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Tuesday 12 April 2022
Former Puerto Rico Police Officer Sentenced to 48 Months of Imprisonment for Participating in Robbery and Extortion ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Former Puerto Rico police officer Carlos Boyrie-Laboy was sentenced today to 48 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release by District Judge Francisco A. Besosa for his role in a robbery and extortion conspiracy.
Boyrie-Laboy conspired with Sergeant Miguel Conde-Vellón and officer Luis Rodríguez-García on multiple occasions to illegally enter premises, detain individuals, and steal property while in their official capacity as police officers. Boyrie-Laboy was found guilty on December 6, 2021 following a one week jury trial. Conde-Vellón and Rodríguez-García pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment.
The United States established at trial that on December 29, 2016, defendants, Conde-Vellón, Rodríguez-García, and Boyrie-Laboy, while acting in their official capacity as PRPD officers and carrying firearms, made an unauthorized, forced entry into a residence located in the Duque Ward in Naguabo, PR, which they believed to be the stash house location utilized by the purported illegal seller of pyrotechnics. The defendants searched the residence, located and took possession of the following pyrotechnics: two (2) boxes of fireworks each containing 40 pieces of generic fireworks, two (2) boxes each containing 53 pieces of Thunder Max fireworks, one (1) box containing 18 pieces of Premiere FWK fireworks, and $2,995.00 in U.S. currency, which they believed to be proceeds of illegal activity from the person and presence, of a confidential source without lawful authority. In fact, the pyrotechnics and money stolen by the defendants was the property of the United States, with a combined value in excess of $1,000.
On or about June 15, 2017, defendants, Conde-Vellón, Rodríguez-García, Boyrie-Laboy, and Quermie Marquez-Rivera, while acting in their official capacity as PRPD officers and carrying firearms, made an unauthorized, forced entry into a residence located in the Calabazas Ward in Yabucoa, PR, which they believed to be the stash house location utilized by the purported illegal seller of stolen electronic equipment. The defendants searched the residence in order to locate and steal cash and property belonging to the purported illegal seller of electronic equipment. They found and stole two Samsung Tablets, and $6,350.00 in U.S. currency, which they believed to be proceeds of illegal activity from a confidential informant without lawful authority. In fact, the electronic equipment and money stolen by the defendants was the property of the United States, with a combined value in excess of $1,000.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Humacao Resident Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy handled the prosecution of the case.
Former PWSA Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Violating the Clean Water ActRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to violate the Clean Water Act, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Glenn Lijewski, 71, of the City’s Brookline neighborhood, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Lijewski was the supervisor at the Aspinwall Drinking Water Plant, which is operated by the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (“PWSA”). Between 2010 and 2017, Lijewski and another supervisor at the plant discharged clarifier sludge directly into Allegheny River in violation of a federal permit. Lijewski also directed PWSA employees to discharge sludge into the river. Lijewski also admitted to submitting reports containing false information about the amount of sludge it was to sending to ALCOSAN’s waste treatment plant. Under the terms of an industrial user permit, the Aspinwall plant was permitted to send up to one million of sludge per day to the waste treatment facility. At one point, three of the five sludge flow monitors broke. Lijewski and others at the plant began using estimated sludge-flow figures. This information, in turn, was included in reports PWSA was required to submit to ALCOSAN pursuant to the industrial user permit. Sludge is generated during the process by which raw water is transformed into potable drinking water and consists of solid material removed from the water through the use of chemicals and sedimentation. Over time, an island formed in the river at the point where the discharges were taking place. According to the indictment, a number of employees at the plant referred to the buildup as “Glenn’s Island.”
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for August 16, 2022, at 1:30 pm. The law provides for a total sentence of 5 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Lijewski’s bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael Leo Ivory and Special Assistant Martin Harrell are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Lijewski.
Former NYPD Officer Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Trafficking Large Quantities of Imported Date Rape Drug and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that former New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) officer and Bronxville, New York resident JOHN CICERO was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas to 10 years in prison for distributing large quantities of imported gamma-butyrolactone (known as “GBL”) and methamphetamine in Westchester County and New York City. CICERO previously pled guilty on October 13, 2021 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause, to one count of conspiring to distribute GBL and 50 grams of methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “A former NYPD police officer once sworn to protect the public, John Cicero spent years betraying his former law enforcement partners, enriching himself, and endangering the community by importing GBL, a dangerous liquid date-rape drug, from China and methamphetamine from Mexico and trafficking massive amounts of both throughout Westchester and New York City, including in Hell’s Kitchen and midtown-Manhattan around Penn Station. Thanks to the tireless efforts of law enforcement, Cicero will serve a substantial sentence in prison for his callous crimes.”
According to the Indictment, public court filings, and statements made in court:
Beginning in at least 2017 and lasting until his arrest in February 2020, CICERO and his co-conspirators stockpiled and sold liters of GBL and kilograms of methamphetamine in apartments, hotel rooms, and storage units in the heart of midtown Manhattan, and a residence in Bronxville, New York. CICERO played a prominent and leadership role in the conspiracy, as the conspiracy’s top importer of GBL from China, and as someone who had direct access to the Mexico-based source of supply and with whom he arranged the receipt of and payment for methamphetamine. CICERO also created and used fake identity documents and stolen credit cards to pay for, among other things, the luxury Manhattan hotel rooms where drugs were trafficked and used. CICERO repeatedly brokered large-scale narcotics transactions over recorded prison calls with an inmate then in New York State custody. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has previously seized GBL sent from China to CICERO’s address in New York. CICERO held a supervisory role in the criminal activity, which involved over three kilograms of methamphetamine and 750 liters of GBL. The charged conduct began years after CICERO left the NYPD.
On February 19, 2020, CICERO was arrested in a Wall Street hotel, in a room he had rented under a false identity. In addition to methamphetamine and GBL, law enforcement recovered from CICERO’s room a bank card and a fake ID, bearing CICERO’s photograph, all in the name of the false identity to whom the room was rented. As part of CICERO’s arrest, law enforcement also recovered detailed drug ledgers, sophisticated credit card making equipment, and notebooks full of victims’ personally identifiable information.
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In addition to the prison sentence, CICERO, 40, of Bronxville, New York, was sentenced to four years of supervised release and ordered to pay a forfeiture penalty of $216,262.50.
Earlier in the case, three of CICERO’s co-defendants pled guilty for their roles in the same conspiracy. MARCO CASO, 50, of New York, New York and IRMA MATERASSO, 38, of New Rochelle, New York, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute GBL and 50 grams of methamphetamine and MATTHEW MATEO, 25, of the Bronx, New York, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute GBL and 500 grams of methamphetamine.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which comprises agents and detectives from the FBI, Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, Westchester County Police Department, Yonkers Police Department, Peekskill Police Department, Mount Vernon Police Department, New York Police Department, and U.S. Probation. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the New York State Department of Corrections Office of Special Investigations for their assistance.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David R. Felton and Daniel G. Nessim are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Dealership Sales Associate Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
A former car dealership sales associate alleged to have been responsible for more than $ 1 million in fraudulent vehicle sales pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
William Ray Turner, 31, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
“William Turner exploited his position when he stole an identity and used it to submit a false loan application for the purchase of a vehicle. He then illegally profited from the crime by receiving a commission and selling the SUV to a personal acquaintance,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to fully prosecuting white collar criminals, like Turner, who defraud employers and the banking system.”
In his plea agreement, the former sales associate stated that on Sept. 14, 2020, he knowingly used identification belonging to another individual to submit a false loan application to Ally Bank for the purchase of a 2019 KIA Sorento in the approximate amount of $32,917 from Patriot Chevrolet. Turner stated that he received a commission for the purported sale of the vehicle, and after the sale was approved, he caused the Kia Sorrento to be transferred to an acquaintance who subsequently made payments to Turner via CashApp for the vehicle. Turner admitted that he acted with the intent to defraud the dealership.
According to the indictment initially filed in the case, from March 2019 to October 2021, Turner was employed at Patriot Chevrolet in Bartlesville. Turner sold cars, assisted customers in obtaining financing for the purchase of vehicles, and received commission payments for his sales. Starting in May 2020, Turner devised and carried out a scheme where he used stolen identities to purchase vehicles in those individuals’ names and sometimes sold the vehicles to other people for cash. The vehicles would then leave the dealership’s lot, and Turner would receive the commissions.
The U.S. Secret Service, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and Bartlesville Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard M. Cella and Melody Noble Nelson are prosecuting the case.
Former Corrections Officer Sentenced for Smuggling Contraband into JailRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former corrections officer at the Jackson County Detention Center was sentenced in federal court today for taking bribes to smuggle illegal drugs to inmates of the facility.
Daniel Coach, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one year and two months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Coach to forfeit to the government $3,631, which represents the amount of proceeds he personally obtained as a result of the offense.
On Dec. 3, 2021, Coach pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to smuggle contraband into the Jackson County Detention Center and provide that contraband to inmates of the center from March 2020 to March 2021.
Coach admitted that, while he was employed as a corrections officer at the detention center, he took bribes to smuggle contraband into inmates at the center. Coach used the mobile phone application Cash App to accept the bribe payments for contraband. According to court documents, Coach successfully smuggled oxycodone, K2, fentanyl, Percocet, and ecstasy to inmates at the detention center.
On March 3, 2021, following a telephone conversation with an undercover police officer posing as an associate of an unindicted co-conspirator, Coach took a bribe of $100 in exchange for his promise to smuggle OxyContin pills to the unindicted co-conspirator, an inmate at the detention center.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV. It was investigated by the FBI and the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Florida Man Sentenced to Prison for Promoting Nationwide Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced to 51 months in prison today for his role in a nationwide tax fraud scheme that involved more than 200 participants in at least 19 states.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Aaron Aqueron, of Clermont, recruited clients to the fraud scheme by convincing them that their mortgages and other debts entitled them to tax refunds. Aqueron collected tax and financial information from the clients to send to co-conspirators, who prepared tax returns and other tax documents to submit to the IRS. These tax returns falsely claimed that banks and other financial institutions had withheld large amounts of income tax from the participants, thereby entitling the clients to a refund. In reality, the financial institutions had not paid any income to, or withheld any taxes from, these individuals. In total, the tax returns filed by Aqueron’s clients sought more than $14.6 million in tax refunds and caused the IRS to actually pay out more than $7.6 million.
As part of his plea, Aqueron admitted he and his co-conspirators received fees from his clients ranging from $10,000 to $15,000 each. Aqueron further admitted he did not report on his 2015 individual tax return the income he received from the scheme. Aqueron also personally filed false tax returns for other years on which he fraudulently claimed that he was entitled to tax refunds. In response to one of these false tax returns, the IRS issued Aqueron a refund of $193,347.97.
Aqueron further admitted that, pursuant to the fraud scheme, he attempted to obstruct the IRS’s efforts to collect the tax refunds it issued to his clients. Aqueron and his co-conspirators coached clients on ways to obstruct IRS collection efforts. For example, after learning one client had begun to receive letters from the IRS about collections, Aqueron instructed the client: “Make sure you move money out of your name and out of the banking institutions and be smart.” Aqueron also attempted to obstruct IRS efforts to collect his own fraudulently-obtained refund, including by transferring money into a trust.
Last month, the main promoter of the fraud scheme, Iran Backstrom, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison. Backstrom’s second-in-command, Mehef Bey, was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, the district judge also ordered Aqueron to serve three years of supervised release and pay approximately $5.9 million in restitution to the IRS.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind, Kavitha Bondada and Isaiah Boyd III of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt for the Middle District of Florida, are prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Sentenced to Prison for Promoting Nationwide Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced to 51 months in prison today for his role in a nationwide tax fraud scheme that involved more than 200 participants in at least 19 states.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Aaron Aqueron, of Clermont, recruited clients to the fraud scheme by convincing them that their mortgages and other debts entitled them to tax refunds. Aqueron collected tax and financial information from the clients to send to co-conspirators, who prepared tax returns and other tax documents to submit to the IRS. These tax returns falsely claimed that banks and other financial institutions had withheld large amounts of income tax from the participants, thereby entitling the clients to a refund. In reality, the financial institutions had not paid any income to, or withheld any taxes from, these individuals. In total, the tax returns filed by Aqueron’s clients sought more than $14.6 million in tax refunds and caused the IRS to actually pay out more than $7.6 million.
As part of his plea, Aqueron admitted he and his co-conspirators received fees from his clients ranging from $10,000 to $15,000 each. Aqueron further admitted he did not report on his 2015 individual tax return the income he received from the scheme. Aqueron also personally filed false tax returns for other years on which he fraudulently claimed that he was entitled to tax refunds. In response to one of these false tax returns, the IRS issued Aqueron a refund of $193,347.97.
Aqueron further admitted that, pursuant to the fraud scheme, he attempted to obstruct the IRS’s efforts to collect the tax refunds it issued to his clients. Aqueron and his co-conspirators coached clients on ways to obstruct IRS collection efforts. For example, after learning one client had begun to receive letters from the IRS about collections, Aqueron instructed the client: “Make sure you move money out of your name and out of the banking institutions and be smart.” Aqueron also attempted to obstruct IRS efforts to collect his own fraudulently-obtained refund, including by transferring money into a trust.
Last month, the main promoter of the fraud scheme, Iran Backstrom, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison. Backstrom’s second-in-command, Mehef Bey, was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, the district judge also ordered Aqueron to serve three years of supervised release and pay approximately $5.9 million in restitution to the IRS.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
“The sentencing handed down today demonstrates the key role Aqueron played in this sophisticated scheme to swindle the government,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne. “Financial fraud of this magnitude and with this degree of trickery, deceit, and dishonesty, deserves to be punished. The IRS and Department of Justice remain determined and vigilant in investigating and prosecuting such schemes to the fullest extent of the law.”
Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind, Kavitha Bondada and Isaiah Boyd III of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Mississippi – A Florida man was sentenced to 62 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
Ross Alger Medlin, 30, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today after having previously pled guilty to the offense.
According to information presented to the Court, on February 24, 2021, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle driven by Vincente Aguirre in Jackson County, Mississippi. Ross Alger Medlin was a passenger in the vehicle. The vehicle was stopped for following too closely. A subsequent search of the vehicle led to the discovery of over 400 grams of suspected methamphetamine. Aguirre and Medlin were taken into custody.
The FBI’s investigation revealed that Aguirre and Medlin had traveled to Texas from Florida to obtain the methamphetamine and were returning to Florida at the time of the traffic stop. The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Lab for analysis. The analysis indicated that the substance was in fact methamphetamine.
Vincent Aguirre was sentenced on February 4, 2022, to 107 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The FBI and Ocean Springs Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner prosecuted the case.
Final defendant in meth conspiracy sentenced to more than 12 years in prisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The final of six defendants in a Columbus-to-West Virginia methamphetamine ring was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 154 months in prison.
Marvin C. Bozeman, II, 32, of Las Vegas, served as the group’s methamphetamine supplier.
According to court documents, in spring 2019, Columbus Division of Police officers received information from law enforcement in West Virginia that large amounts of methamphetamine were being transported from Columbus to be distributed in West Virginia.
Further investigation revealed the defendants were distributing large quantities of the drug and using various residences in Central Ohio to store and distribute the methamphetamine. Drug premises included residences on Rumsey Road, Lock Avenue and Esther Drive, among others.
Co-conspirators convicted in this case include: Joseph Brian Howard, Timothy D. Copley, Samantha Howard, Darin T. Copeland and Charlee Ann Blankenship. Howard and Copeland were each also sentenced to at least 10 years in prison.
Bozeman admitted to supplying Howard with packages containing pounds of methamphetamine from Las Vegas. Portions of the drugs were then redistributed amongst co-conspirators and throughout the region. Bozeman used the United States Postal Service to send nine-to-10-pound packages of methamphetamine in the mail. The local drug traffickers paid him approximately $1,000 per pound.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Elizabeth Geraghty are representing the United States in this case.
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Final Five Defendants Plead Guilty to Roles in Multi-State Drug RingRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Five individuals pleaded guilty this week to roles in a multi-state drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Huntington that distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
The five are the last of 18 individuals indicted to enter guilty pleas in the case, the result of a long-term investigation in which law enforcement seized more than 47 pounds of fentanyl, 4.5 pounds of cocaine, 2 pounds of heroin, 14 firearms and $335,000.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Marvin Jerome Calvin, 40, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to the distribution of fentanyl after admitting that he sold approximately 1.8 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Huntington on July 6, 2020. Calvin further admitted that he distributed crack cocaine to a confidential informant on June 25 and 26, 2020. When law enforcement executed a search warrant at Calvin’s residence in Huntington on August 6, 2020, the officers recovered approximately 1.6 grams of cocaine, which Calvin admitted that he intended to sell.
Reginald Jerome Hairston, 43, of Huntington, admitted he conspired with other individuals to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl between May and July 2021. Hairston acquired quantities of the controlled substances from co-defendant Christopher Leon Vest for purchase by other individuals. Hairston pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Vest pleaded guilty in January 2022 to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine.
Kimberly Ann Combs, 44, of Huntington, admitted that she bought 104 30-milligram oxycodone pills from co-defendant William Raeshaun Byrd at his Huntington residence on July 23, 2021. When Combs left Byrd’s residence, law enforcement officers stopped her vehicle and recovered the oxycodone pills. Combs further admitted she received oxycodone pills from Byrd on at least 10 other occasions in June and July 2021. Combs provided some of those pills to another individual. Combs pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of oxycodone and faces up to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on July 18, 2022. Byrd previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced earlier this year to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.
Dillon Andrew Young, 28, of Sissonville, admitted that he spoke to co-defendant Scott Midkiff on April 9, 2021, using the cell phone of another individual. Midkiff asked Young to bring the phone to him because Midkiff believed that the owner of the phone had stolen a quantity of drugs and money from him. Young agreed to bring the phone to Midkiff in exchange for money and 10 grams of methamphetamine. When Young entered Midkiff’s Huntington residence, law enforcement seized the phone and arrested Midkiff. Young pleaded guilty to use of a communications facility in committing, causing, and facilitating a felony, controlled substance offense. Young faces up to four years in prison when he is sentenced on August 1, 2022. Midkiff pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Brayan Luces, 24, of Columbus, Ohio, admitted from May to July 2021, he regularly shipped a minimum of 1 kilogram of fentanyl and 1 kilogram of cocaine, to an individual in Huntington. The fentanyl and cocaine were transported by vehicle from Columbus to Huntington where they were provided to an individual on consignment. After the drugs were sold in the Huntington area, Luces would receive the drug proceeds, which were transported by vehicle to Columbus. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Luces’ residence in Columbus on July 22, 2021, and seized 13 kilograms of fentanyl, 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately $26,484 in cash, two firearms, and various magazines and ammunition. Luces pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and five kilograms or more of cocaine. Luces faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison when he is sentenced on July 18, 2022.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings.
“This successful prosecution targeted and dismantled a significant supply chain of deadly and illegal drugs,” United States Attorney Will Thompson said. “As we know all too well, these drugs ruin untold lives across our communities. I therefore commend the FBI and our federal, state, and local investigative partners along with Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans who handled these prosecutions.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force – composed of the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department – investigated the case. The West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West provided support. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus assisted in the investigation.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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-00109.
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Fergus Fall, MN, Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Violent Gang RobberiesRead the Press Release
FARGO – Interim United States Attorney Nicholas W. Chase announced that on April 12, 2022, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Peter D. Welte sentenced Abbot William Aho, a/k/a Boogie, age 26, Fergus Falls, MN, to 25 years in federal prison for the charges of Continuing Criminal Enterprise, Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Threats and Violence – Hobbs Act Robbery; Interference with Commerce by Threats and Violence – Hobbs Act Robbery; Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Controlled Substances; and Aiding and Abetting. Chief Judge Welte also sentenced Aho to 5 years supervised release and 1,773.23 in restitution.
It is alleged that from January 2019 through May 2019, Abbot Aho, led a criminal gang known as the "Slither Gang," and conspired with other individuals to target robbery victims who were themselves alleged drug traffickers in North Dakota, Minnesota, and elsewhere. Aho and the co-conspirator gang members carried out a string of robberies by threats of violence, the infliction of violence, and the brandishing of firearms and other dangerous weapons. Aho and the co-conspirators often resorted to home invasions or setting up victims to meet at a public place, and then robbed them of drugs, money, firearms and personal property, later selling the drugs they stole.
In addition to numerous similar related federal prosecutions across the state as a part of this initiative, several of Aho’s co-conspirators have also been sentenced for their involvement in the violent robberies:
• Cory Carlson, age 24, Robbinsdale, MN: Sentenced on December 9, 2021, to 100 months in federal prison and 3 years supervised release for the charges of Interference with Commerce by Threats and Violence – Hobbs Act Robbery and Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
• Sarah Ann Carlson, age 21, Minneapolis, MN: Sentenced on July 19, 2021, to 80 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release for the charges of Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Threats and Violence – Hobbs Act Robbery; Interference with Commerce by Threats and Violence – Hobbs Act Robbery; Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; and Aiding and Abetting.
• Jared Christopher Kaul, age 21, Fridley, MN: Sentenced on December 8, 2021, to 32 months in federal prison and 3 years supervised release for the charges of Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Threats and Violence – Hobbs Act Robbery; Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Controlled Substances.
• Nicholas Dakota May, age 22, Fargo ND: Sentenced on November 23, 2021, to 28 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release for the charges of Interference with Commerce by Threats and Violence – Hobbs Act Robbery and Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Controlled Substances.
• Shelby Lynn Dallman, age 23, Faribault, MN: Sentenced on August 23, 2021, to 24 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release for the charge of Interference with Commerce by Threats and Violence – Hobbs Act Robbery.
• Josiah Thomas Aguilar, age 21, Dilworth, MN: Sentenced on December 13, 2021, to 100 months in federal prison and 3 years supervised release for two counts of Interference with Commerce by Threats and Violence – Hobbs Act Robbery; Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Controlled Substances; and Aiding and Abetting.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Fergus Falls, MN, Police Department; Fargo, ND, Police Department; Cass County, ND, State’s Attorney’s Office; and the Ottertail County, MN, States Attorney’s Office, and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s office, with Assistant United States Attorney Chris C. Myers assigned to the case.
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Elite Healthcare Owner Sentenced to Two Years for Defrauding Health InsurerRead the Press Release
The owner of a medical consulting company was sentenced today to two years in federal prison for defrauding health insurers, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Steven Berglund, the 52-year-old owner of Elite Healthcare, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and healthcare fraud on Nov. 10, 2021 – three days into his criminal trial. He later attempted to withdraw his plea, arguing that the stress of the trial had left him with diminished mental capacity. The court rejected his attempts, ruling that Mr. Berglund had understood his plea and entered it knowingly and voluntarily. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. Senior District Judge Terry Means.
At his trial, the government had introduced evidence showing that Mr. Berglund had organized and led an elaborate “pass-through billing” scheme in which health insurers were deceived into paying Palo Pinto General Hospital for laboratory tests were actually performed by out-of-network laboratories. (Due to its status as a rural hospital, Palo Pinto was often able to receive higher reimbursements than urban hospitals or out-of-network labs.)
The evidence also showed that Mr. Berglund and his coconspirators used an overseas company to conduct the fraudulent billing, and used front companies to pay kickbacks to induce doctors to order more laboratory tests.
In plea papers, Mr. Berglund admitted to the scheme.
According to court documents, Mr. Berglund and other members of the conspiracy submitted more than $54 million in laboratory services claims; as a result, insurers paid Palo Pinto more than $8 million. After paying the out-of-network labs, the billing company involved in the scheme, and kickbacks, the coconspirators divvied up rest of the proceeds.
Four of Mr. Berglund’s coconspirators were previously sentenced:
- Aaron Cerpanya, co-owner of Elite, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 12 months + one day in prison.
- Adam Gardner, co-founder of MedHealth Solutions, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 12 months + one day in prison.
- Cody Waddell, co-founder of MedHealth Solutions, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
- Harris Brooks, former CEO of Palo Pinto, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to five years’ probation.
The court ordered all five defendants jointly and severally liable for $2.4 million in restitution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Weybrecht, Mark Nichols, and Megan Fahey (fmr) prosecuted the case.
- Aaron Cerpanya, co-owner of Elite, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 12 months + one day in prison.
Drug User in Illegal Possession of a Firearm Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
An unlawful drug user who possessed a firearm was sentenced on April 7, 2022, to more than two years in federal prison.
Esai Lopez, 23, from South Sioux City, Nebraska, received the prison term after an October 7, 2021, guilty plea to being a drug user in possession of a firearm.
Evidence at Lopez’s plea and sentencing hearings revealed that on June 3, 2020, defendant illegally possessed a handgun and was disarmed by police. Then, on June 23, 2020, Lopez and three other men were involved in a shooting. The men drove to the home of an intended victim, but seeing law enforcement in the area, aborted their attack run. The men decided upon a secondary target where one of men repeatedly fired at a Sioux City, Iowa home. There were people, including children, in the house at the time of the shooting. The evidence further revealed that on September 28, 2020, while the June 23 incident was under investigation, Lopez possessed a firearm in connection with a burglary, an Iowa charge of Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon, and the shooting of a dog.
Lopez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Lopez was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $38,863.42. in restitution to victims and the insurance company. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Lopez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
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.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-4071. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
District Man Sentenced to Prison Term for Carjacking of Uber Driver in Northeast WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jahlil Perry, 19, of District Heights, Maryland, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for carrying out a carjacking last August of an Uber driver in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Perry pleaded guilty in February 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a pistol without a license. He was sentenced by the Honorable Jason Park. Following his prison term, Perry will be placed on 24 months of supervised probation, with the potential of an additional 24 months of incarceration if he violates the terms of that probation. Perry also must pay $1,410 in restitution to the victim.
According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 13, 2021, at approximately 9:20 p.m., Perry and a co-defendant – Cordell Green, 20, of Laurel, Maryland, pulled next to the Uber driver’s SUV and boxed him in while he was making a pick-up in the 1200 block of 16th Street NE. Green opened the rear driver-side door, pointed his gun at the driver, and ordered him out of the SUV. Perry walked around the car, opened the passenger door, and pointed his gun directly at the driver’s head. The driver stumbled out of the car, in a panic, and Perry ordered him to turn over his cellphone. Green then drove away with Perry in the passenger seat. As they rode off, Perry threw the cellphone out the window, cracking the screen. Both he and Green laughed about how scared the victim was, and Perry declared, “I feel like a god.”
A short time later, while being pursued by officers with the Metropolitan Police Department, Green crashed the SUV, totaling the vehicle. Both Green and Perry were apprehended and arrested fleeing the scene of the crash and have been in custody ever since.
Inside the SUV, police officers found two firearms, both of which were equipped with high-capacity magazines and which each were loaded with at least 12 rounds. Both weapons were “ghost guns,” unserialized and untraceable privately manufactured firearms. Additionally, officers recovered a dash camera from inside the vehicle, which had been installed by the victim and captured the offense in its entirety.
Green also pleaded guilty to charges. He is to be sentenced on Aug. 19, 2022.
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 case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Gold, who prosecuted the matter.
Des Moines Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – Eric Romun Hill, age 46, of Des Moines, was sentenced today in federal court to 10 years in prison for possession of a firearm as a felon. He was ordered to serve a term of supervised release, to follow his prison term, of three years; pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund; and forfeit any interest in the firearms he possessed.
According to court documents, Hill unlawfully possessed a .45 caliber pistol and a stolen 12-gauge shotgun on August 30, 2020. The sentence imposed by United States District Court Senior Judge James E. Gritzner took into consideration Hill’s criminal history – which included two convictions for violent crimes and, in the current matter, the reckless discharge of firearms in proximity to others in a Des Moines residential neighborhood. Following Hill’s actions on August 30, 2020, Hill removed a GPS monitoring device he was ordered to wear as a condition of parole for a state conviction. He remained at large until he was located and arrested five months later.
U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Des Moines Police Department investigated the case with assistance of the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Fifth Judicial District, Department of Correctional Services.
Decatur men convicted for Chamblee carjacking and Newnan firearms theftsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Antonio McCrary has been sentenced for a carjacking at a Chamblee, Georgia residence and an unrelated string of firearm thefts in Newnan, Georgia. Additionally, Cortez Butler, who admitted to committing the carjacking with Butler, was sentenced in September 2020.
“These two men brazenly stole a car from a family’s driveway and fired a gun towards the victim as they sped away,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “Later, McCrary boldly continued his criminal behavior by breaking into a dozen cars and stealing multiple firearms before leading law enforcement on a dangerous high-speed chase on an interstate. Thankfully no lives were lost during McCrary’s or Butler’s crimes as a result of the coordinated efforts of federal and local law enforcement.”
“The sentencing of McCrary and Cortez to substantial prison time illustrates the FBI’s commitment to working with its law enforcement partners to protect our citizens against such violent offenders,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, Philip Wislar. “This sentencing sends a message to those contemplating such brazen and selfish criminal acts that they will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The public is now safer with McCrary and Cortez behind bars.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration is committed to investigating crimes committed against Internal Revenue Service employees,” said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “We appreciate the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the other law enforcement agencies involved for their partnership and investigative efforts.”
“We appreciate the collaborative efforts by all agencies in resolving this case and bringing closure to the victims and others involved during this investigation,” said Chief Brent Blankenship, Newnan Police Department.
According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: In March 2018, the victim was in the kitchen of his home in Chamblee when he heard his family’s car unlock in the garage and saw the car’s lights come on. The victim looked into the garage and saw a man getting into the car, and then ran outside as someone backed the car out of the garage. The victim jumped on the hood of the car but fell off when he heard a gunshot.
Shortly after the carjacking, video footage near a house in Decatur, Georgia showed Butler and McCrary arriving and exiting the stolen car. Butler and McCrary later confessed to the carjacking. Four days later, the stolen car was recovered from a third party during a traffic stop in Atlanta.
In January 2020, McCrary and another man drove around Newnan, Georgia in a different stolen vehicle. They broke into more than a dozen cars during a three-hour crime spree, and stole cash, electronics, and four firearms. Several of the break-ins were caught on surveillance cameras, allowing Newnan Police to place a “be on the lookout” or “BOLO” for the stolen car.
That afternoon, a Coweta County Sheriff’s Deputy spotted the car and attempted a traffic stop. McCrary, who was driving, led officers on a high-speed chase driving over 130 miles per hour on I-85 and recklessly cut in and out of traffic. McCrary eventually exited the highway, ran multiple red lights and stop signs, and caused another car to run off the road and hit a tree. The chase finally ended when McCrary lost control of the car, ran off the road, and landed sideways in a ditch. McCrary and his accomplice were taken to the hospital, and once cleared, booked on state charges. Newnan Police recovered all of the items stolen earlier that day, including the four firearms. Officers recovered five additional guns, most of which were also recently reported stolen.
McCrary was charged in a federal indictment with the March 2018 carjacking, discharging a firearm during the carjacking, the January 2020 theft of firearms, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. McCrary had previously pled guilty in a state case to a home burglary in Cumming, Georgia, during which he and others stole jewelry, electronics, and a luxury automobile.
Antonio McCrary, 24, of Decatur, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg to 13 years, six months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. McCrary pleaded guilty to the federal crimes of theft of firearms and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also considered the Chamblee carjacking in imposing the sentence.
Cortez Butler, 23, of Decatur, Georgia, was sentenced on September 9, 2020 to ten years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He pled guilty to the federal offense of discharging a firearm during the March 2018 carjacking.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Annalise K. Peters and Matthew Carrico prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Chamblee Police Department, and the Newnan Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In keeping with the Attorney General’s mission to reduce violent crime, the Northern District of Georgia’s PSN program focuses on prosecuting those individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities and supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community, and local community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal conduct.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
DC Solar CFO Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Billion Dollar Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Robert A. Karmann, 55, of Clayton, was sentenced today to six years in prison and ordered to pay $624 million in restitution for participating in a billion-dollar Ponzi scheme involving DC Solar, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Karmann was a certified public accountant (CPA) that DC Solar hired first as its Controller in 2014, and later as its Chief Financial Officer. DC Solar manufactured mobile solar generator units (MSG), which were solar generators that were mounted on trailers. The MSGs were sold to investors who were given generous federal tax credits, and who were falsely led to believe that there was extensive demand from third parties to lease these MSGs to create a revenue stream. In fact, that demand was virtually non-existent. DC Solar had instead become a fraud scheme that took new investor money to pay older investors, using circular transactions that were fraudulently disguised to look like real third-party lease revenue.
According to court documents, Karmann and the other co-conspirators, including company founder Jeff Carpoff, carried out an accounting and lease revenue fraud using the Ponzi-like circular payments. Carpoff and others lied to investors about the market demand for DC Solar’s MSGs and its revenue from leasing to third parties. Then Karmann, Carpoff, and others covered up these lies with techniques including false financial statements, false operation reports, and false written summaries of the supposed revenue from leasing MSGs to third parties. In 2016, 2017, and 2018, Karmann oversaw the hidden circular transfers of funds, delivered false financial information to another co-conspirator for use in tax returns and tax documents, provided false compiled financial statements to an investor representative for multiple funds, and provided other false information to investor representatives about DC Solar’s third-party leasing. Karmann also directed others in DC Solar’s accounting department, including one subordinate whom Karmann told to “make it up” when responding to a customer request for location reports on their MSGs. During these years that Karmann knowingly joined in the fraud, DC Solar pulled in over $600 million in investor funds as a result of this scheme.
On Nov. 9, 2021, Jeff Carpoff was sentenced to 30 years in prison and ordered to pay $790.6 million in restitution for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. His wife, Paulette Carpoff, 47, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and money laundering, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 10, 2022.
On Nov. 16, 2021, Joseph W. Bayliss was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay $481.3 million in restitution for securities fraud and conspiracy in connection with the DC Solar scheme.
Other defendants have pleaded guilty to criminal offenses related to the fraud scheme and are scheduled for sentencing: Alan Hansen, 50, of Vacaville, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 26, 2022; Ronald J. Roach, 54, of Walnut Creek, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 3, 2022; and Ryan Guidry, 44, of Pleasant Hill is scheduled to be sentenced on June 7, 2022.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher S. Hales and Kevin C. Khasigian are prosecuting the case.
Paulette Carpoff, Hansen, and Guidry face a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison. Roach faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years prison. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fitchburg man was pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Worcester to possessing a 10 mm Glock pistol while a convicted felon. The defendant used the firearm to shoot a victim.
Joel Polanco, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Sept. 12, 2022. Polanco was charged by criminal complaint in December 2020 and subsequently indicted in January 2021.
In October 2020, Polanco was arrested after police responded to the area of Snow and Cherry Streets in Fitchburg following a report of a person suffering a gunshot wound to the leg. A witness reported seeing someone fitting Polanco’s description shoot the victim. In addition, surveillance videos showed a person fitting Polanco’s description carrying what appeared to be the black fanny-pack and holding an item in his hand that appeared to be a gun. Polanco shot the victim using a 10 mm Glock pistol which was later recovered from a black fanny-pack in the area of Snow Street.
Polanco is prohibited from possessing a firearm after being convicted of being a felon in possession of ammunition and distribution of cocaine base in March 2011.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Fitchburg Police Chief Ernst Martineau made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Bennett of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office are prosecuting 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.
Cleveland Man Convicted of Possession of Ammunition as a FelonRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that a federal jury convicted Brandon Bethune, 37, of Cleveland, Ohio, on Thursday, April 7, 2022, of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. Bethune was found guilty after a three-day trial before Judge J. Philip Calabrese.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on March 20, 2021, Cleveland Police officers responded to a residence after a call concerning reports of domestic violence. Officers met the caller and were advised of a man inside the residence with a firearm threatening to shoot the caller. After securing the residence, officers located Defendant Bethune inside, and he was subsequently arrested.
During the arrest, CDP officers recovered a firearm in the defendant's waistband that contained a round of ammunition jammed in its chamber. After he was transported to Cuyahoga County Detention Center, Cuyahoga County Sheriff's officers conducted another pat-down of the defendant and discovered the firearm's magazine, which contained four rounds of ammunition.
Bethune is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions, including convictions for felonious assault and attempted felonious assault in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.
Bethune is scheduled to be sentenced on August 2, 2022, and faces a statutory maximum penalty of ten years in prison.
This case was investigated by the ATF, Cleveland Division of Police, and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam J. Joines and Bryson N. Gillard.
Charlotte Man Is Sentenced to Nine Years for Possession of A Firearm by A FelonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney sentenced Laverne Jacobs, 30, of Charlotte, to 108 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney King is joined in making this announcement by Brian Mein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).
According to filed court documents and statements made in court, on June 28, 2020, a man called 911 and alerted dispatchers that Jacobs was in front of his house, that Jacobs threatened to shoot him in the head, and that he observed Jacobs putting bullets into a firearm. A CMPD officer dispatched to the scene heard gunshots while she was approaching the victim’s residence and saw Jacobs with a firearm in his hand. As the officer approached the defendant, he fled the scene and threw the firearm into the woods. CMPD officers apprehended Jacobs and recovered the firearm, which was loaded with one round of ammunition in the chamber. Officers also located two projectile holes in the victim’s residence. At the time of the shooting, there were three individuals inside the home. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that the firearm had been reported stolen.
Jacobs has multiple previous state convictions including robbery, breaking and entering, selling drugs, and assault on a female, and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Jacobs is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The investigation was handled by ATF and CMPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Caviar Fisherman Sentenced to 12 Months in Federal Prison for Lacey Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
PADUCAH, KY – Daniel Allen, 44, of Brookport, IL, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in federal prison followed by two years of post-release supervision for violating the Lacey Act.
In pleading guilty, Allen admitted that between November 6, 2018, and April 20, 2019, he illegally caught shovelnose sturgeon along the Kentucky/Illinois boarder and sold the fish roe to a caviar distributor in Tennessee. Allen caught sturgeon out of season and using illegally sized mesh nets along the Ohio River. He also caught sturgeon near the Smithland Lock and Dam in an area closed to commercial fishing.
Among other things, the Lacey Act makes it unlawful for any person to transport and sell fish that were taken in violation of any law or regulation of any state. Kentucky and Illinois both regulate fishing for sturgeon and its eggs, which are marketed as caviar. A violation of the Lacey Act constitutes a felony if the fish had a market value in excess of $350.
At sentencing, Allen agreed to pay $10,000 in restitution for the illegally taken sturgeon and eggs.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky made the announcement.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the case with the assistance of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee prosecuted the case.
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Career Cocaine Trafficker Pleads Guilty in Multi-State Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Vermont man with two prior federal convictions for drug conspiracy pleaded guilty on Friday, April 8, 2022, to his role in a drug trafficking organization.
Juan Ramos, 45, of Wardsboro, Vt., pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for July 21, 2022.
From 2015 through 2016, Ramos purchased cocaine from a co-conspirator and distributed the drugs in Massachusetts and various customers in Vermont. Ramos also promoted his co-conspirator and introduced this source of supply to another individual. In total, Ramos distributed over 500 grams of cocaine.
Ramos has two prior federal convictions for cocaine distribution conspiracy. In 2002, Ramos was convicted in the District of Vermont and was sentenced to nine years in prison. In 2010, Ramos was convicted in the Southern District of New York and was sentenced to five years in prison.
Pursuant to Ramos’ pleas agreement, he faces a sentence of at least eight years and up to 12 years in prison. The charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to six years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Vermont State Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Curley, Neil L. Desroches and Steven H. Breslow of Rollins’ Springfield Office are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Buffalo Man Going to Prison for 10 Years for Selling Fentanyl That Led to A DeathRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Octavio Cruz, 39, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, butyryl fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah E. Lenihan, who handled the case, stated that on December 27, 2018, Cruz sold a quantity of butyryl fentanyl to an individual identified as C.H. At approximately 9:17 p.m. that night, the West Seneca Police Department responded to a call for an unresponsive person. Officers discovered C.H. unresponsive and later confirmed C.H. was deceased. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death to be acute intoxication from butyryl fentanyl. Officers recovered C.H.’s cell phone, which contained text messages between C.H. and Cruz. In addition, officers recovered a small plastic bag that contained suspected heroin. Testing determined the substance to be butyryl fentanyl.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the West Seneca Police Department, under the direction of Chief Edward Baker, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Timothy Foley, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski.
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Brockton Man Sentenced to Nearly 10 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy that Spanned Across Southeastern MassachusettsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a wide-ranging drug trafficking conspiracy that spanned from Boston to Brockton to Cape Cod.
Jermaine Gonsalves, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 115 months in prison and six years of supervised release. On Sept. 22, 2021, Gonsalves pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone and marijuana.
In the fall of 2018, law enforcement began investigating a violent Brockton drug trafficking organization (DTO) headed by brothers Djuna and Cody Goncalves that distributed large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, cocaine base and marijuana throughout southeastern Massachusetts from a base of operations on Addison Avenue in Brockton. The investigation identified Gonsalves as a member of the DTO who drove Djuna to pick up fentanyl from suppliers and deliver it to customers. The investigation also targeted several Boston-based drug suppliers to the Goncalves brothers.
A search of Gonsalves’ residence during the investigation resulted in the seizure of a loaded 9-millimeter Luger semiautomatic pistol, .40 caliber ammunition, approximately 43 suboxone strips, a digital scale, a pistol light and a bag of cutting agents.
Gonsalves was indicted in a superseding indictment in June 2019 along with 16 others as part of the drug trafficking conspiracy. Gonsalves has a prior federal drug trafficking conviction and a conviction for assault with a dangerous weapon. Gonsalves is the 12th defendant to be sentenced in the case. All of the remaining defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement . Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Alathea E. Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Brockton Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Officer with VehicleRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man pleaded guilty on Thursday, April 7, 2022, to assaulting, resisting or impeding an officer while fleeing a motor vehicle stop.
Tykeam Jackson, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal officer. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for Sept. 13, 2022. Jackson was arrested and charged in August 2020.
On July 27, 2020, a deputized federal law enforcement officer stopped Jackson in Avon for speeding and instructed him to exit his vehicle. Instead, Jackson accelerated the vehicle with such force that the officer was dragged for several feet and thrown to the ground. Jackson then sped away, drove in and out of a public parking lot where he swerved around pedestrians and other vehicles, ignored traffic signals and drove into oncoming traffic, eventually travelling at a speed of approximately 100 miles per hour in the breakdown lane of Route 24. After attempting to cross all three travel lanes, Jackson lost control of the vehicle and crashed head-on into the guardrail. He exited the vehicle, ran across Route 24 and was subsequently found running into and obstructing traffic on a nearby roadway.
According to court documents, at the time of the offense, Jackson was on probation resulting for an armed robbery conviction in Suffolk Superior Court.
The charge of assaulting a federal officer provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New England Field Division; and Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey made the announcement. The Massachusetts State Police provided assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Hoefle of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting 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.
Berkeley County woman sentenced for role in drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Angela Dawn Gregory, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to XX months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Gregory, 43, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Heroin, Fentanyl, Cocaine Base, and Cocaine Hydrochloride.” Gregory admitted to working with others to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine base, and cocaine hydrochloride from August 2020 to June 2021 in Berkeley County and elsewhere.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Timothy D. Helman prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; Customs and Border Protection; FBI-New York Safe Streets Task Force; and the New Jersey State Police investigated. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania assisted.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Berkeley County man admits to role in drug trafficking and firearms conspiracyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Craig Orndoff, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Orndoff, 35, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Eutylone.” Orndoff admitted to working with others to distribute Eutylone from June 2019 to December 2020 in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties and elsewhere.
Orndoff faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. 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, Ranson Police Department, the Charles Town Police Department, and the Martinsburg Police Department.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Bergen County Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Filing Phony Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 24 months and two days in prison for his role in a scheme to file fraudulent tax returns in victims’ names in order to obtain tax refunds to which he was not entitled, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Emmanuel A. Barrientos-Fermin, 39, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of access device fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentence today via videoconference.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2020, through February 2020, Barrientos and others conspired to utilize stolen personal identifying information (PII) to submit fraudulent tax returns in victims’ names, in order to obtain tax refunds without the victims’ knowledge or consent. A conspirator would obtain falsified Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, birth certificates and W-2s bearing the victims’ stolen PII and provide them to Barrientos-Fermin and other, who would use them to file tax returns at various tax preparation company branches posing as the victims.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Barrientos-Fermin three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $17,373 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Damon Wood, Philadelphia Division; and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Totowa, New Jersey, Police Department, for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Fatime Meka Cano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Government Fraud Unit in Newark.
Atlantic County Man Admits Role in Drug Distribution SchemeRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in drug distribution scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Ricardo Clavijo, 40, of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today before the U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to distribute over one kilogram of heroin, one count of possession with intent to distribute over one kilogram of heroin, and one count of maintaining a drug-related premises.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On July 12, 2021, a search warrant was executed at Clavijo’s residence, where law enforcement authorities encountered Clavijo and his brother, Christopher Gonzalez. Authorities found a drug packaging facility in the basement, as well as 4.3 kilograms of heroin, 5.5 kilograms of fentanyl, 10.8 kilograms of cocaine, drug packaging materials and equipment, and a money counting machine. Some of the heroin was already packaged in tens of thousands of individual doses, ready for street-level distribution. Agents also seized a .45 caliber handgun, a loaded magazine for the handgun, a 9mm 50-round drum magazine, and $8,457 in cash, all of which will be forfeited by Clavijo as part of his guilty plea.
The conspiracy count and possession with intent to distribute count to which Clavijo pleaded guilty both carry a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison, a maximum term of life in prison and a fine of $10 million, or twice the gross gain or loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest. The count of maintaining a drug-related premises carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 7, 2022.
Gonzalez is charged by complaint with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over one kilogram of heroin.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Newark Division, DEA Atlantic County HIDTA Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting County Prosecutor Cary Shill, and the Egg Harbor Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael T. Hughes, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Johns of the Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations contained in Gonzalez’s complaint are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ashland Man Sentenced to 108 Months for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky. — An Ashland man, Jamaal A. Stokes, 31, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to Stokes plea agreement, in September 2021, law enforcement conducted a search of Stokes’ residence and found him in possession of between one and two pounds of methamphetamine, a large amount of marijuana, a large amount of cash, a digital scale, and plastic baggies.
Stokes pleaded guilty in December 2021.
Under federal law, Stokes must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker.
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Monday 11 April 2022
Wyoming Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee Conference to Meet in Lander May 3-4Read the Press Release
The Wyoming Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee (LECC) Conference will be held at the Inn at Lander beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 3 and will conclude at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday May 4, 2022. This conference is for law enforcement officers and provides training sessions coupled with the opportunity to meet and network with other law enforcement from local, county, state, federal and tribal agencies across Wyoming.
This year’s theme is Sharing Solutions for Stronger Law Enforcement and Safer Communities. Sessions focus on everything from seizing and forfeiting criminal assets to dealing with officer wellness and PTSD. An awards dinner will be held 6:00-8:00 p.m., May 3, 2022, at the Lander Community Center and will recognize the outstanding achievements of Wyoming’s law enforcement officers.
United States Attorney Bob Murray said, “We believe the LECC conference offers excellent training and provides an opportunity to talk about, and share, what is happening across the state—then come up with solutions to not only protect the citizens of Wyoming, but also ensure we are taking care of the men and women who serve to protect.”
The standard registration fee is $100 and includes the awards ceremony dinner. CLE and Post credits are available for some sessions. To register, email [email protected] or call Rob Gaulke at 307-772-2991.
Venezuelan Woman Arraigned on Conspiracy to Kidnap and Murder, Child Pornography Charges Following Extradition from Columbia to the United StatesRead the Press Release
UPDATE
The Press Release has been updated to reflect the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs' assistance.
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Moraima Escarlet Vasquez Flores, aka “Johana Martinez,” 39, of Venezuela, was arraigned and pleaded not guilty on April 11, 2022, in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, on charges that she conspired with Sean Fiore to kidnap and murder a person in a foreign country, conspired with Fiore to produce and produced child pornography, and that she aided and abetted the receipt by Fiore of child pornography. Vasquez Flores’ appearance in court follows her extradition to the United States from Colombia, where she was living at the time of her arrest in September 2020. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle granted the government’s motion for detention and ordered Vasquez Flores detained pending trial.
According to court records, in September 2018, Vasquez Flores, then in Venezuela, is alleged to have communicated over WhatsApp with Fiore, who was then located in Vermont. Both used aliases. The WhatsApp communications were about Fiore’s interest in purchasing a video depicting the torture of a kidnapped child, who was referred to as a “slave.” Fiore ultimately paid $600 to Vasquez Flores in Amazon gift cards for the video. Fiore sent specific instructions on what abuse he wished to see inflicted on the child. On October 3, 2018, Vasquez Flores is alleged to have sent Fiore a hyperlink to a video file that showed Vasquez Flores inflicting sadistic abuse on a prepubescent boy consistent with Fiore’s specifications.
On October 13, 2018, Vasquez Flores is alleged to have sent three video files to Fiore that depicted the sadistic abuse of a prepubescent boy. Fiore did not commission the production of these video files.Vasquez Flores is alleged to have subsequently used WhatsApp to communicate with Fiore and to discuss Fiore’s desire to purchase another video which showed the torture and killing of another kidnapped “slave.” Fiore sent specifications for the types of physical abuse, humiliation, and manner of death he wished to see in the video. In December 2018, Fiore agreed to pay $4,000 for this video. In April 2019, Vasquez Flores is alleged to have sent Fiore a hyperlink to a 58-minute video file depicting the requested sadistic abuse and possible death of an adult male.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest emphasized that the charges in the indictment are accusations only and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, Vasquez Flores’ sentence will be determined by the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the impact, if any, of any mandatory minimum prison terms applicable to any count of conviction.U.S. Attorney Kerest commended the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in the investigation of Vasquez Flores and Fiore.
Barbara A. Masterson, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont, Patrick Jasperse, Trial Attorney with the Department of Justice’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and Eduardo Palomo, Trial Attorney with the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, represent the government. Vasquez Flores will be represented by the Federal Public Defender’s Office. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing Vasquez Flores's arrest and extradition.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, 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 and Child Exploitation Obscenity Section, Criminal Division (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.justice.gov/psc.
United States Reaches Agreement with CVS Pharmacy, Inc., to Ensure Online Access to COVID-19 Vaccine Registration for People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island and the Justice Department announced today that they have reached a settlement agreement with CVS Pharmacy, Inc., (CVS) to ensure that people with disabilities can get information about COVID-19 vaccinations and book vaccination appointments online. CVS, headquartered in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, is the country’s largest retail pharmacy, with nearly 10,000 locations nationwide.
Following investigation, the United States determined that CVS’s COVID-19 vaccine registration portal, currently located at https://www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine, was not accessible to people with certain disabilities, including those who use screen reader software or have a hard time using a mouse. For instance, at the outset of the scheduling process, the types of vaccine appointments offered (which included influenza, pneumonia, and others in addition to the COVID-19 option) were not read to screen reader users. Further, on the page where a user picks a time for their appointment, screen reader users were told that all available times were “checked,” even though the user had not made any selection. Additionally, people who use the “Tab” key instead of a mouse to navigate websites were not able to navigate past a request for insurance information.
Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires public accommodations like drugstores and grocery stores to provide individuals with disabilities with full and equal enjoyment of goods and services. The ADA also requires public accommodations to provide effective communication with people with disabilities, including through the use of auxiliary aids and services like accessible technology.
Under the terms of the agreement, CVS will facilitate accessibility by conforming its web content about the COVID-19 vaccine, including the forms for scheduling an appointment to get the vaccine, to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Version 2.1, Level AA. WCAG is a set of voluntary industry guidelines for making information on a website accessible to users with disabilities. The agreement also requires CVS to regularly test the pages of its website that include vaccine scheduling and information about the COVID-19 vaccine, and quickly fix any problems that keep people with disabilities from being able to use these pages.
“While web accessibility is always important, when it comes to critical health services like COVID-19 vaccination, making sure that everyone—regardless of disability—can access information and care is essential,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha of the District of Rhode Island. “This Office is committed to vigorously enforcing the ADA to eliminate unnecessary barriers that stand in the way of lifesaving care.”
“Now more than ever, we must ensure web accessibility for people with disabilities seeking access to critical needs and services,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are working aggressively to identify and remove barriers that prevent people with disabilities from privately and independently securing potentially life-saving COVID-19 vaccines. We will continue to work towards the ADA’s promise of equal access during the ongoing global pandemic.”
This matter was handled jointly by Assistant United States Attorney Amy R. Romero of the District of Rhode Island and Anne Langford and Joy Welan, attorneys for the Disability Rights Section of the Department’s Civil Rights Division.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island is committed to investigating alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Department of Justice has a number of publications available to assist entities in complying with the ADA. For more information on the ADA and to access these publications, visit www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TTY). Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging a public entity or public accommodation in Rhode Island is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri/civil-rights-enforcement or 401-709-5000.
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United States Files Suit Against Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare and Methodist Healthcare-Memphis HospitalsRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – The United States today filed a complaint in intervention alleging violations of the False Claims Act (FCA) and the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) by Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH) and Methodist Healthcare Memphis Hospitals (collectively, Methodist), for paying unlawful kickbacks to West Clinic, P.C. (West) in exchange for West’s patient referrals, announced U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The government began investigating the wrongdoing alleged in today’s complaint in response to a lawsuit filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which allows private citizens with knowledge of false claims to bring civil suits on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. The qui tam action was initially filed on May 30, 2017, by Jeffrey H. Liebman, the former President of Methodist University Hospital. In December 2019, David M. Stern, M.D., the former Executive Dean and Vice Chancellor at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, who served on the Board of Directors of MLH from 2011 to 2017, joined the lawsuit. Stern was also a member of the Executive Cancer Council and the Steering Committee for the West Cancer Center.
The complaint sets forth in detail the unlawful kickbacks, disguised through a sophisticated business integration wherein Methodist purchased substantially all of the outpatient locations of the largest oncology practice in the Memphis area, owned by West. At the time of the arrangement, Methodist lacked a comprehensive cancer treatment center.
The multi-agreement transaction purported to be a lawful way to allow West’s patients to be treated at Methodist locations by West-employed physicians for outpatient and inpatient services, with West providing management services to Methodist’s adult oncology service line. As a result of the deal, Methodist would receive increased Medicare reimbursements relating to the cancer care. The parties described it as a “partnership” to achieve a cancer “center without walls,” where patients would go to Methodist-owned facilities for all their cancer-related care in what was called the West Cancer Center. However, there was never any formal partnership created, as to do so likely would have violated regulatory requirements.
As part of Methodist’s business combination with West, Methodist made a separate for-profit $7 million investment in ACORN Research, LLC (ACORN), an entity in which West and its Medical Director and shareholder, Dr. Lee Schwartzberg, had a personal financial interest. Through the deal, Methodist provided an immediate influx of millions of dollars in cash to West through its purchase of certain assets, as well as the ACORN investment, which resulted in a repayment of $3.5 million in debt owed to West and its shareholder, Dr. Schwartzberg. Kickbacks for the revenues Methodist generated from the West referrals, however, were disguised as payments Methodist made to West during the seven years of the deal, and expressly for certain services that were supposed to be – but were not – provided under the management services agreement.
As a result of the transaction, Methodist, which prior to the deal had no outpatient cancer treatment, was able to establish a new stream of income in the reimbursements for outpatient treatment that previously went to West. Methodist also realized a huge increase in referrals for inpatient services from West, which previously referred the bulk of its patients to Methodist’s competitors, including Baptist Memorial Hospital.
By purchasing West’s outpatient locations, Methodist was able to bill Medicare not only for the facility and professional components of outpatient treatment but also for the chemotherapy and other drugs provided, for which Methodist could recoup a staggering discount in costs through the 340B Discount Drug Program, resulting in $50 million in profits to Methodist in one year alone.
Methodist knew that it would be a violation of the AKS to compensate West in exchange for the volume or value of referrals to Methodist, yet, as the referrals to Methodist increased over the seven years of the deal, so did Methodist’s payments to West under the management agreement.
Methodist also knew that West had not been providing all the management services at all the locations required by the MSA. For the management services West was performing, Methodist often was double-paying West, as it was paying West separately for these services pursuant to other agreements.
In sum, Methodist knowingly agreed to pay West millions of dollars in kickbacks for the revenues Methodist expected to, and ultimately did, realize from West’s referrals. The arrangement lasted from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2018, and continued even after Methodist knew that the United States was investigating these allegations following the filing of the whistleblowers’ lawsuit.
The matter is being investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kara F. Sweet represents the United States.
The claims in which the United States has intervened are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The lawsuit is captioned United States of America ex rel. Jeffrey H. Liebman and David M. Stern, M.D. v. Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, et al., Case No. 3:17-cv-00902 (M.D. Tenn.).
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United States Attorney’s Office and Washington State Office of Attorney General to Announce Largest Ever Health Care Fraud Settlement in Eastern WashingtonRead the Press Release
Spokane, WA: At 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 12, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, Vanessa R. Waldref, and the Washington State Attorney General, Bob Ferguson, will hold a joint press conference to announce the resolution of a major case involving health care fraud, elder abuse, and patient harm, which will be the largest-ever health care fraud settlement in Eastern Washington.
U.S. Attorney Waldref will also address the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s ongoing efforts to work with state and federal law enforcement partners to combat elder abuse, health care fraud, and patient endangerment in Eastern Washington.
The press conference will take place in front of the Thomas Foley Federal Courthouse Building at 920 W. Riverside Avenue, Spokane, Washington, 99201 or, in the event of inclement weather, in the Building in Conference Room 116. U.S. Attorney’s Office anticipates being able to release additional information regarding the resolution prior to the press conference.
United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref Highlights Fentanyl Prosecutions Relating to Operation Engage SpokaneRead the Press Release
Spokane, WA – The Drug Enforcement Administration (D.E.A.), in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, recently launched Operation Engage Spokane, which is a comprehensive community-level approach for addressing the drug epidemic – focusing on fentanyl distribution – through prevention strategies, facilitating conversations, and collaboration with local partners.
“The fentanyl crisis is the new face of the opioid epidemic. By working together with our law enforcement partners, local governments, and community outreach organizations, such as the Spokane Alliance for Fentanyl Education and the Rayce Rudeen Foundation,” U.S. Attorney Waldref stated, “we have a unique opportunity to proactively work to avoid the tragedy that fentanyl causes on a daily basis.”
“These dangerous counterfeit pills are impacting people of all ages.” U.S. Attorney Waldref emphasized. “Drug traffickers are adapting to social change, using Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube and other mainstream social media to infiltrate this poison into communities like ours. As a mother who is navigating social media and screen time for my kids – like so many parents – it is frightening to know that fentanyl can be hidden in plain sight and accessible through any smartphone.”
When Operation Engage Spokane was launched, DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarantino III expressed the need for the entire community to work together to target fentanyl: “The impact and overall effectiveness of this initiative is directly dependent on the community, law enforcement, health care, prevention and social service professionals working together to mitigate the fentanyl drug threat.” U.S. Attorney Waldref agreed that our communities must unite to address the opioid crisis, emphasizing that her office will continue to do its part to curb the illegal distribution of fentanyl. “As the chief law enforcement officer in Eastern Washington, I am committed to prosecuting the criminal drug cartels who put our communities and our youth at risk. Our office has been prosecuting fentanyl cases since 2016, and we will continue vigorously prosecuting these cases as part of our ongoing efforts to build safer and stronger communities in the Eastern District of Washington.”
For its part, the United States Attorney’s Office currently is prosecuting numerous cases involving fentanyl distribution in Eastern Washington. The following are recent examples of fentanyl cases, some of which are pending in federal court in Spokane, Richland, and Yakima. For those matters that are currently pending, an indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
• United States v. Dustin Allen and Kolin Mazur: Indicted on January 4, 2022 for distribution of fentanyl. Mazur originally was charged in Idaho state court, and the matter was referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington. According to state court documents, Allen and Mazur’s distribution resulted in at least one overdose death.
• United States v. Francisco Erasmo Angulo-Rivera: Indicted on April 5, 2022, for distributing fentanyl on various occasions in 2021 and 2022.
• United States v. Yancarlos Arredondo-Mendoza: Indicted on February 1, 2022, for possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. According to charging documents, Arredondo-Mendoza was in possession of approximately 20,000 suspected fentanyl-laced pills, suspected heroin, and a loaded Glock 9mm pistol in early January 2022.
• United States v. Raymond Keith Hewlett: Indicated on April 5, 2022, for distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine in Spokane, Washington.
• United States v. Antoinne Holmes and Reigan Allen: Indicted on July 20, 2021 for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and, specific to Holmes, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm. Holmes had previously been indicted in the District of Idaho on April 14, 2021 for distribution of fentanyl resulting in the death of a sixteen-year-old. Allen’s then-five month old infant also overdosed on fentanyl during the conspiracy, but survived.
• United States v. Jeremiah James LaFave: Indicted on March 1, 2022, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, felon in possession of a firearm, and assault on law enforcement with a deadly weapon.
• United States v. Hunter Bow O’Mealy, Caleb Ryan Carr, Jaime Lynn Bellovich, Matthew Gudino-Pena: Indicted on November 2, 2021 on conspiracy charges stemming from distribution of fentanyl in Spokane, Washington. Charging documents allege the defendants’ conspiracy resulted in at least one violent shooting, at least one overdose death, and the seizure of more than 50,000 fentanyl pills as well as numerous firearms.
• United States v. Josue Medina-Perez and Francisco Delgado: In March 2021, Medina-Perez was sentenced to a 96-month term of imprisonment and Delgado was sentenced to 10 years of incarceration. According to charging documents, Medina-Perez and Delgado were identified as one of the first major sources of Fentanyl-laced pills in Eastern
Washington and were responsible for transporting and distributing more than 5,000 to 10,000 pills per week beginning in 2017.
• United States v. Lewis Mesa: Indicted on April 5, 2022, for possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
• United States v. Dwight Norwood Jr.: Indicted on March 1, 2022, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and felon in possession of a firearm.
• United States v. Carlos Reyes-Santana, Eduardo Reyes-Santana, Rosa Martinez-Rodriguez, Molly Margret Brown, and Alfonso Avila Olivera: Superseding indictment filed on February 15, 2022, alleging various drug-trafficking offenses, including conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 1 kilogram or more of heroin, 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. According to charging documents, law enforcement recovered approximately 52 pounds of methamphetamine, 1 pound of cocaine, about 50,000 fentanyl-laced pills, $500,000 in U.S. currency, and multiple firearms during the execution of a number of search warrants in March 2021.
• United States v. Jonathan Rivera-Venegas: Indicted on April 5, 2022 on charges of conspiracy and distribution of fentanyl in Ellensburg, Washington. While Rivera-Venegas initially was charged in Washington state court, the case was adopted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for federal prosecution. According to state charging documents, Rivera-Venegas’s distribution of fentanyl has been linked with at least two overdose deaths.
• United States v. Keauve D. Ruff: Pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine in September 2021. As part of his guilty plea, Ruff admitted to distributing fentanyl, which resulted in an overdose death in Airway Heights, Washington in May 2020. Ruff’s sentencing currently is set for July 15, 2022 in Spokane, Washington.
• United States v. Michael Lee Vantiger: Indicted on February 19, 2020 for possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. According to charging documents, Vantiger was found in possession of approximately 53,000 fentanyl-laced pills inside a rental car.
• United States v. Christopher West and Ron Montgomery: Indicted on January 7, 2020 on charges stemming from a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in the Tri-cities area. According to court documents, West and Montgomery’s distribution resulted in at least one overdose death.
For more information and local resources, visit Spokane.dea.gov as well as the national page: www.OperationEngage.com.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for District of Idaho Commemorates Sexual Assault Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
BOISE – Every April, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho join survivors, advocates, and communities nationwide in observing Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Sexual violence is far too prevalent, and it is important to not only raise awareness of the myriad forms of sexual violence, but to engage in meaningful prevention efforts, take action to hold offenders accountable, and care for survivors in a trauma-informed manner. U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr. joins the Department of Justice and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) in applauding the recent passage of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA 2022), which treats sexual assault as the serious violation it is and creates new programs and initiatives that provide survivors of sexual violence with increased access to services and justice. One such program is the Violence Against Women Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) program, which cross-designates tribal prosecutors as SAUSAs to support tribes and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in investigating and prosecuting cases involving sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, stalking, and certain sex trafficking offenses. VAWA 2022 also expands outreach to survivors in underserved communities by improving access to sexual assault medical forensic examinations for survivors in rural areas, providing community-specific services for LGBT survivors, and restoring tribes’ jurisdiction to prosecute non-Indian perpetrators of sexual violence and sex trafficking, among certain other offenses committed on tribal lands.
“This year, as we in Idaho recognize Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, we again commit to the victims of sexual assault that we will do everything in our power to support and deliver justice to them,” said U.S. Attorney Gonzalez. “Sexual assault victims are not alone, we in the law enforcement community stand shoulder to shoulder with them. Absolutely no one should live in fear of being sexually assaulted or of being retaliated against for reporting a sexual assault,” he concluded.
“During Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, and every month, OVW-funded programs across the nation provide essential services to survivors of sexual assault, responding to their needs, helping them heal, and supporting them as they pursue the justice they seek,” said OVW Principal Deputy Director Allison Randall. “The impact of sexual violence is felt by the entire community and can devastate survivors’ lives, which is why it is critical that VAWA 2022 strengthens not just services and justice interventions but also prevention.”
OVW funds resources in every jurisdiction, please see this website which lists OVW FY21 awards by state.
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
If you or someone you know is experiencing or has experienced sexual violence, you are not alone and there are many services available to help, including the Sexual Assault Hotline, 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), and the StrongHearts Native Helpline, 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483). In addition, you can find a local resources page on OVW’s website, which lists state sexual assault coalitions that can direct you to local resources and services, as well as opportunities to get involved.
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U.s. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana Commemorates Sexual Assault Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – The Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana join survivors, advocates, and communities nationwide in April to observe Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Sexual violence is far too prevalent, and it is important to not only to raise awareness of the myriad forms of sexual violence, but to engage in meaningful prevention efforts, take action to hold offenders accountable, and care for survivors in a trauma-informed manner.
U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson joins the Department of Justice and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) in applauding the recent passage of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA 2022), which treats sexual assault as the serious violation it is and creates new programs and initiatives that provide survivors of sexual violence with increased access to services and justice.
One such program is the Violence Against Women Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) program, which cross-designates tribal prosecutors as SAUSAs to support tribes and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in investigating and prosecuting cases involving sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, stalking, and certain sex trafficking offenses. VAWA 2022 also expands outreach to survivors in underserved communities, including by improving access to sexual assault medical forensic examinations for survivors in rural areas, providing community-specific services for LGBT survivors, and restoring tribes’ jurisdiction to prosecute non-Indian perpetrators of sexual violence and sex trafficking, among certain other offenses committed on tribal lands.
“Sexual violence has no place in society, yet it is a real, horrible and under-reported crime, especially in our tribal communities. All individuals, women, men and children, deserve to be safe from violence, including sexual violence. This office will continue to seek justice for victims by prosecuting and holding offenders accountable and supports healing and recovery for survivors while strengthening prevention and education efforts,” U.S. Attorney Johnson said.
“During Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, and every month, OVW-funded programs across the nation provide essential services to survivors of sexual assault, responding to their needs, helping them heal, and supporting them as they pursue the justice they seek,” said OVW Principal Deputy Director Allison Randall. “The impact of sexual violence is felt by the entire community and can devastate survivors’ lives, which is why it is critical that VAWA 2022 strengthens not just services and justice interventions but also prevention.”
According to the CDC and Prevention 2015 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey:
- 43.6% of women and 24.8% of men have experienced contact sexual violence,
- 21.3% of women and 2.6% of men reported being raped or subject to attempted rape in their lifetime,
- 37% of women and 17.9% of men have experienced unwanted sexual contact.
And according to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) study on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and Men, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people face disproportionate levels of violence, including sexual assault. Approximately 56.1% of AI/AN women and 27.5% of AI/AN men report experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime, with many of these assaults at the hands of non-Indian perpetrators.
OVW funds resources in every jurisdiction, please see this website which lists OVW FY21 awards by state. In 2021, OVW awarded $7.1 million in grants to 11 organizations/resources in Montana for survivors of sexual assault.
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges.
If you or someone you know is experiencing or has experienced sexual violence, you are not alone and there are many services available to help, including the Sexual Assault Hotline, 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), and the StrongHearts Native Helpline, 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483).
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Three California Women Indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Related OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on March 23, 2022, Davida Algie Fortenberry, Laje Elise Ford, and Chartanae Ajanee Lovely, all from Oakland, California, were indicted by a federal grand jury on wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that between May 2020 and June 2021, Fortenberry, Ford and Lovely, working with other unnamed co-conspirators, defrauded numerous victims using fraudulently obtained bank account information from US banks and foreign banks. The victims included Giant Food Stores in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The indictment also alleges that the women possessed more than 15 fraudulently obtained financial access devices. The indicted conspiracy took place in 13 states and Washington DC, and it resulted in losses exceeding $400,000.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, Harrisburg Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul J. Miovas, Jr. is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years’ imprisonment. These charges may also carry a fine and a term of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Tax fraud sends another to prisonRead the Press Release
LAREDO – As the filing deadline for tax season 2021 approaches, a woman has been ordered to federal prison following her conviction of preparing and filing false income tax returns, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Lisa Gonzalez pleaded guilty Sept. 9, 2021.
Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana sentenced Gonzalez to 12 months and a day in federal prison. Judge Saldana further ordered Gonzalez to pay $301,908 in restitution to the IRS.
At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence detailing that from 2012 to 2015, Gonzalez learned how to conduct her own scheme while working for another tax preparer. That individual was also convicted of the same crime. .
At the time of her plea, Gonzalez admitted she prepared fraudulent tax returns for clients under a business known as BG Tax Service. The false income tax returns resulted in a total loss of $301,908 in tax revenue for the IRS.
In the fraudulent tax returns, Gonzalez made false claims for earned income tax credit, business income losses, child tax credits, farm income, itemized deductions, residential energy credits, general business credits and American Opportunity credits.
Gonzalez was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
IRS-Criminal Information conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam L. Goldman prosecuted the case.
Statement of United States Attorney Breon Peace on the Verdict in United States v. EscobarRead the Press Release
“I am Breon Peace, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
Five years ago today, on April 11, 2017, the defendant Leniz Escobar lured five young men to a park not far from the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Long Island. Those five young men, in the prime of their lives, had no idea that Escobar was leading them to their death—into a killing field where MS-13 gang members lay in wait, armed with machetes, an axe, knives, tree limbs, and a chisel. One of the young men managed to escape and lived to tell his story to a federal jury. His four friends were not so fortunate. Escobar’s cohorts hacked and beat them to death. One of the murder victims was so disfigured he was only identifiable by dental records.
Today, on the five-year anniversary of this tragic mass murder, a federal jury delivered justice to Escobar. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims. We know that the verdict does not erase the pain you wake up with every day and will always carry with you. But, we hope that this day brings some measure of consolation.
My Office, and all our law enforcement partners on the FBI’s Long Island gang task force will not rest until every single MS-13 gang member and associate responsible for this horrendous crime is held accountable. I am so grateful for my amazing team – prosecutors Paul Scotti, Justina Geraci, and Megan Farrell, paralegal Shernita Moore-Glasgow, along with the FBI special agents and the Suffolk County detectives who did such great work on this important case.
Finally, I want to thank the jury. They came from all over our District to the courthouse for three weeks during a pandemic. They were committed to serve, to do justice and that is exactly what they did.”
Click here for a video of the statement.
Six men indicted for illegal firearms possession, drugsRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Six defendants are among those facing federal charges including drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms after separate indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, while recent actions in U.S. District Court include guilty pleas and criminal sentences related to illegal gun possession.
The indicted cases are being investigated part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.
“It is a priority of our office to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to target those whose illegal possession of firearms threatens the safety of our communities,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We won’t tolerate violent criminal activity in the Southern District.”
In the past four years, more than 750 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony.
Defendants named in federal indictments from the April 2022 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include:
- Juan Eloy Quintanilla, 29, of Willacoochee, Ga., charged with Distribution of Hydrocodone and Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Five or More Grams of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Rashejon B. Curry, 28, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Marijuana; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;
- Nequan O’Neal Roberson, 22, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Charles Barnes, 50, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;
- Kareem M. Harris, 38, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and,
- James Hoffman, 37, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Additional defendants recently have been adjudicated on federal charges that include illegal firearms possession:
- Charles Aimee Fields Jr., a/k/a “Slim,” 33, of Savannah, was sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Distribution of Crack Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Fields is among 14 defendants indicted in September 2021 for their roles in operating an open-air drug market in an area of Savannah called “The Dips.”
- Demont Latrell Gresham, 33, of Washington, Ga., was sentenced 34 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Gresham ran from Wilkes County Sheriff’s Deputies and Georgia State Patrol troopers in July 2020 when they attempted to arrest him on an outstanding warrant, and officers found a rifle in his vehicle. He was arrested in August 2020 when located by Wilkes County deputies.
- Ashley Lanier Powell, 39, of Pulaski, Ga., was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after being found guilty at trial Nov. 8, 2021, for Possession of a Firearm by a User of Illegal Drugs, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. Powell, who was on probation for a conviction of domestic violence, was arrested in May 2019 in Twin City, Ga., after a police officer saw two firearms in Powell’s vehicle.
- Charles Kevin Matthews, 50, of Carlton, Ga., was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Matthews was on parole for a prior state conviction when investigators found a pistol in his possession during a search of his girlfriend’s residence.
- James Ricardo Harris, 29, of Augusta, was sentenced to 26 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Harris was arrested in May 2019 when Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies found him in possession of a pistol during a traffic stop.
- Keyon Quinton Adams, 28, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. U.S. Marshals serving warrants for Adams’ arrest on Florida charges found him in possession of a pistol when they took him into custody in October 2021 in Martinez.
- Phillip Allen Loughry, 41, of Baxley, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Appling County Sheriff’s deputies charged Loughry after he ran from a December 2020 traffic stop and dropped a pistol as deputies pursued and captured him.
- Ricardo DeAngelo Norman, 33, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by an Unlawful Drug User. Norman was charged in the October 2021 indictment in Operation Washout, an investigation into a cocaine-trafficking ring in the greater Burke County area.
- Fredrick Connell Blount, 38, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Blount was arrested after a traffic stop in August 2020 when Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found a pistol in the vehicle Blount was driving.
- De’Montre Murray, 22, of Columbia, S.C., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A four-time convicted felon, Murray was charged after a June 21 chase by Glynn County Sheriff’s deputies and the Georgia State Patrol on Interstate 95 for 57 miles at speeds up to 100 mph. A pistol was discovered in the stolen vehicle Murray was driving.
- Jamie Lee Cogan, 37, of Thomson, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Cogan in April 2021 after finding him in possession of a pistol. Cogan was being sought at the time by Pickens County, Ga., authorities on a warrant for violating probation.
- Antoine Ladson, 33, of Brunswick, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Brunswick Police officers arrested Ladson in January 2021 after finding him in possession of large amounts of drugs, cash and a pistol while loitering near a liquor store.
- Treyon Antonio Williams, 30, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Savannah Police officers investigating reports of gunshots in February 2021 arrested Williams on an outstanding felony warrant after finding a pistol in his pocket.
Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including Jeremiah L. Johnson, Steven H. Lee, Marcela C. Mateo, Patricia G. Rhodes, and Henry W. Syms Jr., with firearms forfeitures coordinated through the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office Asset Recovery Unit.
Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.
For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.
Six Southern California Companies Ordered to Pay $1.83 Billion in Restitution for Scheming to Avoid Payment of Aluminum DutiesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Six Southern California companies today were ordered to pay $1.83 billion in restitution for participating in a conspiracy to defraud the United States through a scheme in which huge amounts of aluminum – disguised as “pallets” to avoid $1.8 billion in customs duties – were exported to the United States and were “sold” to fraudulently inflate a China-based company’s revenues and deceive investors worldwide.
United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner sentenced two aluminum businesses and four warehousing companies – all of which were related to one another – to five years of probation, which is the maximum penalty permitted by law, and ordered them to pay $1.83 billion in restitution. The defendants are:
- Perfectus Aluminium Inc., an Ontario-based business;
- Perfectus Aluminium Acquisitions LLC, a subsidiary of Perfectus Aluminium formed in 2014 to oversee several companies that received aluminum pallets shipped to the United States after duties were imposed on Chinese aluminum in 2011;
- Scuderia Development LLC, which owns a warehouse in Riverside;
- 1001 Doubleday LLC, which owns a warehouse in Ontario;
- Von Karman – Main Street LLC, which owns a warehouse in Irvine; and
- 10681 Production Avenue LLC, which owns a warehouse in Fontana.
At the conclusion of a nine-day trial in August 2021, a federal jury found all six corporate entities guilty of one count of conspiracy, nine counts of wire fraud and seven counts of passing false and fraudulent papers through a customhouse. The Perfectus Aluminium defendants also were found guilty of seven counts of international promotional money laundering.
“The Perfectus and Warehouse defendants were integral participants in this conspiracy,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “Indeed, they existed only to perpetrate it.”
The corporate defendants sentenced today – along with indicted defendants China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd., Asia’s largest manufacturer of aluminum extrusions; Zhongtian Liu, the company’s former president and chairman; and several other individuals – lied to U.S. Customs and Border Protection to avoid paying the United States $1.8 billion in anti-dumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) that were imposed in 2011 on certain types of extruded aluminum imported into the United States from China.
The aluminum sold to United States-based companies controlled by Liu was simply aluminum extrusions that were spot-welded together to make them appear to be functional pallets. In fact, there were no customers for the 2.2 million pallets imported by the Liu-controlled companies between 2011 and 2014, and no pallets were ever sold.
The vast majority of the pallets were imported through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and then stockpiled at four large warehouses in Southern California, all of which were purchased at Liu’s direction.
Liu and his co-defendants orchestrated the bogus sales of aluminum to Liu-controlled companies in Southern California to falsely inflate China Zhongwang’s value. Liu was the majority owner of China Zhongwang, which has been listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong since a 2009 initial public offering that raised $1.26 billion.
After the AD/CVD duties were put in place in 2011, China Zhongwang’s annual reports falsely claimed that there was a robust demand for the aluminum pallets in the United States. Although the annual reports asserted that the aluminum pallets were being sold to independent third parties – and the defendants used these reported “sales” to inflate China Zhongwang’s reported sales volume and purported volume of exports to the United States – in fact the aluminum was being stockpiled by Liu-controlled entities in more than 2 million square feet of warehouse space owned by the warehouse defendants in Southern California, as well as at Liu’s New Jersey facility.
Since there was no actual demand for the pallets, Liu and China Zhongwang arranged for aluminum melting facilities to be built and acquired, which were to be used to reconfigure the aluminum imported as pallets into a form with commercial value.
The defendants facilitated their schemes by laundering hundreds of millions of dollars through shell companies to the U.S.-based aluminum companies controlled by Liu. The funds were then transferred to China Zhongwang and the other shell companies as payments for the aluminum.
On March 24, Judge Klausner ordered the forfeiture to the United States the seized aluminum, currently estimated to be worth approximately $70 million.
The remaining four defendants charged in a 2019 federal grand jury indictment in this case have yet to appear in court in the United States to face the criminal charges in this matter:
- Zhongtian Liu, 58, a billionaire Chinese citizen who is a former Tustin resident, and who is the former president and former chairman of the board of China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd.;
- China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd., a publicly traded aluminum company based in Liaoyang City that at the time of the indictment was the largest aluminum extrusion manufacturer in Asia and the second largest in the world, and which has accrued approximately $3.6 million in contempt sanctions for its failure to appear in this case;
- Zhaohua Chen, 62, a Chinese national who allegedly was a close friend of Liu and a key player in the scheme; and
- Xiang Chun Shao, a.k.a. “Johnson Shao,”60, most recently of Irvine, who allegedly managed a collection of Southern California businesses that pretended to be independent third parties importing the Chinese aluminum, including the Perfectus defendants.
In 2017, the United States Attorney’s Office filed civil forfeiture actions against the four Southern California warehouses used by Perfectus to store the pallets. In 2018, the government filed a fifth civil forfeiture complaint against “approximately 279,808 Aluminum Structures in the Shape of Pallets,” about half of which were seized in early 2017 at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and the other half were seized from three other warehouses Perfectus was using to store the pallets.
Those civil asset forfeiture cases have been stayed pending the completion of the criminal prosecution.
Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Roger A. Hsieh and Gregory D. Bernstein of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan S. Galatzan, Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Section, is handling the asset forfeiture-related portion of this case.
San Antonio Man Convicted of Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Today U.S. District Court Judge Fred Biery found Chance Anthony Uptmore, 25, of San Antonio, guilty of one count of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(3).
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on January 18, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Uptmore’s residence for his involvement in the January 6th Capitol Riots in Washington D.C. During a search of the Defendant’s residence, he was found to be in possession of a loaded Taurus .38 Special Revolver along with more than 13 pounds in gross weight of marijuana; approximately 1.8 pounds in gross weight of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) edible products; approximately 1.2 pounds in gross weight of THC waxes, dabs and oils; and approximately one-third of a pound in gross weight of Psilocin mushrooms.
According to testimony from law enforcement officers at trial along with Uptmore’s own video recorded statements, Uptmore described himself as a “weedaholic” who smoked marijuana, by his own estimation, multiple times per day. Uptmore admitted to officers that at the time of his arrest in January 2021, there had not “been a day where [Uptmore] had not gotten high all day in at least six months, maybe even a year.” At the conclusion of trial, the Court concluded that Uptmore was both an unlawful user of and addicted to controlled substances at the time he possessed the loaded revolver.
Uptmore is scheduled for sentencing on July 26, 2022 and faces up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson made the announcement.
The FBI’s San Antonio Joint Terrorist Task Force (JTTF) is investigating the case, with the assistance of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) and San Antonio Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Mark T. Roomberg are prosecuting the case.
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Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 32 Years for Kidnapping and Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky. — A Parkersburg, Penn., man, Nathan Thomas Welch, 53, was sentenced on Monday, to 384 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, after previously being convicted of kidnapping and sexual assault.
According to testimony at his trial, on July 10, 2020 (and the early hours of July 11, 2020), Welch and Charles Glorioso, 53, of Portsmouth, Ohio, kidnapped a woman at knifepoint. The victim was driving the two men, in her vehicle, from Portsmouth, into Greenup County, Kentucky. There, the victim testified, both men physically and sexually assaulted her, until she was allowed to leave, when she traveled back across the river on foot. The incident was reported to police and she was transported to the hospital, for treatment of multiple injuries sustained during the assault. Later, where the assault took place in Greenup County, officers located the victim’s abandoned vehicle, her belt, shoe, and sandal, as well as the knife used during the kidnapping, all in or near the vehicle.
Welch was convicted by a federal jury in December 2021. Glorioso was convicted by a federal jury, in March 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced in June 2022.
Under federal law, Welch must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Louisville Field Office; Col. Phillip Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Chief Debby Brewer, Portsmouth Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by FBI, KSP, the Portsmouth Police Department, and the Ohio Bureau of Investigation. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco Villalobos.
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Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Claysville, Pennsylvania, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet was sentenced on April 1, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken.
Kevin William Clements, age 24, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Clements will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Clements was arrested and federally indicted as a result of an undercover sex trafficking operation conducted during the 2020 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, targeting internet predators. Clements initiated sexual chats with what he believed to be a 13-year-old prostitute, but who was in fact an undercover agent. Clements then negotiated a time and place he would meet the minor to engage in unlawful sex acts. When Clements went to the pre-determined location to meet the minor’s pimp, he was met by law enforcement. Clements attempted to flee by driving his motorcycle away and fought with agents until he was tased and placed under arrest.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins prosecuted the case.
Clements was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Parma Heights Man Convicted of Distributing Fentanyl that Led to Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that a federal jury returned guilty verdicts on Thursday, April 7, 2022, against Defendant Marcus L. Sanders, 24, of Parma Heights, Ohio, following a four-day trial before Judge Benita Y. Pearson in Youngstown. Sanders was found guilty of distributing fentanyl that led to the death of an individual and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, N-Butyl Pentylone, cocaine and marijuana.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on May 3, 2020, Middleburg Heights Police responded to a call for a suspected overdose at a residence. First responders arrived and transported the individual to a hospital, where they were later pronounced deceased. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and determined the victim’s cause of death to be acute intoxication by fentanyl and diphenhydramine.
Law enforcement officials began an investigation into the overdose incident and identified Sanders as the person who had distributed the fentanyl that led to the fatal overdose. Sanders was later arrested, and his residence and vehicle were searched. During the search, officials obtained quantities of fentanyl, N-Butyl Pentylone, heroin, cocaine and marijuana.
Sanders is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4, 2022, and faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.
This case was investigated by the Middleburgh Heights Police Department and the DEA, with assistance from the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office, the Cuyahoga County Regional Forensic Science Laboratory, and the FBI Cellular Analysis Survey Team. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James P. Lewis and Patrick P. Burke.
Orleans Parish Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KENDALL GILMER, JR., age 41, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty on April 6, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to possession with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B), and being a felon in possession of firearms in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on October 18, 2021, after conducting surveillance on GILMER, Drug Enforcement Administration agents and New Orleans Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop on GILMER, who was driving on North Claiborne Avenue in New Orleans. A search of GILMER’s vehicle revealed 80.3 grams of methamphetamine, 10.69 grams of a mixture and substance containing heroin and fentanyl, and two semi-automatic handguns.
For possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, GILMER faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of five years, up to forty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. For being a felon in possession of firearms, GILMER faces up to ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years supervised release. For both counts, GILMER faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers.
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Oklahoma City Man Pays Nearly $123,000 to Settle Claims That He Wrongfully Obtained Social Security Benefits to Which He Was Not EntitledRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – David Lehman ("Lehman"), paid $122,949 to settle civil False Claims Act allegations that he obtained and used Social Security benefits to which he was not entitled, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
The United States alleges that from April 2013, through March 2019, Social Security benefits were deposited into the bank account of a deceased Social Security beneficiary. The Social Security benefits would not have been paid had the United States been notified of the beneficiary’s death. Lehman had access to the beneficiary’s bank account and withdrew the Social Security benefits for his own use. To resolve these allegations, Lehman agreed to pay $122,949 to the United States.
In reaching this settlement, Lehman did not admit liability, and the government did not make any concessions about the legitimacy of the claims. The agreement allows the parties to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty involved in litigating the case.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General-Office of Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gallegos prosecuted the case.
Ocala Man Who Threatened Sheriff Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Lonnie Lorenzo Hollingsworth, Jr. (37, Ocala) to three years in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. Hollingsworth had been found guilty following a bench trial on October 15, 2021.
According to court documents, Hollingsworth had previously threatened the Marion County Sheriff, and his deputies, in connection with an event on March 10, 2013, wherein Hollingsworth was shot by an individual Hollingsworth was attempting to rob. The incident resulted in Hollingsworth being arrested and convicted for attempted strong arm robbery. Despite his guilty plea in that case, Hollingsworth blamed the Sheriff’s Office for his prosecution, claiming that he was a victim.
On December 18, 2020, Hollingsworth walked into the Marion County Jail visitation center and handed over a package containing a “manifesto” detailing his desire to retaliate against the Sheriff. Four days later, he taped an identical copy of the manifesto to the doors of the Marion County Courthouse.
Three months later, on April 5, 2021, Hollingsworth called 911 from an Ocala gas station and threatened the Sheriff with violence. Ocala Police officers responded to the scene and were successful in deescalating the situation with Hollingsworth. A round of ammunition was found in Hollingsworth’s possession, which he is prohibited from possessing under federal law due to his five prior felony convictions.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Ocala Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
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.