ computers. Wessels then electronically transferred the balances of the pre-paid debit cards to another account that he controlled at PayPal, Inc., an electronic payment transfer system based in California. Wessels had, without the school district’s knowledge, falsely and fraudulent opened the PayPal account in the school district’s name but under the handle “WENWESS”. Finally, Wessels provided the school district receipts for the purchases of the pre-paid debit cards on the false and fraudulent pretense that the use of the store credit cards was for legitimate purchases. Wessels also sold the school district’s computer equipment on third-party Internet websites without its knowledge or permission.
Based on available records, Wessels admitted he stole over $500,000 as a part of his scheme. Due to a lack of a written inventory and lack of records before 2011, however, the full extent of his scheme remains unknown. The school district hired Wessels in 2001, and he was one of its highest paid employees, earning nearly $100,000 at the time the scheme was discovered. During the time that Wessels was perpetuating his scheme against the school district, the school district was experiencing financial difficulties and closing a number of schools as a result.
In July 2019, a new chief administrator at the school district began looking into Wessels’s spending practices. Wessels repeatedly lied to administrators and submitted fraudulent invoices and receipts to them in order to conceal his scheme to defraud. At meetings in January and February 2020, Wessels provided hardcopy versions of false, fraudulent, and fictitious spreadsheets purporting to show the apps he had purchased. In truth, Wessels had made hundreds of purchases for food, hotel stays and other travel-related expenses for himself and his family, tickets to off-Broadway shows, new pools each year, and expensive electronics such as a virtual reality headset, robots, and Apple televisions. When law enforcement began investigating Wessels, he repeatedly lied to law enforcement officers and hid stolen items in his house during a search.
Wessels was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Wessels was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $503,539 and also to repay $3,927 in legal fees that his victim incurred during the course of the investigation. Wessels must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Williams found that Wessels’s fraud was a “systemic, calculated fleecing of the school district.” Judge Williams also observed that Wessels had not attempted to repay a cent of restitution to his victim since admitting guilt in November.
Wessels was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-1031.
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Des Moines Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Criminal HIPAA ViolationsRead the Press Release
Des Moines, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced today to 27 months in prison following his pleas of guilty to two counts of a federal indictment charging conspiracy to wrongfully obtain and disclose individually identifiable health information, and wrongfully obtaining individually identifiable health information.
According to court documents, Dustin James Ortiz, 49, conspired with a then employee of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Des Moines to obtain individually identifiable health information of an individual which were maintained by the VAMC. The records Ortiz sought to and did obtain pertained to the victim’s mental health conditions and medications. Ortiz obtained this information without authorization required by law. Ortiz then disclosed the records to a third party. Because the conduct involved the intent to transfer and use the health information for personal gain and malicious harm, it was a felony under federal law.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law that requires standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge.
In addition to the 27-month term of imprisonment, the Court ordered the payment of $2,000 in restitution, and a 3-year term of supervised release to follow the prison sentence.
“Our office is committed to giving real meaning to HIPAA’s right-to-privacy protections,” said United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. “HIPAA-covered entities should continue to remind everyone that the privacy provisions of HIPAA are important and have significant consequences if violated.”
“Unlawfully obtaining and releasing veterans’ health records will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley with Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Central Field Office. “This breaches the integrity of the VA healthcare system and is an egregious violation of privacy.”
The co-defendant, a former employee of the VAMC, is set for sentencing on August 4, 2022.
The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Departments of Justice and State Team with Government of Kenya for Regional Symposium on Women in Law Enforcement and Security in AfricaRead the Press Release
As growing numbers of women undertake increasingly significant roles in law enforcement, security, and counterterrorism, the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of State, and the Government of Kenya have joined forces the week of June 27 to July 1, 2022, to host an Africa Regional Symposium on Women in Security.
The gathering, attended by approximately 70 security and law enforcement professionals from eight nations around the globe, amplifies regional and strategic objectives in empowering women as meaningful, essential contributors to security, law enforcement, and counterterrorism. The symposium also provides a forum for women from multiple nations to undertake career-development training, engage in networking opportunities, and bolster the advancement of women in law enforcement while promoting counterterrorism efforts. The symposium includes participants from Ghana, Kenya, Niger, Senegal, and Somalia, as well as Albania, Tunisia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“The Engaging Multinational Policewomen on Equality and Rights (EMPoWER) program represents the very best of the Department of Justice’s International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP)’s commitment to increasing women’s participation and leadership in law enforcement, which bolsters operational effectiveness, expands police institutions’ abilities to engage local communities, broadens the perspective of operating environments, and strengthens police response to crime,” said ICITAP Director Greg Ducot.
“Building the capacity of our law enforcement partners to respond to terrorist incidents and to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators is a key civilian-led line of effort to counter terrorism,” said Director of Programs Sam Pineda of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism. “Unfortunately, women in these professions often encounter stereotypes, assumptions, and cultural hurdles that prevent them from being involved. Expanding the roles of women in security widens the pool of talented candidates for these demanding careers and contributes to countering the global terrorism threat, making all of us more secure.”
In addition, the symposium provides opportunities for senior men and women in U.S. and international security careers to have meaningful interactions with women in the security professions in multiple African nations.
Symposium presenters include:
- S. Army Major General Jami C. Shawley, Commander, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa;
- Supervisory Special Agent Sarah Cloeter, U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS);
- Laurie Freeman, Deputy Director, Office of Programs, State Department Bureau of Counterterrorism;
- Daniel Wathome, Gender Specialist and Training Coordinator, International Peace Support Training Centre, Nairobi, Kenya; and
- Chief Gina V. Hawkins, Fayetteville Police Department, Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Discussion highlights include:
- An executive panel discussion on “Challenges and Lessons Learned in Achieving Success in a Historically Male Dominant Security Domain;”
- Case studies of women in African security units; and
- Presentations on women in tactical leadership.
“Like Kenya, the United States too has ways to go before we can truly realize the full effect. So, what is the advantage of women in peace and security? Does it help reduce conflict? Yes, it does – absolutely,” said Major General Jami C. Shawley.
The Africa Regional Symposium on Women in Security was organized by: The U.S. Department of Justice’s ICITAP and its Engaging Multinational Policewomen on Equality and Rights (EMPoWER) program; The U.S. Embassy, Nairobi, Kenya; the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service’s Antiterrorism Assistance program (DS/ATA); the Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT); U.S. Department of Defense; the British High Commission; the International Peace Support Training Centre of Kenya, the Kenya National Counter Terrorism Centre; and Kenya’s Administration Police Service.
The EMPoWER program, a partnership between the Departments of Justice and State, builds the capacity of women to combat terrorism by supporting them through leadership opportunities and inclusion in counterterrorism efforts. EMPoWER conducted its first regional symposium in March 2022 in Opatija, Croatia, drawing more than two dozen law enforcement participants from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Kenya. Additional symposiums are planned for Asia and the Middle East.
The ATA program is the U.S. government’s premier counterterrorism training and equipment provider for foreign law enforcement agencies. As mandated by U.S. Congress, ATA has three foreign policy objectives: to build counterterrorism capacity of partner countries; to enhance bilateral relationships; and to increase respect for human rights.
To learn more about ICITAP’s capacity building programs around the world, visit: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-icitap
To learn more about State CT and ATA: https://www.state.gov/antiterrorism-assistance-program/.
DeMotte Man Sentenced to 130 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Gregory Marshall, 55 years old, of DeMotte, Indiana was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio on his plea of guilty to distributing methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Marshall was sentenced to 130 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, during the course of the investigation Marshall sold methamphetamine on three separate occasions throughout August and September 2021. The deals took place at his residence, which was eventually searched, resulting in the recovery of additional methamphetamine and marijuana.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Schererville Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin F. Wolff.
Danbury Man Involved in Murder and Arson Scheme Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GEORGE RIVERA, also known as “Pito,” 33, of Danbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a plan to murder an individual and set fire to the Bridgeport business where he worked.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in early morning hours of April 2, 2018, Bridgeport Police patrolling the west side of Bridgeport attempted to stop a car that was operating with unlit taillights. The car fled from police and, during the police pursuit, officers observed several items being thrown from its windows. After the car stopped several blocks away, officers arrested Luis Mercado, who was driving the car, and Dominick Gonzalez, and recovered two loaded handguns and a quantity of marijuana that had been thrown from the car. A search of the car also revealed a black ski mask, a pair of binoculars, and a container of gasoline. The investigation revealed that Mercado, Gonzalez, Rivera, Jason Scott and Luis Mejias were involved in a plan to murder an individual and set fire to the Wood Avenue Body Shop in Bridgeport where the individual worked.
Rivera, Scott and Mejias were arrested later that morning at a hotel in Milford. A search of a hotel room revealed a loaded Smith and Wesson model M&P 15-22 caliber rifle, a loaded Taurus “Judge” revolver, a loaded Anderson Manufacturing AR 15 multi-caliber rifle, a loaded 12-gauge shotgun, additional ammunition, brass knuckles, binoculars, gloves and a knit mask. Investigators also located a seized packaged heroin, ecstasy pills, marijuana, a digital scale and other items in the room, and ammunition and shotgun shells in the trunk of their car.
Each defendant has a criminal history that includes multiple felony convictions. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Specifically, Rivera’s criminal history includes convictions for firearm, drug, burglary, robbery and assault offenses.
On March 25, 2022, Rivera pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Mercado, Gonzalez, Mejias and Scott also pleaded guilty, and Mercado, Mejias and Scott were each sentenced earlier this week to 10 years of imprisonment. Gonzalez awaits sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport and Milford Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to Six Years’ Imprisonment for ArsonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling announced that on June 28, 2022, Chief United States District Judge Pamela Pepper sentenced Darrell Chambliss (age: 31) to 72 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for arson.
According to court records, Chambliss purposefully started a fire in the upper-unit of a duplex in Milwaukee on February 6, 2021. Chambliss had lived in that residence with a former romantic partner, whom he abused. When that victim did not return to the residence on February 6, 2021, Chambliss threatened her and recorded himself placing a mattress pad on top of their stove. Law enforcement ultimately found three separate locations where fires had been intentionally ignited within the residence. Both units in the duplex were rendered uninhabitable, displacing both the woman Chambliss had abused and the family that lived in the unit below.
At the time of the arson, Chambliss was a convicted sex offender with prior convictions for, among other things, first-degree sexual assault of a child, battery, and criminal trespass to a dwelling. He had also previously threatened to commit other arsons in connection with earlier domestic violence incidents.
Mr. Chambliss’s deliberate and violent acts sought to terrorize his intended victim and endangered the lives of the victim’s neighbors and first responders. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to prosecute these types of violent offenders, and I commend the excellent work of the Milwaukee Police Department, the Milwaukee Fire Department, and ATF in seeking to protect the community and bring Mr. Chambliss to justice.
“Offenders are often willing to use whatever tools available, including arson, to inflict harm onto their victims,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Division Kristen deTineo. “In partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s office, the Milwaukee Police Department and Milwaukee Fire Department, we were able to hold accountable this defendant for committing this arson.”
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Milwaukee Police Department, the Milwaukee Fire Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Halopka-Ivery, with assistance from Kevin Clancy, an intern with the United States Attorney’s Office.
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Columbus man sentenced to prison for threatening local reproductive health services facility and an individual patientRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in federal court this morning to one year and one day in prison for threatening to bring a bomb to a local reproductive health services facility.
Carlos Manuel Rodriguez Brime, 26, also threatened to kill a patient whom he believed was seeking reproductive health services, specifically an abortion, at the clinic.
On April 11, 2021, Brime made two separate telephone calls to the local reproductive health care clinic. In the first, he made a death threat relating to the prospective patient and in the second, he made a bomb threat directly to the clinic, telling the clinic staff “my organization will be bringing a bomb to your facility. I suggest you close your doors.”
Specifically, Brime violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act – which makes it a federal crime to threaten the use of force to intimidate anyone receiving or providing reproductive health services. He also transmitted a threat in interstate commerce.
“Reproductive health providers and people seeking access to these services must be able to do so free from violence and threats of violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. “This sentencing should send a strong message that the Justice Department will continue to aggressively enforce the FACE Act and hold those accountable who violate the law. We stand ready to ensure that healthcare providers and people seeking reproductive health services are safe, secure and free from violence and threats of violence.”
“Threatening the life of anyone who seeks any type of health service is a heinous act that should not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker. “People must handle their disagreements to positions that are contrary to theirs in a more civil way than using the threat of force or any kind of intimidation.”
Brime was indicted by a grand jury and arrested in September 2021. He pleaded guilty in February 2022.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and S. Courter Shimeall and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel are representing the United States in this case.
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Cocaine Distributor in Fidelis Way Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A drug distributor within a Boston-area drug trafficking organization (DTO) pleaded guilty yesterday to a drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine and cocaine base.
Nelsin Hernandez, 31, of Brighton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Sept. 22, 2022.
Hernandez was charged with 23 others in June 2020 as part of Operation Snowfall, which ultimately resulted in the charging of two different drug trafficking conspiracies during the overall period of November 2018 through June 2020.
According to the charging documents, beginning in November 2018, law enforcement investigated a DTO in which Hernandez was a drug distributor. The DTO was comprised of Boston-based street gang members and associates in the Commonwealth Development in Brighton, formerly known as Fidelis Way, a multi-apartment public housing development. It is alleged that the DTO assumed control over multiple apartments, where Hernandez and others stored, cooked, packaged, and sold drugs – most of which consisted of cocaine or cocaine base, which the DTO supplied to customers, wholesalers and distributors. As a result, the DTO caused a blight of the development and reduced the quality of life of the other residents. As the investigation continued, law enforcement ultimately identified another DTO operating within the Boston area and targeted its large-scale drug suppliers and their associates.
Hernandez distributed between approximately 100 and 200 grams of cocaine base during the course of his participation in the Fidelis Way DTO. Hernandez is the fourth defendant to plead guilty in the conspiracy. The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty and are pending trial.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement. Assistance with the investigation was provided by the Braintree, Cambridge, Canton, Randolph and Weymouth Police Departments; the Suffolk, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorneys’ Offices; and the Suffolk, Plymouth and Norfolk County Sheriffs’ Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Timothy E. Moran of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/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.
Coalport Felon Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Coalport, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on his conviction of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Kenneth Selvage, age 61.
According to information presented to the court, on or about January 24, 2020, to on or about January 25, 2020, Selvage was found in possession of a Mossberg .20-gauge shotgun and ten shells of ammunition. On June 16, 1999, Selvage was convicted in the Court of Common Pleas of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, of Escape, which is a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Federal law prohibits persons who have been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year from possessing firearms.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Ms. Chung commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Selvage.
Charlotte Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy for Falsely Obtaining Coronavirus Relief FundsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Yesenia Rodriguez, 25, of Charlotte, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David S. Cayer today and pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining over $100,000 in COVID-19 relief funds, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and today’s plea hearing, Rodriguez engaged in a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) by, among other things, obtaining an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) based on false information. As Rodriguez admitted in court today, from April 2020 through May 2021, the defendant conspired with another individual, identified in court documents as G.R., to obtain COVID-19 relief funds, including two loans under the EIDL program and federally subsidized unemployment benefits totaling over $100,000.
Plea documents show that in July 2020, Rodriguez electronically submitted a fraudulent EIDL application for a purported hair and nail salon named Yesenia Rodriguez. Rodriguez, who had recently left her job at a national bank, submitted the application for the purported salon, when in fact Rodriguez did not own a salon and, instead, was collecting unemployment. As a result of the fraudulent EIDL application, Rodriguez received $37,500 in relief funding via electronic financial transactions. Rodriguez’s co-conspirator, G.R., also fraudulently obtained EIDL funding totaling $47,500 for a business identified as Company 1. Although Company 1 was a real operating business, G.R. electronically submitted a fraudulent application that contained false representations about its eligibility for EIDL funding, including the date Company 1 was founded. At the time the EIDL application was submitted for Company 1, G.R. was also fraudulently collecting federally subsidized unemployment benefits from the State of North Carolina. Rodriguez and G.R. fraudulently obtained at least $112,000 in disaster relief funds that were intended for existing businesses and individuals harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rodriguez was released on bond following today’s guilty plea. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum prison term of 5 years and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been set.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted March 29, 2020, and it is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others, including the EIDL program, which is an SBA program that provides low-interest financing to small businesses, renters, and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI for their investigation and thanked the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Special Operations and Intelligence Unit for their invaluable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
The Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina remain vigilant in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting wrongdoing related to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you think you are a victim of coronavirus fraud or have information pertaining to fraud involving COVID-19, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or submit a complaint online using the NCDF Web Complaint Form. Members of the public in the Western District of North Carolina are also encouraged to call 704-344-6222 to reach their local Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator.
Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Participation in Violent Marijuana RobberyRead the Press Release
A man who participated in an armed robbery during a drug robbery in which a marijuana dealer was shot was sentenced June 28, 2022, to five years in federal prison.
Cortez Riggins, age 20, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 4, 2022 guilty plea to one count of robbery affecting interstate commerce.
Evidence at a prior hearing and information at sentencing showed that in October 2020, Riggins arranged to buy marijuana from another individual, the eventual victim. Riggins then drove three coconspirators to the purported deal. One of Riggins’s coconspirators entered the victim’s apartment to conduct the drug deal, but instead produced a firearm and demanded the drugs. A shot was fired and Riggins and the other coconspirators kicked in the apartment door and entered. The victim was shot at least five times in the upper torso by Riggins’s coconspirators. While the victim was laying on the floor, bleeding and unconscious, Riggins stole a PlayStation video game system, kicked the victim in the head, and took a designer belt off the victim’s body. Despite sustaining severe injuries from the attack, the victim survived.
Riggins was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. At the sentencing, the judge commented that it was “remarkable” that the victim survived the attack. The judge also noted that Riggins’s actions in kicking the unconscious, bleeding, and likely dying victim were “callous, heartless, thoughtless, [and] cruel.” Riggins was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Riggins is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Williams.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-00058‑CJW.
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California Man Sentenced on Meth ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Bakersfield, California, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on June 27, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Lee Molica, age 61, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Molica was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 10, 2021. He pled guilty on March 11, 2022.
The conviction stemmed from a traffic stop on May 20, 2021, in Buffalo County, South Dakota. During the stop, law enforcement located two plastic baggies containing approximately 90 grams of methamphetamine, which Molica intended to distribute on the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Indian Reservations.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the FBI, and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Molica was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
California Man Sentenced to 45 Months’ Imprisonment for His Role as A Courier for A Nationwide Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Esgardo Carrillo, age 29, of Stanton, California, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion to 45 months’ imprisonment and a 2-year term of supervised release, for his participation in a drug trafficking organization that moved large quantities of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine from California to various major Midwest and East Coast cities.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, from at least mid-2018 until April of 2019, Carrillo coordinated a group of couriers, who packaged substantial quantities of illegal drugs in suitcases and transported them via commercial flights from West Coast locations to cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Milwaukee. Carrillo either himself took or coordinated at least 21 such trips during the conspiracy period. Upon arriving at their locations, Carrillo and the other couriers would pass on the illegal drugs to co-conspirators for local distribution.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John prosecuted the case.
This case was part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Branson Sex Offender Sentenced to 12 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A three-time convicted sex offender in Branson has been sentenced in federal court today for possessing child pornography.
Andrew David Ferrill, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes on Tuesday, June 28, to 12 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Ferrill to spend 20 years on supervised release following incarceration.
Today’s sentence includes an enhancement for obstruction of justice. According to court documents, Ferrill intentionally attempted to destroy his Apple iPad when he overheard law enforcement officers speaking to his mother when they arrived to execute a search warrant at his parents’ residence, where he lived. He also uninstalled the Kik application from his iPad.
On Oct. 21, 2021, Ferrill pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography. Ferrill admitted that he uploaded an image of child pornography to the Kik application.
On Aug. 10, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Ferill’s residence. He admitted to investigators that he used an iPad to access the internet and Kik to view child pornography.
Ferrill was convicted in a general court martial on Feb. 18, 2010, while he was enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecent acts with a 14-year-old victim, as well as production, receipt, and possession of child pornography under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Ferrill also was convicted of sexual abuse for assaulting a co-worker in Taney County, Mo., on Nov. 30, 2018. He was on probation for that state offense at the time of this federal offense.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the South Central Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Boise Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Aiding and Abetting the Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Caleb McCall-Teigen, 22, of Boise, was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the production of child pornography.
According to court records, the investigation began after a 5-year-old child disclosed that she had been sexually abused by her nanny. Law enforcement learned that the nanny provided care for four additional children as well as the 5-year-old. The investigation revealed that McCall-Teigen communicated through Snapchat with the nanny and requested that she produce sexually explicit images and videos of the children in her care.
Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) obtained a federal search warrant for McCall-Teigen’s Snapchat account. Within the account, HSI located messages between McCall-Teigen and the nanny, as well as explicit videos of the minor victims. HSI subsequently obtained a federal search warrant for McCall-Teigen’s Boise residence and seized the cellphone he had used for the communication.
U.S. District Judge Billy Roy Wilson ordered McCall-Teigen to serve 20 years of supervised release following his prison sentence and to forfeit the cellphone that was used to commit the offense. As a result of the conviction, McCall-Teigen will be required to register as a sex offender.
“This case reflects the sad reality that there are perpetrators in our communities who use technology and social media to exploit children,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, of the District of Idaho. “The collaboration between local, state, and federal partners in this case shows our joint commitment to protecting children and holding predators accountable to the full extent of the law. We encourage everyone to report suspected child abuse. The child’s report in this case led directly to this investigation and allowed multiple victims to escape further abuse and to receive help.”
“Mr. McCall-Teigen’s acts of coercion and victimization serve as a stark reminder of the lengths that child predators go to satisfy their depravity,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Though this sentence will never truly repair the damage caused by Mr. McCall-Teigen, it is hopefully some comfort to not just the victims and their families, but the entire community.”
The nanny was also charged by Information with five counts of lewd conduct with a minor under 16 and six counts of production of child sexually exploitative material. An arrest warrant is outstanding. An Information is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit made the announcement and commended the cooperative efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Meridian Police Department, the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report suspected child abuse in Idaho, call your local Police or Sheriff’s Department or call the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare: (208) 334-5437 or toll free, (855) 552-KIDS (5437).
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Bangor Man Sentenced to 9+ Years for Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bangor man was sentenced today in federal court for drug trafficking and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Nikolas Raines 30, to 111 months in prison and four years of supervised release. Raines pleaded guilty on June 30, 2021.
According to court records, in November 2020, agents with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency executed a search warrant at a Bangor motel room where Raines was staying. Agents found 310 grams of fentanyl, along with a digital scale, blender and other drug paraphernalia. They also found a loaded .22 caliber revolver close to the fentanyl. Raines was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior Maine felony convictions.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.
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