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23 May 2022
Maury County Corrections Officer Charged with Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A federal indictment, unsealed today, charges a Maury County corrections officer with obstructing an investigation into allegations that he sexually abused an inmate in his custody, announced U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee and Assistant Attorney General Kristen M. Clarke of the Civil Rights Division.
James Stewart Thomas, 31, of Columbia, Tenn., a corrections officer with the Maury County Sheriff’s Office, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury on one count of falsification of records. Thomas was arrested at his home earlier today by FBI agents and will appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge later this afternoon.
According to the indictment, in response to allegations that Thomas had nonconsensual sexual contact with a female inmate in his custody, he wrote an official report in which he falsely claimed that he had reported to two Maury County Jail supervisors that an inmate had made sexual advances toward him while the inmate was in his custody at a hospital. The report also falsely claimed that those two Maury County Jail supervisors both advised him not to write a report about the alleged sexual advances by the inmate, and the report omitted that he had a sexual relationship with the inmate after the inmate’s release from the custody of the Maury County Jail.
If convicted, Thomas faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Klopf and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Maryland man admits to role in drug trafficking and firearms conspiracyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Marcus Purnell, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, has admitted to a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Purnell, also known as “Mo,” 34, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Unlawful Use of Communication Facility.” Purnell admitted to using a phone to help distribute Eutylone, also known as “Boot,” in November 2020 in Berkeley County.
Purnell faces up to four years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Harpers Ferry Police Department; and the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C. investigated. The EPDTF consists of the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Ranson Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Martinsburg Police Department.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Marana Man Sentenced to 57 Months for Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Tyrell Kester, 36, of Marana, Arizona, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Kester previously pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition by a prohibited person.
On April 22, 2021, federal agents and Tucson Police Department officers conducted surveillance on a residential trailer in preparation to execute a search warrant. Kester parked his car near the trailer and when agents announced their presence, Kester threw several items from his pockets onto the ground, including his car keys and $3,587 in cash. Agents searched Kester’s car and found an AR-type rifle magazine loaded with 25 rounds of .223-caliber ammunition and other loose rounds of ammunition in various calibers in the trunk. Kester is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing ammunition.
This investigation was a collaborative effort between federal law enforcement agencies and is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCEDTF) initiative in Southern Arizona that is being led by the Tucson Strike Force.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Culver and David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-1114-TUC-RM (MSA)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-078_Kester# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Man Who Possessed a 3D Printed Glock Switch Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who illegally possessed a 3D printed Glock switch designed to convert a handgun into an automatic weapon was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.
Jose Morales-Ramirez, age 20, from Marshalltown, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 20, 2022 guilty plea to illegal possession of a machine gun.
Evidence during the case at trial showed that police responded to Morales-Ramirez’s residence after receiving reports from neighbors regarding possible gun shots. During a search, police located a Glock conversion device designed and intended solely and exclusively for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun. The Glock conversion device, also known as a Glock switch, had been printed on a 3D printer.
Morales-Ramirez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Morales-Ramirez was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Morales-Ramirez was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Tama, Iowa, Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-0056.
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Man Who Obtained Infant Pornography on Dark Web Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who sought out and obtained depictions of child pornography, including infants and toddlers, on the dark web was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison.
Collin Nissen, age 21, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 14, 2021 guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography and three counts of possession of child pornography.
At the guilty plea, Nissen admitted that, between March of 2019 and September of 2020, he received and possessed visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct on two cell phones and an SD card. Evidence at sentencing showed that Nissen took steps in order to conceal his identity online for the purpose of obtaining child pornography. He received and possessed sexually explicit photographs and videos of babies and toddlers. He also possessed sado-masochistic depictions of children. When confronted by law enforcement, he stated that he was trying to help find missing children.
Nissen was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Nissen was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment and fined $400. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Nissen is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liz Dupuich and investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-cr-1015.
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Man Sentenced to 60 months in Prison for Attempting to Use Two Molotov Cocktails on an Occupied National City ResidenceRead the Press Release
Assistant U. S. Attorney Shital H. Thakkar (619) 546-8785
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – May 23, 2022
SAN DIEGO – Sylvester Andrews Jr. was sentenced in federal court today to 60 months in prison for possessing and ultimately attempting to use incendiary devices known as Molotov cocktails. Andrews attempted to use the Molotov cocktails by throwing them through the window of a National City residence, which was occupied by three juvenile victims who were home alone at the time.
On May 20, 2018, the National City Police and Fire Departments responded to a vehicle fire outside of the victims’ residence. When personnel arrived, they found a vehicle completely engulfed in flames. Fire Investigators ultimately determined that the vehicle fire was set intentionally. A subsequent investigation showed beach towels were doused with liquid, possibly gasoline, and placed on the vehicle prior to the towels being set aflame. The officers also noticed a window at the victims’ residence was broken, and after the car fire was extinguished, they conducted a welfare check. The officers discovered the threejuvenile victims and the Molotov cocktails which had not detonated.
An investigation led by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives revealed that Andrews had a dispute with a parent of the juvenile victims. In the early morning hours of May 20, 2018, Andrews went to the victims’ residence and threw both Molotov cocktails through a bedroom window, neither of which ignited fully.
The ATF Forensic Science Laboratory identified the liquid in both Molotov cocktails as gasoline. The use of surveillance cameras, text messages, DNA evidence, and other evidence revealed Andrews’ involvement.
“This defendant’s actions put three children at great risk because of a grown-up grudge, and the price for that is prison,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “This is a fitting sentence for an offender who used an explosive device to settle a score.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the National City Police Department, National City Fire, and Carlsbad Police Department for their excellent work on this case.
“ATF has the expertise to determine the origin and cause of fires and explosions under the most challenging and complex circumstances due to its highly trained forensic investigators and its nationwide state-of-art laboratories,” said ATF Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Monique Villegas. “ATF brings a unique set of resources to fire and explosives investigations, which includes special agent certified fire investigators, certified explosives specialists, and chemists among others. ATF will continue to collaborate with its local partners perfecting charges against individuals whose criminal actions devastate lives and destroy personal property.”
DEFENDANT Case Number 20-cr-02942-AJB
Sylvester Andrews Jr. Age: 39 Spring Valley, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Malicious Damage to Buildings or Real Property Affecting Interstate, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(i);
Possession of an Unregistered Destructive Device, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 5861(d).
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count
AGENCY
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
National City Police Department
National City Fire Department
Carlsbad Police Department
*This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking (VCHT) Section. Formed in 2019, the VCHT is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving violent crimes, firearms and gang cases; sex trafficking and child exploitation; civil rights, and labor trafficking. The VCHT Section oversees the Southern District of California Coordinators for Project Safe Neighborhoods, Human Trafficking, and Project Safe Childhood. The VCHT Section also provides federal prosecutors to the downtown San Diego Violent Crimes Task Force-Gang Group, the North County Gang Task Force, and the East County Gang Task Force.
Man Sentenced to 55 Months in Prison for Illegal Sale of FirearmsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The Honorable Daniel Domínguez of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico sentenced defendant Carlos Osorio-Pérez to a near-statutory-maximum sentence of 55 months of prison and three years of supervised release. Osorio-Pérez pled guilty to a conspiracy to engage in the unlicensed business of dealing in firearms in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 and 922(a)(1)(A).
Osorio-Pérez was the leader of an organization active for years in the Miami and Tampa Field Division areas of responsibility. As part of his plea, he acknowledged that he purchased almost 100 guns in Florida and sent them via the U.S. mail to co-conspirators in Puerto Rico for sale. Osorio-Pérez further acknowledged that he knew that the buyers of several of the guns would use them unlawfully. Intended recipients of the guns included drug-trafficking organizations in Puerto Rico. In WhatsApp conversations, Osorio-Pérez recommended that an unlicensed firearm seller in Puerto Rico talk directly to the “street bosses” and “top dogs.”
On December 14 and 15, 2020, Osorio-Pérez caused to be mailed from Florida to Puerto Rico for illegal sales the following firearms: four (4) Glock pistols; a Zastava AK-47 type pistol; a Mini AK-47 type pistol; and four (4) lower receivers for AR-15 type pistols.
Osorio-Pérez was charged with four other members of the conspiracy. Co-defendant Luz Damariz Pérez-Velázquez was already sentenced to 36 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Her roles in the conspiracy included sending money to Florida for the purchase of firearms, receiving the firearms in Puerto Rico through the U.S. mail, and delivering the guns to co-conspirators in order to sell them in Puerto Rico for profit without a license. Members of the conspiracy would use Western Union and Walmart to transfer the proceeds of firearm sales from Puerto Rico to Florida.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Christopher Robinson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Miami Field Division, made the announcement.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jeanette Collazo, Carlos Cardona, and Jonathan Gottfried prosecuted the case.
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Man Pleads Guilty to Making Threats Against Dr. Anthony Fauci and Other Federal and State Health OfficialsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Thomas Patrick Connally, Jr., age 56, most recently of Snowshoe, West Virginia, pleaded guilty today to making threats against a federal official, specifically for sending emails threatening harm to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the current Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Connally further admitted threatening Dr. Francis Collins, the former Director of the NIH, Dr. Rachel Levine, currently the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as a Massachusetts public health official and a religious leader.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge George Adams, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services.
According to Connally’s plea agreement, from December 28, 2020 to July 25, 2021, Connally used an anonymous email account from a provider of secure, encrypted email services based in Switzerland, to send a series of emails to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the current Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (“NIAID”) and the Chief Medical Advisor to President of the United States, threatening to harm and/or kill Dr. Fauci and members of his family. One of the emails threatened that Dr. Fauci and his family would be “dragged into the street, beaten to death, and set on fire.” On April 24, 2021 alone, Connally sent seven threatening emails starting at 10:05 p.m.
As detailed in Connally’s plea agreement, also on April 24, 2021, beginning at 9:34 p.m., Connally sent Dr. Francis Collins, the then-Director of the NIH, a series of four emails threatening Dr. Collins and his family with physical assault and death if Dr. Collins did not stop speaking about the need for “mandatory” COVID-19 vaccinations.
As stated in his plea agreement, Connally admitted that he sent the threats to Drs. Fauci and Collins with the intent to intimidate or interfere with the performance of their official duties and with the intent to retaliate against Dr. Fauci and Dr. Collins for performing their official duties, including discussing COVID-19 and its testing and prevention.
Connally also admitted sending emails threatening harm to three other individuals. Specifically, on November 24, 2020, Connally sent a series of six threatening emails to Dr. Rachel Levine, then Secretary of Health for the State of Pennsylvania, at Dr. Levine’s email account at the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The subject lines and body of the emails threatened Dr. Levine with physical violence and death. Similarly, on August 31, 2020, Connally sent an email threatening physical violence and death for a public health official in Massachusetts. Finally, on April 21, 2021, Connally sent a series of four threatening emails to four individuals who work for a religious institution in Newark, New Jersey. The four emails threatened physical violence and death to a religious leader at the institution.
Investigation revealed that the anonymous encrypted email account was associated with Connally. On July 27, 2021, law enforcement executed search warrants at Connally’s rental residence in Snowshoe, West Virginia, as well as on his vehicle seizing five Apple laptops and two cellular telephones belonging to Connally.
Connally faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for threats against a federal official. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for August 4, 2022 at 11:30 a.m.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HHS OIG for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajeev R. Raghavan and Jessica C. Collins, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Man Charged with Threatening and Cyberstalking CongressmanRead the Press Release
A man known for showing up uninvited to political events and attempting to get close to politicians was charged this week for cyberstalking and making multiple threatening statements regarding U.S. Representative Kevin Hern and his family. Hern represents Oklahoma’s first congressional district.
Keith Charles Eisenberger, 39, of Bartlesville, was charged by Criminal Complaint with threatening to assault, kidnap, or murder a United States official; threatening to assault, kidnap, or murder an immediate family member of a United States official, and cyberstalking. The Complaint was unsealed after Eisenberger made an initial appearance late Friday in U.S. District Court.
The Complaint alleges that starting in November 2018 when Representative Hern took office, Eisenberger allegedly began making concerning statements about Hern that became increasingly more violent over time. He did so during visits and phone calls to the congressman’s offices in Washington, DC, and Tulsa and on social media.
Multiple alleged incidents are highlighted in the Complaint to include:
In January 2019, Eisenberger appeared in the Washington, DC offices, yelling and demanding to see Hern. He later allegedly told U.S. Capitol Police special agents that he was angry with the Hern because Eisenberger believed he was elected illegally. He stated that he believed the congressman had been appointed to the seat without Eisenberger being considered for it. He then stated that he’d flown to Washington, DC, on a one-way ticket and would not be returning until the Congressman resigned.
In a social media post dated Nov. 9, 2020, Eisenberger again voiced his anger about the election and further suggested that the congressman and the state of Oklahoma deserved to be “federally executed” and that if that was not feasible then the resignation, death or expulsion of Hern was acceptable.
In a lengthy October 2021 social media video post, he allegedly touted that he was going to assault the congressman, whether it be at a debate, a conference, or elsewhere.
Investigators further allege that in a May 11, 2022, social media post, Eisenberger stated that he hoped to kidnap Hern and his wife. He further wished harm would come to the congressman’s family.
The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Nassar is prosecuting the case.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This matter will proceed in U.S. District Court in Tulsa, where the Complaint is currently pending. A Complaint is a temporary charge alleging a violation of law. For the case to proceed to trial, the United States must present the charge to a federal Grand Jury within 30 days. Once a Grand Jury returns an Indictment, a defendant has a right to a jury trial at which the United States would have the burden of proving the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Local man admits to illegally selling firearmsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 38-year-old Houston resident has pleaded guilty to unlawfully dealing firearms without a license, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Qusay Waleed Taha admitted to purchasing more than 100 firearms between July 11, 2018, and Aug. 19, 2019, in order to resell for profit. Taha also admitted he repeatedly bought firearms though licensed dealers and sold them to local individuals at gun shows.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. will impose sentencing Aug. 11. At that time, Taha faces up to five years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Taha has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Schammel and Heather Winter are prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Lehigh Acres Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Danzavieran Durand Thurman. (35, Lehigh Acres) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The Court also ordered Thurman to forfeit the firearm used in the offense.
According to court documents, on October 16, 2020, deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) responded to a hotel in Fort Myers after locating a car in the hotel’s parking lot that had been used in an armed home invasion. Law enforcement had identified Thurman as one of the suspects involved in the armed home invasion. Deputies obtained a search warrant to search the hotel room Thurman was occupying. During a search of the hotel room, LSCO deputies discovered a loaded firearm hidden in a mattress box spring frame. Subsequent forensic analysis of the firearm linked it to Thurman. As a previously convicted felon, Thurman is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Kentucky Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Conspiracy to Traffic Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Analogues in Toledo AreaRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that Rebecca Gilliam, 34, of Grayson, Kentucky, was sentenced on Thursday, May 19, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick to five and a half years in prison after Gilliam pleaded guilty to her role in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and acetyl fentanyl in the Toledo area.
According to court documents, in February 2021, Gilliam and co-defendants Roger Burnett, Ian Collier and Sonya Mayo were arrested following an investigation into narcotics trafficking in Toledo. Authorities arrested the group following a traffic stop in which the defendants admitted to possession of narcotics, including over 180 grams of methamphetamine and over 140 grams of acetyl fentanyl.
Defendant Sonya Mayo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on March 8, 2022. Mayo is scheduled to be sentenced on July 18, 2022.
The matters against Defendants Roger Burnett and Ian Collier remain ongoing. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Northwest Ohio Interdiction Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Melching.
Kansas Man Sentenced for Counterfeit Currency and Fictitious Treasury ChecksRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Deantra Lamar Watson, 42, of Wichita, Kansas, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon to a sentence of time served for Transportation of Fictitious Obligations of the United States, Possession of Counterfeit Currency, and Possession of a Document-Making Implement or Authentication Feature. Watson has been in custody for approximately 9 months. There is no parole in the federal system. Upon his release, Watson will serve a 5-year term of Supervised Release.
On September 2, 2021, Watson was stopped by deputies in Richardson County, Nebraska. Watson was arrested on state charges and a search was conducted of his vehicle. During the search, officers found $3,434.00 in counterfeit United States currency. Officers also found $4,800 in fictitious United States Treasury checks that were purported Covid Economic Impact Payments. Officers found fictitious driver’s licenses with defendant’s picture, but other individuals’ information. Also in Watson’s possession was a book bag which contained blank white plastic cards with mag strips and chips. Law enforcement also found printed images purporting to be Kansas Driver’s licenses that were printed on paper with an adhesive backing as well as paper images of licenses that could be placed on a white plastic card to create an identification. A printer used to make identification cards on white plastic cards was also found.
“Today’s sentence is a reminder that the United States Secret Service is committed to aggressively investigating and pursuing those who commit financial crimes against citizens of our communities,” said Brandon C. Bridgeforth, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service Kansas City Field Office. “The success in this case demonstrates the investigative capabilities of the Secret Service and the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners. The Secret Service will continue to work with all our counterparts to effectively identify those victimizing our communities and bring them to justice while protecting the financial infrastructure of the United States.”
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Richard County Sheriff’s Office, and the Omaha Police Department.
KC Man Shot by Police Officer Sentenced for Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who was shot by an Independence, Mo., police officer as he attempted to strike the officer with his truck before leading officers on a high-speed chase, was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Isaiah Fulson-Dewberry, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to seven years and six months in federal prison without parole.
On June 29, 2020, Fulson-Dewberry pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Two Independence police officers were dispatched to Pepperwood Apartments on Sept. 1, 2019, on reported prowlers. The officers arrived at the apartment complex in separate vehicles and approached from opposite directions. Fulson-Dewberry, driving a 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche (later determined to be stolen), pulled out of a parking space and began driving through the parking lot. When the first officer’s marked patrol vehicle approached, Fulson-Dewberry put the truck in reverse and went back into the parking area, driving up onto the curb into the grass. The truck then drove forward and deliberately rammed the front end of the officer’s vehicle. Two passengers – a white female and a black male – ran from the truck and were never located. The truck backed up again and slammed into a parked truck, pushing it into another parked vehicle, and then rammed into the front of the officer’s vehicle a second time.
The truck backed up again, clipping the front end of the second officer’s patrol vehicle, and then went forward again, hitting the front of the patrol vehicle and pushing it. The officer was outside of his vehicle and Fulson-Dewberry swerved the truck at him. The officer, fearing for his life, fired 10 rounds from his duty weapon into the driver’s side of the truck.
Fulson-Dewbery fled from the apartment complex and a pursuit was initiated. The truck made it onto westbound 39th Street. The truck drove on the shoulder of the road, passing vehicles at a high rate of speed and running red lights at busy intersections. The truck also entered into oncoming traffic, nearly striking two different eastbound vehicles head on. The truck proceeded onto southbound Lee’s Summit Road and attempted to get onto the ramp to westbound I-70, but was traveling too fast and spun out into the ditch just onto the ramp to westbound I-70 from Lee’s Summit Road.
Fulson-Dewberry got out of the driver’s side of the truck and threw a loaded Walther .22-caliber handgun into the grassy area near the truck. Fulson-Dewberry had a gunshot wound that passed through his left calf and entered his right calf, where the bullet lodged. He was taken into custody without further incident and transported for medical treatment.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Fulson-Dewberry has prior felony convictions for possession of methamphetamine, burglary of a motor vehicle, identity theft, fleeing from law enforcement, and two prior felony convictions for theft.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
KC Man Involved in Shoot-out Pleads Guilty to Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who was involved in a shoot-out at a local gas station pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing a firearm.
Tirrell M. Thompson, 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
By pleading guilty today, Thompson admitted that he was involved in a shoot-out at a gas station near 45th and The Paseo on May 6, 2020. A federal marshal witnessed the shooting, in which Thompson pulled a Taurus .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun from his waistband, ducked behind his car, and shot back at another individual who was shooting at him. The marshal also saw Thompson flee from the gas station in a silver vehicle.
A police helicopter identified the fleeing car, which slowed down as Thompson tossed the handgun out of the car near 58th Terrace and Swope Parkway. Police officers arrested Thompson and found the handgun, which had blood on it, in the area where Thompson had tossed it.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Thompson has two prior felony convictions for resisting arrest and a prior felony conviction for unlawful use of a weapon.
Under federal statutes, Thompson is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Justice Department Announces Updated Guidance on Improving Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence by Identifying and Preventing Gender BiasRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced guidance to help law enforcement agencies (LEAs) recognize, mitigate and prevent gender bias and other biases from compromising the response to, and investigation of, sexual assault, domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence.
“At the Department of Justice, we know that investigating cases involving sexual assault and domestic violence is challenging – it demands thorough investigations and a careful effort to avoid unintentionally worsening the victimization for survivors of these crimes,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “This guidance provides best practices that — when implemented into all levels of policy, training and supervision — help law enforcement provide services free from discrimination on the basis of gender, and therefore handle these cases more effectively.”
The department is committed to reducing violent crime, building strong communities, and ending gender-based violence. The 2022 guidance builds on the first principle of the department’s comprehensive strategy to reduce violent crime by building trust through meaningful law enforcement engagement with, and accountability to, the communities they serve, including survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
“When gender bias impacts policing — from ignoring reports of sexual assault, mishandling sexual misconduct investigations or the failure to discipline officers who commit domestic violence — law enforcement’s legitimacy erodes, and survivors’ trust in police is diminished,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our dedication to combatting gender bias in policing is about promoting accountability, and fostering greater trust in investigations of gender-based violence.”
“The guidance announced today reaffirms our commitment to expanding access to justice for all survivors, who deserve respect, compassion and self-determination,” said Office on Violence Against Women Acting Director Allison Randall. “Eliminating gender bias in policing is a key piece in ending gender-based violence, and can have a real, immediate impact on the safety of survivors, their loved ones and, indeed, their entire communities.”
The guidance reflects input from a wide array of stakeholders, including law enforcement leaders, victim advocates, and civil rights advocates, and builds on previous guidance the department issued in 2015. The original 2015 guidance served two key purposes. First, it examined how gender bias can undermine the response of LEAs to sexual assault and domestic violence. Second, it provided a set of eight basic principles that – if integrated into LEAs’ policies, trainings and practices – help ensure that gender bias, either intentionally or unintentionally, does not undermine efforts to keep victims safe and hold offenders accountable. The 2022 revisions to the guidance maintain and build on this framework.
Based on input from stakeholders, the 2022 guidance more thoroughly addresses the need for trauma-informed law enforcement responses to sexual and domestic violence; provides additional examples of how LEAs can incorporate the guidance principles into their policies and practices; discusses the ways that gender bias can intersect with other forms of bias to disproportionately affect survivors from marginalized communities, including but not limited to communities of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) survivors, immigrant survivors and individuals with limited English proficiency; and expands the discussion of the need to address and prevent officer-committed domestic violence and sexual misconduct to hold offenders accountable and enhance community trust.
In conjunction with the revised guidance, the department’s OVW is launching a new webpage, which hosts a comprehensive, annotated list of resources designed to assist LEAs working to implement the guidance and its core principles. Most of these resources have been developed since 2015 and reflect the work of national law enforcement organizations and other DOJ-funded technical assistance providers.
Improving Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence by Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias
Investigation by Tucson Strike Force Leads to Indictment of 13 Members of Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced the unsealing of a 30-count indictment against 13 individuals for charges related to the distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin. On May 4, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned the indictment against the following individuals:
- Jasiel Soloman Corral-Cinco, 32, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.
- Eduardo Martinez-Torres, 38, of Tucson, Arizona.
- Carlos Edgardo Rincones Vega, 25, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.
- Hector Manuel Cruz, 37, of Tucson, Arizona.
- Angel Ariel-Zubia, 31, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.
- Melecio Hernan Garcia, 32, of Rio Rico, Arizona.
- Alejandro Reyes Altamirano, 29, of Tucson, Arizona.
- Ruben Sebastian Felix-Escamilla, 24, of Sonora, Mexico.
- Jesus Castenada, 22, of Tucson, Arizona.
- Jose Flores, 32, of Rio Rico, Arizona.
- Alejandro Linares, 35, of Rio Rico, Arizona.
- Eduardo Linares, 36, of Rio Rico, Arizona.
- Alejandro Melendez, 43, of Phoenix, Arizona.
The indictment alleges that the 13 individuals were members of a Mexican-based drug trafficking organization that was involved in the delivery of large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, counterfeit M-30 oxycontin pills laced with fentanyl, and heroin. The investigation leading to their indictment involved a series of drug transactions in Arizona as well as seizures of drugs at Ports of Entry.
A conviction for Conspiracy to Possess with the intent to Distribute the quantities of drugs alleged in the Indictment carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a $10,000,000.00 fine.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation was a collaborative effort between federal, state, and local investigators and is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) initiative in Southern Arizona that is being led by the Tucson Strike Force.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Arizona Department of Public Safety led the investigation, with significant contributions from Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshal Service, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, the Marana Police Department, and the South Tucson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney and Lead Strike Force Attorney David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 22-00980-TUC-RM (LCK)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-079_Corral-Cinco, et al.# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.INTERPOL Washington Assists the Republic of Panama to Enhance its Border Security CapabilitiesRead the Press Release
The Project Terminus team in Panama.INTERPOL Washington—INTERPOL Washington, the U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB)—recently partnered with the U.S. Department of State to increase The Republic of Panama’s capacity to screen the illicit international travel of transnational criminals and terrorists. Under the U.S. State Department-funded Project TERMINUS, the Panamanian Government implemented an automated system for uploading its stolen and lost travel documents into INTERPOL’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database. This database serves as a searchable repository containing more than 120 million records accessible to law enforcement and border security authorities in all 195 INTERPOL member countries.
The Domestic SLTD Database (DSD) solution enabled Panama to quickly and easily establish a robust and feature-rich authoritative national database of stolen and lost travel documents to be managed by Autoridad de Pasaportes de Panama and the National Central Bureau (NCB) in Panama City. The SLTD Uploader software solution automates the submission and management of Panama's stolen and lost travel document records in the global INTERPOL SLTD searchable database. This data management and automation solution was made possible by computer hardware and custom software developed, provided, and installed by the USNCB’s Border Security Division. This accomplishment is the culmination of more than three months of active collaboration between the USNCB, the U.S State Department, INTERPOL, and The Republic of Panama.
“Project TERMINUS is providing significant improvements in border security screening capacity for INTERPOL member countries around the world, including in our own hemisphere. Our partnership with the Department of State pays dividends every day as we continue to provide the advanced border security tools necessary to detect and deter transnational criminals. Border security is a collective responsibility among nations, and the USNCB is pleased to be a leader in those efforts,” said USNCB Director Michael A. Hughes.
The Panamanian project is the latest in a series of successful SLTD access improvement projects under the Project TERMINUS initiative, each building on prior lessons learned. In addition to The Republic of Panama, Partner Nations currently receiving assistance under Project TERMINUS include The Maldives, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Established in 2015, Project TERMINUS is a partnership between the USNCB’s Border Security Division and the U.S Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism. The mission of Project TERMINUS is to extend INTERPOL's I-24/7 secure, global police-to-police communications system in high-risk areas and select host nations globally.
INTERPOL’s SLTD database is a critical tool for combatting terrorism by preventing Foreign Terrorist Fighter (FTF) movements by identifying and interdicting FTFs and other transnational criminals using stolen, lost, or revoked documents such as passports, visas, and identity documents. By ensuring that law enforcement officers have access to INTERPOL’s I-24/7 system, front-line authorities can search and cross-check traveler data in a matter of seconds and share sensitive or urgent police information with their counterparts around the globe in real-time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A component of the U.S. Department of Justice, INTERPOL Washington, the U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB), is the designated United States representative to INTERPOL on behalf of the Attorney General. It serves as the national point of contact and coordination for all INTERPOL matters, coordinating international investigative efforts among member countries and the more than 18,000 local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement agencies.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 24, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Norway Avenue address of Roy Bills, 56. Officers found multiple firearms in the basement: a Diamondback 5.56mm AR-15 rifle; a Savage AXIS XP .308-caliber Winchester bolt-action rifle; a Derya Arms, model VR-80, 12-gauge shotgun; a GSG .22-caliber pistol; and a Beretta 96 .40-caliber pistol. Officers also located ammunition with the firearms. Bills admitted to possessing the firearms and ammunition.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Bills was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his November, 7, 2016 felony conviction in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia for conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
Bills is scheduled to be sentenced on August 29, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-60.
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Hilton Man Going to Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Stephen Reed Pattison, 33, of Hilton, NY, who was convicted of possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, was sentenced to serve 96 months in prison by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey, who handled the case, stated that in December 2016, Pattison was convicted of Domestic Assault in the Second Degree in Boone County, Missouri, and was legally prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. On October 30, 2020, Pattison was taken into custody on a parole absconder warrant from Missouri. In November 2020, law enforcement officers conducted a search of the Church Road residence that Pattison shared with his girlfriend and recovered two firearms, 25 rounds of ammunition, a black tactical vest with an expandable baton and knife, various items of white supremacist and Nazi paraphernalia.
As part of his guilty plea, Pattison admitted that he attempted to obstruct justice by telling his girlfriend to lie to the police and testify falsely that the firearms recovered did not belong to him. Pattison also attempted to obtain false affidavits from the individuals who gave him the firearms and ammunition. Pattison wanted the individuals to state that they gave the firearms to his girlfriend after he was taken into custody.
As detailed in a complaint against Pattison, he is a supporter of white supremacist ideology who frequently expressed racial animus and disdain for activist and political groups, such as Black Lives Matter and Antifa, and aggressively and sometimes violently expressed his disagreement with local protests in Rochester over the deaths of George Floyd and Daniel Prude.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Joint Terrorism Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
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Former Starksboro Resident Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on May 23, 2022, Isaac Liberty-Hanlon, 43, formerly of Starksboro, Vermont, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William K. Sessions III to a time-served period of imprisonment and a three-year term of supervised release for possessing a firearm in 2020 after having been previously convicted of a felony offense. Liberty-Hanlon is presently residing in Hartwell, Georgia.
According to court records and proceedings, on July 24, 2020, troopers with the Vermont State Police searched Liberty-Hanlon’s home in Starksboro pursuant to a search warrant. They located and seized a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver from Liberty-Hanlon’s room, and he acknowledged possessing the firearm. Liberty-Hanlon was determined to be a felon, having been convicted in 2009 of aggravated assault in Addison County, Vermont.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Vermont State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives in the investigation and prosecution of Liberty-Hanlon.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Lasher prosecuted the case for the United States. Liberty-Hanlon was represented by Robert Behrens, Esq.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. https://www.justice.gov/psn
Former Postal Worker Sentenced for Defrauding Department of Labor of $732,000 in Disability PaymentsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced George Utley (56, Oklahoma City) to 30 months in federal prison for receiving stolen government property, specifically, Department of Labor (DOL) Disability Benefit Payments. Utley was also ordered to make full restitution to the DOL and to forfeit $732,459.46, representing the value of the stolen funds. Utley had pleaded guilty on February 14, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, Utley is a former mail handler for the United States Postal Service (USPS). In January 2009, Utley falsely claimed a job-related back injury to receive workers’ compensation disability benefits through the Department of Labor – Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (DOL-OWCP). The monthly payments ranged from approximately $2,600 (2011), to upwards of $3,300 (2019). These payments were the product of theft because Utley failed to truthfully report his prior accidents/injuries, his other sources of income and employment, and any improvements to his purported injury.
An investigation by the USPS – Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) revealed that Utley had falsely testified in a 2011 DOL deposition that he never had suffered a previous back injury or been in an automobile accident. Despite Utley’s allegations of tremendous, debilitating back pain, he only had received $14 worth of prescription pain medication during the 10-year benefit period. Utley also failed to report his other sources of income and employment—he had incorporated and operated a rubbish removal business for many years and had received monthly government housing assistance payments of $1,412 as the landlord for a property in Pennsylvania. Recorded video surveillance captured Utley doing yard work at his Florida home, repeatedly lifting and carrying heavy items, working on a race car, and hitching a flatbed car carrier, box trailer, and fifth-wheel RV to his truck. A search of Utley’s email account and Facebook postings revealed photographs of Utley’s vacations (Key West and the Grand Canyon) and extensive physical activity (weightlifting, bicycling, deep-sea fishing, etc.). Utley’s fraudulent activity resulted in him receiving $732,459.46 in disability benefit payments to which he was not entitled.
“Taking taxpayer dollars to which you are not entitled is theft—period,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “Our agents at HSI Orlando, working alongside the USPS OIG, are committed to finding those who aim to abuse programs meant to lend a helping hand and bring them to justice.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Former Mont Vernon Attorney Sentenced to 48 Months for Engaging in Multi-Million Dollar Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CONCORD –Joseph A. Foistner, 68, of Mont Vernon, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for his involvement in a fraud and money laundering scheme, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today.
Following a two-week trial in December of 2021, U.S. District Judge Paul Barbadoro found Foistner guilty of four counts of bank fraud, as well as charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and making misrepresentations during bankruptcy proceedings.
According to exhibits and witness testimony during the trial, Foistner used fraudulent means to apply for over $8 million in loans from five different financial institutions, laundered money, and made material misrepresentations during bankruptcy proceedings between 2015 and 2018. Foistner, at the time of the scheme, was a licensed attorney in Massachusetts who did not have any paying clients and earned no income through his law firm. In order to obtain millions of dollars in loans from multiple financial institutions, Foistner provided banks with misleading documents that suggested that he was operating a lucrative law firm. For example, he claimed that he was a “seasoned attorney” with international clients and that his firm earned over a million dollars in annual income. In fact, all the firm’s purported income was based upon bogus, unpaid invoices the firm submitted to entities that the defendant controlled, including bankrupt entities.
The defendant also made other false statements to obtain bank loans, including lying about whether he was involved as a party in any lawsuits and denying that he had an interest in other companies. He also falsely represented that he had a salary by mischaracterizing loan proceeds as a salary. In one of the bank fraud schemes, the defendant submitted false information to obtain a loan by claiming that his wife was earning over $200,000 per year as a paralegal. The loans made to Foistner were backed by either the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Small Business Administration.
The evidence further showed that Foistner committed several crimes during Chapter 7 bankruptcy court proceedings in 2017 and 2018. He made false representations by denying that he held or controlled property owned by others when he actually controlled funds that were held in the name of a business. He also made false statements under oath by lying about what happened to the proceeds of one of the fraudulent loans and lying about not knowing the location of a piece of real estate that had been purchased in part with funds he borrowed and had subsequently funneled into bank accounts not in his name.
After his conviction, Foistner was disbarred by order of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in January 2022.
The financial institutions affected by Foistner’s scheme were Merrimack Valley Credit Union, North American Savings Bank, Celtic Bank, Newtek, and St. Mary’s Bank. A further hearing will be held to determine the restitution amounts owed by Foistner.
In addition to his prison sentence, Foistner was ordered to forfeit his interest in a residential property in Mont Vernon that was purchased with proceeds from his fraud scheme.
“As the evidence at trial established, Foistner used brazen fraud schemes to obtain millions of dollars and undermined the integrity of bankruptcy proceedings by making repeated misrepresentations,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “His illegal conduct was even more disturbing because he was a licensed attorney – an officer of the court. This substantial prison sentence finally holds Foistner accountable for his serious crimes and sends a deterrent message to potential white-collar criminals that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and, upon conviction, will face serious prison sentences for their crimes. I am grateful for the dedicated efforts of our law enforcement partners who worked so hard to ensure that justice was done in this case.”
“Joseph Foistner stole millions of dollars from entities he thought would never notice. In doing so, he took advantage of programs that were designed to help veterans and small businesses, and today, he was held accountable for his disgraceful conduct,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners in unraveling fraudulent schemes like this one to ensure those behind them are brought to justice.”
“OIG is committed to bring fraudsters to justice who seek to use falsified information to exploit vital economic programs,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG continues to root out fraud and protect the integrity of SBA’s programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
“The defendant fraudulently exploited VA’s loan guaranty program meant to help service members, veterans, and eligible surviving spouses become homeowners,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “The sentence today reflects the VA OIG’s commitment to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who defraud VA programs.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Office of Inspector General of the Small Business Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles L. Rombeau and Seth R. Aframe and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Kinsella, Assistant U.S. Attorneys John S. Davis and Kasey Weiland previously worked on this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Rabuck is assisting with the forfeiture aspects of this case.
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Former Federal Agent Found Guilty of Enticing a Minor and Engaging in Sex Tourism in the PhilippinesRead the Press Release
East St. Louis, Ill. – A Cahokia, Illinois, man was found guilty as charged last week for Enticement of a Minor, Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct, and
Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct in a Foreign Place. Sentencing is set for August 24, 2022, in front of the Honorable Judge Stephen P. McGlynn.According to evidence presented during trial, Joseph Albert Fuchs, III, an American citizen, met a
14-year-old girl while visiting the Philippines. Fuchs then engaged in sexual conversations with the minor using Facebook. During those conversations, Fuchs discussed ways to evade detection of her age when he would return to the Philippines to engage in sexual acts with her at a hotel. Fuchs then returned to the Philippines in March of 2019 and engaged in sexual acts with the 14- year-old minor. During this time, Fuchs was a special agent for the United States Postal Service Office of
Inspector General (USPSOIG). USPSOIG provided their full cooperation into the investigation. Investigation further revealed that Fuchs sent nearly $1,000.00 to the minor over a year long period.“Today’s guilty verdict should serve as a warning to those in positions of power or trust that if you engage in this behavior and seek to harm the innocent, you will be held accountable and brought to justice,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Angie Salazar.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the investigation, with assistance from the HSI
Attaché Manila, the Philippine National Police, and the Cahokia Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ali Burns and Laura Reppert.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and
Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”Former CEO of NYC Non-Profit Sentenced to Prison for Honest Services FraudRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that VICTOR RIVERA was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for conspiring to commit honest services fraud. RIVERA, who used to lead Bronx Parent Housing Network (“BPHN”), a non-profit organization that operated soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and affordable-housing facilities in New York City, schemed to enrich himself through bribes and kickbacks from BPHN’s contractors. RIVERA was sentenced by United States District Judge Sidney H. Stein.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Victor Rivera abused his position of authority at a non-profit established to help the most vulnerable in order to line his own pockets. For this egregious violation of trust, he is now sentenced to prison.”
According to allegations in the Information, other court filings, and statements made in court:
RIVERA was the President and Chief Executive Officer of BPHN, which annually spent millions of dollars in public funds on real estate, security, cleaning, construction, and food expenses, among other costs related to the housing and social services BPHN provided. From at least in or about 2013 until in or about 2020, RIVERA engaged in a scheme to enrich himself and his relatives by soliciting and accepting bribes and kickbacks from contractors doing work related to or for BPHN. The scheme yielded RIVERA hundreds of thousands of dollars in illicit gains.
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In addition to his prison sentence, RIVERA, 62, of Stony Point, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release. RIVERA was also ordered to forfeit $1,249,158.93, and to pay BPHN $902,269.23 in restitution.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the New York Department of Investigation. Mr. Williams also thanked the Internal Revenue Service for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys David Abramowicz and Tara La Morte are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Art Dealer Sentenced to 7 Years for $86 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that INIGO PHILBRICK, an art dealer specializing in post-war and contemporary fine art with galleries in London, United Kingdom, and Miami, Florida, was sentenced today to 84 months in prison in connection with a multi-year scheme to defraud various individuals and entities in order to finance his art business. U.S. District Judge Sydney H. Stein imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Inigo Philbrick grew his purportedly successful art business by collateralizing and reselling fractional shares in high dollar contemporary art. Unfortunately, his success was built on brazen lies, including concealed ownership interests, fake documents, and even an invented art collector. When the house of cards fell apart, Philbrick fled for a remote island in the Pacific, leaving many of his victims without recourse. For his extensive fraud, Philbrick is now sentenced to a substantial prison term.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint, Indictment, and statements made in court:
From approximately 2016 through 2019, to finance his art business, PHILBRICK engaged in a scheme to defraud multiple individuals and entities in the art market located in the New York metropolitan area and abroad. PHILBRICK made material misrepresentations and omissions to art collectors, investors, and lenders to access valuable art and obtain sales proceeds, funding, and loans (the “Fraud Scheme”). PHILBRICK knowingly misrepresented the ownership of certain artworks, for example, by selling a total of more than 100 percent ownership in an artwork to multiple individuals and entities without their knowledge; and by selling artworks and/or using artworks as collateral on loans without the knowledge of co-owners, and without disclosing the ownership interests of third parties to buyers and lenders. PHILBRICK furnished fraudulent contracts and records to investors to artificially inflate the artworks’ value and conceal his scheme, including a contract that listed a stolen identity as the seller.
Over the years, PHILBRICK obtained over $86 million in loans and sale proceeds in connection with the Fraud Scheme. Artworks about which PHILBRICK made these fraudulent misrepresentations in furtherance of the Fraud Scheme include, among others, a 1982 painting by the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat titled “Humidity,” a 2010 untitled painting by the artist Christopher Wool, and an untitled 2012 painting by the artist Rudolf Stingel depicting the artist Pablo Picasso.
By in or about the fall of 2019, PHILBRICK’s Fraud Scheme began to come to light as various investors and lenders learned about the fraudulent records PHILBRICK had provided and the material misrepresentations and omissions he had made. By in or about mid-October, a lender officially notified PHILBRICK that he was in default of approximately a $14 million loan, and by November 2019, various investors had filed civil lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions regarding PHILBRICK’s Fraud Scheme in connection with various artworks. At around the same time, PHILBRICK’s art galleries in Miami and London closed, and PHILBRICK stopped responding to legal process. PHILBRICK fled the United States shortly before public reporting began about the lawsuits. A fugitive, PHILBRICK resided in Vanuatu from approximately October 2019 until he was arrested there on June 11, 2020, in connection with this case.
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In addition to the prison term, PHILBRICK, 34, a U.S. citizen previously residing in London, United Kingdom, was sentenced to two years of supervised release. PHILBRICK was further ordered to pay a forfeiture of $86,672,790.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Art Crime Team.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica K. Feinstein and Cecilia E. Vogel are in charge of the prosecution.
Ford County Sex Offender Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Ford County man, Richard Cruse, 37, of the 200 block of North Center Street, in Melvin, Ill., has been sentenced to 324 months (27 years) to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for distribution and possession of child pornography.
In March 2021, a federal grand jury charged Cruse with two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography for crimes he committed in November 2019 and September 2020. Cruse was initially arrested by Ford County authorities and charged with two counts of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child and Indecent Solicitation of a Child. Cruse was transferred to the custody of the U.S. Marshals service after the federal indictment, where he has remained. He pleaded guilty in January 2022 to the three-count indictment.
Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm found that the Cruse engaged in pattern of sexual abuse and exploitation of a minor. In imposing the 27-year imprisonment sentence, Judge Mihm noted that the harm done to victims for some criminal offenses is “temporary,” but contrasted that with Cruse’s conduct remarking, “it is clear from all that we’ve heard in this case that is not true. The harm is permanent.” Judge Mihm also ordered $9,000 in restitution to three separate victims from the child pornography files Cruse trafficked.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ford County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation with the cooperation of Ford County State’s Attorney Andrew Killian. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly Peirson and represented the government in this prosecution.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Florida Man Charged with Operating a “Grandparent Scam” in the Pittsburgh AreaRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Florida has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The two-count Indictment, returned on May 19, named Adrian Orozco Perez, 25, currently detained at the Walton County Jail in Monroe, GA, as the sole defendant.
According to Indictment, in February 2022, the defendant traveled to the Pittsburgh area to execute a scheme to defraud targeting elderly victims. To execute the scheme, members of the conspiracy called the victims, posed as an attorney, and falsely represented that one of the victim’s relatives, typically a grandchild, had been incarcerated and needed money for bail and legal fees. The defendant then posed as a courier or bail bondsman, visited the victims at their homes, and collected the fraudulently obtained money. Perez engaged in similar conduct in Georgia and Tennessee.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 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 defendants.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police, and Walton County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fort Washakie Man Pleads Guilty to Assault by StrangulationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that DENVER LEE JOHN, SR., 43, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming pleaded guilty to assault by strangulation at a change of plea hearing on May 9, 2022, before United States District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal. Sentencing has been set for July 28, 2022.
If convicted, John faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment; three years of supervised release; up to a $250,000 fine and a $100 special assessment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This crime is being investigated by the Wind River Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson is prosecuting the case.
Case No. 21-00008-NDF
Ethete Man Sentenced for Assault by StrangulationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that CALVIN ANDERSON WHITE, 32, of Ethete, Wyoming was sentenced for assault by strangulation at a sentencing hearing on May 10, 2022, before Chief United States District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl. White was sentenced to 16 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $2,699.70 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.
The prosecution stemmed from a domestic violence incident that occurred at a residence on the Wind River Indian Reservation. “These types of assaults cannot be tolerated,” said United States Attorney Bob Murray. “It affects every fiber of the community when violent assaults happen. People need to feel safe and free from violence regardless of where they are or what they are doing. Our office will continue to prosecute these crimes to the fullest extent of the law.”
This crime was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy W. Gist is prosecuting the case.
Case No. 21-cr-00123-SWS
District Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Killing Man in Northeast Washington and Stabbing Inmate at JailRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tavon Davis, 27, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for fatally beating a man in June 2017 and, in a separate offense, stabbing an inmate in the neck at the District of Columbia Jail, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Davis pleaded guilty in July 2021, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of voluntary manslaughter while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a sentence of 9 ½ to 14 years. The Honorable Marisa Demeo accepted the plea and, on May 20, 2022, sentenced the defendant accordingly. Following his prison term, Davis will be placed on five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of June 28, 2017, Davis killed the victim, Michael Vest, on the porch of a residence in the 1300 block of Trinidad Avenue NE, using a wooden object to strike him in the head multiple times. Police were called at approximately 8 a.m., and Mr. Vest, 29, was discovered slumped in a chair. He was pronounced dead a short time later. An autopsy determined that he died from blunt force trauma.
Davis was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department on June 30, 2017. He was held at the D.C. Jail while awaiting trial. On July 3, 2020, according to the government’s evidence, he stabbed another inmate in the neck using a homemade knife. The victim attempted to shield himself with his hands, and, as a result, his arms also were injured.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the matter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin, and Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuels. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Santiago and Prava Palacharla, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Correctional Officer Sentenced for Attempting to Smuggle Drugs into Fort Myers FacilityRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Leslie Spencer (49, Port Charlotte) to 30 months in federal prison for attempting to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. Spencer had pleaded guilty on September 21, 2021.
According to court records, Spencer worked as a correctional officer at the Charlotte Correctional Institution’s offsite work camp located in Fort Myers. The FBI learned that Spencer was accepting payments from prisoners in exchange for smuggling contraband into the prison, including drugs and cellphones.
In March 2021, Spencer agreed to smuggle three ounces of methamphetamine, three ounces of MDMA, and two cellphones into the prison for an inmate working as an FBI confidential source. Spencer told the confidential source to make sure the items were packaged in a way that they could be discreetly brought into the prison. Spencer also told the source of additional steps that he would take to avoid security measures implemented at the prison to prevent employees from smuggling in contraband.
After the deal had been agreed to, Spencer met with an undercover FBI special agent posing as a supplier of drugs. The two met in the parking lot of a Fort Myers retail store, where the undercover agent provided Spencer with sham methamphetamine and MDMA, cellphones, and payment for the smuggling operation. Upon leaving the retail store, Spencer was arrested by federal agents.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
Chittenden County Man Charged with Threatening State Officials and Members of Legal CommunityRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Josh Puma, 35, formerly of Chittenden County, was arraigned today in Burlington before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on three counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce to injure the person of another. Puma pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate Judge Doyle ordered Puma detained pending trial.
According to court documents and proceedings, the instant charges involve allegations that Puma called a Vermont Department of Corrections reporting line and threatened to kill a state court judge, a defense attorney, and a state prosecutor and to sexually assault that same prosecutor. The calls were recorded, and Puma specifically stated that when he is released from jail, he will use violence and kill and maim those state officials, in addition to harming and killing other members of the legal community. Puma was recently ordered hospitalized by the state court due to mental health considerations.
If convicted of these offenses, Puma faces a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment on each count alleged in the Indictment. Any actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the Indictment are merely accusations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Vermont State Police.
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy Fuller. Josh Puma is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
UPDATE
The second paragraph of this press release was updated to reflect the allegations in the public record.
Chinle Man Sentenced to Prison for Assault and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Bo Channon Davis, 35, of Chinle, Arizona, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 63 months in prison, with credit for six months he spent in tribal custody for this offense. He will also be placed on supervised release for three years after his prison term is complete. Davis previously pleaded guilty to one count of Assault on a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon, one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
On July 28, 2018, Davis, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, threatened two Navajo Police Department officers with a rifle. Davis is prohibited from possessing a firearm because he is a convicted felon. The offenses occurred on the Navajo Nation in Chinle, Arizona.
The Navajo Nation Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew C. Cassell, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-8234-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-080_Davis# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Charleston Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with a thwarted Fourth of July 2021 murder scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, James Edward Bennett III, 31, was one of four men who armed themselves at a Rand residence on July 4, 2021, and drove to Charleston’s West Side where they intended to shoot another man. Alerted to the plot, police in marked cruisers converged on the area. The four men abandoned their vehicle in a Lee Street parking lot due to the increased police presence. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the vehicle and recovered four loaded firearms. Bennett admitted to possessing two of the firearms: a Taurus, Model G2C, 9mm pistol; and a Spike’s Tactical, Model SL15, .223-caliber pistol.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Bennett is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions for: first-degree robbery on July 13, 2010; voluntary manslaughter on July 17, 2017; and unlawful wounding on August 21, 2019, all in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
Two of the three other men have admitted to roles in the Fourth of July 2021 incident. Brian Dangelo Terry, 37, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and to count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Treydan Leon Burks, 32, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Both men face sentencing on June 30, 2022. The fourth man, Douglas Johnathan Wesley, 33, of Charleston, is scheduled for trial on May 24, 2022.
The drug offenses arise from Burks’ and Terry’s participation in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in Kanawha County. Of the 17 defendants charged in the DTO conspiracy, 11 others have also pleaded guilty: Ramon David Alston, Jonathan Gregory Bush, Kaitlyn Brooke Combs, Kelly Cordle, Denise Marie Cottrill, Shane Kelly Fulkerson, Brittany Frances Gilbert, Angie Lane Harbour, Scott Edward Hudson, Jason Robert Oxley, and Michael Antonio Smith. Timothy Wayne Dodd was convicted on March 24, 2022, following a two-day jury trial. In addition to Wesley, Leo Antoine Smith, 38, of Cross Lanes, also faces trial on May 24, 2022.
“The collaborative approach of our law enforcement partners allowed for a quick response that averted a real potential for bloodshed,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) for their excellent investigative work in this case.”
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case.
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.
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. 2:21-cr-172, 2:21-cr-00171, and 2:21-cr-00211.
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Central Falls Men Sentenced for Roles in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Two men from Central Falls who played integral roles in a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) that shipped dozens of kilos of cocaine into Rhode Island through the U.S. Postal Service were sentenced today to federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
George Mojica, 42, and Angel Delgado, 25, were sentenced to serve seven years and five years respectively. The two men previously admitted to the court that they retrieved numerous packages delivered to residences around Rhode Island, each containing a kilo or more of cocaine. United States Postal Inspection Service agents determined that sender and recipient names on the packages were not associated with the delivery addresses listed on the packages.
According to court documents, numerous packages were intercepted by U.S Postal Service Inspectors and DEA and found to each contain significant quantities of cocaine. Based on the packages seized; the known size and weights of many of the parcels not intercepted; and positive K9 alerts on packaging materials discarded by DTO members, the DTO is believed to have shipped and/or attempted to ship approximately 51 kilos of cocaine to Rhode Island between January 2018 and December 2019.
Mojica pled guilty on December 7, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine; and possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 84 months in federal prison to be followed by 4 years of federal supervised release.
Delgado pleaded guilty on January 7, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge McElroy to 60 months of incarceration to be followed by 5 years of federal supervised release.
The cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise M. Barton.
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Carjacking Suspects Facing Federal Charges After Multi-Agency PursuitRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Three Nashville, Tennessee, men and a Nashville woman are facing federal charges following a multi-agency pursuit that began in Nashville and ended in Clarksville, Tenn., announced U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Javon Kelly, 20, Juan Rodriguez, 19, I’yendale Byrd, 18, and Armesia Newsom, 18, were charged Friday in a criminal complaint with carjacking and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to the criminal complaint, on May 11, 2022, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) TITANS Unit detectives were conducting surveillance in the area of the Cumberland Pointe Apartments, after receiving information from the FBI of a planned shooting, which was to be carried out by a member of the Vice Lords Gang. Detectives observed Kelly and Rodriguez, who were armed with handguns, enter a vehicle driven by Newsom and also occupied by Byrd. Detectives continued surveillance of the car as it travelled in a reckless manner on Buena Vista Pike.
A MNPD detective attempted to stop the car, but it fled into Montgomery County and struck a light pole in Clarksville, after which the suspects fled on foot. While being pursued by Clarksville Police officers, the suspects approached a Chevrolet Silverado truck, pointed their guns at the driver and ordered him from the truck. The suspects then entered the truck and fled again, before crashing in Clarksville and being apprehended. At the time of the arrest, five firearms were recovered from the suspects.
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years, and up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Wildasin commended the cooperative effort of all agencies in the apprehension of these defendants, including the FBI; the MNPD TITANS Team and Aviation Unit; the Tennessee Highway Patrol Aviation Unit; and the Clarksville Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Brantley is prosecuting the case.
The charges are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Cody Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that PHILLIP AARON DOBBINS, 44, of Cody, Wyoming pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Dobbins appeared for a change of plea hearing before United States District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on May 9, 2022. Sentencing is set for July 28, 2022.
Dobbins faces a maximum sentence of 5 to 40 years’ imprisonment, four years to life of supervised release, up to $5 million in fines and a $100 special assessment. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This crime was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, the Cody Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Forwood is prosecuting the case.
Case No. 21-cr-84-NDF
Casper Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that DANIEL HENDRICKS, age 33, of Casper, Wyoming was sentenced on four counts of production of child pornography. Hendricks appeared for a sentencing hearing before Chief United States Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on May 10, 2022. Hendricks was sentenced to a total of 540 months’ imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $500 pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018, and a $400 special assessment.
Daniel Hendricks came to the attention of law enforcement when Facebook reported that he was sharing child pornography on its platform. The Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force acted swiftly to execute search warrants on Hendricks’ home and devices. Forensic analysis revealed he had been sexually abusing an infant victim for the purpose of creating and distributing videos and photographs of that conduct.
“I am extremely proud of the collaborative effort between local, state and federal agencies in this case,” said United States Attorney Bob Murray. “The exploitation of children is reprehensible, and the highly skilled and dedicated special agents who investigate child exploitation crimes help us ensure that we can identify and arrest perpetrators while protecting our most vulnerable population, our children."
This crime was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Christyne M. Martens prosecuted the case.
Case No. 21-cr-00133-SWS
21 May 2022
Latham Man Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Scott Weinbloom, age 47, of Latham, New York, was ordered detained yesterday on a charge of possessing child pornography.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to the complaint, Weinbloom possessed images and videos of child pornography on an encrypted thumb drive located at his residence on May 18, 2022.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Weinbloom had a detention hearing yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and was ordered detained pending trial. If convicted of possessing child pornography, Weinbloom faces up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. 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 the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes investigators from the New York State Police and Colonie Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Segovia.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
20 May 2022
Woodmere Man Pleads Guilty to Obtaining Stolen Credit Card Information and Using it to Purchase GasolineRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that Charles E. Smith, Jr., 52, of Woodmere, Ohio, pleaded guilty on May 19, 2022, to an Information charging him with one count of access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, from May 2019 through May 2020, Smith purchased stolen credit and debit card account information, including account numbers and addresses, off of the dark web. Smith then used a credit card reader encoder/writer to program that information onto blank cards and used those cards to make fraudulent purchases of gasoline at various gas stations in Northern Ohio. Court records state that Smith purchased the gasoline to fuel vehicles used to deliver packages for Amazon.
In total, court documents state that Smith purchased at least $10,621.23 in gasoline using over 100 stolen debit and credit card accounts. After his arrest, investigators later determined that Smith had purchased more than 600 stolen debit and credit card accounts from the dark web, affecting victims in 25 states.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on August 25, 2022. Smith faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison and a maximum of twelve.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Payum Doroodian.
Virginia Beach Woman Sentenced for Lottery Scheme Defrauding Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach woman was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for defrauding elderly victims across the United States of several hundred thousand dollars in a lottery and sweepstakes scheme.
According to court documents, Terry Lynn Miller, 62, signed a cease-and-desist order with the United States Postal Service in June 2019, in which she agreed to stop participating in fraudulent lottery and sweepstakes schemes. In those schemes, victims would be falsely told they had won millions of dollars but needed to first pay thousands of dollars in taxes and fees to receive their winnings. After signing the order, Miller immediately resumed her participation in the scheme and continued until she was arrested in May 2021. Miller would deposit the money the victims sent her into her personal bank accounts, and then convert it and funnel it to her co-conspirators. Miller also forged victim signatures on fraudulent checks and mailed locked briefcases to victims. The victims were told the briefcases contained their winnings and that they would receive the combination to the lock when they paid their taxes and fees. However, Miller had packed the briefcases with Hampton Roads newspapers and magazines. In sum, about ten victims were defrauded of over $220,000. Some victims lost their life savings.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Greg L. Torbenson, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Gantt prosecuted the case.
Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. Elder abuse is an intentional or negligent act by any person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to an older adult. It is a term used to describe five subtypes of elder abuse: physical abuse, financial fraud, scams and exploitation, caregiver neglect and abandonment, psychological abuse, and sexual abuse. Elder abuse is a serious crime against some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens, affecting at least 10 percent of older Americans every year. Together with our federal, state, local and tribal partners, the Department of Justice is steadfastly committed to combatting all forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation through enforcement actions, training and resources, research, victim services, and public awareness. This holistic and robust response demonstrates the Department’s unwavering dedication to fighting for justice for older Americans.
If you think you or someone you know might be a victim of a lottery mailing scheme, you can file a report with the United States Postal Inspection Service at https://www.uspis.gov/report. Requests to transfer or accept funds from a private individual as a prerequisite to receiving winnings are indicators of a possible fraud scheme. For more information on how to identify a potential lottery scheme, visit https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/fake-prize-sweepstakes-lottery-scams
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. 2:21-cr-56.
UDF Executives Sentenced to Combined 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Four United Development Funding executives have been sentenced to a combined 20 years in federal prison for fraud, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
In January, a federal jury convicted UDF CEO Hollis Morrison Greenlaw, UDF Partnership President Benjamin Lee Wissink, UDF CFO Cara Delin Obert, and UDF Asset Management Director Jeffrey Brandon Jester of ten counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and securities fraud. They were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor.
Mr. Greenlaw was sentenced to seven years in federal prison; Mr. Wissink to five years; Ms. Obert to five years; and Mr. Jester to three years. The judge also ordered Mr. Greenlaw, Mr. Wissink, and Ms. Obert to pay fines of $50,000 each.
“UDF executives comingled funds, shuffling money from one fund to another without disclosing their actions to investors or regulators,” U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham said following the verdict. “The Northern District of Texas has always been tenacious in its pursuit of white collar criminals and this case is no exception. We were proud to bring these defendants before a jury and are pleased that the judge saw fit to sentence them to a lengthy prison term.”
“Today’s sentences reaffirm the FBI’s commitment to hold executives accountable for engaging in corporate fraud and defrauding investors. We will continue working with our partners to investigate anyone that attempts to manipulate investment funds for their own personal benefit,” said Matthew DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Dallas Field Office. “Our agents, analysts, and forensic accountants dedicated years to ensuring this investigation was done with the utmost precision. It is the reason why these defendants will now spend years in federal prison.”
According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants orchestrated a scheme to mislead investors and the SEC about their funds’ performance.
Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Grapevine, UDF utilized a family of five funds – UDF I, II, III, IV, and V – to invest in various residential real estate developers and private homebuilders.
When developers failed to repay money they borrowed from one fund, triggering multi-million dollar shortfalls, the defendants transferred money out of another fund in order to pay distributions to the original fund’s investors, all without disclosing the transfers to the SEC and the investing public.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany H. Eggers (NDTX Criminal Chief), Rachael Jones, Elyse Lyons, and Errin Martin prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney Will Thompson Presents 2022 Law Enforcement AwardsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson honored an array of federal, state and local law enforcement professionals today for their outstanding contributions to investigations and cases in the Southern District of West Virginia.
During a ceremony at the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse in Charleston, Thompson presented 2022 Law Enforcement Awards to more than 60 individuals.
The awards recognize both invaluable assistance within specific categories of cases and office initiatives as well as overall exemplary service over the past year:
Category: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigations identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States. OCDETF investigations use a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Operation Shutdown Corner (U.S. vs. Jones, 5:19-cr-227):
Special Agent Jennifer King, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Forensic Examiner Melinda Cash, FBI
Staff Operations Specialist Rose Chestnut, FBI
Intelligence Analyst Sarah Cole, FBI
Resident Agent in Charge David Bullard, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Special Agent Rob DiDomenico, U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Sergeant Rob Richards, West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation
Detective David Snuffer, Beckley Police Department
Detective Will Reynolds, Beckley Police Department
Sergeant Brian Acord, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department
Detective Ray Hall, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department
For a multi-jurisdictional, long-term investigation that targeted a drug-trafficking organization (DTO) operating between California and the Southern District of West Virginia. All 17 defendants charged in the case have been convicted, with the final defendant sentenced to more than 16 years in prison. The investigation linked the defendants to large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin mixed with fentanyl as well as to firearms shipped back to California. Approximately 26 firearms were recovered along with a bump stock, a device that allows semi-automatic firearms to operate as machine guns.
Operation Second Wave (includes U.S. vs. Terrell, 2:20-cr-154):
Special Agent Jennifer King, FBI
Special Agent Michael McDonald, FBI
Special Agent Georgia Marshall, FBI
Special Agent John Reese, FBI
Special Agent Jarred Shockey, FBI
Staff Operations Specialist Rose Chestnut, FBI
Forensic Examiner Melinda Cash, FBI
Forensic Accountant Tammie Blundon, FBI
Resident Agent in Charge David Bullard, ATF
Special Agent Ben Henrich, Drug Enforcement Administration
Postal Inspector Josh Mehall, U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Special Agent Todd Phillips, U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General
Sergeant Curtis Adkins, West Virginia State Police-BCI
Detective Owen Morris, Charleston Police Department
Detective Brian Middleton, Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department
Detective Jon Vernon, Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department
Deputy Steve Martin, Putnam County Sheriff’s Department
For an investigation that resulted in the dismantling of a drug-trafficking operation (DTO) that involved the distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana THC products in Kanawha and Fayette counties. More than a dozen individuals were convicted in the case, with five of them each sentenced to at least 10 years in prison. Those convicted included a United States Postal Service mail carrier who delivered drugs to the co-conspirators in packages addressed to fictitious individuals along his route.
Category: Project Safe Neighborhoods
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, and 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.
U.S. vs. Boone (3:21-cr-101):
Detective Stephen Maniskas, Huntington Police Department
Lieutenant Ryan Bentley, Huntington Police Department
Sergeant Ronnie Lusk, Huntington Police Department
PFC Jordan McClellan, Huntington Police Department
PFC Bradley Koeppen, Huntington Police Department
Patrolman Ryan Donoho, Huntington Police Department
Patrolman Sean Brinegar, Huntington Police Department
Patrolman Hun Tak, Huntington Police Department
For the successful prosecution of an eight-time felon captured after a shooting and resulting police pursuit in Huntington. A stolen firearm was found in the vehicle of the defendant, who was sentenced to more than eight years in prison.
Category: Drug & Violent Crime
U.S. vs. Fields (2:20-cr-00128):
Officer William Keith McGraw, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Police
For investigating a Fayette County man suspected of deer poaching, who was later determined to be convicted of voluntary manslaughter for beating a young woman to death with a tire iron. The investigation resulted in federal convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and the defendant was sentenced to six year and six months in prison.
Category: Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, 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.
U.S. vs. Humphrey (5:21-cr-5):
Special Agent Phil Gunther, FBI
Special Agent James Harrison, FBI
Forensic Examiner Melinda Cash, FBI
Detective Wayne Long, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department
Detective E. E. Simon, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department
Detective C.D. Suman, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department
Detective R. A. Robinson, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department
Detective R. S. Queen, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department
Captain L. D. Lilly, Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department
Sergeant Steven A. Sommers, Mercer County Sheriff’s Department
Detective Jarred Payne, Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department
For the investigation and successful prosecution of a Beckley man who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the attempted production of child pornography.
FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force:
Supervisory Special Agent Tony Rausa, FBI
Special Agent Jared Jankowski, FBI (Task Force Coordinator)
Special Agent Genevieve Baushke, FBI (Task Force Coordinator)
The FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force was recognized for its work in the Humphrey case as well as additional successful prosecutions, including of a Berkeley County man sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempted enticement of a minor; a Virginia man sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempted sex trafficking of a minor; and an Upshur County man sentenced to 14 years in prison for attempted sex trafficking of a minor.
Category: Civil Rights
U.S. vs. Maynard (2:21-cr-65):
Special Agent James F. Lafferty II, FBI
Special Agent Greg Lipari, FBI
Sergeant Andrew Shingler, West Virginia State Police–BCI
A former Logan County Police Department officer was sentenced to nine years in prison after a federal jury convicted him of violating an arrestee’s civil rights by using excessive force against him. The outstanding work of these honorees ensured that justice was served in the case.
Category: White Collar Crime
U.S. vs Vladimirov (2:20-cr-54):
Special Agent Devon Selbee, U.S. Secret Service
Special Agent Terry Hedrick, U.S. Secret Service
Resident Agent in Charge Wade Fleming, U.S. Secret Service
Detective Jeremy Thompson, South Charleston Police Department
For the successful prosecution of the first known federal case that took down and convicted the organizer of a retail theft-based fencing organization. The leader, a native of Bulgaria living in Cross Lanes, acquired goods stolen by people addicted to heroin. Paying these “boosters” a fraction of the retail value, the ringleader resold the items online for significant profit. He was sentenced to more than eight years in prison after a federal jury found him guilty of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
U.S. vs. Pinson (2:19-cr-250):
Postal Inspector Seth Summers, U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Special Agent J.T. Waggy, FBI
Special Agent Cedric Jefferson, FBI
Special Agent Jack Remaley, FBI (retired)
First Sergeant J. M. “Mike” Parde, West Virginia State Police-BCI
Special Agent Bruce Adkins, National Insurance Crime Bureau
Intelligence Analyst Rhonda Edwards, West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner
A $4.3 million fraud scheme targeted Toyota Motor Sales and its buyback program for Tacoma customers. Four individuals pleaded guilty in the case. The leader of the scheme, a used car dealership owner, was sentenced to six years in prison after a federal jury convicted him of mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and aggravated identify theft.
U.S. vs. Dudding (3:22-cr-1):
Special Agent Devon Selbee, U.S. Secret Service
Special Agent Terry Hedrick, U.S. Secret Service
Detective Jeremy Thompson, South Charleston Police Department
Special Agent Meg Faden, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General
A Huntington woman acting as a money mule for a Nigeria-based online scammer pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting an unlawful money transaction and faces sentencing June 27, 2022. The investigation targeted the numerous accounts and multiple banks used to send and receive fraudulent funds, and led to the seizure of nearly the entire $1.788 million the defendant is required to pay in the case.
U.S. vs. McLaughlin (2:20-cr-182):
Detective James Hart, Parkersburg Police Department
For his investigation into a $1 million scam involving the purchase and sale of collector cars, which resulted in the conviction of an Ohio businessman who was sentenced to more than seven years in prison.
U.S. vs. Phillips (3:21-cr-135):
Special Agent Todd Berry, FBI
Special Agent Michael McDonald, FBI
Special Agent Jarred Shockey, FBI
Special Agent Phil Gunther, FBI
Special Agent James F. Lafferty II, FBI
Special Agent Georgia Marshall, FBI
Special Agent John Reese, FBI
Sergeant Bradford Burner, West Virginia State Police–BCI
Sergeant Richard Stephenson, West Virginia State Police
Lieutenant Jason Lanham, Summersville Police Department
Asset Forfeiture Coordinator Jaime Cochran, U.S. Marshals Service
A longtime employee stole approximately $4.72 million from a Huntington-based non-profit organization that provides services and support to children and families. The investigation resulted in her conviction, a $4.65 million restitution order and a sentence of seven years in prison.
Category: Outstanding Community Partner Award
Larry Snidow, Health Education Specialist, WV Health Right
Nurse Larry Snidow was among the first health care professionals called to the front lines as Charleston prepared to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Snidow worked countless hours administering COVID-19 tests and vaccinations while educating businesses and individuals about health safety protocols. Snidow routinely visited homebound individuals in their residences for COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.
Category: Collaborative Law Enforcement AwardUnited States Marshals Service
Michael Baylous, U.S. Marshal
Anthony Santoro, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal
Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Fred Lamey
Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Matt Ingram
Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Chris Leachman
Administrative Officer Chris Thompson
By encouraging, developing and maintaining partnerships, the United States Marshals Service provides invaluable assistance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia and across the district’s law enforcement community. Thompson commended them for being the ultimate team players.
Category: Drug & Violent Crime Task Force of the Year
Beckley/Raleigh County Drug & Violent Crime Task Force
Task Force Commander: Sergeant Rob Richards, West Virginia State Police-BCI
This task force consists of the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department. Its outstanding cooperative law enforcement efforts included the successful Operation Shutdown Corner investigation (see OCDETF category).
Law Enforcement Officers of the Year
Special Agent Jennifer King, FBI
Sergeant Curtis Adkins, West Virginia State Police-BCI
Detective Jeremy Thompson, South Charleston Police Department
This year’s honorees are known for their passionate commitment to every case they work; their skills and tenacity as investigators; and their selfless dedication to getting the job done.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Tupelo Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – A Tupelo man was sentenced today to 200 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana.
According to court documents, Jeremy K. Mairidith, 40, was convicted following his guilty plea in November of leading a drug trafficking organization which conspired to sell and distribute methamphetamine and marijuana. On Thursday morning, U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Mairidith after hearing arguments and comments from Mairidith, his counsel, and prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Following the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner stated: “Today’s sentence demonstrates that individuals and drug trafficking organizations who bring narcotics and violence into our communities will not be tolerated. Our local, state and federal law enforcement partners who worked this investigation for years should be proud that the individuals involved were finally brought to justice.”
Mairidith is one of nine defendants convicted for his role in the drug trafficking organization.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and FBI Jackson Division’s Oxford Resident Agency investigated the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods programs in partnership with state and local law enforcement. Multiple agencies played critical roles in the investigation, including the Tupelo Police Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, North Mississippi Narcotics Unit, DEA, Corinth Police Department, Alcorn County Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi Highway Patrol, United States Postal Inspection Service, Mississippi Department of Corrections and the United States Marshal’s Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad M. Doleac, Jay Hale and Scott Leary prosecuted the case.
This operation was one of many parts 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.
Three Men Sentenced for Selling Vehicles with Rolled Back OdometersRead the Press Release
Three men were sentenced today for selling vehicles on the internet after re-placing the vehicles’ odometers in order to sell the vehicles at a higher price. In an attempt to avoid detection, the vehicles would be registered in several different names and then ultimately sold to the unsuspecting public. The public would not have purchased the vehicles had they known the true mileage on the vehicles.
Jerret Schreiber, age 50, from Parkersburg, Iowa, received 6 months prison term and 6 months home confinement after he pled guilty to wire fraud. Evidence in the case proved Schreiber was involved in the sale of at least 17 vehicles. He was ordered to repay $90,832.55 in restitution to the victims of his offense. At sentencing, Schreiber made a payment of $45,000 towards his restitution obligation.
David Stangeland, age 33, from Cedar Falls, Iowa, received a one month prison term after he pled guilty to conspiracy to commit odometer fraud. Evidence in the case proved Stangeland was involved in the sale of at least 21 vehicles. He was ordered to repay $85,050 in restitution to the victims of his offense. At sentencing, Stangeland made a payment of $22,400 towards his restitution obligation.
Dustin Arends, age 36, from New Hartford, Iowa, received three years’ probation after he pled guilty to odometer tampering. Evidence in the case proved Arends was involved in the sale of at least 6 vehicles. He was ordered to repay $23,200 in restitution to the victims of his offense. At sentencing, Arends made a payment of $14,000 towards his restitution obligation.
The three men were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Schreiber was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set. Stangeland was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on June 23, 2022, at 10:00 am. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Cole and investigated by the United States Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the United States Postal Inspection, and the Iowa Department of Transportation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-2010.
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Tax Return Preparer Sentenced in Fraud Scheme Involving over 160 VictimsRead the Press Release
BAY CITY - A Gladwin, Michigan man was sentenced yesterday to 46 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud and tax evasion, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Sarah Kull, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
Sentence was Mark Alan Patterson, 53. Patterson was a tax return preparer in Beaverton, Michigan who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and tax evasion in connection with a scheme to steal the tax refunds of over 160 clients. Patterson admitted to stealing over $600,000 as part of his scheme.
“Mr. Patterson violated the trust of his clients. Rather than carry out his ethical responsibilities as a tax return preparer, this defendant stole money from his clients to enrich himself,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “Through the efforts of the IRS agents in the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jules DePorre, each and every victim in this case will receive as much restitution as possible.”
According to court documents, Patterson worked as a tax return preparer for Schuster Tax Service in Beaverton, Michigan. From 2015 until February 2020, Patterson stole various portions of clients’ tax refunds by directing portions of clients’ tax refunds into bank accounts that Patterson controlled. Patterson did not inform the clients that he was taking the money from their tax refunds and instead deceived them by giving them unfiled versions of returns showing that they had a smaller refund amount.
In late February of 2020, Jennifer Schuster Semer, owner of Schuster Tax Service, informed law enforcement officers that Patterson, her former employee, had engaged in a potential fraud scheme. Ms. Semer discovered client tax returns dating back to 2015 that had refunds electronically diverted, in part, to bank accounts under Patterson’s control. Ms. Semer immediately contacted the Beaverton Police Department who greatly assisted throughout the IRS investigation.
United States Attorney Dawn Ison, in announcing the sentence, praised Ms. Semer and Brad Davis, chief of the Beaverton Police Department for their cooperation.
Syracuse Felon Pleads Guilty to Handgun PossessionRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Rodney Ogletree, age 38, of Syracuse, pled guilty yesterday to illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Syracuse Police Chief Joseph Cecile.
As part of his guilty plea yesterday, Ogletree admitted that on September 16, 2020, he possessed a loaded Glock Model 23, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine in Syracuse when he was driving a car stopped by Syracuse Police. Ogletree could not lawfully possess a handgun, having sustained three previous felony convictions, two of which were for being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the time of his arrest in this case, Ogletree was serving a three-year term of federal post-imprisonment supervised release.
Ogletree faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on September 19, 2022, by Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue. As part of yesterday’s court proceeding, Ogletree also admitted that he violated the conditions of a previously imposed sentence of supervised release by possessing a firearm and engaging in new criminal conduct, for which he faces an additional sentence of imprisonment of up to 2 years. 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 was investigated by the Syracuse Police Department, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Stratford Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDWARD GALPIN, 40, of Stratford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 216 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for offenses related to the sexual exploitation of multiple children.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Galpin was an administrator of a private Kik messaging app chat group that provided a forum for members to discuss their sexual interest in young children and exchange images and videos of child sexual abuse. As a group administrator, Galpin distributed child pornography, requested it from other group members, and removed from the group certain members who did not share child pornography. Galpin possessed and shared a significant amount of child pornography, including images and videos of prepubescent minors and content portraying sadistic and masochistic conduct and the sexual abuse of toddlers.
The investigation also revealed that Galpin used Instagram to identify young girls for the purpose of soliciting or producing child pornography. In one instance, Galpin arranged to meet with a 17-year-old girl, picked her up at her house, and engaged in sexually explicit conduct with her. Galpin recorded the sexual encounter and then shared images and videos on Kik. In another instance, Galpin identified a 15-year-old girl via Instagram and enticed her to send him sexually explicit images of herself. The victim did so using Instagram’s “self-destruct” feature, which automatically deletes an image after a short time. However, Galpin recorded video of his conversation with the victim so he could retain the images he received. In a third instance, Galpin contacted an eighth-grade girl via Instagram direct message and subsequently received from her a video and other images of her engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Galpin also used spy cameras to record videos of women and girls while they were undressing. He then distributed the videos, including video of a minor girl, via Kik.
In June 2020, Galpin contacted a Kik account operated by an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 14-year-old girl. Galpin asked the “girl” when her “mom” would be away from home and arranged to meet the “girl” at a coffee shop in Connecticut. On June 25, 2020, after Galpin arrived at the scheduled time and place, law enforcement approached him and seized his iPhone. He was arrested later that day. Forensic analysis of Galpin’s iPhone revealed nearly 2,000 child sexual abuse videos and images, included videos and images that Galpin had produced.
Galpin was originally charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was then transferred to the District of Connecticut.
On March 10, 2021, Galpin pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography and two counts of distribution of child pornography. He has been detained since his arrest.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New Haven and Washington, D.C., and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff through 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.
Springfield Man Faces Federal Pipe Bomb ChargeRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Anibal Castro, Jr., 33, of Springfield, Vermont, has been charged with unlawful possession of a “destructive device” (“Pipe Bomb”), in violation of the National Firearms Act. On May 20, 2022, Castro appeared for his arraignment in U.S. District Court in Burlington and pled not guilty to the charge. At a prior hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle granted the government’s motion for detention and ordered Castro detained until trial.
According to court records, the government alleges that on April 6, 2022, while the Springfield Police Department and Vermont State Police were executing a state search warrant at Castro’s Valley Street residence, they discovered a ten and one-half inch pipe bomb. The pipe was made of aluminum with crimped metal ends covered in tape and had a pyrotechnic fuse extending out from inside the pipe. The words “BYE BYE !!” were written on the outside of the pipe. The pipe contained 650 BB pellets and black powder. The government alleges that the presence of BBs “further weaponized” the device.
The charge against Castro is an accusation only and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, Castro faces a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Any actual sentence will be advised by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Springfield Police Department, and the Vermont State Police. The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Perella. Castro is represented by Sara Puls, Esq. of the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
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 https://www.justice.gov/psn