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Monday 25 April 2022
Chenango County Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jonas Whaley, 36, of Chenango County, New York, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. Devito, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Chenango County Sheriff Ernest R. Cutting Jr., and Broome County Sheriff David E. Harder.
As part of his guilty plea, Whaley admitted that he possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. Whaley further admitted that he possessed two pistols and a revolver, which he used in furtherance of his drug trafficking to protect himself, the drugs he planned to distribute, and drug proceeds. As part of his guilty plea, Whaley agreed to the forfeiture of 12 additional firearms, more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibers, and $3,600 in drug proceeds.
At sentencing on August 23, 2022, Whaley faces a minimum term of 10 years and up to life in prison, a post-incarceration term of at least 4 years and up to life of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $5,000,000. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case is being investigated by ATF, the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office, and the Broome County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie.
Central Falls Man Returned to Federal Prison for Violating the Terms of Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Central Falls man sentenced in 2018 to four years in federal prison on aggravated identity theft and fraud charges, and subsequently arrested twice for violating the terms of his federal supervised release after completing his term of incarceration, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
In November 2017, Reynaldo Martinez, 29, pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated identity theft; two counts of access device fraud; and one count each of bank fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, attempted access device fraud, and interstate transportation of stolen goods. Martinez admitted that he participated in a scheme to use the stolen identities of numerous individuals to open retail store credit cards and lines of credit that he then used to purchase tens of thousands of dollars worth of goods in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He was sentenced in January 2018 to forty-eight months in prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.
According to court documents, Martinez was arrested in August 2021 and again in February 2022 by the United States Marshals Service for violating the terms of his supervised release. On February 22, 2022, Martinez appeared before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln D. Almond and admitted that he violated the terms of his probation. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 24 months in prison to be followed by 4 years of supervised release.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland.
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Burnsville Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Selling Methamphetamine out of Hotel RoomsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Burnsville man has been sentenced to 240 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for dealing methamphetamine out of hotel rooms in the Twin Cities. U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright sentenced the defendant.
According to court documents, in the summer of 2020, law enforcement determined that Eric Michael Dungy, 50, was selling methamphetamine out of hotel rooms in the Twin Cities metro area. On September 30, 2020, law enforcement encountered Dungy in the Element Hotel parking lot in Bloomington. Agents arrested Dungy and found heroin and $16,621 in cash on his person. Agents conducted a search of Dungy’s vehicle and recovered 364 grams of methamphetamine, three methamphetamine pipes, needles, gallon Ziploc bags with methamphetamine residue on them, an electronic money counter, and a Kel-Tec 9mm handgun. On October 3, 2020, law enforcement searched Dungy’s unoccupied hotel room and found 5.5 pounds of methamphetamine and other personal effects belonging to Dungy.
According to court documents, after obtaining release on bail from the Hennepin County Jail in November 2020, Dungy was again investigated for methamphetamine distribution and by December 14, 2020, he agreed to sell three pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover officer for $15,000. On the same day, law enforcement searched two adjacent rooms he rented at the Country Inn & Suites in Bloomington, and recovered approximately 6.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 13.5 grams of heroin, three digital scales, multiple small Ziplock bags, eleven phones, and $12,286 in cash.
On October 18, 2021, Dungy pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Cannon River Drug and Violent Offender Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Paul Police Department, the Edina Police Department, with assistance from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and the Dakota County Attorney’s Office.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter, Jr.
Buffalo Man Going to Prison for His Role in Cocaine Conspiracy Stretching from El Paso, Texas to BuffaloRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Lance Parker, 44, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, 500 grams or more of cocaine, was sentenced to serve 78 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated that in July 2018, Parker conspired with co-defendants Edgar Pavia, Adrian Goudelock, Eric Young, and others, to sell cocaine. Pavia brokered bulk quantity cocaine from the Southwest border to multiple areas in the country including Buffalo, NY, Kentucky, and Georgia. On July 25, 2018, Parker met Eric Young in a parking lot in West Seneca and was observed by investigators removing a bag from his pick-up truck and putting it in the driver’s side of the tractor-trailer that Young was operating. Parker was further observed removing a different bag from the tractor-trailer. Investigators subsequently seized both bags, one contained 17 kilograms of cocaine, and the other contained 52 shrink-wrapped and taped bundles of currency, totaling $519,580. Law enforcement officers also found three plastic wrapped packages of bulk U.S. currency totaling $145,380 secreted in the tractor-trailer. A phone seized from Parker revealed text messages from co-defendant Goudelock with instructions where to go to find the tractor-trailer.
Defendants Pavia, Goudelock, and Young were previously convicted.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) - Buffalo, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski; the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia; and Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Unit, under the direction of Brian Manaher, Director, Marine Operations. Additional assistance was provided by the New York National Guard; HSI-Louisville; the Kentucky State Police; the Louisville Metro Police; and the Greater Hardin County Drug Task Force.
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Bloomfield Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that JAIME HOLT, 39, of Bloomfield, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 31, 2021, Bloomfield Police stopped a vehicle Holt was driving for a traffic violation. After a narcotics K9 alerted to the presence of narcotics, a search of the vehicle revealed a total of approximately 114 grams of crack cocaine, a quantity of marijuana, items used to package drugs for street sale, five cell phones, and a loaded 9mm pistol.
Holt’s criminal history includes state convictions for felony firearm, assault, drug and larceny offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Holt pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”), which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea on July 18, 2022.
Holt has been detained since March 31, 2021.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Bloomfield Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Bergen County Woman Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Embezzling Money from Guided Tour Company and Subscribing to False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, woman was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for participating in a multi-year embezzlement scheme and subscribing to a false personal income tax return, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Estela Laluf, 76, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Julien Xavier Neals to an information charging her with one count of wire fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. Judge Neals imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between October 2010 and August 2016, Laluf held a management position at a New Jersey guided-tour company. During that time, Laluf and another employee, who held an accounting position at the company and had authority to write checks against the company’s bank accounts, devised a scheme to embezzle funds from the company. Laluf would direct the employee to write company checks to actual company employees and contractors, which did not reflect any actual work or services done by those individuals. The employee would then cash these checks, and Laluf and the employee would convert the resulting funds to their personal use. Laluf and the employee embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from the company. Laluf then fraudulently omitted the proceeds of the embezzlement scheme from her tax year 2016 tax return.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Neals sentenced Laluf to two years of supervised release and ordered her to pay $295,297 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Damon Wood, Philadelphia Division, and special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Trombly of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
Belgrade meth trafficker sentenced to 54 months in prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Belgrade man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine with others in the community after investigators found nearly a half-pound of the drug during a vehicle stop was sentenced today to 54 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Max Dudley Stilson, 57, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that during an investigation of Stilson for distributing meth by the Missouri River Drug Task Force, an individual purchased a total of one and one-half ounces of meth from Stilson on two occasions. On the second buy, Stilson said he was going to meet another person to get more drugs. Investigators observed Stilson meet with co-defendant Arthur Kane. In addition, in November 2020, task force officers learned Stilson was traveling to Billings with a large amount of meth. A Montana Highway Patrol trooper stopped Stilson’s vehicle and investigators found almost a half- pound of meth. The vehicle was registered to another co-defendant Jared Williams. Another witness told investigators that he had purchased ounce quantities totaling one pound of meth over a four-month period from Stilson. Stilson admitted that he and Williams worked together to distribute drugs. Williams was sentenced to eight years in prison for conviction in the case, while Kane was sentenced to five years and a fourth co-defendant, Marty McDonald, was sentenced to four years in prison for conviction in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Clark prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Missouri River Drug Task Force and the Montana Highway Patrol.
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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Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley man pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Leon Eugene Smith, Jr., 41, admitted to selling approximately 0.5 grams of heroin to a confidential informant in Lanark, Raleigh County, for $80 on September 15, 2020. Smith further admitted to selling approximately 1.3 grams of heroin on September 17, 2020, and approximately 1 gram of heroin on September 23, 2020, each time to a confidential informant in Lenark for $160.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on August 5, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department and the West Virginia State Police for conducting the investigation.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller 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. 5:21-cr-184.
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Bakersfield Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Louis Torres, 37, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on July 23, 2021, Torres was driving a vehicle in Bakersfield that was stopped by police officers for traffic violations. After exiting his vehicle, Torres fled on foot, but was pursued and apprehended by police. After Torres was arrested, police officers discovered that he possessed methamphetamine and heroin that he intended to distribute to others. At the time of his arrest, Torres was under active court supervision for a burglary conviction and had a suspended driver’s license.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Baker is prosecuting the case.
Torres is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Aug. 8, 2022. Torres faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of up to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5 million. 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.
Armored car robbers indictedRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Three individuals are now in custody in relation to the recent Comerica Bank armored car robbery in Houston, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Malinda Cruz, 35, Houston, is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray at 2 p.m. today. Law enforcement took her into custody April 22 following a federal indictment returned April 20.
Previously arrested via criminal complaint were Randy Long, 30, and Carl Johnson, 34, both also of Houston. They have been in custody and are expected to make an appearance on the new charges in the near future.
All are charged with aiding and abetting interference with commerce by robbery. Long and Johnson also face charges of aiding and abetting the discharge of firearm.
The charges stem from an armored car robbery that occurred in late March.
“After the armored car robbery and shoot-out occurred, the FBI Violent Crime Task Force and our law enforcement partners worked nonstop to arrest all three alleged suspects demonstrating the critical role that continuous law enforcement collaboration plays in restoring peace in our communities in a concise manner,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge James Smith. “The FBI appreciates our law enforcement partners, especially those at the Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO), Houston Police Department (HPD), Texas Department of Public Safety and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who are equally committed to combating violent crime.”
On March 23, a Brinks armored car courier was servicing the ATM of the Comerica Bank located at 855 FM 1960 in Houston, according to the charges. Long was allegedly carrying a firearm and approached the courier along with Johnson. The charges allege an exchange of gun fire occurred between the three men, during which time the courier shot Johnson in the thigh. Long and Johnson were able to get away, according to the allegations.
During the robbery, Cruz allegedly acted as a look-out and scout during the robbery and was the get-away driver.
The indictment further alleges Johnson aided and abetted interference with commerce by robbery and aided and abetted the brandishing of a firearm in relation to the robbery of an armored car Jan. 7. The courier had been servicing an ATM located at a Bank of America in Houston according to the charges. Johnson allegedly brandished a firearm and stole the cassettes and money bags from him as he was completing his job.
Aiding and abetting interference with commerce by robbery carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm and aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm carry minimums of 10 and seven years, respectively, and up to life which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.
FBI, HCSO and HPD conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Stotts is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Aliquippa Man Pleads to Drug and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - Dana Penney pled guilty to committing firearm and drug trafficking crimes in 2017 and 2018, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Penney, age 41, of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, pled guilty before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. Sentencing will be scheduled to occur on a later date.
Penney pled guilty to three crimes: (1) conspiracy to distribute cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid controlled substances; (2) possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine; and (3) brandishing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
The law provides for a sentence of at least seven years and up to life in prison and a fine of up to $4,250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is to be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General led the multi-agency investigation that also included the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Pittsburgh Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Munhall Police Department, the Robinson Township Police Department, the McKees Rocks Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Etna Police Department, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
22-Year-Old Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Murder During a Business RobberyRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN- Decardo Moore, 22, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murder during a business robbery. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., United States Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on March 28, 2019, Decardo Moore entered the Exxon on Stage Road in Memphis and demanded money from the store clerk and two patrons. After all three complied, Moore fired a single shot, which struck and killed the store clerk. Moore then fired shots to break the glass in the front door and fled.
Three months later, on June 28, 2019, Decardo Moore, Joshua Beason, and an additional co-defendant robbed three Memphis-area gas stations. At approximately 1:10 a.m., Moore and Beason approached a store clerk outside of the Mapco Express on Raleigh Millington Road armed with semi-automatic handguns with extended magazines. They threatened the clerk, forced her inside, and removed money from the register. Less than an hour later, the group proceeded to the Murphy Express on Summer Avenue. Moore's co-defendants put a handgun to the side of a store clerk, forced him inside the store, and threatened the lives of both store clerks. They took money from the register and fled. Moore served as the getaway driver.
Approximately thirty minutes later, the group robbed the Exxon on Summer Avenue. They brandished firearms, removed the cash drawer then fled the scene. Moore served as the getaway driver.
Minutes later, the group participated in a home invasion on West Barbara Circle. During this incident, a resident, Moore and one of his co-defendants were shot. All three survived. Moore and his co-defendants were apprehended at the emergency room. Charges for the home invasion are pending for all three defendants before the State of Tennessee.
On October 25, 2021, Moore pled guilty to four counts of robbery and four counts of brandishing a firearm.
On April 21, 2022, United States District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Moore to life in federal prison plus 21 years’ incarceration. Joshua Beason was sentenced to 293 months in federal prison on March 14, 2021. Moore's other co-defendant is scheduled for trial in May 2022. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Whitmore and Greg Wagner prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Friday 22 April 2022
White Supremacist Gang Member with Multiple Prior Convictions Pleads Guilty in Project Safe Neighborhoods CaseRead the Press Release
VALDOSTA, Ga. – A documented member of a white supremacist organization that is sometimes affiliated with the Ghost Face Gangsters pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm in a Project Safe Neighborhoods case.
Joel Nelson Tucker, 32, of Moultrie, Georgia, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge Louis Sands on Tuesday, April 19. Tucker faces a maximum ten years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for July 27, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Sands. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our region’s most violent and repeat offenders who continue to possess firearms illegally will be held accountable at the federal level,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Through the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, federal prosecutors are working with law enforcement agencies to concentrate enforcement efforts on violent career offenders in an effort to reduce crime and ultimately make our communities safer.”
“Gang members like Tucker continuously plague our communities even after being charged and convicted of multiple crimes,” said Philip Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is proud to work with our law enforcement partners to enforce federal laws that can provide serious prison time for criminals who refuse to learn from their mistakes and continue to possess firearms and endanger others.”
According to court documents and other evidence, a Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a citizen’s call about two individuals driving a truck on property behind his residence, which had been the target of several recent thefts. The deputy recognized the driver as Tucker, who had outstanding arrest warrants, was a known convicted felon and had led deputies on a high-speed pursuit in recent months. Tucker, who was wearing a shoulder holster while seated in the front seat, gave a false name to the deputy. The officer saw a gun resting inches away from Tucker’s right hand. When he asked the defendant to exit his vehicle, Tucker replied with an expletive and refused to get out of the truck. The deputy, who had called for law enforcement back-up, gave numerous commands for Tucker to exit the truck. Tucker failed to comply. Tucker moved his hand toward his holster and the deputy deployed his taser. Tucker was handcuffed by another responding deputy and was combative during the arrest.
Tucker, who is a convicted felon, was in illegal possession of a Charter Arms Bulldog .44 special revolver at the time of his arrest. Tucker was on probation at the time of the arrest and has multiple convictions in Colquitt County, Georgia, Superior Court, including for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and burglary. Tucker is a known and validated member the KKP (Killer Kracker Pride), a hybrid gang that originated in the Colquitt County Jail. KKP is a white supremacy organization that is sometimes affiliated with the Ghost Face Gangster.
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 the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office and FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Warren County Man Charged with Violating Child Sexual Exploitation LawsRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Sheffield, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The sixteen-count superseding indictment named Jeffrey Colin Rogers, 59, as the sole defendant.
According to the Superseding Indictment presented to the court, in November 2017, Rogers took sexually explicit photos of two victims who were under the age of eighteen. The Superseding Indictment further alleges that from November 2017 and February 2018, Rogers possessed material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 400 years in prison, a fine of $4,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment in this case.
A superseding indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Union City Man Pleads Guilty to Series of Small Business RobberiesRead the Press Release
OAKLAND - Nelson Enrike Ramirez pleaded guilty today in federal court to two counts of robbery affecting interstate commerce, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan.
A federal complaint filed on March 5, 2021, charged Ramirez, 41 years old and from Union City, with a November 6, 2020, robbery of a 7-Eleven convenience store on Washington Boulevard in Fremont and alleged his involvement in 22 other robberies. An information that followed on December 1, 2021, charged Ramirez with the same November 6, 2020, robbery as well as a November 3, 2020, robbery of a 7-Eleven in Campbell, California.
In a plea agreement he entered into today, Ramirez admitted that from May to November 2020, he committed or attempted 23 robberies of small businesses in the east and south bay areas, including in Fremont, Newark, Hayward, Union City, Campbell, Milpitas, Mountain View, Los Altos, and Sunnyvale. He admitted that during the robberies and attempted robberies, he carried a black rubber replica semiautomatic firearm, brandished the replica firearm, and demanded money from employees of the businesses. Ramirez often apologized to the employees, stating that he needed money because he had a sick child at home – but he admitted in his plea agreement that he did not have such a child.
Ramirez described in his plea agreement that on November 3, 2020, he entered a 7-Eleven convenience store on West Sunnyoaks Avenue in Campbell and asked the store clerk a question. When she approached him, Ramirez told the clerk that he needed money because his son was sick and insurance would not cover it. As he spoke to the clerk, he pulled the black rubber replica firearm out of his pocket and held it at his side. He told the clerk to open the register, then walked behind the store’s counter with the clerk. Ramirez took approximately $1,500 from the register and fled the scene.
Ramirez also described that on November 6, 2020, he walked into a 7-Eleven convenience store on Washington Boulevard in Fremont. He told the store clerk he needed a soda. When the clerk approached to help, Ramirez pulled the replica firearm out and told the clerk he needed money. He ordered the clerk over to the cash register. The clerk opened the register and handed Ramirez approximately $200. Ramirez ordered the clerk to open a second cash register, but it was empty. Ramirez left.
Ramirez is next scheduled for a sentencing hearing before United States District Judge Jon S. Tigar in Oakland federal court on August 19, 2022. He remains in custody pending sentencing.
Ramirez pled guilty to two counts of robbery affecting interstate commerce in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a). Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain to the defendant or twice the gross pecuniary loss inflicted on victims, plus restitution. However, any sentence following a conviction is imposed by a court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Noah Stern is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Karina Ruiz, Kay Konopaske, and Kathleen Turner. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the Fremont Police Department, the Union City Police Department, the Newark Police Department, the Hayward Police Department, the Campbell Police Department, the Milpitas Police Department, the Mountain View Police Department, the Los Altos Police Department, and the Sunnyvale Police Department.
Two Men Are Facing Federal Charges in Connection with Multi-Million Dollar Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Cornelius, North Carolina residents are facing federal charges in connection with a multi-million dollar investment scheme, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. A federal grand jury returned a criminal indictment this week against Marlin Hershey and Dana Bradley, both 52, charging them with mail and wire fraud conspiracy, mail fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. The indictment was unsealed this morning following Hershey’s appearance in court.
North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall and Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, from approximately 2009 to 2021, Hershey and Bradley induced dozens of victims to invest millions of dollars in unregistered securities offerings, promoted by the defendants through Performance Holdings and other entities controlled by the defendants and other individuals, including Performance Retire on Rentals, LLC, Distressed Lending Fund, LCC, Moteng Funding, LLC and Southeast Lot Acquisitions, LLC, among others.
The indictment alleges that the investment materials Hershey and Bradley provided to victim investors in connection with these securities offerings contained false and/or misleading statements and failed to disclose material information. For example, the indictment alleges that the offering materials failed to disclose that the defendants received commissions based on the amount of investments they sold, and often provided investors with offering materials that represented the opposite – that nobody would be paid a commission in connection with the investments. In fact, the indictment alleges, the defendants received commissions that were typically 10% of an investor’s initial investment and often received an additional commission when an investor extended an investment. In this manner, Hershey and Bradley were paid millions of dollars in undisclosed commissions from the sale of securities. In addition to the commissions, the indictment also alleges that the defendants received regular undisclosed “management” fees from the various entities.
According to allegations in the indictment, as part of the scheme, Hershey and Bradley also failed to disclose to investors other material information, including negative information about the defendants’ backgrounds and the financial woes faced by some of the entities for which they were soliciting investments. To the contrary, because the defendants often solicited the same group of investors to invest in the various projects, the defendants took steps to conceal such financial difficulties by making undisclosed loans to various entities so that the entities could, in turn, make their required interest payments to investors. The indictment also alleges that Hershey and Bradley solicited new investors and, contrary to representations they made to the investors, used the new investors’ money to repay the loans and previous investors. The defendants also allegedly sent to investors periodic reports about the status of the investments that failed to include material negative information.
According to the indictment, in 2019, investors learned that several of the projects in which they had invested were in financial distress and could no longer meet their obligations to investors, which totaled several million dollars.
Hershey was released on bond following his court hearing. Bradley will have his first court appearance on Monday, April 25, 2022. The mail and wire fraud conspiracy charge and the mail fraud charge each carry a maximum prison term of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. The securities fraud charge carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and a $5 million fine. And the maximum prison term for money laundering conspiracy charge is 10 years and a $500,000 fine.
The indictment also includes a notice of forfeiture, which gives notice that the defendants must forfeit to the United States all of the property involved in the offenses charged in the indictment. The government will pursue a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of at least $7.5 million which the government contends constitutes the proceeds of the violations alleged in the indictment.
All the charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the Securities Division of the North Carolina Secretary of State and the FBI for leading the joint investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Ryan and Graham Billings, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, are in charge of the prosecution.
Tulare County Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Roberto Cavazos, 43, of Porterville, was sentenced today to 12 years and seven months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Cavazos negotiated for the purchase of 1 pound of methamphetamine from Pedro Delgado-Montenegro, 42, a former Porterville resident and native and citizen of Mexico, who supplied the drug to Cavazos through a third party.
Cavazos is one of nine defendants, including Delgado-Montenegro, charged in the case. Delgado-Montenegro is a fugitive. Co-defendant Renato Aguilera is scheduled for sentencing in federal court on April 29, 2022. Aguilera faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Charges are pending against the remaining defendants. The charges are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Porterville Police Department, the Coalinga Police Department, and the Fresno Police Department. 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.
Thibodaux Meth Dealer Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DONTRELL MATHEWS, age 42, a resident of Thibodaux, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to 120 months’ imprisonment, three (3) of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee after pleading guilty to a one-count superseding bill of information charging him with distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on July 31, 2018, Special Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration used a confidential source to make a controlled purchase of approximately 27 grams of methamphetamine from MATHEWS.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Homeland Security Investigations, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones.
Tampa Man Who Displayed Firearm on Social Media Pleads Guilty to Possessing A Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Devin Kelly (27, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Kelly faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on July 2, 2021, Kelly and co-defendant Keyshawn Watts handled and displayed an AR-15 style rifle during an Instagram live video. One week later, investigators searched Kelly’s residence and seized a Ruger AR 556 rifle and an extended magazine loaded with 40 rounds of ammunition. Kelly admitted that the rifle seized from his residence was the rifle he had displayed in the Instagram video. Kelly, who had previously been convicted of several felony offenses, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
Keyshawn Watts (21, Tampa) has been charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. His case is currently pending trial.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tampa Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Corrections. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.
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.
State College Man Sentenced to 15 Months’ Imprisonment for Failure to Pay over $1 Million in Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Scott Lykens, age 44, of State College, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to 15 months’ imprisonment by Chief District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann for a criminal tax violation. Chief Judge Brann also ordered Lykens to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $1,044,796.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Lykens previously entered a guilty plea in December 2021, to failure to pay over employment taxes. Lykens was the owner of a medical billing company, Keystone Medical Management Systems, doing business in Centre County, Pennsylvania. From 2010 through 2019, Lykens collected tax withholdings, including federal income taxes, Medicare, and Social Security taxes, from his employees but did not remit them to the Internal Revenue Service for a total tax loss of $1,044,796.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur is prosecuting the case.
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Sioux Falls Man Charged with Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Production of Child Pornography.
Amir Kalomo Mulamba, age 26, was indicted on November 9, 2021. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on April 19, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 30 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between May 30, 2021, and June 25, 2021, Mulamba knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor female to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct, knowing that visual depictions would be transported in interstate or foreign commerce or mailed, and such visual depictions would be produced using materials that had been mailed, shipped, and transported in interstate and foreign commerce, including by computer.
The charge is merely an accusation and Mulamba is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Salt Lake City, Utah, Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.
Mulamba was released on bond pending trial which has not been set.
Shreveport Man Sentenced for Trafficking NarcoticsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – A Shreveport man was sentenced today on drug trafficking charges, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Timmie Ford, 60, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to 120 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Ford pleaded guilty on December 21, 2021 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Law enforcement officers with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and Shreveport Police Department executed a search warrant on Ford’s home on July 13, 2020. During the search, agents recovered three loaded firearms, along with various rounds of ammunition and high-capacity magazines. Also inside Ford’s home was a bag containing approximately 287 suspected narcotics pills, packaging materials for sale and distribution, and two digital scales. The pills were chemically analyzed and confirmed that they were comprised of a mixture or substance containing over 50 grams of methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and Shreveport Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon.
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Seven people charged in Augusta-area drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: Seven people have been indicted on charges related to a major methamphetamine-trafficking organization blamed for at least one overdose death.
As described in the newly unsealed indictment in USA v. Wheatley et. al, the investigation in Operation Wheat Fields dates back to early 2018 and includes allegations of trafficking in large amounts of methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana, along with multiple firearms charges, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The conspiracy charge levied against each of the defendants carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
“Our office continues the relentless pursuit of drug trafficking operations and eliminating the violent crime these enterprises generate,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, these investigations and prosecutions will make our communities safer.”
Operation Wheat Fields is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation that identified a pipeline of illegal drugs from Mexico routed through Atlanta and into the Augusta area. The investigation led to multiple searches of residences and hotel rooms.
All of the defendants charged in the indictment have appeared before a magistrate in U.S. District Court. They include:
- Jayson Dwayne Wheatley, 41, of Augusta, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an Amount of Heroin and Marijuana; Distribution of Heroin; Possession of 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; six counts of Use of a Communications Facility, relating to the use of Facebook Messenger and a cellphone to facilitate the conspiracy; and Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon;
- Jeffrey Mitchell Granade, 48, of Evans, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an Amount of Heroin and Marijuana; Possession of 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon;
- Steven Curtis Newman, 55, of Martinez, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an Amount of Heroin and Marijuana; and Possession of 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine;
- Richard Travis Bargeron, 41, of Augusta, currently an inmate at the Coffee County Correctional Facility, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an Amount of Heroin and Marijuana; Possession of 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Alvin Wayne Snellgrove, 63, of Evans, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an Amount of Heroin and Marijuana; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; and two counts of Use of a Communication Facility;
- Heather Nicole Disher, 42, of Grovetown, Ga., charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an Amount of Heroin and Marijuana; Possession of Methamphetamine; and three counts of Use of a Communications Facility; and,
- Dana Alexander Rau, 48, of Augusta, charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 500 Grams or More of a Mixture Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an Amount of Heroin and Marijuana; Possession of Methamphetamine; Use of a Communications Facility, relating to the use of a cell phone to facilitate the conspiracy; and Possession of a Firearm by a User of Illegal Drugs.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated under the 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.
This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.
Operation Wheat Fields is being investigated by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office; and the Swainsboro Police Department, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney and Criminal Division Chief Patricia G. Rhodes.
Richmond Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography Under Threats and BlackmailRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pleaded guilty today to production of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, in or around February of 2019, Joshua Hitchener, 34, began exchanging messages on the Kik Messenger application with a 15-year-old girl. Despite knowing that he was corresponding with a minor, Hitchener convinced the girl to send him nude photos of herself. Hitchener then used his possession of those pornographic images to threaten and blackmail his victim into creating and sending additional pornographic images and video to him. The defendant’s threats included his assurances to the girl that he would kidnap her, kill her family, and “rape and beat [the victim] several times a day.” Hitchener also instructed his victim to “brand” herself by drawing his screenname on various parts of her body, and to record herself performing sexual acts—and to send the images and videos of those actions to the defendant.
Hitchener is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark R. Colombell accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather H. Mansfield, Peter S. Duffey, and Thomas A. Garnett are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
In 2021, EDVA launched “UnMasked,” a community-based educational outreach and prevention program in Virginia dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults. UnMasked is a multi-disciplinary partnership of local, state, federal, and non-profit stakeholders. The core curriculum is provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) NetSmartz program. To report an incident involving online sexual exploitation, call 1-800-843-5678 or submit a report at report.cybertip.org. To request an UnMasked event at your school or organization, please contact EDVA’s Community Outreach Coordinator at [email protected].
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-122.
Putnam County Narcotics Dealer Arrested in Connection with the Murder of One of His CustomersRead the Press Release
Dwayne Pulliam Arrested for Participating in a Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine and for Traveling Interstate and Using Facilities of Interstate Commerce to Operate a Narcotics Business Enterprise, and Murdering a Customer He Believed Was Stealing from That Business
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Kevin McConville, the Sheriff of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, announced today the filing of a criminal complaint in White Plains federal court charging DWAYNE PULLIAM, a/k/a “Doc,” with: (1) participating in a crack-cocaine-distribution conspiracy; and (2) traveling between New York and Connecticut, and using cellphones, to operate a narcotics business enterprise—his business selling crack cocaine—and murdering Lori Lee Campbell, a customer he believed was stealing from his business. PULLIAM was arrested yesterday afternoon in the area of New Milford, Connecticut, and was presented yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause. PULLIAM was ordered held without bail.
As alleged in the Complaint[1]:
In or about December 2020, PULLIAM was released from approximately 24 years of prison for murder. Not long afterward, from at least in or about January 2022, PULLIAM engaged with others in the business of selling crack cocaine, traveling between New York and Connecticut to do so, and using phones to do so.
On March 29, 2022, PULLIAM contacted a co-conspirator of his in the drug trade and asked him to help move an Acura that belonged to Lori Lee Campbell. PULLIAM told his co-conspirator that he suspected that Campbell was stealing drugs from him, that PULLIAM confronted Campbell, that Campbell tried to leave but PULLIAM did not let her do so, and that Campbell started screaming. PULLIAM then told his co-conspirator that he “stopped her from screaming” and that this was not the first time he had “done this.”
When the co-conspirator went with PULLIAM back to PULLIAM’s apartment in Patterson, New York, the co-conspirator saw Campbell’s dead body in the apartment, wrapped in a sheet. PULLIAM said “there’s the culprit,” and then directed his co-conspirator to help him move the body, threatening to kill the co-conspirator’s family if the co-conspirator did not do so. The co-conspirator helped PULLIAM move the body to PULLIAM’s Honda Accord, and they then drove to PULLIAM’s mother’s house in North Carolina. PULLIAM and his co-conspirator got shovels, a bag of lime, and plastic wrap from a shed by PULLIAM’s mother’s house, and drove Campbell’s body to a cul-de-sac, where her body was ultimately covered in lime and buried in a shallow grave.
On April 19, 2021, law enforcement officers found and recovered Campbell’s body from the area in North Carolina where PULLIAM’s co-conspirator said it was buried.
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DWAYNE PULLIAM, a/k/a “Doc,” 59, of Patterson, New York is charged with one count of traveling in interstate commerce, and using a facility in interstate commerce, with intent to engage in a business enterprise involving narcotics, and thereafter committing murder to further that unlawful activity, and one count of participating in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams and more of crack cocaine. The travel act count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. The narcotics conspiracy count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the FBI Charlotte Division, the DEA New York Division, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Alamance County Sherriff’s Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office. Mr. Williams noted that the investigation is ongoing.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Maimin and T. Josiah Pertz are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitutes only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Pacific Northwest Environmental Extremist and Arsonist Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A Pacific Northwest environmental extremist, arsonist and former fugitive pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court for his role in two arson conspiracies targeting commercial and government-owned animal processing facilities in Oregon and California.
Joseph Mahmoud Dibee, 53, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and arson in the District of Oregon and conspiracy to commit arson in the Eastern District of California.
Yesterday’s plea also resolves Dibee’s pending criminal case in the Western District of Washington.
According to court documents, beginning in October 1996 and continuing through December 2005, Dibee and at least 15 other individuals affiliated with the Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front, loosely affiliated environmental extremist groups, knowingly conspired with one another to damage or destroy various commercial and government-owned properties.
Dibee and his co-conspirators held meetings to plan arsons of targeted sites, conducted research and surveillance of the sites and discussed their planned actions using code words and code names. The conspirators designed and constructed destructive devices which functioned as incendiary bombs to ignite fires and destroy targeted sites. During their self-described “direct actions,” the conspirators dressed in dark clothing and wore masks and gloves to disguise their appearances. Some conspirators acted as lookouts while others were responsible for placing, igniting or attempting to ignite the improvised incendiary devices.
On or about July 21, 1997, Dibee and others used incendiary devices to destroy the Cavel West Meat Packing Plant, a commercial slaughterhouse and meatpacking facility in Redmond, Oregon. Several years later, in October 2001, Dibee and others attempted to destroy the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse Corrals, a government-owned facility used to remove wild horses from public lands located near Litchfield, California. The group’s attack on the facility caused the destruction of a barn and its contents.
Prior to the second incident, Dibee and others recruited co-conspirators and gathered supplies and fuel to make incendiary devices. The group used Dibee’s residence in Seattle to construct the devices and traveled from Seattle to Northern California in Dibee’s truck.
In 2006, after a long-running domestic terrorism investigation led by the FBI, a federal grand jury in Oregon indicted Dibee and 11 co-conspirators. Dibee and others were later indicted in the Eastern District of California and Western District of Washington. The conspirators, together known as “the Family,” were ultimately linked to more than 40 criminal acts between 1995 and 2001 and caused more than $45 million in damages.
Dibee fled the United States in December 2005. In late summer 2018, Cuban authorities arrested Dibee on an Interpol Red Notice. The Department of State including the U.S. Embassy in Havana, as well as the Department of Homeland Security including the U.S. Coast Guard and Immigration and Customs Enforcement assisted in returning Dibee to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance.
With his continued acceptance of responsibility, the government will recommend Dibee receive a sentence of 87 months in federal prison. He will be sentenced on July 27 by U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken in the District of Oregon.
As part of his plea agreement, Dibee has agreed to pay restitution to his victims as determined by the government and ordered by the court.
One of Dibee’s co-conspirators remains at large. Josephine Sunshine Overaker, an American citizen who is either 47 or 50 years old, is believed to have fled to Europe in late 2001. Overaker faces 19 felony charges including conspiracy to commit arson and destruction of an energy facility, attempted arson, and arson in the District of Oregon, the Western District of Washington, and the District of Colorado. The FBI continues to offer a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to Overaker’s arrest.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and U.S. Attorneys Scott Erik Asphaug for the District of Oregon, Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California and Nicholas W. Brown for the Western District of Washington made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Oregon, Northern District of California, and Western District of Washington, and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
NorCal Man Indicted on Wire Fraud Charges Alleging He Bilked Digital Media Outfit He Ran with Fraudulent Bills from Other CompaniesRead the Press Release
UPDATE-
Pursuant to a motion by the government, the case against defendant Victor Belonogoff described in the news release below was dismissed by the court on January 31, 2023.
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Pursuant to a motion by the government, the case against defendant Aryeh Kluger described in the news release below was dismissed by the court on June 28, 2024.
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury today indicted the former CEO of a Los Angeles-based digital media company on charges that allege he created a series of companies that defrauded his employer out of at least $3 million by submitting bills for services never provided or at inflated prices.
Victor Belonogoff, 46, who is believed to reside in San Mateo, California, is charged in the indictment with bilking Render Media, Inc., a Beverly Grove-based company he co-founded and ran until late 2018. Belonogoff is charged in the indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine substantive counts of wire fraud.
Belonogoff, through his attorney, has agreed to surrender to federal authorities on April 26.
Belonogoff, who held several positions at Render, including chief executive officer, secretly formed six digital media and advertising companies that he used to defraud Render, according to the indictment. Belonogoff allegedly caused Render to pay his fraudulent digital media companies for products and services that were never provided or were sold to Render at inflated prices. Belonogoff is accused of diverting Render’s incoming revenue to his fraudulent digital media companies, using Render’s lines of credit to support them, and using the sham companies to misappropriate Render’s brand and content.
The indictment specifically alleges that Belonogoff caused Render to pay one of his companies for video content that was never provided. Belonogoff also allegedly caused two of the fraudulent companies to sell Render internet traffic at inflated prices and to re-code internet traffic sold to Render to make it falsely appear as though his companies generated that traffic. Belonogoff also caused one of his companies to post Render’s content while keeping 90% of the revenue generated by that content, according to the indictment.
To conceal his fraud, Belonogoff allegedly deleted emails from his Render account and later provided false testimony at a deposition in a lawsuit brought against him by Render.
The indictment alleges that Belonogoff caused Render to pay his fraudulent digital media companies more than $3 million, much of which went to his personal accounts and was used for his personal benefit.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If he is convicted of the wire fraud charges in the indictment, Belonogoff would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each of the 10 counts.
Federal prosecutors previously charged one of Belonogoff’s co-conspirators with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Aryeh Kluger, 34, of San Antonio, who was a vice president at Render, pleaded guilty to the charge in October 2020, admitting that he and Belonogoff “exploit[ed] Render’s business model by employing a sophisticated embezzlement scheme involving third-party companies they controlled.” United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson is scheduled to sentence Kluger on October 24.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are conducting the investigation in this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Bernstein of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
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New York Man Charged with Aggravated Sexual Abuse of Connecticut ChildRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and David Sundberg, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment yesterday charging ZACHARY WILLIAMS, 35, of Brooklyn, New York, with offenses related to his alleged sexual exploitation of an 11-year-old girl who was living in Connecticut.
As alleged in the indictment, on two occasions in February 2021, Williams crossed state lines with intent to engage in a sexual act with an 11-year-old girl, and engaged in sexual acts with the girl. He also produced at least three videos of the girl engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The indictment charges Williams with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse with children, which carries a mandatory term of imprisonment of 30 years and a maximum term of life imprisonment on each count; one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years; and one count of enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and maximum term of life imprisonment.
Williams has been detained since March 13, 2021, in New Jersey, where he has been charged with additional federal child exploitation offenses.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Galloway Township (N.J.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
U.S. Attorney Boyle thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Nevada Man Indicted in Multi-Million Dollar Fraudulent Check SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Las Vegas returned an indictment Wednesday charging a Nevada man with using fraudulent checks to steal money from victims’ bank accounts. Michael Zeto, 76, of Las Vegas, is charged in a 20-count indictment with wire fraud, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cam Ferenbach of the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.
According to court documents, Zeto partnered with foreign telemarketers who provided Zeto with the names, bank account numbers and other personal information for American consumers who supposedly had purchased products. These consumers often had not, in fact, agreed to purchase the products and had not authorized anyone to debit their bank accounts.
Zeto allegedly knew that at least one of his telemarketing partners was engaged in fraud, that many of the supposed sales sent by his telemarketing partners were not real sales and that consumers had not authorized debits from their bank accounts. Despite knowing that sales were fraudulent, the indictment alleges that Zeto (using the information provided by his telemarketing partners) created fraudulent checks payable to companies he controlled and arranged to open accounts with banks and payment processors in the United States to deposit the fraudulent checks — thereby taking and attempting to take millions of dollars from victims’ accounts. The indictment also alleges that Zeto knew that many of the victims were older Americans and that he took steps to reduce the likelihood that financial institutions would scrutinize, and possibly close, the bank accounts into which he was depositing the fraudulent checks.
“The defendant is charged with acting as a vital link in a scheme with foreign telemarketing partners to defraud American victims,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting older Americans from fraud, including people who knowingly help fraudsters.”
“This indictment reflects our office’s commitment to bring to justice criminals who prey on the elderly,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada. “Working closely with the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and our law enforcement partners, we will continue to prosecute fraudsters who target seniors and other vulnerable Nevada residents. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the Department of Justice’s National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).”
“Crimes against the elderly target some of the most vulnerable people in society,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. "The Inspection Service has been at the forefront of protecting customers from fraud schemes for many years and we will continue to investigate and stop those who exploit older Americans for their own illegal gains.”
“This indictment charges the defendant for his alleged role in a fraudulent check scheme that took and attempted to take millions of dollars from the bank accounts of American consumers,” said Special Agent in Charge Kathy A. Enstrom of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG). “The FDIC OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to pursue those who seek to defraud banking customers and threaten the integrity of the banking system.”
If convicted, Zeto faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years for wire fraud and 30 years for bank fraud and a mandatory two-year term of imprisonment for aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Daniel Zytnick and Timothy Finley of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez of the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Nevada Man Indicted in Multi-Million Dollar Fraudulent Check SchemeRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A federal grand jury in Las Vegas returned an indictment Wednesday charging a Nevada man with using fraudulent checks to steal money from victims’ bank accounts. Michael Zeto, 76, of Las Vegas, is charged in a 20-count indictment with wire fraud, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He made his initial court appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cam Ferenbach of the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.
According to court documents, Zeto partnered with foreign telemarketers who provided Zeto with the names, bank account numbers and other personal information for American consumers who supposedly had purchased products. These consumers often had not, in fact, agreed to purchase the products and had not authorized anyone to debit their bank accounts.
Zeto allegedly knew that at least one of his telemarketing partners was engaged in fraud, that many of the supposed sales sent by his telemarketing partners were not real sales and that consumers had not authorized debits from their bank accounts. Despite knowing that sales were fraudulent, the indictment alleges that Zeto (using the information provided by his telemarketing partners) created fraudulent checks payable to companies he controlled and arranged to open accounts with banks and payment processors in the United States to deposit the fraudulent checks — thereby taking and attempting to take millions of dollars from victims’ accounts. The indictment also alleges that Zeto knew that many of the victims were older Americans and that he took steps to reduce the likelihood that financial institutions would scrutinize, and possibly close, the bank accounts into which he was depositing the fraudulent checks.
“The defendant is charged with acting as a vital link in a scheme with foreign telemarketing partners to defraud American victims,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting older Americans from fraud, including people who knowingly help fraudsters.”
“This indictment reflects our office’s commitment to bring to justice criminals who prey on the elderly,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada. “Working closely with the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and our law enforcement partners, we will continue to prosecute fraudsters who target seniors and other vulnerable Nevada residents. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the Department of Justice’s National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).”
“Crimes against the elderly target some of the most vulnerable people in society,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. "The Inspection Service has been at the forefront of protecting customers from fraud schemes for many years and we will continue to investigate and stop those who exploit older Americans for their own illegal gains.”
“This indictment charges the defendant for his alleged role in a fraudulent check scheme that took and attempted to take millions of dollars from the bank accounts of American consumers,” said Special Agent in Charge Kathy A. Enstrom of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG). “The FDIC OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to pursue those who seek to defraud banking customers and threaten the integrity of the banking system.”
If convicted, Zeto faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years for wire fraud and 30 years for bank fraud and a mandatory two-year term of imprisonment for aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FDIC OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Daniel Zytnick and Timothy Finley of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Lopez of the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Naples Felon Indicted for COVID Relief FraudRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Daniel Joseph Tisone (34, Naples) with wire fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, illegal monetary transactions, and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted, Tisone faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count (4 counts) and bank fraud count (6 counts), a 2-year minimum mandatory term of imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft counts (2 counts), up to 10 years in federal prison for each illegal monetary transaction count (5 counts) and for the possession of ammunition count. The indictment also notifies Tisone that the United States intends to forfeit his interest in a 2019 Tiara 34LS boat, two real properties located in Naples, a 4.02 carat solitaire engagement ring, approximately $65,645.69 seized from two bank accounts, and approximately $2,617,447.17, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to court documents, between March 2020 and April 2021, Tisone, a convicted felon, submitted false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), Main Street Lending Program (MSLP), and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications to the Small Business Administration, as well as PPP and MSLP approved lenders. The loan applications contained numerous false representations, including the criminal history, average monthly payroll, number of employees, and gross revenues of the applicant, Tisone.
In support of the fraudulent EIDL, PPP, and MSLP applications, Tisone submitted false and fictitious payroll and tax documents, as well as a fake commercial lease. Further, Tisone fraudulently used the means of identification of individuals who purported to work for Tisone’s companies, including their names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, to submit false and fraudulent payroll and payroll tax documents. Tisone also fraudulently used the means of identification of an individual, including the individual’s name, date of birth, driver license, and Social Security number, to submit a false and fraudulent EIDL application.
Tisone’s false and fraudulent representations caused the SBA, PPP, and MSLP lenders to approve and fund one MSLP, four EIDL, and five PPP loans, resulting in the deposit of more than $2.6 million into bank accounts Tisone controlled. Tisone then unlawfully used the funds for unauthorized purposes and for his own personal enrichment, including the purchase of residences in Naples, stocks and investment securities, and ammunition.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted March 2020. It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization of 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.
The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent. Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if the business spends the proceeds on these expenses within a set time-period and uses at least a certain percentage of the loan toward payroll expenses.
The EIDL program is designed to provide economic relief to small businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. EIDL proceeds can be used to cover a wide array of working capital and normal operating expenses, such as continuation of health care benefits, rent, utilities, and fixed debt payments. If an applicant also obtains a loan under the PPP, the EIDL funds cannot be used for the same purpose as the PPP funds.
The MSLP was designed to provide support to small and medium-sized businesses and their employees across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was intended to help companies, that were in sound financial condition prior to the onset of the pandemic, maintain their operations and payroll until conditions normalized.
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 FBI, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR), Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Office of Inspector General for the Federal Reserve Board. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Trent Reichling and Suzanne Nebesky.
Milton Man Pleads Guilty to Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a used car dealership in Fall River pleaded guilty yesterday to money laundering.
Augustine Osemwegie, 54, of Milton, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel scheduled sentencing for Aug. 3, 2022.
Osemwegie used his car dealership, vehicle auctions and international car shipping to launder and transmit the proceeds of romance scams, pandemic unemployment fraud and other fraudulent schemes. Specifically, Osemwegie accepted fraud proceeds in cash from “customers,” took a percentage fee for laundering the funds and then used the remaining funds to purchase used vehicles at auto auctions, purportedly for the use of his customers. Osemwegie then shipped those vehicles abroad, principally to Nigeria, where they were sold for the benefit of Osemwegie’s customers.
In September 2020, during recorded calls and meetings with an undercover agent, Osemwegie agreed to accept fraud proceeds from the undercover agent and transfer them abroad, under the guise of purchasing a used luxury sedan.
The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Stearns of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Mexican Posse Gang Members Sentenced to Federal Prison for Narcotics TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on April 21, 2022, U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller sentenced two Milwaukee men, both of whom identified as Mexican Posse gang members, to federal prison for drug and firearm offenses.
The court sentenced Louis R. Perez III (age: 25) to twenty-one (21) years’ imprisonment and five years’ supervised release after Perez III pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and the possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A); and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
Perez III’s conviction and sentence stem from his leadership of a violent, nationwide drug trafficking organization that obtained multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana for distribution in the Milwaukee area. According to court records, Perez III, also known as “Eight Ball,” often obtained controlled substances from California and shipped drug proceeds through the U.S. Postal Service to co-conspirators in California. This drug trafficking organization was comprised of some individuals identifying as Mexican Posse gang members, including Perez III.
The court also sentenced Antonio Rodriguez (age: 23), a codefendant of Perez III, to fifteen (15) years of imprisonment. Rodriguez, also a known Mexican Posse gang member, was sentenced after pleading guilty to drug and firearm charges in relation to this trafficking organization.
As a result of this investigation, law enforcement officers seized approximately 45 firearms, 8.6 kilograms of cocaine, 700 grams of heroin, 4.4 kilograms of marijuana, 4,500 kilograms of marijuana oils, and 21.9 kilograms of filled marijuana vape cartridges.
The defendants were charged based on a long-term investigation led by law enforcement agents and officers from the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office, the Milwaukee Police Department, and the Greenfield Police Department.
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Reentry by an Alien Removed After Conviction of a FelonyRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. - A Mexican national pleaded guilty to the federal felony offense of unlawful reentry by an alien deported or removed after conviction of a felony.
U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Chief Patrol Agent Jason E. Schneider of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha L. Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
According to court documents, Guillermo Ivan Ramirez-Saucedo, 41, of Mexico, was arrested on November 22, 2021, on Interstate 10 in Hancock County. Following a “Be On the Lookout” Alert, a U.S. Border Patrol Agent conducted a vehicle stop and identified the driver as Guillermo Ivan Ramirez-Saucedo, who was illegally present in the United States. Officials learned that he had a significant criminal history, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted in the investigation.
In addition to other criminal history, official records revealed that in 2008, Ramirez-Saucedo was lawfully removed from the U.S. to his home nation of Mexico. He was arrested again and removed in 2010 and 2017. In 2018, he was convicted in the Southern District of Texas of unlawful reentry by a deported or removed alien and sentenced to 24 months in federal prison followed by another removal in 2020.
Ramirez-Saucedo is scheduled to be sentenced on July 27, 2022, at 11:00 am, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. After completing any sentence of incarceration, Ramirez-Saucedo also is subject to Homeland Security proceedings to remove him from the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.
Mexican National Indicted on Fentanyl ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mexican national living in Lawrence was indicted yesterday on charges of trafficking fentanyl.
Jesus Gracielo Garcia-Vega, a/k/a Jonathan Ivan Badillo-Hernandez, 34, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Garcia-Vega was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on March 24, 2022, and has remained in custody since then.
According to charging documents, it is alleged that on March 23, 2022, Garcia-Vega gave a sample of fentanyl to a confidential source working with law enforcement. During that transaction, Garcia-Vega agreed to sell a kilogram of fentanyl the next day to the confidential source. On March 24, 2022, Garcia-Vega drove to the Premium Outlets in Wrentham with a kilogram of fentanyl inside a laundry bag, intending to sell it to the confidential source, but was stopped by police on I-495 in Westford and arrested.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. If convicted, Garcia-Vega is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
McLaughlin Man Sentenced for BurglaryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of Third Degree Burglary was sentenced on April 21, 2022, by U.S. District Court Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Christopher Aaron Miller, age 42, was sentenced to three years of probation, a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100, and restitution in the amount of $3,000.
Miller was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 14, 2021. He pled guilty on December 6, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on September 30, 2019, in McLaughlin, wherein Miller entered a garage at night and broke several windows on a vehicle.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Corson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Miller released from the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following the sentencing.
Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Distribution in Magic ValleyRead the Press Release
BOISE – A Jerome man was sentenced to federal prison this week for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court records, Jose Luis Rodriguez-Landeros, 40, a Mexican national living in Jerome, was involved in the distribution of methamphetamine in the Magic Valley. Using a confidential informant, officers purchased methamphetamine from Rodriguez-Landeros on three occasions. Some of the transactions occurred at a tire shop Rodriguez-Landeros operated in Jerome, Idaho. In December 2020, Rodriguez-Landeros was stopped by police for not having a properly affixed license plate. A subsequent search of his vehicle revealed over one pound of methamphetamine, a firearm, and other items of drug paraphernalia.
U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl, from the District of Wyoming, sitting by designation, sentenced Rodriguez-Landeros to 10 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. Rodriguez Landeros plead guilty to the crime on March 7, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., of the District of Idaho made the announcement and commended the cooperative efforts of the Idaho State Police, Drug Enforcement Administration, Jerome County Sheriff’s Office, Twin Falls Police Department, Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office, Minidoka County Sheriff’s Office, Cassia County Sheriff’s Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, which led to charges.
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.
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Lorain Man Sentenced to Eleven and a Half Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that Demarea L. Stafford, 40, of Lorain, Ohio, was sentenced on Thursday, April 21, 2022, by Judge John R. Adams to 138 months, or eleven and a half years, in prison. Stafford previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, felon in possession of a firearm, distribution of crack cocaine and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, phenyl fentanyl, alprazolam, methamphetamine, oxymorphone, cocaine and heroin.
“This sentence should send a message to felons in Lorain County and everywhere in the Northern District of Ohio,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler. “If you possess a firearm or engage in drug trafficking or similar criminal activity, you will soon find yourself facing significant time in federal prison.”
“Criminal acts such as these endanger countless people with potential deadly consequences,” said Cleveland FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith. “The FBI is firmly committed to working with our police partners to disrupt drug trafficking networks and individual offenders that plague our communities.
According to court documents, on October 15, 2020, Narcotics Detectives with the Lorain Police Department conducted a controlled purchase of crack cocaine from Stafford after receiving information concerning his involvement in suspected drug trafficking activity. Later, on December 12, 2020, while the investigation was ongoing, Lorain Police officers responded to an apartment building for reports of a domestic argument with multiple shots fired.
When police arrived, they encountered the suspected gunman, later identified as Stafford, who immediately fled from officers on foot. During the pursuit, police heard a single gunshot and subsequently located and arrested Stafford. After the arrest, police searched the area and located a firearm, a black bag and a digital scale. Inside the bag, officers found considerable quantities of drugs.
Officers further investigated the incident and, through witness accounts and dashcam footage, were able to determine that Stafford had been in possession of the firearm and the black bag containing the narcotics. Stafford is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to previous convictions of drug trafficking, improper discharge of a firearm, and felonious assault in the Lorain and Cuyahoga County Courts of Common Pleas.
This case was investigated by the Lorain Police Department and the FBI. This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.)., which seeks to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids and to identify wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers in Lorain County.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Kolansky.
Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division Releases Accomplishments Report for Fiscal Year 2021Read the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) today released its Accomplishments Report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021. The report highlights ENRD’s strong enforcement of our nation’s environmental and natural resources laws, efforts to advance environmental justice and role in our nation’s response to the climate crisis.
“I am proud to serve alongside the remarkable attorneys and staff who dedicate their professional lives to advancing the interests of the American people in environmental and natural resource matters,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “ENRD has an incredibly important mission to protect public health and welfare by enforcing the nation’s environmental laws, safeguarding our breathtaking landscapes and precious natural resources, preserving the rights and resources of American Indian and Alaska Native nations, defending federal agency actions and enabling critical infrastructure projects, among other things.”
In 2021, ENRD litigated and won meaningful remedies from polluters who imperiled overburdened communities across the nation, including in America’s heartland, the Southeast, downtown New York City and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Going forward, Assistant Attorney General Kim pledged that ENRD will work “to ensure that all Americans — regardless of race, color, national origin or income — are treated fairly and can engage in the decisions that affect them.”
ENRD also prioritized efforts to combat climate change, as part of the President’s whole-of-government response to the climate crisis. Last year, ENRD brought civil and criminal cases to limit damaging pollution from sources like petroleum facilities and oceangoing vessels. The division also worked to protect natural resources by defending floodplain control projects and cracking down on those who unlawfully fill wetlands, illegally harvest timber and more. The division defended the authority of other federal agencies to take critical steps needed to alleviate the effects of climate change, such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.
In FY21, ENRD worked on more than 4,000 matters. It obtained over $1.5 billion in civil and criminal fines, penalties and costs recovered. It secured federal injunctive relief valued at over $5.1 billion. And through its defensive and condemnation litigation, it saved the United States more than $443 million. ENRD achieved a favorable outcome in 99.4% of its civil enforcement cases, 90.2 percent in its civil defensive cases, 98.9% of its criminal cases and 100% of its condemnation cases.
The achievements described in the report add to ENRD’s storied legacy, which dates back 113 years. Its work is all the more important now, at what Assistant Attorney General Kim called a “pivotal moment in our nation’s history,” for environmental and natural resources issues.
Justice Department and FTC File Complaint to Stop Deceptive Marketing Practices Involving the Sale of Funeral Goods and ServicesRead the Press Release
Miami, Florida - The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced a civil enforcement action against defendants Legacy Cremation Services LLC, Funeral & Cremation Group of North America LLC and Anthony Joseph Damiano for alleged violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act) and the FTC’s Trade Regulation Rule Concerning Funeral Industry Practices (Funeral Rule).
According to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the defendants, who arrange third-party cremation services, made deceptive statements to consumers about pricing for funeral and cremation services, misrepresented the location where services were to be provided and wrongfully withheld loved one’s remains. The FTC Act prohibits unfair and deceptive conduct and false advertising. The Funeral Rule prohibits providing consumers with inaccurate price information and requires certain disclosures to consumers regarding pricing for funeral-related goods.
The complaint seeks monetary relief, civil penalties, and injunctive relief to stop defendants from continuing to violate the FTC Act and the Funeral Rule.
“The financial and emotional exploitation of people when they are at their most vulnerable will not be tolerated in this district,” said Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “Together with our federal partners, we will continue to protect South Florida residents through vigorous enforcement of consumer protection laws.”
“Consumers are particularly vulnerable when a loved one passes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to stopping companies and individuals from profiting off of consumers’ grief by engaging in unlawful and deceptive marketing practices when offering funeral arrangements. The department will continue to partner with the FTC to prevent unlawful and deceptive practices that take advantage of vulnerable consumers.”
“Preying on consumers when they are dealing with the loss of a loved one is outrageous, and it’s illegal,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The FTC is committed to enforcing the Funeral Rule to protect both grieving consumers and honest funeral homes.”
This matter is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. Weinkle from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Cody Matthew Herche and Wandaly Fernández García and Assistant Director Lisa K. Hsiao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. Rebecca Plett and Thomas Harris represent the FTC.
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Justice Department and FTC File Complaint to Stop Deceptive Marketing Practices Involving the Sale of Funeral Goods and ServicesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced a civil enforcement action against defendants Legacy Cremation Services LLC, Funeral & Cremation Group of North America LLC and Anthony Joseph Damiano for alleged violations of the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act) and the FTC’s Trade Regulation Rule Concerning Funeral Industry Practices (Funeral Rule).
According to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the defendants, who arrange third-party cremation services, made deceptive statements to consumers about pricing for funeral and cremation services, misrepresented the location where services were to be provided and wrongfully withheld loved one’s remains. The FTC Act prohibits unfair and deceptive conduct and false advertising. The Funeral Rule prohibits providing consumers with inaccurate price information and requires certain disclosures to consumers regarding pricing for funeral-related goods.
The complaint seeks monetary relief, civil penalties and injunctive relief to stop defendants from continuing to violate the FTC Act and the Funeral Rule.
“Consumers are particularly vulnerable when a loved one passes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to stopping companies and individuals from profiting off of consumers’ grief by engaging in unlawful and deceptive marketing practices when offering funeral arrangements. The department will continue to partner with the FTC to prevent unlawful and deceptive practices that take advantage of vulnerable consumers.”
“The financial and emotional exploitation of people when they are at their most vulnerable will not be tolerated in this district,” said U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida. “Together with our federal partners, we will continue to protect South Florida residents through vigorous enforcement of consumer protection laws.”
“Preying on consumers when they are dealing with the loss of a loved one is outrageous, and it’s illegal,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The FTC is committed to enforcing the Funeral Rule to protect both grieving consumers and honest funeral homes.”
This matter is being handled by Trial Attorneys Cody Matthew Herche and Wandaly Fernández García and Assistant Director Lisa K. Hsiao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, and Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. Weinkle for the Southern District of Florida. Rebecca Plett and Thomas Harris represent the FTC.
Justice Department Releases over $320 Million in Solicitations for Hiring Law Enforcement Officers, Improving School Safety, and Combating Distribution of Illicit DrugsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) have released over $320 million in grant solicitations for programs that advance community policing, keep school students safe, and combat the production and distribution of illegal drugs.
“The Justice Department is committed to providing our state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement partners with the resources they need to keep our communities safe,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “With these funds, the Department is supporting law enforcement agencies, as well as the residents they serve, by increasing their capacity to disrupt illegal drug trafficking, hire officers committed to using best practices to serve their communities, and keep children safe in school.”
“These grants represent our commitment to provide law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve with critical resources to make our communities safer for everyone that lives, works, and plays in them,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta.
The announced solicitations include $156.5 million available for the COPS Hiring Program (CHP), a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing by providing direct funding for the hiring of career law enforcement officers. Anticipated outcomes of the CHP program awards include increased engagement in community partnerships, implementation of projects that focus on prioritized crime issues impacting communities, implementation of changes to personnel and agency management in support of community policing, and increased capacity of agencies to implement comprehensive community policing plans that build trust and reduce crime. All local, state, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies that have primary law enforcement authority are eligible to apply.
Funding also includes $53 million for the School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP). This program provides funding to improve security at schools and on school grounds in the grantees’ jurisdictions through evidence-based school safety programs. Awards will be provided directly to eligible state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners. Recipients of SVPP funding must use funding for the benefit of K-12, primary, and secondary schools and students.
The Department’s Office of Justice Programs — through its Bureau of Justice Assistance and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention — also released almost $64.7 million in solicitations to support violence prevention and response efforts in schools through the STOP School Violence Act. More information about OJP’s grants can be found at https://www.ojp.gov/funding.
There is also $15 million available for the COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program (CAMP) and $35 million for the COPS Anti-Heroin Task Force (AHTF) Program. The 2022 COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program is a competitive grant program that advances public safety by providing funds directly to state law enforcement agencies to investigate illicit activities related to the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine. AHTF is a competitive grant program that provides funding to state law enforcement agencies in states with high per capita levels of primary treatment admissions for heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, and other opioids. These funds will be used for drug enforcement including investigations and activities related to the distribution of heroin and other opioids or the unlawful diversion and distribution of prescription opioids.
Additional information on these programs, as well as information on how to apply, can be found at https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants.
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 135,000 officers.
Jury Convicts in Check Kiting TrialRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal jury convicted a Kansas man of 31 counts of bank fraud, one count of making a false statement in connection with a Small Business Administration guaranteed loan, and one count of making a false statement in a loan or credit card application.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Tyler Gillum, 51, of Plainville owned and operated Plainville Livestock Commission Inc. from 2006 until 2019. Between January 2015 and August 2017, Gillum wrote checks and made wire transfers between various accounts under his control at various banks in a scheme commonly known as check kiting. This is when checks are continually written back and forth to fraudulently inflate account balances tricking banks into honoring checks written with insufficient funds. Gillum’s scheme resulted in losses of more than $10 million to the banking system.
Gillum also applied for and obtained a $1,500,000 loan, secured by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and a $500,000 line of credit from Almena State Bank, while concealing he’d previously signed an approximately $6.1 million promissory note to TBK Bank of Dallas, Texas.
“Because of the defendant’s crimes, banks suffered millions of dollars in losses. These fraudulent acts should be of concern to everyone, because the stability our nation’s banking system is vital to the financial health of this country,” said U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard, District of Kansas.
The FBI, U.S.D.A. Office of Inspector-General, S.B.A. Office of Inspector-General, and F.D.I.C. Office of Inspector-General investigated the case.
U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard commends the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Walton and the late Richard Hathaway in preparing and prosecuting the case.
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Jacksonville Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Videos over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Michael Lee Aurandt (51, Jacksonville) to 12 years in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse images and videos over the internet. Aurandt was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and pay $3,000 in restitution to a victim of his offense. Aurandt had pleaded guilty on December 21, 2021.
According to court documents, several FBI field offices began investigating Aurandt for uploading child sexual abuse materials to chat applications over the internet. In October 2020, Aurandt was observed posting videos and images depicting children being sexually abused in a chat app. The following month, Aurandt uploaded five videos containing child sex abuse materials in a chat app, which was reported to the FBI through a CyberTip submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The FBI investigation identified Aurandt as the source of the distributions through linked internet protocol (IP) addresses.
On August 27, 2021, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Aurandt’s residence, and he was arrested later that day. Aurandt admitted to viewing and distributing child sex abuse materials using the chat app accounts previously identified by FBI. He stated he would create new accounts whenever his accounts were shut down for violating the terms of service of the chat app.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington. The forfeiture of assets was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
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.justice.gov/psc.
Jacksonville Man Pleaded Guilty to Student Aid Fraud and Possessing Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Jacksonville man pleaded guilty yesterday to using identities of family members, drug addicts and homeless people to steal over a quarter of a million dollars in federal student aid funds, as well as possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
“The defendant exploited homeless people, trafficked drugs and took over a quarter of a million dollars intended to support education,” said Michael Easley, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “My office is working with law enforcement to uncover and stop those who traffic drugs, steal from taxpayers, and prey on the most vulnerable in our communities.”
According to court documents, Duane Montrik Burton, age 47 of Jacksonville pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Student Aid Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. Burton conspired with others to defraud the United States Department of Education by fraudulently obtaining federal student aid funds. Between 2014 and 2020, Burton sought nearly $300,000 in federal student aid funds in the names of 28 individuals. According to the Government’s statement during the plea hearing, Burton tricked homeless people at a shelter into giving him their personal information by falsely claiming he was collecting information for the census. Burton also got names and personal information in exchange for illegal narcotics, which he used to fraudulently obtain student aid funds.
“Federal student aid exists so that individuals can make their dream of a higher education a reality. Ensuring those who steal student aid – through identity theft or any other means – are stopped and held accountable for their criminal actions is a big part of our mission,” said Terry Harris, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General Eastern Regional Office.
Additional Case Information
Burton submitted false information on the Free Application for Student Aid, commonly referred to as a FAFSA, provided fabricated documents and recruited others to take General Equivalency Exams and Placement tests for the named students. Burton profited by obtaining the refunds issued by Cape Fear Community College to these straw students, which represented the difference between the costs of tuition and the student aid funds disbursed.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The aggravated identity theft charge requires the Court to impose a mandatory sentence of two-years imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence relating to the student aid conspiracy.
Based upon items seized in July 2020 from his residence, Burton pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. Law enforcement found various amounts of cocaine, marijuana and opiates as wells as items indicative of drug trafficking, including a scale, cutting agent, packaging material, $9,000 cash, and a loaded firearm. For this charge, Burton faces a mandatory sentence of five years’ imprisonment.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the plea. The United States Department of Education Office of the Inspector General is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan B. Menzer is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-cr-00013-M.
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Iowa City Woman Sentenced to Prison for Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City woman, Whitney Terrion Claybon, age 32, was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 27 months in prison for Felon in Possession of Ammunition. Claybon was ordered to serve three years of supervised release to follow her prison term, as well as immediately pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
Law enforcement identified Claybon during a large-scale straw purchasing investigation. On January 4, 2021, Claybon and John Vest-Walker—who is also charged in this district with various firearm offenses—went into a local sporting goods store and looked at firearms. Claybon then surreptitiously provided money to Vest-Walker and he completed the firearm purchase. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Claybon’s residence in Coralville, locating five rounds of ammunition in her purse. Claybon admitted knowing Vest-Walker was “flipping” firearms. Law enforcement recovered the firearm in the possession of one of Claybon’s relatives on January 21, 2021. Claybon pleaded guilty to this offense on November 5, 2021.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa City Police Department investigated the case.
Iowa City Man Sentenced to Prison for Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man, John Curtis Vest-Walker, age 35, was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 37 months in prison for Drug User in Possession of a Firearm, False Statement During a Purchase of a Firearm, and Conspiracy. Vest-Walker was ordered to serve three years of supervised release to follow his prison term and immediately pay $300 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
Law enforcement identified Vest-Walker as a subject in a large-scale straw purchasing investigation in December 2020, when he appeared at multiple search warrant locations seeking return of his firearms. On December 10, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Vest-Walker’s residence and seized one firearm. Vest-Walker admitted to law enforcement he was a marijuana user. Investigation revealed between May 2020 and January 2021, Vest-Walker purchased 13 firearms, but was only in possession of one firearm. Law enforcement recovered seven firearms purchased by Vest-Walker in the possession of felons, drug users, and others who were prohibited from possessing them. One firearm was recovered following a shots-fired incident. Law enforcement determined that Vest-Walker conspired with others to violate federal firearms laws by purchasing firearms for others and falsifying ATF Form 4473, indicating that he was the actual purchaser. Vest-Walker knew he was purchasing the firearms for others and immediately following the purchases he transferred the firearms to others. Vest-Walker pleaded guilty to the charges on December 6, 2021.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa City Police Department investigated the case.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on April 20 was:
Adam Alexander Williams, 33, of Auburn, Washington, on charges of interference with flight crew members and attendants. If convicted of the most serious crime, Williams faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Williams was released pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-33.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Holyoke Man Sentenced for Distributing Heroin and Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Holyoke man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for distributing heroin and cocaine base (crack cocaine).
Ronny Authier, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In January 2022, Authier pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base.
On two occasions in September 2019, Authier distributed a total of approximately 12 grams of heroin to an undercover agent. On a third occasion in September 2019, Authier sold the agent approximately 24 grams of crack cocaine.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood; and Holyoke Police Chief David Pratt made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office is prosecuted the case.
Henrico Man Charged in $1.1 Million COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico man was arrested yesterday after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with fraudulently obtaining over $1.1 Million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of two defunct companies he owned, and improperly using those fraudulently-obtained PPP loan proceeds for his own personal benefit.
According to the indictment, from on or about at least April 8, 2020, to at least on or about August 31, 2021, Kortney T. Kelley, 44, submitted at least four fraudulent applications for loans under the PPP, a Small Business Administration (SBA) program designed to help businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic continue to pay wages to their employees. As part of these applications, Kelley made numerous false statements. For instance, Kelley represented that his defunct companies (which in fact generated no revenue and had no employees) together employed more than 140 workers and paid-out over $220,000 in monthly payroll expenses. Furthermore, as part of his applications, Kelley submitted forged tax returns and other documentation purporting to substantiate Kelley’s false claims that his companies paid substantial payroll expenses.
According to the indictment, Kelley’s fraudulent loan applications caused the SBA to disburse over $1.1 million in loans to Kelley’s business accounts. Kelley spent the loan proceeds on purposes unrelated to those authorized by the SBA, including spending at least $142,711 in loan proceeds at various casinos and on gaming, and transferring at least $834,077 in loan proceeds to Kelley’s personal brokerage accounts. Kelley made further false statements to the SBA in a loan forgiveness application, which resulted in the complete discharge of the loans.
Kelley is charged with wire fraud and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across the government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Virginia Coronavirus Fraud Task Force is a federal and state partnership led by the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia along with fraud investigators from the FBI and Virginia State Police. The task force’s mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute fraud related to the ongoing pandemic. The task force reviews and investigates all credible leads of fraud associated with COVID-19, focusing on schemes to exploit vulnerable populations, including the elderly and concerned citizens.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-35.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.