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27 June 2022
Justice Department Secures Settlements with 16 Employers for Posting Job Advertisements on College Recruiting Platforms That Discriminated Against Non-U.S. CitizensRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced that it signed settlement agreements requiring 16 private employers to pay a total of $832,944 in civil penalties to resolve claims that each company discriminated against non-U.S. citizens in hiring. According to the department, each company posted at least one job announcement excluding non-U.S. citizens on an online job recruitment platform operated by the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). One employer posted as many as 74 discriminatory advertisements on Georgia Tech’s platform, while several of the employers posted discriminatory advertisements on other college or university platforms as well. The department determined that the advertisements deterred qualified students from applying for jobs because of their citizenship status, and in many cases the citizenship status restrictions also blocked students from applying or even meeting with company recruiters.
“Unlawful hiring discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status is a widespread problem across higher education in the United States, putting many jobs out of reach of qualified college students and recent graduates,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to enforcing the law to ensure that students and job applicants — including lawful permanent residents, U.S. nationals, asylees and refugees — are protected from unlawful discrimination. We will hold employers accountable for using on-campus recruiting platforms in a discriminatory manner and work to provide relief for victims.”
The department’s involvement in these matters began after a lawful permanent resident filed a discrimination complaint with the Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section, alleging that a company advertised a U.S.-citizens only position on a Georgia Tech job recruitment platform. The department’s investigation discovered a rash of other facially discriminatory advertisements on Georgia Tech’s job recruiting platform as well as other platforms operated by colleges and universities across the United States. The department proceeded to open investigations of the employers with which it is settling, and continues investigations into additional employers.
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) generally prohibits employers and recruiters from limiting jobs based on citizenship or immigration status unless required by a law, regulation, executive order or government contract. The INA protects U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, refugees, asylees and recent lawful permanent residents from citizenship status discrimination in hiring, firing and recruitment or referral for a fee. Regardless of whether colleges or universities run afoul of the INA in the way they operate their job recruitment platforms, employers themselves are liable if the advertisements they post on those platforms violate the INA.
Under the terms of their individual settlement agreements with the department, the following 16 employers will pay civil penalties in varying amounts, depending, in part, on the number of discriminatory advertisements they posted:
EMPLOYER
PENALTY AMOUNT
KPMG LLP
$306,656
Keyot LLC
$256,928
Area-I, Inc.
$103,600
CapTech
$33,152
Akuna Capital
$29,008
American Express Company
$29,008
Sealed Air Corporation
$24,864
Clarkston-Potomac Group
$12,432
Toast, Inc.
$8,288
Blackbaud
$4,144
Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc.
$4,144
CONMED
$4,144
Edward Jones Investments
$4,144
KNAPP Inc.
$4,144
SimpleNexus, LLC, f/k/a L Brewer and Associates, LLC, d/b/a LBA Ware
$4,144
The Royster Group, Inc.
$4,144
TOTAL
$832,944
In addition to paying the civil penalties, the 16 employers must also require their recruiting staff to undergo training on their obligations under the INA’s anti-discrimination provision and to refrain from including specific citizenship or immigration status designations in their campus job postings unless the restrictions are required by law. They will also ensure that their other recruiting practices and policies comply with the INA’s anti-discrimination provision.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation.
Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. IER’s website has more information on how employers can avoid discriminating based on citizenship status when hiring and recruiting. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a free webinar; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER. View the Spanish translation of this press release here.
Johns Creek man pleads guilty to defrauding elderly manRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Aziz Choukri has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after admitting that he defrauded a 79-year-old retiree of approximately $650,000.
“Fraud schemes targeting the elderly are a particularly egregious type of fraud that often deplete the victims’ entire life savings,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This conviction affirms our commitment to prosecuting those who prey on our most vulnerable citizens.”
“The victimization of the elderly through financial scams represent one of the most significant types of cases the Secret Service investigates to combat fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven Baisel of the U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office. “Those who prey on the vulnerable and cheat them out of their life savings through their cunning lies and financial schemes must recognize that the Secret Service, along with our many law enforcement partners, will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law and bring a measure of justice to the victims.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: In 2016, Choukri met the victim, then 79 years old, at a fitness facility in Alpharetta, Georgia. Choukri cultivated a close relationship with the elderly victim to gain his trust. Choukri convinced the victim to invest almost $650,000 in his music management company. Choukri convinced the victim that the investment carried no risk and was guaranteed to earn a return.Specifically, Choukri promised that the victim would be compensated the full amount of any investment, plus interest, and even told the victim that he would guarantee him a $1,000,000 return. Choukri did not tell the victim that the money would be used to fund Choukri’s lifestyle.
Instead of using the money as an investment in a music business, Choukri used the victim’s money largely on Choukri’s own personal expenses, including, among other things, Choukri’s activities of daily living (e.g., fast food, gas, and uber), payments for his daughter’s college tuition and sorority expenses, dental work for his girlfriend, payments to his girlfriend for tutoring and babysitting, and repayment of a personal loan. Choukri also transferred a significant amount of the victim’s money to his children’s accounts and withdrew thousands of dollars in cash. Notably, Choukri’s accounts show that almost all of Choukri’s income in 2016 and 2017 was from the victim.
Aziz Choukri, 59, of Johns Creek, Georgia, pleaded guilty to wire fraud on June 16, 2022. Sentencing is scheduled for September 14, 2022, before U.S. District Court Judge Eleanor L. Ross.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Adams and Tal C. Chaiken are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is part of the Department of Justice Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force. The Strike Force focuses on investigating and prosecuting defendants associated with foreign-based fraud schemes that disproportionately affect American seniors. These include romance scams, phone scams, mass-mailing fraud schemes, and tech-support fraud schemes. For further information on these scams, see https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/senior-scam-alert.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Jamestown Man Indicted by A Federal Grand Jury for Selling Fentanyl That Led to Two DeathsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Steven Mojica Medina, 34, of Jamestown, NY, with distribution of heroin, fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl causing death, narcotics conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine, using and maintaining a drug-involved premises, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 30 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a 1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Misha A. Coulson and Michael J. Adler, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, on August 30, 2018, Medina sold acetyl fentanyl which resulted in the death of an individual identified as J.H. On September 9, 2018, Medina sold heroin, acetyl fentanyl, and fentanyl, which resulted in the death of an individual identified as J.T.
The indictment further states that: • Medina conspired with others to sell heroin, fentanyl and cocaine; • Used a residence on Euclid Avenue in Jamestown to conduct his drug trafficking activities; and
• Possessed firearms while conducting drug trafficking activities. In May 2015, Medina was convicted on a gun charge in Chautauqua County Court and is legally prohibited from possession firearms and ammunition.
Medina was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and was detained.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Indianapolis Man Sentenced to 27 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- James Winbush IV, 26 years old, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Winbush was sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on August 9, 2021, law enforcement in Merrillville, Indiana stopped a vehicle for speeding. During a search of the vehicle, an officer recovered a .40 caliber pistol loaded with an extended magazine, which Winbush admitted to possessing. Winbush’s criminal history revealed he has a prior felony conviction in Lake County, Indiana for burglary, and as such, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives/ Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force with the assistance of the Merrillville Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Padilla.
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.
Huntington Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Nigerian Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington woman was sentenced today to three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for her role as a money mule in a Nigerian fraud scheme that scammed money from individuals, many of whom were elderly. Patricia Dudding, 70, was also ordered to pay $1,788,589.24 in restitution
According to court documents and statements made in court, Dudding admitted that she received and wired fraudulent funds through numerous accounts she set up in her name at several different banks from May 2018 through July 2019. Dudding admitted that she did so at the direction of an individual she met online and knew as “Lucas Bennito Antonio” or “Lucas.” Dudding received numerous deposits in those bank accounts from “Lucas” and other individuals located in the United States and abroad. Dudding, and unnamed co-conspirators, would then transfer these funds to bank accounts located in Nigeria.
Dudding further admitted that she became aware that the activities of “Lucas” were not legitimate. A series of employees at the various banks questioned Dudding about her transactions, and in several instances closed her accounts for suspected fraud. To further the scheme, Dudding made false and fraudulent representations to these financial institutions to make it appear that the wire transfers were being sent for legitimate purposes. On April 26, 2019, Dudding sent a wire transfer of $39,000 from her account to an individual in Montana. Upon questioning by a bank employee, Dudding lied about the wire transfer to aid Lucas in completing the transfer of funds to the designated recipient in Montana.
Dudding further admitted that she withdrew victim funds for her personal benefit. According to Dudding, she used the funds to pay her utility and satellite television service. She also used the funds to purchase groceries, drug store items, gasoline, department store items, and restaurant meals. Dudding also made numerous cash withdrawals.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson prosecuted the case.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at https://www.ovc.gov.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-1.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for the distribution of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, Deandre Antonio Ziegler, 31, who is also known as “Little D,” admitted to distributing crack to an undercover informant on five different occasions in July and August 2020.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department Drug Unit and the FBI’s Southern West Virginia Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) West Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-17.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Curtis Ray Pelfrey, Jr., 36, admitted that he used eDonkey, an online file sharing program, from November 2018 to December 2019 to download and share videos and images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Pelfrey further admitted that on October 7, 2019, he used his computer to receive videos containing child pornography. Pelfrey admitted that 24 videos and five images he possessed on his computer depicted minors engages in sexually explicit conduct. Several of the images and videos have been identified as depicting known children. Pelfrey admitted that he engaged in this sort of activity since 2014.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie White prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-244.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Role in Multi-State Drug RingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to 17 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in a multi-state drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl and other illegal drugs in the Huntington area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Scott Lee Midkiff, 36, admitted that he participated in the drug trafficking conspiracy from the summer of 2020 to July 2021. During the conspiracy, Midkiff frequently obtained quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl to distribute to various customers in the Huntington area. Midkiff provided the drugs to customers on consignment and was aware his customers intended to redistribute the drugs. Midkiff also admitted that he participated in arranging drug transactions by steering customers to certain drug dealers when customers would contact him.
On April 5, 2021, investigators seized over 1.2 pounds of methamphetamine, 130 grams of fentanyl and $84,000 in cash that Midkiff had arranged to be hidden in a vehicle parked in Huntington. When a search warrant was executed in the investigation on July 29, 2021, agents seized an additional 133 grams of fentanyl and $11,600 from a residence Midkiff shared with another individual.
Midkiff previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. The case is the result of a long-term investigation that disrupted the DTO and its distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base, also known as “crack.” All 18 defendants have pleaded guilty.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force is comprised of officers with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus, Ohio also assisted in the investigation.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-109.
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Hungry Texan sentenced for smuggling methRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 30-year-old Austin man has been ordered to federal prison for attempting to smuggle meth into the country while eating a cheeseburger, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Yen-Tsun Huang pleaded guilty Nov. 3, 2020.
Today, U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton ordered him to serve a total of 90 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Huang, a citizen of Taiwan, will lose his legal permanent resident status and be issued an immigration detainer upon completion of his incarceration.
On July 4, 2020, Huang was a passenger in a vehicle that attempted to pass through a Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint. Law enforcement noticed Huang displayed suspicious behavior by eating a cheeseburger immediately upon arrival. A K-9 also alerted authorities to the presence of narcotics within the vehicle.
Authorities referred him to secondary inspection. There, they discovered brick-shaped objects strapped to each of Huang’s thighs. They contained a total of 738.56 grams of meth.
Huang will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis E. Robinson prosecuted the case.
Helena pawn shop employee sentenced to three years in prison for firearm crimeRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — An employee of a Helena pawn shop was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm and lying during a firearm purchase at the business, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Isaiah Maurice Morsette, 39, of Boulder, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to prohibited person in possession of a firearm and to false statement during a firearms transaction.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents filed in the case, the government alleged that in 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began investigating Modern Pawn & Consignment after learning that Morsette was involved in the purchase of 88 pounds of gunpowder stolen from Montana Outdoor Sports in February 2021. The investigation found numerous violations of federal firearms laws. Morsette’s wife and co-defendant, Catherine Suzanne Morsette, was the federal firearms licensee for the business, while Morsette was the firearms and ammunition expert. Catherine Morsette, who was convicted in the case and sentenced to four years of probation, deferred to her husband on firearms-related matters.
On July 14, 2021, the ATF arrested several suspects, including Morsette, and searched the business. The ATF recovered 110 firearms, some of which were determined to be stolen, and an assortment of ammunition.
Morsette has felony convictions and at the time he possessed firearms, he knew he had been convicted of felony sexual intercourse without consent in December 2011 in Montana.
In March 2021, an undercover ATF special agent went to Modern Pawn, where Morsette told the special agent that he would have two Smith & Wesson 9mm pistols available for sale in four days. Morsette handed the special agent both pistols and discussed other firearms for sale or coming up for sale.
In April 2021, two undercover ATF special agents went to Modern Pawn where special agent #2 eventually bought a Savage 6.5 Creedmoor rifle from Morsette for special agent #1. Morsette handed the rifle to special agent #1. When special agent #1 asked about not having a Montana address yet, Morsette told the special agent to purchase the firearm from him anyway. With Morsette present, special agent #1 called special agent #2 and asked him to come to the store. While waiting for the second special agent to arrive, Morsette handed special agent #1 a box of ammunition. Special agent #2 arrived at the store and with Morsette filled out an ATF form for the rifle’s purchase. When special agent #2 asked about a question on the form regarding the actual purchaser of the firearm, Morsette responded, “yeah, it’s your gun brother, as far as I’m concerned.” Morsette knowing executed the ATF form stating that special agent #2 was the actual purchaser of the Savage rifle, when in fact he knew that special agent #1 was the actual purchaser.
The ATF investigated the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Gainesville Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Federal Prison for Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Octavius Durdley, 43, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison following his conviction on one count of failing to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentenced.
Durdley was convicted by a federal jury in February 2022. Evidence introduced at trial revealed Durdley was originally convicted and sentenced in 2010 of a federal sex offense which required him to comply with both state and federal registration requirements. Upon his release in May 2019, he initially complied with SORNA’s registration requirements. However, in October 2019, he announced his intention not to comply with any supervision or registration requirements. In December 2019, he was found to have violated his federal supervision and was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment. Following his release from prison in January 2021, he again failed to comply with his supervision or registration requirements until he was arrested in April 2021.
“This sentence is yet another example of the unwavering commitment to the protection of our most vulnerable and should serve as a significant deterrent to those who would attempt to harm them,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who prey upon our children.”
Durdley’s prison sentence will be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, with requirements that he continue to register under SORNA.
United States Marshal Don Ladner remarked, “The U.S. Marshals are committed to ensuring that sex offenders follow all federal registration requirements. If these offenders fail to do so and break the law, we will fully investigate and prosecute their violations.”
The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), which was passed by Congress in 2006 as part of the Adam Walsh Act, provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States and seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs. In part, SORNA requires registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.This conviction was the result of an investigation by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney F.T. Williams prosecuted this case.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Four Jacksonville-Area Men Sentenced to Federal Prison Terms for Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Orlando Pina (31, Atlantic Beach), Tawfiq Goggans (25, Jacksonville), Juan Carlos Muniz-Alvarez (33, Jacksonville), and Juan Carlos Muniz-Alvarez (33, Jacksonville) have been sentenced to federal prison terms for their involvement in a conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of pure/actual methamphetamine in the Jacksonville area.
According to court documents, between December 2018 and September 2020, Pina supplied Goggans with two to six pounds of methamphetamine every week or two in Jacksonville. When arrested, Pina, having been previously been convicted of a felony offense, unlawfully possessed a firearm which was seized by law enforcement officers. In March 2022, Pina pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure/actual methamphetamine. On June 23, 2022, Pina was sentenced to 13 years and 8 months in federal prison. He was held accountable for distributing at least 1.5 kilograms and up to 4.5 kilograms of pure/actual methamphetamine.
On March 9, 2022, Goggans pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure/actual methamphetamine. He was sentenced on June 7, 2022, to 5 years in federal prison. Goggans was held accountable for distributing at least 1.5 kilograms and up to 4.5 kilograms of pure/actual methamphetamine.
On February 25, 2022, Muniz-Alvarez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure/actual methamphetamine. He was sentenced on June 1, 2022, to 10 years in federal prison. Muniz-Alvarez was held accountable for distributing at least 1.5 kilograms and up to 4.5 kilograms of pure/actual methamphetamine.
On April 1, 2021, Windle pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of pure/actual methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison on July 12, 2021.
“The illicit opioid crisis continues to ravage our communities, prematurely end lives, and tragically destroy families at the seams,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge John Condon. “The sentencings of these criminals to a combined 428 months in a federal penitentiary is a testament to the partnerships we have with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to stop the peddling of poison.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Clay County Sheriff's Office, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hackenberry.
Fort Wayne Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Steven J. Hecke, age 37, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was found guilty following a five-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
The jury found Hecke guilty of two counts of distributing methamphetamine, one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Hecke’s sentencing will be scheduled by separate order of the Court. Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the District Court Judge after consideration of federal statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the Allen County Drug Task Force; the Allen County Sheriff’s Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Indiana State Police; and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller and Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
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.
Former Portland Attorney Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Client FundsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A former Portland attorney pleaded guilty today to multiple felony charges after perpetrating a scheme to defraud her clients and use the proceeds to pay for personal expenses.
Lori E. Deveny, 56, pleaded guilty to mail, bank, and wire fraud; aggravated identity theft; money laundering; and filing a false tax return.
According to court documents, between April 2011 and May 2019, Deveny systematically stole funds she held in trust for her clients. The funds were derived from insurance proceeds due and payable to her clients. Deveny is accused of forging client signatures on settlement documents she sent to various insurance companies, making unauthorized transfers of funds to personal accounts and falsely telling clients that the insurance companies were to blame for delays in settling claims. Many of Deveny’s clients never received the insurance payout they were owed.
Deveny used the proceeds of her scheme to pay for personal credit card and loan payments, numerous big game hunting trips to Africa and the resulting taxidermy costs, other vacations, her husband’s photography business, home remodeling, expensive cigars and other expenses associated with a lavish lifestyle.
On May 7, 2019, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 24-count indictment charging Deveny with mail, bank, and wire fraud; aggravated identity theft; money laundering; and filing a false tax return.
Deveny will be sentenced on November 23, 2022, before U.S. District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman.
As part of her plea agreement, Deveny has also agreed to pay restitution in full to her victims as determined by the government and ordered by the court.
Mail and wire fraud are punishable by up to 20 years in prison and money laundering is punishable by up to 10 years. All three offenses carry maximum fines of $250,000 or twice the gross gains or losses resulting from the offense and three years’ supervised release. Bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and five years’ supervised release. Filing a false tax return is punishable by up to three years in prison, a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gains or losses resulting from the offense, and one year of supervised released. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by up to two years in prison running consecutive to any other carceral sentence imposed.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI and is being prosecuted by Claire M. Fay, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Former New Bedford Police Union Treasurer Sentenced for Stealing Union FundsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former New Bedford Police Department (NBPD) officer and NBPD Union Treasurer was sentenced today for stealing nearly $50,000 in union funds.
Joshua Fernandes, 41, of New Bedford, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to three months in prison and two years of supervised release, of which the first six months will be served in home confinement with location monitoring for the first three months. The government recommended a sentence of one year in prison. Fernandes was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $47,851. In October 2021, Fernandes pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
“Mr. Fernandes took an oath to protect and serve the people of New Bedford. Instead, he violated the trust bestowed upon him by both the New Bedford community and his fellow officers,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “For several years, Mr. Fernandes stole tens of thousands of dollars in union funds and recklessly spent it on a range of personal expenses including beach vacations, phone bills and online dating. Adding insult to injury, he tried to cover up his theft by backfilling the depleted accounts with more stolen funds from the Union’s retirement investment account. Public officials who misuse their positions of trust for their own personal enrichment will be prosecuted. No one is above the law.”
“As a police officer, and union treasurer, Joshua Fernandes took an oath to uphold the law, but today he was sent to prison for breaking it. Fernandez stole tens of thousands of dollars in union funds—the hard-earned money of his fellow officers—and instead spent it on himself to settle more than four hundred personal charges, such as beach vacations, event tickets, children’s toys, and online dating,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “What he did is abhorrent, and today’s sentencing should be a warning to others that the FBI is committed to rooting out public corruption and preserving trust in law enforcement.”
Fernandes abused his position as Union Treasurer by using nearly $50,000 in union funds to pay for personal expenses including vacations, family outings, and a monthly wireless family phone plan, among other things. Fernandes carried out his scheme by reimbursing his personal credit card accounts with union funds and by using the union’s credit cards to pay directly for non-union expenses.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta and Jonathan Russo, District Director of U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor Management Standards made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Executive Director of Madison Daycare Center Sentenced to 30 Months for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Nichole Genz, 41, Evansville, Wisconsin, was sentenced Friday June 24 by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 30 months in federal prison for wire fraud. Judge Peterson also ordered Genz to pay restitution in the amount of $216,561.85. Genz pleaded guilty to the charge on December 3, 2021.
Genz pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud from 2013 to 2018 as part of a scheme to defraud her employer Park Towne Development Corporation (PTD). PTD had various subsidiary entities, including a daycare center called Learning Gardens Child Development Center. Genz worked as the Executive Director at Learning Gardens from September 3, 2013 until October 2, 2018, when she was fired.
Genz and the PTD Accounting Manager participated in a scheme to defraud the company through various methods of embezzlement, which included: (1) diverting Learning Gardens tuition checks into the Learning Gardens petty cash account; (2) cashing altered checks by diverting them to the Learning Gardens petty cash account; (3) creating false bank statements for the Learning Gardens petty cash bank statement that hid the check diversions; and (4) misuse of the company credit card and debit cards for personal purchases. Genz submitted monthly expense reports that falsely coded her personal expenditures as Learning Gardens business expenses, and she attached receipts to the expense reports with handwritten notations falsely indicating the purchases were for Learning Gardens.
At Friday's sentencing hearing, which involved the taking of evidence and lasted over 7 hours, Judge Peterson noted that while the PTD Accounting Manager—who is now deceased—was the primary embezzler in the tuition check diversion part of the fraud scheme, Genz was aware of it and helped cover it up. The judge explained that the PTD Accounting Manager and Genz working together inflicted more harm to the victim company, and made it a more serious crime, than had it been just one person engaged in the scheme. Judge Peterson also told Genz that he did not think she had made a sincere and forthright effort to accept responsibility for her conduct, and that her slow efforts to come to terms with her actions, worried him about her future prospects for not reoffending.
In imposing the 30-month prison sentence, Judge Peterson told Genz he needed to impose such a sentence for specific deterrence – to deter her from future criminal conduct, as well as for general deterrence to the public – that tells future offenders who embezzle from their employers that they will face prison time.
The charges against Genz are the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Graber is handling the prosecution.
Former Cargo Handler at LAX Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Stealing Four Gold Bars Headed from Australia to New YorkRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former cargo handling company employee at Los Angeles International Airport was sentenced today to 12 months in federal prison for stealing four gold bars that were part of a larger shipment headed from Australia to New York.
Marlon Moody, 39, of South Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who also ordered him to pay a fine of $7,500.
Moody pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of conspiracy to commit theft of an interstate or foreign shipment.
A co-defendant, Brian Benson, 36, also of South Los Angeles, also pleaded guilty in July 2021 to the same charge.
Both men worked for Alliance Ground International (AGI), a company that provided ground handling services at LAX. On the evening of April 22, 2020, a shipment of gold bars arrived at LAX on Singapore Airlines. A total of 2,000 gold bars, each weighing one kilogram and valued at approximately $56,000, were being shipped at the direction of a Canadian bank. During a stopover at LAX, the gold was offloaded and secured, but an inventory that evening showed one box containing 25 gold bars was missing.
Moody found the missing box of gold bars near the Singapore Airlines cargo warehouse on the morning of April 23, placed the box on a belt loader and drove that vehicle to a nearby location, where he removed four of the bars. Soon after, Benson arrived to pick up Moody in a company van, where they exchanged text messages about the gold bars because other employees were in the van. The two defendants later left the airport and went to a nearby parking lot, where Moody gave Benson one of the four gold bars.
The lost box with the 21 remaining gold bars was discovered by other cargo handlers later on April 23, and authorities began an investigation that ultimately led to Moody and Benson.
Moody gave one gold bar to a relative on May 4 “and directed the family member to exchange the gold bar for a vehicle and/or money,” according to court documents. Around this time, Moody buried the remaining two gold bars in the backyard of his residence.
The FBI recovered all four gold bars about two weeks after they went missing from LAX.
“[Moody] conspired to steal and actually stole $224,000 worth of gold and kept $112,000 worth for himself,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “As an AGI employee, defendant was entrusted with handling cargo shipments at LAX and granted access to certain sections of the airport. [Moody] squandered that trust by stealing from those who relied on him to handle their property.”
Benson served a four-month prison sentence for the crime he committed in this case.
The FBI, the Federal Air Marshal Service, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Los Angeles Airport Police investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Lyndsi C. Allsop of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Final Defendant of Three Arrested for Role in Kidnapping, Carjacking, and Firearm Offense Against FBI EmployeeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a woman from Kersey, Colorado, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for her role in Kidnapping, Carjacking, and Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
Lourdes Bonilla, age 23, was indicted on May 19, 2022. She made her initial appearance before U.S. Judge Daneta Wollmann on June 24, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment. Juan Francisco Alvarez-Sorto, age 24, and Deyvin Morales, age 27, made their initial appearances before U.S. Judge Daneta Wollmann on June 9, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment
The maximum term of imprisonment upon conviction for each count is as follows: up to life for Kidnapping; up to fifteen (15) years for Carjacking; and a mandatory minimum of seven (7) years up to life for Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Each count also has a maximum fine of $250,000.
According to the indictment, on or about May 6, 2022, near Red Shirt, in the District of South Dakota, the defendants, Juan Francisco Alvarez-Sorto, a/k/a Juan Francisco Alvarez, a/k/a “Juanito R.,” a/k/a “Juan Jr.,” Deyvin Morales, a/k/a Deyvin Eliabid Escriba Morales, a/k/a Deybi Eleabit Escriba Morales, a/k/a “Guate,” a/k/a “Watay,” a/k/a “Chapine,” and Lourdes Alondra Bonilla, a/k/a “Bhabie Doze,” a/k/a “Princess_Doze,” did willfully and knowingly kidnap and abduct a victim. At the time, the victim was engaged in the performance of their official duties as a professional support employee with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The defendants also took the victim’s vehicle, with force, violence, and intimidation, and brandished a rifle during the commission of the charged criminal conduct. It is alleged that the defendants aided and abetted each other in committing the charges set forth in the indictment.
The charges are merely accusations, and each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri is prosecuting the case.
The defendants were all detained pending further court proceedings in South Dakota. A trial date of August 16, 2022, has been set.
Federal Inmate Sentenced to an Additional 29 Years for Orchestrating a Methamphetamine Trafficking Operation from PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal inmate was sentenced to an additional 349 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release for continuing to facilitate a methamphetamine trafficking operation from federal prison, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in early 2017, Marco Antonio Avila, 37, was charged and convicted in federal court for his leadership role in an ongoing and extensive drug trafficking organization operating in and around Rochester. While awaiting sentencing in 2017, Avila continued his methamphetamine trafficking operations through jail calls and in-person visits, was prosecuted again, and plead guilty to a second federal drug trafficking offense on May 30, 2017. On May 21, 2018, Avila was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 26 years in Bureau of Prisons (BOP) custody.
According to court documents, from December 2019 through at least February 2020, Avila continued his operations by recruiting and directing at least one co-conspirator to purchase large quantities of methamphetamine from a Mexico-based drug supplier to distribute to customers throughout southern Minnesota. Recorded BOP phone calls revealed Avila’s interactions with his co-conspirator, including inquiring about the status of distribution efforts and instructions to pay Avila commissions for his work as a middleman. On February 23, 2020, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at one of the co-conspirator’s storage lockers in Woodbury. Inside the storage locker, agents found thirty separate one-pound packages of methamphetamine stored inside a Corvette.
Avila was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank. On March 25, 2022, Avila pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Prisons, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Rochester Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter prosecuted the case.
El Paso Man Sentenced for Role in Two Deaths from a Cocaine OverdoseRead the Press Release
EL PASO – An El Paso man was sentenced today to 293 months in federal prison for his role in two deaths resulting from a cocaine overdose in November 2017.
On February 24, 2022, Paris Lamont Dennis, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance, causing serious bodily injury. According to court documents, on or about November 18, 2017, Dennis distributed cocaine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance, which resulted in the death of two individuals. Dennis, a known drug dealer, found the victims unresponsive after giving them a use amount of cocaine. The Medical Examiner reported that the victims died from accidental overdose with toxic levels of cocaine in their systems.
“Drug overdose deaths are at a record high,” said Ashley C. Hoff, United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas. “Our office will continue to pursue and hold accountable those responsible for distributing controlled substances resulting in injuries and deaths.”
“The drugs Mr. Dennis distributed killed two young El Pasoans, and today he learned his punishment,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Greg Millard, El Paso Division. “Others who insist on peddling drugs to members of the community should take notice. DEA will leverage all resources to investigate, and we will not rest until all those responsible are brought to justice, however long it takes.”
This case was investigated by DEA and the El Paso Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Countryman prosecuted the case.
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El Departamento de Justicia celebra acuerdos con 16 empleadores por publicar anuncios de trabajo en plataformas de reclutamiento de estudiantes de universidad que discriminaron a no ciudadanos de los EE. UU.Read the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha firmado acuerdos conciliatorios que requieren que 16 empleadores privados paguen un total de $832,944 por concepto de sanciones civiles para resolver acusaciones de que cada compañía había discriminado a no ciudadanos en el proceso de contratación. Según el Departamento, cada compañía publicó al menos un anuncio de trabajo que excluía a no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. en una plataforma virtual de reclutamiento laboral operada por el Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Un empleador publicó hasta 74 anuncios discriminatorios en la plataforma de Georgia Tech, mientras que algunos empleadores publicaron anuncios discriminatorios en las plataformas de otras universidades también. El Departamento determinó que los anuncios desalentaban a estudiantes cualificados de solicitar un trabajo debido a su estatus de ciudadanía, y en muchos casos las restricciones relacionadas con el estatus de ciudadanía también impedían que los estudiantes solicitaran un puesto e incluso obstaculizaron la posibilidad de reunirse con reclutadores de la empresa.
«La discriminación ilícita en la contratación con base en el estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía es un problema generalizado en los Estados Unidos, lo que pone a muchos trabajos fuera del alcance de estudiantes universitarios y recién graduados», declaró Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles. «La División de Derechos Civiles está comprometido a hacer cumplir la ley para garantizar que estudiantes y solicitantes de trabajo, incluyendo a residentes permanentes legales, nacionales de los EE. UU., asilados y refugiados, queden protegidos de la discriminación ilícita. Nosotros haremos a estos empleadores rendir cuentas de su uso discriminatorio de plataformas universitarias de reclutamiento y trabajaremos para conseguir una compensación para las víctimas».
La participación del Departamento en estos asuntos comenzó después de que un residente permanente legal presentó una demanda ante la Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados de la División de Derechos Civiles, en la cual alegó que una compañía había publicado un puesto solamente para ciudadanos de los EE. UU. en una plataforma de reclutamiento laboral de Georgia Tech. La investigación del Departamento halló toda una serie de anuncios que eran visiblemente discriminatorios en la plataforma de reclutamiento laboral de Georgia Tech, así como en otras plataformas operadas por universidades por todo Estados Unidos. El Departamento procedió a iniciar investigaciones de los empleadores con los cuales está llegando a acuerdos y todavía está investigando a algunos empleadores adicionales.
Conforme la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés), los empleadores y reclutadores solo pueden restringir puestos con base en la ciudadanía o el estatus migratorio si así se lo requiere una ley, un reglamento, una orden ejecutiva o un contrato gubernamental. Los ciudadanos estadounidenses, nacionales de los EE. UU., refugiados, asilados y residentes permanentes legales están protegidos bajo la INA de discriminación por motivos de su ciudadanía en los procesos de contratación, despido y reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión. Independientemente de si las universidades vulneran la INA en su forma de operar sus plataformas de reclutamiento laboral, los empleadores mismos son responsables si los anuncios que publican en tales plataformas vulneran la INA.
Conforme los términos de sus acuerdos conciliatorios individuales con el Departamento, los siguientes 16 empleadores pagarán sanciones civiles de distintos montos, dependiendo, en parte, del número de anuncios discriminatorios que publicaron:
EMPLOYER
PENALTY AMOUNT
KPMG LLP
$306,656
Keyot LLC
$256,928
Area-I, Inc.
$103,600
CapTech
$33,152
Akuna Capital
$29,008
American Express Company
$29,008
Sealed Air Corporation
$24,864
Clarkston-Potomac Group
$12,432
Toast, Inc.
$8,288
Blackbaud
$4,144
Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc.
$4,144
CONMED
$4,144
Edward Jones Investments
$4,144
KNAPP Inc.
$4,144
SimpleNexus, LLC, f/k/a L Brewer and Associates, LLC, d/b/a LBA Ware
$4,144
The Royster Group, Inc.
$4,144
TOTAL
$832,944
Además de pagar las sanciones civiles, los 16 empleadores también deberán obligar a su personal de reclutamiento a participar en una capacitación sobre sus deberes en virtud de la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA y abstenerse de incluir designaciones específicas de estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía en sus anuncios de trabajos en las universidades al menos que tales restricciones sean requeridas por ley. También asegurarán que sus demás prácticas y políticas de reclutamiento cumplan con la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA.
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión; prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
Para aprender más sobre la labor de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda, vea este vídeo corto. El sitio web de la IER tiene información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía en la contratación y el reclutamiento. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su estatus migratorio, ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected]; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés o español. Para recibir las últimas noticias de la IER, inscríbase a GovDelivery.
EDVA Seizes Six Websites Providing Illegal Access to Copyrighted MusicRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today the seizure of six websites as part of ongoing efforts by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Department of Justice to combat copyright infringement.
According to court records, the United States obtained court authorization to seize six domain names pending forfeiture. Four of those domains – Corourbanos.com, Corourbano.com, Pautamp3.com, and SIMP3.com – were registered with a U.S.-based registry, while two domains – flowactivo.co and Mp3Teca.ws – were registered through a U.S.-based domain registrar. According to court documents, law enforcement identified these six domains as being used to distribute copyrighted material without the authorization of the copyright holders. A law enforcement investigation confirmed that copyright-protected music content was present and available for streaming or downloading on each of these six websites from the Eastern District of Virginia.
The seizure of these six domains by the government will prevent third parties from streaming and downloading copyright-protected content from these sites. Individuals visiting those sites now will see a message indicating that the site has been seized by the federal government, and visitors will be redirected to another site for additional information.
The seizure of the domain names was announced by Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers in these matters.
Operation 404.4 is the result of collaborative efforts between the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern for the District of Virginia; the Government of Brazil Ministry of Justice and Public Security Cyber Laboratory; numerous Brazilian State police forces; HSI Washington DC; HSI Attaché Brasilia, Brazil; the Department of Justice’s International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Advisor and Agent in São Paulo, the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center; the UK Intellectual Property Office; and the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:22-SW-330 and 1:22-SW-331.
Defendant Convicted of Operating Large-Scale Opioid "Pill Mill" in QueensRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Brooklyn returned a guilty verdict today against Ezhil Sezhian Kamaldoss on all counts of a superseding indictment charging him with conspiring to distribute millions of opioid pills and other illegal controlled substances imported from India and money laundering conspiracy. The verdict followed a four-day trial before United States District Judge Allyne R. Ross. When sentenced, Kamaldoss faces up to 50 years in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the verdict.
“The defendant is now a convicted drug dealer. He lined his pockets off the black-market sales of millions of illegal opioids and misbranded prescription pills without regard for the harm caused by the abuse of these highly addictive and dangerous drugs,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “With today’s verdict, the defendant is held accountable for having a hand in every aspect of his pill mill, from the importing of unapproved medications from India, to personally filling orders for these drugs for customers throughout the country.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office; United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York Division; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, New York Field Office, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office; and HSI, Baltimore Field Office; for their outstanding investigative work on the case.
The evidence at trial proved that between May 2018 and August 2019, Kamaldoss participated with others in a transnational drug-trafficking conspiracy, which involved the importation of misbranded prescription drugs, including Tramadol, a synthetic opioid, into the United States from India, re-packaging the drugs at a pill mill operating out of a warehouse in Jamaica, Queens, and shipping the drugs via United States mail to customers throughout the United States. During the course of the charged conspiracy, Kamaldoss and the men who worked for him distributed millions of Tramadol pills sometimes purchasing hundreds of thousands of pills at a time. Additionally, Kamaldoss conspired to launder the proceeds of the drug-trafficking operation by using the illicit profits to reinvest in the business, including by paying shipping costs incurred by his co-conspirators—including nearly $200,000 in Federal Express costs paid off in exchange for additional pills.
The government’s evidence included testimony from a cooperating witness, who admitted to bribing workers at John F. Kennedy International Airport to evade detection by law enforcement authorities; members of law enforcement, one of whom testified that he witnessed the defendant shipping packages and seized some of the drugs mailed by the defendant; testimony from an expert in forensic chemistry that the drugs mailed by the defendant contained Tramadol and Alprazolam; documentary exhibits, including hundreds of emails, text messages, and spreadsheets recovered from email accounts and electronic devices of the defendant and his co-conspirators reflecting their daily receipt of dozens of drug orders, and their responses including tracking numbers of the shipments fulfilling the orders; and an audio recording made by a confidential informant of co-defendant Velaudapillai Navaratnarajah discussing the number and type of pills to package into envelopes. Navaratnarajah pleaded guilty in June 2022 to the drug conspiracy charges and is awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert M. Pollack and Margaret Schierberl are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of paralegal Sophia Cronin.
The Defendant:
EZHIL SEZHIAN KAMALDOSS (also known as “Kamaldoss Sezhian,” “Kamal Doss,” and Ezhil Cezhian”)
Age: 43
Richmond Hill, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 19-CR-543 (ARR)
Corrections Officer and Inmate Charged in Bribery Scheme; Same Inmate Charged in Unrelated Covid-Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Orlando B. Gutierrez (619) 546-6958
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 27, 2022
SAN DIEGO – Benito Jamar Hugie, a corrections officer at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, was indicted by a federal grand jury for accepting thousands of dollars in cash bribes from an inmate to smuggle dental molds, jewelry and other contraband into the prison, including an expensive bejeweled “grill” for the inmate’s mouth.
The indictment said Hugie smuggled the grill into the facility in early October, 2020, and delivered it to inmate Shawn Brown, who had custom ordered it from a jeweler in Houston, Texas, using a smuggled cell phone. A grill, also known as “fronts” or “golds,” is a type of dental jewelry worn over the teeth. Grills are generally made of metal, precious gems, and are generally removable.
Others charged include Brown and his brothers - Daejohne Hatcher and Demetrius Warsinger – who are accused of facilitating more than $5,000 in bribes to Hugie.
According to a second, unrelated indictment, during the investigation of Brown’s alleged bribery scheme, agents learned that while in custody at the prison, Brown used his contraband cellular telephone to coordinate the theft of unemployment benefits intended for Californians who were unable to pay for food and housing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment said Brown and his co-conspirators caused an estimated $1.4 million in fraudulent claims to be filed with the state Employment Development Department, resulting in actual cash payouts of more than $695,000 to Brown and his co-conspirators.
Also charged in that case are Devante Jefferson, Raven Solomon, Homer Pitts, Kimari Goodman, Keako Jones, and Daejohne Hatcher, who allegedly worked together to use stolen victim identities to file fraudulent EDD claims to receive cash benefits meant for those who were in need, the indictment said.
“Corrections officers are supposed to supervise inmates, not collaborate with them on crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “We will hold officers accountable when they sacrifice their own integrity and that of the prison system for a payday.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and FBI agents for their excellent work on this case.
“The defendant is accused of using his position as a corrections officer to work for the inmates inside the facility rather than the public,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “The FBI will not tolerate public corruption or theft of government funds on any level and we will continue to work with our state and federal partners to hold accountable those who use fraudulent schemes for personal gain. I specifically want to thank the California Department of Corrections - Office of Internal Affairs, the United States Attorney’s Office, FBI Sacramento – Fresno Resident Agency, and FBI Houston for their continued partnership in this case.”
DEFENDANTS Case Number 22CR1238
Shawn Brown Age: 26 CDCR Inmate
Daejohne Hatcher Age: 25 Fresno, CA
Benito Jamar Hugie Age: 47 San Diego, CA
Demetrius Vance Warsinger Age: 26 Fresno, CA
Case Number 22CR1239
Shawn Brown Age: 26 CDCR Inmate
Kimari Goodman Age: 33 Fresno, CA
Daejohne Hatcher Age: 25 Fresno, CA
Devante Jefferson Age: 29 CDCR Inmate
Keako Jones Age: 47 Fresno, CA
Homer Pitts Age: 48 Fresno, CA
Raven Solomon Age: 28 Fresno, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Indictment 1: Corruption Activities Stemming from the Grill
18 USC § 371 Conspiracy to Violate the Travel Act- Bribery (Count 1)
Defendants: Hugie, Brown, Warsinger, and Hatcher
18 USC § 1952(a)(3) Violation of the Travel Act- Bribery (Count 2)
Defendants: Hugie
18 USC § 1952(a)(3) Violation of the Travel Act- Bribery (Count 3-5)
Defendants: Brown, Warsinger, and Hatcher
28 USC § 2461(c) Criminal Forfeiture
Indictment 2: Fraud Activities Involving EDD
18 USC § 1349 – Conspiracy; Mail Fraud
Defendants: Brown, Jefferson, Solomon, Pitts, Goodman, Jones, and Hatcher
18 USC § 1028A – Aggravated Identity Theft
Defendants: Brown, Solomon, Pitts, and Goodman
AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Convicted Felon Indicted for Possessing A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Ataire Carl Ray (27, Tampa) with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Ray that the United States intends to forfeit the firearm and ammunition traceable to the offense.
According to the indictment, on April 1, 2022, Ray was in possession of a firearm and ammunition. At the time of the incident, Ray had previous felony convictions for robbery with a gun or deadly weapon and delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school. As a previously convicted felon, Ray is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Kenneth. The forfeiture will be handled by Assistant United States Attorney James Muench.
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.
Convicted Felon Indicted for Possessing A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Raequan M. Nelson (23, Tampa) with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Nelson faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Nelson that the United States intends to forfeit the firearm and ammunition traceable to the offense.
According to the indictment, on February 13, 2022, Nelson was in possession of a firearm and ammunition. At the time of the incident, Nelson had previous felony convictions for robbery with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. As a previously convicted felon, Nelson is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Kenneth. The forfeiture will be handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.
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.
Columbia Man Indicted for Firearms/Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a 3-count indictment against Darius Antonio Pugh, 35, of West Columbia, for felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and cocaine, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The indictment alleges that on April 9, 2022, after a traffic stop by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Pugh was found in possession of firearms and drugs.
Pugh faces a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment on the felon in possession of firearms charge, a maximum of 30 years on the drug charge, and a mandatory minimum of 5 years with maximum of life on the possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime charge. Pugh is currently detained pending trial.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Colebrook Man Pleads Guilty to Bank FraudRead the Press Release
CONCORD - William Hill, 26, of Colebrook, New Hampshire pleaded guilty in federal court to bank fraud, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2018 and October 2021, Hill’s co-defendant Katie Ricker was employed in various positions by a company in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire. In or about October 2021, Ricker stole blank checks belonging to the company. She wrote fraudulent checks addressed to herself, Hill and others to transfer funds from the company’s account to her joint bank account with Hill. Ricker forged the signature of the employee authorized to sign on the company’s account. The defendants were caught on camera cashing some of the fraudulent checks. In total, the defendants stole more than $51,000 from the company.
Hill is scheduled to be sentenced on October 6, 2022.
Ricker has pleaded not guilty. The charges in the indictment are only allegations. She is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Sugar Hill Police Department and Lisbon Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen.
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Charlotte Man Is Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking of A MinorRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Dajuan Akeem Blair, 26, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 151 months in prison today for sex trafficking of a minor, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, Blair was also ordered to serve a lifetime under court supervision and to register as a sex offender.
Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed documents and statements made at today’s sentencing hearing, Blair was convicted of causing a minor female to engage in prostitution. The victim was a 16-year-old runaway, and she was introduced to Blair by a mutual friend, also a teenager, who had previously dated the defendant. Blair knew that both females were minors. According to court records, on December 26, 2018, Blair rented a motel room in Charlotte, where he took pictures of the minors and used the pictures to advertise the minors for sex online. Over the next two days, Blair arranged sexual encounters for the minors and set the prices for those encounters. Court records show that Blair took a portion of the minor victim’s earnings from the commercial sex.
“Blair trafficked two underage girls and used them like commodities to be traded for his gain,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Let it be known that severe consequences befall those who engage in this reprehensible conduct,” said U.S. Attorney King.
“Blair lied to his young victims from the very start, he robbed them of their civil rights to make a profit, but now he will pay the price. There is no way of knowing the long term psychological damage caused to these victims. The FBI devotes significant resources to help sex trafficking victims recover from the trauma they suffer,” said Special Agent in Charge Wells.
“The defendant’s heinous predatory behavior is deserving of a lengthy prison sentence to ensure he cannot inflict further harm on other victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Martinez. “HSI is appreciative of the collaborative efforts of CMPD, FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking Task Force for its work with HSI on this investigation.”
Blair is currently in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The investigation was handled by the FBI, HSI and CMPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik Lindahl of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
If you are the victim of a human trafficking or may have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year related to potential trafficking victims, suspicious behaviors, and/or locations where trafficking is suspected to occur. To submit a tip to the NHTRC online please visit https://humantraffickinghotline.org/report-trafficking.
You can also contact Homeland Security Investigations at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or the Charlotte Office of the FBI at 704-672-6100.
California Woman Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Passing Counterfeit Federal Reserve NotesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Savannah Symone Duncan (24, Los Angeles, CA) to two years in federal prison for passing or uttering counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Duncan had pleaded guilty on November 23, 2021.
According to court documents, on April 28, 2021, Duncan passed counterfeit $20 bills to cashiers at multiple CVS stores and a Michaels store in Fort Myers. In total, Duncan passed approximately $2,640 in counterfeit currency for the purchase gift cards, which was captured on store surveillance.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Drug, Gun and COVID-19 Fraud CrimesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Joseph Bella, 49, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, being a drug user in possession of a firearm, and wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Rudroff and Nicholas T. Cooper, who are handling the case, stated that on April 23, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at Bella’s residence and recovered drug paraphernalia and quantities of cocaine, MDMA, and marijuana. Investigators also recovered a 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition. At that time, Bella was an unlawful user of controlled substances, including marijuana and cocaine.
In addition, Bella defrauded a Salt Lake City, Utah, corporation (Victim) that developed and manufactured COVID-19 test kits, by falsely representing that his company, Medcor Staffing, Inc., was laboratory certified to perform high-complexity molecular testing, that Medcor was an “end-user” of the tests, and that Medcor would not attempt to resell them. As a result, the Victim sold Bella 5,000 COVID-19 tests that he could not safely and accurately process, could not provide end-user support for, and, in fact, intended to re-sell at a substantial mark-up.
In March 2020, Bella advertised on his personal Facebook account that he was selling “FDA approved COVID-19 Test Kits.” In April 2020, Bella communicated with an undercover federal agent by telephone, text message, and email, falsely telling the agent that he had 50,000 COVID-19 tests for sale; that the COVID-19 tests were being stored in a warehouse in San Diego, California at -20 degrees Celsius; that Medcor was an “exclusive licensed reseller” of the tests; and that Medcor employed doctors and scientists to answer customers' questions. Bella attempted to sell the tests to the agent for $30 per test, or more, after fraudulently obtaining the tests for only $8 apiece.
Bella also fraudulently obtained a loan from the Small Business Association under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program, which is designed to provide low-interest loans to qualifying small businesses to help them meet financial obligations and operating expenses in the event of a disaster. At Bella’s direction, a subordinate submitted a falsified application for a loan under the EIDL Program for another business Bella owns called BuyMyCard, a purchaser and re-seller of gift cards. The application grossly inflated BuyMyCard’s annual revenue, grossly underreported BuyMyCard’s annual expenses, and falsely stated that Bella was not subject to formal criminal charges at the time of the application. As a result of the falsified application, the SBA approved and funded a $149,900 loan to BuyMyCard under the EIDL Program.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino; Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations, under the direction of Brian Manaher; U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Jeffrey T. Wilson; the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward of the Boston Division; the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division; and Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 7, 2022, before Judge Arcara.
# # # #Arkansas Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison for Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
FORT SMITH – A Fort Smith husband and wife were sentenced today to federal prison for Theft of Government Funds and Aiding and Abetting. The Honorable Judge P.K. Holmes, III, presided over the sentencing hearings in the United States District Court in Fort Smith.
Stephen Wayne Schwartz, age 55, was sentenced to 6 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and Rebekah Jolea Schwartz, age 44, was sentenced to 6 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. They were ordered to pay restitution, jointly and severally, to the Social Security Administration in the amount of 167,756.60.
“The Social Security Administration is set up to make funds available to those who are truly in need because of a disability. However, through their criminal conduct, Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz lined their own pockets with this money that was intended to help those with legitimate disabilities,” said United States Attorney David Clay Fowlkes. “Our office will continue to pursue fraud cases such as this one and will continue to seek to protect programs like this, which are designed to help some of the most vulnerable members of our society.”
“Stephen and Rebekah Schwartz conspired to defraud the Social Security Administration (SSA). By misrepresenting Mr. Schwartz as having a disabling condition that prevented him from working -- although he had steady employment – their fraudulent scheme caused SSA to pay Mr. Schwartz more than $167,000 that he was not entitled to receive,” said Gail S. Ennis Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “Today’s sentence demonstrates that my office will continue to hold people accountable when they defraud SSA’s programs for personal gain.” Inspector General Ennis thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its support of this investigation and its efforts to bring these individuals to justice and recover taxpayer funds.
According to court documents, Stephen Wayne Schwartz began receiving Social Security Administration Title II Disability Insurance benefits in 2000. In 2010, the Social Security Administration informed Stephen Wayne Schwartz he was no longer entitled to Social Security Administration disability insurance payments, due to his employment and income.
In November 2012, the Social Security Administration reinstated Stephen Wayne Schwartz’s disability insurance payments based in part on his report that he was no longer working. He was instructed to tell the Social Security Administration if he returned to work, or his disabling medical condition improved.
In 2015, while receiving Social Security Administration disability insurance payments, Stephen Wayne Schwartz worked as a school bus driver. He did not report his job and earnings to the Social Security Administration. When the Social Security Administration learned about his school bus driver job and income, Stephen Wayne Schwartz’s disability insurance payments were stopped.
On June 15, 2016, Stephen Wayne Schwartz, aided and abetted by his wife Rebekah Jolea Schwartz, submitted a document asking the Social Security Administration to reinstate his disability insurance payments. The couple claimed Stephen Wayne Schwartz’s current medical condition prevented him from working. At the time the couple made the reinstatement request, Stephen Wayne Schwartz was working as a driver for a roofing company. The money he earned from the roofing company was paid directly to Rebekah Jolea Schwartz to hide his income from the Social Security Administration.
On July 13, 2016, Stephen Wayne Schwartz signed a document filled out by Rebekah Jolea Schwartz that claimed Stephen Wayne Schwartz could not “drive a big truck, keep log books, follow map/directions . . . carry on a conversation, count, concentrate, [and] follow instructions . . . .” Stephen Wayne Schwartz claimed the information was true. At the time Stephen Wayne Schwartz signed the document, he was working as a driver for a roofing company, counting roofing materials for delivery and pick up, and following his employer’s delivery and pick-up instructions.
In 2017, the Social Security Administration reinstated Stephen Wayne Schwartz’s disability insurance benefits from 2016 forward. The decision to reinstate benefits was based, in some part, upon information provided by the couple.
On April 8, 2020, Stephen Wayne Schwartz and Rebekah Jolea Schwartz completed a form entitled “Work Activity Report – Employee” to determine whether Stephen Wayne Schwartz should continue getting disability benefit payments. The couple reported that Stephen Wayne Schwartz’s job was Justice of the Peace. The pay was listed as $224 per week with “zero hours” worked per week “on average.”
On February 22, 2021, the Social Security Administration, having learned that Stephen Wayne Schwartz had worked for a roofing company in 2016 and a marble and granite company, determined Stephen Wayne Schwartz was not eligible for disability payments for the period of June 2016 through and including February 2021. In response, Rebekah Jolea Schwartz told the Fort Smith Social Security Administration Office that her husband had never worked for a roofing company. Rebekah Jolea Schwartz subsequently gave documentation to the Social Security Administration claiming she was the one who had earned income from the roofing company.
On July 6, 2021, Stephen Wayne Schwartz and Rebekah Jolea Schwartz appeared in person at the Fort Smith Social Security Administration Office to ask about the status of Stephen Wayne Schwartz’s disability benefits payments.
Investigators from the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration were present when the couple arrived. Stephen Wayne Schwartz gave a voluntary statement to investigators and confessed he had committed fraud. Rebekah Jolea Schwartz gave a voluntary statement to investigators. She admitted to completing the June 2016 “Expedited Reinstatement Request” form the same month her husband began working for the roofing company.
The loss to the Social Security Administration resulting from the couple’s criminal conduct, for the period of June 2016 through and including July 2021, was $167,756.60.
The Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyra Jenner prosecuted the case.
Albany Man Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael P. Fish, age 26, of Albany, pled guilty today to obstruction of justice for submitting seven fraudulent character letters to the United States District Judge overseeing a now-concluded criminal case in which Fish was convicted of computer hacking, identity theft and child pornography crimes.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Fish admitted that he submitted seven fraudulent character letters to United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino in December 2019, in an effort to deceive the court and obtain leniency during his sentencing in the case. Specifically, Fish admitted that he doctored four letters, including one from a priest, and outright faked another three letters, including ones purportedly from his mother and grandparents.
Fish faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced by Judge D’Agostino on October 26, 2022. 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.
In his underlying criminal case, Fish was sentenced to 111 months in prison for computer fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with his hacking of online social media accounts and theft of nude images of dozens of female victims, as well as possession of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal.
24 June 2022
Westminster Man and Springfield Woman Charged with Conspiring and Attempting to Commit RobberyRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Daniel King, 41, of Westminster, Vermont, and Jacquelyn Fougere, 29, of Springfield, Vermont, were indicted by the federal grand jury for conspiring and attempting to commit a robbery that interfered with interstate commerce on March 14, 2022. Defendant Fougere was arrested on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 and is scheduled to have her initial appearance today. Defendant King is currently in the custody of Vermont’s Department of Corrections, and his initial appearance has not yet been scheduled.
According to court records, on March 14, 2022, King and Fougere attempted to rob a man of cash and THC cartridges by breaking into his residential trailer in Westminster, Vermont. The victim reported to law enforcement that King was carrying a firearm when he kicked down the door to the trailer. King also was carrying zip ties which were readied as make-shift handcuffs.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that both defendants are presumed innocent until and unless convicted of a crime. Both King and Fougere face a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment. The actual sentences, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory federal sentencing guidelines.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Fougere’s attorney is Robert Behrens, Esq. King has not yet retained or been appointed counsel.
Virginia Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Actions Following Attempted Revenge Killing in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John Nelson McQuillen, 66, of Norfolk, Virginia, was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for helping his longtime partner to flee and avoid apprehension after she attempted to kill a woman in Northeast Washington.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
McQuillen pleaded guilty in April 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to accessory after the fact to assault with intent to kill. He was sentenced by the Honorable Michael O’Keefe. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release; during that time, he is ordered to stay out of the District of Columbia.
According to the government’s evidence, McQuillen and his longtime partner, Tommie Lynn Dunmire, shared an adult son who was murdered in Cleveland, Ohio in March 2021. Over the ensuing months, McQuillen and Dunmire became frustrated with the investigation of their son’s death, and Dunmire began to conduct her own investigation. Dunmire’s mental state significantly deteriorated over this time.
On Nov. 5, 2021, McQuillen and Dunmire traveled by car from Norfolk to the victim’s home in Northeast Washington. Dunmire had mistakenly identified the victim as responsible for their son’s murder, and McQuillen knew that Dunmire intended to harm this person. In fact, the victim, a 30-year-old woman, was not involved in any way in the homicide.
Surveillance video shows Dunmire, wearing a brown vest and brown baseball cap and carrying a cardboard box, knocking on the front door of the victim’s home at approximately 9:25 p.m. Dunmire announced herself as a “UPS” delivery person, stating that she had a package for the victim. When the victim opened the door, Dunmire fired two shots from a silver revolver that she was holding inside of an opening cut in the back of the carboard box. One shot struck the victim in the abdomen. McQuillen then drove himself and Dunmire out of the area and changed the license plates on their vehicle. MPD officers stopped the vehicle soon thereafter in the 1400 block of Florida Avenue NE.
During the stop, Dunmire shot herself, using the revolver that she had used to shoot the victim. She later died. The victim was transported to a hospital and survived the injuries.
McQuillen was arrested in Virginia on March 11, 2022 and has been detained ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee expressed appreciation for the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and for the valuable assistance provided by the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office. They also acknowledged the efforts of those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles R. Jones, who prosecuted the matter.
U.S. Attorney Announces Guilty Plea by A Chiropractor for Defrauding the NBA Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit PlanRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that PATRICK KHAZIRAN, a/k/a “Dr. Pat,” pled guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the National Basketball Association (“NBA”) Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit Plan. KHAZIRAN pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Khaziran abused his position as a medical services provider by creating fraudulent invoices and defrauding the NBA Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit Plan of at least $1.3 million. I thank our law enforcement partners in the FBI for their hard work unraveling this pervasive scheme. My office will continue to investigate those who abuse their positions as medical service providers to commit fraud.”
According to the Information, public court filings, and statements made in court:
The NBA Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit Plan (the “Plan”) is a health care plan providing benefits to eligible active and former players of the NBA. KHAZIRAN is a chiropractor licensed in the State of California who owns and operates a chiropractic office (“Chiropractic Office-1”), which is a chiropractic and rehabilitation office in Los Angeles, California. Chiropractic Office-1 serves the general public and also provides rehabilitation services to professional athletes.
From at least in or about 2016, up to and including at least in or about 2019, KHAZIRAN participated in a scheme with other several former NBA players, including Terrence Williams and Keyon Dooling, to defraud the Plan.[1] KHAZIRAN’s role in the scheme was to document that former NBA players received certain medical services when, in truth and in fact, the medical services were never provided.
KHAZIRAN accomplished his role in the scheme in two ways. First, beginning in 2016, KHAZIRAN created, and caused others to create, fraudulent invoices for former NBA players. The former NBA players that received fraudulent invoices then, in turn, submitted the fraudulent invoices to the Plan to request reimbursements that they were not entitled to. Second, KHAZIRAN charged, and caused others to charge, the Plan-issued debit cards of former NBA players. The Plan-issued debit cards were intended to be used by Plan participants to pay for eligible medical services at the point of service. However, KHAZIRAN charged the Plan-issued debit cards of former NBA players for medical services that were never actually provided. In return for his participation in the scheme, KHAZIRAN received approximately 33% of the fraudulent proceeds he documented—i.e., 33% of the value of the fraudulent invoices and 33% of the fraudulent charges on Plan-issued debit cards, which totaled approximately $1.3 million. The remaining fraudulent proceeds were kept by the former NBA players KHAZIRAN conspired with.
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KHAZIRAN, 40, of Los Angeles, California, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which carries a maximum term of ten years in prison. As part of his guilty plea, KHAZIRAN agreed to pay restitution of $1,300,000 and to forfeit $429,000 to the United States. KHAZIRAN is scheduled to be sentenced on January 12, 2023.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan B. Finkel and Kristy J. Greenberg are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] Charges against Williams and Dooling are pending.
U.S. Army Soldier Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Murder Fellow Service Members in Deadly AmbushRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that ETHAN PHELAN MELZER, a/k/a “Etil Reggad,” pled guilty to attempting to murder U.S. service members, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, and illegally transmitting national defense information. MELZER planned a jihadist attack on his U.S. Army unit in the days leading up to a deployment to Turkey and sent sensitive details about the unit—including information about its location, movements, and security—to members of the extremist organization Order of the Nine Angles (“O9A”), an occult-based, neo-Nazi, and white supremacist group. MELZER pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As he admitted in court today, Ethan Melzer attempted to orchestrate a murderous ambush on his own unit by unlawfully disclosing its location, strength, and armaments to a neo-Nazi, anarchist, white supremacist group. The defendant believed he could force the U.S. into prolonged armed conflict while causing the deaths of as many soldiers as possible. MELZER’s traitorous conduct was a betrayal of his storied unit and nothing short of an attack against the most essential American values. Thanks to the incredible work of the FBI and the U.S. Army, MELZER’s duplicity was revealed and his murderous attack thwarted.”
According to the Indictment and other documents in the public record, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:
MELZER has been a member of O9A since at least 2017. O9A espouses neo-Nazi, anti-Semitic, and Satanic beliefs, and promotes extreme violence to accelerate and cause the demise of Western civilization. The group has expressed admiration both for Nazis, such as Adolf Hitler, and Islamic jihadists, such as Usama Bin Laden, the now-deceased former leader of al Qaeda. Members and associates of O9A have also participated in acts of violence, including murders. O9A members are instructed to fulfill “sinister” deeds, including “insight roles,” where they attempt to infiltrate various organizations, including the military, to gain training and experience, commit acts of violence, identify like-minded individuals, and ultimately subvert those groups from within.
MELZER joined the U.S. Army in approximately 2018 as part of an O9A insight role to infiltrate its ranks and further his goals as an O9A adherent. In approximately October 2019, MELZER deployed abroad with the Army to Italy as a member of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. While stationed abroad, MELZER consumed propaganda from multiple extremist groups, including O9A and the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, which is also known as ISIS. For example, MELZER subscribed to encrypted online forums where he downloaded and accessed videos of jihadist attacks on U.S. troops and facilities and jihadist executions of civilians and soldiers, in addition to far-right, neo-Nazi, and other white supremacist propaganda.
In approximately early May 2020, the Army informed MELZER that he would be reassigned to a unit scheduled for a further foreign deployment, where the unit would be guarding an isolated and sensitive military installation (the “Military Base”). After he was notified of the assignment, MELZER joined his new unit and attended weeks of training, including classified and unclassified briefings, to prepare for the deployment. As part of this intensive training, MELZER learned details about the purpose, layout, and security of the Military Base. MELZER and his unit also received in-depth training about and practiced for numerous threat scenarios at the Military Base, including how to respond to various potential terrorist attack scenarios.
Upon learning the importance and sensitivity of his upcoming deployment, MELZER immediately began passing that information to members of O9A. MELZER secretly used an encrypted messaging application to propose, advocate for, and plan a deadly attack on his fellow service members. MELZER sent messages to members and associates of O9A, and, in particular, a sub-group of O9A known as the “RapeWaffen Division,” providing details about his unit’s anticipated deployment including troop movements, relevant dates, locations, armaments, topography, and security, all in connection with the proposed attack on his unit and the Military Base. MELZER and his co-conspirators used this information to plan what they referred to as a “jihadi attack” with the objective of causing a “mass casualty” event victimizing his fellow service members. For example, after describing the unit’s weaponry during the deployment – and providing information consistent with the briefings he had received – MELZER described to his co-conspirators how an attack would “essentially cripple[]” the unit’s “fire-teams.”
To further the attack plan, MELZER and his co-conspirators passed these messages to a purported member of al Qaeda. MELZER’s proposed attack evolved as he gathered and distributed additional sensitive information about the deployment. For example, MELZER also promised to leak more information once he arrived at the Military Base – including real-time photographs of the facility and the frequency and channel of U.S. Army radio communications – in order to maximize the likelihood of a successful attack on his unit or on a replacement unit deployed to the Military Base.
MELZER told members of O9A in his encrypted electronic communications “[y]ou just gotta understand that currently I am risking my literal free life to give you all this” and that he was “expecting results.” MELZER further acknowledged that he could be killed during the attack, and described his willingness to die for O9A’s goals, writing “who gives a fuck [. . .] it would be another war . . . I would’ve died successfully . . . cause [] another 10 year war in the Middle East would definitely leave a mark.” MELZER also acknowledged in his messages that he deleted some of the communications regarding the planning of the attack because the plot amounted to treason.
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MELZER, 24, of Louisville, Kentucky, pled guilty to (1) attempting to murder U.S. military service members, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1114, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; (2) attempting to provide and providing material support to terrorists, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339A, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; and (3) illegally transmitting national defense information believing that it could be used to the injury of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 793(d), which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. MELZER is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Woods on January 6, 2023, at 10 a.m.
The statutory penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (“FBI”) New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department, along with the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Rome, Italy, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Army Counterintelligence, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, Attorneys from the U.S. Army Africa Office of the Staff Judge Advocate and 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, and the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service. Mr. Williams also thanked the Counterterrorism Section and the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, as well as the Department’s Office of International Affairs, for their assistance.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Matthew J.C. Hellman, and Kimberly J. Ravener are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Alicia Cook of the Counterterrorism Section and Scott Claffee of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Two Separate Cases Involving Sex Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Crimes Result in Sentences of 60+ Years in Federal Prison for Three DefendantsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the resolution of two cases involving sex crimes. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced the three defendants as follows:
Kevondric Fezia, 26, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 327 months (27 years, 3 months) in prison, and Calista Jenee Winfrey, 23, of Orange, Texas was sentenced to 36 months (3 years) in prison. Both defendants will serve 5 years of supervised release after their release from prison. In addition, Fezia and Winfrey were each ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,500. Fezia and Winfrey were charged with sex trafficking and attempting to entice a minor to engage in prostitution. Fezia was convicted by a jury in Lafayette following a two-day trial and Winfrey pleaded guilty to sex trafficking in February 2022.
Evidence presented in this case revealed that beginning in November 2020, Fezia was recruiting minor females to engage in prostitution and began communicating with a 14-year-old female in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Fezia was well aware when he began communicating with her that she was a minor, but still pursued her and tried to convince her that she would profit by engaging in prostitution through him. The minor victim made a decision to run away with Fezia to Texas. On February 13, 2021, he picked up the minor victim and took her to Texas. Winfrey and Fezia both were well aware that the victim was only 14 years old, but they continued to try and convince her to engage in prostitution.
Both defendants traveled with the minor victim to a hotel in Beaumont, Texas and introduced her to a 16-year-old prostitute that was also working for Fezia. Winfrey engaged in multiple acts of prostitution in the presence of the minor victim at the hotel, continually trying to convince the minor victim that she should also engage in prostitution. Fezia took photographs of both minor girls and the other prostitutes he was employing. He then posted them on his Instagram account as an advertisement, along with a visible geo tag showing those who saw the advertisement where to go to engage in sexual acts with the girls.
When the minor victim’s grandmother realized that she had run away from home, she began looking at the child’s social media accounts and found the communications between her granddaughter and Fezia. She then contacted law enforcement. Law enforcement officers were able to identify Fezia and found him at his apartment in Houston, Texas, along with other prostitutes and the minor victim. He attempted to hide her in the closet, but she and the other 16-year-old prostitute were found.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Lake Charles Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Luke Walker and John W. Nickel.
In the second case, Mickey Dewayne Williams, 43, of Lake Charles, was sentenced to 327 months (27 years, 3 months) in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of children.
In March 2021, law enforcement officers in Texas were contacted by an individual alleging that their minor child had been videotaped while naked in the bathtub by Williams. Law enforcement agents questioned Williams about the incident, and he admitted that he had in fact taken the photographs of the child while they were in the Western District of Louisiana. Williams has a prior felony conviction for possession of child pornography which also occurred in the Western District of Louisiana in 2014. He served time in federal prison for that offense and was on supervised release at the time that this incident occurred.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Luke Walker.
“These defendants sought out those to victimize who were vulnerable, whether it was girls under the age of 17, or minor children, without any regard for the well being of those victims but instead to gratify their own selfish desires,” said United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “Sex trafficking and sexual exploitation crimes are on the rise, and we are committed to continuing to work with our federal and local partners to stop those who choose to destroy teenage lives and scar those of child victims.”
“There is no place in our society for those who prey on the most vulnerable of our population. These sentence lengths reflect the heinous nature of the crimes committed, and for the HSI special agents and our law enforcement partners, it’s a gratifying outcome. We are thankful to our special agents and our law enforcement partners who do the difficult but important work of investigating these crimes,” said HSI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Dave Denton. “We also hope that the sentence serves as part of the victims’ healing process, and it reaffirms our commitment to safeguarding our nation’s children.”
These cases are part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Two Oakland Men Charged with Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
OAKLAND - Moises De Jesus Gomez and Roy Montoya were charged in separate indictments in federal court in Oakland with firearms dealing without a license, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Patrick T. Gorman, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. Montoya is also charged with illegal possession of a machinegun.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Gomez, 29, of Oakland, on June 16, 2022, for dealing firearms without a license in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1)(A). The illegal firearms dealing is alleged in the indictment to have occurred from July 2021 through April 2022. Gomez was arrested yesterday and made his initial appearance today in Oakland federal magistrate court to face the indictment. He is next scheduled to appear on July 6 at 2 p.m. before United States District Judge Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr.
The federal grand jury also returned a separate indictment on June 16 against Montoya, 26, of Oakland, for a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1)(A). That indictment charges Montoya with manufacturing and dealing firearms without a license, also during the time period of July 2021 through April 2022. Montoya is further charged in the indictment with possessing a machinegun, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(o). The indictment describes the machinegun as a 5.56 NATO caliber AR-15 type rifle that bears no serial numbers. Montoya was arrested on April 26, 2022, on the charge of unlicensed firearms dealing and will next appear on the two charges in his indictment in front of United States District Judge Jon S. Tigar on August 26, 2022.
Gomez and Montoya each face, if convicted, a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 for unlicensed dealing in firearms in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1)(A). Montoya also faces, if convicted, a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 for possession of a machine gun in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(o). However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by a court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Alexis James is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of legal assistant Karina Ruiz. The prosecution is the result of an approximately year-long investigation by ATF, HSI, and the California Highway Patrol.
These cases follow the launch by the U.S. Department of Justice of five Cross-Jurisdictional Firearms Trafficking Strike Forces in key regions nationwide that are focused on disrupting illegal firearms trafficking. One of the five Strike Forces was launched here, in the San Francisco Greater Bay Area and Sacramento Region. The Strike Force identifies sources of illegally trafficked firearms and disrupts straw purchasing and firearms trafficking schemes and networks by using collaborative cross-jurisdictional law enforcement efforts that include federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies working together.
Two Men Who Kidnapped Philadelphia Teen to NJ Apartment Complex One Year Ago Convicted at TrialRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Eduardo Castelan-Prado, 39, of Leonia, NJ, and Jose Ochoa, 32, of Moreno Valley, CA, were convicted after trial of kidnapping charges arising from the abduction of a teenage victim from Northeast Philadelphia to New Jersey just over one year ago in June 2021.
In June 2021, the defendants were charged by Indictment with conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping in connection with their actions, along with a third conspirator, to kidnap a 17-year-old in the parking lot of a restaurant in Philadelphia, which was the teen’s place of employment, after his shift ended. Evidence presented at trial showed that on June 14, 2021, Castelan-Prado, Ochoa, and a third co-conspirator then transported the victim to a residence in New Jersey, where they held him at gunpoint while making ransom demands of $500,000 to his parents. The FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department were able to determine the victim’s location by tracing the ransom calls, and in the early morning hours of June 16, 2021, an FBI SWAT team executed a search warrant at an apartment complex in Leonia, New Jersey, rescued the victim, and arrested the defendants.
“The events of this case are every parent’s worst nightmare: someone with ill intentions forcefully taking their child. These defendants kidnapped a teenager in an effort to extort money, a crime for which they will now be appropriately penalized,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “As was the case here, our investigators and prosecutors will work quickly and tirelessly to identify, locate and charge anyone who attempts this type of violent crime in our district.”
“These defendants abducted a child in order to extort his parents,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “This boy was made a pawn in a despicable and dangerous ploy for money. I’m so proud of all the folks who worked around the clock to locate and recover him, before his abductors inflicted any physical harm. These kidnapping convictions mean they’ll be off the street and behind bars for decades, unable to victimize anyone else’s child.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia and FBI Newark, and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Oshana and Kate Shulman.
Two Men Charged with Plan to Commit Home Invasion Robbery for Tens of Millions of Dollars in BitcoinRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing today of an Indictment charging DOMINIC PINEDA and SHON MORGAN with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery in May 2020 in Irvington, New York. PINEDA and MORGAN were arrested yesterday in Virginia and will be presented this afternoon in the Eastern District of Virginia.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged in the indictment, the defendants participated in a violent plan to break into a family’s home in the middle of the night and force its residents to provide the code to what the defendants believed was tens of millions of dollars in Bitcoin currency. Thanks to the work of the FBI, the defendants will now be held responsible for the alleged acts.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in White Plains federal court[1]:
From May 18, 20200 to May 24, 2020, DOMINIC PINEDA and SHON MORGAN participated in a plan to break into a home in Irvington, New York and rob its residents of cash and cryptocurrency.
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PINEDA, 21, of Manassas, Virginia, and MORGAN, 21, of Centreville, Virginia, are each charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case 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 Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of special agents and task force officers from the FBI, U.S. Probation, New York State Police, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Putnam County Sheriff's Office, Westchester County DAs Office, Rockland County DAs Office, NYPD, Westchester County PD, and the Yonkers, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Greenburgh, White Plains, Peekskill, Ramapo, and Clarkstown Police Departments and thanked the Irvington Police Department and the Greenburgh Drug and Alcohol Task Force for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of PINEDA and MORGAN.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Heavey is 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 and the descriptions of the Indictment constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Attorneys Formerly with Philadelphia Law Firm Charged with Legal Fee Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Scott E. Diamond, 62, of Philadelphia, PA, and Jesse M. Cohen, 42, of Los Angeles, CA, were charged together by Information with one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud. Diamond was an attorney who was a partner in a Philadelphia law firm, and Cohen was an associate in the same law firm. The firm specialized in complex commercial litigation, representing plaintiffs in personal injury matters, and representing insurance companies in insurance subrogation matters.
According to the Information, for approximately two years from 2018 through 2020, Diamond and Cohen engaged in a scheme to divert the fees from numerous personal injury and subrogation matters from the firm to themselves by secretly resolving the cases without the other firm partners knowing about the resolutions. Diamond and Cohen then caused insurance companies and other payors on those cases to send legal fees to themselves instead of to their employer, the law firm. When that was not possible, Diamond went through the firm’s mail and removed checks covering legal fees on the stolen cases made payable to the firm. Diamond then deposited checks from the cases they diverted into bank accounts that he controlled and shared the proceeds with Cohen. Diamond concealed the illegal conduct from his employer by closing the files for those matters and making it appear in the computer records of the firm that there were no settlements or resolutions and that the cases were not viable.
The personal injury and subrogation matters that Diamond and Cohen diverted from the law firm generated approximately $750,000 in initial payments to the defendants, from which they distributed funds to clients and covered other costs in the litigation, maintaining the balance of the fraud proceeds (approximately $320,000) for themselves.
If convicted, the defendants each face maximum possible sentences of 40 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Tonawanda Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that David Rubel, 40, of Tonawanda, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to receipt of child pornography. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura A. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that in August 2020, a parent filed a report with the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, alleging that Rubel had been texting his daughter, who recently turned 16 years-old (Victim), and that some of the texts he observed were sexual in nature. The parent observed inappropriate images on his daughter’s cell phone within a text thread between the Victim and Rubel. With the consent of the Victim’s father, an investigator searched the cell phone and observed the text messages, some of which included sexual images. Investigators also searched Rubel’s cell phone and recovered sexual images, including two videos, that were also found on the Victim’s cell phone, within the string of text messages between Ruble and the Victim.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 1, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Sinatra.
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Storm Lake Man Sentenced to 8 years in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm and Ammunition PossessionRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed a stolen firearm and ammunition was sentenced on June 23, 2022, in federal court in Sioux City.
Leonard Weimer, 46, from Storm Lake, Iowa, pled guilty on January 6, 2022, to illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. Weimer was previously convicted of multiple felony offenses including Terrorism, where Weimer shot at two police vehicles occupied by deputies. Weimer’s prior felony convictions prohibited him from possessing firearms or ammunition.
At the sentencing hearing, evidence showed that defendant possessed a total of seven guns, four of which were stolen during a felony burglary. On April 2, 2021, Storm Lake law enforcement stopped a vehicle driven by Leonard Weimer for a traffic violation. Law enforcement ultimately found a small amount of methamphetamine in Weimer’s pocket, ammunition, and a .22 rifle that was stolen from Weimer’s ex-wife. Additionally, on May 19, 2021, as part of a theft investigation, law enforcement located a stolen 12-gauge shotgun in a separate vehicle owned by Weimer. Law enforcement then searched the residence belonging to Weimer’s ex-girlfriend, where Weimer would stay at times. There, a .380 handgun was recovered that was previously given by Weimer to his then nine-year-old son. Weimer’s ex-girlfriend later located four guns and over 2,000 rounds of ammunition hidden behind a false wall in a room where Weimer kept his belongings. Those firearms and ammunition had been reported stolen from the home of another person associated with Weimer.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Weimer was sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment and must serve a term of 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Weimer remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
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.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office, Storm Lake Police Department, Sac County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4058. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Statement from United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez on Supreme Court Ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health OrganizationRead the Press Release
I share the Attorney General’s sentiments set out in a press release issued today regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization:
“The Justice Department strongly disagrees with the Court’s decision” which “deals a devastating blow to reproductive freedom in the United States,” with “immediate and irreversible impact on the lives of people . . . with the greatest burdens felt by people of color and those of limited financial means.”
The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act “prohibits anyone from obstructing access to reproductive health services through violence, threats of violence, or property damage.” The United States Attorney’s Office will “continue to protect healthcare providers and individuals seeking reproductive health services,” in the District of New Mexico, where those services remain legal.
“The ability to decide one’s own future is a fundamental American value, and few decisions are more significant and personal than the choice of whether and when to have children.
“Few rights are more central to individual freedom than the right to control one’s own body.
“The Justice Department will use every tool at our disposal to protect reproductive freedom. And we will not waver from this Department’s founding responsibility to protect the civil rights of all Americans.”
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Springfield Woman Sentenced for Pandemic Unemployment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield woman was sentenced yesterday for her involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19-related unemployment assistance.
Audri Ford-Victory, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to three years of probation, with six months to be served in home confinement. On Jan. 31, 2022, Ford-Victory pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy.
In March 2020, in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act created a temporary federal unemployment insurance program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which in Massachusetts is administered by the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA). This program provides unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment benefits.
Ford-Victory submitted 25 PUA claims in Massachusetts on behalf of individuals living outside of Massachusetts. As a result, Massachusetts DUA issued $215,246 in payments to individuals not entitled to PUA benefits. Ford-Victory received kickback payments in exchange for submitting the fraudulent claims.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Labor Racketeering and Fraud, New York Regional Office made the announcement. The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance provided assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Markham of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Neil L. Desroches of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Spa Owner Pleads Guilty to Payroll Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A Brookville, New York, man pleaded guilty today to willfully failing to collect and pay over employment taxes to the IRS on behalf of the spa companies he owned and managed.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sung Soo Chon, 63, aka Steve Chon, was the CEO, president and majority owner of Spa Castle Queens in College Point, New York, and Spa Castle Texas, in Carrolton, Texas. Chon oversaw daily operations at the two spas and related businesses, and directed subordinates to pay cash wages to some employees, many of whom were not legally permitted to work in the United States.
From the first quarter of 2014 through the first quarter of 2017, Chon did not withhold all of the legally required federal payroll taxes from the wages of some of the spa employees and filed false employment tax returns with the IRS. During this period, Chon caused the businesses to conceal more than $1.3 million in cash wages. In total, the spa companies did not pay $199,238 in payroll taxes due to the IRS.
Chon is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 6. He faces a maximum penalty of five years prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Jorge Almonte and Trial Attorney Ann M. Cherry of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
South Florida Resident Sentenced to 30 Months for Bank Fraud and Identity Theft After a String of USPS Collection Box BurglariesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – A Palm Beach resident who altered and cashed personal checks, which victims reported as stolen from U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”) drop boxes, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison on bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.
On December 30, 2021, Danny Seruto Perez pled guilty to the fraud and identity theft offenses. According to court documents, starting in or around July 2018, the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”) was alerted to a string of mail thefts from mail collection boxes after receiving complaints from multiple victims who stated that checks they had mailed out (including to pay their bills) never reached their intended recipients.
Through its investigation, USPIS learned that many of the victims’ stolen checks had been visibly altered (or “washed”) and re-written with Seruto Perez’s name as the payment recipient, and for larger payments than the original amounts written by the victims. Further investigation revealed that Seruto Perez fraudulently deposited these “washed” and stolen checks into his own bank account and into accounts held by his friends. Seruto Perez’s bank fraud scheme involved stolen checks from approximately 15 victims, totaling approximately $36,700 in stolen funds—all of which the court has now ordered him to pay back as restitution to the victims.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Joseph W. Cronin, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Inspector in Charge, Miami Division, made the announcement.
United States Postal Inspection Service, Orlando Domicile, investigated the case, in collaboration with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Vero Beach Police Department and the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lacee Monk and Eduardo Gardea Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Stone is handling forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-60181.
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Somerville Attorney Indicted for Attempting to Bribe Medford Police ChiefRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Somerville attorney was arrested today on charges that he engaged in a scheme to bribe the Medford Chief of Police.
Sean O’Donovan, 54, was indicted on two counts of honest services wire fraud and one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. O’Donovan will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston this afternoon.
“This case is about attempted corruption of government officials. I commend the Chief of Police in Medford for reporting this illegal behavior to the FBI immediately,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “We must ensure that greed and unethical conduct do not undermine the proper functioning of city governments across our Commonwealth. This prosecution does just that.”
“Today, the FBI arrested attorney Sean O’Donovan for allegedly engaging in a pay-to-play scheme in which he tried to capitalize on his insider access, in attempting to bribe the Medford Police Chief, for his own financial benefit,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “It is vitally important that host community agreements be awarded through a fair and transparent process, not through back-door deals funded by bribes to those in positions of power. We believe what we have uncovered in this case is not only an affront to all the hard-working businesses that play by the rules, but a betrayal of Mr. O’Donovan’s client and the community’s trust.”
According to the indictment, in late 2018, a company involved in the cultivation and retail sale of medical and recreational marijuana (the Client) retained O’Donovan as a consultant to assist in obtaining a Host Community Agreement (HCA) with the City of Medford. Under Massachusetts law, recreational marijuana retail establishments are required to sign an HCA with cities to obtain an operational license. In 2020, Medford established a local Cannabis Advisory Committee (CAC), composed of five Medford officials, including the Medford Chief of Police (Chief). The Medford CAC is tasked with reviewing, interviewing and ranking marijuana retail applicants on behalf of the Mayor of Medford, who has final authority to decide which applicants are selected.
It is alleged that in February 2021, O’Donovan approached Individual 1 and offered to pay Individual 1 $25,000 to speak with the Chief about the Client’s anticipated application for an HCA with Medford. Individual 1 is a close relative of the Chief and subsequently informed the Chief of O’Donovan’s offer. The Chief immediately alerted federal authorities of the alleged bribe.
Over the course of the investigation, O’Donovan, believing he had an agreement with Individual 1 and the Chief, offered to pay Individual 1 approximately $25,000 in exchange for the Chief’s favorable action on the Client’s application. Specifically, O’Donovan sought to have the Chief favorably rank the Client HCA application in his role on the Medford CAC and have the Chief advising and pressuring the Mayor to enter into an HCA with the Client.
According to the indictment, O’Donovan took steps to conceal the true purpose of the planned bribe payment. For example, O’Donovan allegedly proposed falsely characterizing a payment as a loan to Individual 1 and offered to pay the bribe money in cash, stating, “If I give you cash, there will be no trace.” It is further alleged that O’Donovan rejected the idea of a contract with Individual 1, explaining that he did not “think that’s a good paper trail.” On or about October 11, 2021, O’Donovan met with Individual 1 and allegedly provided Individual 1 with $2,000 in cash as a down payment on the bribe. It is further alleged that O’Donovan was slated to receive a stream of income of at least $100,000 annually from the Client’s marijuana business if its Medford application were successful.
According to the indictment, O’Donovan never informed the Client of his bribery scheme with Individual 1. In October 2021, when O’Donovan proposed that the Client hire Individual 1 as a consultant, the Client rejected the proposal and told O’Donovan that the Client was an “above board company.”
The charge of honest services wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of federal programs bribery provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. The Department of Justice commends the Medford Chief of Police for immediately bringing this matter to the attention of federal law enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit and Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson of the Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Seven Defendants Charged in Animal Fighting Venture and Illegal Gambling OperationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — A joint team of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers arrested 7 individuals on June 22, 2022, who have all been charged in federal court for their roles in a gamecock fighting venture and illegal gambling operation that operated in and around Ridgeville.
These defendants have been charged by indictment with animal fighting venture, illegal gambling operation, conspiracy to violate animal fighting venture, and false statement to a federal law enforcement officer. The following defendants have been arrested:
- ROY MICHAEL LIMEHOUSE, 65, of Ridgeville, was charged with animal fighting venture, illegal gambling operation, and conspiracy to violate animal fighting venture.
- ROOSEVELT CURRY, 67, of North Augusta, South Carolina, was charged with animal fighting venture, illegal gambling operation, and conspiracy to violate animal fighting venture.
- JOEY LEVERANE BROWN, JR, a/k/a “Junior,” 41, of Warrenville, was charged with animal fighting venture, illegal gambling operation, and conspiracy to violate animal fighting venture.
- SHANNON HUBERT BAXLEY, 49, of Barnwell, was charged with animal fighting venture, illegal gambling operation, and false statement to a federal law enforcement officer.
- JAMES FRANKLIN ROUNDTREE, 51, of Barnwell, was charged with animal fighting venture, illegal gambling operation, and conspiracy to violate animal fighting venture.
- JEREMEY ALLEN BESSINGER, 40, of Fairfax, was charged with animal fighting venture, illegal gambling operation, and conspiracy to violate animal fighting venture.
- BRANDON ISAIAH MCLAUGHLIN, 24, of Gloverville, was charged with animal fighting venture and illegal gambling operation.
If they are convicted, the defendants face up to five years in prison for each count in the indictment.
Following the indictment, federal law enforcement officers placed a legal hold on the property where the illegal activity occurred. Federal law enforcement officers also seized cash and three vehicles used in relation to the animal fighting venture and illegal gambling operation.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Inspector General, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.
USDA Office of Inspector General Special Agent Dustin McPhillips led the federal investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case.
The United States Attorney stated that all charges in this indictment are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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