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6 June 2022
Ramah Navajo man charged with abusive sexual contactRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Tony Jake, Jr., was charged in a criminal complaint with abusive sexual contact with a minor. Jake, 74, of Ramah, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Ramah Navajo Nation, made an initial appearance in federal court on June 3 and will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for June 7.
According to the complaint, on May 28, Jake allegedly engaged in sexual contact with a seven-year-old victim during a service at the Yahweh Church in Ramah. The alleged offense took place on the Ramah Navajo Reservation, and the victim is an enrolled member of the Ramah Navajo Nation.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Jake faces up to life in prison.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Ramah Navajo Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea N. Van Deventer is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Shooting a Gun on Federal Property During the May 2020 ProtestsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Tyrone Ross, 30, Indianapolis, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Ross is prohibited from possessing firearms due to multiple prior felony convictions. The possession of the firearm took place on May 30, 2020, during the protests in response to the murder of George Floyd.
According to court documents and statements made during the change of plea hearing, on May 30, 2020, Ross was on federal property in front of the Birch Bayh Federal Courthouse, in downtown Indianapolis, when he pulled out a pistol from under his clothing. Ross then fired multiple shots across Ohio Street, which at the time was filled with numerous pedestrians and vehicles. Ross then ran west on Ohio Street and fired one additional shot in the air in front of the Federal Courthouse.
“Following the murder of George Floyd by police, many peaceful and law-abiding protesters took to the streets in downtown Indianapolis and all over the country to express their outrage and heartbreak. With utter disregard for the lives of everyone present, an illegally armed felon fired multiple shots in this crowded area,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Today’s prison sentence demonstrates that armed criminals who risk the lives of the public will face serious consequences.”
“This sentence should serve as a warning to others who illegally possess a firearm and choose to violate federal law and endanger others in the process,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI will continue our efforts, along with our law enforcement partners, to remove violent criminals from the streets of our community and ensure the safety of our residents.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. As part of the sentence, Judge Magnus-Stinson ordered that Ross be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following his release from federal prison
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Blackett who prosecuted the case.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to over Ten Years for Armed Bank Robbery and Firing Gun While Trying to EscapeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Eugene Johnson, 54, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison, and five years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh for committing an armed bank robbery in North Philadelphia.
In January 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to charges including armed bank robbery and using, carrying and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges arose from an incident in February 2021, when Johnson entered the Citizens Bank branch at Germantown Avenue and Broad Street in the Nicetown section of the city armed with a loaded Glock semi-automatic handgun and stood in line to wait for a teller. When the defendant approached the victim teller, he placed two $20 bills in the teller window tray and stated, “I need change, I need ones,” and the teller handed Johnson forty $1.00 dollar bills. Johnson then shoved a plastic bag through the teller window slot and stated, “Give me everything, give me everything, give me everything!,” and “I got a gun,” while putting his right hand down by his right hip. The teller, fearing for her life, filled the bag with money and gave it to the defendant. Johnson then walked away from the teller counter and entered the vestibule at the front entrance of the bank, while the teller activated the bank’s alarm system. Upon activation, Johnson became trapped in the man-trap security system doors and was locked inside. The defendant then fired several rounds from his semi-automatic handgun into the glass door of the front entrance in an effort to escape before he was arrested by a responding officer.
“This defendant terrified and threatened the lives of bank employees who were just attempting to do their jobs,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “And when he became detained in the bank’s security system, he lashed out and recklessly fired his weapon – an action which could have resulted in injuries or death. This case demonstrates why our All Hands On Deck initiative is so important: we are investigating and prosecuting the most dangerous criminals to get them off the streets and behind bars.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney José R. Arteaga.
Pair who went on the run after being found guilty of fraud at a now defunct precious metals firm, sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle –The former President & CEO of Northwest Territorial Mint, a now-bankrupt company dealing in precious metals, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 11 years in prison for 14 federal felonies resulting from a Ponzi-like scheme that defrauded customers of millions of dollars, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Bernard Ross Hansen, 61, aka Ross B. Hansen was convicted of multiple counts of wire and mail fraud after a four-week jury trial in July 2021. Hansen’s co-defendant and partner, Vault Manager Diane Renee Erdmann, 49, was convicted of 13 counts of wire fraud and mail fraud. She was sentenced to five years in prison. This was the second scheduled sentencing hearing for the two after they failed to show up for their late April court date and attempted to flee.
At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said, “The entire means of operation was nothing more than a fiction…. You were a wrecking ball building your empire. (The victims) trusted you and had faith in the snake oil you were selling; that faith was met with manipulation and deceit.”
“Mr. Hansen and Ms. Erdman defrauded more than 3,000 people of some $30 million – money that represents the victims’ plans and dreams: retirement, college funds, and inheritances,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “It is heartbreaking to hear how the fraud upended their lives and left them working longer, harder, and in deep stress to try to recover. The impact of this fraud goes beyond the significant dollar figure.”
Northwest Territorial Mint (NWTM) operated both a custom business that involved the manufacturing of medallions and other awards, and a bullion business that involved the selling, buying, exchanging, storing, and leasing of gold, silver, and other precious metals. The company had offices in Federal Way and Auburn, Washington, but declared bankruptcy on April 1, 2016.
According to records in the case and testimony at trial, Hansen and Erdmann defrauded NWTM customers in a variety of ways. The evidence at trial showed that Hansen and Erdmann lied about shipping times for bullion, used customer money to expand the business to other states, and to pay their own personal expenses. As a result, the company lacked enough assets to fulfill customer orders and used new customer money to pay off older customers in a Ponzi-like scheme. In total, over 2500 customers paid for orders, or made bullion sales or exchanges, that were either never fulfilled or never refunded. The total loss to these customers was more than $25,000,000.
In addition to the bullion customer fraud, the evidence at trial demonstrated that Hansen and Erdmann defrauded customers who paid NWTM to safely and securely store bullion in the NWTM vaults. Evidence and testimony at trial showed that Hansen and Erdmann used this bullion that was supposed to be in secure storage to fulfill other orders. In April 2016, the NWTM vaults were inventoried and all or part of the stored bullion for more than 50 customers was missing. The missing bullion was worth more than $4.9 million.
Writing to the court, prosecutors pointed out the deception against the storage customers: “Mr. Hansen talked (the storage customers) into paying NWTM to steal from them—forking over fees, sometimes thousands of dollars’ worth, to “securely” store their bullion at NWTM, only to have the defendants use the vault as a company piggy bank. Mr. Hansen collected those fees and delivered phony storage account statements in return. But unbeknownst to the storage customers, Mr. Hansen used the storage customers’ bullion as his own – pulling it off the shelf to fulfill other orders, at times even melting down customers’ property to makes something else to ship somewhere else.”
“Company president Hansen apparently did not learn his lesson from his last trip to prison,” said Donald M. Voiret, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle Field Office. “Together, Hansen and his co-conspirator Ms. Erdmann stole decades of savings and financial security from thousands of victims who thought they were making safe investments for themselves and their loved ones.”
Prosecutors increased their sentencing recommendations for both Hansen and Erdmann to reflect the 11-day manhunt that followed their failure to appear. When arrested in the small town of Port Hadlock on the Olympic Peninsula, they had three loaded firearms in a box behind the drivers’ seat of their car. In supplemental sentencing memos, prosecutors urged the court to increase both defendants’ prison time due to their flight to avoid prison. “Ms. Erdmann and Mr. Hansen acquired a new vehicle, armed themselves with three loaded guns, and evaded supervision. Ms. Erdmann’s conduct shows a lack of respect for the Court and the law enforcement authorities that she knew would attempt to find her.” And of Hansen they wrote, “Recent events have shown that Mr. Hansen also presents a danger of violence. When he was apprehended by law enforcement in Port Hadlock, he was traveling with three loaded firearms in reaching distance of the front seat of his vehicle.”
Judge Jones ordered Hansen to pay $33.7 million in restitution. Erdmann is to pay $32.1 million in restitution.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Werner and Benjamin Diggs.
Possession of Child Pornography Leads to 6 Year Prison Sentence for Fairview Heights ManRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. - A Fairview Heights man is heading to federal prison for possession of child pornography. Michael M. Rapa, 68, of Fairview Heights, Illinois, was sentenced on Thursday, June 2, 2022, to 6 years in prison for two counts of possession of prepubescent child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Rapa pleaded guilty to the charges in February.
Following his prison sentence, Rapa will be on federal supervised release for 5 years and will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.According to court documents, Rapa first came to the attention of law enforcement in Vancouver, Canada, in 2015. As the result of a subsequent investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security and the Fairview Heights Police Department, in 2017 Rapa was determined to be in possession of hundreds of image and video files containing prepubescent child pornography on various items of electronic media which lead to charges in the Southern District of Illinois.“There is something profoundly wrong with an individual who derives sexual gratification from seeing children being raped,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Law enforcement must confront this evil because, to paraphrase Mahatma Gandhi, a true measure of society can be found in how it protects its most vulnerable members.”
“One of the most horrific things an individual can do is seek to harm a child,” said acting Special
Agent in Charge of the Kansas City area of operations R. Sean Fitzgerald. “I couldn’t be prouder of the HSI special agents and analysts, in coordination with our law enforcement partners, who have dedicated their lives to removing these predators from our community.”This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Karelia Rajagopal and Ali Summers.Omak Man with Prior Felony Conviction Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Violent Shooting on the Colville Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – U.S. District Judge Salvador Mendoza, Jr., sentenced Justin Dean Friedlander, 34, of Omak, Washington, to 46 months in federal prison for a shooting on July 4, 2021. Judge Mendoza also imposed three years of federal supervised release and more than $20,000 in restitution.
Although the sentence he imposed was lower than the United States’ recommendation, Judge Mendoza emphasized that the shooting was “incredibly dangerous.” Addressing Friedlander directly, Judge Mendoza stated, “You shot a person, leaving a scar” that the victim “will carry around for the rest of his life.”
According to court documents, on the evening of July 4, 2021, Friedlander’s victim was spending time with his brother and a friend in Omak, Washington. Friedlander, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, pulled up in a Dodge Durango, brandishing a .22 caliber long rifle. After a short disagreement, Friedlander got upset and drove off. Moments later, Friedlander reemerged at a nearby apartment complex. Friedlander opened fire, sending a single gunshot toward the victim and his companions. The bullet struck the victim in the back of his left leg and lodged in his knee. Medical personnel determined that they could not remove the bullet without risking further injury to the victim.
After the shooting, Friedlander drove to the 12 Tribes Casino in Omak, where the Colville Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation later located his Durango. After obtaining a search warrant, Tribal Police and the FBI recovered several rounds of .22 caliber ammunition inside the Durango. The firearm, which Friedlander apparently hid, was never recovered. Surveillance video, from both shortly after the shooting and prior to Friedlander’s arrest, showed Friedlander removing items – including a long item consistent with a firearm – from the Durango and moving it into a different car.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting violent offenders who threaten public safety anywhere in Eastern Washington,” said Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. “Native Americans experience some of the highest rates of violence in the country, which often compound other traumas that Indigenous people frequently suffer. We will continue to address violent crime by ensuring that offenders are prosecuted to the fullest extent – both on Tribal land and elsewhere.”
U.S. Attorney Waldref continued, “I am grateful for the Colville Department of Public Safety, the FBI, and all of our federal partners, who work together to investigate violent crime on the Colville Reservation. Many violent crime cases, including this one, present unique challenges, including victims and witnesses who are sometimes hesitant to work with law enforcement. While we continue to work every day to increase trust in law enforcement throughout Eastern Washington, I commend the dedicated agents, officers, prosecutors, and victim advocates, who devote their time and resources to seeking justice on behalf of victims and working together to keep our communities safe and strong.”
“Sadly, this case is another example of the increasing trend of violent incidents on the reservations in the Eastern District,” said Donald M. Voiret, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle Field Office. “We are committed to investigating these cases and strengthening our partnerships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Tribal and local agencies to bring accountability to offenders and deter future criminal conduct.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Colville Tribal Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Richard R. Barker, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Okaloosa County Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Thomas Joe Obregon, a/k/a Tommy Gun, 47, of Okaloosa County, Florida, was sentenced to seventeen and half years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Those who repeatedly commit serious crimes are deserving of significant prison sentences,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to keep us safe and are to be commended for apprehending this armed fugitive and bringing his trafficking of addictive and deadly controlled substances to an end. Our community is safer due to their valiant efforts.”
In November 2020 and October 2021, Obregon, a convicted felon at-large on state arrest warrants and a bond violation, was arrested by Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies in conjunction with the United States Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force and found in possession of distribution amounts of heroin and a loaded Glock 9mm pistol. As part of the investigation into Obregon’s drug trafficking activities, the Government was able to link Obregon to over 100 grams of “super blues” (pressed pills containing fentanyl), 400 grams of methamphetamine, and 100 grams of heroin.
“It’s extremely rewarding to see this sentence and these concrete results arising from local, state, and federal partnerships focused on keeping dangerous felons and deadly drugs off our streets. Thomas Obregon is a habitual violent drug trafficker who is now going to be exactly where he needs to be, behind bars,” said Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden.
“DEA will not waiver in our pursuit of holding individuals like Mr. Obregon accountable for their crimes,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “This case is a testament to what we can accomplish with strong collaborative partnerships with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”
This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Gordon prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Nightclub Magnate Sentenced to 16 Years for Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
A DFW nightclub magnate was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for operating an empire of clubs in which drugs were sold openly, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
In November 2021, a federal jury found OK Corral/ Far West owner Alfredo Hinojosa, general manager Miguel Casas, and noted promoter Martin Salvador Rodriguez guilty of managing drug premises, conspiracy to manage drug premises, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Mr. Hinojosa was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay, who imposed a $120,000 fine in addition to the prison time.
The overall case included more than 30 defendants, all of whom have been convicted, including former Dallas Police Officers Eddie Villarreal and Craig Woods. At sentencing, Judge Lindsay called Mr. Hinojosa the “top dog” in the scheme, and noted that the “buck stopped” with him.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. Casas, and Mr. Rodriguez ran a conglomeration of businesses that brought in revenue of more than $107 million over a four-year period.
The defendants allowed cocaine to be sold in the bathrooms of their nightclubs on a daily basis, because such drug sales attracted customers and provided them with a competitive edge over rival clubs. These drugs sales increased revenue at the clubs between $9 million and $12 million.
“These defendants made millions by explicitly allowing cocaine trafficking in nightclubs across DFW. They assumed that permitting bathroom drug deals would be their ‘competitive edge.’ Instead, it was their downfall,” Acting U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham said following the conviction. “The United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI will not permit nightclub owners – or anyone else – to willfully turn a blind eye to drug trafficking happening on their premises.”
“This conspiracy was designed to elevate the status of the defendants at a very high cost to our society,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “Their extensive plans to conceal nightly high-volume drug sales included the recruitment of law enforcement officers as employees. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to protect the integrity of the profession, uphold the public’s trust, and prevent access to illicit drugs in our greater Dallas-Fort Worth communities.”
At trial, prosecutors presented evidence of 17 controlled drug buys that occurred at the OK Corral Dallas, OK Corral Fort Worth, and Far West nightclubs between 2013 and 2016. Half a dozen informants, all under the supervision of FBI agents, bought bag after bag of cocaine from traffickers operating out of club bathrooms.
Multiple security guards who worked inside the clubs testified at trial that Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. Casas, and Mr. Rodriguez knew the drug trafficking was occurring and openly ordered security personnel to allow it. Drug traffickers, previously charged and convicted in the case, also testified that they were allowed to operate freely.
At trial, FBI agents explained that in 2015, they installed court-ordered microphones and a camera in Mr. Hinojosa’s office, unbeknownst to the defendants. Agent also sought and obtained more a dozen wiretaps in the case. During these recorded calls and intercepted communications, Mr. Hinojosa could be heard saying, “we can’t really clean it because then we lose business,” and “we need cocaine, man.”
Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. Casas, and Mr. Rodriguez eventually confessed to knowing that the drug sales were ongoing and allowed. Prosecutors played Mr. Hinojosa’s 45-minute recorded interview for the jury. Other agents recounted statements made by Mr. Casas and Mr. Rodriguez.
According to one agent’s notes, Mr. Casas told a task force officer that when club management realized the business was “tanking,” they told bouncers to allow the drug sales to resume and leave drug dealers alone as long as they were “discreet.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation, which was dubbed “Operation Closing Time.” The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's Enforcement Division, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys P.J. Meitl, Nicole Dana, and Melanie Smith prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Charged with Assaulting Border Patrol AgentsRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Miguel Angel Acatzihua-Temoxtle, 25, a citizen and national of Mexico, was arrested on two counts of Assault on a Federal Officer and Assault on a Federal Officer with the Use of a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon. Acatzihua-Temoxtle was charged by criminal complaint and had his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Leslie A. Bowman on Thursday.
On May 31, 2022, Border Patrol Agents working near Newfield, Arizona received information that several groups of undocumented non-citizens were passing through the Baboquivari Mountain range. Agents inspected the area and found several individuals, including Acatzihua-Temoxtle.
Acatzihua-Temoxtle fled from the agents by running up the side of a wash. In his effort to flee, Acatzihua-Temoxtle kicked several large boulders to slow the pursuit of one of the agents. While Border Patrol was trying to detain him, Acatzihua-Temoxtle physically assaulted two of the agents, including by attempting to strangle one agent with his own lanyard.
Convictions for assault on a federal officer carry a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine. Assault on a federal officer with the use of a deadly or dangerous weapon carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine.
A criminal complaint is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Arellano, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 22-03230MJ-1
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-086_Acatzihua-Temoxtle# # #
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.Maryland man admits to drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Juan Manuel De La Rosa-Tejeda, of Hagerstown, Maryland, has admitted to a drug conspiracy, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
De La Rosa-Tejeda, 36, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Five Kilograms or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing Cocaine.” De La Rosa-Tejeda admitted to working with others to distribute cocaine from August 2020 to June 2021 in Berkeley County and elsewhere.
De La Rosa-Tejeda faces at least 10 years and up to life incarceration and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Timothy D. Helman are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the FBI; United States Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; ATF; the West Virginia Air National Guard; West Virginia State Police; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the FBI-New York Safe Streets Task Force; New Jersey State Police investigated. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania assisted.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office Joins with State and Non-Profits to Combat Elder Financial AbuseRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with Project SAFE and the PROTECT Week Coalition to help seniors in Maryland avoid falling victim to financial exploitation. PROTECT Week, held June 13-17, 2021, offers opportunities to learn about the many forms of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of older Marylanders. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is participating in events all month, including public outreach events such as a tele-town hall, educational programming and presentations to the Maryland State Bar Association and the Banker’s Association.
Interview with Shawn Perry of the Senior Zone – airing the week of June 6
Interview with Assistant U.S. Attorney and Elder Fraud Coordinator, Evelyn Cusson, scheduled to be aired the week of June 6 with Shawn Perry of the Senior Zone AM radio program to promote PROTECT Week. The interview reviewed imposter scams, the importance of reporting fraud, the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Hotline, and tips for recognizing and avoiding scams.
Tele-town Hall – June 15, 2022 at 1:30 p.m.
AARP will host the tele-town hall event featuring U.S. Attorney Erek Barron, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, and Sue Rogan with CASH Campaign. The tele-town hall will discuss prevalent fraud schemes targeting seniors and how to avoid them, including resources for reporting. The calls reach thousands of Marylanders in every county throughout the state.
Banker’s Association – June 16, 2022 at 11:00 a.m.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darryl Tarver and Evelyn Cusson will speak at a virtual event with the Maryland Banker’s Association. The presentation will discuss the Elder Justice Task Force in Maryland and how banks can become involved, and Maryland’s SARS task force which all work to prevent elder fraud and prosecute fraudsters who target seniors.
Now in its fifth year, PROTECT Week 2022 coincides with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, observed on June 15. For more information on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, please visit https://ncea.acl.gov/WEAAD.aspx. PROTECT Week resources, available on www.protectweek.org, will help Marylanders identify financial exploitation so that they may protect themselves and their loved ones from abuse and provide event details and registration information.
About the Partners
The PROTECT Week Coalition includes the following partners:
• Maryland Department of Aging
• Maryland Office of the Attorney General
• The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland
• Maryland Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation
• Maryland Office of the Comptroller
• Maryland Department of Human Services
• Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service
• Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition
• EverSafe
• ElderSAFE
• SAFE: Stop Abuse of Elders
• Baltimore County Restoring Elder Safety Today – BC REST Coalition
• AARP Maryland
• CCCSMD – Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Maryland
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Martinsburg woman sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA –Tinesha Joann Burrows, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to five years probation for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Burrows, 39, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Heroin.” Burrows admitted to working with another to distribute fentanyl and heroin in February 2019 in Berkeley County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Helman prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Washington County, Maryland Task Force investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Man Sentenced to Seven and a Half Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded Gun on Chicago SidewalkRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded semiautomatic handgun and crack cocaine on a Chicago sidewalk.
ANDRE WILLIAMS illegally possessed the gun and drugs on the afternoon of May 6, 2020, on a sidewalk in the West Englewood neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. Chicago Police officers responding to a call of suspected criminal activity in the area approached Williams and asked to speak to him. Williams ran off and led the officers on a two-block foot chase before they apprehended him. The officers seized the gun, which was loaded with nine rounds of ammunition, and multiple bags of crack cocaine from a pocket of Williams’s sweatshirt.
Williams, 43, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to a federal charge of illegal possession of a firearm. Williams had previously been convicted of multiple state felonies, including a firearm offense, and was prohibited by federal law from possessing the gun.
U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso imposed the 90-month sentence Friday after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Kristen de Tineo, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.
“Defendant and other felons who carry guns must understand that illegally possessing weapons on the streets of Chicago translates to real consequences and real punishment, including meaningful time in prison,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Misty N. Wright argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Attorney Lausch and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Man Previously Convicted of Second-Degree Murder Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Unlawful Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
A man who was previously convicted of second-degree murder in state court pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids to unlawfully possessing a gun and ammunition.
Johnny Blahnik Church, f/k/a Drew Alan Blahnik, age 35, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of methamphetamine and cocaine.
At the plea hearing, Blahnik admitted that, in February 2019, he possessed a Glock .40 caliber handgun and multiple rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. Blahnik also admitted that at the time he possessed this gun and ammunition, he was prohibited from doing so because he was a knowing user of both cocaine and methamphetamine.
In July 2021, Blahnik was convicted after a trial in the Iowa District Court for Linn County of second-degree murder, obstruction of justice, and abuse of a corpse related to the December 2018 death of Chris Bagley. In December 2021, Blahnik was sentenced to 57 years in Iowa state prison as a result of these convictions.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Blahnik remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Blahnik faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and was investigated by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Agency.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 19-CR-30.
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Madera Women Sentenced to Prison for Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Leah Guillen, 39, of Madera, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to three years and three months in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in early 2018, Guillen obtained the name, Social Security account number, and date of birth of an individual. Guillen then used this information to impersonate the victim and fraudulently gain access to the victim’s bank accounts at Golden1 Credit Union. Using an unauthorized debit card, Guillen drained the victim’s bank accounts over a three-month period between April 18, 2018, and June 30, 2018, causing a loss in excess of $210,449.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Madera Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry Z. Carbajal III prosecuted the case.
Kalamazoo Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced today that U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney sentenced Semaj Williams of Kalamazoo, Michigan to 188 months in prison for running a methamphetamine distribution operation. Judge Maloney also sentenced Williams to a five-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
Williams spent years conspiring with others to sell methamphetamine in Kalamazoo and other locations throughout West Michigan. Over a period of four months in 2020, Williams supplied two dealers with ounces of methamphetamine on a daily basis and also supplied others. In March 2021, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety officers stopped Williams with methamphetamine hidden at his feet in the backseat of a car. Overall, Judge Maloney found Williams responsible for distributing no less than five kilograms of methamphetamine. Judge Maloney also concluded that Williams had the highest-level criminal history category possible under the United States Sentencing Guidelines based on his previous convictions for assault with a dangerous weapon, home invasion, resisting police, and possession of controlled substances, among others.
While sentencing Williams, Judge Maloney emphasized the extremely serious nature of methamphetamine, noting methamphetamine is a “scourge in the Western District of Michigan.” Judge Maloney also found Williams to be a threat to the public, imposing a 188-month sentence in order to deter Williams from committing future drug-trafficking crimes while simultaneously deterring other would-be drug traffickers from dealing a deadly drug.
“Methamphetamine is a highly addictive and dangerous drug that is plaguing our communities,” commented U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Those, like Williams, who work with others to peddle this poison must be stopped.”
“Drug dealers are inherently dangerous and threaten the safety of our community. Williams’s sentencing and guilty plea send the message that violators will be held responsible for their actions,” stated Assistant Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. “This case is an outstanding example of how working with our Federal, State, tribal, and local partners protects our communities.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with important additional assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (a unit of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety), Homeland Security Investigations, the Michigan State Police, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, and the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Tribal Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Carowan.
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Justice Department Secures Settlement with Florida Employer to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination ClaimsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with Temple Beth El, a synagogue in Boca Raton, Florida, that employs teachers and other staff. The settlement resolves the department’s claim that the synagogue, in staffing its pre-school, discriminated against a non-U.S. citizen based on citizenship status when checking the individual’s permission to work in the United States.
“Employers cannot discriminate against workers by asking them for specific documents to prove their permission to work based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Employers must allow all employees, regardless of their citizenship status, to provide any valid, acceptable document of their choice to prove their permission to work. We look forward to working with Temple Beth El to implement this settlement and ensure its staff understand the correct process to use to avoid potential discrimination.”
The department initiated the investigation to determine whether the company was violating the Immigration and Nationality Act’s (INA) anti-discrimination provision after receiving information from a member of the public. The department’s investigation revealed that the company discriminated on two separate occasions by asking a lawful permanent resident to present specific documents to prove their permission to work in the United States, while making no such request of U.S. citizens. All employees have the right to choose the valid documentation they wish to present when demonstrating that they have permission to work in the United States.
The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from asking for unnecessary documents — or specifying the type of documentation a worker should present — to prove their permission to work, because of a worker’s citizenship, immigration status or national origin.
Under the settlement, Temple Beth El will pay $4,144 in civil penalties, change their employment policies to comply with the anti-discrimination provision of the INA, and train its employees who are responsible for verifying workers’ permission to work in the United States.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation.
Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. IER’s website has more information on how employers can avoid discriminating when verifying a worker’s permission to work through the Form I-9 or E-Verify. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a free webinar; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER. View the Spanish translation of this press release here.
Justice Department Recovers Fraudulent Transfer of Proceeds Arising from Medical Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
Alex Hart Raley Jr., who received millions from an individual subsequently found liable for violating the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks, has agreed to pay $2.3 million to resolve a civil lawsuit alleging that the transfer violated the Federal Debt Collection Procedures Act. Raley was not involved in the kickback violations.
Floyd Calhoun Dent III, along with two other individuals, was found liable by a South Carolina jury in 2018 for submitting false claims to Medicare and TRICARE, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act. A judgment was subsequently entered against these defendants jointly for $114 million. Prior to the judgment, but after Dent had been served with a Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General subpoena, Dent transferred several million dollars to Raley. Dent acknowledged that he received nothing in return for this payment, but contended that it was intended to fulfill a childhood promise.
“Individuals who receive the proceeds of fraudulent activity must return them,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Recovering ill-gotten gains that have been transferred to third parties is an important component of the department’s commitment to combat fraudulent schemes involving taxpayer funds.”
“Justice requires that ill-gotten gains – regardless of whose hands ultimately hold them – are restored to their rightful owner, which in this case is the United States of America,” said U.S. Attorney Corey Ellis for the District of South Carolina.
The settlement announced today resolves the United States’ allegations that Dent’s transfer to Raley was a fraudulent transfer. The settlement requires him to surrender any retained funds, as well as gold and silver coins that Raley purchased with a portion of the transferred funds, to the Department of Justice and the Liquidating Trustee for now bankrupt Health Diagnostic Laboratories Inc., which will split these assets pursuant to a bankruptcy court agreement.
The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Fraud and Corporate/Financial Litigation Sections, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina. The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Alicia J. Bentley and Trial Attorney Andrew Warner of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Leventis, Johanna Valenzuela, and Joanna Stroud.
The case is United States v. AROC Enterprises, LLC, et al. (D.S.C. Case No. 9:19-cv-234 RMG).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Jury returns verdict in Cle Nightclub violent armed robberyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 26-year-old security guard working at a downtown Houston nightclub has been convicted of its 2019 violent armed robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The jury deliberated for 10 minutes before convicting Hakeem Alexander Coles today for interference with commerce by robbery and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence following a five-day trial.
Coles, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, used a false identity to get hired as a security guard for Cle Nightclub. He worked there for about two weeks. On Sept. 7, 2019, after the business closed, he robbed the employees at gunpoint and demanded $20,000 cash.
At trial, the jury heard from witnesses who described how Coles was hired as a security guard using someone else’s identity. They also heard from employees at Cle who described how he had robbed them at gunpoint and discharged his firearm toward them as he fled the scene.
The investigation led to Coles’ arrest in Louisiana. At that time, he was found in possession of a loaded firearm and the false identification he used to gain employment at Cle. Law enforcement was soon able to uncover his true identity.
The jury also heard evidence of another robbery Coles had committed in Minneapolis three weeks prior to the Cle robbery. In that case, Coles was working as a security guard at Cowboy Jacks Bar and Restaurant and robbed the employees during closed hours as well. Coles pleaded guilty in 2020 and received 17 years in federal prison on that case.
The defense attempted to convince the jury in this case that Coles did not commit the crime and it was, in fact, the individual whose identity he had stolen. The jury did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. presided over trial and set sentencing for Aug. 26. At that time, Coles faces up to 20 years for the robbery and a minimum of 10 years and up to life for the firearms charge which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.
Coles has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office; Gretna Police Department in Louisiana and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Britni Cooper and Luis Batarse prosecuted the case.
This is an example of coordination between law enforcement who are part of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative which combines personnel and resources from numerous federal, state and local agencies. The goal is to proactively fight and reduce violent crime across the Greater Houston area by targeting the region’s most violent offenders, augmenting investigative and prosecutorial efforts and enhancing training, public awareness and education. It stems from the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. 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.
In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officer Charged with Using and Attempting to Use A Minor to Produce Sexually Explicit ImagesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment against Alejandro Carmona-Fonseca (47, Green Cove Springs) charging him with one count of using a minor child to produce sexually explicit images, two counts of attempting to use a minor child to produce sexually explicit images, and one count of attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. For each of the first three counts, Carmona-Fonseca faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and up to a maximum of 30 years in federal prison. For the fourth count, Carmona-Fonseca faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years and up to a maximum of life in federal prison. In addition, he faces up to a $1 million fine and a potential life term of supervised release. Carmona made his initial appearance in federal court on June 2, 2022, and was ordered detained pending trial.
According to public records, Carmona-Fonseca is currently employed as an officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
According to the indictment, between April 2021 and March 2022, Carmona-Fonseca used a minor to produce or attempt to produce sexually explicit images. The indictment also alleges that in March 2022, Carmona-Fonseca attempted to entice an individual he believed to be a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, that is, to produce sexually explicit images.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
This is another case 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 www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Jackson Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
According to court documents, beginning as early August 1, 2017, and continuing until April 2019, communications between Elbert Silas, 44, and his codefendants were intercepted wherein they negotiated and conducted sales of methamphetamine throughout the state of Mississippi, from as far as Aberdeen to Biloxi. Surveillance, confidential source information and additional intercepted communications revealed that Silas and his codefendants also distributed heroin.
The case is the result of an extensive investigation, dubbed “Drama Queen,” which began as an operation targeting illegal drug trafficking in the central Mississippi area. “Drama Queen” is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, Richland Police Department, Biloxi Police Department, Jones County Sheriff’s Office and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.
Illinois Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice A Child to Engage in Sexually Explicit ConductRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Robert W. Rice (56, Westville, Illinois) to 10 years in federal prison for the attempted enticement of a minor and possession of child sexual abuse images. As a part of his sentence, Rice is also required to register as a sex offender. The Court also ordered Rice to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to forfeit his cellphone, which was used in the commission of the offense. Rice had pleaded guilty on March 7, 2022.
According to court documents, from approximately May 2020 through June 9, 2020, Rice used his cellphone to communicate on an online social media application with an individual whom he thought was a 13-year-old girl. In reality, Rice was communicating with an undercover agent. In his communications, Rice sent images and videos depicting children being sexually abused and further engaged in sexually explicit conversation with the purported “child” in an attempt to entice the “child” into engaging in sexually explicit conduct. During the communications, Rice repeatedly asked the “child” to send photos and videos to his email. Rice also sent the “child” pictures of his face, his genitalia, and videos of him masturbating and child sex abuse images and videos to further his attempt to entice the “child.”
“The internet makes it easier for these predators to target and attempt to exploit children,” said HSI Tampa Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Silliman. “We will absolutely investigate those who try victimize our most vulnerable.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Huntington Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington woman pleaded guilty today to making false statements in the acquisition of firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Whitney Kathlyn Hershey, 35, admitted to lying on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Transaction Records Form 4473, when she bought a Glock, Model 27, .40-caliber pistol in Huntington on February 14, 2020. Hershey certified on the ATF Form 4473 that she was the purchaser of the firearm when she knew she was buying it for someone else. Hershey further admitted to buying firearms on three other occasions and stating on the forms that she was the actual purchaser when she was not.
Hershey is scheduled to be sentenced on September 6, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the Huntington Police Department and the ATF for conducting the investigation.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney R. Gregory McVey is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-23.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man was sentenced today to three years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Parrish Wayne Spurlock, 55, sold 0.8 grams of suspected fentanyl behind his North High Street residence to a confidential informant on May 11, 2021. The suspected fentanyl field-tested positive and was ultimately confirmed as fentanyl by the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory. Spurlock admitted to law enforcement officers that he had sold significant amounts of methamphetamine and heroin over an approximate one-year period.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-250.
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Harrisburg Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Possessing A Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kshawn Carter, age 25, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 180 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Christopher Conner for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Carter pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen handgun discovered during the execution of a search warrant at his Harrisburg residence on September 23, 2019. Because Carter had three prior felony drug convictions, under federal law, his possession of the firearm mandated the 15-year sentence.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Harrisburg Police Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Johnny Baer is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Grand Jury Charges Memphis Woman Who Allegedly Bought Maserati Luxury Automobile and Other Personal Items with Fraudulently Obtained Paycheck Protection LoansRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN - A Memphis woman was charged for her role in a fraudulent scheme to obtain thousands of dollars in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for herself and others. Joseph C. Murphy Jr., United States Attorney, announced the indictment today.
On May 19, 2022, a federal grand jury charged Kenyatta Danielle Hooper, 34, in a six-count indictment with wire fraud. Hooper was arrested on Friday, May 27, 2022.
According to the indictment, the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The law authorized up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
Hooper engaged in a scheme to illegally obtain thousands of dollars in PPP money for herself and others through numerous misrepresentations to financial institutions. Hooper both personally submitted and directed others to submit fraudulent PPP loan applications. She also submitted fake and false documents in support of these applications. Hooper also took kickbacks from the persons she assisted in filing fraudulent PPP loan applications. She further falsely certified that she would only use PPP loan proceeds for permissible expenses – payroll, rent or mortgage payments, and utilities – and instead spent loan money on a Maserati automobile, personal travel, concerts, and gambling.
“Congress funded the PPP program to provide a financial lifeline to struggling small businesses in West Tennessee and across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic”, said United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy. “Bad actors unfortunately have targeted this critical assistance program and fraudulently diverted much needed resources. Our office and our law enforcement partners will investigate all allegations of unlawful use of these funds and are committed to ensuring federal tax dollars are used for their intended purposes.”
“The FBI takes particular interest in cases where individuals scheme for their own personal benefit, lining their pockets at the public’s expense,” said Douglas M. Korneski, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Memphis Field Office. “The honest and law-abiding small business owners in this country should be assured by this indictment that the FBI is committed to working closely with its law enforcement partners to vigorously pursue anyone who would scheme to use critical assistance loans for their own avaricious desires.”
“Scheming to fraudulently use SBA program funds is unacceptable,” said SBA OIG’s Special Agent-in-Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG remains committed to rooting out bad actors and protecting the integrity of SBA programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”
“The Memphis Field Office of the United States Secret Service assisted the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the arrest of suspect Kenyatta Hooper for COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program Fraud. This investigation and subsequent arrest once again demonstrate the continued collaboration between the FBI and Secret Service to combat financial crime,” said Carl B. Hagins, Special Agent in Charge (Memphis Field Office), United States Secret Service.
Hooper faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud count. There is no parole in the federal system.
The charges and allegations contained in indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the United States Small Business Administration, and the United States Secret Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Tony Arvin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
###Gang Member with a Dozen Prior Convictions Sentenced to 200 Months Imprisonment Resulting from Project Safe Neighborhoods InvestigationRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – A Southwest Georgia resident and gang member with an extensive criminal history was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison after a federal jury found him guilty on all counts.
Quinton Jarod Simmons, 30, of Adel, Georgia, was sentenced to a total of 200 months for possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine by U.S. District Judge Louis Sands on June 2 in Albany. Simmons was convicted on all counts on Thursday, Feb. 10, resulting from a four-day trial at the Valdosta, Georgia, federal courthouse.
“Repeat offenders face federal prosecution in Middle Georgia as we continue to focus law enforcement efforts on those who constantly commit crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Through the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work closely with local, state and federal law enforcement, as well as our community partners, to make Middle Georgia a safer place.”
“With twelve prior convictions, Simmons was a continuous threat to the safety of the citizens in our community,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is proud to work with our partners in the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program to help convict repeat offenders at the federal level, where they face steeper penalties and no opportunity for parole.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Simmons, a member of the Crips street gang, fled Remerton Police Department Officers who were attempting to conduct a traffic stop for a traffic violation on June 15, 2018. Simmons ran through a red light during the pursuit and crashed his vehicle into a tree on Georgia Avenue in Valdosta. Simmons attempted to escape his car, but responding officers took him into custody. Simmons was in possession of a Glock 22 firearm that had been reported stolen by an Adel resident in April 2018, as well as two clear bags of pink and blue pills that tested positive for methamphetamine. Simmons has a lengthy criminal history, with 12 prior convictions, including burglary, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, fleeing a police officer and theft by taking.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems
in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by FBI, GBI, Remerton Police Department, Valdosta State University Police Department, Valdosta Police Department, Lowndes County Sheriff's Office, Valdosta-Lowndes Regional Crime Laboratory and Georgia State Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sonja Profit and Mike Morrison prosecuted the case.
Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute over 40 Grams of Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Mario Garcia, 28, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between Oct. 2 and Dec. 16, 2020, Mario was incarcerated at the Fresno County Jail in an unrelated case. From inside the jail, he used the jail’s telephones to contact his brother Isaiah Garcia, 19, and discuss a plan to distribute counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl to Isaiah’s customers. On Dec. 16, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Isaiah’s residence and seized about 1,200 counterfeit M30 fentanyl pills.
This case was the product of an investigation by FORT, a multi-agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case.
Mario Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 29, 2022. He faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Charges are pending against Isaiah Garcia for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The charges are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.
Former U.S. Congressman and Philadelphia Political Operative Pleads Guilty to Election Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced today that former U.S. Congressman Michael “Ozzie” Myers, 79, of Philadelphia, PA, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to deprive voters of civil rights, bribery, obstruction of justice, falsification of voting records, and conspiring to illegally vote in a federal election for orchestrating schemes to fraudulently stuff the ballot boxes for specific Democratic candidates in the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Pennsylvania elections.
39th Ward, 36th Division
Specifically, Myers admitted in court to bribing the Judge of Elections for the 39th Ward, 36th Division in South Philadelphia, Domenick J. Demuro, in a fraudulent scheme over several years. Demuro, who was charged separately and pleaded guilty in May 2020, was responsible for overseeing the entire election process and all voter activities of his Division in accord with federal and state election laws.
The voting machines at each polling station, including in the 39th Ward, 36th Division, generate records in the form of a printed receipt documenting the use of each voting machine. This printed receipt, also known as the “results receipt,” shows the vote totals, and the Judge of Elections and other Election Board Officials at each polling place attest to the accuracy of machine results.
Myers admitted to bribing Demuro to illegally add votes for certain candidates of their mutual political party in primary elections. Some of these candidates were individuals running for judicial office whose campaigns had hired Myers, and others were candidates for various federal, state, and local elective offices that Myers favored for a variety of reasons. Myers would solicit payments from his clients in the form of cash or checks as “consulting fees,” and then use portions of these funds to pay Demuro and others to tamper with election results.
After receiving payments ranging from between $300 to $5,000 per election from Myers, Demuro would add fraudulent votes on the voting machine – also known as “ringing up” votes – for Myers’ clients and preferred candidates, thereby diluting the value of ballots cast by actual voters. At Myers’ direction, Demuro would add these fraudulent votes to the totals during Election Day, and then would later falsely certify that the voting machine results were accurate. Myers is also accused of directing Demuro to lie to investigators about the circumstances of the bribes and the ballot-stuffing scheme.
39th Ward, 2nd Division
Myers also admitted to conspiring to commit election fraud with a former Judge of Elections for the 39th Ward, 2nd Division in South Philadelphia, Marie Beren. Beren, who was charged separately and pleaded guilty in October 2021, was the de facto Judge of Elections and effectively ran the polling places in her division by installing close associates to serve as members of the Board of Elections. Myers admitted that he gave Beren directions to add votes to candidates supported by him, including candidates for judicial office whose campaigns actually hired Myers, and other candidates for various federal, state, and local elective offices preferred by Myers for a variety of reasons.
Myers acknowledged in court that on almost every Election Day, Myers transported Beren to the polling station to open the polls. During the drive to the polling station, Myers would advise Beren which candidates he was supporting so that Beren knew which candidates should be receiving fraudulent votes. Inside the polling place and while the polls were open, Beren would advise actual in-person voters to support Myers’ candidates and also cast fraudulent votes in support of Myers’ preferred candidates on behalf of voters she knew would not or did not physically appear at the polls.
During Election Day itself, Myers conferred with Beren via cell phone while she was at the polling station about the number of votes cast for his preferred candidates. Beren would report to Myers how many “legit votes,” meaning actual voters, had appeared at the polls and cast ballots. If actual voter turnout was high, Beren would add fewer fraudulent votes in support of Myers’ preferred candidates. From time to time, Myers would instruct Beren to shift her efforts from one of his preferred candidates to another. Specifically, Myers would instruct Beren “to throw support” behind another candidate during Election Day if he concluded that his first choice was comfortably ahead.
Beren and her accomplices from the Board of Elections would then falsify the polling books and the List of Voters and Party Enrollment for the 39th Ward, 2nd Division, by recording the names, party affiliation, and order of appearances for voters who had not physically appeared at the polling station to cast his or her ballot in the election. Beren took pains to ensure that the number of ballots cast on the machines was a reflection of the number of voters signed into the polling books and the List of Voters. After the polls closed on Election Day, Beren and her associates would falsely certify the results.
“Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. If even one vote has been illegally cast or if the integrity of just one election official is compromised, it diminishes faith in process,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Votes are not things to be purchased and democracy is not for sale. If you are a political consultant, election official, or work with the polling places in any way, I urge you to do your job honestly and faithfully. That is what the public deserves and what the federal government will enforce.”
“One thing you can say about Ozzie Myers: his values have long been out of whack,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Decades ago, he valued a fake sheikh’s bribes more than the ethical obligations of his elected federal office. This time around, he valued his clients’ money and his own whims more than the integrity of multiple elections and the will of Philadelphia voters. Free and fair elections are critical to the health of our democracy, which is why protecting the legitimacy of the electoral process at every level is such a priority for the FBI.”
“The guilty plea entered today is a satisfying culmination of tireless work by our Pennsylvania State Troopers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Justice. It is imperative the citizens of this Commonwealth have faith in a fair voting process. We will remain committed to prioritizing these investigations and working with our federal partners to fully investigate and prosecute anyone who attempts to impede or alter the election process.” Captain James Cuttitta, Director, Special Investigations Division, Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric L. Gibson and Richard P. Barrett with assistance from Richard C. Pilger, Director of Elections Crimes Branch, Criminal Division, Public Integrity Section, U.S. Department of Justice.
Former Mayor of Puerto Rico Municipality Sentenced for Accepting BribesRead the Press Release
A former mayor of a municipality in Puerto Rico was sentenced today to two years in prison for his involvement in a bribery scheme in which he received monthly cash payments in exchange for awarding municipal contracts.
Luis Arroyo-Chiqués, 56, of Rincon, pleaded guilty in December 2021 to one count of conspiracy to engage in a bribery scheme. According to court documents and statements made in connection with his plea and sentencing, Arroyo-Chiqués was the mayor and highest-ranking government official in the municipality of Aguas Buenas from 2005 until 2016. In 2017, Arroyo-Chiqués negotiated with Individual B for a waste collection contract for Company A, which was owned and operated by Individual A. In exchange for the 10-year waste collection contract, Individual A agreed to pay Arroyo-Chiqués bribes of $10,000 per month ($1.00 per house for 10,000 houses in the municipality). The agreement was arranged so that Arroyo-Chiqués would be paid $5,000 per month for the life of the contract and Individual B would be paid $5,000 per month. This payment was made in cash every month from 2016 and continued even after Arroyo-Chiqués left office in 2016. The last payment to Arroyo-Chiqués occurred in June 2021.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI San Juan Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Nicholas W. Cannon of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe for the District of Puerto Rico are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to combat public corruption by municipal officials in Puerto Rico. In addition to the above matters, the Public Integrity Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico have recently obtained convictions against other former public officials and contractors in the District of Puerto Rico for soliciting and accepting bribes related to municipal contracts. See United States v. Eduardo Cintrón-Suárez, 22-151 (SCC); United States v. Félix Delgado-Montalvo, 21-463 (RAM); United States v. Oscar Santamaria-Torres, 21-464 (RAM); United States v. Raymond Rodríguez, 21-465 (RAM); and United States v. Ramon Conde-Melendez, 22-221 (PAD).
Additionally, the department recently obtained indictments charging several former officials and contractors with bribery related to municipal contracts, and those cases are still pending. See United States v. Mario Villegas-Vargas, 21-468 (FAB); United States v. Ángel Pérez-Otero, 21-474 (ADC); United States v. Radamés Benítez-Cardona, 21-475 (PAD); United States v. Javier García-Pérez, 22-185 (ADC); and United States v. Reinaldo Vargas-Rodríguez, 22-186 (PAD).
Former Mayor of Puerto Rico Municipality Sentenced for Accepting BribesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former mayor of a municipality in Puerto Rico was sentenced today to two years in prison for his involvement in a bribery scheme in which he received monthly cash payments in exchange for awarding municipal contracts.
Luis Arroyo-Chiqués, 56, of Rincon, pleaded guilty in December 2021 to one count of conspiracy to engage in a bribery scheme. According to court documents and statements made in connection with his plea and sentencing, Arroyo-Chiqués was the mayor and highest-ranking government official in the municipality of Aguas Buenas from 2005 until 2016. In 2017, Arroyo-Chiqués negotiated with Individual B for a waste collection contract for Company A, which was owned and operated by Individual A. In exchange for the 10-year waste collection contract, Individual A agreed to pay Arroyo-Chiqués bribes of $10,000 per month ($1.00 per house for 10,000 houses in the municipality). The agreement was arranged so that Arroyo-Chiqués would be paid $5,000 per month for the life of the contract and Individual B would be paid $5,000 per month. This payment was made in cash every month from 2016 and continued even after Arroyo-Chiqués left office in 2016. The last payment to Arroyo-Chiqués occurred in June 2021.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI San Juan Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Nicholas W. Cannon of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe for the District of Puerto Rico are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to combat public corruption by municipal officials in Puerto Rico. In addition to the above matters, the Public Integrity Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico have recently obtained convictions against other former public officials and contractors in the District of Puerto Rico for soliciting and accepting bribes related to municipal contracts. See United States v. Eduardo Cintrón-Suárez, 22-151 (SCC); United States v. Félix Delgado-Montalvo, 21-463 (RAM); United States v. Oscar Santamaria-Torres, 21-464 (RAM); United States v. Raymond Rodríguez, 21-465 (RAM); and United States v. Ramon Conde-Melendez, 22-221 (PAD).
Additionally, the department recently obtained indictments charging several former officials and contractors with bribery related to municipal contracts, and those cases are still pending. See United States v. Mario Villegas-Vargas, 21-468 (FAB); United States v. Ángel Pérez-Otero, 21-474 (ADC); United States v. Radamés Benítez-Cardona, 21-475 (PAD); United States v. Javier García-Pérez, 22-185 (ADC); and United States v. Reinaldo Vargas-Rodríguez, 22-186 (PAD).
Former Director of Public Works of Puerto Rico Municipality Pleads Guilty to Accepting BribesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The former Director of Public Works in the Municipality of Cataño, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty today in Puerto Rico to a bribery conspiracy in which he received cash payments in exchange for the distribution of asphalt removal projects and certification of invoices for payments from the Municipality of Cataño to an asphalt and paving company.
According to court documents, in 2019, 2020, and 2021, Pedro Marrero-Miranda agreed to receive and did receive multiple kickback payments from Individual A and Individual B, owners of an asphalt and paving company, equaling approximately $1.00 for each square meter of asphalt removed by the company in the municipality of Cataño. The total value of the kickback payments received by the defendant from Individual A and Individual B exceeded $40,000.
Marrero-Miranda, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in a bribery scheme. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI San Juan Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Nicholas W. Cannon of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Erbe for the District of Puerto Rico are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to combat public corruption by municipal officials in Puerto Rico. In addition to the above matters, the Public Integrity Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico have recently obtained convictions against other former public officials and contractors in the District of Puerto Rico for soliciting and accepting bribes related to municipal contracts. See United States v. Luis Arroyo-Chiqués, 21-485 (SCC); United States v. Eduardo Cintrón-Suárez, 22-151 (SCC); United States v. Félix Delgado-Montalvo, 21-463 (RAM); United States v. Oscar Santamaria-Torres, 21-464 (RAM); United States v. Raymond Rodríguez, 21-465 (RAM); and United States v. Ramon Conde-Melendez, 22-221 (PAD).
Additionally, the department recently obtained indictments charging several former officials and contractors with bribery related to municipal contracts, and those cases are still pending. See United States v. Mario Villegas-Vargas, 21-468 (FAB); United States v. Ángel Pérez-Otero, 21-474 (ADC); United States v. Radamés Benítez-Cardona, 21-475 (PAD); United States v. Javier García-Pérez, 22-185 (ADC); and United States v. Reinaldo Vargas-Rodríguez, 22-186 (PAD).
Foreign National Involved in Religious Institution Check Theft Conspiracy Sentenced to over Three Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore C. Chuang sentenced Marius Vaduva, age 27, of Hollywood, Florida, to 42 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. As part of his sentence, Vaduva will be required to pay $1,334,230.84 in restitution.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Charles Wickersham of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Acting Special Agent in Charge Quenton Sallows of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) Mid-Atlantic Region; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; Chief Toni Dezomits of the Cary, North Carolina, Police Department; and Sheriff Dusty Rhoades of the Williamson County, Tennessee, Sheriff’s Office.
According to his guilty plea, beginning in June 2018 to January 2021, Vaduva and his co-conspirators conspired to steal checks from the U.S. mail intended for religious institutions and deposit the illegally obtained funds into multiple fraudulent bank accounts at various victim financial institutions. Conspirators, including Vaduva, conducted the thefts by driving to roadside mailboxes of churches and other religious institutions and removing the mail, specifically targeting donation checks.
As part of the scheme to defraud, Vaduva and other co-conspirators fraudulently opened bank accounts at victim financial institutions under false identities. Conspiracy members often opened fictitious bank accounts with the aid of a co-conspirator who was an employee at one of the victim financial institutions. In addition, Vaduva and his co-conspirators used at least two extended family members who were minors to assist in the account openings.
Vaduva and co-conspirators then withdrew cash from the fraudulent bank accounts through ATMs and spent the illegally obtained proceeds using debit cards associated with the bank accounts. Additionally, Vaduva deposited stolen checks in fraudulently opened bank accounts held in others’ identities. Vaduva opened at least nine fraudulent accounts between October 24, 2019 to November 20, 2019. The same nine fraudulent accounts received a total of at least 119 stolen checks totaling approximately $41,528.99. Vaduva also deposited at least four stolen checks totaling approximately $2,120.69 into other bank accounts. Those checks had been stolen from religious institutions in North Carolina and Virginia.
Further, upon his arrest in February 2021, Vaduva’s cell phone contained images of at least 21 stolen checks, totaling $10,119.68.
In total the conspiracy stole at least approximately $1,320,829.69 from 3,075 stolen checks.
Co-conspirators Daniel Velcu, age 43, of Baltimore, Maryland; Marian Unguru, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland; Vali Unguru, age 19, of Baltimore, Maryland; and Florin Vaduva, age 31, of Dania Beach, Florida previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. Nicolae Gindac, age 52, of Dania Beach, Florida pled guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison. Mateus Vaduva, age 29, of Baltimore, Maryland pled guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to five years in federal prison.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, HSI, the FDIC Office of Inspector General, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Cary (North Carolina) Police Department, and the Williamson County (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Wright, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con un empleador en Florida que resuelve unas acusaciones de discriminación relacionada con la inmigraciónRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con Temple Beth El, una sinagoga en Boca Raton, Florida, que emplea a maestros y otro personal. El acuerdo resuelve las acusaciones del Departamento que a la hora de contratar a individuos para su escuela infantil, la sinagoga discriminó a un no ciudadano de los EE. UU. con base en su estatus de ciudadanía al comprobar el permiso del individuo a trabajar en los Estados Unidos.
«Los empleadores no pueden discriminar a los trabajadores y pedirles documentos específicos para probar que tienen permiso para trabajar, con base en su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal Federal Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles. «Los empleadores deben permitir que todos sus empleados, independientemente de su estatus de ciudadanía, proporcionen el documento válido y aceptable de su elección para demostrar su permiso para trabajar. Aguardamos con interés nuestra colaboración con Temple Beth El en la implementación de este acuerdo y aseguraremos que su personal entienda el proceso correcto que debe usar para evitar posibles incidentes discriminatorios».
El Departamento inició la investigación para determinar si la compañía estaba vulnerando la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad («INA», por sus siglas en inglés) después de recibir información de un miembro del público. La investigación del Departamento reveló que, en dos ocasiones diferentes, la compañía se había portado de una manera discriminatoria al pedir a un residente permanente legal que presentase documentos específicos para demostrar su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos, mientras no pedía lo mismo a ciudadanos de los EE. UU. Todo empleado tiene el derecho a elegir la documentación válida que desea presentar para demostrar que cuenta con permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos.
La disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA prohíbe que los empleadores pidan documentos innecesarios –o que especifiquen el tipo de documentación que un trabajador debe presentar– para demostrar su permiso para trabajar, debido a la ciudadanía, el estatus migratorio o la nacionalidad de origen del trabajador.
Conforme el acuerdo, Temple Beth El pagará una sanción civil de $4,144, cambiará sus políticas de empleo para que cumplan con la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA y capacitará a sus empleados responsables de la verificación del permiso de los trabajadores para trabajar en los Estados Unidos.
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión; prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
Para aprender más sobre la labor de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda, vea este vídeo corto. El sitio web de la IER dispone de más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación en el momento de verificar el permiso de un trabajador a trabajar mediante el Formulario I-9 o E-Verify. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su estatus migratorio, ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected]; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés o español. Para recibir las últimas noticias de la IER, inscríbase a GovDelivery.
Eastern Panhandle man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Ronald Louis Browning, of Kearneysville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Browning, 34, pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of “False Statement During Purchase of Firearm.” Browning admitted to making a false statement to purchase a 9mm pistol in December 2020 in Berkeley County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Doc Antle, Owner of Myrtle Beach Safari, and Employee Charged with Federal Money Laundering CrimesRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Bhagavan Mahamayavi Antle a/k/a Doc Antle, 62, and Andrew Jon Sawyer a/k/a Omar Sawyer, 52, both of Myrtle Beach, have been charged in a federal complaint with money laundering crimes involving more than $500,000.
According to the complaint, which was unsealed today in a federal courtroom in Florence, Antle is the owner and operator of The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S), also known as the Myrtle Beach Safari. The Myrtle Beach Safari is a 50-acre wildlife tropical preserve in Myrtle Beach. Sawyer is Antle’s employee and business associate. The complaint alleges that over the last four months, Antle and Sawyer laundered $505,000 in cash they believed to be the proceeds of an operation to smuggle illegal immigrants across the Mexican border into the United States.
Specifically, according to the complaint, Antle and Sawyer would launder the cash by providing checks from a business controlled by Antle and a business controlled by Sawyer. Those checks falsely claimed they were remitted for construction work being performed at the Myrtle Beach Safari, when in reality the checks were simply a means to allow the recipients to appear to have legitimate income. In exchange, Antle and Sawyer received a 15% fee of any amount laundered.
The complaint alleges that Antle discussed his plan to conceal the cash he received by inflating tourist numbers at the Myrtle Beach Safari, and that in the past he had used bulk cash receipts to purchase animals for which he could not use checks.
Antle and Sawyer each face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the charges in the complaint, and they are currently detained.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek A. Shoemake and Amy Bower are prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.Davenport Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for EscapeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man, Marius Lamar Avant, 27, was sentenced on Thursday, June 2, 2022, to 16 months in prison for Escape from Custody, to be served consecutively to his previously imposed 60-month sentence for Felon in Possession of a Firearm in the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois. Following his imprisonment, Avant was ordered to served three years of supervised release and pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ fund.
In September 2020, while serving the remainder of a term of imprisonment for a prior federal escape conviction, Avant left the Davenport Residential Reentry Center (RRC) without authorization and failed to return. He was not apprehended for over four months. When he was arrested in February 2021, Avant was found in possession of a firearm in Rock Island, Illinois. Avant pleaded guilty to the escape offense on January 10, 2022, following his conviction for the firearm offense in the Central District of Illinois.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement.
The United States Marshals Service investigated the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Possessing Firearm in Connection with the Shooting of Five Individuals Outside Nightclub in QueensRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Danari Aiken, a member of the Mac Baller Brims Bloods street gang, as well as the “From Nothing” street gang based in the Lincoln Towers development in East New York, Brooklyn, was sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to 11 years’ imprisonment for two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court filings and facts presented during the sentencing proceeding, the first count of firearm possession related to a 2018 incident where Aiken attempted to murder a rival gang member and ended up firing at random into a crowd of people outside a Queens nightclub injuring five bystanders. The second count related to an incident where Aiken possessed a firearm while fleeing police from a traffic stop. In December 2021, Aiken pleaded guilty to both counts. Aiken was previously convicted in 2015 of possessing a loaded firearm.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentence.
“The defendant, who has previously been convicted of a felony crime, armed himself on multiple occasions, and one night, used that deadly weapon to endanger and wound many in his line of fire. Thankfully in this case, the victims suffered non-fatal injuries,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Gun violence and mass shootings are a menace that this Office and our law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to stop by taking firearms out of the hands of violent individuals like the defendant, who learned today there are serious federal consequences for his actions.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and the Queens County District Attorney’s Office for their outstanding work and assistance in this investigation and prosecution.
As set forth in court filings, on December 7, 2018, Aiken attempted to ambush rival gang members outside of the Rose Lounge nightclub in Queens. When he arrived at the nightclub, Aiken flashed gang signs before attempting to shoot an individual at point-blank range. When that individual returned fire, Aiken fled but continued firing into the crowd. As a result of the shooting, five bystanders suffered non-fatal injuries. The firearm and ammunition used by Aiken were recovered by the NYPD at the scene.
On November 12, 2020, Aiken led NYPD officers on a high-speed chase in Brooklyn when they attempted to stop the vehicle he was driving for disobeying a traffic device. After smashing into a garbage truck and nearly striking several pedestrians, Aiken was apprehended when his path was blocked by a parked fire truck. The NYPD recovered a firearm in the vehicle which was later found to have Aiken’s DNA on it.
This case was brought as 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. As part of the program, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and their local communities to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Siegel and Lindsey R. Oken are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
DANARI AIKEN
Age: 29
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-68 (PKC)
Ceres Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. —Albert Dominguez Jr., 52, of Ceres, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Dominguez conspired with Leonor Sarabia-Ramirez, 52, of Modesto, to distribute and did, in fact distribute, 5 pounds of methamphetamine to Joseph Phillip Mar, 54, of Ceres, at a residence in Ceres. Sarabia previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Mar is scheduled for a jury trial on Nov. 29, 2022.
Dominguez is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Dale A. Drozd on Aug. 29, 2022. Dominguez faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the Multi-Jurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team (Cal-MMET), and the Stanislaus Drug Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Cedar Rapids Woman Who Sold $1,000 Worth of Heroin and Fentanyl Sentenced to over Seven MonthsRead the Press Release
A woman who sold heroin and fentanyl in Cedar Rapids was sentenced today to over seven months in federal prison.
Ladonna Cynthia Givens, age 33, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 1, 2021 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
In a plea agreement, Givens admitted that she agreed with another person to distribute heroin on multiple occasions in January 2021. Givens admitted that the other person would receive orders from drug customers, but that Givens would arrive at the meeting location and distribute the drugs. She also admitted that on two occasions in January 2021, Givens sold $500 worth of purported heroin, which was later determined to contain both heroin and fentanyl.
Givens was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Givens was sentenced to seven months and fourteen days’ imprisonment. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Because Givens has already served seven months and fourteen days in custody pending sentencing, following her sentence she was released to the supervised release portion of her sentence.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21‑CR‑00033‑CJW‑MAR.
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California Man to Federal Prison for Iowa Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A California man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced June 3, 2022, to more than five years in federal prison.
Felton Fitzgerald, 52, from Orange, California, received the prison term after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on this same date.
Evidence at the combined plea and sentencing hearings showed that Fitzgerald was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 22 kilograms of methamphetamine from June 2017 through August 2019. Defendant was the broker between California sources of supply and a Sioux City, Iowa drug trafficking organization led by three-time convicted federal felon, Melroy Johnson Sr. The Johnson organization obtained methamphetamine and cocaine via bulk transportation and the mail.
Fitzgerald was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Fitzgerald was sentenced to 67 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Fitzgerald is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the United States Postal Service, and the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office, and the Cypress (CA) Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-4065. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Berkeley County woman sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Ataiah J. Turner, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to time served for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Turner, also known as “Queen,” 26, pleaded guilty in January 2022 to one count of “Distribution of Fentanyl.” Turner admitted to selling fentanyl in January 2021 in Berkeley County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Helman prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Berkeley County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Lante Jerrel Cook, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 24 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Cook, 32, pleaded guilty in January 2022 to one count of “Unlawful Possession of Firearm.” Cook, a person prohibited from having firearms because of a prior conviction, admitted to having a 9mm semi-automatic pistol in July 2021 in Berkeley County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Martinsburg Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Berkeley County man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Gregory K. Parr, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to time served for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Parr, 65, pleaded guilty in January 2022 to one count of “Distribution of Fentanyl.” Parr admitted to selling fentanyl in November 2020 in Berkeley County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Helman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Baltimore man sentenced for drug trafficking chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Tremaine Antonio Davis, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced today to 78 months of incarceration for a drug a charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Davis, 32, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.” Davis admitted to working with another to distribute fentanyl in January 2020 in Berkeley County.
This case is the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally. 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 U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Timothy D. Helman prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives investigated. The task force consists of the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Ranson Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Martinsburg Police Department.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Arizona man indicted for aggravated sexual abuse of a childRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Wade Platero was arraigned on an indictment charging him with aggravated sexual abuse of a child in Indian Country. Platero, 26, of Red Valley, Arizona, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will be released to a halfway house once space is available and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
A federal grand jury indicted Platero on May 10. According to the indictment and other court records, on Dec. 28, 2021, Platero allegedly used force to engage in a sexual act with a child, identified as Jane Doe. The alleged assault occurred in Shiprock, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Platero faces a minimum of 30 years and up to life in prison.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander F. Flores is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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4 June 2022
U.S. Attorney Will Thompson Issues Statement Regarding Two Nicholas County Sheriff's Deputies Shot in the Line of DutyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- United States Attorney Will Thompson issued the following statement regarding Nicholas County Sheriff's Deputy Tom Baker, who was shot and killed in the line of duty on Friday, June 3, 2022, and Corporal J. Ellison, who was shot and wounded in the same incident.
Yesterday evening, two officers with the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department put themselves in harm's way in the performance of their duties. Deputy Tom Baker and Corporal J. Ellison were shot while responding to a domestic disturbance. Deputy Baker succumbed to his injuries. I am grateful to learn that Corporal Ellison was treated for his injuries and released. This tragedy is a stark reminder of the sacrifices made by our law enforcement officers in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. We mourn with Deputy Baker's loved ones, our fellow law enforcement partners, the Nicholas County community and all of West Virginia. We are resolved that Deputy Baker's service and selfless dedication will be forever remembered.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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3 June 2022
White Earth Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting a ChildRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A White Earth man has pleaded guilty to assaulting a minor child on the White Earth reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on June 8, 2020, Edward Duane Fairbanks, 30, was caring for a minor child. During the early afternoon hours, Fairbanks intentionally shoved the child into a table, causing a serious head injury. The child was taken to the hospital where doctors diagnosed a large skull fracture and a subdural hematoma. The child had to undergo a craniectomy to relieve pressure on the brain.
Fairbanks pleaded guilty yesterday before Chief U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 30, 2022.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the White Earth Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Deidre Y. Aanstad is prosecuting the case.
Washington man sentenced to eight years in prison for meth trafficking, illegal possession of stolen firearmRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Washington man who admitted to dealing methamphetamine and to illegal possession of a firearm after a traffic stop in Rosebud County was sentenced on June 2 to eight years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Andrew Rex Allenby, 35, of Richland, Washington, pleaded guilty in December 2021 to possession with intent to distribute meth and to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in September 2020, a Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office sergeant was patrolling along the interstate and made a traffic stop of Nissan Altima that was speeding. Allenby was the driver. The sergeant was familiar with both Allenby and his passenger because he had pulled over the passenger who was driving another car earlier in the day. The sergeant suspected there may be drugs in the car based on strange behaviors and other information. A K-9 was deployed and alerted on the car. The vehicle was seized and searched pursuant to a warrant. Law enforcement found 113 grams of meth, fentanyl pills and other drugs in a backpack belonging to Allenby. In the trunk, officers located a handgun that had been stolen in North Dakota. Allenby was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a felony conviction in Washington.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Rosebud 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.
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Veteran Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding the VA in Connection with the Receipt of Disability BenefitsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Barry Wayne Hoover (51, Tampa) to 27 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $429,568.09 in restitution for theft of government funds and false statement to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). As part of his sentence, the court also entered a forfeiture money judgment against Hoover in the amount of $429,568.09, the proceeds of the offense. A federal jury had found Hoover guilty on December 3, 2021.
According to evidence presented at trial, Hoover, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, exaggerated the extent of his visual impairment in order to receive VA disability benefits to which he was not entitled. Specifically, Hoover manipulated the results of subjective tests of his peripheral vision to reflect that he had a 5-degree visual field and was legally blind. Hoover also made false statements to the VA regarding his ability to drive and perform other activities. Based upon the manipulated test results and false statements, the VA found Hoover 100% disabled and awarded him significant monetary benefits and other valuable services.
In stark contrast to Hoover’s representations to the VA, agents’ surveillance, video footage, social media posts, and other evidence showed Hoover driving a car, a three-wheeled motorcycle, an ATV, and a boat. Hoover was also captured mowing his lawn, operating power tools such as a chain saw, hunting, fishing, scuba diving, and performing other tasks, including, but not limited to, shopping, without assistance. Expert testimony at trial established that an individual with a 5-degree visual field could not drive and would be reliant on a white cane to function in public. Hoover received approximately $429,568.09 in VA benefits to which he was not entitled as a result of his misrepresentations.
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message that veterans who defraud the VA by exaggerating their disabilities will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “VA’s disability programs are established to justly compensate deserving veterans and the VA OIG is committed to investigating those who would exploit these programs.”
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler and Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany Fields.