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Monday 2 May 2022
New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
A New Jersey man pleaded guilty today to filing a false corporate tax return with the IRS.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Gabriel Ferrari, of Edison, owned Buses and Trucks Inc. (B&T), an automotive repair business located in Edison. Ferrari used B&T funds to pay for personal items, including gambling on horse races. He did not inform his tax preparer about the diverted corporate funds for tax years 2011 through 2014 and, as a result, B&T’s corporate tax returns and his personal income tax returns for each of these years were false.
Ferrari is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 14 and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for filing a false tax return. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Ann M. Cherry of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Trombly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.
Navajo man arraigned on charges of aggravated sexual abuse of a child in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Brandon Yazzie, 28, of Standing Rock, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was arraigned in federal court on April 28 on a four-count indictment charging him with three counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact. Yazzie will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
A federal grand jury indicted Yazzie on April 12. According to the indictment and other court records, on at least two occasions between December 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021, Yazzie allegedly sexually abused the victim, identified in court records as Jane Doe, who was less than 12 years old. On one occasion, Yazzie allegedly engaged in and caused sexual contact with the victim. Yazzie allegedly committed the crimes at his father’s residence in Standing Rock on the Navajo Nation.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Yazzie faces up to life in prison for abusive sexual contact and a minimum of 30 years and up to life in prison for aggravated sexual abuse.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Avondale (Arizona) Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander F. Flores is prosecuting the case.
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Middlesex County Man Admits Filing False Corporate Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey man today admitted to filing a false tax return on behalf of his company, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, Acting Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert, and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg announced.
Gabriel M. Ferrari, 64, of Edison, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler to Count Four of an indictment that charged him with subscribing to a false tax return.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Ferrari was the sole owner of Buses and Trucks Inc., an automotive repair business in Linden, New Jersey. In January 2015, Ferrari subscribed to and caused to be filed a corporate tax return for Buses and Trucks for tax year 2011. As Ferrari knew at the time, that return was false in that it understated Buses and Trucks’ gross receipts for tax year 2011. In fact, Ferrari had diverted Buses and Trucks’ gross receipts to pay personal expenses, including gambling on horse races, and did not report those diverted receipts on the Buses and Trucks 2011 corporate tax return.
The charge of subscribing to a false tax return carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is set for Sept. 14, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger, Acting Assistant Attorney General Hubbert, and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg credited special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Trombly of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark and by Trial Attorney Ann M. Cherry of the Tax Division in Washington, D.C.
Michigan Man Sentenced to 22 and a Half Years in Prison for Production, Possession, Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that John David Lewis, 28, of Allen Park, Michigan, was sentenced on Friday, April 29, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick to twenty-two and a half years in prison after Lewis pleaded guilty to production, possession, receipt and distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, in June of 2020, undercover federal agents engaged in an online conversation with a user, later identified as Lewis, involved in a social media group that shared videos and images of child pornography. Court records state that the undercover agent engaged in a conversation with Lewis and, during this time, determined that Lewis had produced and distributed child pornography involving a six-month-old infant.
Authorities were later able to locate and arrest Lewis at a Toledo-area residence after obtaining a search warrant. According to court documents, Lewis admitted to investigators that he had viewed, produced, and distributed child pornography.
Lewis was also prosecuted and convicted of rape in the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas and is currently serving a 15 years to life state sentence.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Detroit Field Division. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracey Ballard Tangeman and Deyana F. Unis.
Martinsburg woman admits to role in drug trafficking and firearms conspiracyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Hope Clemons, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Clemons, 31, pleaded guilty today to one count of “False Statement During Purchase of Firearms.” Clemons admitted to falsifying a form to purchase firearms for someone else in October 2019 in Berkeley County.
Clemons 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 Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Harpers Ferry Police Department; and the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C. investigated. The EPDTF consists of the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Ranson Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Martinsburg Police Department.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Married Couple Facing Federal Indictment for a Series of Fraud Schemes, Including Passport Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Andrews Oduro Brown, a/k/a Andrews Oduro, age 39, and Charmaine Miesha Brown, age 43, both of Germantown, Maryland, for conspiracies to commit passport fraud and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, bankruptcy fraud, and making false statements in a bankruptcy proceeding. The indictment was returned on April 28, 2022, and unsealed upon the arrest of the defendants.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Lewis of the U.S. Department of the State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Washington Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General, Philadelphia Field Division.
As detailed in the indictment, Andrews Oduro Brown, a/k/a Andrews Oduro was a Ghanaian national who entered the United States in May 2013. Oduro married Charmaine Miesha Brown, a United States citizen, in January 2014 and in 2021, obtained legal permanent resident status in the United States through his marriage to Brown. During this time, Oduro and Brown resided together with Oduro’s two children, Child A and Child B, and four of Brown’s children, including Child C.
According to the five-count indictment, from December 2014 through April 2021, Oduro and Brown conspired to obtain United States passports for non-United States citizen family members who were not entitled to receive such passports, through the use of false statements and fraudulent identity documents. Once passports were issued on the basis of the false and fraudulent applications, Oduro and Brown arranged for the transportation of non-United States citizen family members to the United States using the fraudulently issued passports.
For example, on December 1, 2014, Brown allegedly submitted an application for a passport in the name of her son, Child C, but bearing the photograph of Child A. The indictment alleges that Child A later used the fraudulent passport to enter the United States illegally. On March 16, 2015, Oduro and Brown allegedly applied for a passport in the name of Child A and submitted a fraudulent Ghanaian birth certificate, falsely stating that Brown was Child A’s mother, in support of the application. The indictment alleges that on March 17, 2020, Oduro and Brown applied for a passport in the name of Child B and again submitted a fraudulent Ghanaian birth certificate in support of the application that falsely stating that Brown was Child B’s mother. On August 5, 2015, Oduro also allegedly submitted a passport application in the name of a United States citizen, but bearing the photograph of Oduro’s sibling, who is not a United States citizen.
According to the indictment, from August 2016 through April 2021, Oduro and Brown conspired to receive Child Care Subsidy Program payments to which they were not entitled. The Child Care Subsidy Program provided reimbursement to low-income families for childcare and direct payments to both professional and informal providers of childcare to low-income families. The indictment alleges that Brown and Oduro falsely reported to the State of Maryland that Individual F, a friend, was watching their children, when in truth and in fact, Oduro assumed Individual F’s identity to pose as a paid childcare provider to his own child and stepchildren. The indictment alleges that Oduro and Brown used the personally identifying information (PII) of Individual F, without the victim’s knowledge or permission, to receive approximately $95,320 in Child Care Subsidy Program payments to which they were not entitled.
Finally, the indictment alleges that on March 5, 2018, Oduro and Brown defrauded creditors and the bankruptcy trustee, by filing a fraudulent Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition using the name and partial social security number of Individual F seeking the discharge of over $80,000 in debts and tax obligations to the State of Maryland that Oduro incurred using the name and PII of Individual F. On June 21, 2018, Oduro appeared at the discharge hearing in the bankruptcy court and identified himself as Individual F, presenting a Pennsylvania driver’s license Oduro had fraudulently obtained in the name of Individual F. As a result of the fraudulent bankruptcy petition in the name of Individual F, the indictment alleges that Oduro and Brown cause the entry of an order discharging approximately $49,317 in debt that Oduro incurred in the name of Individual F.
If convicted, Oduro and Brown each face a maximum sentence of 5 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit passport fraud; a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud; a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for aggravated identity theft; a maximum of 5 years in prison for bankruptcy fraud; and a maximum of 5 years in prison for false statements in bankruptcy. 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.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Davio, who is 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 and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Las Cruces man pleads guilty to production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Sean Patrick Fosler, 28, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, pleaded guilty on April 28 in federal court to production of child pornography. Fosler will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on May 7, 2021, Fosler recorded a video of a then eight-year-old child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Fosler also appears in the video engaged in sexual conduct. In the plea agreement, Fosler admitted that he used snapchat to send the video to person in Texas.
Fosler faces a minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police and the El Paso Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Marisa A. Ong is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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Interim September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) Special Master Appointed Following Departure of Rupa BhattacharyyaRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the appointment of August E. Flentje as the interim Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). Rupa Bhattacharyya resigned as Special Master on April 29. The VCF was created by Congress to compensate those who suffered personal injuries or died as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the rescue, recovery, and debris removal efforts undertaken in the aftermath of the attacks.
“I want to convey my sincere appreciation for Rupa’s 27 years of dedicated public service,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am especially grateful for her service as Special Master for the September 11th VCF. In her six years as Special Master, Rupa enhanced the efficiency of this vital program, helped it achieve permanent status, and garnered the support of the 9/11 community and Members of Congress.”
Bhattacharyya was appointed to the position of VCF Special Master by the Attorney General in July 2016. She is a career civil servant who has held numerous leadership positions within the Department of Justice and the Department of the Treasury.
Under Bhattacharyya’s leadership, the VCF has significantly reduced the time it takes to review and decide a claim, and has awarded over $8 billion in compensation to more than 35,000 responders and survivors who have become sick or died because of their exposure to 9/11 toxins. Bhattacharyya helmed the program when a bipartisan Congress reauthorized the VCF in 2019 to accept claims until 2090 and appropriated to it such funds as may be necessary to pay all eligible claims, thus ensuring both the program’s financial stability and that it would remain operational to assist victims of the 9/11 terror attacks for decades to come.
The Attorney General appointed Flentje as the VCF’s Special Master on an interim basis while a search for a permanent Special Master is conducted. Flentje is a career civil service attorney with the Department’s Civil Division and has managed several Civil Division components for temporary periods, including the Torts Branch, through which the Civil Division has provided administrative oversight of VCF operations.
The Department does not expect any interruption in VCF claim review or in the issuance of awards during this interim period.
Learn more information on the VCF at: https://www.vcf.gov.
Inmate sentenced to 9 years in prison for mailing threats to state & local government officials, judges, newspapersRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Ohio inmate was sentenced in federal court to 108 months in prison for writing at least 15 threatening letters containing powder. In some of the letters, he claimed the powder was anthrax or fentanyl or threatened the use of explosive devices.
Sean Heisa, 39, mailed threatening letters while incarcerated to various officials throughout the state of Ohio from July 2017 to July 2018.
Heisa mailed a letter to the city manager of Painesville in August 2017 and claimed powder contained within the envelope was anthrax. In the letter, Heisa described several things that were going to happen: “#1 – You are going to have trouble breathing; #2- You are going to die; #3 – You are going to become a martyr for a cause and an organization far bigger than yourself.”
Likewise, Heisa mailed a second letter that month to a magistrate judge in Whitehall, again claiming the powder contained within the letter was anthrax.
Heisa also threatened via letter officials within the Coshocton Municipal Courthouse, Franklin County Common Pleas Court and then-Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine through threatened exposure to anthrax and the use of explosive devices.
Other letters threatened to injure recipients – including the former Ohio prisons director, the Columbus Dispatch, the Circleville Herald and The Ohio State University – by exposure to purported fentanyl.
For example, one letter to a Fairfield County Common Pleas Court judge who had presided over several hearings involving Heisa (involving robbery charges for which Heisa is now serving a combined 37-year sentence) stated: “This is enough Fentanyl to kill you and multiple coworker [sic]. You deserve a more painful death but this will do”.
Heisa had access to what he believed to be fentanyl in prison and knew that if he could send enough fentanyl that it could kill someone, which is why he referenced it in many of his letters. Heisa chose to ingest the substance instead of mailing it.
Heisa was charged federally in December 2018 and pleaded guilty in October 2019 to making false information or hoaxes and mailing threatening communications.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division announced the sentence imposed by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica W. Knight is representing the United States in this case.
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Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Multimillion-Dollar Fraud and Money Laundering SchemesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Today, an Illinois man pleaded guilty to charges stemming from his participation in fraudulent business email compromise and account takeover schemes that targeted victims around the United States, including businesses in the Northern District of Alabama, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.
Adetona Lala, 38, of Country Club Hills, Illinois, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of his plea agreement, the defendant also agreed to forfeit approximately $2,310,330.33. Lala’s guilty plea brings the total number of defendants who have pleaded guilty in the case to six.
According to court documents, from December 2017 through February 2020, Lala participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy that targeted dozens of victims with business email compromise, account takeover, and other fraud schemes. During the course of the conspiracy, Lala employed “field officers” who traveled across the country opening up fraudulent bank accounts designed to receive transfers from fraud victims. Many of these accounts were opened using fake names, false identification documents, and shell companies to avoid detection and hide the true identities of the members of the conspiracy controlling the accounts. This account-opening activity was planned and organized by Lala. He identified financial institutions for his co-conspirators to target, created shell companies used in the scheme, forged tax forms and utility bills that were used to open the fraudulent bank accounts, helped procure false identification documents from co-conspirators in Illinois and Nigeria, and facilitated his co-conspirators’ travel to financial institutions across the United States. Collectively, Lala and his co-conspirators attempted to defraud victims out of more than $9.5 million.
According to the plea agreement, after receiving proceeds from these fraud schemes, Lala and his co-conspirators moved the funds between accounts to disguise their origin and conceal their fraudulent nature and then either transferred the proceeds to accounts in Nigeria or used them to purchase cryptocurrency or automobiles that were shipped overseas.
The maximum punishment for conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud is 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000.00 fine. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit money laundering is 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the funds involved, whichever is greater.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward J. Canter and Catherine L. Crosby are prosecuting the case. The Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County Attorney General’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Indiana, the Middle District of Georgia, and the Eastern District of Wisconsin provided assistance in the investigation.
Huntington Man Sentenced for Fentanyl-related Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to two and one-half years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for the distribution of heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Eric Mashawn McNeely, Jr., 30, sold approximately 2.97 grams of heroin with the presence of fentanyl during a controlled buy in Huntington on February 28, 2019.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00122.
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Hudson County Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Distributing Heroin and Fentanyl in Prison, Resulting in Inmate OverdoseRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 264 months in prison for his role in trafficking heroin and fentanyl into a New Jersey state prison, resulting in the overdose of one of the inmates, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Noel Salgado, aka “Kuko,” 41, was previously convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, which resulted in serious bodily injury, following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to the documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
While incarcerated at Bayside State Prison, Salgado directed associates to provide narcotics proceeds to him and his associates and to smuggle narcotics into prison to distribute to other inmates.
On Oct. 17, 2015, Salgado called an associate from prison to arrange for the purchase and smuggling into the prison of heroin and fentanyl. Another conspirator picked up the narcotics and smuggled them to Salgado on Oct. 18, 2015. The following day, an inmate to whom Salgado had distributed the narcotics was found unresponsive in his cell suffering from a drug overdose. The inmate stopped breathing on his own and remained unconscious for approximately 20 minutes before medical personnel administered Narcan to revive him. The inmate was hospitalized for two days.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martini sentenced Salgado to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Messenger, and investigators with the N.J. Department of Corrections, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Victoria L. Kuhn, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher D. Amore and Elaine K. Lou of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
Houlton Man Sentenced on Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Houlton man was sentenced in federal court today on two counts of distributing methamphetamine, one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Derek Fitzpatrick, 31, to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release.
According to court records, Fitzpatrick sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant on two occasions in August 2018. In September 2018, Fitzpatrick sold more than 50 grams of methamphetamine to the informant. On September 28, 2018, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at Fitzpatrick’s residence in Houlton and his garage in Littleton. Agents seized almost 2,000 grams of methamphetamine from the residence.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this case, with the assistance of the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office, the Houlton Police Department and the Maine State Police.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Hobart Man Sentenced to 57 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Bruce Leipart, 39 years old, of Hobart, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge James T. Moody on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Leipart was sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in October 2018, law enforcement recovered six firearms and multiple extended magazines from Leipart’s residence. Leipart’s criminal history revealed he had a prior felony conviction for a controlled substance offense, and as such, was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the Porter County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Hillsborough County Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kelbin Tejeda (32, Tampa) pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Tejeda faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Tejeda owned and managed a construction company which he registered with the State of Florida in November 2018. This company purported to supply construction services and labor to work for construction site contractors and contractors. In order to comply with Florida law, Tejeda’s company was required to secure and maintain adequate worker’s compensation insurance coverage. Providers of worker’s compensation insurance based their premiums and the amount of coverage they provided on the number of employees a company had and the total annual payroll of those employees. Tejeda’s company had agreements with contractors and subcontractors to use workers purported to be Tejeda’s employees at construction sites and these workers were often undocumented aliens who were actually working for and under the daily supervision and direction of the contractors. Tejeda or others would then regularly receive “payroll checks” from contractors that were cashed at various financial institutions to pay Tejeda’s purported “employees” and other related expenses.
During the time period charged in the criminal information, Tejeda falsely and fraudulently represented in insurance applications that his company had a very limited payroll and a very limited number of employees who worked on construction jobsites. Tejeda also falsely and fraudulently sent wire communications to numerous contractors representing that his company’s employees had full worker’s compensation coverage. In reality, Tejeda’s company received and cashed more than $18 million in checks from various construction contractors for these purported “employees.” This payroll figure far exceeded the very limited payroll figures that Tejeda had reported to his worker’s compensation insurance company. As a result, these employees of Tejeda’s company, who in reality were the employees of other entities, performed work on jobsites without adequate insurance coverage. In addition, the insurers lost premiums they would have charged had they been aware of the true number of workers their policies were thus being manipulated to cover.
As a result of these misrepresentations, Tejeda’s company also disclaimed responsibility for ensuring that jobsite workers were legally authorized to work in the United States and that required state and federal payroll taxes were being paid for these workers. The contractors who actually paid these workers’ wages and used their services were thus also able to avoid responsibility for those duties as well.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the State of Florida Department of Financial Services. It is part of an investigation by those agencies into the use of shell companies and “ghost” employees in the construction industry. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Hartsville Man Sentenced to Nearly 8 Years in Federal Prison on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Florence, South Carolina --- Shannon Alexis Woodham, 40, of Hartsville has been sentenced to nearly 8 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on August 5, 2020, an officer with the Hartsville Police Department initiated a traffic stop on a car driven by Woodham. Upon approaching the car, the officer noticed an open Coors Light container in the car’s cup holder. Another officer who arrived on scene to assist, removed the container and noticed several small clear bags containing suspected drugs as well as what appeared to be alcohol inside the container. Several officers on scene also noticed the odor of marijuana while standing beside the car. During a search of the car, officers located a firearm with an extended magazine loaded with rounds of 9mm ammunition. During a search of Woodham’s person, an officer located a single 9mm bullet. Woodham is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to his prior convictions for Possession of Cocaine 3rd Offense, Possession with Intent to Distribute Hydrocodone, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Woodham to 92 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Hartsville Police Department.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel prosecuted the case.
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Hartford Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RONALD DANIEL, 52, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 324 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for producing child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on at least two occasions in 2018, Daniel had sexual contact with a prepubescent female and took cellphone photos of his conduct. He also distributed some of these images, as well as other images and videos of child pornography, through the Kik mobile application under the username “letsgogetluv.”
Daniel has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on June 10, 2019. On February 24, 2021, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of production of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Connecticut State Police and the Vernon Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
U.S. Attorney Boyle thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Tolland for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
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.
Hardy County man admits to drug chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Angel Luis Martinez-Rodriguez, of Moorefield, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Martinez-Rodriguez, 37, pleaded guilty today to today on one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine-Aiding and Abetting.” Martinez-Rodriguez admitted to having cocaine in August 2021 in Hardy County.
Martinez-Rodriguez faces at up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen. D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Hammond Man Sentenced to 63 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Charles Devon Byron Cook, 32 years old, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge James T. Moody on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Cook was sentenced to 63 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on July 15, 2020, law enforcement was dispatched to a disturbance and upon arrival, observed Cook toss a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol into a vehicle. Law enforcement recovered a loaded extended firearm magazine from Cook’s pocket. Cook’s criminal history indicates that he had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including failing to register as a sex or violent offender, auto theft, carrying a handgun without a license, and felon in possession of a firearm. These convictions prohibited him for possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive/Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force with assistance of the East Chicago Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Padilla.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Gary Woman Ordered to Pay $192,659 in RestitutionRead the Press Release
HAMMOND-Elizabeth Harris, 40, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge James T. Moody on her plea of guilty to mail fraud, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Harris was sentenced to 36 months’ probation with 12 months’ home detention and ordered to pay $192,659 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to documents filed in the case, in March 2009, Elizabeth Harris became a Representative Payee for her father, who received benefits under the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, and later the Retirement Insurance Benefits Program. As a representative Payee, Harris was responsible for using the money for the benefit of her father and was required to report any change in circumstances to the SSA. Harris’ father died in September 2010, but she never reported his death to the SSA. She continued to fraudulently collect benefit to which her deceased father was not entitled, in the total sum of $192,659.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang and former Assistant United States Attorney Molly Kelley.
Fort Thompson Woman Indicted for Involuntary Manslaughter and Child AbuseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Involuntary Manslaughter and Child Abuse.
Amber Touche, age 29, was indicted on April 12, 2022. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on April 28, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 15 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund on each count. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on June 10, 2021, in Big Bend, South Dakota, Touche unlawfully killed a human being by asphyxiation. The Indictment further alleges that Touche abused, exposed, tortured, tormented, and cruelly punished a child under the age of seven.
The charges are merely accusations and Touche is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case.
Touche was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Former Insurance Agent Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Client of More Than a Million DollarsRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Koreasa M. Williams, 49, of Tucson, Arizona, pleaded guilty last week to defrauding an elderly annuity client of more than $1,300,000. Williams, formerly licensed in Arizona to sell life and health insurance, pleaded guilty to two counts of Wire Fraud, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 5, 2022, before United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps.
Williams admitted she engaged in two separate schemes to defraud her client. In the first scheme, Williams admitted to inducing her client to cash in several life insurance policies in order to invest the proceeds in annuities to be procured by Williams. Williams admitted that over a period of six months in 2019, she fraudulently convinced her client to give her $1,200,000. Instead of investing that money for her client, Williams used almost $900,000 to pay victims of a prior unrelated annuity fraud scheme in an attempt to avoid criminal charges. Williams subsequently pleaded guilty to wire fraud in that unrelated fraud scheme and was sentenced to 51 months in prison in December 2021. Williams used the remaining $300,000 to pay her attorney’s fees for the unrelated fraud scheme and to settle a civil suit brought by another client.
In the second scheme, Williams admitted to inducing her client to dissolve a charitable foundation and place more than $124,000 in an entity controlled by Williams. Williams was to hold the funds until a new entity could be established to receive the money that would then be used to care for her client’s disabled adult daughter. However, Williams never established the new entity and instead diverted more than $118,00 to her own use and benefit.
The FBI, Tucson Resident Agency, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wallace H. Kleindienst and Mary Sue Feldmeier, of the Financial Crimes and Public Corruption section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-03136-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-057_Williams# # #
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.Former Grass Seed Company Employee Charged in Scheme to Defraud SimplotRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—An Idaho man who formerly supervised order-fulfillment and warehousing operations for the Jacklin Seed Company, a Liberty Lake, Washington producer and marketer of grass seed and turfgrass, has been charged for his role in multiple schemes to defraud the J.R. Simplot Company and Jacklin, its former subsidiary.
Richard Dunham, 64, a resident of Hayden Lake, Idaho, has been charged by federal criminal information with two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to court documents, from 1997 until its sale in 2020, the J.R. Simplot Company, a major privately held supplier of agricultural products headquartered in Boise, Idaho, owned and operated Jacklin. During this time, much of Jacklin’s business operations, including a seed-blending and warehousing facility, were located in and around Albany, Oregon. Dunham, who supervised Jacklin’s Albany operations, had the authority to purchase grass seed from certain Oregon growers over others.
At some point between 2013 and 2015, Dunham, Jacklin general manager Christopher Claypool, 53, of Spokane, Washington, and others realized that growers’ preference for higher-yield grasses was creating substantial shortages of lower-yield varieties Jacklin had contracted to deliver to its customers. Dunham and Claypool recognized that these shortages would either cause Jacklin to fail to deliver on its existing contracts or require Jacklin to pay a premium to growers to acquire necessary inventory, substantially eroding company profits. The pair anticipated that either result would negatively affect their careers.
From January 2015 and continuing until at least the summer of 2019, Dunham and Claypool directed Jacklin employees, at the Albany facility and elsewhere, to fulfill customer orders with different varieties of grass seed than the customers had ordered, to conceal such substitutions from the customers, and to invoice the customers as though no substitutions had taken place. Together, they referred to this scheme as “getting creative.”
To conceal the unauthorized substitutions, Dunham and Claypool directed Jacklin employees to package the substitute seed varieties with false and misleading labels. They also directed employees to invoice the customers under the original terms of their contracts, notwithstanding the unauthorized substitutions. As a result of this scheme, Simplot refunded or credited more than $1.5 million to defrauded buyers.
During the same time, Dunham and Claypool also agreed to import mislabeled seeds from Moore Seeds, a Jacklin supplier based in Debolt, Alberta, Canada, to offset the shortage of one of Jacklin’s best-selling grass seed blends. In doing so, Dunham conspired with Raymond Walker, 60, a resident of Debolt and Moore’s managing director, to purchase a less expensive seed blend at above-market rates in exchange for Walker falsely labeling the seed as Jacklin’s premier blend and shipping it, under that false pretense, to Jacklin in Oregon.
In additional to the undisclosed seed substitutions, Dunham engaged in another scheme while employed with Jacklin. Beginning in April 2015, Dunham conspired with Gregory McCarthy, the owner of Ground Zero Seeds, a grass seed production and wholesale company based in Yamhill, Oregon that regularly did business with Jacklin. Dunham and McCarthy, who were longtime friends, agreed that Ground Zero would pay Dunham a per pound kickback for grass seed purchased by Jacklin. These kickbacks were built into the prices reflected on Ground Zero’s invoices to Jacklin and, between April 2015 and September 2019, caused Ground Zero is pay Dunham more than $191,789.
In facilitating their scheme, Dunham and McCarthy regularly corresponded by email, referring to Ground Zero’s kickbacks to Dunham as “shoes” or contributions to his “shoe fund.” To conceal their scheme, Dunham maintained an LLC through which he claimed to provide consulting and brokering services. Dunham negotiated kickbacks and fees from Ground Zero and other Jacklin suppliers through the LLC’s business checking account.
Dunham made his initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman. He was released pending further court proceedings.
On July 7, 2021, Claypool was sentenced to three years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wired fraud and money laundering.
On March 3, 2022, McCarthy was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was arraigned on March 15, 2022 in Portland and released pending a two-day jury trial scheduled to begin on July 26, 2022.
In September 2021, in a separate criminal case, ProSeeds Marketing, Inc., a Willamette Valley grass seed distributor, pleaded guilty after knowingly concealing a scheme to defraud Jacklin. On November 29, 2021, the company was sentenced to a year of probation, a $5,000 fine, and more than $78,000 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Florence Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Federal Prison on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Florence, South Carolina --- Dominic Rakim Ellison, 34, of Florence, has been sentenced to over 5 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on May 1, 2020, a deputy with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop on a car driven by Ellison. Upon approaching the car, the deputy noticed an odor of marijuana coming from the car and saw a plastic bag protruding from Ellison’s left pocket. The deputy searched the car and located a firearm loaded with 6 rounds of ammunition under the driver’s seat. Ellison is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to his prior convictions for Burglary Second Degree and Armed Robbery.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Ellison to 63 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Florence County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel prosecuted the case.
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Filipino Seaman Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Fatally Stabbing Fellow Crewmember on Los Angeles-Bound Container ShipRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Philippines national who fatally stabbed a fellow crewmember on a container ship en route from Shanghai to Los Angeles pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge.
Michael Dequito Monegro, 43, a resident of The Philippines, pleaded guilty to one count of committing an act of violence against a person onboard a ship that is likely to endanger the safe navigation of the ship.
United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer has scheduled a September 12 sentencing hearing, at which time Monegro will face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
According to his plea agreement, in September 2020, Monegro was working as a seaman aboard the MSC Ravenna, a 153,000-gross-ton Liberian-flagged container ship. On September 20, 2020, the Ravenna was approximately 80 nautical miles from Southern California, nearing the end of its two-week voyage from Shanghai to the Port of Los Angeles.
That morning, several crewmembers were in a dressing room on the ship’s upper deck, preparing for their shift and waiting for their direct supervisor to provide their work assignments for the day. Shortly after Monegro saw his direct supervisor in the hallway outside the locker room, Monegro began stabbing him with a knife while they were both in the hallway in full view of several crewmembers.
The victim grappled with Monegro and the two fell to the floor. Monegro then got on top of the victim and continued stabbing him. Monegro then removed a second knife from the victim’s coveralls and stabbed him with both knives.
Crewmembers attempted to intervene to stop Monegro, including throwing a trash can at him, but their actions were unsuccessful. Monegro admitted that he only stopped stabbing the victim when he became too tired to continue.
The ship’s captain, chief mate and chief engineer all arrived on scene during the incident, and the captain convinced Monegro to get off the victim, who died on the ship from multiple stab wounds.
Monegro was convinced by the captain to walk to a conference room. After continued discussions, Monegro placed the knives on the conference room table and was escorted to his cabin.
After the incident, Monegro was confined to a cabin and crewmembers were assigned to guard the door, so they were unable to perform their normal duties on the ship. Other crewmembers were traumatized by witnessing Monegro stab and kill the victim.
Federal agents arrested Monegro after the ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles on September 27, 2020. He has been in federal custody since his arrest.
The FBI and the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Chemerinsky of the Violent and Organized Crime Section; Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Williams, Chief of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section; and Assistant United States Attorney Matthew W. O’Brien, also of the Environmental and Community Safety Crimes Section, are prosecuting this case.
Fairfax Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Charges of Interfering and Assaulting Flight AttendantRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Last week, Kameron C. Stone, 30, of Fairfax, Virginia, was sentenced to one year in federal prison for interfering with flight crew and assault by striking and wounding in special aircraft jurisdiction after pleading guilty on February 8, 2022. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“The safety and security of the traveling public and the professionals who provide this service are paramount,” stated U.S. Attorney Coody. “Given the swift actions of the flight attendant, passengers and a Deputy United States Marshal, an incredibly dangerous situation was averted. Perilous acts such as this will be investigated by our law enforcement partners and vigorously prosecuted by this office.”
On April 16, 2021, Stone boarded a flight departing from Dulles International Airport in Virginia bound for Pensacola International Airport. During the flight, passengers noticed Stone was behaving obnoxiously and smelled strongly of alcohol. A flight attendant warned Stone on several occasions about his behavior, which included pretending to shoot at passengers, refusing to remain seated or wear a seatbelt, and reaching for the cockpit door. As the flight began its final descent, Stone approached the front of the aircraft and tried to open the cabin and cockpit doors. A flight attendant attempted to prevent Stone from opening the doors and, as a result, Stone pushed her, grabbed her shoulders, and shoved her into the galley wall, injuring her in the process. During the altercation, Stone successfully breached the main cabin door to the external portion of the plane, triggering the alarm and causing the pilots to declare an emergency with the Federal Aviation Administration. The flight attendant prevented Stone from fully opening the door while three passengers, to include an off-duty Deputy United States Marshal, subdued Stone until landing.
FDLE Pensacola Regional Operations Center Special Agent in Charge Chris Williams said, “It is paramount that aviation employees and passengers can trust that the planes flying across our skies are safe and secure.” “I am proud of the work of our members and our federal partners in ensuring that Stone is held to account for his actions. I hope this case and prison sentence will serve as a warning to anyone who would threaten the safety of those who work or travel in our skies.”
Stone’s prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. The court ordered Stone to pay all civil penalties assessed by the Transportation Security Administration, as well as a fine of $7,500.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pensacola Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer H. Callahan prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Detroit Man Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man was sentenced today to six years and three months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Augustus Darryl Jones, Jr., 30, arranged to distribute methamphetamine to a confidential informant on November 10, 2021, in Huntington. The West Virginia State Police pulled Jones over while he was driving to make the drug transaction and seized 460 grams of methamphetamine from his vehicle. Jones admitted he possessed and intended to distribute the methamphetamine to the informant.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia State Police and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-242.
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Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Detroit man pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Bobby James Mitchell, 41, admitted that a Hurricane Police officer found 499 pills containing approximately 54 grams of fentanyl in Mitchell’s vehicle during a December 11, 2021, traffic stop on Interstate 64 in Hurricane. Mitchell admitted he intended to sell the fentanyl.
Mitchell is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Hurricane Police Department for conducting the investigation.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Cremeans is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-71.
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Department of Justice Recognizes Environmental Crime Victim Assistance Team with Federal Service AwardRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown joins the Office for Victims of Crime, a component of the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), in recognizing Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell and his fellow team members for receiving the Federal Service Award last week in Washington, D.C. Mr. Campbell serves as the Criminal Chief for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Louisiana.
The Office for Victims of Crime presented the Federal Service Award to the Environmental Crime Victim Assistance Team, a collaboration of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics and Training and the Justice Department’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division. This award recognizes the extraordinary efforts of federal agency personnel who lead initiatives and make contributions that impact victims of federal, tribal and military crimes, or promote victims’ rights and services nationally and internationally.
“Acts that degrade the environment exact a heavy toll on our planet, but we often forget that individual victims pay a high price as well, and are often left to suffer in silence,” said Amy L. Solomon, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of OJP. “Those who commit these crimes do enormous damage that often goes undetected until injury and illness reach the point of personal crisis. The vigilance and resourcefulness of this dedicated team of professionals are worthy of our highest esteem and our deepest gratitude.”
Created in 2017, the Environmental Crime Victim Assistance Team identifies and supports victims of environmental injustices. Injuries from environmental crimes, such as widespread pollution and exposure to carcinogens, may not manifest for years after the crime, and even then, it is difficult to distinguish between external causes and underlying medical conditions. Until the creation of the program, there were no national protocols or dedicated federal resources to ensure that victims of environmental crimes were identified, notified and treated consistently nationwide.
The program created a decision tree to identify victims, a victim impact statement template tailored to environmental crimes, an investigation and prosecution checklist to ensure victims are considered and model charging language and jury instructions for certain victim and witness retaliation offenses. The team is also improving outreach to victims in overburdened communities and ensuring that investigations are structured to pursue remedies that guarantee adequate protection for those communities. Program accomplishments include establishing a national victim-witness coordinator position at EPA, hiring a victim-witness coordinator for ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, launching public webpages for outreach to victims of environmental crimes and developing national training.
"This outstanding team of advocates and attorneys exemplifies compassion in the pursuit of often elusive justice, giving hope to those whose communities have borne the burden of careless and criminal environmental practices,” said Kristina Rose, Director of the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). “We owe these professionals an enormous debt of gratitude.”
Every April, OVC leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. President Ronald W. Reagan proclaimed the first Victims’ Rights Week in 1981, calling for greater sensitivity to the rights and needs of victims. This year’s observance took place last week, April 24-30, and featured the theme, “Rights, Access, Equity, for All Victims.”
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Darlington Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Federal Prison on Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
Florence, South Carolina --- Cory Dewayne McNeal, 39, of Darlington, has been sentenced to over 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute those substances.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on April 17, 2020, a deputy with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office approached a car in the parking lot of a hotel in Florence, South Carolina. Cory McNeal was sitting in the driver’s seat. Upon approaching the car, the deputy noticed an odor of marijuana and saw marijuana remnants on McNeal’s pants. The deputy also saw a clear plastic bag that appeared to contain marijuana near the center console. Deputies searched the car and located a firearm, a digital scale, 0.44 gram of cocaine, 3.36 grams of crack cocaine, 4.44 grams of marijuana, 10 grams of fentanyl, 21.61 grams of heroin, 97 tablets containing 23.25 grams of methamphetamine, and an additional 5.04 grams of methamphetamine.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced McNeal to 151 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Florence County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel prosecuted the case.
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Department of Justice Recognizes South Dakota Court-Appointed Special Advocate with Volunteer for Victims AwardRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON ― The Office for Victims of Crime, a component of the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs, presented the Volunteer for Victims Award to Linda Stambaugh, a Court-Appointed Special Advocate from Newell, South Dakota. The award honors individuals for their extraordinary and selfless efforts resulting in positive and lasting changes in the lives of crime victims.
“Ms. Stambaugh devoted countless hours to securing the safety and well-being of four young children, making the equivalent of a round-trip cross-country drive while their case was open to bring them to school, counseling, court proceedings and supervised visits with their parents,” said Amy L. Solomon, Principal Deputy Attorney General of OJP. “She demonstrated great compassion and incredible perseverance in her heroic work on behalf of these neglected siblings. It is a privilege to honor her volunteer service that went above and beyond.”
Ms. Stambaugh, a Court-Appointed Special Advocate for the Fourth Circuit Court of South Dakota, had only been working for nine days as a volunteer advocate when she received her first child abuse and neglect case. Four siblings between two and six years old had been found wandering the streets unsupervised on several occasions. They were placed in foster care while their parents tried to regain custody.
Ms. Stambaugh made 470 contacts on behalf of the children during the one-and-a-half years the case was open. She facilitated many visits, even transporting the children to sibling visits in two separate foster homes in two different communities so they could spend time together. She also drove the children to supervised visits with their parents, counseling sessions and school, logging more than 7,000 miles. She continued to work with the children and their parents to try to secure a successful reunification at the time of trial. When Stambaugh saw that the children were not thriving in the care of their parents, she effectively communicated this to the court, which ultimately found them a caring family, who adopted them together.
“Ms. Stambaugh was the one constant in these children’s lives during a period of tremendous change, loss, uncertainty and confusion,” said Kristina Rose, Director of OVC. “Her steadfast dedication and support helped stop the cycle of child abuse and neglect for these four children and put them in an environment where they can begin to safely heal and grow.”
Every April, OVC leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. President Ronald W. Reagan proclaimed the first Victims’ Rights Week in 1981, calling for greater sensitivity to the rights and needs of victims. This year’s observance is taking place April 24-30, and features the theme, “Rights, Access, Equity, for All Victims.”
Co-Conspirators Sentenced for Stealing over $1.8 Million in Fake Billing SchemeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Three defendants were sentenced today for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States in connection with a fraudulent invoicing scheme that targeted Baker Roofing Company (BRC). Defendants were ordered to pay restitution of $1,850,442 to the company and received the following sentences:
- George William Garven, of Clemson, South Carolina, was sentenced to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
- Robert Andrew Helms, of Indian Trail, North Carolina, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and three years of supervised release.
- William Russell Davis, of Waxhaw, North Carolina, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and three years of supervised release.
“These defendants, all of whom are well-educated, successful businessmen, used their positions of privilege to enrich themselves at the victim’s expense,” commented United States Attorney Michael Easley. “Like many white collar offenders, their choices were not born of desperation, but of greed. They thought they were above the law—but today the law caught up with them. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to ensure that those who cheat Eastern North Carolina businesses face consequences in federal court.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, the victim, BRC, hired Garven in 2011 to serve as the Vice President and General Manager of its Charlotte branch office. In 2014, Helms and Davis partnered together to provide roofing subcontracting services to BRC through Davis’s business, R&K Davis Holdings (R&K). Between 2015 and 2020, R&K was used as a vehicle to fraudulently bill BRC for subcontracting work that was never performed. Among other things, Garven obligated BRC to pay R&K by generating fake invoices and subcontracts in R&K’s name. The criminal proceeds, were funneled into business bank accounts controlled by Helms and Davis and then disbursed to Garven in various forms, including gift cards and checks. The checks included fraudulent memo lines to make it appear they were related to legitimate business. Garven also directed Helms and Davis to use the embezzled funds to pay contractors to perform work on Garven’s residential properties. In furtherance of the scheme, Garven paid Helms and Davis each approximately $140,000 in cash.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Charlotte Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-CR-393-D.
California Man Charged in 16-Year Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A California man has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to embezzling over $1.2 million from his employer over a 16-year period.
Darrell Pike, 56, of Hesperia, Calif., was charged and has agreed to plead guilty to one count of mail fraud. Pike will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date for a plea hearing that has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging document, Pike was the general manager of an Ontario, Calif. subsidiary of a supply and service company based in Wilmington, Mass. From in or about 2005 to 2021, Pike allegedly prepared and submitted fraudulent invoices to his employer on behalf of a fake temporary staffing company, Consumer Information Systems (CIS), for staffing services CIS purportedly provided at his employer’s Ontario location. It is further alleged that Pike added approving initials of company personnel to the invoices without their knowledge or consent. Through the fraudulent invoices, Pike allegedly caused the company to pay approximately $1,271,206 to CIS, which he deposited into a bank account he controlled.
The charge of mail fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss. 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 and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Rollins’ Securities & Financial Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
California Couple Sentenced for Conspiring to Subject Mother and Her Two Daughters to Forced LaborRead the Press Release
Nery A. Martinez Vasquez, 54, and Maura N. Martinez, 54, both of Shasta Lake, California, were both sentenced today for conspiring to subject three victims to forced labor, a crime to which the defendants had previously pleaded guilty. Vasquez was sentenced to six and a half years in prison and Martinez was sentenced to three years in prison. Both defendants were also sentenced to three years of supervised release and a fine of $25,000. The couple was also required to pay $300,000 in restitution to seven total victims. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California made the announcement.
According to court documents, from September 2016 to February 2018, the defendants — who owned and operated a restaurant and janitorial service — used various coercive means to force their victims into working long hours of physically demanding work, seven days a week, for minimal to no pay. In August 2016, the defendants convinced the victims, a Guatemalan relative and her two minor daughters, ages 15 and 8, to come to the United States by falsely promising the victims a better life and arranging for them to enter the United States and overstay their temporary visitor visas. The defendants then conspired with each other to impose an inflated debt on the victims that they required the victims to pay back through working for them. When the adult victim complained and expressed an interest in leaving, the defendants threatened to have the victims arrested for overstaying their visas unless they continued working the same long hours, seven days a week, for little pay. Similarly, the defendants kept the two minor victims working at their businesses instead of attending school by telling the victims that immigration authorities would find and arrest them if the minor victims attempted to go to school. The defendants housed the victims in a dilapidated, unheated trailer with no running water, and degraded and humiliated them in front of others. Finally, the defendants used force and threats of force to intimidate the victims. For instance, Nery Martinez Vasquez beat the children with a stick that had the children’s name and nickname written on it along with the phrase “what goes up, must come down.”
“These defendants used the promise of a better life to lure a mother and her children to travel to the United States, only to betray their familial relationship and exploit the victims’ precarious situation to cruelly oppress and degrade them, and to turn a profit off their backs,” said Assistant Attorney General Clarke. “Forced labor has no place in our civilized society. This sentencing makes clear our commitment to holding perpetrators accountable and our dedication to eradicating human trafficking.”
“These defendants exploited vulnerable victims, forcing them to work in their businesses, failing to pay wages, and depriving them of basic human rights,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “Now they have been sentenced to years in prison and have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution to their victims. The U.S. Attorney’s Office continues its commitment to protect and defend vulnerable members of our society from human trafficking, and we appreciate the partnerships we have with the Civil Rights Division and the FBI that led to the result in this case.”
“We hope today’s sentencing will offer the victims confidence as they continue to reclaim their lives,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan for the FBI Sacramento Field Division. “Forced labor, a form of human trafficking, is of significant concern for the FBI, but is difficult to identify and investigate without cooperation of fearful victims who believe escape is not an option because of the lies they have been told by their exploiters. This case highlights how such crimes may occur in public view at a legitimate business yet go unnoticed. The FBI is deeply commitment to seeking justice for all victims of human trafficking — regardless of immigration status or background — to ensure victims receive the care and support they need to break free from their exploiters.”
This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine T. Lydon and Audrey Hemesath for the Eastern District of California, and Trial Attorney Avner Shapiro of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
California Convict Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Detention OfficersRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A convicted felon detained at the Nevada Southern Detention Center (NSDC) was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison for assaulting two officers before a riot at the facility.
Mekivil Julius Franklin, 51, of California, pleaded guilty on December 21, 2021 to two counts of assault of a federal officer. In addition to imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon sentenced Franklin to three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on May 31, 2020, detention officers at the NSDC responded to a physical altercation between two detainees in a cell block. After officers broke up the fight, a group of detainees surrounded them. Franklin first sucker punched an officer in the face and knocked him unconscious, and then he punched another officer in the face and body.
After the assaults committed by Franklin, detention officers vacated the cell block. Detainees proceeded to initiate a prison riot. Franklin was an active participant in the riot, and he was ultimately among the last group of detainees to surrender. At the time, Franklin was housed at NSDC temporarily while in transit to his final Federal Bureau of Prisons facility, having been convicted and sentenced to 41 months imprisonment for Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition in the Northern District of California.
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 Jim Fang prosecuted the case.
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Brockton Man Sentenced on Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for unlawfully possessing two trafficked handguns.
Tyrell Hampton, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to six months in prison and two years of supervised release. In February 2020, Hampton pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms.
In June 2019, investigators learned that Hampton was offering guns for sale on social media. An undercover officer posing as an interested buyer contacted Hampton on Facebook and arranged to buy two handguns. When negotiating the transaction, Hampton told the undercover officer that they should move fast because “they [the firearms offered for sale] go quick but I can always get more.” On June 27, 2019, Hampton sold a Taurus G2c 9mm Luger caliber pistol and a Glock 9mm Luger caliber pistol and 21 rounds of 9mm ammunition to the undercover officer for $2,200. Following Hampton’s arrest, investigators traced the two handguns to a trafficker who was sourcing cheap guns in Georgia and selling them in Massachusetts. The investigation revealed that Hampton met with the gun trafficker on approximately eight occasions and purchased approximately 14 firearms. Due to multiple previous felony offenses, including drug convictions and a prior firearms conviction, Hampton is prohibited from possessing guns and ammunition.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, New England Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Brockton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Abely, Chief of Rollins’ Criminal Division, and Fred M. Wyshak III of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
Bristol Woman Admits Straw Purchasing Several FirearmsRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that, on April 29, 2022, LEAH BOUCHER, 30, of Bristol, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector to one count of making a false statement to a firearms dealer.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 9, 2021, law enforcement conducted a court-authorized search of Tyrone Brown’s residence on Stevens Street in New Haven and seized a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Brown, who was a convicted felon and was prohibited by federal law from purchasing or possessing a firearm or ammunition, was arrested at that time. The investigation revealed that the firearm was registered to a family member of Boucher, and that Boucher had purchased 10 other firearms at four different gun stores in Connecticut between March and July 2021. When investigators interviewed Boucher on August 26, 2021, Boucher admitted that she had purchased firearms for other individuals, and that she was no longer in possession of any of the 10 firearms that were registered to her.
Boucher was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on October 15, 2021.
At sentencing, which is scheduled for July 25, before U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arteron in New Haven, Boucher faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Boucher has been detained since February 23, 2022, when her bond was revoked.
On April 25, 2022, Brown pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. He is detained while awaiting sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Boston Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Prison in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for trafficking fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.
Adriano Cortez, a/k/a, “A,” 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 121 months in prison and four years of supervised release. On Oct. 29, 2021, Cortez was convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and cocaine.
In March 2015, Cortez was observed conducting a street-level drug deal in Weymouth. Law enforcement subsequently attempted to pull over Cortez’s vehicle, but he refused to stop his and instead, fled on foot, leaving the car at an intersection while still in the drive position, causing it to crash. Cortez was ultimately apprehended at which time he was found carrying numerous drugs including over 47 grams of cocaine, approximately 70 grams of heroin and approximately 73 grams of a fentanyl and heroin mixture. Cortez was arrested on state charges and placed on court-ordered location monitoring and later home detention in connection with this conduct.
Between September and November 2017, while still on court-ordered location monitoring and home detention, Cortez orchestrated approximately 10 drug deals with undercover officers. During this conspiracy, Cortez managed all aspects of the drug operation from his Dorchester residence. He informed undercover officers of the meeting location and payment amount for each drug sale and used couriers to deliver cocaine or fentanyl, or both, to the undercover officers. The couriers returned the cash proceeds to Cortez at his home after the deals.
On or about Nov. 21, 2017, Cortez cut off his court-ordered GPS monitor and fled Massachusetts. He was ultimately apprehended by law enforcement in Colorado.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; and Weymouth Police Chief Richard Fuller made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah B. Hoefle and John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Boston Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Robbery of North End MarketRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for the armed robbery of a grocery store in Boston’s North End.
Dante Mirabella, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 92 months in prison and four years of supervised release. On Nov. 2, 2021, Mirabella pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with commerce by robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Mirabella is prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition due to prior felony convictions.
Mirabella robbed Bob’s Grocery Store on May 30, 2019, while brandishing a Hi-Point .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol. Prior to the robbery of the market, Mirabella committed two armed robberies of a parking lot attendant and a restaurant employee.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Bixby Man Charged with Unlawfully Manufacturing an Explosive DeviceRead the Press Release
A man who allegedly built an explosive device that was found in a backpack during a traffic stop was charged in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Joe Allen Forest, 24, was charged by Criminal Complaint with unlawful manufacture of a destructive device.
On April 28, 2022, a Bixby police officer attempted to stop a speeding driver, who then led the officer on a chase. The driver eventually stopped and was taken into custody.
According to the Complaint, a vehicle inventory was conducted, and the officer observed a backpack on the floorboard with a canister that appeared to be an explosive device. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were contacted and arrived on scene. They determined the device to be an expended military smoke grenade which had been manipulated and refilled with explosive powders and disassembled fireworks. The device further had a pyrotechnic fuse along its side then entering the device at the bottom. They also located an intact small triangular explosive device inside the backpack. The triangular devices are often illegally imported into the United States and contain 3 grams of flash powder. All devices were rendered safe.
The driver told investigators that the backpack and devices belonged to Joe Allen Forest and that he had dropped him off earlier. Forest was eventually located and taken into custody. According to the Complaint, agents found four small triangular devices in Forest’s pocket, which were the same as the triangular device found earlier in the backpack. Forest also allegedly told agents that he built the larger device found in the backpack at his home in Bixby nearly a month ago and was planning to blow it up at a creek.
*This matter will proceed in United States District Court in Tulsa, where the Complaint is currently pending. A Complaint is a temporary charge alleging a violation of law. For the case to proceed to trial, the United States must present the charge to a federal Grand Jury within 30 days. Once a Grand Jury returns an Indictment, a defendant has a right to a jury trial at which the United States would have the burden of proving the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Bixby Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case. AUSA Raley is the National Security Anti-Terrorism (ATAC) Prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Barbour County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Calvin Crockett Mullins, of Philippi, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 48 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Mullins, 29, pleaded guilty in December 2021 to one count of “Unlawful Distribution of a Firearm.” Mullins admitted to selling a 16-gauge shotgun to a person prohibited from having firearms. The crime took place in February 2020 in Barbour County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Bakersfield Resident Sentenced to over 5 Years in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Jesus B. Cordero, 26, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to five years and 10 months in prison for possession of ammunition after sustaining a domestic violence conviction, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, at approximately midnight on Sept. 5, 2020, law enforcement officers stopped Cordero for traffic infractions while he was driving in Bakersfield. Cordero did not have a driver’s license and gave a false name to the responding police officers. During a search of Cordero’s vehicle, officers located a baggie containing what was later determined to be approximately 45.5 grams of methamphetamine, which Cordero possessed intending to distribute it to others. Officers also discovered in Cordero’s vehicle an unmarked Polymer P80 9 mm handgun (which is known as a “ghost gun”) loaded with a high-capacity magazine and 23 rounds of 9 mm ammunition. In addition to Cordero’s 11 prior criminal convictions, he previously was convicted of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Baker prosecuted the case.
This case was part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Bakersfield Resident Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — David Delgado Gonzalez, 38, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between September 2020 and March 2021, Gonzalez (also known as “Spider”) conspired with, among others, co-defendant Omar Alberto Navarro to acquire methamphetamine in Mexico, transport it to the Eastern District of California, unload the narcotics from “load cars,” store the narcotics, and sell and distribute the narcotics to others. For instance, on Oct. 29, 2020, at the behest of Navarro, Gonzalez transported approximately 6 pounds of methamphetamine to a meeting in Bakersfield and sold the methamphetamine to Scott Gordon James, who is charged in a related case, for $6,200.
On March 26, 2021, in a storage unit in Bakersfield Gonzalez possessed with the intent to distribute to others approximately 4 pounds of methamphetamine. As part of his plea agreement, Gonzalez agreed to forfeit three unserialized 9 mm handguns seized during law enforcement’s search of his Bakersfield residence on March 26, 2021.
On April 8, 2021, Gonzalez and eight other defendants were charged in three related indictments for trafficking and purchasing to sell methamphetamine from a conspiracy orchestrated by Navarro, 38, of Arvin. The other charged defendants are: Daniel Armendariz Mercado, 42, Miguel Angel Martinez, 27, Amayrani Jared Arreguin, 25, and Yvette Gallegos, 23, all of Bakersfield; Lizette Mendez, 32, of Delano; and James Scott Gordon, 47 of Chico. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Co-defendant Randal Jason Newell was sentenced on March 29, 2022, to three years and three months in prison for attempting to smuggle approximately 111 pounds of methamphetamine from Mexico to Bakersfield.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bakersfield Police Department, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the Shafter Police Department, the Kern County Probation Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Motor Vehicles, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher D. Baker and Laura J. Berger are prosecuting the case.
Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on July 5, 2022. Gonzalez faces a maximum term of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Augusta man sentenced to prison after admitting to possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Richmond County man has been sentenced to federal prison after admitting to possession of child pornography.
Robert Paul Synenberg, 23, of Augusta, was sentenced to 42 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Synenberg to pay a $1,000 fine, to register as a sex offender, and to serve 20 years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Viewing images of child sexual exploitation inflicts perpetual harm on young victims,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our office and our law enforcement partners will be relentless in shutting down online predators.”
The FBI located and arrested Synenberg in December 2020 while investigating a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and found images of child sexual exploitation on electronic devices in his possession.
“Our message to predators who prey on children is that you cannot hide behind the anonymity of the internet,” said Philip Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will make it a top priority to continue investigating these difficult cases to make an impact in our communities to thwart predatory behavior.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
Friday 29 April 2022
“Eye in the sky” results in conviction for human smugglerRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A federal jury has convicted a 36-year-old Mexican citizen illegally residing in Port Isabel for conspiracy and transporting aliens within the country, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The jury deliberated for approximately 90 minutes before convicting Maynor Bernardo Guerrero-Ramirez following a three-day trial which included six witnesses.
On July 21, 2021, law enforcement pursued a white Ford Explorer from Mission to Pharr with a group of illegal aliens that had recently crossed the Rio Grande River. Guerrero-Ramirez was the driver.
At trial, the jury heard from what was described as an “eye in the sky.” A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) aviation enforcement agent had maintained video surveillance of the vehicle as it weaved across the highway, onto frontage roads and through the neighborhoods of Pharr. Guerrero-Ramirez was driving erratically and recklessly at a high rate of speed for nearly 15 minutes before the vehicle came to a dead-end road. At that time, the occupants fled into the nearby brush.
Testimony also revealed how authorities were able to locate and apprehend Guerrero-Ramirez with the assistance of the CBP air and marine helicopter from the thick brush. The jury also saw footage of Guerrero-Ramirez as he threw his cellphone into a nearby irrigation canal when he emerged from the brush.
Two of the undocumented aliens also testified. They described how their group crossed the Rio Grande River with the assistance of a foot guide who led them on a long walk through thick brush and mud to a roadway. There, they awaited a vehicle to transport them further into the United States.
Guerrero-Ramirez told them to duck down and hide so they could not be seen and to run when they reached the dead-end road.
The defense attempted to convince the jury Guerrero-Ramirez was under duress and only drove the vehicle out of necessity. He claimed he was not part of the smuggling conspiracy. The jury was not convinced and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa presided over the trial and set sentencing for July 6. At that time, Guerrero-Ramirez faces up to 10 years in prison as well as a possible $10 million fine..
Guerrero-Ramirez has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Border Patrol and CBP Air & Marine Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee Fry and Eric D. Flores prosecuted the case.
“Chicken Joe” Sentenced to 16 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Run an Animal Fighting OperationRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Joseph D. Sanford, 74, of Ceres, aka “Chicken Joe,” was sentenced today to 16 months in prison and a fined $25,000 for conspiring to sell, buy, possess, train, transport, deliver and receive game fowl intended to be used in animal fighting ventures, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Sanford was the owner and operator of Joe Sanford Gamefarm in Ceres, where he bred and sold gamecocks for cockfighting. Cockfighting is illegal under federal law and in all 50 states. Sanford also fought his own roosters. Following an undercover purchase of a trio of fighting game birds, federal agents searched Joe Sanford Gamefarm, where Sanford resides, and found a large cockfighting enterprise consisting of 2,956 game fowl. Sanford shipped game fowl for cockfighting within the United States and to Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General (USDA-OIG), with assistance from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office. Assistance was also provided by the Humane Society of the United States, the Placer County Animal Services, and the El Dorado County Animal Services. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Marshals Service also provided assistance in the disposal of the fighting roosters and placement of the hens in an animal sanctuary. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar prosecuted the case.
Zuni man faces charges of aggravated sexual abuse of a childRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Phillip Lahi, Sr., 70, and an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, made an initial appearance in federal court today facing charges of aggravated sexual abuse of a child in Indian Country. Lahi will remain in custody/on conditions of release pending a detention hearing scheduled for May 3.
According to a criminal complaint, Lahi allegedly engaged in and attempted to engage in sexual conduct with the victim, identified as Jane Doe, since she was five or six years old. Lahi’s alleged conduct included exposing himself to the child, who is an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, and performing sexual acts in front of her. In October of 2021, when Jane Doe was nine years old, Lahi allegedly forcibly engaged in sex with her. Lahi allegedly committed the offenses on the Pueblo of Zuni.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Lahi faces a minimum of 30 years and up to life in prison.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case.
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Wethersfield Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that FABIO VARGAS-GONZALEZ, 46, of Wethersfield, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to a fentanyl trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the DEA’s Hartford Task Force developed information that Vargas-Gonzalez was involved in narcotics trafficking activities in the Hartford area. On March 11, 2020, investigators conducted surveillance of Vargas-Gonzalez as he drove a minivan from Connecticut to New Jersey and then back to Connecticut. In Danbury, investigators stopped Vargas-Gonzalez’s minivan for a motor vehicle violation and, after Vargas-Gonzalez consented to a search, found approximately two kilograms of fentanyl hidden in the minivan’s spare tire compartment.
Vargas-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer on July 29.
Vargas-Gonzalez is released on a $175,000 bond pending sentencing.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
Virginia Man Pleads Guilty as Accessory After Fact to Attempted Revenge Killing in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – John Nelson McQuillen, 65, of Norfolk, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to helping his longtime partner to flee and avoid apprehension after she attempted to kill a woman in Northeast Washington. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
McQuillen pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to accessory after the fact to assault with intent to kill. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe scheduled sentencing for June 24, 2022.
According to the government’s evidence, McQuillen and his longtime partner, Tommie Lynn Dunmire, shared an adult son who was murdered in Cleveland, Ohio in March 2021. Over the ensuing months, McQuillen and Dunmire became frustrated with the investigation of their son’s death, and Dunmire began to conduct her own investigation. Dunmire’s mental state significantly deteriorated over this time.
On Nov. 5, 2021, McQuillen and Dunmire traveled by car from Norfolk to the victim’s home in Northeast Washington. Dunmire had mistakenly identified the victim as responsible for their son’s murder, and McQuillen knew that Dunmire intended to harm this person. In fact, the victim, a 30-year-old woman, was not involved in any way in the homicide.
Surveillance video shows Dunmire, wearing a brown vest and brown baseball cap and carrying a cardboard box, knocking on the front door of the victim’s home at approximately 9:25 p.m. Dunmire announced herself as a “UPS” delivery person, stating that she had a package for the victim. When the victim opened the door, Dunmire fired two shots from a silver revolver that she was holding inside of an opening cut in the back of the carboard box. The two shots struck the victim in the abdomen. McQuillen then drove himself and Dunmire out of the area and changed the license plates on their vehicle. MPD officers stopped the vehicle soon thereafter in the 1400 block of Florida Avenue NE.
During the stop, Dunmire shot herself, using the revolver that she had used to shoot the victim. She later died. The victim was transported to a hospital and survived the injuries.
McQuillen was arrested in Virginia on March 11, 2022, and transported to Washington, D.C. on April 5, 2022, where he remains detained pending sentencing.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee expressed appreciation for the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and for the valuable assistance provided by the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office. They also acknowledged the efforts of those working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles R. Jones, who is prosecuting the matter.
Virginia Man Found Guilty of Charges in Bias-Related Attack on Construction WorkersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kurt Madsen, 53, of Arlington, Virginia, has been found guilty by a jury on charges stemming from a hate crime in which he attacked two Hispanic construction workers with a construction tool that he used as a weapon in Northwest Washington.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Madsen was found guilty by a jury on April 26, 2022, of two bias-related assaults and possession of a prohibited weapon. The verdict followed a three-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Today, he was sentenced by the Honorable Robert D. Okun to a total of 540 days in jail. However, the judge suspended the jail term to the time already served by Madsen, on the condition that he successfully complete two years of probation. Madsen was detained for a total of 160 days before trial.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 13, 2019, at approximately 6 p.m., the victims, all of whom are Hispanic construction workers, were closing their construction site near Seventh Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW for the day. Madsen – who was not working at the site -- came to where the men were working and asked to use their power washer. After being denied permission to use the power washer, Madsen became enraged and began screaming racist and xenophobic epithets.
Madsen then picked up a scraper, a long, rod-like construction tool with a sharp metal blade at one end. He struck one of the victims in the back with the scraper, after which he attempted to stab the victim in the stomach with the blade of the scraper. At this point, the second victim tried to intervene, and Madsen struck that victim in the face several times, cutting the victim’s face and loosening two of his teeth. Two bystanders saw the attack and stopped to help. One bystander took the scraper from Madsen and remained on the scene until police arrived. The other bystander called 911. Madsen was arrested at the scene.
In announcing the verdict and sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the case at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Christina Bloodworth, Paralegal Specialist Kathryn Hoey, and other support personnel, including the Litigation Technology Unit.
Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Helfand and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bonnie Lindemann, who prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shalin Nohria and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Millicent Jones, who investigated the case.
Prosecuting bias-related crimes is critical to keeping our community safe. When one member of a group in the community is the victim of a bias-related crime, all members carry with them a fear that they, too, may be targeted because of who they are. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC) is committed to enforcing both federal and local hate and bias-related crime laws.
For more information:https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/hatebias-related-crimes