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Friday 29 April 2022
Guatemalan Man Charged with Illegally Using Social Security Number to Obtain EmploymentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on April 28, 2022 VICTORIANO CAMEY-ESPANA, age 38, a native of Guatemala, was charged today in a one-count bill of information with illegally using a social security number to qualify for employment, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).
VICTORIANO CAMEY-ESPANA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than five (5) years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney M. Irene González is in charge of the prosecution.
Greensburg Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Neiyondra Rogers, age 38, of Greensburg, Louisiana, to 33 months in federal prison following her conviction for theft of government funds. The Court further sentenced Rogers to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay restitution in the amount of $179,252.85 to the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program; $20,832 to the Small Business Administration (SBA); and $16,961 to the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, beginning in January 2016, Rogers participated in the Child and Adult Care Food Program as a provider. Under the program, she was required to provide children in her care with nutritious meals. To be reimbursed for her services, she would have to submit reimbursement claims to her sponsor, Feliciana Day Care Home Agency.
Although Rogers routinely submitted claims for reimbursement, claiming that she had provided meals to children in her care, in fact, she never watched any children while participating in the program, nor did she provide the meals reflected in her claims. Based on the fraudulent claims she submitted, the defendant was reimbursed at least $31,224.27 in federal funds from the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
In addition to submitting fraudulent reimbursement claims, Rogers discussed the program and work with Feliciana Day Care Home Agency with other providers. For these individuals, Rogers assisted the individuals in signing up for the program, and she submitted false reimbursement claims on their behalf or aided them in submitting false reimbursement claims, resulting in the sponsor, Feliciana Day Care Home Agency, issuing the individuals reimbursement checks. On numerous occasions, Rogers would collect the reimbursement checks issued to the individuals with whom she discussed the program and would endorse their checks to herself, sometimes without their knowledge or consent. In total, Rogers endorsed and cashed checks in the names of other providers for a total of $91,635.34. The money she stole belonged to the United States Department of Agriculture's Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Lastly, beginning in April 2020, Rogers submitted fraudulent claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (“PUA”) and Disaster Unemployment Assistance (“DUA”) to the Louisiana Workforce Commission (“LWC”). As a result of these fraudulent claims, she received at least $16,951.00 in unemployment benefits to which she was not entitled. In March 2021, Rogers also applied for and received a loan under the Small Business Administration’s (“SBA’s”) Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). In that application, Rogers falsely represented that she was the owner of a sole proprietorship engaged in the catering business when in fact, no such business existed. As a result, the defendant received an additional $20,832.00 in government funds to which she was not entitled.
U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. stated, “This defendant committed fraud in government programs intended for underprivileged children and those adversely affected by Covid-19. Prosecuting this type of fraud is a high priority of this office, and I want to thank our prosecutors and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in bringing this defendant to justice.”
"Neiyondra Rogers used funds designated for the USDA Summer Foods Service Program, which provides nutritional meals for children in low-income families, for her own personal expenses. Defrauding taxpayers and taking food out of the mouths of children who can’t provide for themselves is reprehensible,” said Douglas A. Williams, Jr., FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge. “I would like to thank our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office Middle District of Louisiana and Louisiana Office of Inspector General for their efforts in helping the FBI disrupt this type of fraud.”
Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street commented, “This is just the latest in a series of successful criminal cases where summer nutrition funds were stolen with no regard for the children they were intended to benefit. Neiyondra Rogers shamelessly broke the law out of pure personal greed, and today’s sentencing brings this sad episode to a just conclusion. We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to root out this corruption wherever it may be found.” Street added, “I want to thank United States Attorney Ron Gathe and his staff for their usual outstanding work, as well as our partners at the FBI.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana Office of Inspector General and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Craig.
Grand Isle Man Indicted for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – FLOYD ROBERTSON, age 26, of Grand Isle, Louisiana, was charged April 29, 2022, in a 4-count indictment by a federal grand jury with distribution of fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution of heroin and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 841(b)(1)(C), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
If convicted on the methamphetamine charges, ROBERTSON faces a mandatory minimum term of ten (10) years imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000.00, and at least five (5) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count.
If convicted on the heroin and fentanyl charges, ROBERTSON faces up to a maximum of twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, and at least three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the defendant’s guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Bücher.
Georgia woman admits to producing child pornography, bringing trial to an early closeRead the Press Release
STATESBORO. GA: A Liberty County woman’s federal trial on child exploitation charges ended early when she entered a guilty plea before the case went to the jury.
Sharon Elizabeth Keegan, 30, of Midway, Ga., faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, up to 30 years, after pleading guilty to Production of Child Pornography, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Her husband, John Paul Joseph Keegan, 31, of Midway, Ga., also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, up to 30 years, after previously pleading guilty to Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. The pleas also subject the defendants to statutory penalties including substantial fines and restitution, registration as sex offenders, and a period of supervised release after completion of their prison terms.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our law enforcement partners did outstanding work in building this investigation to hold these reprehensible predators accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our office will be relentless in pursuing those who would victimize our most vulnerable citizens.”
Sharon Keegan was in the third day of trial in U.S. District Court in Statesboro, Ga., when she agreed to change her plea on the charge to guilty as the defense had begun presenting their case. John-Paul Keegan pled guilty in May 2021.
Keegan and her husband were indicted in May 2020 after an investigation launched through a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to Homeland Security Investigations. Agents from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation searched the Midway mobile home where the Keegans resided, seizing electronic devices found to contain images and videos of child sexual exploitation that each of the two had produced and shared over the internet.
“Thankfully, this case has been resolved and the victims can begin the healing process knowing that these predators will no longer be able to prey upon them,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and its law enforcement partners prioritize the protection of our most vulnerable population, and this case is a great example of us holding those predators accountable for their actions”
“The GBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent victims of online exploitation,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vic Reynolds. “We are grateful for the partnerships we maintain with our local and federal agencies to bring these predators to justice.”
This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, and was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J Kirkland and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Tara M. Lyons, with assistance from Asset Recovery Unit Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Robichaux.
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/.
Former Morton, Illinois Man Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and Making a False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Tampa, Florida man, Steven Racich, 49, formerly of the 100 block of West Jefferson, in Morton, Illinois, was sentenced on April 27, 2022, to 68 months in prison for wire fraud, money laundering, and making and subscribing a false return. He also was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. And his sentence included paying $1,912,692.75 in restitution to Apria Healthcare and the Internal Revenue Service.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Racich was an employee of Apria Healthcare, a national business with a branch in Peoria, Illinois. Apria offers clinical services and sells at-home medical equipment, including CPAP machines. Racich worked at Apria from 2008 to 2017, and served as the branch manager. During an internal audit in December 2017, Apria officials discovered the Peoria office was incurring unexplained and excessive shipping costs. The investigation established that Racich was stealing CPAP machines from Apria and selling them to third parties for his own profit, using Apria’s accounts to ship the machines. It was discovered that Racich created a business and used an alias to communicate with customers, paying himself through a PayPal account under the alias name. The embezzlement occurred from as early as 2013 until Racich was terminated in December 2017. The fraud netted Racich over $1.4 million in profit. Racich used the unlawful funds to support his lifestyle, spending it on airfare, vehicle payments, and weekend trips. The Internal Revenue Service investigation also uncovered evidence that Racich failed to report the income on his taxes, leading to the false tax return charges.
Also at the hearing, U.S. District Judge James Shadid found that Racich was eligible for an enhanced sentence because his position as branch manager enabled him to abuse a position of private trust with Apria, which facilitated the commission and concealment of the offense.
Racich was indicted in July 2020 and pleaded guilty in November 2021. Racich has been on pretrial release since his indictment.
The statutory penalties for wire fraud are up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. The penalties for money laundering are up to 20 years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $500,000 fine or two times the property value involved. The penalties for making and subscribing a false return are up to three years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release.
“Every year, the people of the Central District of Illinois fulfill their civic obligation to fund our governmental system through paying taxes,” stated Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine G. Legge. “Unfortunately, a few shirk that duty or worse, attempt to profit at the expense of their fellow citizens. Such behavior is not only illegal but unjust. It is our responsibility to hold accountable those who embezzle from employers and attempt to cheat the system for personal gain.”
“Honest and law-abiding citizens are fed up with the likes of those who use deceit and fraud to line their pockets with ill-gotten money as well as skirt their tax obligations,” said Justin Campbell, IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Field Office. "Mr. Racich’s actions not only caused negative financial harm to his employer but also the honest taxpayer when he committed significant tax fraud violations, in not paying taxes on over $1.4 million.”
The Internal Revenue Service and Federal Bureau of Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine G. Legge represented the government in the prosecution.
Former Monroe County Man Sentenced to 210 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Distribution Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
SCRANTON —The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nathaniel Speaks, age 46, formerly of Tobyhanna, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on April 28, 2022, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to 210 months’ imprisonment for drug distribution resulting in death. Speaks was also ordered to serve 4 years of supervised release upon release from custody.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Speaks previously pleaded guilty to drug distribution resulting in death. Speaks admitted that on March 22, 2020, he sold fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, to a 50-year old female in Coolbaugh Township, Pennsylvania, causing her death.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Scranton, and the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski 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.”
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Former Campus Police Dispatcher Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchase of Glock FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Campus Police Dispatcher for Cape Cod Community College Police pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with making false statements in order to purchase two firearms which can only be purchased by law enforcement officers.
Justin F. Watson, 36, of Mashpee, pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements during the purchase of firearms and one count of making false statements in a record. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Aug. 1, 2022. Watson was indicted along with girlfriend and co-defendant Angel Ecker in July 2019. Ecker has pleaded not guilty.
From March 2018 to February 2019, Watson was an Institutional Security Officer/Campus Police Dispatcher with the Cape Cod Community College Police. As such, Watson neither carried a weapon nor had the power to make arrests on campus.
Watson ordered a Glock pistol to be delivered to a firearms dealer on Cape Cod. On Aug. 26, 2018, Watson went to the firearms dealer to pick up the Glock, Model 22, GEN4, .40 caliber pistol. Before receiving the firearm, Watson provided his Cape Cod Community College identification card, which listed him as “Campus Police” and “Faculty/Staff,” to the manager and completed a Public Safety Purchase Form identifying himself as an Institutional Security Officer.
Watson called another firearms dealer and spoke with the store’s operator, who informed him that only law enforcement officers with the power to conduct arrests could purchase Glock Model 26 firearms. Watson said he was a police officer with authority to make arrests. On Nov. 17, 2018, Watson went to the firearms dealer with Ecker and spoke with a sales manager. Ecker allegedly told the sales manager that she was Watson’s boss and that Watson had authority to make arrests. Watson identified himself as a police officer to the sales manager and then purchased a Glock, Model 26, GEN4, 9mm pistol for $425. Watson completed a required ATF Form and affirmed that he was the actual buyer of the firearm. The form warned that, “If you are not the actual buyer, the dealer cannot transfer the firearm(s) to you.”
During the sale, Watson provided his Cape Cod Community College identification card and completed a certification letter indicating that he was purchasing the firearm for “on or off duty use” and not “for resale.” Watson also completed another certification form and listed himself as “Campus Police.”
It is further alleged that Watson then transferred the Glock Model 26 to Ecker on Dec. 19, 2018.
During an interview with law enforcement, Watson acknowledged that he used his Cape Cod Community College identification card when he purchased both Glock firearms. He stated he used that ID because he did not think he could purchase the firearms without it. He also acknowledged that if the firearms dealers had understood that he was not a police officer with arrest powers, they would not have sold him the firearms. Watson further stated that he knew that Ecker, a civilian, could not purchase a Glock Model 26 herself and that he purchased the firearm for her.
Straw purchases interfere with firearm regulation and recordkeeping, and federal law makes it a crime to knowingly make false statements to a firearms dealer in connection with the lawfulness of the sale.
The charge of making false statements during the purchase of firearms provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of making false statements in a record provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. The Cape Cod Community College Campus Police, Barnstable Police Department and Mashpee Police Department provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption Unit and Philip C. Cheng of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Brunswick Resident Sentenced for Transferring Obscene Matter to Minor and Obstructing JusticeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A former Brunswick resident, most recently living in Pennsylvania, was sentenced today in federal court for transferring obscene matter to a minor and obstructing justice, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Shawn Cook, 42, to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Cook pleaded guilty on November 10, 2021.
According to court records, in July 2018, Cook sent an obscene image to a 15-year-old boy. Cook also offered to send the boy a video of himself having sexual intercourse with his girlfriend. Cook knew at the time he sent the image that the boy was under the age of 16. The boy’s mother found the image on her son’s phone and contacted law enforcement.
Also according to court records, in March 2021, Cook learned that his girlfriend had been contacted by an FBI agent about testifying before a federal grand jury regarding Cook’s actions. Cook contacted the mother of the boy to whom he had sent the obscene image and asked her to “just tell them you lied.” He also told her to tell the boy to “keep his mouth shut.”
The Bath Police Department and the FBI investigated the case.
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Former Amtrak Employee Pleads Guilty to Cares Act Fraud and TheftRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that STACEY V. SANTEMORE, SR., age 46, formerly of New Orleans but now a resident of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty on April 27, 2022 before U.S. District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey to a two-count bill of information charging him with making false statements and theft of government funds related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance in connection with economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1%. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
In addition, the CARES Act created a temporary federal unemployment insurance program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) after a major disaster declaration for this funding. PUA, administered by the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC), provided unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment benefits (e.g., the self-employed, independent contractors, or gig economy workers).
According to the charging documents, SANTEMORE, in July 2020, made false statements to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining pandemic-related relief loans funded by the federal government, including PPP funds, which he received in the amount of approximately $89,000 on July 14, 2020.
SANTEMORE also applied for Louisiana unemployment benefits through the LWC with PUA funding despite at all times being fully employed by Amtrak, the national passenger railcar company. Through this theft of government funds, he obtained approximately $22,000 from April 2020 through March 2021.
SANTEMORE faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines, and up to three years of supervised release for the false statements count. He faces up to ten years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines, and up to three years of supervised release for the theft count. There is also a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count. Sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Zainey will be on July 26, 2022.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General – Criminal Investigations and the Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General, in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera is in charge of the prosecution.
Florida Man Charged with Sex Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida man has been charged with allegedly trafficking two women to engage in commercial sex acts and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Angelo Dominic Lombardo, 27, was charged by criminal complaint with two counts of sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud and coercion and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Lombardo is currently in state custody in Massachusetts and will appear in federal court in Worcester before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy on May 4, 2022.
According to the charging document, Lombardo trafficked two victims to engage in commercial sex acts by coercing the victims psychologically, making false promises of a better life, and making explicit threats to one of the victims with a firearm.
It is alleged that Lombardo first met the victims in Oregon. Lombardo posted advertisements of each victim on various websites and arranged “dates” for the victims to have sex in exchange for money. Lombardo allegedly set the pricing for the commercial sex acts they engaged in, for which he collected most, if not all, of the profit.
In July 2021, Lombardo allegedly flew with the two victims from Portland, Ore., to Boston and allegedly arranged for the victims to engage in commercial sex at meeting spots he set up throughout the city and continued to collect most, if not all, of the profit.
According to the charging document, local law enforcement in Massachusetts met with the two victims. In the first victim’s interview with law enforcement, she alleged that Lombardo told her that she would have a better life and financial stability if she worked for him and expressed fear that Lombardo would retaliate if he knew she was speaking to the police. In a separate interview, the second victim advised law enforcement that she felt like a hostage and alleged that Lombardo would tell her she was better off dead. It is further alleged that prior to travelling from Oregon to Massachusetts, Lombardo threatened the second victim with a firearm because she did not return home from an arranged meeting with enough money. Lombardo allegedly put a gun to the victim’s head and made the victim go back out to make the full payment.
On July 12, 2021, following a traffic stop in Boston, Lombardo was arrested on state trafficking charges. At the time of his arrest, Lombardo had approximately $3,310 in his possession. A subsequent search of a hotel room in Revere associated with Lombardo allegedly resulted in the recovery of a firearm with a laser attached matching the descriptions provided by both victims, and a loaded large capacity magazine with 20 live rounds of ammunition. Due to prior felony convictions for possession of fentanyl with intent to deliver or sell and possession of over 20 grams of marijuana, Lombardo is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Members of the public who believe they may be a victim of this individual or alleged crime should contact [email protected]. If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please visit https://polarisproject.org/ for information and resources.
The charge of sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; Revere Police Chief David Callahan; and Arlington Police Chief Juliann Flaherty made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Civil Rights Enforcement Team is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Florida Man Charged with Hate Crimes Following Use of Vehicle in Racially-Motivated Attack Against a Black Man Driving with His FamilyRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida announced today that a federal grand jury in Tampa, Florida, returned a two-count indictment charging Jordan Patrick Leahy, 29, with committing hate crimes for his racially-motivated attack on a Black man who was driving along a public road in Seminole, Florida.
The indictment alleges that on Aug. 8, 2021, Leahy willfully intimidated and interfered with J.T., and attempted to injure, intimidate and interfere with J.T. through the use of a dangerous weapon (Leahy’s vehicle), because of J.T.’s race and color, and because J.T. was traveling on a public road in Seminole, Florida. According to the indictment, J.T.’s girlfriend and daughter were also in the car with J.T. when Leahy allegedly committed the attack.
If convicted, Leahy faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlton Gammons for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys David Reese and Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Charged with Hate Crimes Following Use of Vehicle in Racially-Motivated Attack Against a Black Man Driving with His FamilyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida announced today that a federal grand jury in Tampa, Florida, returned a two-count indictment charging Jordan Patrick Leahy, 29, with committing hate crimes for his racially-motivated attack on a Black man who was driving along a public road in Seminole, Florida.
The indictment alleges that on Aug. 8, 2021, Leahy willfully intimidated and interfered with J.T., and attempted to injure, intimidate, and interfere with J.T. through the use of a dangerous weapon (Leahy’s vehicle), because of J.T.’s race and color, and because J.T. was traveling on a public road in Seminole, Florida. According to the indictment, J.T.’s girlfriend and daughter were also in the car with J.T. when Leahy allegedly committed the attack.
If convicted, Leahy faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlton Gammons for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys David Reese and Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Finds Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization GuiltyRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that a federal jury has found Jonathan Jermaine Thomas (32, Ocala) guilty of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, more than 5 kilograms of cocaine, and more than 1 kilogram of heroin. The jury also found Thomas guilty of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possessing with the intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Seven co-conspirators pleaded guilty prior to the trial. Thomas faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to evidence presented during the four-day trial, Thomas supplied large amounts of drugs to a “trap” house in Summerfield. Once the drugs were delivered to the house, his fellow conspirators worked together to prepare, mix, and distribute the various substances to users and smaller-scale suppliers who made daily purchases from the residence. During the course of the investigation, DEA agents found that Thomas served as the lead supplier and that his enforcers carried firearms to protect the drug assets and others who helped package and distribute the substances from the house.
On September 9, 2020, Thomas was stopped by law enforcement on I-75 in Gainesville. After smelling the odor of marijuana, a search of the vehicle by law enforcement yielded nearly a kilogram of fentanyl hidden within the vehicle’s side paneling. The fentanyl had been packaged for distribution, and Thomas was heading to Detroit, Michigan, to meet with a buyer. His passenger, who was charged in the indictment, pleaded guilty prior to trial.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gainesville Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael P. Felicetta and Tyrie K. Boyer.
Federal Jury Finds Granite Falls Man Guilty of Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury convicted a Granite Falls man of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright, Ramon Diego Pacheco, 42, was convicted earlier this week of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
According to the evidence presented at trial, in late 2018 law enforcement began investigating a methamphetamine trafficking organization in the Twin Cities. Law enforcement learned that Scott Velisek, one of the defendant’s co-conspirators, was receiving large shipments of methamphetamine and selling pound-level quantities to a regular stable of customers. Those key customers would then deal the methamphetamine to their own customers. Pacheco was one of several of Velisek’s customers who then sold smaller amounts of methamphetamine to others.
Pacheco’s co-conspirators, Scott Joel Velisek, Elizabeth Reeves Sporleder, Del Corey Crandell, Leslie Marie Cloud, and Nicole Lee Chaparro previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the drug trafficking organization.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Renville County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan H. Nelson, and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren O. Roso and Lindsey E. Middlecamp.
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Federal Jury Convicts Pontotoc County Resident of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Lloyd Ray Hatley, age 67, of Ada, Oklahoma was found guilty by a federal jury of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country.
The jury trial began with testimony on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, and concluded on Friday, April 29, 2022, with the guilty verdict.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence that, on February 22, 2017, Lloyd Ray Hatley was driving a pickup truck on State Highway One in Pontotoc County. Travelling at a high rate of speed, and failing to devote his full time and attention to driving, he crashed directly into the rear of a Pontiac Grand Am driven by Gay Ott and occupied by passengers Mary Nappa and Stephen Ott. The collision killed Mary Nappa and caused great bodily injury to Gay Ott, who passed away in 2020.
The guilty verdict was the result of an investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the defendant in this case is a member of a federally-recognized Indian tribe and the crime occurred in Pontotoc County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Charles B. Goodwin, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Hatley was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending the imposition of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross and Special Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Ibanez represented the United States.
Federal Inmate Charged with Possession of MarijuanaRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Michael Cox, age 35, an inmate at the United States Federal Penitentiary, Lewisburg (USP Lewisburg), was indicted on April 28, 2022, by a federal grand jury for possessing marijuana in prison.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Cox was found in possession of marijuana on November 15, 2021, during a search.
The charges stem from an investigation by USP Lewisburg and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
The defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years of incarceration and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Criminal indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Eufaula Man Sentenced for Mail Theft, Bank Fraud, and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On April 26, 2022, Charles Andre Turner, 54, of Eufaula, Alabama, was sentenced to 44 months in prison for stealing mail, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. Turner’s prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records and information disclosed during his sentencing hearing, Turner was previously convicted in 2011 of destruction of letter boxes, theft of mail, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. After serving a 94-month prison sentence, Turner was on supervised release when his U.S. Probation Officer discovered that he had opened 33 new lines of credit, in violation of the terms of his supervised release. On May 10, 2021, agents searched his home pursuant to the search policy of the Court and discovered over 100 pieces of stolen mail and notes containing information about victims’ identities and credit or banking information.
Further investigation revealed that from October 2020, until May 2021, Turner stole mail from a Columbus, Georgia, post office and took it back home with him to Eufaula, where he began using identity and financial information from the mail to obtain credit cards, open bank accounts, and make financial transactions to benefit himself. Turner even obtained a victim’s Experian credit report and began noting the answers to the victim’s multiple choice security questions, and he altered another victim’s retirement account statement to make his own name appear on it rather than the victim’s. In one example, Turner used a victim’s identity to open a bank account, then deposited another victim’s credit card convenience checks into the account. In yet another extreme example, Turner was able to steal over $50,000.00 from a single victim’s bank account.
Turner pleaded guilty to possessing stolen mail, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft on January 6, 2022.
“Mr. Turner’s continued criminal conduct not only shows a blatant disregard for the law, but also for the immeasurable hardship that he caused his victims,” stated U.S. Attorney Stewart. “In the aftermath of these crimes, victims are forced to deal with the damage done to their credit card and bank accounts. Repairing the damage can be tedious and could take months, or even years. My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute thieves that pray on vulnerable and unsuspecting victims.” U.S. Attorney Stewart would like to remind everyone to be vigilant and check your bank accounts and credit reports regularly. Discovering and reporting discrepancies quickly can help financial institutions and law enforcement limit potential losses.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, and the Sumter County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Megan A. Kirkpatrick prosecuted the case.
Eighteen Individuals Charged with Trafficking Methamphetamine in Central and Southern IndianaRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Eighteen individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and money laundering charges. The indictment charges the defendants with conspiracies to distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine, and to launder the proceeds of the distributed controlled substances. The indictment was unsealed today following the initial appearances of the defendants.
Yesterday, fifteen defendants were taken into federal custody in Indianapolis, Columbus, Seymour, Terre Haute, and Detroit, Michigan. Three other defendants are still at large. In addition, three individuals were detained for immigration violations.
To date in this investigation, authorities have seized approximately 82 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 1750 fentanyl pills, approximately 35 grams of fentanyl, approximately 1 kilogram of cocaine, approximately 4 pounds of marijuana, and a large quantity of suspected THC gummies. In addition to drug seizures, authorities have seized approximately $9000.00 in U.S. currency as suspected drug proceeds as well as 9 firearms.
The Jackson County Prosecutors Office has also filed state charges against five additional defendants for dealing methamphetamine, and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor has charged one additional defendant on a state charge for dealing methamphetamine.
The following individuals are in federal custody or *at large:
Defendant
Charge(s)
Edeer Avila, 38, Mexico *NOT in custody
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine & Launder Monetary Instruments
Martin Felix-Garcia, 33, Phoenix, AZ *NOT in custody
Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments
Isaias Gonzalez-Torres, 30, Indianapolis
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine & Launder Monetary Instruments
Erlin Lucero-Asencio, 29, Indianapolis
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine & Launder Monetary Instruments
Abel Ayala-Garcia, 31, Columbus, IN
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine & Launder Monetary Instruments
Luis Daniel Hernandez, 24, Indianapolis
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine & Launder Monetary Instruments
Andrew Calix-Maldonado, 27, Indianapolis
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine & Launder Monetary Instruments
Julio Vicente-Guox, 33, Indianapolis
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
Eduardo Rodriguez, 25, Indianapolis
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine & Launder Monetary Instruments
Kenia Acosta, 38, Indianapolis
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
Jeami Waleska Sevilla-Luna, 27, Indianapolis
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
Victor Vazquez-Hernandez, 41, Seymour
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
Allison Perdue, 24, Seymour
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
John Whiffing, 47, Terre Haute
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
Abner Rodas-Abelardez, 36, Indianapolis *NOT in custody
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
Claudio Garcia-Morales, 35, Columbus, IN
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
Eulailo Murillo-Resura, 31, Indianapolis
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
Jendry Medina, 20, Indianapolis
Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments
If convicted on the conspiracy with intent to distribute controlled substances charges, each faces between ten years to life imprisonment, no less than five years supervised release, and a $10,000,000 fine. If convicted on the money laundering charge, each faces a mandatory minimum of up to twenty years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. Actual sentences are determined by a federal district court judge and are typically less than the maximum penalties.
The following five Individuals face state prosecution in Jackson County:
Defendant
Charge(s)
Emilio Landa-Laganes
Dealing methamphetamine F2
Mariah Crowe
Dealing methamphetamine F2
Daniel Parrish
Dealing methamphetamine F2
Samantha Farris
Dealing methamphetamine F2
Zachariah Farris
Dealing methamphetamine F2
The following individual faces state prosecution in Bartholomew County:
Defendant
Charge(s)
Antonio Cuautle-Cuenca
Dealing methamphetamine F2
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office, and Bryant Lucas, Chief of the Seymour Police Department made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Seymour Police Department investigated the case in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Homeland Security Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Jackson County Prosecutors Office, the Columbus Police Department, the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, the Bartholomew County Prosecutors Office, the Indiana State Police, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Brownsburg Police Department, and the Bloomington Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle P. Brady and Patrick G. Gibson, who are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Durham Man Sentenced to 27 Months for Filing of False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, NC - Markeith Jamar Norman, 56, was sentenced on April 29, 2022, to 27 months in prison for aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false tax return. Sandra J. Hairston, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, made the announcement.
According to court documents, Norman worked as a professional tax preparer at two tax companies from 2014 until 2019 wherein he made various false claims on behalf of his clients in order to increase tax refunds. Beginning in 2015, Norman prepared and electronically filed at least twenty-three false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns and Income Tax Returns for Single and Joint Files with No Dependents tax returns. The returns contained false reports of education credits, Schedule C businesses, Form 1099 federal tax withholdings, and itemized deductions unbeknownst to his clients. Despite both of Norman’s former employers stating that preparers were not authorized to receive cash payments from clients, multiple clients told investigators that Norman requested payment in cash, sometimes up to $500, for tax return preparation. Upon receiving their tax returns, clients were instructed to deposit their checks and pay him in cash. Investigators also uncovered that, beginning in 2014, Norman failed to report any of his income earned as a tax preparer on self-prepared 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns to the Internal Revenue Service. In 2017 and 2018, Norman failed to file any tax returns at all.
Those who might consider preparing false tax returns should be aware of the extremely negative consequences as evidenced today," said Donald “Trey” Eakins Special Agent in Charge of the Charlotte Field Office. "Today's sentencing again emphasizes that the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation will continue their aggressive pursuit of those who would attempt to defraud America's tax system."
“We are extremely grateful to the agents and agencies involved in this case and every case that secures the integrity of our tax system,” said US Attorney Hairston. “This case is another example of the serious consequences associated with filing false returns and it provides justice for those harmed by tax professionals seeking to take advantage of the system.”
In addition to his imprisonment, Norman will be required to pay $375,390 in restitution.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Nicole R. Dupre. The Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division were involved in the investigation of the case.
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District Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2015 Killing of Man in Southwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Gary Proctor, 44, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to life in prison on charges stemming from the 2015 murder of his cousin in an attack he carried out at the cousin’s home in Southwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Proctor was found guilty in August 2019, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of charges of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, and carrying a pistol without a license. He was sentenced by the Honorable Danya A. Dayson.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 27, 2015, at approximately 4:40 p.m., Proctor entered the residence of the victim, Jerome “Beanie” Diggs, in the 1300 block of First Street SW, and fired eight shots, striking Mr. Diggs seven times. Proctor ran out of the house, leaving the victim for dead. But Mr. Diggs managed to pick up the phone and call his sister, telling her that their cousin, “Little Gary” Proctor, had just shot him.
When his sister asked the wounded Mr. Diggs why he didn’t call for help, he stated that he did not think he was going to make it, and he wanted someone to know what happened to him. The sister hung up and instantly called 911, where she relayed what Mr. Diggs had told her. Meanwhile, Mr. Diggs, still clinging to life, crawled out the back door of his home where he was spotted by several neighbors who also called for help. One of these neighbors heard Mr. Diggs state “Lil Gary” was the person who shot him. Mr. Diggs, 47, lost consciousness shortly thereafter and died later that day from his wounds. Proctor was arrested pursuant to a warrant the very next day and has been held in custody ever since
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Jackson and Chrisellen Kolb; former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Timmer; Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames; Victim/Witness Program Specialist Lesley Slade; Supervisory Security Specialists Laverne Perry, Tanya Via, and Wanda Queen; Administrative Services Specialist Karen Lee-Putt; Supervisory Paralegal Sharon Newman; Paralegals Kelly Blakeney and Meridith McGarrity; Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; former Victim/Witness Advocate Marcia Rinker; Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling; Information Technology Specialist Jeanie Latimore-Brown, and Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Nestler, who investigated the case, and Gilead Light and Alicia Long, who prosecuted the case.
Department of Justice Reaches Settlement Agreement with Prince George County, Virginia, and the Virginia Retirement System to Enforce Servicemember’s Employment RightsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The Justice Department announced today that it has settled a civil complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against Prince George County, Virginia, and the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) to enforce employment rights guaranteed to a member of the Virginia Army National Guard, Major Mark Gunn, under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).
“Members of our military Reserves who put their civilian careers and lives on hold to serve our country should not suffer adverse employment effects,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to use all legal remedies to enforce the rights of servicemembers to the correct reemployment positions upon their return from honorably serving our nation.”
“The Department of Justice is committed to enforcing the laws that protect the civilian careers of the brave men and women who serve our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Members of the Reserves are often called away from their civilian jobs to provide the security upon which our nation depends. They should not have to fear losing their jobs and, as here, their pension benefits, when they answer that call.”
In its complaint, the United States alleged that Gunn had been a detective with the Prince George County Police Department for 14 years when, in January 2016, he was called to active duty by the Virginia Army National Guard. The United States further alleged that when Gunn returned from his active-duty service, the County refused to allow Gunn to return to his detective position. Instead, the County assigned him back to a Patrol Unit officer position. The United States also alleged that the County denied Gunn employment benefits that he would have accrued during his period of active-duty service, including a bonus awarded to County employees. Finally, the United States alleged that the County’s unlawful actions caused Gunn to leave his employment with the Prince George County Police Department and return to active duty in the Virginia Army National Guard.
As relief, Gunn will receive VRS retirement credit for the period of time from when he departed the Prince George County Police Department to when he began drawing VRS retirement benefits. He will also receive the differential in retirement benefits owed to him for this time period. Prince George County will also pay Gunn $1,500 in damages for benefits he should have received from the County and $1,500 in liquidated damages. The County will give Gunn a Retired Law Enforcement Act identification card, a Virginia law enforcement officer identification card, and a retired Prince George County Police Department detective badge, and the County will permit Gunn to purchase his service weapon.
USERRA protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to retain their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations and provides that servicemembers shall not be discriminated against because of their military obligations. USERRA also requires employers to provide pension benefits when their employees are called to active duty. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Justice Department give high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at www.justice.gov/crt-military/employment-rights-userra and www.justice.gov/servicemembers as well as on the Department of Labor’s (DOL) website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.
This case stems from a referral by the U.S. Department of Labor, at Gunn’s request, after an investigation by that agency’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service.
The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deirdre Brou, Lauren Oberheim, and Robert McIntosh, and as a part of the Servicemember and Veterans’ Initiative within the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Trial Attorney Shan Shah in the Employment Litigation Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information from the civil lawsuit are on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cv-631.
The civil claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Dallas, Texas Man Sentenced for Illegally Obtaining Money from Pre-Paid Debit CardsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Chukwuma N. Okoye, Jr., 38, of Dallas, Texas, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to 46 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegally obtaining money using pre-paid debit cards. Okoye was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,379,860. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to use unauthorized access devices on November 9, 2021.
According to evidence introduced in court at the guilty plea hearing, Okoye and his co-defendants used unauthorized access devices, specifically, pre-paid Green Dot debit cards which were registered to other individuals to purchase money orders and conduct cash withdrawals. Between July and September of 2020, Okoye and others traveled from Texas to Bossier City, Louisiana, where the Green Dot cards were used at a Walmart store on Airline Drive in Bossier City.
The funds on the Green Dot cards originated from fraudulently obtained Washington State unemployment insurance and Small Business Administration (SBA) loans which were obtained by unknown individuals. After those funds were deposited into PayPal accounts, unknown individuals transferred funds to the Green Dot cards and the cards were then used at online retailers and various physical retail stores. All of the PayPal accounts and Green Dot cards involved in the scheme had been opened by unknown individuals, using stolen personal identifying information.
The investigation uncovered 29 PayPal accounts which were utilized to fund the Green Dot cards used at the Bossier City Walmart during the conspiracy. These 29 accounts were found to contain a total of $729,300 in illicit funds which were seized.
Okoye’s co-defendants, Patrick N. Madubuko and Barnabas Akporehe, are fugitives. If you have any information about their whereabouts, please contact your local U.S. Secret Service office or go to www.usmarshals.gov/tips.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan.
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DOJ Commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (“OVC”) and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa will join federal, state, and local communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services. This year’s observance takes place April 24-30 and features the theme, “Rights, access, equity, for all victims.”
As part of this observance, the Southern District of Iowa recognizes the courage and bravery of victims, and the outstanding work of law enforcement, victim advocates, and community service partners throughout Iowa. In particular, four individuals are recognized for outstanding service to victims. “These awards proudly recognize the exceptional efforts of four individuals providing assistance to federal and state victims in the Southern District of Iowa,” said United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. “Advocacy for the rights and safety of victims is a cogent reminder of the long-term human impact of these crimes. The service of these four individuals, and other state and federal victim advocates, are a vital component of our criminal justice system.”
The 2022 Award for Excellence in Victim Services is awarded to Mills County Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Coordinator Sarah McGinnis. Sarah’s dedication to victims is inspirational and unmatched. She has been there for each victim at every step of the criminal process, and has provided hope, support, and advocacy to numerous victims in sex abuse cases. Sarah has tirelessly worked to raise community awareness of sexual abuse and human trafficking, including producing a sexual assault awareness video where victims describe in their own words how abuse has affected them, and how they survived abuse. Sarah has clearly made a difference in multiple victims’ lives.
The 2022 Award for Excellence in Victim Services is awarded to Polk County Crisis and Advocacy Services Victim Advocate Sara McMillan. Sara continues to provide selfless and dedicated advocacy to state and federal crime victims. Sara provided the highest quality of victim advocacy in support of two minor victims and their families in a federal hate crimes prosecution. Also, she spent countless hours with, and provided empathy and support for, sex trafficking victims in the federal prosecution of a sex trafficker. Based on her skills and experience, Sara was able to provide valuable guidance to the prosecution team and victims, and never stopped offering her time and attention. Throughout her career, Sara has always been and continues to be a fierce advocate for victims.
The 2022 Award for Excellence in Victim Services is awarded to Audubon County Crime Victim Coordinator Angie Baylor. Angie’s self-motivated passion for victims and survivors has been described as “second to none.” She continues to go above and beyond to raise public awareness for victims of crime with community outreach, brochures, events, and public speaking. Angie has partnered with Catholic Charities to host the Survivor Statements awareness project during April - Sexual Assault Awareness month. She has organized efforts to wear blue and support the Pinwheels for Prevention project for April - National Child Abuse Prevention month. “Shedding Light on Domestic Violence” was Angie’s creative theme for the Purple Porch Project in recognition during October - Domestic Violence Awareness month. Most importantly, Angie has exemplified passion in her support of crime victims, to be their advocate, and provided a listening ear and a helping hand at a time when it was most needed. Angie has provided hope to victims, and clearly raised public awareness in Audubon County.
The 2022 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award recognizes the performance of Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation, Special Agent Richard Vale. Special Agent Vale showed outstanding work in the federal sex trafficking investigation and prosecution of Darrius Redd. He epitomized exceptional dedication in locating multiple victims brutalized and trafficked by Redd. He not only performed his role as an investigator, but also demonstrated patience, empathy, and understanding with victims. As a result, this evidence provided a compelling case resulting in a guilty verdict at trial. Special Agent Vale went beyond the call of duty to assist victims in the Redd case, and the resulting conviction was largely the result of his commitment and service.
Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first Victims’ Rights Week in 1981, putting crime victims' rights, needs, and concerns in a prominent spot on the American agenda. He also established the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, which laid the groundwork for a national network of services and legal safeguards for crime victims.
For more information on how to create your own public campaigns to raise awareness about crime victims’ rights online and at events throughout the year, please visit: https://ovc.ojp.gov/ncvrw2022/overview.
DEA Holds 22nd National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to Prevent Addiction and Reduce Overdose DeathsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona announces support of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s 22nd National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Take Back Day is a bi-annual event that aims to provide safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing or prescription drugs, while also educating the public about the potential for abuse of medications.
“I encourage our community to take this opportunity to dispose of unused, unwanted, or expired prescription drugs. It is free, easy, and anonymous,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “Properly disposing of these pills is one important step we all can take to get involved in protecting our loved ones from accidental overdoses or even addiction.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley said, “Drug overdose deaths continue to climb, last year marking the largest number ever recorded, claiming 290 lives every day. Sadly, the majority of these addictions start with prescription drugs found in home medicine cabinets. DEA’s Take-Back initiative provides citizens an easy and safe way to rid their homes of unneeded medications that too often become a gateway to addiction. Please do your part to keep prescription drugs off the streets and help spread awareness in your community.”
Last October, DEA’s New Orleans Field Division, which covers Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas, collected 39,840 pounds of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs for disposal at 289 collection sites throughout the division. The amounts collected for each state within the division was the following: Louisiana – 4,510 pounds; Mississippi –5,942 pounds; Alabama – 4,708 pounds; and Arkansas – 24,680 pounds.
Drug overdose deaths are up 16 percent in the last year, claiming more than 290 lives every day. According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a majority of people who misused a prescription medication obtained the medicine from a family member or friend.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States, more than 106,000 people died as the result of a drug overdose in the 12-month period ending November 2021, marking the most drug-related deaths ever recorded, with opioid-related deaths accounting for 75 percent of all overdose deaths.
For more than a decade, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has helped Americans easily rid their homes of unneeded medications—those that are old, unwanted, or no longer needed—that too often become a gateway to addiction. Working in close partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed more than 15 million pounds of medication from circulation since its inception. These efforts are directly in line with DEA’s priority to combat the overdose epidemic in the United States.
On Saturday, April 30, 2022, DEA and its law enforcement partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Liquids (including intravenous solutions), syringes and other sharps, and illicit drugs will not be accepted. DEA will accept vaping devices and cartridges provided lithium batteries are removed.
A location finder and partner toolbox are available at www.DEATakeBack.com for easy reference to April 30 collection sites.
Year-round receptacles are available at more than 13,000 pharmacies, hospitals, police departments, and business. Additionally, with the passage of the DUMP Opioids Act in 2021, the public may now use drop boxes at Veterans Administration medical centers to dispose of controlled substance prescription medications. Check with your local VA health facility for more information. With more than 13,000 year-round drop-off locations in the United States, every day can be Take Back Day.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 25 Years for Sending and Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Images and Videos over the InternetRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton has sentenced Thomas James Harris (42, Orlando), a registered sex offender, to 25 years in federal prison for receiving and distributing child sexual abuse images and videos over the internet. Harris was also ordered to serve a life term of supervised release. Harris had pleaded guilty on February 2, 2022.
In 2005, Harris was convicted of attempting to provide obscene material to minors, using the internet to solicit a child for sex or lewdness, promoting a sexual performance by a child, and possession of child pornography. As a result, he is registered and designated as a sexual offender.
According to court documents, Harris used a particular chat application to download images and videos depicting children being sexually abused and distributed them over the internet. Harris also distributed some of these materials to an undercover FBI agent.
On November 5, 2021, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant to seize and search Harris’s cellphone. A forensic review of the phone revealed child sex abuse images and videos on the device. During an interview, Harris admitted to receiving, viewing, and distributing child sex abuse images and videos using chat application accounts that had been previously identified on his cellphone by the FBI. Several of the videos received by Harris and found on his cellphone depicted toddler-aged children being sexually abused.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry B. Livanos.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 100 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Tylan Tilford, age 29, of Gonzales, Louisiana, to 100 months in federal prison following his conviction of possessing firearms by a convicted felon. The Court further sentenced Tilford to three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered that the firearms involved be forfeited.
According to admissions made as a part of his guilty plea, on March 16, 2020, Louisiana State Police narcotics detectives executed a search warrant at Tilford’s residence in Gonzales, Louisiana. While searching the bedroom, detectives located a firearm under a pillow on Tilford’s bed, along with five firearms located in the bedroom and bathroom used by Tilford’s mother. Tilford advised that all the firearms belonged to him and that he had placed them in his mother’s room.
Prior to possessing the firearms, Tilford was convicted in Ascension Parish in March 2012 of simple burglary and in November 2015 of aggravated assault with a firearm.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Louisiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eli J. Abad.
Career Offender Sentenced to 235 Months in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and HeroinRead the Press Release
BOISE – A Boise man was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.
According to court records, an investigation into Dennis Radford Colby, a/k/a “Dragon” and his drug trafficking organization began in 2020. On February 4, 2021, Colby was observed leaving a residence in Caldwell, Idaho after Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration had received information that Colby was traveling with a large load of methamphetamine. His vehicle was stopped after officers observed him driving erratically. Colby was armed with a stun gun and attempted to flee from the vehicle. A search of the vehicle discovered 3,916 grams of methamphetamine and 98 grams of heroin.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge David C. Nye also ordered Colby to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Colby was considered a career offender under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines because he was convicted of a controlled substance offense and has at least two prior felony convictions for drug trafficking. Colby was previously convicted of delivery of a controlled substance in 1998, possession of a controlled offense with the intent to deliver in 1999, and delivery of a controlled substance in 2003. Additionally, Colby has prior felony convictions for burglary on two occasions, malicious injury to property, flee or attempt to elude a police officer, and possession of a controlled substance. Colby was on parole at the time he committed this offense.
U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., of the District of Idaho made the announcement and commended the cooperative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Canyon County Sheriff’s Department, the Ada County Sheriff’s Department and the Canyon County-City County Narcotics Unit, which led to the conviction.
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California Man Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Steal Payments from U.S. Department of Defense, Bank Fraud, Lying to Federal Agents, and Other Offenses Related to $23m Phishing ScamRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A California man was convicted on six counts related to the theft of over $23 million dollars from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), money destined for one of its jet fuel suppliers, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Sercan Oyuntur, 40, of Northridge, California, was convicted on April 28, 2022, of one count of conspiracy to commit wire, mail and bank fraud; two counts of bank fraud; one count of using an unauthorized access device to commit fraud; one count of aggravated identity theft; and one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement officers, following an eight-day trial before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence presented at trial:
A corporation that had a contract with the DoD to supply jet fuel to troops operating in southeast Asia employed an individual in New Jersey, who was responsible for communicating with the federal government on behalf of the corporation through a government computer system. Through a complex phishing scheme, Oyuntur and criminal conspirators in Germany, Turkey, and New Jersey targeted the corporation and the individual so that the conspirators could steal money that DoD intended to pay to the corporation for providing jet fuel.
Oyuntur’s conspirators created fake email accounts in other people’s names and designed fake webpages that resembled the General Services Administration’s (GSA) public-facing website. From June to September 2018, the conspirators caused phishing emails to be sent to various DoD vendors, including the individual from New Jersey who represented the corporation, to trick these vendors into visiting the phishing pages. These emails appeared to be legitimate communications from the United States government, but were actually sent by the conspirators, and contained electronic links that automatically took individuals to the phishing pages. There, they saw what appeared to be a GSA website and were prompted to enter their confidential login credentials, which were then used by the conspirators to make changes in the government systems and ultimately divert money to the conspirators.
As part of his participation in the scheme, Oyuntur worked closely with another conspirator, Hurriyet Arslan, who owned a used car dealership, Deal Automotive Sales, in Florence, New Jersey. Arslan opened a separate shell company based in New Jersey for use in the criminal scheme, obtained a cell phone number for the shell company, hired another person to pose as the shell company’s owner, and opened a bank account in the name of the shell company.
On Oct. 10, 2018, based on the fraudulent activities of Oyuntur and his conspirators, DoD transferred $23.5 million that had been earned by the victim corporation into Arslan’s Deal Automotive bank account. Arslan went to the bank and was able to access some of this money, but the bank would not release all of the funds to Arslan. That same day, a conspirator in Turkey sent Arslan an email with an altered government contract that falsely indicated Deal Automotive had been awarded a DoD contract valued at approximately $23 million dollars. Oyuntur instructed Arslan to take this fake contract into the bank to explain why he had received the money, so that Arslan could convince the bank to release the remaining funds.
The conspiracy and bank fraud counts of which Oyuntur was convicted each carry a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison. The count of using an unauthorized access device to commit fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The false statement count carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison. The aggravated identity theft count carries a statutory mandatory consecutive term of two years in prison. The conspiracy and bank fraud counts each carry a maximum fine of equal to the greatest of $1 million or twice the gross profits or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest; the remaining counts carry a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Oyuntur will be sentenced on a date to be determined.
Arslan pleaded guilty in January 2020 to conspiracy, bank fraud, and money laundering and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited criminal investigators of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney; special agents of the General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Eric D. Radwick; special agents of the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office and the Cyber Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patrick Hegarty and Special Agent in Charge Kenneth A. DeChellis; and special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s conviction.
The government is represented by Senior Trial Counsel Jason M. Richardson of the Civil Rights Division in Camden and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara A. Aliabadi of the Special Prosecutions Division in Camden.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to His Role in Interstate Marijuana Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Vincent Lopresti, 26, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that between 2016, and June 2019, Lopresti received marijuana from the Robert Fiels drug organization, distributed and helped distribute the marijuana, concealed the marijuana and stored it until he could sell it, and by his actions helped the marijuana distribution conspiracy to continue. Lopresti failed to notify the Department of Justice and Homeland Security Investigations of the criminal conduct.
Robert Fiels was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 1, 2022, before Judge Vilardo.
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Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Brandishing A Firearm During A Drug DealRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Charlie Yancey, 29, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 7 years and a maximum of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah E. Lenihan, who is handling the case, stated that on July 28, 2019, Yancey met an individual in the parking lot of a convenience store on Main Street in Buffalo to purchase marijuana. Yancey got into the individual’s vehicle and attempted to pay for the marijuana with counterfeit money, which resulted in an argument. Yancey pulled out a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, with an obliterated serial number, and fired nine shots at the individual, causing non-life-threatening injuries. The firearm was later recovered by law enforcement and linked to spent shell casings recovered at the scene.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 5, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
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Bronx Gang Member Sentenced to 21 Years for Two Attempted MurdersRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSE CABAN, a/k/a “Nene,” was sentenced today to 21 years in prison for committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering and firearms offenses. In June 2018, CABAN helped shoot and paralyze an 18-year-old victim and, then a few months later, in February 2019, CABAN fired a gun five times on a crowded street when attempting to murder a gang rival. CABAN was convicted in October 2021 after a jury trial before U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today, Jose Caban was rightly sentenced to decades of imprisonment for participating in two shootings that paralyzed an 18-year-old victim and sent people, including children, running for their lives on a crowded street. We will continue to hold accountable those who plague our communities with senseless gun violence.”
According to the Superseding Indictment and the evidence at trial:
CABAN is a member of the Jack Boyz, a criminal enterprise involved in committing numerous acts of violence, including shootings, in and around the Bronx. Members and associates of the Jack Boyz engage in violence to retaliate against rival gangs, and to promote the standing and reputation of the Jack Boyz.
On June 19, 2018, near East 136th Street and Willis Avenue in the Bronx, CABAN helped another member of the Jack Boyz attempt to murder a rival, who was shot in the spine and paralyzed from the chest down.
On February 8, 2019, near East 135th Street and Willis Avenue in the Bronx, CABAN fired a gun five times on a street crowded with innocent bystanders, including children, in an attempt to murder a rival.
* * *
In addition to his prison term, CABAN, 23, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsey Keenan, Justin V. Rodriguez, and Jamie E. Bagliebter are in charge of the prosecution.
British Virgin Islands Premier, Port Director Charged in South Florida Federal Court with Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering CrimesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Miami federal prosecutors have charged British Virgin Islands (BVI) Premier Andrew Alturo Fahie, Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority Oleanvine Pickering Maynard (O. Maynard), and the Port Director’s son, Kadeem Stephan Maynard (K. Maynard), with cocaine trafficking and money laundering conspiracies for agreeing to facilitate the safe passage through BVI ports of tons of Colombian cocaine headed to Miami. In exchange, the defendants would make millions, which would be funneled through different businesses and bank accounts to hide the money’s source.
According to the allegations of the criminal complaint affidavit, during March and April, Fahie, O. Maynard, and K. Maynard participated in a series of meetings with the purported drug trafficker to broker the deal. Fahie and O. Maynard would secure required licenses, shield the cocaine-filled boats while in BVI’s ports, and grease the palm of a potentially problematic government official, says the affidavit. They discussed bringing 3,000 kilograms of cocaine through a BVI port as a test run, followed by 3,000 kilograms once or twice a month for four months. Fahie and O. Maynard would get a percentage of the cocaine’s sales – millions of dollars, it is alleged.
Fahie and O. Maynard were arrested yesterday in Miami. According to the allegations, they were here to pick up a $700,000 cash advance on their deal. The third defendant, K. Maynard, was arrested in St. Thomas.
Fahie and O. Maynard made their initial federal court appearances today at 1:30 p.m., before United States Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman. They are scheduled for pretrial detention hearings on Wednesday, May 4, at 10:00 a.m., in federal magistrate court in Miami.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Deanne L. Reuter, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Miami Field Division, announced the charges.
DEA Miami Field Division investigated this matter. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frederic “Fritz” Shadley and Shane Butland are prosecuting this case.
This case and prosecution was carried out by members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The South Florida HIDTA, established in 1990, is made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who, cooperatively, target the region’s drug-trafficking and money laundering organizations. The South Florida HIDTA is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which sponsors a variety of initiatives focused on the nation’s illicit drug trafficking threats.
Criminal complaints contain mere allegations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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Boise Man Sentenced to over 8 years for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE - A Boise man was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court records, Craig Joel Curtis, 42, was pulled over on July 31, 2021, for failing to maintain his lane. While officers were conducting a records check, a K-9 positively alerted to the odor of a controlled substance in the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered approximately 358 grams of methamphetamine, 1.5 grams of heroin, several fentanyl pills, a digital scale, several empty zip lock baggies, two smoking devices and approximately $600.
Curtis has a criminal history spanning 28 years with prior state convictions for petit theft, forgery, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance, manufacture of a controlled substance, grand theft, and injury to child.
U.S. Chief District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Curtis to pay a $700.00 fine and to serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Curtis pled guilty to the charge on January 22, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez Jr., of the District of Idaho made the announcement and commended the investigation by the Boise City Police Department, which led to the charges.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant United States Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with funds provided by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is part of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. It provides assistance to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. Idaho is part of the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA. The Idaho HIDTA is a collaboration of local, multi-jurisdictional law enforcement drug task forces, and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada, Canyon, Bannock, Kootenai, and Malheur Counties.
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Beebe Man Sentenced to Two and a Half Years in Prison for Defrauding Social Security AdministrationRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Beebe man was sentenced for collecting more than $20,000 in Social Security Disability payments when he was not actually disabled. Ryan Kinsey, 35, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison yesterday by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky. A federal jury convicted Kinsey of Social Security fraud and making materially false statements following trial in July 2021.
In 2013, Kinsey began receiving Social Security benefits because he claimed to be disabled. He cited bipolar disorder, heart issues, post-traumatic stress disorder, and knee issues as the reasons for his disability. However, following trial, a jury found that while collecting these disability payments, Kinsey was also working full time by operating his family farm operation after his father passed away in 2017. His work on the farm involved buying horses at auction, caring for and selling the horses, farm maintenance, and marketing the business. At trial, the United States called numerous witnesses who all testified that during the time periods alleged they had either bought horses or hay from Kinsey or had Kinsey transport livestock. In the 15 months prior to indictment, Kinsey received more than $100,000 in payments for his ranching activities. During that same time period, he fraudulently received more than $20,000 from SSA.
Social Security determined that Kinsey was initially entitled to disability payments but should have stopped receiving them in 2017 when he began working. From that time until his payments were terminated in 2019, Kinsey received a total of $20,530 in Social Security payments, which Judge Rudofsky ordered him to pay in restitution. Kinsey was also sentenced to three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General Cooperative Disability Investigations Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Bart Dickinson prosecuted the case for the United States.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Bank Robber Sentenced to Ten Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Denver – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Patrick James Murray was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for his role in three bank robberies.
According to the plea agreement, on three separate days in January 2021, Murray entered a Chase Bank in Lakewood, a Chase Bank in Arvada, and a US Bank in Lakewood. He handed the teller a note reading, “This is a robbery,” and demanded cash. On January 30, 2021, police caught Murray following a short foot chase outside another bank in Westminster.
“We appreciate our partners who helped take this serial bank robber off the streets for a very long time,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “I sincerely hope this lengthy sentence deters anyone thinking of trying to rob a bank. It’s just not worth it.”
"The FBI and its partners were able to quickly apprehend this brazen criminal after he robbed three banks in two weeks during January 2021,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. “With today’s sentence, justice was served, resulting in a positive impact for our community."
United States District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson sentenced the defendant on April 28, 2022.
The FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, in conjunction with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Arvada Police Department, and Westminster Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Dunn handled the prosecution.
Case number: 21-cr-00058
Austin Man Pleads Guilty to Internet StalkingRead the Press Release
ALPINE – Yesterday Mark Richard Walters, 51, of Austin pleaded guilty to internet stalking and illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents, on March 18, 2021, Big Bend National Park Rangers responded to a threatening verbal altercation between Walters and a park employee at the Panther Junction Visitor Center. When Rangers encountered Walters they found him in possession of a firearm and a loaded magazine. A criminal history check revealed Walters was previously convicted of a felony offense. Further investigation revealed Walters was the subject of a stalking investigation in Austin. From February 19 to 21, 2021, Walters sent emails of sexually explicit photos of a victim to the victim’s acquaintances to harass the victim. When agents arrested Walters they discovered the laptop used to send the emails.
Walters pleaded guilty to one count of internet stalking and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. He faces up to 10 years in prison on the firearm charge and up to five years in prison on the stalking charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas and FBI Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. made the announcement.
The FBI Austin Cyber Task Force, with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Big Bend National Park Service; and Austin Police Department, is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy L. Greenbaum is prosecuting the case.
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Attorney General Merrick Garland and United States Attorney Roger Handberg Recognize Middle District of Florida Awardee Gail Frances Gardner for Advocacy on Behalf of Crime Victims and Commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today awarded the Special Courage Award to Gail Frances Gardner of Ocoee, Florida for her advocacy on behalf of crime victims. Ms. Gardner was among 14 individuals and teams from across the country who were honored for their work. The award recipients were recognized virtually during the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony, as part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This year’s theme—rights, access, equity, for all victims—underscores the importance of enforcing victims’ rights, expanding access to services, and ensuring equity and inclusion for all. By guaranteeing that equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive services and meaningful compensation are available to survivors, the Department helps all victims find the justice and healing they seek.
“Empowering and encouraging people who have been victimized to participate in our legal system is essential to justice,” said Attorney General Garland. “For the past 41 years, the Department of Justice has recognized the challenges, struggles and achievements of crime victims and victim advocates in their efforts to secure the rights, access and equal justice that all survivors deserve. I am pleased to congratulate this year's honorees on their selection for these distinguished awards and extend my deepest gratitude for their continued work.”
In 1988, Ms. Gardner, a single mother, was raped by an unknown perpetrator during a home invasion. Her case remained open for more than 30 years, but with the advancement in DNA testing and a 2016 law that mandated testing the backlog of sexual assault kits, she finally learned the identity of her attacker, a serial rapist known as “the Malibu rapist” who was already serving a life sentence for another sexual assault. Through DNA testing, he was connected to 26 additional sexual assaults. Ms. Gardner is the namesake for Florida’s Gail’s Law, recently enacted legislation requiring sexual assault evidence kit tracking via a database designed to keep victims aware of the status of evidence in their case throughout the testing process. State law now requires kits to be submitted for testing within 30 days and that laboratories process them within 120 days. Ms. Gardner advocates for social justice on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence who struggle with addiction or arrest after their victimization, and has helped to bring the topic of sexual assault out into the open.
“This week affords us the opportunity to recognize and honor the perseverance, innovation, and unyielding commitment of our victim service providers and the strength and resilience of crime victims,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg. “We congratulate Ms. Gardner on her award and thank her for her courage and dedication as an advocate for survivors of sexual assault in Florida and across the country. This week, we celebrate Ms. Gardner’s achievement, as well as the advancement of victims’ rights in the criminal justice system.”
Ms. Gardner and the other award recipients were selected from public nominations in 10 categories, including federal service, public policy, victim services and a Special Courage award. The Office for Victims of Crime, a component of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first Victims’ Rights Week in 1981, placing crime victims' rights, needs, and concerns in a prominent spot on the American agenda. He also established the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, which laid the groundwork for a national network of services and legal safeguards for crime victims.
“This time every year, we honor and remember victims of crime, not only for the trauma that they have endured and the adversity they have encountered, but also for their courage and resilience and for paving the way toward justice and healing for countless other survivors across the country,” said Amy L. Solomon, Principal Deputy Attorney General for OJP. “These extraordinary individuals and teams embody an ethic of service and compassion that distinguishes them from an already exceptional field of victim-serving professionals. We join the Attorney General in expressing our deepest appreciation for providing crime victims—all crime victims—a place to turn in their time of need.”
Following is a list of the 2022 NCVRW award recipients:
- The Allied Professional Award recognizes individuals working outside the victim assistance field for their service to victims. Recipients: Deborah Flowers, Pittsboro, North Carolina and Dr. Linda Laras, Caguas, Puerto Rico
- The Award for Professional Innovation in Victim Services recognizes a program, organization or individual who expands the reach of victims’ rights and services. Recipients: Barrier Free Living, Bronx, New York and LGBTQ+ Victim Advocacy Initiative at Eskenazi Health, Indianapolis, Indiana
- The Financial Restoration Award recognizes individuals, programs, organizations, or teams that have instituted innovative approaches for securing financial restoration for crime victims. Recipient: Asset Forfeiture Unit and Financial Litigation Program in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville.
- The Victims Research Award recognizes individual researchers or research teams who made a significant contribution to the nation’s understanding of crime victim issues. Recipient: John Chapin, Ph.D., Monaca, Pennsylvania
- The Crime Victims’ Rights Award honors the dedicated champions throughout our nation whose efforts to advance or enforce crime victims’ rights have benefited victims of crime at the state, tribal, or national level. Recipient: Derek Marchman, Conyers, Georgia
- The Federal Service Award recognizes federal agency personnel for service to victims of federal, tribal, or military crimes. Recipient: Environmental Crime Victim Assistance Team, Washington, D.C.
- The National Crime Victim Service Award honors extraordinary efforts to provide direct services to crime victims. Recipient: Brenda J. Muhammad, Atlanta, Georgia and Michelle L. Shae, Abbottstown, Pennsylvania
- The Ronald Wilson Reagan Public Policy Award honors leadership, innovation, and vision that lead to noteworthy changes in public policy on behalf of crime victims. Recipient: The Every Voice Coalition, Boston, Massachusetts
- The Special Courage Award honors extraordinary bravery in the aftermath of a crime or courageous act on behalf of a victim or potential victim. Recipients: Gail Frances Gardner, Ocoee, Florida and Suamhirs Piraino-Guzman, Seattle, Washington.
- The Volunteer for Victims Award recognizes individuals who serve without compensation. Recipient: Linda Stambaugh, Newell, South Dakota
“The Office for Victims of Crime works every day to support victims in every corner of our country, ensuring that no crime survivor feels voiceless, marginalized or alone,” said Kristina Rose, Director of OVC. “Through their tireless work, boundless capacity for empathy and fierce devotion to justice, these award recipients have made it possible for victims to find their voice and to begin, with a feeling of hope, the long journey toward healing.”
During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, victim advocacy organizations, community groups and state, local and tribal agencies traditionally host rallies, candlelight vigils and other events to raise awareness of victims’ rights and services. This year, many communities are organizing virtual gatherings and online public awareness campaigns.
To see the complete list of awardees and learn more about past NCVRW recipients, visit the OVC gallery.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Recognizes Individuals and Organizations for Service to Victims of CrimeRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, joined by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, today recognized 14 individuals, organizations, and teams for their advocacy on behalf of victims of crime. The award recipients were honored during the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony.
“Empowering and encouraging people who have been victimized to participate in our legal system is essential to justice,” said Attorney General Garland. “For the past 41 years, the Department of Justice has recognized the challenges, struggles, and achievements of crime victims and victim advocates in their efforts to secure the rights, access, and equal justice that all survivors deserve. I am pleased to congratulate this year's honorees on their selection for these distinguished awards and extend my deepest gratitude for their continued work.”
The awardees were selected from public nominations in multiple categories, including federal service, public policy, victim services, and a Special Courage award. The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), a component of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first Victims’ Rights Week in 1981, placing crime victims' rights, needs and concerns in prominence on the American agenda.
President Reagan also established the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, which laid the groundwork for a national network of services and legal safeguards for crime victims. This year is the 40th anniversary of the Task Force’s Final Report and marks 50 years since the establishment of the first three victim assistance organizations — Bay Area Women Against Rape in Oakland, California; the D.C. Rape Crisis Center in Washington, D.C.; and Aid for Victims of Crime (now the Crime Victim Advocacy Center) in St. Louis, Missouri. The creation of these organizations, all of which still exist today, is considered to be the genesis of the crime victims’ movement in the United States.
The 41st observance of NCVRW takes place this year, April 24-30, and features the theme, “Rights, Access, Equity, for All Victims.”
“This time every year, we honor and remember victims of crime, not only for the trauma that they have endured and the adversity they have encountered, but also for their courage and resilience and for paving the way toward justice and healing for countless other survivors across the country,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “These extraordinary individuals and teams embody an ethic of service and compassion that distinguishes them from an already exceptional field of victim-serving professionals. We join the Attorney General in expressing our deepest appreciation for providing crime victims — all crime victims — a place to turn in their time of need.”
Following is a list of the 2022 NCVRW award recipients:
- The Allied Professional Award recognizes individuals working outside the victim assistance field for their service to victims.
- Recipients: Deborah Flowers, Pittsboro, North Carolina, and Dr. Linda Laras, Caguas, Puerto Rico.
- The Award for Professional Innovation in Victim Services recognizes a program, organization or individual who expands the reach of victims’ rights and services.
- Recipients: Barrier Free Living, Bronx, New York, and LGBTQ+ Victim Advocacy Initiative at Eskenazi Health, Indianapolis, Indiana.
- The Financial Restoration Award recognizes individuals, programs, organizations, or teams that have instituted innovative approaches for securing financial restoration for crime victims.
- Recipient: Asset Forfeiture Unit and Financial Litigation Program in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville.
- The Victims Research Award recognizes individual researchers or research teams who made a significant contribution to the nation’s understanding of crime victim issues.
- Recipient: John Chapin, Ph.D., Monaca, Pennsylvania.
- The Crime Victims’ Rights Award honors the dedicated champions throughout our nation whose efforts to advance or enforce crime victims’ rights have benefited victims of crime at the state, Tribal, or national level.
- Recipient: Derek Marchman, Conyers, Georgia.
- The Federal Service Award recognizes federal agency personnel for service to victims of federal, Tribal, or military crimes.
- Recipient: Environmental Crime Victim Assistance Team, Washington, D.C.
- The National Crime Victim Service Award honors extraordinary efforts to provide direct services to crime victims.
- Recipient: Brenda J. Muhammad, Atlanta, Georgia and Michelle L. Shae, Abbottstown, Pennsylvania.
- The Ronald Wilson Reagan Public Policy Award honors leadership, innovation, and vision that lead to noteworthy changes in public policy on behalf of crime victims.
- Recipient: The Every Voice Coalition, Boston, Massachusetts.
- The Special Courage Award honors extraordinary bravery in the aftermath of a crime or courageous act on behalf of a victim or potential victim.
- Recipients: Gail Frances Gardner, Ocoee, Florida and Suamhirs Piraino-Guzman, Seattle, Washington.
- The Volunteer for Victims Award recognizes individuals who serve without compensation.
- Recipient: Linda Stambaugh, Newell, South Dakota.
“The Office for Victims of Crime works every day to support victims in every corner of our country, ensuring that no crime survivor feels voiceless, marginalized, or alone,” said OVC Director Kristina Rose. “Through their tireless work, boundless capacity for empathy, and fierce devotion to justice, these award recipients have made it possible for victims to find their voice and to begin, with a feeling of hope, the long journey toward healing.”
During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, victim advocacy organizations, community groups and state, local, and Tribal agencies traditionally host rallies, candlelight vigils, and other events to raise awareness of victims’ rights and services. This year, many communities are organizing virtual gatherings and online public awareness campaigns.
To learn more about past NCVRW recipients, visit the OVC Gallery.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims, and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
- The Allied Professional Award recognizes individuals working outside the victim assistance field for their service to victims.
Ariel Quiros Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for EB-5 Fraud in Vermont’s Northeast KingdomRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that Ariel Quiros, 65, of Puerto Rico, and formerly of Key Biscayne, Florida, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison by Chief Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford in United States District Court in connection with his involvement in the AnC Vermont EB-5 investment project. Chief Judge Crawford also ordered Quiros to serve a three-year term of supervised release and to pay $8,338,600.77 in restitution. Today’s sentencing follows Quiros’s guilty pleas in August 2020 to three felony charges: conspiring with co-defendants William Kelly, Jong Weon (Alex) Choi, and William Stenger in a multi-year wire fraud scheme to defraud immigrant investors seeking green cards through the EB-5 program; money laundering for using a loan collateralized with investor funds to pay a personal tax obligation; and concealing material facts in a matter within the jurisdiction of a federal agency, namely United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which oversaw the EB-5 process.
According to court records and proceedings, the AnC Vermont project was designed to raise $110 million from 220 immigrant investors in order to construct and operate a biotechnology facility in Newport, Vermont. From 2012 to 2016, the defendants convinced approximately 169 investors to invest approximately $85 million in the AnC Vermont project, in addition to paying approximately $8 million in “administrative fees.” The facility was never constructed. As Chief Judge Crawford observed during Stenger’s sentencing hearing, in reality the AnC Vermont project was a “ghost.”
When Quiros pleaded guilty, he admitted that he and his co-conspirators misled AnC investors about important information, including how investor money would be used, the timing of job creation for the project, and Choi’s role in the project. For example, Quiros knew that investors were given a use-of-funds chart that contained a number of misrepresentations about the amount of funds Quiros and Choi planned to receive. Moreover, as the defendants raised investor money, Quiros used investor funds for purposes unrelated to the project, and he participated in concealing this misuse of funds. Quiros further admitted that the scheme included misrepresentations about the timing of the jobs that would be created by the project and the business revenue that would be generated from the project.
In addition to the wire fraud conspiracy charges, Quiros admitted using AnC investor funds for personal expenses, specifically a $6 million payment to the IRS in early 2015 funded by a loan collateralized by investor funds. Quiros also admitted helping to conceal from the Vermont Regional Center that Choi, who was deeply involved in the project, was being investigated in Korea for financial crimes.
As part of his plea agreement, Quiros agreed to cooperate in the government’s ongoing matters related to this case. The plea agreement signed by Quiros and the government capped Quiros’s potential jail sentence at 97 months, so long as he abided by the terms of the agreement. In connection with Quiros’s sentencing proceeding, the government informed the Court that Quiros should receive significant credit for his cooperation and would be an important witness at any trial of his co-defendants.
Quiros’s sentencing concludes the criminal proceedings for all three of the defendants who have appeared in this matter. Co-defendants Stenger and Kelly were each sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment by Chief Judge Crawford earlier this month. Co-defendant Choi remains at large.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest expressed his continued gratitude for the outstanding investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations in this case. U.S. Attorney Kerest also thanked the Justice Department’s Fraud Section and the Office of International Affairs for their invaluable collaboration in this prosecution.
“The Jay Peak EB-5 fraud was massive, lengthy, and wide-ranging. The defendants’ scheme impacted the lives of many hundreds of individuals, including not only investors from all over the world who dreamed of one day becoming United States citizens, but also Vermonters in Northeast Kingdom communities who hoped for the economic development and new jobs that the defendants promised to deliver,” said U.S. Attorney Kerest. “The conclusion of the criminal cases against Ariel Quiros, William Kelly, and William Stenger demonstrates that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to addressing the most challenging cases and to rooting out fraud in all corners of Vermont. I commend our prosecutors and law enforcement partners for their dogged investigation and prosecution of this complex matter.”
"Ariel Quiros, William Kelly, and William Stenger knowingly took advantage of innocent EB-5 investors," said Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Albany Division. "Their deceptive scheme destroyed their plans and ruined the promise of economic development in the city of Newport and the Northeast Kingdom. This sentence should send a message that the FBI takes our responsibility to investigate and pursue those who commit fraud for personal gain very seriously. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who use illegal means to take advantage of others."
“EB-5 investors contribute significant resources to American businesses and the U.S. economy with the aim of preserving jobs and seeking a pathway for obtaining lawful permanent residency,” said Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to bring our forensic accounting expertise in this multiagency effort to help ensure the integrity of this program and bring to justice those seeking to defraud it.”
“The U.S. public relies on FDA oversight to ensure that their medical products are safe and effective,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ronne G. Malham, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations New York Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice companies that attempt to subvert the regulatory functions of the FDA, which are intended to protect the public health. We commend the efforts of the Department of Justice for their vigorous pursuit of justice in this matter.”
The prosecutors handling the case are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Van de Graaf and Nicole Cate. Ariel Quiros is represented by Neil Taylor, Esq. and Robert Katims, Esq. William Kelly was represented by Robert Goldstein, Esq. and Mary Kehoe, Esq. William Stenger was represented by Brooks McArthur, Esq. and David Williams, Esq.
Alaska Dentist and Wife Indicted for Tax Evasion, Bankruptcy Fraud, Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
In an indictment unsealed yesterday, a federal grand jury in Anchorage, Alaska, charged an Alaska dentist and his wife with tax evasion, conspiring to defraud the United States, bankruptcy fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and other federal crimes.
According to the indictment, from approximately 2013 to present, Glenn and Saray Lockwood, of Kenai, evaded payment of millions of dollars of federal income taxes and filed false bankruptcy petitions to impede the IRS’s collection efforts. To conceal their assets from both the IRS and their bankruptcy creditors, the Lockwoods allegedly formed an LLC and transferred assets into the LLC. During the bankruptcy proceedings, the Lockwoods allegedly denied ownership of the LLC and other assets. According to the indictment, the Lockwoods attempted to evade more than $3.5 million in taxes.
If convicted, both defendants face a maximum of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion, conspiracy to defraud the United States and bankruptcy fraud, and 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman for the District of Alaska are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Alaska Dentist and Wife Indicted for Tax Evasion, Bankruptcy Fraud, Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – In an indictment unsealed yesterday, a federal grand jury in Anchorage, Alaska, charged an Alaska dentist and his wife with tax evasion, conspiring to defraud the United States, bankruptcy fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and other federal crimes.
According to the indictment, from approximately 2013 to present, Glenn and Saray Lockwood, of Kenai, evaded payment of millions of dollars of federal income taxes and filed false bankruptcy petitions to impede the IRS’s collection efforts. To conceal their assets from both the IRS and their bankruptcy creditors, the Lockwoods allegedly formed an LLC and transferred assets into the LLC. During the bankruptcy proceedings, the Lockwoods allegedly denied ownership of the LLC and other assets. According to the indictment, the Lockwoods attempted to evade more than $3.5 million in taxes.
If convicted, both defendants face a maximum of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion, conspiracy to defraud the United States and bankruptcy fraud, and 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman for the District of Alaska are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Thursday 28 April 2022
Woman admits to trafficking over $1M in crystal meth and black tar heroinRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 27-year-old Mission woman has pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute more than 31 kilograms of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Cristina Inez Marquez pleaded guilty to knowingly transporting and possessing over 31 kilograms of meth and five kilograms of heroin.
As part of her plea, Marquez admitted that on Dec. 29, 2021, she drove a gray Ford Explorer northbound on Highway 281 near Alice.
Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and conducted an inspection. At that time, they discovered the fuel tank had been tampered with and removed. Upon examining the contents, authorities found 12 concealed bundles of what appeared to be crystal meth and black tar heroin. The weight of the bundles exceeded 85 pounds.
Analysis later confirmed the substances in the bundles were in fact crystal meth at 95% purity with a net weight of 31.41 kilograms and black tar heroin with a net weight of 5.95 kilograms. The drugs had an estimated street value of more than $1.3 million.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales will impose sentencing July 20. At that time, Marquez faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.
She has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Marck is prosecuting the case.
Wilmington Man Sentenced for Stealing Firearms from a Federally Licensed Firearms DealerRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Naushad Khan, age 24 of Wilmington, was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for stealing numerous guns from a federal firearms licensee and for possession of a stolen firearm. Chief U.S. District Judge Colm F. Connolly pronounced the sentence.
Court records show that, during the early morning hours of May 31, 2020, Khan and four co-conspirators broke into American Sportsman, a federally licensed firearms dealer in Newark, on three separate occasions, stealing a total of 35 firearms. During the first burglary, Khan remained outside as his co-conspirators broke into the store and removed as many handguns and shot guns as they could in two minutes. Khan then returned with two additional co-conspirators and broke into the store two more times. Khan was the only individual present during all three burglaries. Eleven stolen firearms have since been recovered by law enforcement, but the location of the remaining two dozen guns is unknown. Co-defendants Nahsiem McInstosh and Derris Lloyd have pled guilty and are pending sentencing. Investigators continue to search for the remaining firearms and investigate the involvement of the two additional, currently unidentified, co-conspirators.
The government argued for an enhanced sentence based on two aggravating factors: first, that the firearms were stolen during the civil unrest related to George Floyd’s murder; and second, that the stolen firearms were likely sold to persons who could not legally possess guns.
“Ready access to illegal guns endangers lives. Stolen guns give dangerous felons the ability to destroy our communities, shot by shot. Of the eleven firearms that have been recovered, four have been linked through preliminary ballistic testing to other shootings and homicides in Delaware and Pennsylvania. My office will continue to work with all of our partners in law enforcement to hold accountable those who steal guns and sell them to criminals,” stated U.S. Attorney Weiss.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe and Daniel Logan prosecuted the case. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Delaware State Police.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 20-03-CFC.
West Haven Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Narcotics and Ammunition OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHAZ REDDICK, 39, of West Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and ammunition possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2021, West Haven Police made three controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Reddick. Reddick was arrested on April 20, 2021. On that date, a court-authorized search of his apartment revealed approximately 160 grams of crack, items used to process and package narcotics for street sale, and multiple rounds of ammunition.
Reddick’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for firearm, drug and larceny offenses. It is a violation of federal law for someone previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Reddick has been detained since his arrest. On December 6, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”) and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and the West Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Conor M. Reardon and 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.
Vicksburg Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute MarijuanaRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Vicksburg man pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute less than 50 kilograms of marijuana.
U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Todd Damiani of the Office of the Inspector General for the United States Department of Transportation made the announcement.
According to court documents, John Travis Ross, 34, flew a drone carrying approximately 60 grams of marijuana, lighters, a cell phone, and various cell phone cables over a fence onto the grounds of the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl, Mississippi during the early morning hours of August 6, 2020. Ross’s actions were captured on surveillance video. Ross has felony convictions for burglary of a building and sale of methamphetamine.
“Among the various intended uses of drone technology, illicit distribution of contraband, particularly inside a correctional facility, is not one,” said Todd Damiani, Special Agent-In-Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Southern Region. “We continue to diligently work with our Federal and State partners in identifying, investigating, and disrupting criminal drone activities.”
Ross pleaded guilty to a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(D). He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4, 2022 and, due to the relatively low amount of marijuana involved, faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Mississippi Department of Corrections and the DOT OIG are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Vallejo Man Pleads Guilty to Flying to the Philippines with the Intention of Engaging in Sexual Conduct with a ChildRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Balbino Sablad, 80, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty today to traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in 2019, Sablad flew to the Philippines with the intention of engaging in sexual conduct with a child under the age of 16. Using Facebook, Sablad had engaged in sexual chats with a person he believed was the intended minor victim and he sent the intended minor victim over $2,000 prior to his travel to the Philippines. Before he arrived, he also discussed with a co-conspirator his plan to sexually abuse the intended minor victim in the Philippines.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosanne Rust is prosecuting the case.
Sablad a sentencing hearing is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on Aug. 1, 2022. Sablad faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 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 case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Two charged in $10M Medicare fraud/kickback schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A home health agency owner and patient recruiter have been arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit, committing health care fraud and conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
A federal grand jury in Houston returned the five-count indictment against Okorie Oko, 63, Fresno, and Henry C. Dobbins, 57, Houston, April 26 which was unsealed today upon their arrests. They are expected to make their initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray today at 2 p.m.
According to the indictment, Oko is the owner and Dobbins is a patient recruiter, respectively, of Elitte Healthcare and Service Inc.
The indictment alleges that from 2015 to 2022, Oko billed Medicare for home health care services that were never provided and created false medical records. Oko allegedly paid kickbacks to Dobbins, patients and marketers that Elitte employed to obtain new patient referrals. Oko also allegedly billed Medicare for home health care services provided to Elitte marketers while transporting and recruiting patients within the community.
The indictment further alleges Oko and Elitte fraudulently billed more than $10 million to Medicare.
If convicted, both face up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The Department of Health and Human Services ‐ Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and FBI. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Olson is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Two Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Defendants Sentenced on Drug Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE, La. – Two defendants involved in separate Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) cases were sentenced yesterday on drug charges in the Western District of Louisiana, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.
Djavious T. Evans, 23, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 120 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In July 2020, agents with the DEA began an investigation into the trafficking of methamphetamine in the Shreveport area. This Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation was named “Operation Lost and Found” and resulted in federal indictments against nine defendants for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Through their investigation, agents learned that Demetrius Loston, Evans and other co-defendants were distributing large amounts of methamphetamine in the Shreveport area.
Law enforcement agents intercepted phone calls between Loston and an unnamed individual wherein they communicated about meeting to pick up methamphetamine at a local gas station. Agents observed Loston’s vehicle travel to the gas station, then to a residence in Shreveport. A traffic stop was conducted, and the driver was Evans. He had an outstanding warrant for child support and was arrested. During a search of the vehicle, officers found two loaded firearms, and a bag with several bags of methamphetamine inside. Another bag of methamphetamine was found under the radio console, along with 141 ecstasy pills. The narcotics were taken to the crime lab and were determined to have a net weight of 253.6 grams of methamphetamine and the ecstasy pills weighed 30.7 grams.
This case was investigated by the DEA, ATF, and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.
Jhailen Zeno, of 27, of Lafayette, Louisiana was sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to 85 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin. This Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation was named “Operation All Star Millennials” and resulted in a federal indictment against ten defendants for conspiring together to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine in the Morgan City area. Law enforcement agents began an investigation in September 2019 into the drug trafficking activities of Zeno and his co-defendants and learned that Zeno conspired with nine others to acquire and distribute heroin for profit. During their investigation, Zeno was stopped on two occasions in June 2020 and found to have heroin in his possession, along with a 9mm handgun. Zeno pleaded guilty on charge on July 7, 2021.
This case was investigated by the FBI, DEA, ATF, and Lafayette Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel and Robert C. Abendroth.
These cases are part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Two Leaders and an Associate of Little Havana Drug Trafficking Organization Found GuiltyRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida – Following a nine-week trial, a federal jury in Miami has found two leaders and an associate of a violent drug trafficking and money laundering organization operating in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood guilty of various firearms, narcotics, and money laundering crimes.
According to the trial evidence, from 2013 to 2018, Ulysses Cabrera, a/k/a “Uley,” a/k/a “Big Cuz,” 32, and Bernardo Quinonez, a/k/a “Macho,” 34, both of Miami, led a continuing criminal enterprise that distributed cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana onto the streets of Little Havana. Cabrera supplied the cocaine and managed the operation. B. Quinonez was a co-manager who supervised the people turning the cocaine into crack inside local homes. The third trial defendant, Victor Smith, a/k/a “OGP,” 26, of Miami, oversaw the street-level drug sales. When rival drug dealers threatened the territory that they controlled or questioned their authority, Cabrera and B. Quinonez directed Smith and other armed members of the ring to intimidate, maim, and, in some instances, kill people. Innocent bystanders were sometimes shot and injured. Cabrera and B. Quinonez laundered the dirty drug money in various ways, including buying Opa-Locka real estate.
Law enforcement seizures in this case included approximately 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, several grams of crack cocaine, more than 26 pounds of marijuana, four assault rifles, 10 pistols, 10 extended magazines, 10 semi-automatic firearms, a short barrel rifle, a revolver and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
The jury convicted Cabrera of one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, four counts of money laundering crimes, and four counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The jury convicted B. Quinonez of one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, one count of conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of drive-by shooting, one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, three counts of money laundering, seven counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of maintaining an establishment to distribute controlled substances. It convicted Smith of one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, one count of conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, as well as one count of armed robbery and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Sentencing is set for August 1, before Chief United States District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga. Cabrera, B. Quinonez, and Smith face up to life in prison.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Christopher A. Robinson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division; George A. Perez, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD); Manuel A. Morales, Chief of Police, City of Miami Police Department (MPD); and Gadyaces S. Serralta, U.S. Marshal, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), made the announcement.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case and prosecution were carried out by members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The South Florida HIDTA, established in 1990, is made up of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies who, cooperatively, target the region’s drug-trafficking and money laundering organizations. The South Florida HIDTA is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which sponsors a variety of initiatives focused on the nation’s illicit drug trafficking threats.
This investigation, Operation Havana Ghost, is a result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The OCDETF mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking enterprises, bringing together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement.
ATF Miami, MDPD (including the MDPD Street Terror Offender Program (STOP)), MPD, and U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen D’Angelo and Rilwan Adeduntan are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 18-cr-20946.
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Two Harrisburg Men Indicted for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Steven Seibert, age 42, and Dennis Banegas, age 46, both of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, were indicted on April 28, 2022, by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment charges Seibert and Banegas with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine between October 2018 and January 2019, and attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on January 7, 2019, in Dauphin County.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian T. Haugsby is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Seibert and Banegas face a maximum penalty of up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and a term of supervised release of up to life. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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