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Wednesday 4 May 2022
Waterbury Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARBIN JIMENEZ, also known as “Rabia,” 33, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a joint investigation headed by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department into a Waterbury-based drug trafficking operation headed by Nestor Sosa-Ortiz. The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical surveillance, and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Sosa-Ortiz’s organization received large quantities of heroin and fentanyl from suppliers in Connecticut and New York and distributed the narcotics throughout New Haven County. After Sosa-Ortiz was arrested in New York City on a separate federal heroin and fentanyl trafficking charge in May 2019, he continued to control his drug network while incarcerated by using smuggled cell phones to communicate with various co-conspirators, including his sisters, Isamelis Sosa-Ortiz and Imirici Sosa-Ortiz, in Waterbury.
On November 6, 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging 15 members of the Sosa-Ortiz drug trafficking organization with conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl. A superseding indictment returned in January 2020 added a sixteenth defendant.
Jimenez was subsequently identified as a redistributor for the Sosa-Ortiz drug trafficking organization. On three occasions in July and August 2020, investigators conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl from Jimenez.
Jimenez has been detained since his arrest on August 31, 2020. At the time of his arrest, he possessed approximately 150 grams of fentanyl, kilogram presses, digital scales, and a drug ledger. Jimenez pleaded guilty on November 1, 2021.
Nestor Sosa-Ortiz, Isamelis Sosa-Ortiz and Imirici Sosa-Ortiz have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck, and Waterbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara E. Levens, Lauren C. Clark and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
Waterbury Man Involved in Connecticut-to-Maine Drug and Gun Trafficking Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LONNIE JOYNER, also known as “Flo,” 37, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking firearms and narcotics between Connecticut and Maine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Joyner and other Connecticut residents who were driving to northeastern Maine with 100-gram quantities of heroin, and sometimes crack cocaine, and selling the drugs to customers in Maine. In exchange for the narcotics, Joyner received money or firearms from his customers. On September 27, 2017, a court-authorized search of a storage unit that Joyner rented at a Waterbury storage facility revealed two .38 caliber revolvers.
Joyner’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for firearm, narcotics, strangulation and failure to appear offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
After his arrest in this case and while released on bond, Joyner threatened his probation officer and failed to appear for a court proceeding. He has been detained since May 11, 2021, when he was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Connecticut Violent Fugitive Task Force. On June 4, 2021, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearms by a felon.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Connecticut and Maine, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Waterbury Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for His Role in a Maryland Casino and Hotel KidnappingRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Christopher Allen Young, a/k/a “40,” age 26, of Washington, D.C., to 126 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit kidnapping, in connection with the kidnapping of a victim from a Maryland casino and hotel.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to Young’s guilty plea, on February 3, 2021, Young, Darius Young a/k/a “Mup”, Anthony Hebron, Lamar Perkins, and Co-conspirator 1 worked together to kidnap a victim from a Maryland casino and hotel. Hebron and Co-conspirator 1 met Victim A at the casino and hotel, where they made the false promise that they would get women for Victim A if Victim A accompanied them to Southeast Washington, D.C. At approximately 7:30 a.m., Victim A agreed to travel to Southeast Washington, D.C. in Co-conspirator 1’s car with Hebron and Co-conspirator 1.
At 8:12 a.m., Young received a call from Hebron. A minute later, Young called Mup to report that Co-conspirator 1 and Hebron had “snatched” Victim A. Young advised Mup that he was going to split the proceeds of the robbery with Co-conspirator 1 and Hebron and would pay Mup from his share. Young added that, if Victim A “gets feisty, I don’t want to have to crush him.”
A short time later, Co-conspirator 1 and Hebron arrived in Southeast D.C. with Victim A, and Young and Mup got in the car. Hebron then pointed a gun at Victim A, while Young and the co-conspirators took Victim A’s personal items, including Victim A’s wallet, cellphone, and watch (which had been purchased for approximately $500), and the key to Victim A’s hotel room. Young and the co-conspirators then demanded the code to the safe in Victim A’s hotel room. After Victim A refused to provide the code to the safe, Hebron struck Victim A in the forehead with the gun, and Victim A gave up the code to his safe. Hebron then forced Victim A out of the vehicle.
Young and Mup then exited the vehicle with Victim A, while Co-conspirator 1 and Hebron drove back to the casino and hotel. Young and Mup then led Victim A, at gunpoint, to a boiler room inside an apartment building in Southeast D.C. Inside the boiler room, Young and Mup physically assaulted Victim A and demanded that Victim A disclose the PIN number for his ATM card and provide details about items located in Victim A’s hotel room.
According to the plea agreement, members of the conspiracy were seen on surveillance footage leaving Victim A’s hotel room with a backpack and roller suitcase, which contained items they had stolen from the room, including an Xbox, at least $1,500 in casino chips, and approximately $6,000 in cash.
Soon after learning that Co-conspirator 1 and Hebron had stolen Victim A’s valuables from his hotel room, Young and Mup left the boiler room, leaving Victim A behind.
Just a few moments later, law enforcement located Victim A near the apartment building, with blood running down his face and a wound on his forehead. Victim A also appeared to have suffered cuts on his mouth and eye, and a broken nose.
Following the robbery and assault, Young and his co-conspirators discussed the kidnapping and robbery on a phone call. Young told the co-conspirators that he was not worried about Victim A talking to law enforcement because Victim A would be too afraid after Young and Mup threatened him. Young said he told Victim A, “If the police come, or anything come, I got your address. Mom…your little brother, all them is gone!”
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. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI Washington, and the FBI Baltimore Field Offices for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also praised the Prince George’s County Police Department for their assistance in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey J. Izant and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Engelking, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Virginia Beach Woman Pleads Guilty to $2.7M Tax FraudRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach woman pleaded guilty yesterday to failing to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) payroll taxes that were deducted from her employees’ paychecks.
According to court documents, from at least 2011 to 2019, Wendy Brockenbrough, 53, failed to pay over to the IRS pay roll taxes from the three different companies she owned. As the principal owner, Brockenbrough was responsible for withholding the required employment taxes and paying that amount over to the IRS. She also had an obligation to file Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return but failed to do so for years with respect to each of these businesses.
The court records indicate that Brockenbrough issued her employees weekly paystubs and annual Form W-2s indicating that the appropriate payroll taxes were being withheld from her employees’ paychecks. While Brockenbrough withheld the taxes, she failed to pay over the amounts to the IRS. Instead, Brockenbrough lived a lavish lifestyle by purchasing a Regulator center console boat for approximately $126,000, a Hatteras 60-foot yacht for approximately $820,000, and a Jeep Wrangler for approximately $41,000. Brockenbrough attempted to conceal her actions by lying to her accountants and stating that she made the payments. To support her claims, she forged IRS records and Quickbook entries showing the taxes had been paid. Brockenbrough’s actions caused an approximate $2,721,268 loss in unpaid payroll taxes to the IRS.
Brockenbrough is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8. She faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Darrell J. Waldon, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask took the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Kosky is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-46.
U.s. Postal Service Engineer Pleads Guilty to Taking Illegal Gratuities from Postal Service ContractorRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Thomas Berlucchi, a Facilities Engineer for the United States Postal Service (USPS), pleaded guilty today to accepting over $6,500 in illegal gratuities from a USPS contractor announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Kenneth Cleevely, Special Agent in Charge of the Contract Fraud Investigations Division, United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (OIG).
Thomas Berlucchi, 61 years old, of Troy, Michigan, stands convicted of accepting illegal gratuities from Michael Rymar, who was the owner of a Rochester Hills company, Horizons Materials & Management LLC, which was awarded contracts to repair USPS buildings in Michigan and New York. According to court records, from 2015 to 2018, Berlucchi and other USPS engineers awarded Rymar’s company over $5 million in contracts. As a USPS Facilities Engineer, Berlucchi had the power to award no-bid contracts to contractors like Rymar so long as the contract was worth less than $10,000. During the plea hearing, Berlucchi admitted that between 2013 and 2018, he had accepted over $6,500 in illegal gratuities from Rymar because Rymar sought to continue to receive USPS work from Berlucchi. Berlucchi had awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in work to Rymar. Berlucchi admitted accepting free construction work on his cottage (including exterior stairs and a new roof), free hotel rooms, and donations by Rymar to Berlucchi’s preferred organization.
Separately, Rymar has been charged with and pleaded guilty to stealing government funds because he committed fraud in the USPS contracts which he had received. In that scheme, Rymar provided documentation to the USPS containing false and fraudulent statements, oftentimes dramatically and falsely overstating the amount he paid subcontractors to complete the repairs. Rymar also falsely inflated the amount he paid his own employees and the cost of materials on USPS jobs. Over the course of the three-plus year fraudulent scheme, Rymar stole over $1.2 million from USPS out of the $5 million in contracts he was awarded.
United States Attorney Ison stated, “Federal employees who corrupt the contracting process by accepting illegal gratuities from contractors will be caught and punished.”
“We are gratified to have contributed to this investigation and applaud the exceptional work by the United States Attorney’s Office for both protecting the contracting process and overall program costs,” said Kenneth Cleevely, Special Agent in Charge, USPS OIG. “Along with the Department of Justice, the USPS OIG will continue to aggressively investigate those who would engage in fraudulent activities designed to defraud the Postal Service.”
Upon conviction for a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 201(c)(1)(B), gratuity to a public official, Berlucchi faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Under the United States Sentencing Commission Guidelines, Berlucchi is facing a sentence of between 8 to 14 months in prison.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the of the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Cares.
U.S. Attorney Announces Results of Multi-Faceted Strategy to Combat Fraud Related to COVID-19Read the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results achieved to date by the Middle District of Florida’s efforts to combat fraud related to COVID-19. Those efforts have included complementary actions by the Criminal, Asset Recovery, and Civil Divisions, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
“Throughout the pandemic, my office and our law-enforcement partners have used all available methods to combat fraud related to COVID-19, and we will continue to do so,” stated U.S. Attorney Handberg. “After the United States instituted multiple programs to financially assist those most harmed by the pandemic, criminals sought to defraud those programs for personal enrichment at the expense of the taxpayers who funded these programs. We will continue to disrupt these fraud schemes, prosecute those who commit crimes, and return ill-gotten gains through our efforts.”
On the criminal-enforcement front, the United States Attorney’s Office and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies joined together in March 2020 to form the Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force to identify, investigate, and prosecute fraud related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception, the Task Force has prosecuted 28 defendants for fraud schemes designed to exploit federal programs created or expanded to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”), Unemployment Insurance (“UI”), and the Main Street Lending Program (“MSLP”). These defendants collectively sought to defraud the United States of over $31 million. Eighteen of those defendants have already been found guilty, while prosecution remains pending against ten defendants. (See chart for criminal case details.)
Further, the District’s Asset Recovery Division and federal seizing agencies have completed the forfeiture of more than $14.3 million of PPP, EIDL, and UI funds that were fraudulently obtained, depriving the fraudsters of their ill-gotten gains and recovering the proceeds for the victims. More than $8.5 million in additional pandemic fraud proceeds have been seized and are pending civil or criminal forfeiture.
For example, in May 2020, Don Cisternino obtained a $7.2 million PPP loan for a non-existent movie production company. Cisternino used almost $3.5 million of the PPP loan proceeds to buy a 12,579 square foot luxury home with seven bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a four-car garage, theater room, resort-style pool and spa area, tennis courts, and a 5-stall horse barn, on more than twelve acres, pictured below.
The United States completed a civil forfeiture of the lavish home, selling it earlier this year for more than $4 million, which will be returned to the victim. Cisternino has been indicted in Orlando and was arraigned on April 29, 2022, after being successfully extradited from Croatia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing Cisternino’s arrest and extradition.
Similarly, in April 2020, Casey Crowther obtained a $2.1 million PPP loan by falsely stating that he intended to use the money for his roofing company. However, Crowther quickly used the proceeds for personal purchases, including nearly $700,000 for a 40’ catamaran boat, pictured below.
Crowther was convicted following a trial in Fort Myers, and in June 2021, he was sentenced to over three years in federal prison and was ordered to forfeit the boat and over $3 million.
The District’s Civil Division has similarly combatted fraud related to COVID-19 through its enforcement efforts. For example, in the summer of 2020, consumers complained about websites that were falsely claiming to sell personal protection equipment for the COVID-19 virus. Agents from Homeland Security Investigations identified three men in Vietnam who were using hundreds of web pages to steal money from consumers seeking to purchase PPE. The Civil Division and the agents together halted the payments from U.S. purchasers and obtained a permanent restraining order blocking the websites from being hosted by a U.S. company. The men are now in custody in Vietnam and are facing criminal charges there.
Further, as a result of the efforts of the Civil Division, a Tampa pain management practice, Physician Partners of America, and its affiliated companies, paid a $1.3 million penalty under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act as part of a larger civil settlement, to resolve our claim that the defendants improperly applied for a PPP loan of over $5.9 million while engaged in unlawful Medicare overbilling. Similarly, in two recent bankruptcy proceedings handled by the Civil Division, debtors were required to return PPP loans totaling almost $2 million because the United States objected to their obtaining the loans while also seeking bankruptcy protections.
The Attorney General has 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. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Through the PPP, the federal government authorized over $600 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. The EIDL program provides economic relief to small businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. The MSLP provided support to small and medium-sized businesses and their employees across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. UI programs provided unemployment benefits to eligible workers who became unemployed through no fault of their own.
The criminal cases identified in the linked chart have been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Small Business Administration, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation—Office of Inspector General, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys throughout the Middle District of Florida.
The Department of Justice needs the public’s assistance in remaining vigilant and reporting suspected fraudulent activity. To report suspected fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at (866) 720-5721 or file an online complaint at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Complaints filed will be reviewed at the NCDF and referred to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation.
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.
United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida
COVID Fraud Cases
Defendant(s) (Age)
Charge(s)
Max. Imprisonment
Type of Fraud*
Intended Loss
Amount
Tampa Division
Richard Simpkins (47)
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Illegal monetary transactions
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
PPP
$1.9M
Joseph Abdo (39)
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Illegal monetary transactions
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
PPP
$500k
Jorge Gutierrez Echeverria (33)
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
EIDL
$150k
Steve Moodie (33)
Melinda Hernandez (33)
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 5 Years
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Aggravated identity theft
Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive
UI
$550k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones, Greg Pizzo, Candace Rich, and Jennifer Peresie
Orlando Division
Don Cisternino (46)
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Illegal Monetary Transactions
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
Aggravated Identity Theft
Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive
PPP
$7.2M
Emmet Bowens (53)
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Illegal monetary transactions
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
PPP
$740k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Chauncey Bratt and Amanda Daniels
Fort Myers Division
Daniel Joseph Tisone (34)
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Bank fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Money laundering
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
Aggravated Identity Theft
Maximum Prison Term: 2 Years Consecutive
Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
PPP/EIDL/MSLP
$2.6M
Liliana Gonzalez (31)
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
PPP
$169k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Trent Reichling and Shannon Laurie
Adjudicated Cases
Tampa Division
Rolanda Wingfield (39)
Access device fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
Aggravated identity theft
Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive
UI
$135k
Keith Nicoletta (49)
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
PPP
$1.9M
Randy Jones (34)
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Aggravated identity theft
Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive
EIDL/UI
$250k
Rosenide Venant (37)
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
EIDL/PPP
$413k
Julio Lugo (45)
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
EIDL/PPP
$4.4M
These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones and Tiffany Fields
Orlando Division
Tomas Ziupsnys (39)
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Bank fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Aggravated identity theft
Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive
PPP
$2M
Holly Urban (36)
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
PPP
$1.5M
These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSA Emily Chang
Fort Myers Division
Anthony Bruey (36)
Amber Bruey (35)
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
Illegal monetary transactions
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
PPP/EIDL
$881k
Edrica Leann Watson (30)
False statement to a lending institution
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Year
PPP
$392k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Trent Reichling and Jesus M. Casas
Sentenced Cases
Tampa Division
Louis Thornton, III (63)
Wire Fraud
Sentence Imposed: 42 months in federal prison
EIDL/PPP
$815k
Kary Stevenson (48)
Corey Quinn (35)
Conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft
Sentence Imposed: 5 years, 10 months in federal prison (Stevenson)
Sentence Imposed:7 years in federal prison (Quinn)
UI
$1M
Bridgitte Keim (52)
Bank fraud
Sentence Imposed: 2 years in federal prison
PPP
$588k
Wayne Ganaway (47)
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Sentence Imposed: 4 years in federal prison
EIDL
$300k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones, Greg Pizzo, Tiffany Fields, and SAUSA Chris Poor
Orlando Division
Jacquavius Smith (21)
Possession of short-barreled rifle; felon in possession of firearm; and aggravated identity theft
Sentence Imposed: 7 years, 1 month in federal prison
PPP
$10k
Johnson Eustache (40)
Wire fraud
Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison
EIDL/PPP
$2.2M
Joseph Harrison (43)
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Sentence Imposed: 12 months in federal prison
UI
$2.1M
These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division were handled by AUSAs John Gardella, Amanda Daniels, Chauncey Bratt, and Jennifer Harrington
Fort Myers Division
Casey Crowther (36)
Bank fraud, false statement to a financial institution, illegal monetary transaction
Sentence Imposed: 3 years, 1 month in federal prison
PPP
$2.7M
This COVID Fraud case from the Fort Myers Division was handled by AUSAs Trent Reichling, Michael V. Leeman. AUSA Suzanne Nebesky obtained the forfeitures.
Types of Fraud*
Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
Unemployment Insurance (UI)
Main Street Lending Program (MSLP)
Two More Defendants Plead Guilty in Multi-State Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two Charleston residents pleaded guilty today to their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in and around Charleston from January to August 2021. The DTO obtained large quantities of methamphetamine from Ohio and Georgia which was then distributed in and around Charleston.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jonathan Gregory Bush, 39, admitted to driving from Charleston to Decatur, Georgia, to purchase methamphetamine, which he then distributed to lower-level dealers and users in and around Charleston. On July 19, 2021, law enforcement surveilled Bush and pulled him over near Atlanta, Georgia, after observing him meet with his supplier. Police searched the vehicle and seized approximately 1 kilogram of methamphetamine.
Brittany Frances Gilbert, 33, acknowledged she served as a drug and money courier for co-defendant Brian Dangelo Terry and others. She admitted to traveling to Ohio to pick up drug packages and transporting them to West Virginia. On January 25, 2021, Gilbert was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by police in Jackson County, West Virginia. Police seized approximately 3 pounds of methamphetamine that Gilbert was transporting from Ohio at Terry’s direction. On August 3, 2021, Gilbert along with Terry and another co-defendant, Angie Lane Harbour, were stopped near Cross Lanes while transporting approximately 1 pound of Terry’s methamphetamine from Columbus, Ohio, to Charleston.
Bush and Gilbert each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. They are scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2022, and face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.
This case is part of a long-term investigation of a methamphetamine distribution network that resulted in 17 individuals being charged with various drug and firearms offenses in three separate indictments and one information.
Terry, Harbour, James Edward Bennett, III, Treydan Leon Burks, Kaitlyn Brooke Combs, Kelly Cordle, Denise Marie Cottrill, Shane Kelly Fulkerson, Jason Robert Oxley, and Michael Antonio Smith have also pleaded guilty. Timothy Wayne Dodd was convicted on March 24, 2022, following a two-day jury trial. Scott Edward Hudson, Leo Antoine Smith and Douglas Johnathan Wesley are scheduled for trial on May 24, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-171, 2:21-cr-172, 2:21-cr-211, and 2:22-cr-90.
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Two Federal Prison Inmates Charged with Possessing and Attempting to Possess Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Ross Landfried and David Curran were indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for prison contraband crimes, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The Indictment charges Landfried, age 40, formerly of Moon Township, Pennsylvania, and Curran, age 39, formerly of Pittsburgh, with possessing and attempting to obtain contraband while in federal prison between July 2017 and January 2019. The Indictment states that the contraband was a Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid controlled substance.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Under States Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service - Crimoinal Investigation, the federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General led the multi-agency investigation.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Albuquerque men arraigned on charges relating to the killing of a federal witnessRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Robert “Fat Head” Padilla, 45, and Gary Coca, 49, both of Albuquerque, were arraigned in federal court on April 27 on a four-count indictment charging them with retaliation against a witness. Padilla was further charged with one count of killing while engaged in drug trafficking, one count of using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime and causing death through use of the firearm, and one count of tampering with a witness, victim or informant by physical force or threat. Both defendants will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
A federal grand jury indicted Padilla and Coca on April 20. According to the indictment and other court records, from about Sept. 17, 2018, to Sept. 10, 2019, Padilla allegedly engaged in trafficking cocaine, cocaine base, heroin and fentanyl. On July 22, 2019, Padilla and Coca allegedly killed a man who was a former federal witness in Las Vegas, New Mexico, in retaliation for the victim providing information to law enforcement. Around Nov. 25, 2020, Padilla allegedly used physical force against John Doe in an attempt to influence, delay and prevent John Doe from communicating to law enforcement information relating to drug trafficking and the murder of a federal witness.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Padilla and Coca face up to life in prison or death.
The FBI investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police, New Mexico Corrections Department and Las Vegas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting this case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program, a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.
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Trempealeau County Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Taking Pictures of Himself Sexually Assaulting a ChildRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Levi A. Robb, 41, of Osseo, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William Conley to 18 years in prison for producing child pornography. This term of imprisonment is to be followed by 20 years of supervised release. Robb pleaded guilty to this charge on January 5, 2022.
In 2020, a 10-year-old girl told her father that Robb sexually assaulted her several years earlier. She was forensically interviewed and disclosed extensive sexual abuse by the defendant. She also reported that he took pictures of the assaults.
When investigators from the Eau Claire County Sheriff’s office arrested Robb for the sexual assaults, they seized his phone and searched it. They did not find pictures of the assault on it but did find numerous other images depicting child pornography. The defendant was released on a signature bond following this arrest but before law enforcement found the explicit images.
Officers went to re-arrest Robb for possessing child pornography and found him in possession of another phone. On this phone, officers found explicit images that the defendant produced of the 10-year-old girl, made when she was between 5 and 7 years old.
Judge Conley called Robb’s conduct “reprehensible beyond words” and said the gravity of the defendant’s conduct warranted a sentence above the mandatory minimum allowed by law.
The charge against Robb was the result of an investigation conducted by the Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Office, Osseo Police Department, Pepin County Sheriff’s Office, Eau Claire County District Attorney’s Office, and Trempealeau County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman prosecuted this case.
Three Plead Guilty in Violent Robbery AttemptRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Three Charlottesville men have pleaded guilty to the attempted violent armed robbery of an Albemarle County man who they believed was in possession of a large amount of marijuana and cash.
Tyreek Saquan Ragland, 24, Madison Wonne Zelee, 26, and Tyrel Anthony Dowell, 22, all pled guilty to their role in an armed home invasion and attempted robbery. Ragland, the leader who organized the robbery plan, pled guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery. Zelee and Dowell both pled guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The Hobbs Act prohibits actual or attempted robbery affecting interstate or foreign commerce in any way or degree and carries a maximum prison term of twenty years. Felons found in possession of a firearm face a prison term of up to ten years.
“From day one, I have emphasized that our strategy for combatting violent crime starts with targeted enforcement efforts and building community trust, and this case represents the core of that strategy,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “When a crime like this occurs, it upsets the sense of safety and security that we all feel in our community. By using federal resources to prosecute the most violent offenders in cases like this, we will continue to build that community trust in federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts to address and reduce violent crime.”
“The brazen and calculated attempts of these defendants to rob these victims, coupled with the discharge of weapons, demonstrates the seriousness of this crime and the potential consequences to the victims. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate these violent crimes and holding these criminals accountable as we collectively seek justice for the victims,” said Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division.
“Law enforcement agencies can most effectively respond to crime when they work in a collaborative fashion,” said Colonel Sean Reeves, Albemarle County Chief of Police. “Cases like this highlights the success of the coordinated approach that Albemarle County Police Department takes to ensure the safety of the community we serve.”
According to court documents, Ragland and his accomplices, Zelee and Dowell, targeted the first victim for robbery because they believed he would be in possession of a large quantity of marijuana and U.S. currency at his home in Albemarle County.
On the afternoon of September 30, 2021, Zelee knocked on the intended victim’s front door and employed a ruse designed to gain entry by claiming he had lost his dog and needed to find it. Dowell, wearing a ski mask, was then seen walking from the woods towards the residence, at which point the intended victim refused to open the front door. Zelee and Dowell fled the scene in the getaway vehicle driven by Ragland.
Shortly after this confrontation, the intended victim notified his father of the incident, who then joined him to search for the vehicle in which Ragland, Zelee, and Dowell had fled.
While father and son were out searching, a witness who had remained at the intended victim’s residence called them to report a pizza delivery person was at the house trying to deliver a pizza. Well aware that no pizza order had been placed, the intended victim instructed the witness not to open the door and immediately returned home. When he arrived, the intended victim observed a vehicle parked along the side of the road near his home that matched the one seen earlier occupied by the defendants.
Upon hearing that the pizza delivery man was adamant that someone had placed a pizza order for that address, the intended victim became concerned that the suspicious individuals from the vehicle parked along the street may now be hiding in the woods again.
Sensing danger, father and son decided to leave again and had entered their car when Zelee and Dowell came out of the wood line and began shooting at them, striking their vehicle. After the gunfire, Zelee and Dowell rejoined Ragland and fled the scene for the second time.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Albemarle County Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald M. Huber is prosecuting the case.
Three Haitian Nationals and One U.S. Citizen Charged with Firearms Trafficking in Support of 400 Mawozo Gang in HaitiRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today charging four defendants with participating in a criminal conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws by smuggling firearms and munitions to Haiti.
The indictment charges Joly Germine, also known as “Yonyon,” 29, a Haitian national; Eliande Tunis, 43, a U.S. citizen, of Pompano Beach, Florida; Jocelyn Dor, 29, a Haitian citizen who had been residing in Orlando, Florida, and Walder St. Louis, 33, a Haitian citizen who had been residing in Miami. They are charged with conspiring to violate export control laws and to defraud the United States, violating export control laws, smuggling, and laundering money.
Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and George Piro, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement today.
Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis were apprehended in Florida in October and November 2021. They pleaded not guilty and are being detained pending trial. The indictment was returned by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Nov. 30, 2021. On May 3, 2022, the Haitian government transferred Germine into United States custody on the basis of the District of Columbia arrest warrant. Germine appeared this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
The indictment alleges that, from at least September through November 2021, Germine, Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis conspired to acquire and supply firearms and munitions to members of the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti. As alleged in the indictment, 400 Mawozo is a Haitian gang and criminal organization that operated in the Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. From at least on or about Jan. 12, 2020, 400 Mawozo was engaged in armed kidnappings of U.S. citizens in Haiti for ransom.
Germine, who has been incarcerated in Haiti since 2018, serves as a leader of 400 Mawozo and directed operations from prison using unmonitored cell phones, the indictment alleges. According to the indictment, Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis obtained from Germine specifications for weapons and ammunition that Germine and other gang members wanted sent to Haiti. Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis, all of whom resided in Florida, purchased a number of firearms at Florida gun shops, including rifles, pistols, and handguns, while falsely stating that they were the “actual buyers” of the firearms. Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis then smuggled the firearms and ammunition to Haiti, concealing them in shipping containers, the indictment alleges. The indictment also outlines the defendants’ use of the U.S. financial system to facilitate the illegal firearm purchases.
The 400 Mawozo gang claimed responsibility for kidnapping 16 U.S. citizens, including five children, and one Canadian citizen who were part of a missionary organization visiting an orphanage in Port au Prince, Haiti, in the fall of 2021. The kidnapping of the U.S. citizens remains under investigation and no charges have been filed for those crimes.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Haitian National Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Deeley, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Thomaston, Georgia, Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Assault Material Resulting from HSI InvestigationRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Middle Georgia resident was sentenced to serve more than six years in prison for possessing child sexual assault material resulting from an ongoing Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) effort combatting child exploitation online.
John Wesley Mitchem, 31, of Thomaston, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 80 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on May 3, after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. In addition, Mitchem will have to register as a sex offender upon his release from federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our office will pursue federal prosecution against child predators who download, possess and share child sexual assault material,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “HSI investigators are working around the clock, along with federal, state and local authorities across the state, to capture and bring to justice all those who lurk online, where children are harmed each and every time images of their assault and manipulation are downloaded and shared.”
“Finding, arresting and prosecuting those who create, share and or collect these horrific images of abuse and exploitation is one of our most important missions,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and its law enforcement partners will continue to work to protect our most vulnerable population from those looking to exploit them.”
According to court documents and evidence submitted in court, HSI’s Child Exploitation Investigation Group (HSI-CEIG) Atlanta, received information from HSI Detroit that an individual employing the Kik application was in contact with an undercover HSI agent and had sent the undercover agent three images that contained child sexual assault material. Mitchem was identified as the Kik user and agents executed a federal search warrant at his Thomaston residence on March 13, 2020. A forensic examination of Mitchem’s digital devices found six images and one video of child sexual exploitation material depicting infants and toddlers. Mitchem admitted that he shared the three images with the undercover agent using his cellular device from his residence.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the
Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by HSI Atlanta, with assistance from HSI Detroit.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office, Community Stakeholders, Faith Based Leaders, and the Memphis Police Department Announce Efforts to Reduce Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr., along with stakeholders in the north Memphis Community announced the third “Better Community Summit” effort to reduce violent crime throughout our city. Summit organizers and participants include the Neighborhood Christian Centers, represented by CEO, Ephie Johnson, Dr. Todd Richardson, Crosstown Redevelopment Cooperative, Memphis Medical District Collaborative, represented by Rory Thomas, Bishop Brandon Porter, Greater Community Temple Church of God In Christ, Tanja Mitchell, Mitchell Consulting, the Memphis Police Department, represented by Deputy Chief Paul Wright; and program facilitators, Rev. Ricky Floyd, The Pursuit of God Transformation Center; Charlie Caswell, Executive Director of Legacy of Legends, CDC; and DeAndre Brown, Founder, Lifeline2Success.
The U.S. Department of Justice is committed to work with law enforcement and other stakeholders to reduce violent crime in Memphis and West Tennessee. To achieve this goal, the Department has directed every U.S. Attorney’s Office to formulate a strategic plan designed to reduce violent crime. To that end, our office convened meetings with over 40 clergy leaders across the greater Memphis area to discuss violent crime and recommend possible solutions.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Memphis Police Department, non-profit organizations, clergy leaders, and other community stakeholders are pleased to announce the next “Better Community Summit” will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2022, 10 a.m.-2:00 p.m., at the Neighborhood Christian Centers, 785 Jackson Avenue. The summit is tailored to address the needs of parents and children. Topics covered will include domestic violence prevention, gang talk, community conflict resolution, and de-escalation training.
The remaining Summits will be held quarterly in the areas of Whitehaven/Westwood and Hickory Hill/East Memphis.
###Tax service owner admits to failing to pay federal withholdingsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A CEO has pleaded guilty to failing to truthfully account for and to pay over withholdings of federal income and FICA taxes from the wages of his employees to the IRS, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Alejandro Joael Colbert was majority owner and CEO of Colbert Ball Tax Service in Houston. Its main purpose was franchising tax preparation businesses across the country.
According to the plea agreement, Colbert admitted that from 2015 to 2018, he failed to file employment tax returns and did not pay all taxes withheld from the wages of employees to the IRS.
Colbert admitted he caused approximately $710,000 in tax revenue loss. He has agreed to pay more than $196,000 in restitution to the IRS – the amount of withholdings from employee wages for the quarters in years 2015-2018 that remained unpaid at the time he was charged.
To date, he has paid $120,000 towards that restitution.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake set sentencing for Aug. 12. At that time, Colbert faces up to five years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Colbert was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
IRS – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles J. Escher is prosecuting the case.
Tampa Serial Robber Indicted and ArrestedRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Richard Allen Randolph (42, Youngstown, OH) with four counts of interference with commerce by robbery and attempted robbery, three counts of brandishing a firearm, and one count of discharging a firearm during the commission of one of the robberies. If convicted, Randolph faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each robbery count, a minimum mandatory of term of 7 years, up to life, in federal prison for each count of brandishing a firearm, and a minimum mandatory of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison for discharging a firearm during one of the robberies.
According to the indictment, during between January 27 and February 26, 2020, Randolph went into four commercial establishments in Tampa and robbed store employees at gunpoint.
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 Maria Guzman.
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.
Stratford Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses, Victimizing Teen Through SnapchatRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston, today announced that ALEXANDER DILELLA, 22, of Stratford, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with multiple child exploitation offenses.
Dilella appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and is detained pending the completion of his detention hearing, which was continued until May 6.
As alleged in court documents, Dilella has used various online applications, including Snapchat, Omegle and FaceTime, to communicate with minor girls, some as young as 13 or 14 years old, and entice them to engage in illegal sexual activity. During one Snapchat exchange with a 14-year-old victim, Dilella referred to the girl as a “child porn slave” and demanded that she send him a sexually explicit image of herself, which she did.
It is further alleged that, on May 24, 2021, investigators seized Dilella’s iPhone. Analysis of the phone revealed videos of prepubescent children being sexually abused.
The complaint charges Dilella with enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of the Stratford and Milford Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Springfield, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois, man, Robert E. Collins, 35, of the 1900 block of South Lawrence Avenue, was sentenced on May 3, 2022, to 108 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of mixtures or substances containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Collins was found in possession of approximately 504 ecstasy pills containing methamphetamine during a traffic stop in Decatur, Illinois, on August 3, 2017, and also had around $8,500 on his person.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough found that a sentencing enhancement for obstructing justice applied in relation to Collins’s flight from a later traffic stop in Sangamon County, Illinois, during which the United States Marshals Service attempted to take Collins into custody on an outstanding arrest warrant. Collins sped away from the traffic stop in a vehicle, dragging two United States Marshals with him. One of the Marshals remained on the running board for several hundred yards before Collins slowed down, allowing the Marshal to jump off safely.
Collins was indicted in March of 2018 and pleaded guilty in November of 2021.
The statutory penalties for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of mixtures containing methamphetamine are not less than five years and not more than 40 years in prison, not more than a $5 million fine, and at least four years of supervised release.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the Springfield Police Department, and the Decatur Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.
South Sioux City Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A South Sioux City man who conspired to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine was sentenced April 29, 2022, to 10 years in federal prison. Miguel Ceron, age 25, from South Sioux City, Nebraska, received the prison term after a December 6, 2021, guilty plea. Ceron admitted to conspiring to distribute approximately 2 pounds of methamphetamine in March 2021.
Ceron was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Ceron was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ceron is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4039.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Silver Spring Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for a Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving High End VehiclesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Francis Arthur, age 35, of Silver Spring, Maryland on May 2, 2022, to one year and a day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a money laundering conspiracy and for money laundering in connection with a scheme to defraud victim account holders at a credit union. As part of his sentence, Arthur has been ordered to pay $339,000 in restitution.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Matthew R. Stohler of the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Department of Police.
According to the evidence presented at Arthur’s trial, from October 2016 through April 2017, Arthur and his co-conspirators engaged in financial transactions designed to conceal the nature, source and ownership of the proceeds of a fraud scheme to obtain cash from victim account holders at a Maryland credit union. Specifically, the evidence showed that the conspirators transferred, withdrew cash, and caused cashiers’ checks to be issued from the proceeds of a fraud scheme. Arthur and his co-conspirators then used the funds to purchase motor vehicles to conceal that the funds were derived from a fraud scheme.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Secret Service and the Montgomery County Department of Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan and U.S. Attorney Christian Nauvel of the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Serial Bank Robber from Delaware County Sentenced to 7 ½ Years for Committing Multiple Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Michael George, 31, of Broomall, PA, was sentenced today to seven years and six months in prison and three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $4,790 in both forfeiture and restitution by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky for committing four bank robberies over the course of about a week in March 2020.
In December 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery in connection with three incidents at banks in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia and one on the Main Line in Montgomery County, PA. George admitted to robbing the TD Bank on East Butler Street in Philadelphia on March 7, 2020; the Wells Fargo Bank on Aramingo Avenue in Philadelphia on March 16, 2020; the WSFS Bank on Aramingo Avenue in Philadelphia on March 16, 2020; and the PNC Bank on Youngsford Road in Gladwyne on March 17, 2020. During each robbery, George threatened a bank employee with death for failure to comply with his demand for money; he stole a total of nearly $4,800 from the banks.
“This defendant terrified and threatened the lives of bank employees who were just doing their jobs,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “He is clearly a danger to the community – not stopping at one robbery but escalating to four in a matter of days. This case demonstrates why our All Hands On Deck initiative is so important: we are investigating and prosecuting the most violent criminals to get them off the streets and behind bars.”
“Michael George was a crime spree unto himself, responsible for four bank robberies in 10 days," said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. "He threatened the bank employees he victimized, making them fear for their lives. It was imperative to get him off the street quickly before anyone was physically harmed. This sentence nips his burgeoning bank robbery career in the bud and holds him accountable for his bad actions. The FBI and our partners are committed to making our communities safer by bringing these violent offenders to justice.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lower Merion Police Department, and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Jayne.
Salvadoran National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ALONSO BONILLA, age 45, a citizen of El Salvador, pleaded guilty on May 3, 2022 to a one-count indictment for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
BONILLA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and Spiro Latsis are in charge of the prosecution.
Ringleader of $10 Million TRICARE Scheme SentencedRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—The organizer of a multi-million-dollar kickback conspiracy was sentenced today. Brad Duke, 47, of Little Rock was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment and ordered to forfeit $1,055,855.86 by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.
Duke promoted prescription pain creams, scar creams, and supplements for a Mississippi-based compounding pharmacy, earning a share of whatever the pharmacy was paid for prescriptions issued by Duke’s affiliated doctors. After learning TRICARE, the national military’s health insurer, paid tens of thousands of dollars per month per patient for the compounded drugs he was promoting, Duke began to offer and pay kickbacks to generate prescriptions for those with TRICARE insurance.
Duke paid kickbacks to recruiters, including Michael “Chance” Beeman (52, of Maumelle), Michael Sean Brady (53, of Little Rock), Jason Greene (35, of Nashville, Tenn.), Brian Means (47, of Fort Smith), and Jennifer Sorenson (44, of McKinney, Tex.), to find TRICARE beneficiaries around the country willing to receive the drugs. Duke explained a doctor would sign off on the necessary prescriptions without ever consulting the patients. All Duke needed was TRICARE beneficiary insurance information sufficient to fill out prescription forms.
Upon receipt of beneficiary information from his recruiters, Duke routed prescriptions in the names of the TRICARE beneficiaries to local medical assistant Charlotte Leija (41, of Conway), to whom Duke paid kickbacks, usually $1,000 per prescription, to file the prescriptions under the name of the doctor for whom she worked.
Within a year, Duke’s scheme generated over $10 million in compound drug prescriptions for over 100 TRICARE beneficiaries hailing from as far west as Chula Vista, Calif., to as far east as Foxborough, Mass. No one ever consulted a prescriber. Duke paid his recruiters more than $2 million to supply the beneficiaries and over $250,000 to Leija to issue the prescriptions.
Judge Miller previously sentenced co-conspirators Brady, Beeman, Green, Means, Sorenson, and Leija to prison terms ranging from 8 months to 28 months and ordered them to forfeit illicit proceeds ranging from $198,799.00 to $598,435.99. As of today’s sentencing hearing, the U.S. Marshals had already seized $1,055,855.86 from Duke.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alexander D. Morgan.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Reno Felon Sentenced to Prison for Methamphetamine Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
RENO – A convicted felon was sentenced yesterday to 11 years and three months in prison for selling methamphetamine.
Richard Nelson, 33, of Reno, pleaded guilty on January 25, 2022 to one count of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. In addition to imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Larry R. Hicks sentenced Nelson to five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, from January 3 to March 12, 2020, Nelson sold methamphetamine and heroin on five occasions. The total weight of the drugs seized from Nelson over the course of the investigation was equivalent to approximately 1,144 grams of methamphetamine.
During the execution of a search warrant at Nelson’s residence, law enforcement seized a 12-gauge shotgun and a .357 caliber handgun. Nelson has a prior felony conviction in Reno for Possession of a Controlled Substance, and is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Reno Police Department, Carson City Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Department of Corrections, Nevada Highway Patrol, and the Nevada Gaming Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andolyn Johnson prosecuted the case.
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Randolph County woman admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jenny Lynn Wood, of Beverly, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Wood, 31, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Wood, a person prohibited from having a firearm, admitted to having two revolvers in July 2019 in Barbour County.
Wood faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Postal Manager and Employee Arrested, Charged with Using the Mail to Distribute Cocaine and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Ralph Minni, 52, and Grace Marie Lopez, 30, of Greece, NY, were arrested and charged in separate criminal complaints with conspiring and attempting to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and 500 grams or more of cocaine. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean C. Eldridge, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaints, Minni is the manager of the Greece, NY Post Office, and Lopez works for the Post Office at the main Jefferson Road facility in Rochester. Minni and Lopez are accused of utilizing their positions to obtain quantities of marijuana and cocaine through the mail and then redistributing the narcotics in the Rochester area.
During the investigation, law enforcement conducted numerous controlled purchases of narcotics from Lopez, who discussed how she obtained the narcotics from her then-boyfriend Minni and described how he used his position as a postal employee to avoid detection and to protect the narcotics. Throughout the investigation, Minni was observed removing mail packages from the post office work floor and taking them into his private office at the Greece Station, later emerging with one or more packages that often appeared to be repackaged. Minni would put the original package back into the mail stream and take a separate box with the contents from the parcel to his personal vehicle. On at least three occasions, video surveillance captured Minni taking cocaine from his desk or pocket and giving it to another employee to snort.
On May 2, 2022, investigators observed Minni remove a package from the work room floor and take it into his office. After removing the contents, Minni returned the original package to the mail stream, took the contents to his vehicle in a separate box, and left the post office shortly after, at which time he was taken into custody. During the execution of search warrants at Minni’s office, his residence, and his vehicle, investigators recovered approximately four pounds of marijuana, over $75,000 worth of narcotics, including THC, marijuana, and cocaine, 40 firearms, over 5,000 rounds of ammunition, and a bullet proof vest.The complaint is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Eastern Area Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Modafferi; and the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward. Additional assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito; the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood; and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase.
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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Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Distributing Images and Videos of the Sexual Abuse of MinorsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to five years’ imprisonment and 10 years’ supervised release on his conviction of distribution of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Shawn O’Brien, age 51, of the City’s South Side neighborhood.
According to information presented to the court, from May 17, 2016, to May 18, 2016, O’Brien knowingly distributed images and videos in computer graphics files, which depicted the sexual exploitation of minors to individuals with whom he was communicating over the KIK Messenger software application. Agents of the FBI seized numerous electronic devices from O’Brien’s residence during the execution of a federal search warrant. Forensic analysis of the contents of the electronic devices revealed that O’Brien was in possession of more than 1200 still images and 23 videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, many of whom were under the age of 12 years.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Bissoon stated that a five-year term of imprisonment reflected the very serious nature of the criminal conduct and O’Brien’s acceptance of responsibility.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Allegheny County District Attorney Investigations Unit, the Allegheny County Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of O’Brien.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Phoenix Man Sentenced to Prison for Threatening Arizona Justice of the Peace on FacebookRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Harry Alexander Knight, 54, of Phoenix, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 37 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Knight previously pleaded guilty to transmitting an interstate communication containing a threat to injure another person.
In 2018, Knight was ordered by the victim, an Arizona Justice of the Peace, to wear an ankle monitor in connection with pending criminal charges. Knight subsequently cut off his ankle monitor and fled to the State of Washington. Once there, Knight posted a communication on a publicly available Facebook page threatening to physically injure the victim. FBI agents ultimately apprehended Knight in California, at which time he was returned to the District of Arizona to face charges.
“Freedom of speech is a fundamental right,” observed U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino, “but it is not without its limits. Those who weaponize the internet by posting online communications threatening others with physical harm remain subject to prosecution.”
During his period of supervised release, Knight will be prohibited from contacting his victims and will have his internet usage monitored by the probation officer.
The FBI conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine D. Keller and William G. Voit, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-10-00176-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022- 060_Knight# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Philadelphia Woman Sentenced to 109 Months in Prison for $100 Million Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An investment fund manager was sentenced today to 109 months in prison for orchestrating a $100 million securities fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Brenda Smith, 61, of Philadelphia, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to Count Seven of an indictment charging her with securities fraud. Judge Arleo imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Smith managed and controlled Broad Reach Capital LP, a pooled investment fund/hedge fund that was established in February 2016 and was open to accredited investors with a minimum investment of $1 million.
From February 2016 through August 2019, Smith orchestrated a scheme in which she made misrepresentations to investors and promised that she would invest their funds in particular trading strategies that Broad Reach Capital was allegedly optimally situated to execute. Smith referred to these strategies as dividend capture, VIX Convergence, and opportunistic trading.
Smith misrepresented the success and performance of Broad Reach Capital to investors and prospective investors. She touted Broad Reach Capital as a trade-focused investment fund that was highly liquid and employed a robust risk management program. Smith distributed written materials about Broad Reach Capital to investors and prospective investors that included purported historical performance information, such as claimed annual returns of over 33 percent in 2017 and positive monthly returns in 2018. In fact, the total cash and securities in the Broad Reach Capital bank and brokerage accounts decreased from approximately December 2016 through June 2019. For example, the written materials claimed that Broad Reach Capital had a 1.76 percent return in February 2018 when in reality, Broad Reach Capital’s brokerage accounts lost approximately 50 percent of their value.
To lull investors and induce them to continue investing, Smith provided monthly account statements to investors that falsely showed that their investments were safe and earning significant returns. Smith also falsely represented that she was personally invested in Broad Reach Capital and provided a fictitious account statement to at least one investor.
Over the course of the scheme, Smith collected more than $100 million of cash into Broad Reach Capital from approximately 40 investors. At its peak, however, the value of cash and securities in the Broad Reach Capital bank and brokerage accounts did not exceed approximately $32 million. Instead of investing the money as she promised, Smith transferred tens of millions of dollars out of Broad Reach Capital to entities she controlled for purposes inconsistent with the trading strategies, including more than approximately $10 million for mineral mining operations and approximately $2 million for American Express credit card bills. When investors requested redemption of their investments, Smith diverted other investors’ funds to pay the requested redemption amounts.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Smith to three years of supervised release and ordered her to pay restitution of $47.2 million.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Philadelphia Regional Office previously filed a civil complaint against Smith based on the same conduct.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire, and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. She also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office, under the direction of Co-Acting Regional Directors Scott Thompson and Joy G. Thompson, for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Osmar J. Benvenuto, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Illegally Possessing a HandgunRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Mark Manigault, 44, of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to seven years in prison, and three years of supervised release by Senior United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick after having been found guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
In February 2020, the defendant, a four-time convicted felon and repeat parole violator, was convicted after trial of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges stemmed from an incident in September 2016 during which Manigault possessed a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition while loitering on a street in West Philadelphia with another armed man. Investigating Philadelphia Police officers found two firearms hidden in the wheel well of a parked car nearby. Using surveillance footage from the bar and from a private residence down the street, officers determined that Manigault and the other individual possessed the firearms and had placed them in the wheel wells.
“Prosecuting, deterring and preventing violent crime in Philadelphia are top priorities of this Office and our ‘All Hands On Deck’ initiative,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Illegal gun possession poses a serious threat to public safety because it often leads to violence; therefore, we are committed to working with the Philadelphia Police Department and our law enforcement partners to combat this threat.”
“ATF will always investigate violent criminals found in illegal possession of firearms,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Working with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we will do everything within our power to reduce violent crime in Philadelphia by holding violent offenders accountable for continually disregarding the law.”
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 Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.
Oshkosh Sexual Offender Indicted on Federal Firearm and Failure to Register as a Sexual Offender ChargesRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 3, 2022, a federal grand jury issued an indictment against Sergio S. Emerson, a/k/a “Kayatennae Geronimo” and “Sergio Santos Garcia,” (age: 41) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The indictment alleges that Emerson, a convicted felon, possessed a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). It also alleges that Emerson, a sexual offender registrant, failed to register as a sexual offender with the State of Wisconsin.
Each charge carries up to ten years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Oshkosh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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For further information contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales
(414) 297-1700
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Oshkosh Felon Indicted on Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 3, 2022, a federal grand jury issued an indictment against Mitchell C. Burton, a/k/a “Cosby M. Burton,” (age: 32) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The indictment alleges that Burton, a convicted felon, possessed nine firearms in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
If convicted of possessing the firearms he faces up to ten years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Oshkosh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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For further information contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on Twitter
Omaha Man Sentenced to 186 Months for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan W. Sharp announced that Christopher Smith, age 51, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced in federal court on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Smith to 186 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing his term of imprisonment, Smith will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On December 18, 2019, Smith was a passenger of a vehicle in Omaha and police found him in possession of a Taurus handgun, a .45 caliber handgun, $1,200, and methamphetamine. Smith admitted to possessing both firearms and to selling drugs. Smith was prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (2000) and felon in possession of a firearm (2006).
On February 28, 2020, officers arrested Smith at his Omaha residence. Smith was in possession of crack cocaine and $1,790. Later that day, officers executed a search warrant on a hotel room and found other conspirators along with 399 grams of methamphetamine, a drug scale, and a firearm. On March 2, 2020, officers searched a vehicle related to the investigation and found another 304 grams of methamphetamine concealed in it.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Firearm and Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Jordan R. Torres, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 4, 2022, in federal court in Omaha for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Torres to 120 months’ imprisonment on the methamphetamine charge consecutive to 60 months on the firearm charge for a total sentence of 180 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On January 21, 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration received information that Torres, who had an outstanding arrest warrant, was staying at a local Omaha hotel and was involved in the distribution of methamphetamine and possessed a firearm. Law enforcement conducted surveillance and was able to confirm where Torres was staying. Agents made entry into the room to arrest Torres on his outstanding warrant. While in the room, officers saw in plain view drug paraphernalia. The room was cleared and secured, and officers obtained a search warrant and returned to search the room. Agents found a holster, a Smith & Wesson 9mm firearm, loose ammunition and over 350 grams of methamphetamine.
The warrant related to a charge of criminal possession of a financial transaction device. He was prosecuted by the Douglas County Attorney’s office on that charge.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Omaha Field Division, and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Officers Recognized at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee Award CeremonyRead the Press Release
Members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force won a group award for their outstanding investigative efforts in 2021. Front Row (from left to right): Lindsey Hollingworth, Nicole Bailey, Drew Cotton, Todd Colvin, Joe Green, Randy Huff. Back Row (from left to right): Matt Wharton, Frosty Williams, Chris McDonald, Colton Carpenter, Ryan Hieb, Brett Kniss, Daniel BrownLaw enforcement officers and agents were recognized for their outstanding achievements related to significant criminal cases at the Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (LECC) Awards Ceremony on May 3, 2022 in Lander, Wyoming.
“It is my great honor to recognize those in our community who go above and beyond to protect our children, our community and our way of life in Wyoming,” said United States Attorney Bob Murray. “Those honored never seek recognition, but it is important to let the public know about the accomplishments of our law enforcement and community members. I thank each and every one of them for their continued service,” said Murray.
The awards were presented by Assistant United States Attorneys and were based on complex or remarkable cases that fell into specific criminal categories. Nicole Romine, Chief of the Criminal Division for United States Attorney’s Office, said, “These men and women consistently face danger as they make arrests and investigate crime that impacts communities across the District of Wyoming. These awards recognize some of the most complex federal cases our office worked in 2021 – involving large amounts of money and/or drugs, as well as discernible impacts to victims, and resulting in successful prosecution that made our communities safer.”
The following individuals were recognized for their involvement, commitment, and achievements regarding federal criminal cases that fell into these categories:
FRAUD/THEFT
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service: Sonia Hacker, Special Agent
- FINRA/Criminal Prosecution Assistance Group: Alex Scoufis, Principal Counsel
- U.S. Department of Education/Office of Inspector General: Tim Pikas, Special Agent
CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN
- Bureau of Indian Affairs:
- Erick Blackburn, Chief of Police
- Michael Shockley, Special Agent
- Federal Bureau of Investigation: Rita Gatlin, Victim Specialist
FORFEITURE
- Drug Enforcement Agency: David Tyree, Resident Agent in Charge
- Cheyenne Police Department: Tim Meyrick, Detective Sergeant
FIREARMS
- Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation
- Cody Ruiz, Special Agent
- Michael Hanson, Special Agent
- Rock Springs Police Department
- Jennifer Chick, Detective
- Ken Davis, Detective
- Federal Bureau of Investigations
- Kyle Michieli, Special Agent
- William Whitfield, Special Agent
DRUGS- Cheyenne Police Department
- Tim Meyrick, Detective Sergeant
- Caresa Marino, Detective
- Chase Rippy, Detective
- Craig Sanne, Detective
- Jake Reiber, Detective
- Drug Enforcement Agency
- Joseph Brock, Group Supervisor
- Garylee McDermed, Special Agent
- Chris Roetlin, Special Agent
- Jason Tempco, Special Agent
- Matt Walls, Special Agent
- Laramie County Sheriff's Department
- Ryan Wyskochil, Detective
VIOLENT CRIME
- Casper Police Department
- Tiffany Elhart, Detective
- Mitch Hill, Officer
- Aaron Trujillo, Detective
- Brenden LaPointe, Officer
- Josh Albrecht, Officer
- Sam Dunnuck, Officer
- Todd Wells, Sergeant
- Federal Bureau of Investigations
- Adrianne Culver, Special Agent
- Christine Coble, Special Agent
- Justin Kempf, Special Agent
- Jedediah Oakley, Special Agent
- Grant Gelling, Tactical Specialist
- Scott Jensen, Special Agent
- Stephanie Knapp, Supervisory Forensic Child Interview Specialist
- Terri Nave, Victim Specialist
- Lara Brewer, Investigative Operations Analyst (retired)
- Jodie Hively, Forensic Child Interview Specialist
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives
- Fremont County Coroner: Erin Ivie, Chief Deputy
- Bureau of Indian Affairs: Michael Shockley, Special Agent
- Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation: Mike Phillips, Task Force Officer
GROUP AWARD: INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN
- ICE/Homeland Security Investigations
- Nicole Bailey, Special Agent
- Caleb Forness, Computer Forensic Analyst
- Laura Elder, Special Agent
- Sherrill Maddox, Management Program Analyst
- Shannon Patak, Special Agent Investigations
- Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation
- Chris McDonald, Supervisory Special Agent
- Brett Kniss, Special Agent
- Colten Carpenter, Special Agent
- Dan Allison, Special Agent
- Joel Greene, Special Agent
- Ryan Hieb, Special Agent
- Todd Colvin, Special Agent
- Lindsey Hollingsworth, Intelligence Analyst
- Daniel Brown, Forensic Intern
- Teton County Sherriff’s Department
- Clayton Platt, Investigative Sergeant
- Dustin Richards, Investigator
- Natrona County Sherriff’s Department: Drew Cotton, Investigator
- Sweetwater County Sheriff's Department: Matthew Warton, Detective
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 37 Months for Arranging Straw Purchases of FirearmsRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Ariel Toribio, 22, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the making of a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on five separate occasions in November and December 2019, Toribio’s co-defendant, Samantha Sicard, purchased 11 firearms for Toribio and others. Toribio solicited Sicard to buy the firearms, instructed her about which firearms to purchase and paid for the firearms. Toribio traveled with Sicard to a federally licensed firearms dealer where she would fill out the necessary paperwork and falsely state she was the actual purchaser of the firearms when she was in fact purchasing them for Toribio and others.
Toribio previously pleaded guilty on November 8, 2021. Sicard pleaded guilty on November 9, 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 8, 2022.
“Criminals who use lies and deception to obtain guns are often planning to use those firearms to commit crimes of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “In order to protect the public from violent crime, we work closely with the ATF to identify and prosecute those who are involved in the straw purchases of firearms. As this sentence demonstrates, those who commit federal gun crimes will be held accountable for their unlawful conduct.”
“Firearms trafficking continues to be a top priority for ATF and our law enforcement partners,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol Firearms and Explosives Boston Field Division. “ATF is committed to identifying and disrupting the sources of illegal firearms which jeopardize the safety of our communities.”
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Walsh.
The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes.
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Malden Man Indicted on Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Malden man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with illegally possessing a firearm.
Herby Paul, 27, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Paul was detained following an initial appearance yesterday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler.
According to the indictment, on or about Nov. 24, 2021, in Canton, Paul possessed a semiautomatic handgun and 13 rounds of ammunition. Paul is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition 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.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Macon Firearms Trafficker Sentenced to Statutory Max Resulting from ATF’s Operation United Front Utilizing NIBIN TechnologyRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Macon man convicted on a federal gun charge for his role in trafficking semi-automatic rifles was sentenced to serve the statutory maximum of ten years in prison resulting from an ATF investigation utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).
Chadrick Purnell, 43, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on May 3, after he previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. There is no parole in the federal system.
“ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, known as NIBIN, has proven to be an invaluable resource for law enforcement in our continued pursuit to reduce violent crime in every community across the Middle District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to maximize every resource at our disposal to achieve this common goal.”
“Utilizing technology is a key part of ATF’s strategy to identify and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “The combination of NIBIN and good police work has resulted in the arrest and conviction of a firearms trafficker who will spend the next ten years in federal prison.”
“These arrests and convictions show what technology, teamwork and street level investigations can accomplish. The partnership between ATF agents and Bibb investigators as well as the NIBIN technology has been essential in bringing gunslingers to justice,” said Bibb County Sheriff David J. Davis.
According to court documents, law enforcement used data compiled from NIBIN in order to identify locations where shell casings were collected from shooting events in Macon. These shooting events were then overlayed on a map, and teams of confidential informants and undercover agents investigated criminal activity in the areas with high density shootings. From May to July 2021, Purnell and additional co-defendants were under investigation. During this time, undercover agents and confidential informants purchased nine firearms and crack cocaine from Purnell, who is a convicted felon. The firearms included two semi-automatic rifles and a shotgun with an obliterated serial number. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
These cases are 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision and the Bibb County District Attorney’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Keyes prosecuted the case.
Longtime Employee of a Harford County, Maryland Manufacturer Pleads Guilty to Leading a $29 Million Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Eugene Andrew DiNoto, age 51, of Bel Air, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, engaging in an illegal monetary transaction, and filing a false tax return, in connection with a kickback scheme that defrauded his employer of more than $29 million.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, Eugene DiNoto was a longtime employee of Company 1, a family-owned global business headquartered in New York, but with manufacturing facilities in Belcamp and Abingdon, Maryland, both in Harford County. Beginning in 2012, DiNoto and another employee, Elliott Kleinman, began to use their management positions at Company 1 to execute a fraudulent billing scheme whereby they would get illegal kickbacks from various drum vendors doing business with Company 1, which used drums to store and transport its products. As the facility managers, DiNoto and Kleinman oversaw the purchasing and storing of drums for use at the Harford County manufacturing facilities. They also had authority to review drum invoices and authorize payments to the drum vendors.
Anthony P. Urcioli, Sr., is the owner and President of Tunnel, Barrel & Drum Co, Inc. (TBD), located in Carlstadt, New Jersey, and of another drum supply company called Hartford Fibre Drum, Inc. (Hartford), both of which did business with Company 1. After TBD became a drum supplier to Company 1, DiNoto and Kleinman entered into arrangement with Urcioli whereby TBD could continue selling drums to Company 1 if Urcioli agreed to fraudulently invoice Company 1 for more drums than TBD actually sold and delivered to the company. If Urcioli agreed to falsify its invoices in this way, DiNoto and Kleinman said that they and TBD could split the extra money Company 1 paid TBD for the made-up drum deliveries 50/50. DiNoto told Urcioli that he would split his share of the kickbacks with Elliot Kleinman 75/25. Urcioli agreed to participate in the false billing scheme.
From approximately January 2012 to January 31, 2020, DiNoto contacted Urcioli at least once a week to discuss the number and type of drums that he actually wanted delivered to Company 1’s Maryland facilities. During the same conversation, DiNoto told Urcioli how many additional drums to charge, but not deliver, to Company 1 from TBD, and later from Hartford, Urcioli’s other company. After Urcioli created the invoices that fraudulently billed Company 1 for both delivered and undelivered drums, DiNoto approved the invoices and sent them to Company 1’s headquarters to be paid.
Urcioli also created a handwritten purchase order ticket that summarized the breakdown of actual and bogus drum orders and how the kickback amounts were calculated. Urcioli would put a copy of the purchase order ticket in an envelope along with DiNoto’s and Kleinman’s share of the kickback amount payable via checks from TBD and Hartford, and then send the envelope to their personal residences in Harford County, Maryland.
Sometimes, the invoices were not written as DiNoto had instructed, and he would call Urcioli and tell him to send a corrected invoice of adjust the kickback amounts. Occasionally, DiNoto would correct an arithmetic mistake on Urcioli’s purchase order ticket, take a photograph of the changes he made to the ticket, and then email the corrected ticket back to Urcioli.
Urcioli wanted to pay the kickbacks to DiNoto and Kleinman by check so the payments would look like payments to drum wholesalers and be deductible as a cost of goods sold on TBD’s tax returns. DiNoto told Urcioli to make his kickback checks payable to a company linked to DiNoto, called “Sandpiper Enterprises.” Kleinman advised that he wanted his kickback checks payable to a company he formed called “EDK Management, LTD.” Urcioli agreed, and in addition to making the kickback checks drawn on TBD and Hartford accounts payable to those companies, Urcioli wrote the word “drums” on the checks to further the pretense of legitimate purchases.
DiNoto admitted that even though Sandpiper Enterprises was not engaged in any business, he maintained a commercial bank account for Sandpiper Enterprises at a local financial institution, where he deposited all the kickback checks he received. Before accessing the criminal proceeds, DiNoto routinely transferred all or part of the money into one of the personal bank accounts he maintained at the same bank. DiNoto would then withdraw the funds from his personal account or write a personal check against the balance.
Between January 2012 and January 31, 2020, Urcioli falsely invoiced Company 1 a total of $20,300,757. TBD and Hartford kept half that amount while the remaining funds were sent to DiNoto and Kleinman. DiNoto’s share of the kickbacks was approximately $7,071,106. Over the same eight-year period, DiNoto used other drum vendors besides TBD and Hartford to execute his scheme to defraud Company 1. On behalf of those other vendors, DiNoto submitted and approved invoices totaling approximately $9,197,181, resulting in a total loss to Company 1 of approximately $29,497,938.
For the period of 2017 through 2019, none of the more than $7 million in kickbacks DiNoto received for his role in the fraudulent billing scheme appeared as income on the tax returns DiNoto filed with the IRS, resulting in a loss to the U.S. government of approximately $1,374,694.
DiNoto faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud; a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for engaging in an illegal monetary transaction; and a maximum of five years in federal prison for filing a false tax return. U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby scheduled sentencing for DiNoto on July 13, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.
Elliott Dennis Kleinman, age 68, of Bel Air, Maryland and Anthony P. Urcioli, Sr., age 78, of Park Ridge, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin J. Clarke and Harry M. Gruber, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Local man charged for importing powerful psychedelicRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 25-year-old McAllen resident has been indicted for importing dimethyltryptamine (DMT) from Brazil, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Today, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Mario Alberto Molina. He is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nadia Medrano for his arraignment in the near future.
According to the complaint originally filed in the case, authorities performed a routine inspection of an inbound package originating from Brazil in Miami, Florida. It was allegedly destined for Molina’s residence in McAllen. The charges allege the package was purported to be marked as natural dye for tie-dye purposes, but authorities allegedly discovered a powdery substance later determined to be 4.5 kilograms of DMT.
On April 7, law enforcement executed a controlled delivery of the package at Molina’s residence, according to the complaint, after which they executed a federal search warrant. There, they allegedly found Molina and recovered the open package.
DMT is a powerful hallucinogenic drug, most often in the form of a powder when synthetically constructed, with intense effects comparable to that of other psychedelic drugs. It is the primary psychoactive ingredient in the drug ayahuasca and is a Schedule I controlled substance.
If convicted, Molina faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $1million maximum fine.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Brostowin is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Leader of North Carolina Chapter of Oath Keepers Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy and Obstruction of Congress for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential ElectionRead the Press Release
A regional leader of the Oath Keepers pleaded guilty today to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding for his actions before, during and after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions sought to stop the transfer of power by disrupting a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
William Todd Wilson, 45, of Newton Grove, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. As part of the plea agreement, Wilson has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.
Wilson is the third Oath Keepers member to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction charges. Joshua James, 34, of Arab, Alabama, pleaded guilty on March 2, 2022. Brian Ulrich, 44, of Guyton, Georgia, pleaded guilty on April 29, 2022.
As described in court documents, Wilson was an Oath Keeper member since 2016. He was a leader of a chapter from Sampson County, North Carolina. The Oath Keepers are a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias. Though the Oath Keepers will accept anyone as members, they explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement and first-responder personnel.
In his guilty plea, Wilson, a military and law enforcement veteran, admitted that he agreed with others to take part in a plan to use force to prevent, hinder and delay the execution of the laws of the United States governing the transfer of presidential power. He and others used encrypted and private communications, equipped themselves with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear and were prepared to answer a call to take up arms.
According to court documents, Wilson and other conspirators engaged in numerous communications in the weeks leading to Jan. 6, often using an encrypted messaging application called “Signal.” In one post, on Dec. 14, 2020, Wilson wrote, “It is time to fight!” In another, on Dec. 30, 2020, he posted, “Things are about to get real . . . and we need to be ready as ever!” On Jan. 5, 2021, in response to a message anticipating unrest after the next day’s Congressional proceeding, Wilson replied, “That’s why I have all my gear with me.”
On Jan. 5, Wilson drove to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. He brought an AR-15-style rifle, a 9-millimeter pistol, approximately 200 rounds of ammunition, body armor, a camouflaged combat uniform, pepper spray, a large walking stick intended for use as a weapon, and a pocketknife.” He stayed at a Virginia hotel with other Oath Keepers leaders. Wilson stored his firearms, ammunition and combat gear in the hotel room and was prepared to retrieve the weapons if called upon to do so.
On the afternoon of Jan. 6, Wilson and others marched to the Capitol. Shortly after 2 p.m., he and others in the group bypassed barricades and Capitol Police officers and unlawfully entered the restricted grounds. At 2:34 p.m., Wilson entered the Capitol through the Upper West Terrace Doors. He was the first of the Oath Keepers co-conspirators to breach the building. Wilson was armed with a pocketknife and wore a neck gaiter and beanie hat to mask his appearance. By 2:38 p.m., he had marched through the Rotunda to the east side of the Capitol, where he joined in the center of a mob of people trying to push open the Rotunda Doors from inside the building. About one minute later, the Rotunda Doors were forced open, and a mob of people, including more Oath Keepers, moved inside.
Wilson exited the Capitol at 2:55 p.m. He later met with other co-conspirators at a restaurant in Vienna, Virginia, where one member advised that incriminating materials should be deleted from their cell phones. On Jan. 7, after arriving at his home, Wilson took steps to conceal incriminating evidence of his participation in the conspiracy from being stored in his Apple iCloud account. In late January 2021, he intentionally discarded his only cell phone into the Atlantic Ocean to prevent law enforcement from discovering incriminating evidence about his participation in this conspiracy.
Wilson was charged in a criminal information that was filed today. Nine other members of the Oath Keepers, including Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, 57, the founder and leader, also are charged with seditious conspiracy in an indictment returned Jan. 12, 2022; they have pleaded not guilty.
Wilson faces up to 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and up to 20 years for obstruction of an official proceeding, along with potential financial penalties. No sentencing date was set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office, including its Fayetteville Resident Agency.
In the 15 months since Jan. 6, 2021, nearly 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Leader of North Carolina Chapter of Oath Keepers Pleads Guilty to Seditious Conspiracy and Obstruction of Congress for Efforts to Stop Transfer of Power Following 2020 Presidential ElectionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A regional leader of the Oath Keepers pleaded guilty today to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding for his actions before, during, and after the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions sought to stop the transfer of power by disrupting a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
William Todd Wilson, 45, of Newton Grove, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to seditious conspiracy in connection with the Capitol breach. As part of the plea agreement, Wilson has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.
Wilson is the third Oath Keepers member to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction charges. Joshua James, 34, of Arab, Alabama, pleaded guilty on March 2, 2022. Brian Ulrich, 44, of Guyton, Georgia, pleaded guilty on April 29, 2022.
As described in court documents, Wilson was an Oath Keeper member since 2016. He was a leader of a chapter from Sampson County, North Carolina. The Oath Keepers are a large but loosely organized collection of individuals, some of whom are associated with militias. Though the Oath Keepers will accept anyone as members, they explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement, and first-responder personnel.
In his guilty plea, Wilson, a military and law enforcement veteran, admitted that he agreed with others to take part in a plan to use force to prevent, hinder, and delay the execution of the laws of the United States governing the transfer of presidential power. He and others used encrypted and private communications, equipped themselves with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear, and were prepared to answer a call to take up arms.
According to court documents, Wilson and other conspirators engaged in numerous communications in the weeks leading to Jan. 6, often using an encrypted messaging application called “Signal.” In one post, on Dec. 14, 2020, Wilson wrote, “It is time to fight!” In another, on Dec. 30, 2020, he posted, “Things are about to get real . . . and we need to be ready as ever!” On Jan. 5, 2021, in response to a message anticipating unrest after the next day’s Congressional proceeding, Wilson replied, “That’s why I have all my gear with me.”
On Jan. 5, Wilson drove to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. He brought an AR-15-style rifle, a 9-millimeter pistol, approximately 200 rounds of ammunition, body armor, a camouflaged combat uniform, pepper spray, a large walking stick intended for use as a weapon, and a pocketknife.” He stayed at a Virginia hotel with other Oath Keepers leaders. Wilson stored his firearms, ammunition, and combat gear in the hotel room, and was prepared to retrieve the weapons if called upon to do so.
On the afternoon of Jan. 6, Wilson and others marched to the Capitol. Shortly after 2 p.m., he and others in the group bypassed barricades and Capitol Police officers and unlawfully entered the restricted grounds. At 2:34 p.m., Wilson entered the Capitol through the Upper West Terrace Doors. He was the first of the Oath Keepers co-conspirators to breach the building. Wilson was armed with a pocketknife and wore a neck gaiter and beanie hat to mask his appearance. By 2:38 p.m., he had marched through the Rotunda to the east side of the Capitol, where he joined in the center of a mob of people trying to push open the Rotunda Doors from inside the building. About one minute later, the Rotunda Doors were forced open, and a mob of people, including more Oath Keepers, moved inside.
Wilson exited the Capitol at 2:55 p.m. He later met with other co-conspirators at a restaurant in Vienna, Virginia, where one member advised that incriminating materials should be deleted from their cell phones. On Jan. 7, after arriving at his home, Wilson took steps to conceal incriminating evidence of his participation in the conspiracy from being stored in his Apple iCloud account. In late January 2021, he intentionally discarded his only cell phone into the Atlantic Ocean to prevent law enforcement from discovering incriminating evidence about his participation in this conspiracy.
Wilson was charged in a criminal information that was filed today. Nine other members of the Oath Keepers, including Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, 57, the founder and leader, also are charged with seditious conspiracy in an indictment returned Jan. 12, 2022; they have pleaded not guilty.
Wilson faces up to 20 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and up to 20 years for obstruction of an official proceeding, along with potential financial penalties. No sentencing date was set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office, including its Fayetteville Resident Agency.
In the 15 months since Jan. 6, 2021, nearly 800 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 250 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Las Vegas Man Indicted for Assaulting Federal Task Force OfficersRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man made his initial appearance in federal court yesterday for allegedly assaulting two federal task force officers.
Isaiah Tisby, 26, is charged with two counts of assault on a federal officer with use of a deadly and dangerous weapon or infliction of bodily injury, and two counts of assault on a federal officer and employee. U.S. Magistrate Judge Brenda Weksler scheduled a jury trial to begin on July 12, 2022.
According to allegations in the indictment, on March 18, 2022, Tisby used a can of bear attack deterrent to assault two federal task force officers who were carrying out their official duties.
If convicted, Tisby faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the assault on a federal officer with use of a deadly and dangerous weapon or infliction of bodily injury counts; and a statutory maximum penalty of eight years in prison for the assault on a federal officer and employee counts.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Reese is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Las Vegas Man Charged for Unlawfully Manufacturing and Selling Privately Made Firearms, Including Machine Gun Conversion Devices, Without A Federal Firearms LicenseRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man made his initial appearance in federal court yesterday for allegedly possessing a machine gun, and for allegedly engaging in the manufacturing and selling of privately made firearms, including machine gun conversion devices commonly referred to as “Glock Switches” — which are designed to convert semi-automatic pistols to fire automatically — without a Federal Firearms License (FFL).
Clarence Meekins (36) is charged with one count of illegal possession of a machine gun and one count of engaging in the business of dealing and manufacturing firearms without a license. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for May 17, 2022, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts.
According to allegations in the complaint, between March 23 and April 11, 2022, Meekins sold privately made 3-D printed firearms and Glock Switches. On April 28, 2022, law enforcement executed search warrants on Meekins’ vehicle and residence. During the searches, law enforcement seized a rifle, a shotgun, a .38 revolver, 3-D printers, machine gun conversion devices, 3-D pistol frames, and various magazines and ammunition. Meekins does not have an FFL, which is required to engage in the business of dealing or manufacturing firearms.
Meekins has prior felony convictions in Nassau County, New York, including possession of a controlled substance, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Accordingly, federal law prohibits him from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The statutory maximum penalties are 10 years in prison for illegal possession of a machine gun, and five years in prison for engaging in the business of dealing or manufacturing firearms without a license.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Patrick Gorman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Reese is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Kalispell businesswoman accused of running money mule business to launder funds overseas from wire fraud schemes in the United StatesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Kalispell woman suspected of operating a money mule business to collect money from various wire fraud schemes occurring in the United States and then sending the funds overseas in return for a commission appeared today for arraignment on conspiracy and money laundering charges, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Theresa Anne Chabot, 57, pleaded not guilty to a 30-count indictment charging her with unlicensed money transmitting business, conspiracy to commit money laundering, 17 counts of money laundering-promotion and 11 counts of money laundering-spending. If convicted of the most serious crime, Chabot faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $500,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Judge DeSoto released Chabot pending further proceedings.
The indictment alleges that from about May 2016 until about February 2021, Chabot conspired with others and through her business, Avalanche Creek, LLC, an unregistered money transmitting business, to operate as a money mule related to various wire fraud schemes occurring in the United States. The wire fraud schemes included advance pay schemes, internet-enabled frauds, investment schemes, romance schemes, lottery and sweepstakes frauds and COVID-19 funding fraud. A money mule is a person who transfers illegally acquired money for other individuals. Money mules often receive a commission for providing their services.
The indictment further alleges that during the scheme, Chabot opened more than 50 bank accounts, collected the proceeds from the wire fraud schemes and then transmitted the money overseas. Banks closed numerous accounts after reviewing the activity, and at least 15 banks directly informed Chabot the accounts were being closed because of fraud, in violation of bank policies and other identified misuse. Despite repeated account closures, Chabot opened new bank accounts that enabled her to receive proceeds from fraud schemes with victims located in the United States. Chabot received a fee, which in many instances totaled approximately 10 percent of the fraudulent proceeds deposited into her bank accounts. Chabot would then forward the remaining funds overseas, including to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigations.
PACER case reference. 22-18.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Justice Department Secures Agreement with Hotel in Columbus, Ohio, to Ensure Access for People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today entered into an agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Columbus, Ohio. The department reached the agreement with Badrivishal LLC, which owns and operates the hotel. The agreement requires a series of modifications to provide better access for customers with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs.
The Civil Rights Division launched an investigation after it received a complaint from a couple who claimed that they reserved accessible rooms after being told by hotel staff that the rooms had accessible “roll-in” showers fitted for wheelchairs. Upon arrival during the Thanksgiving holiday, neither of the bathrooms had a roll-in shower and the couple were forced to find a different hotel.
The ADA requires that hotels provide access to individuals with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs. After conducting an architectural assessment, the department alleged that the hotel here failed to comply with the accessibility standards under the ADA and presented barriers for people using wheelchairs. These barriers prevented such individuals from entering showers in the room, safely transferring into beds, enjoying the breakfast offered at the hotel, accessing the front desk and getting from accessible parking into the hotel.
“As the country reopens from the COVID-19 pandemic and people travel with more frequency, people who use wheelchairs should not face barriers at hotels because of their disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to enforcing the rights of people with disabilities so that they may travel worry-free and enjoy access to hotels.”
Under the agreement, the hotel will remove these barriers by modifying parking spaces, building entrances, public restrooms, the front desk, drinking fountains and routes within the hotel to ensure that they are accessible. The hotel will also ensure that its rooms, including bathrooms, that are required and advertised as accessible to people who use wheelchairs are, in fact, accessible. The agreement further requires the hotel’s managers, front desk personnel and reservations staff undergo training regarding the ADA’s requirements to accommodate individuals with disabilities. Finally, the hotel will pay $20,000 in damages to the couple harmed by the discrimination.
People interested in finding out more about the agreement, or the ADA can call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or access the ADA website at http://www.ada.gov.
Justice Department Announces New Training Resource for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic ExaminationsRead the Press Release
Today, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Principal Deputy Director Allison Randall announced the launch of an updated and expanded resource aimed at health care professionals. Originally developed in 2008 with OVW funding by the Dartmouth Medical School’s Interactive Media Laboratory, the Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examination: A Virtual Practicum (SAMFE VP) teaches every step of a victim-centered sexual assault medical forensic examination and serves as a training tool for law enforcement, prosecutors and other professionals. The revised and improved SAMFE VP is designed to enhance care for patients from diverse communities, including transgender patients, young people, elders and incarcerated patients. The SAMFE VP provides interactive training on various topics including evidence collection, physical examinations, medical and forensic documentation, crime laboratory analysis and courtroom testimony. Earlier this year, President Biden signed into law the historic reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which expands access to justice, safety and services for survivors and enhances training for sexual assault forensic examiners.
“All survivors of sexual violence deserve access to compassionate and competent care, and professionals must be able to obtain the resources, training and institutional support required to meet survivors’ needs. Medical forensic care providers can have an enormous impact on survivors, as well as on the investigation and prosecution of these cases,” said Deputy Attorney General Monaco. “Programs, initiatives and projects funded under the Violence Against Women Act, including the SAMFE Virtual Practicum announced today, support practices that save lives and help build coordinated community responses to sexual and domestic violence.”
“Forensic medical examiners are often among the first people survivors encounter in the aftermath of sexual assault, on what might have been the worst day of their lives, when they are just beginning to process the trauma of what they’ve been through. It is not an easy job, but it is critical in so many ways: research shows that survivors who work with forensic medical examiners have much better outcomes when compared to those who do not,” said OVW Principal Deputy Director Randall. “The SAMFE Virtual Practicum ensures that nurses and other professionals have the knowledge and skills they need to respond effectively when a survivor needs medical treatment and evidence collection after an assault.”
With funding from the department’s National Institute of Justice, OVW collaborated to update the SAMFE VP with End Violence Against Women International; the Academy of Forensic Nursing; the International Association of Forensic Nurses; and more than 30 multidisciplinary experts – the full list of people and institutions who made the project possible is available as a pdf file. For more information about SAMFEs and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs), OVW’s Patchwork Podcast has an episode titled “Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners Assist Survivors at the Intersection of Health and Justice Systems.”
OVW provides funding under several grant programs to provide sexual assault patients with medical forensic exams to treat their post-assault healthcare needs and to collect evidence of their sexual assault. OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at http://www.justice.gov/ovw.
Justice Department Announces Enforcement Action Charging 12 Medical Professionals with Opioid Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice, together with federal and state law enforcement partners, today announced criminal charges against 14 defendants in eight federal districts across the United States for their alleged involvement in crimes related to the unlawful distribution of opioids. Twelve of the defendants were medical professionals at the time of these alleged offenses.
“Today’s Opioid Enforcement Action highlights the Justice Department’s latest efforts in responding to the nation’s opioid epidemic, which last year alone caused the tragic loss of life for more than 75,000 people in the United States due to overdose,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work tirelessly with its partners to combat this epidemic, and to seek to prevent the next tragic loss of life.”
One of the cases announced today charged a Kentucky dentist with unlawfully prescribing morphine. In August 2020, this dentist issued three opioid prescriptions to a 24-year-old patient in a five-day period. The patient died from a morphine overdose, allegedly from one of the prescriptions the dentist issued during those five days. Another case charged a former nurse and clinic director in Tennessee with unlawfully obtaining opioid pain pills for personal use and further distribution by filling fraudulent prescriptions in the names of current and former hospice patients. According to the indictment, the defendant then used the patients’ hospice benefits to cover the costs of the unlawfully obtained prescriptions opioids. A third case charged a Kentucky doctor with unlawfully prescribing opioids to patients whose health care treatments were paid for by taxpayer-funded programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The defendant allegedly preyed on these patients for continued access in order to bill these programs for medically unnecessary procedures.
“When we helped announce ARPO strike forces in 2019 we said it would be an enduring commitment to stamp out illegal opioid trafficking by prescription pad and we meant it,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio. “As is evident by the results announced today, we will continue to bring coordinated enforcement actions to address the opioid scourge plaguing the region.”
Today’s announcement also highlighted the continued efforts of the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Over the past three years, ARPO has charged 111 defendants with crimes related to the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids. Together, these defendants issued prescriptions for over 115 million controlled substance pills.
Since its inception, ARPO has partnered with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids
“The FBI and our partners are working together to combat the opioid crisis and hold accountable those abusing their prescription privileges,” said Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers of the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office. “We urge the public to assist us in keeping the community safe by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI with tips about those illegally prescribing opioids.”
“Those who illegally prescribe opioids not only undermine critical efforts to address the epidemic; they also put patients at risk of overdose and physical harm,” said Inspector General Christi A. Grimm of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This enforcement action demonstrates HHS-OIG’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable bad actors who abuse their status as health care providers and exploit the opioid epidemic for personal gain.”
“Doctors and health care professionals are entrusted with prescribing medicine responsibly and in the best interests of their patients. Today’s takedown targets medical providers across the country whose greed drove them to abandon this responsibility in favor of criminal profits,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “DEA will use every tool at our disposal to stop drug diversion and fraud. And we are working tirelessly each day to make our communities safer and healthier.”
Additionally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Center for Program Integrity has taken six administrative actions against providers for their alleged involvement in these offenses.
“Patient care and safety are top priorities for us, and CMS has taken administrative action against six providers to protect critical resources entrusted to Medicare while also safeguarding people with Medicare,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “These actions to combat fraud, waste, and abuse in our federal programs would not be possible without the close and successful partnership of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.”
U.S. Attorneys William S. Thompson for Southern District of West Virginia, Carlton S. Shier IV for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee joined the announcement today.
Today’s enforcement actions were led and coordinated by Principal Deputy Chief Kilby Macfadden and ARPO Assistant Chiefs Alexis Gregorian and Jillian Willis. The Fraud Section’s ARPO Strike Force and the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Strike Forces in Miami and New Jersey, as well as the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Alabama, Eastern District of Kentucky, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of Tennessee, and Southern District of West Virginia are prosecuting these cases. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the department’s website at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/opioid-enforcement-action-2022.
In addition to the DEA, FBI, and HHS-OIG, the Kentucky and Ohio Medicaid Fraud Control Units; Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and other federal and local law enforcement agencies participated in the law enforcement action.
An indictment, complaint, or information is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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For any patients impacted by the law enforcement operations, information regarding available treatment programs and where patients can turn for assistance is available as follows:
Alabama: The Alabama Department of Mental Health has a dedicated telephone number to connect those affected by the closure. The toll-free substance abuse number is 1-844-307-1760. Information about substance abuse and opioids is available at the following websites:
http://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/pharmacy/opioid-and-heroin.html
https://mh.alabama.gov/understanding-the-opioid-crisis/
Florida: If you are in Florida and are suffering with addition you can find help by calling 1-800-662-4357 or by finding local services at https://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/samh/get-help.shtml.
Kentucky: If you are in Kentucky and are suffering with addiction you can find help by calling 833-8KY-HELP or logging in at Findhelpnowky.org.
Ohio: If you are seeking help in Ohio, please call the OhioMHAS patient helpline, at 1-877-275-6364
Tennessee: If you are seeking help in Tennessee:
- For a referral to addiction treatment services, call the Tennessee REDLINE: 800-889-9789.
- In a mental health crisis, call the Statewide Crisis Line: 855-CRISIS-1 (855-274-7471).
- For help accessing substance abuse or mental health services call the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Helpline: 800-560-5767 or 615-532-6700. This line is staffed Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CT.
New Jersey: If you are seeking help in New Jersey, please call the REACH Helpline at 1-844-732-2465.
West Virginia: If you are in West Virginia and are suffering with addiction you can find help by calling 1-844-HELP-4WV or logging in at https://HelpandHopeWV.org.
For individuals seeking help in other states, please call 1-800-662-HELP
The Fraud Section uses the Victim Notification System (VNS) to provide victims with case information and updates related to this case. Victims with questions may contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Assistance Unit by calling the Victim Assistance phone line at 1-888-549-3945 or by emailing [email protected]. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas. If you believe you are a victim of the conduct described in any of these cases, please visit https://www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/ARPO.
Jamestown Man Pleads Guilty to Narcotics ConspiracyRead 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 Kevin Hughes, 60, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to narcotics conspiracy. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Misha Coulson, who are handling the case, stated that Hughes assisted co-defendant Jun Martinez in his drug trafficking operation, receiving drug packages via mail at his residence, frequently driving Martinez in and around Jamestown for drug trafficking activities, assisting with retrieving money from customers, vacuum sealing the money, and subsequently mailing the money to the source of supply. In September 2020, during a trip out of New York State to acquire narcotics from a source of supply, an Illinois State Police Trooper stopped Hughes and Martinez around Frankfort, Illinois. A search of their vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 9,589 grams of methamphetamine, 3,157 grams of fentanyl, 2,241 grams of cocaine, and marijuana products.
Jun Martinez was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 1, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Sinatra.
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Hospital Employee Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Exploitive Images of an Unconscious Victim PatientRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Donald Benson, Jr., age 42, of Nottingham, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to production of child pornography.
The plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, on September 18, 2016, while working at a Maryland hospital as a patient sitter, Benson sexually assaulted a 15-year-old female (Victim 1) while she was unconscious. Additionally, Benson took 13 pictures of the sexual assault on Victim 1 and emailed those pictures to his personal email account. Benson used Victim 1’s birthdate as the subject of the email which was also visible in the pictures that Benson produced.
As stated in is plea agreement, in December 2019, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a report regarding child pornography activity on Benson’s email account. Between August 2015 to December 2019, Benson uploaded 337 files of possible child pornography.
During the investigation into Benson’s criminal conduct, investigators determined that several of the images Benson had emailed himself depicted images of minors being sexually assaulted including the images that Benson captured of Victim 1 while she was in an unconscious state.
On February 6, 2020, investigators executed search warrants at Benson’s residence and seized various electronic devices. On Benson’s electronic devices, investigators located several images and files of child pornography and a CD that depicted a naked prepubescent female with her legs spread and genitals exposed. This CD contained images of child pornography from 1999 to 2013.
In an interview with law enforcement, Benson informed investigators that he took pictures of Victim 1 while working in an official capacity and while Victim 1 was unconscious. He also informed law enforcement that he took the exploitive pictures of Victim 1 when her father stepped out of the room to take a phone call.
Benson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release for production of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has scheduled sentencing for August 3, 2022, at 9:15 a.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, HSI, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary W. Setzer and Paul E. Budlow, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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