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8 June 2022
Sovah Health to Pay United States $4.36 Million to Settle Claims of Controlled Substance Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – Sovah Health has agreed to pay the United States $4.36 million to settle claims that the hospital system violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) on numerous occasions between 2017 and 2020. As part of the resolution, Sovah Health further agreed to be subject to a period of four years of increased compliance and oversight during which any failure to comply with its obligations may result in contempt of court findings that could result in additional monetary sanctions and injunctive relief. The settlement is the third-largest civil penalty ever obtained from a hospital system under the Controlled Substances Act and the largest ever in the Fourth Circuit.
The claims center around Sovah Health’s failure to have effective controls in place to prevent the diversion of powerful painkilling prescription opioids. Sovah Health is a regional health care delivery system comprised of a hospital with two campuses - Danville and Martinsville. In 2017, Danville (formerly Danville Regional Medical Center) and Martinsville (formerly Memorial Hospital of Martinsville & Henry County) united to form Sovah Health.
From 2017 to 2019, a Sovah Health employee diverted more than 11,000 Schedule II controlled substances from Sovah Health. From January to May 2020 a second Sovah Health employee tampered with Fentanyl vials and hydromorphone injectables by replacing the controlled substance with saline and diverting the controlled substance. The United States alleged Sovah Health failed to provide effective controls and procedures to guard against the diversion of controlled substances, filled orders for controlled substances without a system in place to disclose suspicious orders of controlled substances, and failed to maintain readily retrievable records of controlled substances.
“As opioid overdose deaths skyrocket, it is critical that health care companies are held accountable when they fail to effectively safeguard these powerful prescriptions within their facilities,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia. “The oversight provided by this resolution will ensure future compliance involving these important but potentially deadly substances, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia will continue to vigorously pursue these cases with our federal and local partners in order to protect Virginia’s communities.”
“Today's settlement sends a clear message to all registrants that it is essential to maintain effective controls to prevent the diversion of controlled substances” said DEA Washington Division Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget. “DEA is dedicated to combat the prescription drug abuse problem in Virginia and throughout the country and to hold all DEA registrants accountable."
“The FDA oversees the U.S. drug supply to ensure that patients receive medicines that are safe and effective,” said Special Agent in Charge George A. Scavdis of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to protect the public health by holding accountable health care companies that fail to safeguard their prescription drug inventory and thereby compromise their patients’ health and comfort.”
“With opioid deaths and overdoses at record-breaking highs, especially across Southside Virginia, there must be zero tolerance of trusted health professionals engaging in drug diversion,” said Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent. “For the safety and protection of Virginia's communities, our Virginia State Police Drug Diversion special agents, in collaboration with our local and federal public safety partners, will continue to aggressively pursue investigations related to the illegal distribution of Fentanyl and other prescription drugs.”
The agreement, which is available here, resolves Sovah Health’s potential civil and criminal liability based on the investigation. As part of the resolution, Sovah Health has committed to additional compliance measures including, but not limited to, having cameras at all Automated Dispensing Machines to capture the activity of placing/removing controlled substances; promptly reporting losses and diversion of controlled substances; taking and reporting disciplinary action taken against employees found to have been responsible for theft, diversion or loss of controlled substances; maintaining a mandatory random drug testing program for employees; and conducting a full physical inventory of all federally scheduled II-V controlled substances more frequently than required by law.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Lugar and Randy Ramseyer represented the United States in this matter.
The investigation was conducted by the Food and Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration – Roanoke Resident Office Diversion Group, and the Virginia State Police.
South Carolina Woman Sentenced for Role in International Money Laundering, Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Greenville, South Carolina woman, who was involved in a longtime romantic relationship with the leader of an extensive methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, was sentenced this week to 36 months in federal prison.
Lisa Yvonne Fleming Neely, 56, pled guilty in February 2022 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering with the intent to promote the carrying on of a crime - specifically to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice.
According to court documents, in 2012, Neely began a romantic relationship with Joshua Desorcy while he was incarcerated. Upon his release from prison, Desorcy began selling methamphetamine in the Greenville, South Carolina area and Neely assisted him by wiring funds to various sources connected with a Mexican drug cartel.
Desorcy moved to Bristol, Virginia to expand his drug dealing business and Neely continued to support him by coordinating his travels to purchase massive amounts of methamphetamine from additional sources in Atlanta, Georgia and Houston, Texas.
When Desorcy was arrested in 2021, Neely conspired with him to threaten a co-conspirator into falsely claiming ownership of a firearm that was found in Desorcy’s possession. In addition, Neely not only continued to facilitate communications between the incarcerated Desorcy and his drug suppliers, but also organized additional shipments of methamphetamine into the Southwest Virginia area at his direction.
In February 2022, Desorcy was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia, Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Washington Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of DEA’s Washington Division made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Murphy prosecuted the case.
Schenectady Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK - Ronald Horton, age 24, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to serve 20 years in prison for sexually exploiting a 5-year-old child. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matthew Scarpino, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Horton admitted that he recorded multiple videos that depicted his sexual abuse of the child and then uploaded those videos to an account he maintained on a blogging website.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release, which will start after Horton is released from prison, and ordered Horton to pay a $100 special assessment. Horton will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by HSI and the NYSP Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Kopita as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Rochester Man Arrested on Multiple Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Matthew Shulman, 36, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with attempted production of child pornography, receipt and distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography following a previous conviction for possessing child pornography. The charges carry a minimum penalty of 25 years in prison, a maximum of 50 years, lifetime supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, between May 2021, and June 2022, Shulman engaged in sexually explicit online communications with an undercover New York State Police Investigator that he believed was an 11-year-old girl. During these conversations, Shulman asked the girl to produce and send images to him and he attempted to persuade the girl to meet him for sex. On June 7, 2022, the NYSP and Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Shulman’s residence at which time Shulman was taken into custody. Shulman was previously convicted of possessing child pornography in Monroe County Court in June 2016 and is a registered sex offender.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and is being held without bail.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Repeat Drug Trafficker Sentenced to over 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Sigfrido Adolfo Rivero, 56, of Nogales, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 121 months in federal prison, followed by 120 months of supervised release. Rivero previously pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
On May 19, 2021, Rivero was arrested as he attempted to pass through the Interstate 19 immigration checkpoint near Amado, Arizona, after it was discovered that he had approximately 190,000 pills (19.24 kilograms) of fentanyl hidden in his vehicle. In a previous case, Rivero was sentenced to 10 years in state prison for trafficking bulk quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine. Rivero served most of that sentence before being released, and was on parole for about five months when he committed this new drug trafficking crime.
“The United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Arizona is committed to combatting the fentanyl epidemic plaguing this country and will advocate vigorously for appropriately strict punishment for those involved in the distribution of this dangerous drug,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino.
Members of the Counter Narcotics Alliance, including the Drug Enforcement Administration and Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, conducted the investigation in this case. The Counter Narcotics Alliance is a multi-jurisdictional drug task force operating in the Pima County and Greater Tucson area. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Lizano, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-01382-SHR(LCK)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-089_Rivero# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Registered Sex Offender Arrested on New Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Michael Woloschuk, 42, of Hamlin, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography, after having previously been convicted of a child pornography offense. The charges carry a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in October 2020, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cybertip from a social media platform that an individual distributed child pornography over the platform. NCMEC forwarded the information to the New York State Police, who identified the individual as Woloschuk, a registered sex offender. On October 26, 2021, during the execution of a search warrant at Woloschuk’s residence, investigators seized several digital devices, to include a thumb drive and laptop. A forensic analysis recovered several videos and images of child pornography, to include material that depicted violence against prepubescent children. Some of the child pornography was located on the thumb drive, which also contained Woloschuk’s sex offender registration information. Woloschuk was previously convicted on New York State child pornography charges in 2005 and sentenced to serve 3 to 9 years in prison.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Portland Man Faces Federal Charges for Using Instagram to Sexually Exploit Children OnlineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—On June 7, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging a Portland man for using Instagram to persuade children to produce and send him sexually explicit photos of themselves.
Solomon Dean Cook, 18, has been charged with sexual exploitation of children, attempted sexual exploitation of children, receiving child pornography, and possessing child pornography.
According to court documents, Cook first came to the attention of federal law enforcement in January 2022 when the parent of a minor victim in Portland called the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) to report that an Instagram user had persuaded their child to produce and share a sexually explicit photo of herself. The user threatened to distribute the image if the child did not continue producing and sending more images.
In follow-up interviews with investigators, the minor victim identified a second child in Portland who had been victimized by Cook. She told investigators that Cook posted nude photos of both children on his Instagram stories.
After receiving the tip, federal agents traced two Instagram accounts to Cook and identified his Portland residence. On May 11, 2022, agents executed a federal search warrant on the residence. During the search, Cook confessed to enticing the reporting minor victim to produce the sexually explicit image and to exploiting additional victims in the same manner. Cook was arrested and made his first appearance in federal court the same day.
Cook will be arraigned on the indictment on June 10, 2022.
If convicted, Cook faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison with a 15-year mandatory minimum, a life term of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. He may also be ordered to pay restitution to his victims.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by FBI Portland’s Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF). It is being prosecuted by Mira Chernick, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. Child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, child victims suffer re-victimization each time the image of their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website at www.missingkids.org.
The FBI CETF conducts sexual exploitation investigations, many of them undercover, in coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering and assisting victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced after Pleading Guilty to Setting Fire that Killed 3 Pittsburgh Firefighters in 1995Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to no further penalty after pleading guilty today to malicious destruction of property by fire resulting in death, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Senior United States District Judge David Cercone imposed the sentence on Gregory Brown, 44, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Brown served 20 years in state prison for his conviction on the arson that was the subject of this case. That conviction was vacated in 2016.
According to information provided to the court during today’s hearing, the defendant, then 17, set fire to the residential rental home located at 8361 Bricelyn Street in Pittsburgh’s East Hills neighborhood on February 14, 1995, which resulted in the deaths of Pittsburgh firefighters Thomas Brooks, Patricia Conroy and Marc Kolenda.
U.S. Attorney Chung stated, “Captain Thomas Brooks, and Firefighters Patricia Conroy and Marc Kolenda were dedicated public servants with families and friends who loved them. In 1995, these dedicated public servants died in the line of duty. Today, defendant Gregory Brown acknowledged under oath that the evidence as described in court establishes his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and is sufficient to secure his conviction. A conviction and waiver of appellate rights is important in securing justice for these public servants and their families and holds Gregory Brown responsible forever in the eyes of the law.”
“Arson is a very serious and violent crime, and in this case resulted in the tragic deaths of three Pittsburgh firefighters,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “ATF and our experts will continue to work closely with our state and local partners to investigate these violent acts of arson and make sure those responsible are held accountable for their actions. I would like to commend the work of all the investigators and prosecutors in this case since this incident occurred.”
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney and Special Assistant Rebecca Walker of the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Allegheny County Fire Marshal, and the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gregory Brown.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Drug LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Pittsburgh’s Northside neighborhood pleaded guilty in federal court to a violation of the federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Asa Collins, aka “Asa Brown”), 20, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, fentanyl, and tramadol before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on April 27, 2021, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Officers stopped a vehicle operated by Collins in Pittsburgh’s Northside neighborhood for a traffic infraction. During a subsequent search of his vehicle, officers found approximately 8 “bricks” – containing roughly 400 individual dosage units – of heroin, fentanyl, and tramadol mixtures (each of which is a scheduled controlled substance), along with a loaded .45 caliber pistol. In connection with his guilty plea, Collins admitted to possessing the controlled substances with the intent to distribute them, along with unlawfully possessing the .45 caliber pistol.
Senior Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for October 20, 2022. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Cook and Jerome A. Moschetta are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Collins.
Pharmacist sentenced to over 15 years in prisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Thomas Ukoshovbera A. Gbenedio has been sentenced for illegally dispensing and distributing controlled substances from his pharmacy. After Gbenedio was found guilty by a jury, he attempted to flee the country to avoid prison.
“Gbenedio used his pharmacy as a pill-mill to supply highly-addictive narcotics to drug dealers and drug addicts,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “His greed exacerbated the opioid epidemic that continues to plague our community. After the jury found him guilty, he then attempted to leave the country, but was quickly apprehended by law enforcement. Now, he will serve a significant prison sentence.”
“As the nationwide trend toward the non-medical use of prescription drugs swells, the need for an organized, immediate, and effective response increases correspondingly,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “The abuse of a trusted medical professional (a pharmacist in this case) like Mr. Gbenedio will not be tolerated. He will now face the consequences of his unlawful acts. This case is a perfect example of the success that can be achieved when DEA and its law enforcement partners work collaboratively confront, engage and eliminate the distribution of controlled substances by medical practitioners. Doing so will help to stem the tide against this country’s opioid epidemic.”
“Justice is served due to collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement partnerships,” said Michael Yeager, U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Georgia.
“This investigation emphasizes the commitment of the FBI and our partners in combatting the opioid epidemic in our country,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The public must trust in medical professionals, and the FBI will continue to investigate those who abuse their responsibilities and endanger others by engaging in criminal activity.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Gbenedio was a licensed pharmacist who owned Better Way Pharmacy in Mableton, Georgia. An investigation into Gbenedio began after Georgia Drug & Narcotics Agency (GDNA) agents conducted a routine inspection at Better Way and noticed that several of Gbenedio’s customers were driving long distances - including from Kentucky and Alabama - to get prescriptions filled at Better Way. Several of the prescriptions were for large quantities of highly addictive opioids, like oxycodone, and many of the prescriptions were purportedly from the same physician.
The investigation later revealed that the prescriptions being filled by Gbenedio between 2014 and 2016 were not real prescriptions; they were fake or fraudulent and otherwise illegal. Gbenedio charged his customers up to $1,000 to fill the illegal prescriptions for controlled substances.
After a two-week jury trial, Gbenedio was convicted of 70 counts of illegally dispensing and distributing controlled substances and one count of refusing an administrative inspection warrant.
Once the jury announced its verdict, Gbenedio was ordered to report to Probation for location monitoring. Instead of reporting, Gbenedio attempted to flee. He ultimately was apprehended at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport with the assistance of U.S. Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Thomas Ukoshovbera A. Gbenedio, 72, of Mableton, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr., to 15 years, eight months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $200,000. Gbenedio had been found guilty by a jury on October 29, 2021.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Adams and Erin N. Spritzer prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Orlando Man Sentenced to Four Years for Laundering Funds from Lottery Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Sheldon Shaun Hibbert, 43, most recently of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 48 months in prison. Hibbert previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
Hibbert participated in a scheme where scammers called elderly victims and falsely stated they had won a lottery. To receive their “winnings,” the victims were told they must first submit money for taxes and fees. Hibbert’s role in the scheme was to help launder the fraudulent proceeds to Jamaica on behalf of his co-conspirators. As part of his sentence, the court also ordered a forfeiture money judgment against Hibbert totaling $196,523. A restitution hearing has been scheduled for August 5, 2022.
IRS - Criminal Investigation, FBI, United States Postal Inspection Service, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in the case. The Financial Crimes and Public Corruption section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-1973-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-088_Hibbert# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Omaha Man Sentenced to 131 Months for Methamphetamine, Firearm and ThreatRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Dustin T. Baker, 27, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for distribution of methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and willfully making a threat involving explosives materials. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Baker to imprisonment for a term of 71 months, to be followed by a mandatory consecutive 60-month term of imprisonment resulting from his conviction for the firearms offense. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
Baker placed an explosive device on the hood of a Chevy Tahoe that belonged his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend (victim). Baker called the victim approximately 11 times between 1:22 a.m. and 4:28 a.m. during the early hours of August 26, 2021. During the calls, Baker threatened the victim and threatened to blow up his car.
On the morning of August 27, 2021, investigators located Baker outside of his residence on Ruggles Street in Omaha. Two other persons were also present at the residence. Baker consented to a search of his house and investigators found methamphetamine, a gun, and ammunition. The gun was later determined to have been stolen. Baker admitted he had a firearm in his house and admitted to placing the device on the Tahoe. Police arrested Baker.
A quantity of methamphetamine was recovered from Baker’s bedroom and from one of the two additional persons present at Baker’s house when investigators arrived on August 27, 2021. That person told investigators that she purchased the methamphetamine on her person from Baker when she arrived at his residence a few hours earlier. She further stated on August 26, 2021, she and another party gave Baker a ride, dropping him off at a specific location (near the victim’s residence) and picked him up two hours later when he messaged her to park at “something and Elm”. She said she felt the concussion from a loud explosion at that location and that when Baker returned, he commented, “That’s what happens when you don’t pay me my money or mess with me.”
On August 30, 2021, after Baker was arrested, he made a jail call to his mother and told her the police didn’t find all of the devices he used at the victim’s residence. Baker asked his mother to tell another party to retrieve it from his sock drawer. Investigators were able to obtain a search warrant and seized the second device.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of More than $40,000 in Social Security FundsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOHN EDWARD JONES, age 42, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty to Theft of Government Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.
According to court documents, beginning around July 2015 and continuing through March 2020, JONES collected Social Security Administration benefits paid to a deceased individual. In total, JONES fraudulently received approximately $40,361.00 in Social Security Administration benefits to which he was not entitled.
JONES faces a maximum penalty of ten (10) years imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter set sentencing for September 8, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General and the Louisiana State Police. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni.
New Jersey Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Throwing an Explosive Device at Police During May 30, 2020, Pittsburgh ProtestRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Long Beach Township, New Jersey, has been sentenced in federal court to 24 months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release on a conviction of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Nicholas Lucia, 27.
The court was previously advised that on May 30, 2020, Lucia threw an explosive device towards several uniformed police officers who were attempting to maintain control during ongoing rioting. The explosive device landed on the vest of one of the officers, and another officer quickly pulled it off and threw it before it exploded. One officer suffered a concussion as a result of being in close proximity to the explosion.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the joint investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lucia.
Naugatuck Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing NarcoticsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JASON METZ, also known as “Jay,” 53, of Naugatuck, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for distributing heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and crack.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2020, the DEA New Haven Task Force and Waterbury Police Department began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization that was distributing large amounts of heroin, cocaine and crack in the Waterbury area, and was believed to be headed by Zachary Lee Foster. The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones used by members of the organization, physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and motor vehicle stops that resulted in the seizure of drugs. The investigation revealed that Metz was working closely with Foster to distribute narcotics. Between October 2020 and January 2021, Metz was intercepted numerous times on a wiretap ordering distribution quantities of narcotics from his New York supplier, and coordinating the sale of narcotics to several associates who, in turn, sold the drugs to their own customers.
On March 1, 2021, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Metz. Foster, and 15 others. Metz and others were arrested on March 3, 2021. On that date, law enforcement executed seven search warrants and seized approximately 40,000 bags of heroin/fentanyl, 350 grams of cocaine, 50 grams of crack cocaine, and nine firearms.
Metz pleaded guilty on February 16, 2022.
Metz, who had been released on bond, was remanded to custody at the conclusion of today’s court proceeding.
Foster has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick F. Caruso and Brendan Keefe through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Waterbury for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
Muskegon Doctor Pleads Guilty to Billing for Office Visits She Never Performed and Agrees to Settle Civil Claims for Half A Million DollarsRead the Press Release
Physician restricted from future controlled substance prescribing
GRAND RAPIDS – A Muskegon physician pleaded guilty on May 25, 2022, to a felony information charging her with one count of health care fraud. According to court documents, Soaries Maxine Peterson, M.D., 68, billed Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield for services that she did not perform. Dr. Peterson admitted that she billed for office visits for patients who came to her office, often to obtain monthly prescriptions for controlled substances, when she was on vacation out of state or when she was outside of the office performing other services. During these encounters, patients met only with unlicensed office staff and no qualified health professional.
As part of a global settlement, Dr. Peterson also agreed to pay the United States and the State of Michigan $500,000 to resolve her civil liability under the False Claims Act for the alleged fraudulent claims she billed to Medicare and Medicaid, as well to resolve her federal liability under the Controlled Substances Act related to her prescribing of controlled substances. More specifically, the United States alleges that Dr. Peterson wrote prescriptions for controlled substances to her patients without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice. As part of the investigation, Dr. Peterson surrendered her Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) registration for cause, and she has agreed to never reapply for a new registration, preventing her from ever prescribing opioids and other controlled substances in the future.
“Health care providers who fraudulently bill for services they did not provide must be held accountable, especially when those services involve the prescribing of controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “The citizens of this district deserve better. My office is committed to working with our federal and state partners to combat this unprofessional, unsafe, and unlawful behavior in Michigan.”
“I appreciate the coordinated effort across state and federal agencies to reach this outcome,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. “My office will continue to work with our partners to ensure providers who commit fraud are held accountable. Patients and all Michigan residents deserve better.”
“The charges to which Peterson pleaded guilty describe a person who was more motivated by greed than by her duty to provide appropriate medical care to patients,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) in Michigan. “The FBI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to investigate health care fraud committed by medical professionals who defraud federal health care programs and knowingly place their patients at risk.”
“Providers who fraudulently bill federal health care programs and prescribe controlled substances without a medical need show no regard for the well-being of their patients and irresponsibly divert funds needed to care for beneficiaries,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”). “Our agency will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable providers who engage in fraud and endanger the beneficiaries of our federal health care programs.”
“Disregard for laws regulating controlled substances is what is fueling the nation’s overdose epidemic,” said Kent R. Kleinschmidt, DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Detroit Field Division. “This reckless behavior will not be tolerated, and DEA is committed to pursuing anyone who fails to meet their prescribing obligations.”
Dr. Peterson pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1347). She is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG, and DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Hull represents the United States in the civil case, and Assistant Attorney General Stacy M. Race of the Michigan Department of Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Division represents the State of Michigan in its civil case.
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Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 234 Months in Prison for Shooting Victim During Attempted CarjackingRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 7, 2022, Jack A. Clayborne, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced to a 234-month term of imprisonment for shooting a victim during an attempted carjacking. That term of imprisonment will be followed by an additional 60 months of supervised release. Clayborne had been convicted by a jury of attempted carjacking, discharging a firearm in furtherance of the attempted carjacking, and of possession of ammunition by a felon.
The evidence presented at trial established that in 2016, Clayborne and a second gunman, Eric Booker, attempted to carjack their victim after the victim backed his car into his garage. Clayborne walked up to the garage with a handgun and shot the victim through both of his legs. The victim then retrieved a legally owned handgun and shot back, hitting Booker. Booker was found guilty by a jury in 2017.
“Violent crimes like carjackings and armed robberies present an unacceptable threat to the safety and security of our communities,” commented U.S. Attorney Frohling. “In this case, Clayborne not only brazenly attempted an armed carjacking but also was willing to pull the trigger – and shoot the victim – just to try to take the car. As part of a combined effort with our federal, state, and local partners to combat violent crime, the U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to prosecuting violent offenders – including carjackers like Clayborne and Booker -- in federal court.”
"The FBI and our law enforcement partners are firmly committed to protecting neighborhoods from senseless and unprovoked crimes, including attempted carjackings," stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. "The sentencing today demonstrates behaviors of this type will not be tolerated here in Milwaukee, nor anywhere in the state of Wisconsin."
“The Milwaukee Police is committed to working with our community, local, state and federal partners to combat violent crime that has been plaguing our community. We are extremely proud of the dedication and hard work of the members of MPD, FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office that collaborate to bring violent offenders to justice,” said Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman.
This case was investigated by the Milwaukee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mel Johnson, Rebecca Taibleson, and Christopher Ladwig and tried by Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Taibleson and Philip T. Kovoor.
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Mexican Man Sentenced for Fraud Involving a Social Security CardRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Mexican national was sentenced to 12 months in prison for fraud or misuse of a social security card.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Chief Patrol Agent Jason E. Schneider of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, and Special Agent in Charge David L. Denton of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.
According to court documents, Jesus Alberto Charqueno-Hernandez, 26, was arrested on October 25, 2021, by Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputies after they received a 911 call for assistance. Deputies responded to the location of the 911 call near the intersection of Interstate 10 and Highway 57. Charqueno-Hernandez was placed under arrest for driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance.
In trying to identify him, officers found several forms of identification in Charqueno-Hernandez’ possession, including a Florida state identification card bearing another person’s name with a photo of Charqueno-Hernandez. Officers and agents also found a Social Security Card which bore the name and Social Security Number of the person named on the Florida Identification Card who was determined to be a victim of identity theft. Knowing that the name and SSN were not his own, he unlawfully used the victim’s information for the purpose of gaining employment.
Immigration records checks revealed that Carqueno-Hernandez had been previously removed from the U.S. to Mexico and had illegally returned to the United States.
Carqueno-Hernandez pled guilty on January 25, 2022. After serving his prison sentence, he is subject to Department of Homeland Security proceedings to remove him from the United States.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.
Mexican Man Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Martin Perez-Amaro, age 33, of Mexico, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury and charged with illegal reentry into the United States.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Perez-Amaro had been deported in September 2018, and is alleged to have illegally reentered the United States sometime after that date. He was located in Lackawanna County on May 8, 2022.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 2 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, 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.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Memphis Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Distribution of Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Jeffrey Luellen a/k/a “Roxy”, 45 has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for distribution of heroin and fentanyl. Joseph C. Murphy Jr., United States Attorney, announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, on May 12, 2018, detectives with the Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit (OCU) responded to a suspected heroin overdose call at a local residence.
Upon arrival, law enforcement discovered the victim was dead on the scene with the cause of death later being determined as fentanyl overdose. Witnesses identified Jeffrey Luellen a/k/a "Roxy” as the individual who sold the substance ingested by the victim.
Throughout the investigation, detectives obtained surveillance video from a local gas station capturing the transaction. Law enforcement also conducted undercover purchases from Luellen and executed a search warrant at his hotel room.
On June 20, 2018, Luellen admitted to being a heroin distributor.
On June 3, 2022, United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Luellen to 188 months in federal prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Musselwhite and Michelle Kimbril-Parks prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
###Maryland Drug Dealer Convicted at Trial for the Murder of a Woman and Her Seven-Year-Old Child and for Federal Drug Trafficking and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury today convicted Andre Ricardo Briscoe, a/k/a “Poo”, age 38, of Baltimore and Cambridge, Maryland, on federal drug distribution charges, use of a firearm to commit murder in relation to drug trafficking crimes, killing a witness to prevent communication with law enforcement and being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition.
The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; and Chief Mark K. Lewis of the Cambridge Police Department.
“This case is nothing short of tragic. A mother and her child, who was believed to be a witness, were senselessly murdered by defendant Andre Briscoe,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “Let this conviction serve as a message to those who would take a life that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland will prosecute anyone who harms, or attempts to harm, witnesses.”
“There is a little boy who should be a teenager right now, but who instead was murdered at only seven years old because he witnessed the murder of his mother. That kind of callous disregard for their lives is reprehensible,” said ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby. “ATF and our partners work tirelessly to take violent offenders off the street and give victims the justice they deserve. While it can never make up for their loss, we hope that today the family of Jennifer Jeffrey and her son feel some sense of justice. ATF will continue in our mission to stop trigger-pullers, protect victims and witness, and help create safer communities in Baltimore.”
“Andre Briscoe displayed a total disregard for human life as he murdered an innocent child in a heinous act of violence,” said Thomas J. Sobocinski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “Violence and intimidation of witnesses will not be tolerated. Rest assured the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue and hold accountable those who seek to terrorize our communities and hurt innocent people.”
According to the facts proven at his 12-day trial, from March through October 2015, Briscoe conspired with others to distribute heroin. On May 25, 2015, Briscoe traveled from his home in Cambridge, Maryland, to the home of Kiara Haynes, with whom he was romantically involved. He told Haynes that he planned to steal heroin from Jennifer Jeffrey, a long-time friend of Haynes. According to trial testimony, during the course of the evening, Briscoe explained that Jeffrey had heroin and he planned to rob and kill Jeffrey to get the heroin. Haynes told Briscoe she would help him get a gun.
Haynes subsequently contacted a relative whom she knew to have a gun. The relative was incarcerated at the time. Haynes told the relative on a recorded jail line that she needed the gun so Briscoe could rob Jeffrey of her drugs. In exchange for allowing Haynes to use the gun, Haynes promised to give the inmate “like 30 [grams]” of the stolen heroin and give him the gun back. The inmate agreed to loan Haynes the gun. After the call, Haynes and the co-defendant met with the inmate’s brother, who gave Haynes a .45 caliber firearm. Briscoe and Haynes returned to Haynes’s apartment with the gun.
Later that night, Briscoe left Haynes’s apartment to go hang out with Jeffrey at Jeffrey’s nearby home. When Haynes woke up later she realized that Briscoe had not returned and got upset. Between 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Haynes walked over to Jeffrey’s home and began banging on the door and yelling for the Briscoe to come out. Jeffrey’s relative opened the door and told Haynes that children were in the house asleep and that Haynes should go home, which she eventually did.
As detailed during trial testimony, at approximately 7:23 a.m., Briscoe walked back from Jeffrey’s residence to Haynes’s apartment. Briscoe told Haynes that Jeffrey had shown him a large amount of heroin and that Jeffrey’s child did not feel well and had not gone to school that day. At approximately 11:41 a.m. Haynes overheard Briscoe on the phone with Jeffrey, who was talking about making breakfast for Briscoe. Briscoe retrieved the .45-caliber gun from Haynes’s bedroom and told Haynes that he was going to Jeffrey’s to get the drugs.
Briscoe returned to Haynes’s apartment and told her that Jeffrey and her child were dead and gave Haynes a bag of heroin as her “cut” of Jeffrey’s drugs. As detailed in Haynes’s plea agreement, she returned the gun to the inmate’s relative along with the heroin given to her by Briscoe, as payment for the use of the gun. On May 28, 2015, after a receiving a call for assistance, the Baltimore Police Department discovered Jeffrey and her child dead in their home.
In November 2021 co-defendant Kiara Haynes, age 36, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting the use and discharge of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime and crime of violence, causing the death of Jennifer Jeffrey and her seven-year-old son. Haynes is scheduled to be sentenced on June 29, 2022.
Briscoe faces a maximum sentence life in prison for use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and a crime of violence related to the murder of Jeffrey; a mandatory life sentence for use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and crime of violence, causing death, related to the murder of Jeffrey’s child and for killing a witness to prevent communication with law enforcement. Briscoe also faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy to distribute and for possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; and a maximum of 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett scheduled sentencing for Briscoe on September 20, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended ATF, the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Cambridge Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana J. Brusca and Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted the case and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abigail E. Ticse, Michael C. Hanlon and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Wilkinson for their assistance.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Manager in Camden Drug-Trafficking Organization Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A manager of a Camden drug-trafficking organization today admitted conspiring to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin, more than 280 grams of crack cocaine, and unspecified quantities of cocaine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Juan Figueroa, 24, of Camden, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an indictment charging him with conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute: one kilogram or more of heroin, 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, fentanyl and cocaine.
Seventeen other members of the drug-trafficking conspiracy previously have pleaded guilty in this case. The charges against one other defendant, Christopher Vasquez, remain pending, and he is scheduled to go on trial beginning July 18, 2022.
Figueroa admitted that he acted as a manager of the drug trafficking organization based in the area of the 400-500 block of Pine Street in Camden. He also acted as a “runner,” supervising and directing others involved in distributing controlled substances. He provided drugs to his conspirators and collected drug proceeds from them.
The count to which Figueroa pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of a lifetime in prison, and a $10 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 11, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire; the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gabe Rodriguez; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer; the Camden County Sherriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Gilbert L. Wilson; the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Larry Robb; and the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Department of Homeland Security for their assistance.
This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), which 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 government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara A. Aliabadi and Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations that remain pending against Vasquez are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Defense counsel for Juan Figueroa: Michael Riley Esq., Mount Holly, New Jersey
Man Charged with Murder on the Umatilla Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Umatilla, Oregon, man has been charged with murdering an adult male victim on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
Kawlija Nicoah Scott, 25, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with murder.
According to the complaint, on May 25, 2022, Umatilla Tribal Police Department officers responded to a stabbing at a residence on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Officers and paramedics found an adult male on scene who had sustained multiple stab wounds including one to his chest. Life-saving efforts were made, but the victim later died at a nearby hospital.
Further investigation revealed that Scott had stabbed the victim in the victim’s residence before fleeing the scene. Witnesses observed Scott running down a nearby road and waving two knives in the air. A short time later, tribal police officers located Scott and arrested him without incident.
Scott made his initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Armistead. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
Acting U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Umatilla Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley R. Cadotte is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Prison for Committing COVID Relief Fraud While on Pretrial ReleaseRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident was sentenced today to one year and nine months in prison for filing fraudulent loan applications that sought over $100,000 in loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Keyawn Lloyd Cook Jr. (27) pleaded guilty on March 9, 2022 to one count of wire fraud. In addition to imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro sentenced Cook to three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Cook — while on pretrial release for an attempted robbery charge — submitted at least five fraudulent loan applications over a 15-month period for Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funding and for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding. As part of the scheme, Cook submitted loan applications in the names of multiple fake businesses claiming to operate in various industries. Cook falsely claimed to have between nine and 12 employees in applications for EIDL funding and, in his PPP application, he falsely claimed gross revenues of $50,000 by a non-existent barber shop. In total, Cook sought to fraudulently obtain over $100,000 in COVID relief funds for which he was not eligible.
In a separate case, Cook was sentenced in March 2022 to five years in prison for an attempted robbery during an armored car delivery to a bank in 2019.
U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI; Special Agent in Charge Weston King for the Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General’s (SBA OIG) Western Region Office; Special Agent in Charge Albert Childress for the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); and Acting Special Agent in Charge Cory Nootnagel for the Western Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (FRB-OIG) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI, SBA OIG, IRS-CI, FRB-OIG, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Oliva and Kimberly Frayn prosecuted the case.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Kansas Man Sentenced for Attempted RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced for the attempted robbery of a Kansas City, Kansas convenience store in which a clerk was shot in the face. Jakel Webster, 26, of Kansas City was sentenced to 212 months in prison.
On April 28, 2020, Webster and Jorden Brownlee, 22, of Lenexa entered a Quick Shop on Metropolitan Avenue. After Brownlee unsuccessfully tried to breech the enclosed cashier area with a baseball bat, Webster fired an apparent SKS-style rifle, striking the clerk. Webster admitted he fired a second shot at the clerk before he and Brownlee fled the scene without any stolen goods and leaving the clerk bleeding on the floor.
The injured clerk was taken to the hospital in critical condition. He has had multiple surgeries due to problems stemming from his gunshot wounds. As part of sentencing, a federal judge ordered Webster to pay approximately $318,000 in restitution, primarily for injuries sustained by the clerk.
Codefendant Jorden Brownlee was sentenced to 97 months in prison for attempted robbery.
The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask prosecuted the case.
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Justice Department, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and National Institute of Standards and Technology Withdraw 2019 Standards-Essential Patents (SEP) Policy StatementRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (the Agencies) announced today the withdrawal of the 2019 Policy Statement on Remedies for Standards-Essential Patents Subject to Voluntary F/RAND Commitments (2019 Statement). After considering public input on the 2019 Statement and possible revisions, the Agencies have concluded that withdrawal of the 2019 Statement is the best course of action for promoting both competition and innovation in the standards ecosystem.
On Jan. 8, 2013, the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a Policy Statement on Remedies for Standards-Essential Patents Subject to Voluntary F/RAND Commitments (2013 Statement). On Dec. 19, 2019, the Agencies withdrew the 2013 Statement and issued the 2019 Statement, which offered the views of the Agencies and expressly recognized that it had “no force or effect of law.”
In July 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy noting that, “[a] fair, open, and competitive marketplace has long been a cornerstone of the American economy.” He encouraged the Agencies to review the 2019 Statement to ensure that it adequately promoted competition.
In response to the Executive Order, on Dec. 6, 2021, the Agencies issued a Draft Policy Statement on Licensing Negotiations and Remedies for Standards-Essential Patents Subject to Voluntary F/RAND Commitments and a request for public comments through a Dec. 6, 2021 news release, extending the deadline for comments in a Dec. 13, 2021 news release. The Agencies thank the wide range of individuals, organizations and other stakeholders who submitted comments, all of which have been considered.
After a review of those comments and a collaborative deliberation on how best to proceed, the Agencies are announcing the withdrawal of the 2019 Statement. As noted in the Withdrawal of the 2019 Statement on Remedies for Standards-Essential Patents Subject to Voluntary F/RAND Commitments, “[a]fter considering potential revisions to that statement, the Agencies have concluded that withdrawal best serves the interests of innovation and competition.”
“The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is focused on creating incentives to generate more innovation, especially in underserved communities and in key technology areas, and maximizing that innovation’s widespread impact,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director Kathi Vidal. “Forging our global leadership in new industries cannot happen without greater investment in research and development in technologies that may become international standards. We also need greater U.S. engagement in global standards-setting organizations from our large multi-national companies, as well as from small- to medium-sized businesses and start-ups. I stand behind any measure that will enable innovation that will drive sustainable, long term growth in the U.S. economy.”
“The withdrawal of the 2019 Statement will strengthen the ability of U.S. companies to engage and influence international standards that are essential to our nation’s technology leadership and that will enable the global technology markets of today and tomorrow,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director Laurie E. Locascio. “A common thread in so many of the thoughtful stakeholder comments we received is a commitment to America’s industry-led, voluntary, consensus-based approach to standards development. This approach consistently delivers the best technical solutions, and I wholeheartedly support it.”
“The Antitrust Division will carefully scrutinize opportunistic conduct by any market player that threatens to stifle competition in violation of the law, with a particular focus on abusive practices that disproportionately affect small and medium sized businesses or highly concentrated markets,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “I am hopeful our case-by-case approach will encourage good-faith efforts to reach F/RAND licenses and create consistency for antitrust enforcement policy so that competition may flourish in this important sector of the U.S. economy.”
In exercising its law enforcement role, the Justice Department will review conduct by standards essential patent (SEP) holders or standards implementers on a case-by-case basis to determine if either party is engaging in practices that result in the anticompetitive use of market power or other abusive processes that harm competition. In addition, in accord with President Biden’s Executive Order, the Agencies plan to continue to cooperate as appropriate on matters that affect the intersection of competition, standards development and intellectual property rights.
Standards-developing organizations (SDOs) and the widespread and efficient licensing of SEPs on reasonable and non-discriminatory (RAND) or fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms (collectively F/RAND) help to promote technological innovation, further consumer choice, and enable industry competitiveness, including in emerging technologies and by new and small-to medium-sized market entrants.
SDOs may require parties participating in the standards development process to voluntarily commit to making patents essential to the standard available on F/RAND terms. The specific F/RAND commitments are contractual obligations that vary by SDO. U.S. laws and regulations govern the interpretation of those contractual obligations and otherwise govern the conduct of parties participating in SDOs.
Justice Department Sues to Shut Down Miami Return PreparersRead the Press Release
The United States has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida seeking to bar three Miami tax return preparers from owning or operating a tax return preparation business and preparing federal income tax returns for others, as well as to require the defendants to disgorge the fees they received for fraudulently prepared returns.
The civil complaint was filed against Cindy Odige, Rudy Aly, Rhonda Hudge and TUPS Tax LLC. According to the complaint, Odige, Aly and Hudge prepared and filed tax returns that falsely understated their customers’ federal income tax liabilities by fabricating businesses and related business expenses; making up education, fuel, residential energy, qualified and family sick leave, and mortgage interest credits; and inventing household help income and business losses to maximize customers’ Earned Income Tax Credits.
According to the complaint, the defendants prepared thousands of tax returns for tax years 2015 through 2020. The complaint alleges that the IRS reviewed income tax returns for 98 of the defendants’ customers and found that returns for 85 of those customers had fraudulent or fabricated information, often included without the customers’ knowledge or consent. As a result, the complaint alleges, the defendants have cost the United States lost tax revenue, as well as the time and resources necessary to investigate the fraudulent returns. The complaint further alleges that the defendants harmed their customers, who could potentially face large income tax debts and may be liable for penalties and interest.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. (More information can also be found here.) The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer, has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers, and offers information on how to avoid “ghost” tax preparers, whose refusal to sign a return should be a red flag to taxpayers. The IRS also has a checklist of things to remember when filing income tax returns in 2022.
In addition, IRS Free File, a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $73,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronical federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free. The IRS has tips on how seniors and individuals with low to moderate income can get other help or guidance on tax return preparation, too.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Jury delivers guilty verdict against mailman for distributing drugsRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal jury sitting in Corpus Christi has convicted a 30-year-old Alice man for conspiring to distribute narcotics through the mail, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The jury deliberated for more than two hours before convicting Rudolph Balboa on three counts of conspiring to use a communication facility to distribute THC products following a three-day trial.
At trial, the jury heard testimony from law enforcement that Balboa abused his position as a mailman to make illicit deliveries of narcotics between August 2019 and January 2020. Balboa carried out the scheme with the help of two co-conspirators, both of whom testified against Balboa at trial.
The jury also heard from postal inspectors and special agents who had performed a search of some of the packages and discovered THC products in them. They also testified how they conducted surveillance on Balboa and recorded him making deliveries at locations other than those addressed on the packages.
At trial, the defense attempted to convince the jury Balboa had no idea what was inside the packages. However, the jury viewed video evidence and heard Balboa had previously confessed to the scheme. They also viewed text messages from Balboa’s cellphone confirming some of the deliveries.
The jury ultimately did not believe Balboa’s testimony and ultimately found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos presided over trial and set sentencing for Aug. 31. At that time, Balboa faces up to four years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Smith and Liesel Roscher are prosecuting the case.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of First-Degree Felony Murder of a Senior Citizen in Killing of Man in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Tyrone Williams, 52, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury today of first-degree felony murder of a senior citizen and other charges in a mid-day attempted robbery that took place in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Williams also was found guilty of attempted robbery of a senior citizen. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Williams faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the crimes. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the government’s evidence, at 11:45 a.m. on March 29, 2020, Bobby Poole Jr. 81, was walking home after going on his daily mile-long walk to a convenience store. On his way home, in the 900 block of Eastern Avenue NE, Mr. Poole was knocked down by Williams and a second unknown assailant. The two went through his pockets. Mr. Poole hit his head on a metal fence during the robbery, suffering brain injuries. He died on May 6, 2020, from complications of blunt force trauma to the head
Surveillance video from the convenience store shows Williams had been casing Mr. Poole and the convenience store and following him afterwards. The attack is not shown on video, but a civilian witness, who had just run into Williams at the store, saw Williams and the second assailant fleeing the area where Mr. Poole was found. Williams was located at the convenience store afterwards and is identified through surveillance video.
Williams was arrested on March 29, 2020. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gauri Gopal, Chimnomnso Kalu, and Daniel Lenerz, Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera, Lead Paralegal Specialist Tasha Harris, Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, and Litigation Technology Supervisor Leif Hickling and Litigation Technology Specialist Paul Howell.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Ganjei and Ariel Dean, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Jury Convicts California Man in Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – After a week-long trial, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict convicting a California man of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Deliver Controlled Substances.
Arturo Ledesma, Jr., 33, of Watsonville, CA, was charged in a superseding indictment on December
10, 2019, with Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances between January 2017 and May of 2018. The jury heard evidence that Ledesma supplied marijuana and methamphetamine to co-conspirators in California and Pennsylvania starting in 2017. In May of 2018, co-conspirators were arrested in Madison County, Illinois, while they trafficked more than 30 pounds of methamphetamine across the country.Sentencing will be held on September 19, 2022, before the Honorable Chief Judge Nancy
Rosenstengel.Co-Defendants Enrique Vazquez and Dastisha Velez of Reading, Pennsylvania; Mitchell Abreu of
Pawtucket, Rhode Island; Jeremy Inderyas of Brooklyn, New York; and Lauren Korn of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, have all previously pled guilty to their roles in this drug conspiracy.The Illinois State Police (ISP); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); and the United States
Marshal Service (USMS) participated in this investigation.This case was 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.Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel Kapsak, John Trippi, and Amanda Fischer prosecuted the case.
Jackson Man Sentenced for Escape from Federal CustodyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to serve 11 months in federal prison, to run consecutive to a prior federal felony sentence, for escape from federal custody, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca.
According to court documents, on or about January 19, 2022, Henry Steverson, 51, failed to report to a halfway house in Jackson as a condition of his pending release from federal custody with the Bureau of Prisons. Steverson had been serving a prior federal felony conviction for drug distribution when he failed to report to the halfway house. His failure to report resulted in his classification as an escapee from federal custody.
The United States Marshal’s Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn Murray prosecuted the case.
Hibbing Man Sentenced to 66 Months in Prison for Sexually Assaulting a MinorRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Hibbing man was sentenced to 66 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for sexually assaulting a minor, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on June 22, 2019, on the Bois Forte Indian Reservation, Devon Michael Johnson, 26, sexually assaulted a minor after getting her intoxicated.
Johnson was sentenced on June 6, 2022, in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank. On March 31, 2021, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a minor.
This case was the result of investigations conducted by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Provinzino and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina Allery prosecuted the case.
Great Falls Woman Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls woman who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine after law enforcement seized nearly four pounds of the drug from her vehicle was sentenced today to five and a half years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Lillian Marie Lapier, 45, pleaded guilty in February to a superseding information charging her with possession with intent to distribute meth.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Lapier and co-defendant Rhonda Lapier met in 2021 with an out-of-state meth supplier, purchased several pounds of meth and brought it back to Montana. Upon return, Rhonda Lapier stopped at her Helena residence and unloaded nearly three pounds of meth, which was later seized. Lillian Lapier continued toward Great Falls, where law enforcement stopped her and recovered nearly four pounds of meth from her vehicle.
Lillian Lapier told law enforcement that she and Rhonda Lapier had left Las Vegas, Nevada, together after re-suppling with meth from a California-based supplier. Lillian Lapier also told officers she had been getting about two pounds of meth every week to a week and a half for the past three to four months. The approximately six pounds of meth seized is the equivalent of 21,744 doses. Rhonda Lapier was sentenced to more than five years in prison for conviction in the case. A third co-defendant, Ashley Nicole Rico, was sentenced to 54 months in prison for her conviction in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Russell Country Drug Task Force, the Missouri River Drug Task Force, FBI, Great Falls Police Department Cascade County Sheriff’s Office and Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
Georgia Resident Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Unemployment Fraud Targeting Several StatesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An Austell, Georgia resident pleaded guilty today to using stolen identities to fraudulently collect more than $4 million in unemployment benefits from the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES) and attempting to defraud at least five other states, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and United States Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.
Olushola Adewole Afolabi, 39, of Austell, Georgia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Abdul K. Kallon. Afolabi’s co-defendant, Olugbeminiyi Aderibigbe, 38, of Powder Springs, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in May.
“Defrauding government programs designed to assist struggling Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic is shameful,” said U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona. “The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will aggressively target individuals who used a national pandemic as an opportunity to line their own pockets.”
“The defendants stole millions intended for those suffering during the pandemic and sent the proceeds overseas. Thanks to the hard work of the Northern District of Alabama, these criminals have been brought to Justice,” Office of Deputy Attorney General, Director of COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Kevin Chambers said. “This case and others to come demonstrate the Department’s commitment to aggressively pursue and disrupt transnational actors who exploited pandemic relief programs.”According to court documents, Afolabi and co-conspirators orchestrated a scheme from September 2020 through July 2021 to defraud the Illinois DES into paying out more than $4 million in unemployment insurance benefits. As part of the scheme, the conspirators filed fraudulent claims using stolen identities of elderly Illinois residents. The conspirators deposited the proceeds of the fraudulent claims into bank accounts opened specifically to perpetrate the fraud. Afolabi and co-conspirators then used the associated debit cards to withdraw cash and purchase money orders from retail stores across the Northern District of Alabama and elsewhere. The conspiracy further laundered the unemployment insurance funds by using the money orders to purchase salvaged automobiles in the United States and ship them to Nigeria.
The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan “Jack” Harrington and Edward J. Canter are prosecuting the case
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by 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.
Gang Member Involved in Bridgeport Courthouse Shooting Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ASANTE GAINES, also known as “Santi,” 25, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 190 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a Bridgeport gang-related activity, including a brazen daytime shooting that occurred in front of a state courthouse in Bridgeport in January 2020.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. Gaines has been a member of the “Greene Homes Boyz” (“GHB/Hotz”), a gang based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End, whose members and associates distributed heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and Percocet pills; committed numerous acts of violence against rival gang members and other individuals, and celebrated their criminal conduct on social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube. GHB/Hotz members and associates also committed acts of intimidation and made threats to deter potential witnesses to their crimes and to protect gang members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities. From approximately 2017 until August 2020, GHB/Hotz members were aligned with members of the “Original North End” (“O.N.E.”), a gang based in the Trumbull Gardens area of Bridgeport, against rival groups in Bridgeport, including the East End, East Side and PT Barnum gangs, as well as 150, which is a geographic gang based on the West Side of Bridgeport.
The investigation revealed that Gaines participated in gang-related drug trafficking, and helped plan the retaliation shootings of members of opposition gangs. On January 27, 2020, he assisted GHB/Hotz and O.N.E. members who attempted to kill East End gang members and associates in a brazen afternoon shooting in front of a Bridgeport courthouse. At 12:11 p.m. on that date, Bridgeport Police responded to the area of 172 Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport after a Shot Spotter activation detected approximately 20 shots being fired in front of the state courthouse located there. Upon arrival, investigators discovered that four victims had been shot while sitting inside a black Chevrolet Impala. One victim was shot in the side of his chest and was left paralyzed and a second victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his back, shoulder and wrist. The victims’ vehicle had approximately 23 entry bullet holes in the driver’s side and windshield area.
After the shooting, Gaines and others attempted to destroy a vehicle used during the shooting by setting it on fire in Naugatuck.
Gaines has been detained since February 13, 2020. On October 19, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, and one count of attempted murder and aiding and abetting, in violation of the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (“VCAR”) statute.
Gaines and seven associates were charged federally for their roles in the courthouse shooting and other gang activity, and Gaines is the last to be sentenced. His seven associates also pleaded guilty and are currently serving prison terms of between eight and 40 years. The prosecution of numerous other individuals involved in Bridgeport gang activity is ongoing.
This investigation has been conducted by ATF, the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Stratford and Naugatuck Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Stephanie T. Levick and Karen L. Peck.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.
Gaines attended a Project Longevity “call-in’ in December 2019, but did not pursue services that were offered to him.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Frisco City Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama announced that United States District Judge Callie V.S. Granade sentenced defendant Wesley Hodges, 24, to thirty years in prison for Production of Child Pornography and Distribution of Child Pornography offenses. Hodges entered a guilty plea to those offenses on March 3, 2022.
According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, in early June 2021, Hodges came to law enforcement’s attention because an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation Task Force Officer (“undercover TFO”) was conducting an investigation within a Kik messenger chat room dedicated to child pornography. On or about June 4, 2021, the undercover TFO observed Hodges share child pornography within that chat room. While in this chat room, Hodges stated he was from Alabama. A review of Hodges’s Kik profile showed a photograph of Hodges. The undercover TFO began a private one on one chat with Hodges in which Hodges shared additional child pornography. Hodges subsequently invited the undercover TFO to continue their conversation on Facebook Messenger. Hodges and the undercover TFO became “friends” on Facebook and began a private message thread. While privately chatting with the undercover TFO via Facebook Messenger, Hodges distributed several pornographic images and videos of a minor who was known to him. Hodges told the TFO that he knew the minor and could convince her to send pornographic images of herself. Hodges initiated a group chat between himself, the undercover TFO, and the minor. The undercover TFO also messaged the minor privately to try to obtain information about her, potential abuse, and her location in order to initiate protective law enforcement action. Through investigation, law enforcement was able to determine Hodges’ identity and location. The undercover TFO communicated with local FBI and state law enforcement regarding his communications and swift plans for apprehension were made due to Hodges’ access to minors. At the time of his arrest, Hodges was found to have thousands of images of child pornography. Further investigation revealed that Hodges had been distributing images of child pornography in many online chatrooms. The minor child was interviewed and confirmed that Hodges had been abusing her for years.
The victim and her parents were present at the sentencing hearing and addressed the Court by submitting written letters.
Judge Granade imposed a thirty-year sentence of incarceration. The judge also ordered Hodges to serve a lifetime term of supervised release upon his discharge from prison. Judge Granade ordered that Hodges pay $29,294.00 in restitution to his victims and $300 in special assessments. Hodges will be required to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison and is to have no contact with minors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Monroeville Police Department, and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Kacey Chappelear and Beth Stepan prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources.
Fred D. Godley Jr. and Companies to Pay $1.25 Million for Asbestos CleanupRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement under which Fred D. Godley Jr. and two of his companies – 436 Cone Avenue LLC and F.D. Godley Number Three LLC – will pay $1.25 million for government cleanup work at the Pineville Textile Mill Superfund Site in Pineville, North Carolina, and the Old Davis Hospital Superfund Site in Statesville, North Carolina.
The cleanup effort removed almost 4,000 tons of asbestos-contaminated debris from the Old Davis Hospital Superfund Site and oversaw the removal of asbestos-contaminated debris and drums of oil containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the Pineville Textile Mill Superfund Site. Asbestos and PCBs are carcinogenic hazardous substances and may pose risks to human health.
The Justice Department, on behalf of the EPA, sued the defendants in 2019 to recover the United States’ unpaid cleanup costs under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (also commonly known as “CERCLA” or “the Superfund law”). The United States’ complaint alleged that Godley’s companies owned and operated the two sites. The complaint further alleged that Godley, as the companies’ manager, also operated the sites and made the decision to demolish aged and dilapidated buildings without ensuring that asbestos was surveyed and safely removed before demolition began. These demolition activities caused the release and threat of release of asbestos and PCBs into the air and ground and potentially offsite into nearby residential neighborhoods.
The settlement comes on the heels of a successful trial, completed in January in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, in which a jury returned a verdict finding Godley personally liable for the government’s costs at the Old Davis Hospital Superfund Site under the legal doctrine of piercing the corporate veil.
“This settlement and the jury’s verdict send the message that an individual cannot hide behind the corporate shield when he creates and perpetuates a public health risk in the community,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
“EPA is committed to protecting communities by enforcing an individual’s obligations to properly manage and dispose of hazardous waste,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman. “This verdict reflects EPA’s continued commitment to protect human health and the environment by ensuring compliance with state and federal environmental laws.”
The consent decree requires Godley and his companies to reimburse the EPA $1.25 million in costs, and requires Godley to provide the EPA notice, information, and access and to ensure proper asbestos inspections and abatement whenever he undertakes future demolition activities on properties that he owns and/or controls, regardless of whether he does so in his individual capacity or on behalf of a business entity.
The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The consent decree will be available for viewing at https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Former St. Louis correctional officer sentenced to four years for inmate’s attackRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Court Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a former correctional officer at the St. Louis jail to four years in prison for allowing two inmates to attack another inmate last year.
Demeria Thomas, 39, pleaded guilty in February to a felony charge of deprivation of rights under color of law. She admitted that on March 22, 2021, while employed by as a corrections officer at the St. Louis Justice Center, she unlocked an inmate’s cell door allowing two inmates inside to attack the occupant. During the attack, Thomas told other inmates to stay away, preventing them from coming to the aid of the victim.
Several minutes later, Thomas walked to the open door of the cell and calmly instructed the attackers to leave. She then closed the door to the cell, making no effort to render aid to the bleeding and incapacitated victim, who lost a tooth while suffering a broken jaw and a concussion. Thomas also failed to disclose the assault and filed no report of the incident.
Jail officials didn’t learn of the attack until two days later.
In court Tuesday, FBI Special Agent Darren Boehlje testified that one of the attackers said Thomas and the victim had a verbal altercation earlier that day. Thomas then threatened to falsely claim he’d exposed herself to her unless he participated in the attack.
In a letter, the victim’s mother said the victim still suffers from PTSD, headaches and seizures from the attack, adding, “The person who was supposed to keep him safe is the one who instigated this attack.”
Judge Schelp called the crime “depraved” and said, “I don’t buy into your excuses for what you did.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Former Southeast Missouri police chief sentenced on civil rights chargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Tuesday sentenced the former police chief of a small town in Bollinger County to nine months in behind bars for using excessive force while detaining a woman during a custody dispute.
Marc F. Tragesser, 55, was police chief of Marble Hill at the time. On Nov. 25, 2018, he went to the Marble Hill home where a woman was staying. He was accompanied by the paternal grandmother of the woman’s children, and falsely claimed he had a court order allowing the grandmother to take the children.
When the woman asked to see a copy of the court order, Tragesser shoved her against the wall, knocking off her eyeglasses, and then handcuffed her. He also arrested her boyfriend.
Tragesser detained the woman in his police vehicle for 90 minutes, only releasing her when she agreed to turn over her children to their grandmother, his plea says. The grandmother did not have custody or visitation rights. Tragesser continued to refuse her requests to see the court order. The woman did not see her children again until March of 2019.
Earlier in the day, he’d threatened to arrest the homeowners, and allowed the grandmother to take property from the home, only some of which belonged to her son.
Tragesser pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor charge of deprivation of rights under color of law, which carries a maximum penalty of one year behind bars.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Former Owner of Chicago Health Care Company Sentenced to a Year in Federal Prison for Billing Medicare for Non-Existent TreatmentRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The former owner of a Chicago home health care company has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining $1.2 million from Medicare through a phony billing scheme.
HENRY SMILIE was the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Home Physician Services LLC, which arranged in-home health care services for patients who were purportedly elderly and homebound. From 2012 to 2014, Smilie participated in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting approximately $1.97 million in false claims, causing the federally funded program to pay Smilie’s company at least $1.2 million. The false claims pertained to “care plan oversight” services that were either not rendered or involved treatment that was far less intricate than portrayed in the claims submitted by Smilie’s company to Medicare.
Smilie, 61, of Lake Zurich, Ill., pleaded guilty to a federal health care fraud charge. U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso imposed the year-and-a-day sentence Tuesday and also ordered Smilie to pay $1.2 million in restitution to Medicare.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General participated in the investigation.
“Smilie’s crime is a significant one,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kartik K. Raman argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “In a world that has limited funds to pay for health care, and where budgets are ever-tightening, Medicare paid Smilie and his company for fraudulent claims that could have been used to pay for necessary medical services elsewhere.”
To report health care fraud related to Medicare, log on to https://www.medicare.gov/basics/reporting-medicare-fraud-and-abuse.
Former Orangeburg Public Schools Employee Sentenced to Almost Three Years for Defrauding School District of More Than $550,000Read the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Former Orangeburg School District Employee David Cortez Marshall was sentenced today to almost three years for defrauding the Orangeburg County School District of over $550,000.
“Fraud of any nature is illegal and wrong, but fraud against a public school – in the middle of a pandemic – is unconscionable,” said U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis. “Mr. Marshall’s prison sentence reflects the seriousness of his offense and our dedication to deterring public fraud. His restitution order ensures that he’ll be obligated to pay back every penny he stole from the public.”
"Today, justice was served, and a criminal was held accountable,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Columbia Special Agent in Charge, Susan Ferensic. “Our work is not finished. We will continue to hold perpetrators accountable and see that their crimes are thoroughly investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent.”
Evidence presented to the Court showed that Marshall, a former media communications specialist employed by the Orangeburg County School District, created a scheme to defraud the district while purchasing remote learning cameras for school classrooms. Through the use of shell companies, fabricated documents, forged signatures, and a false identity, Marshall steered the district’s purchasing contracts to companies he created and controlled, purchased the cameras, then sold them to the school at a substantial markup. Marshall also received funds from the school district for the cameras that he never paid to the seller. Through his scheme to defraud, Marshall received more than $550,000 in illegal proceeds. His scheme was eventually discovered by other school district employees, who confronted Marshall and reported the matter to the FBI for further investigation.
United States District Judge Mary G. Lewis sentenced Marshall to 33 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Marshall was also ordered to pay approximately $600,000 in restitution.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brook Andrews is prosecuting the case.
Former New Mexico State Police officer sentenced to seven years in prison for distribution of marijuana, methamphetamineRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Daniel Capehart was sentenced on June 7 to seven years in prison. A federal jury convicted Capehart, 37, of Bloomfield, New Mexico, on July 22, 2021, of three counts of distribution of marijuana and methamphetamine, two of which occurred within 1,000 feet of a school or playground in San Juan County, New Mexico.
According to court records, on three occasions, Capehart, who at the time was a patrol officer with the New Mexico State Police, provided illegal drugs to people he had encountered during his duties as an officer. In all three instances, undercover officers were investigating Capehart’s conduct. On June 21, 2018, and again on June 23, 2018, Capehart delivered marijuana that he thought would be received by a 16-year-old girl he met during a traffic stop. On June 28, 2018, Capehart executed a plan to conduct a traffic stop, confiscate methamphetamine from the driver, and provide the methamphetamine to a woman he had met through is duties as a police officer. The driver, however, was an undercover officer. On June 29, 2018, Capehart drove to a local park and delivered more than five grams of methamphetamine. Capehart was arrested later that day.
Upon his release from prison, Capehart will be subject to eight years of supervised release.
The FBI, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Region II Narcotics Task Force investigated this case. The HIDTA Region II Narcotics Task Force is comprised of officers and investigators from the Farmington Police Department, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Bloomfield Police Department and Aztec Police Department, and is part of the HIDTA program created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the case as 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.
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Former Evergreen City Councilman Sentenced for Threatening to Injure a Police Officer During a Live Radio BroadcastRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – An Evergreen man was sentenced today to three years of probation for threatening to injure an Evergreen police officer during a live radio broadcast.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at his trial, Luther James Upton, 74, threatened to injure the victim officer on May 18, 2021, during his morning radio show on 101.1 FM WPPG – The Power Pig. The jury heard evidence that Upton, then an elected Evergreen city councilman, was arrested by the victim officer in November 2020 for driving under the influence of alcohol and getting into a vehicular accident. Video of the DUI incident showed Upton attempting to use his position on the city council to pressure the victim officer not to arrest him. On the morning of the radio broadcast at issue, Upton referenced prior incidents involving the victim officer and said on the radio, among other things, “I dare him to stop me again. ‘Cuz when he pulls me over, I’m gonna put him down.” At his guilty plea hearing following one day of trial, Upton admitted that he meant to convey a true threat to injure the victim officer.United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose ordered Upton to undergo mental health and substance abuse treatment while on probation. The court also ordered Upton to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Florida Man Arrested for $2.5 Million COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Massachusetts resident and owner of a Massachusetts-based painting company has been arrested and charged in connection with allegedly filing a fraudulent loan application to obtain $2.5 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Vinicius Santana, 34, of Boca Raton, Fla. and formerly of Revere, was charged with one count of wire fraud. Santana was arrested Monday evening at Miami International Airport. He appeared in federal court in Miami yesterday afternoon and will appear in Massachusetts at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Santana owned Complete Home Care, LLC (CHC), a painting company in Massachusetts. In April 2020, Santana submitted four different PPP loan applications on behalf of CHC. The first three applications, in which Santana allegedly listed five employees and an average monthly payroll of between $10,000 and $18,000, were denied. In the fourth application for CHC, it is alleged that Santana falsely claimed to have 154 employees and an average monthly payroll of $1 million. On May 11, 2020, a bank issued Santana’s company a $2,500,000 loan based on the alleged false representations in the fourth application.
After receiving the funds, it is alleged that Santana misused the loan proceeds to buy cars and invest in cryptocurrency.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the scheme, whichever is greater. 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 Division; Stephen Donnelly, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Patricia Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, New York Region; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin A. Saltzman and Mackenzie A. Queenin of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Jury Convicts Jamaal Parker on Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Following a two-day trial in United States District Court, a jury convicted Jamaal Parker, also known as “MoneyMaal,” 37 of Chattanooga, of conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”), maintaining and using a drug premise, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Sentencing is set for October 14, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. in United States District Court before United States District Judge Travis R. McDonough, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Parker faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to a maximum of life in prison.
The evidence presented at trial showed that Parker and others trafficked kilogram quantities of cocaine from a source of supply in Atlanta, Georgia, and distributed cocaine and cocaine base from a residence on Hoyt Street in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The investigation culminated with the March 2019 arrest of Parker, in which he was found in possession of 4 kilograms of cocaine and a loaded firearm.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge of Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the joint investigation which led to indictment and subsequent conviction of Parker included the DEA Chattanooga Resident Office, DEA Atlanta Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Chattanooga Field Office, Chattanooga Police Department, and Georgia State Patrol. Numerous agencies from the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force assisted in the investigation.
The investigation was conducted as part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin T. Brown and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Winne represented the United States at trial.
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Federal Inmate Charged with Assault with A Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on June 7, 2022, Richard Anthony Trent, age 43, a federal prison inmate, was indicted by a federal grand jury for assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on May 17, 2022, while an inmate at United States Penitentiary, Canaan (USP Canaan), in Wayne County, PA, Trent assaulted another inmate with a 7-inch grey metal weapon sharpened to a point and commonly referred to as a “shank”.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, 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.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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ER Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – An emergency room doctor from Golden, Mississippi has been sentenced to almost 3 years in prison today for failing to pay his taxes.
According to court documents, and evidence presented at trial, Dr. Kevin L. Crandell was an emergency room physician who earned $30,000 to $40,000 per month and stopped paying personal income taxes in 2007. During the years 2006 through 2012, Crandell accrued approximately $972,493 in tax debt, including penalties and interest. At trial, the Government presented evidence that Crandell submitted a false and fraudulent IRS Form 433-A in 2014 to the Internal Revenue Service in an attempt to negotiate a payment plan for his outstanding tax liabilities. Crandell falsely represented on that form that his expenses exceeded his income. Crandell also failed to list assets and business bank accounts, which he was using for personal expenses. Though Crandell attempted to blame a tax resolution service he hired in 2010, the evidence at trial showed that Crandell intentionally manipulated his pay stubs to show a decrease in his 2014 annual income before submitting the pay stubs to the tax resolution service.
U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock heard comments from the defendant, his counsel and the United States before sentencing Crandell to 33 months in prison and restitution in the amount of $972,493.
“It is fundamentally unfair to the millions of Americans who pay their taxes each year for others to purposely and flagrantly evade their tax responsibilities and obligations,” remarked U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “Today’s sentence provides a measure of accountability for one individual who deliberately defrauded the IRS and hopefully sends a message to those who would seek to evade their legitimate tax obligations.”
“To build faith in our nation’s tax system, honest taxpayers need to be reassured that everyone is paying their fair share,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “The IRS Criminal Investigation together with the Department of Justice, will investigate and prosecute those who violate our tax system.”
The IRS investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clay Dabbs and Philip Levy.
Department of Justice Announces Next Steps in Critical Incident Review of the Law Enforcement Response to the Mass Shooting in Uvalde, TexasRead the Press Release
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice announced additional details regarding the critical incident review of the law enforcement response to the mass shooting on May 24 in Uvalde, Texas, which will be conducted by the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The goal of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses; identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events; and provide a roadmap for community safety and engagement before, during, and after such incidents.
The assessment will examine issues including policies, training, communications, deployment and incident command, tactics, and practices as they relate to preparing for and responding to active shooter events, as well as the post-incident response. It will also include a review of survivor and victim family support and resources.
“Nothing can undo the pain that has been inflicted on the loved ones of the victims, the survivors, and the entire community of Uvalde,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “But the Justice Department can and will use its expertise and independence to assess what happened and to provide guidance moving forward.”
The COPS Office will lead the critical incident review with the support of a team of federal staff and subject matter experts. Those experts have extensive experience in a variety of relevant areas, including emergency management and active shooter response, school safety, incident command and management, tactical operations, officer safety and wellness, and victim and family support. Those experts include:
- Chief Rick Braziel (retired), Sacramento, Calif.
- Deputy Chief Gene Deisinger (retired), Virginia Tech, Va.
- Director of Public Safety Frank Fernandez (retired), Coral Gables, Fla.
- Albert Guarnieri, FBI Unit Chief.
- Major Mark Lomax (retired), Pennsylvania State Police, Pa.
- Laura McElroy, CEO, McElroy Media Group.
- Sheriff John Mina, Orange County, Fla.
- April Naturale, Assistant Vice President, Vibrant Emotional Health
- Chief Kristen Ziman (retired), Aurora, Ill.
The department is committed to moving as expeditiously as possible in the development of the report. The review team will carry out a number of critical steps, including developing a complete incident reconstruction, reviewing relevant documents (e.g., manuals, policies, videos, photos), conducting site visits, and interviewing a wide variety of stakeholders, including law enforcement, government officials, school officials, witnesses, families of the victims, and community members.
The findings, lessons learned, and recommendations contained in the report will be based on national standards and best and emerging practices in the field of policing, current research, community expectations, and innovative solutions tailored to the critical incident review. A final report will be issued at the completion of the review.
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to agency for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 135,000 officers.
Convicted Felon Sentenced on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Mondraques Newby, 30, has been sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Joseph C. Murphy Jr., United States Attorney, announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, on March 2, 2020, Memphis Police Officers observed a red Ford Focus being driven by a male suspected to be Mondraques Newby who had outstanding warrants. When officers contacted Newby at a traffic stop, a strong odor of marijuana was emanating from the vehicle. Mondraques Newby was confirmed as the driver along with a female passenger.
Officers observed in plain view, sitting on Newby’s lap, 20.5 grams of marijuana, a black scale with green residue and a clear plastic bag with approximately 30 pills of MDMA. Newby was detained and officers recovered a black and silver 9mm pistol from inside of Newby's waistband. The pistol was loaded with one live round in the chamber and eight live rounds in the magazine. An additional live round was found underneath the driver's seat. Newby claimed ownership of the gun and drugs.
Newby was previously sentenced on March 3, 2010, to seven years’ incarceration for aggravated robbery. In 2015, he also had a prior conviction as a convicted felon in possession of a firearm for which he received a three-year sentence of incarceration. As a result of his felony convictions, Newby is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms.
On June 2, 2022, United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr., sentenced Newby to 100 months in federal prison with three years of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Memphis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The PSN initiative is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our communities safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
###Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Armed Fentanyl Trafficking and Possession of a “Ghost Gun”Read the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Manassas man pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and possessing a firearm during drug trafficking.
According to court documents, from in or around May 2020 through December 2021, Justice Edward Ansah, 26, conspired with others to distribute counterfeit, pressed pills containing fentanyl. During the conspiracy, the defendant sold hundreds of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills to customers in northern Virginia. At the time of his arrest in December of 2021, Ansah was carrying a privately manufactured 9mm firearm devoid of a serial number or other unique identifier, aka “ghost gun”. A search of Ansah’s two residences in Manassas revealed over 6,700 grams of fentanyl, over 1450 grams of cocaine, and tens of thousands of grams of marijuana and THC products. The search also resulted in the discovery of two additional privately manufactured firearms devoid of serial numbers, two pistols, one rifle, various ammunition, and over $28,000 in cash. Ansah had previously been convicted of a felony offense in Virginia and was thus prohibited from possessing firearms at the time of this offense.
Ansah is scheduled to be sentenced on September 14. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Washington Field Division; and Peter Newsham, Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael C. Tucker is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-88.