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Wednesday 30 March 2022
Chinese National Charged with Acting as an Unregistered Agent of the Chinese Government in the United StatesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging SUN HOI YING, a/k/a “Sun Haiying” (“SUN”), a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”), with acting and conspiring to act in the United States as an unregistered agent of the PRC Government. SUN is at large in China.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The PRC Government launched a campaign dubbed ‘Operation Fox Hunt,’ a global plot to repress dissent and to forcibly repatriate so-called ‘fugitives’ – including citizens living legally in the United States – through the use of unsanctioned, unilateral, and illegal practices. We allege Mr. Sun, as part of that campaign, attempted to threaten and coerce a victim into bending to the PRC’s will, even using a co-conspirator who is a member of local U.S. law enforcement to reinforce that the victim had no choice but to comply with the PRC Government’s demands. Today’s charges reflect this Office’s continued commitment, working hand in hand with our partners at the FBI, to combat transnational repression and bring to justice those who perpetrate it.”
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said: “This case demonstrates, once again, the PRC’s disdain for the rule of law and its efforts to coerce and intimidate those it targets on our shores as part of its Operation Fox Hunt. The defendant allegedly traveled to the United States and enlisted others, including a sworn law enforcement officer, to spy on and blackmail his victims. Such conduct is both criminal and reprehensible.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “As alleged, Sun Hoi Ying, acting at the direction of the PRC government, engaged in a range of activities designed to pressure individuals in the United States to return to the PRC to face charges brought by the Chinese government. Our commitment to protecting the freedoms enjoyed by all United States residents is steadfast. Today's action is the latest example of our unwavering determination to combat transnational repression in all its forms.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
The FBI has been involved in an investigation of individuals who, working at the direction of the PRC Government, have engaged in an international campaign, known alternatively as “Operation Fox Hunt” and “Operation Skynet,” to pressure individuals located in the United States and elsewhere outside the PRC to return to the PRC to face charges brought by the PRC Government or to otherwise reach financial settlements with the PRC Government.
From at least approximately February 2017 to February 2022, SUN acted in the United States as an agent of the PRC Government, without notifying the U.S. Attorney General as required by law. In particular, SUN conducted operations in the United States on behalf of the PRC Government to pressure, threaten, and collect personal information regarding victims of Operation Fox Hunt. Among other things, as part of his operations at the direction of the PRC Government, SUN hired private investigators in the United States to gather personal information on Operation Fox Hunt targets, labeled as “fugitives” by the PRC Government, and provided some of that information to the PRC Government.
For example, at the direction of the PRC Government, SUN used private investigators to conduct surveillance and collect personal information of a U.S. citizen (“Victim-1”) located in New York City who was a target of Operation Fox Hunt. Personal identifying information of Victim-1 collected by SUN, including Victim-1’s home address and photograph, was later published by the PRC Government in a list of Operation Fox Hunt targets. During the time SUN was collecting information about Victim-1 for the PRC Government, Victim-1’s daughter (“Victim-2”), a U.S. citizen who was pregnant at the time, was held against her will in the PRC for approximately eight months. PRC Government representatives told Victim-2 not to request help from the U.S. Government and that she would not be permitted to leave the PRC until Victim-2 helped cause Victim-1 to return to the PRC.
SUN also sought out, located, and met with another Operation Fox Hunt target (“Victim-3”) in New York City, in coordination with a co-conspirator who is a local U.S. law enforcement officer. During those meetings, SUN threatened and pressured Victim-3, including by threatening that the PRC Government would take certain adverse and retaliatory actions if Victim-3 did not comply with the demands of the PRC Government.
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SUN, 53, of China, is charged with one count of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division, and thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, for their assistance.
The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J.C. Hellman and Kyle A. Wirshba are in charge of the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The charges in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Castlewood Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Government in Pandemic Unemployment SchemeRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – One of the 33 individuals charged with defrauding the federal government of more than $499,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits was sentenced this week to 30 months in federal prison.
Timothy Hunter Hileman, 29, of Castlewood, Virginia, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement officers.
According to court documents, over the course of nine months, Hileman conspired with Leelynn Danielle Chytka, Gregory Marcus Tackett, Jeffery Ryan Tackett, and others to file fraudulent claims with the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) on behalf of dozens of individuals who were not entitled to those benefits. Chytka, the mastermind behind the scheme, and Greg Tackett were both sentenced to nine years in prison, while Jeff Tackett received eight and a half years’ imprisonment.
Conspiracy members lied on VEC forms as part of the scheme to make filers appear eligible for unemployment benefits. Because pandemic unemployment benefits were paid weekly, each of those filings to the VEC website re-verified and re-certified the false statements on numerous occasions throughout the scheme, with the total cost to the United States of over $499,000.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia; Syreeta Scott, Special Agent in Charge, Philadelphia Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General; and Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C., Field Office made the announcement.
The Department of Labor - Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C., Field Office, the Norton Police Department, and the Russell County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Daniel J. Murphy prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Case Concludes Involving Organized Fraud Ring in DetroitRead the Press Release
The last of eight members of an organized fraud ring based in Detroit has been sentenced, concluding a multi-year prosecution that originated with a twenty-three-count indictment alleging conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Josh P. Hauxhurst, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Detroit Field Office, Rodney Hopkins, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Detroit Division, Reginal A. DeMatteis, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, and Michael Patton, Chief of Police, West Bloomfield Police Department.
Today, Tayan Jackson, 35, of Los Angeles, CA, was sentenced to 2 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Terrence G. Berg. The defendant was also ordered to repay $404,386.70 in restitution. Collectively, the defendants in this case have been ordered to pay more than $2.3 million in restitution.
According to court records, the defendants obtained stolen credit card information on the dark web and from other sources, which they then used to produce counterfeit or “cloned” credit cards. The defendants then traveled to Walmart stores throughout the United States, often in small groups, where they used the cloned credit cards of the unwitting accountholders to purchase gift cards, typically in $500 increments. Members of the group often purchased tens of thousands of dollars in gift cards in a single day, hitting multiple Walmart stores in a given city before returning home to Michigan. Upon their return, the gift cards were then resold for cash and other items, to conceal and disguise the nature and source of the illicit proceeds. The scheme began in 2015, lasted for nearly three years, and resulted in millions in losses.
During the investigation, the government also discovered that the group was involved in yet another fraudulent scheme, which began in 2017 and targeted AT&T. The defendants used personal identifiable information that they obtained from the dark web and other sources to create cell phone accounts with AT&T, all without their victims’ knowledge or permission. Members of the group and others would then purchase Apple iPhones using the victims’ accounts. The iPhones were then resold for profit. Multiple defendants pleaded guilty to their involvement in the AT&T scheme and received sentences ranging from 4 to 8 years.
“This was an incredibly sophisticated group, who engaged in widespread fraud across multiple states over multiple years, stealing millions of dollars in the process,” stated United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “This prosecution is a prime example of our commitment to breaking up these organized crime rings, and holding their members accountable for the full scope of their criminal conduct.”
Ison also applauded all of the work that went into the prosecution, remarking, “This was a team effort, and I want to thank not only our federal law enforcement partners, but the numerous state and local law enforcement agencies around the country who assisted in identifying the members of this group. I also want to commend the incredible work done by Walmart’s Global Investigations Team, AT&T’s Asset Protection Team, and American Express Global Security—all of which were integral to the investigation and successful prosecution of this group.”
“Identity theft and credit card fraud are not victimless crimes. They have a profound negative impact on the individual whose identity is stolen,” said Josh Hauxhurst, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work in close partnership with the members of the Detroit Metro Identity Theft Task Force to identify and disrupt individuals and criminal organizations engaged in these schemes.”
“For several years, these individuals thought they had gotten away with their scheme to exploit Personally Identifiable Information (PII), obtained via the dark web, and use it to steal from retailers and rob their victims of their financial information. Today’s conclusion of this case serves as a reminder to those who engage in a criminal enterprise that law enforcement will spare no resource to find you and bring you to justice for your criminal activity,” said Inspector in Charge Rodney M. Hopkins, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Detroit Division.
“Today’s announcement illustrates the Secret Service’s commitment to combating identity theft,” said Reginald A. DeMatteis II, Special Agent in Charge, Secret Service Charlotte Field Office. “This case was a collaborative effort between the law enforcement community and the private sector to bring those who choose to victimize the American public to justice.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Detroit Metro Identity Theft Task Force, which includes representatives of the FBI, Auburn Hills Police Department, Birmingham Police Department, and Bloomfield Township Police Department along with assistance from the US Postal Inspection Service, West Bloomfield Township Police Department and Ellisville, MO Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan A. Particka and Mark Chasteen.California Marketer Sentenced for Paying Millions in Kickbacks to Unlawfully Induce PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Manuel J. Bojorquez, 44, of Anaheim, California, was sentenced to 36 months of probation, with 18 months to be served on home confinement, and ordered to pay over $3.3 million in restitution for offering and paying kickbacks to physicians to prescribe compounded medications.
According to court documents, Bojorquez was the owner and operator of MD Medical Distribution LLC d/b/a DynaMD, a California-based company. Beginning in 2013, and continuing through 2016, Bojorquez served as a marketer for various Indiana-based compounding pharmacies. Compounding typically involves the preparation of medication by combining and mixing different types and dosages of ingredients to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient and for which there is no equivalent form commercially available.
Bojorquez used his marketing company to funnel millions of dollars to Chicago-based physicians, in exchange for their referral of prescriptions to the Indiana-based pharmacies. Bojorquez and his marketing company received a percentage of the money paid for those kickback-induced prescriptions. The United States Department of Labor – Office of Workers Compensation Programs (DOL-OWCP) paid over $8 million for those kickback-induced prescriptions. The DOL-OWCP is a federal health care benefit program that serves a variety of federal employees.
“Paying kickbacks in exchange for the referral of federally covered prescriptions is a serious crime,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “The defendant chose to illegally enrich himself by exploiting our healthcare system. These crimes increase healthcare costs for everyone covered by the programs. The sentence imposed today shows that our office will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to uncover these schemes and hold those who execute them accountable.”
“This sentencing should send a clear message to healthcare providers that the government is vigilantly protecting federal benefit programs from corruption and fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Andre Martin of United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The USPS OIG appreciates our law enforcement partners for their commitment and efforts in this investigation. The USPS OIG will continue to vigorously investigate those who engage in activities to defraud federal benefit programs and the U.S. Postal Service.”
“This sentence sends a clear message that those who commit fraud or pay kickbacks will not get away with their illegal actions,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert Stapleton. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will always work together to investigate allegations of health care fraud and ensure perpetrators are held accountable.”
“Mr. Bojorquez committed fraud against an important government healthcare program, and corrupted the objectivity of the physicians involved,” said Justin Campbell, IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Field Office. “The IRS is pleased to join our partners in holding Mr. Bojorquez accountable.”
This case is the last of a series of related civil and criminal compounding medication investigations conducted in this district over the course of the last four years, all investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Internal Revenue Service; and the United States Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General. The results of the investigations include the previous conviction of an Indianapolis chiropractor for paying and receiving kickbacks, and an agreed payment of over $4 million by owners of Indiana-based compounding pharmacies to health care programs.
The Office of the Indiana Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the United States Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service also provided invaluable assistance. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Cindy J. Cho who prosecuted this case.
Brownsville man ordered to prison for exploiting 4-year-oldRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 21-year-old local man has been sent to federal prison for production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Marcos Daniel Gomez pleaded guilty Oct. 27, 2021.
Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera Jr. sentenced Gomez to serve 192 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including a statement from the victim’s mother detailing the pain and overwhelming sadness brought about by Gomez’ abuse. Gomez will serve 30 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
From June 1 to 20, 2020 Gomez solicited a four-year-old boy to engage in sexually explicit conduct which he recorded with his cell phone.
Gomez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations – Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Browning man sentenced to 38 months in prison for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Browning man who admitted to having child pornography images and videos on his cellular phone was sentenced today to 38 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Edward James Hovey, 30, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to possession of child pornography.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Chief Judge Morris also ordered $6,000 restitution.
The government alleged in court documents that in June 2021, a witness brought Hovey’s cellular phone to a Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services officer, said it contained images of nude children and showed the officer some of the files. The officer seized the phone, which was searched pursuant to a warrant. The phone contained images and videos of child pornography. At the time of the investigation, Hovey lived in Browning, located on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Hovey admitted in an interview that the phone belonged to him and that he had used it for the past few months to seek child pornography on the internet.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation.
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Bronx Man Sentenced for Trespassing at Albany International AirportRead the Press Release
BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – Stan Johnson, age 23, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty today and was sentenced to time served (approximately 6 months in jail) for trespassing at the Albany International Airport on May 24, 2021.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Albany County Sheriff Craig D. Apple Sr.
As part of his guilty plea, Johnson admitted that at the Albany airport on May 24, 2021, he breached the perimeter fence, crossed the airfield, and entered an unoccupied aircraft, where he sat in the cockpit. He then exited the airplane and entered the airport terminal through a gate access door, which he propped open; he then walked around the terminal hiding from security. He did not submit to security screening of his person or property before trespassing on airport property and entering the airplane.
Following Johnson’s plea, Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy sentenced Johnson to time served (approximately 6 months in jail) and 1 year of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the Federal Air Marshal Service, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping.
Baxley, Ga., woman gets maximum sentence for meth-distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: An Appling County woman has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Linda Timblin, 48, of Baxley, Ga., was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Timblin to serve three years of supervised release after completion of her prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Methamphetamine is a deadly drug with disastrous consequences for our communities, including the violent crimes linked to trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our office will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to hold meth merchants accountable and remove them from our streets.”
As described in court documents and testimony, investigators with the Appling County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Savannah Office in November 2018 identified Timblin as working with others to pick up large amounts of methamphetamine from a supplier in Atlanta and bring it back to the Waycross area for distribution. After searches resulting from a traffic stop, investigators found nearly 500 grams of methamphetamine concealed in a hotel room Timblin rented in Baxley, Ga.
Timblin, whose lengthy criminal history includes three prior felony convictions, was on state probation from a 2016 conviction for sale of methamphetamine at the time of her arrest.
“This reoffending ‘meth’ trafficker was caught because of the joint efforts between DEA and its law enforcement counterparts,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “This defendant will now spend well-deserved time in prison and her sentencing makes the Appling County community a safer place.”
The case was investigated by the DEA and the Appling County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
Avoca Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Jeffery Scott Holsinger, age 32, of Avoca, was sentenced today in federal court to 70 months in prison for Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. His term of imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release. According to court documents, Holsinger pleaded guilty to the charge on November 18, 2021.
On June 2, 2021, Holsinger was driving in Shelby County when he was stopped by law enforcement for not wearing a seatbelt and driving without a front license plate. During the traffic stop, law enforcement smelled the odor of burnt marijuana coming from the car and performed a probable cause search. During the search, law enforcement found a loaded 9mm handgun in a pouch on the front passenger seat that also contained pawn receipts for Holsinger. Holsinger is a prior convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Iowa.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Appoints 12 Members to Advisory Committee of U.S. AttorneysRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the appointment of 12 U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. The first meeting of the AGAC will take place later this spring.
The appointees include U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Trini Ross for the Western District of New York; U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana; U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris for the Central District of Illinois; U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. An appointee from a district within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will be announced at a later date, once the Senate has confirmed nominees.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams will serve as the Chair of the AGAC, and U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung will serve as the Vice Chair.
“These United States Attorneys will represent the views of dedicated federal prosecutors across the country, and provide advice and insight into essential matters facing the Department,” said Attorney General Garland. “I look forward to working alongside them in carrying out the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”
A brief bio on each appointee is below:
Damian Williams (Chair)
The Senate confirmed Damian Williams’ appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in October 2021. Williams began his legal career as a law clerk to then-Judge Merrick Garland when he served in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2007 to 2008. Williams then served as a law clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court from 2008 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, he was a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. From 2012 to 2021, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. In the role, he served as a chief of the securities and commodities fraud task force from 2018 to 2021. He received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Harvard University in 2002, a Master of Philosophy in international relations from Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge in 2003, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2007, where he was also an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
Cindy K. Chung (Vice Chair)
The Senate confirmed Cindy K. Chung’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania in November 2021. In 2002 and 2003, Chung served as a law clerk for Judge Myron H. Thompson in the Middle District of Alabama. She then joined the New York County District Attorney’s Office in 2003, serving as an assistant district attorney until 2007 and as investigation counsel in the Official Corruption Unit from 2007 to 2009. From 2009 to 2014, Chung served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. She later joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, serving as deputy chief of the major crimes division. From 2014 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Chung earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2002.
Darcie McElwee
The Senate confirmed Darcie McElwee’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine in October 2021. McElwee began her legal career as an assistant district attorney for the Penobscot and Piscataquis counties in Maine from 1998 to 2002. Between 2005 and 2008, McElwee was an adjunct professor of advanced trial advocacy at the University of Maine School of Law. From 2002 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. Since 2005, she has been the coordinator of Project Safe Neighborhoods. McElwee received her Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College in 1995 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law in 1998.
Trini Ross
The Senate confirmed Trini Ross’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York in September 2021. Ross began her career as an appellate attorney for the New York Supreme Court. She was an associate at Hiscock & Barclay LLC before joining the Office of Professional Responsibility as assistant counsel. From 1995 to 2018, Ross served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. She has also been an adjunct professor of law at Buffalo Law School. She has also served as director of the investigations for the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General since 2018. Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1988, a Master of Arts from Rutgers University in 1990, and a Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1992.
Sandra Hairston
The Senate confirmed Sandra Hairston as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina in November 2021. Hairston previously served as an assistant district attorney in Columbus County, North Carolina, from 1987 to 1989 and as a special assistant district attorney in Guilford County, North Carolina from 1989 to 1990. From 1994 to 1996, she served as Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina before returning to the Middle District of North Carolina in 1996. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in 1990 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Hairston previously held the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina from 2014 to 2021. From March 1, 2021, until her Senate confirmation, she served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. Hairston received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1981 and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1987.
Brandon Brown
The Senate confirmed Brandon Brown as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana in December 2021. From 2007 to 2012, Brown served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office. He was also an associate at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins & Guice LLP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2012, he has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and a Master of Business Administration in 2004 from Louisiana Tech University, followed by a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Southern University Law Center.
Dawn N. Ison
The Senate confirmed Dawn N. Ison as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2021. In 1989 and 1990, Ison was a prehearing attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals. From 1990 to 2002, she was an attorney in private practice when she focused on criminal matters as well as a range of civil matters. In 2002, Ison began serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. She also served as chief of the Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit. Ison earned a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor from the Wayne State University Law School.
Gregory Harris
The Senate confirmed Gregory Harris as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois in December 2021. Harris began his career as a lawyer for the Office of the State Appellate Defender in 1976 where he represented indigent criminal defendants on appeal. From 1979 to 1980, he served as legal counsel for the Illinois Governor’s Office of Manpower and Human Development and later as a staff attorney for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Development. From 1980 to 1988, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. From 1988 to 2001, he was a lawyer for Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes in Springfield, Illinois. He later rejoined the Central District of Illinois in 2001, where he served as chief of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney. Harris was born in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1971 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law in 1976.
Andrew Luger
The Senate confirmed Andrew Luger as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota in March 2022. He previously served in that role during the Obama administration and briefly during the Trump administration from 2014 to 2017. Prior to his appointment, Luger was a partner in the Minneapolis office of Jones Day from 2017 – 2022. Luger has also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, from 1989 to 1992, and for the District of Minnesota from 1992 to 1995, where he prosecuted a wide variety of narcotics and violent crimes, as well as complex white collar frauds. In 1995, Luger joined the law firm of Greene Espel in Minneapolis, where he was a partner until 2014. Luger earned a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
Gary Restaino
The Senate confirmed Gary Restaino as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Restaino served in Paraguay with the Peace Corps. From 1996 to 1999, he provided legal services to seasonal farm workers as a lawyer with Community Legal Services. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a civil rights lawyer in the Arizona Attorney General's Office. He then served as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Restaino joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona in 2003. He was nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney in October 2021. Restaino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College in 1990 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996.
Cole Finegan
The Senate confirmed Cole Finegan as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Finegan served both as Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Policy and Initiatives for Colorado Governor Roy Romer. From 1993 to 2003, Finegan was a partner for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Denver office. Finegan joined Hogan Lovells (then Hogan & Hartson) in 2007 as a partner. Finegan acted as an adviser to Governor Hickenlooper and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. Finegan attended the University of Notre Dame from 1974 to 1978, earning a degree in English. Finegan earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986.
Matthew Graves
The Senate confirmed Matthew Graves as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in October 2021. After graduating law school, Graves began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Richard W. Roberts of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. From 2002 to 2007, he was an associate at WilmerHale. From 2007 to 2016, Graves worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he served in the office’s fraud and public corruption section, ultimately serving as the acting chief of the section. Since 2016, he has been a partner at DLA Piper. Graves earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Lee University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2001.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Appoints 12 Members to Advisory Committee of U.S. AttorneysRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today announced the appointment of 12 U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. The first meeting of the AGAC will take place later this spring.
The appointees include U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York; U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee for the District of Maine; U.S. Attorney Trini Ross for the Western District of New York; U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana; U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan; U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris for the Central District of Illinois; U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. An appointee from a district within the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals will be announced at a later date, once the Senate has confirmed nominees.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams will serve as the Chair of the AGAC, and U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung will serve as the Vice Chair.
“These United States Attorneys will represent the views of dedicated federal prosecutors across the country, and provide advice and insight into essential matters facing the Department,” said Attorney General Garland. “I look forward to working alongside them in carrying out the Department’s core priorities of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights.”
A brief bio on each appointee is below:
Damian Williams (Chair)
The Senate confirmed Damian Williams’ appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in October 2021. Williams began his legal career as a law clerk to then-Judge Merrick Garland when he served in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2007 to 2008. Williams then served as a law clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court from 2008 to 2009. From 2009 to 2012, he was a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. From 2012 to 2021, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. In the role, he served as a chief of the securities and commodities fraud task force from 2018 to 2021. He received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from Harvard University in 2002, a Master of Philosophy in international relations from Emmanuel College at the University of Cambridge in 2003, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2007, where he was also an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
Cindy K. Chung (Vice Chair)
The Senate confirmed Cindy K. Chung’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania in November 2021. In 2002 and 2003, Chung served as a law clerk for Judge Myron H. Thompson in the Middle District of Alabama. She then joined the New York County District Attorney’s Office in 2003, serving as an assistant district attorney until 2007 and as investigation counsel in the Official Corruption Unit from 2007 to 2009. From 2009 to 2014, Chung served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. She later joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, serving as deputy chief of the major crimes division. From 2014 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Chung earned a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1997 and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2002.
Darcie McElwee
The Senate confirmed Darcie McElwee’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine in October 2021. McElwee began her legal career as an assistant district attorney for the Penobscot and Piscataquis counties in Maine from 1998 to 2002. Between 2005 and 2008, McElwee was an adjunct professor of advanced trial advocacy at the University of Maine School of Law. From 2002 to 2021, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. Since 2005, she has been the coordinator of Project Safe Neighborhoods. McElwee received her Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College in 1995 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law in 1998.
Trini Ross
The Senate confirmed Trini Ross’s appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York in September 2021. Ross began her career as an appellate attorney for the New York Supreme Court. She was an associate at Hiscock & Barclay LLC before joining the Office of Professional Responsibility as assistant counsel. From 1995 to 2018, Ross served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. She has also been an adjunct professor of law at Buffalo Law School. She has also served as director of the investigations for the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General since 2018. Ross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1988, a Master of Arts from Rutgers University in 1990, and a Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1992.
Sandra Hairston
The Senate confirmed Sandra Hairston as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina in November 2021. Hairston previously served as an assistant district attorney in Columbus County, North Carolina, from 1987 to 1989 and as a special assistant district attorney in Guilford County, North Carolina from 1989 to 1990. From 1994 to 1996, she served as Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina before returning to the Middle District of North Carolina in 1996. She joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in 1990 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Hairston previously held the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina from 2014 to 2021. From March 1, 2021, until her Senate confirmation, she served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. Hairston received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1981 and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1987.
Brandon Brown
The Senate confirmed Brandon Brown as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana in December 2021. From 2007 to 2012, Brown served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office. He was also an associate at Hammonds, Sills, Adkins & Guice LLP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since 2012, he has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 and a Master of Business Administration in 2004 from Louisiana Tech University, followed by a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Southern University Law Center.
Dawn Ison
The Senate confirmed Dawn Ison as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2021. In 1989 and 1990, Ison was a prehearing attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals. In 2002, Ison began serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. She also served as chief of the Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit. Ison earned a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor from the Wayne State University Law School.
Gregory Harris
The Senate confirmed Gregory Harris as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois in December 2021. Harris began his career as a lawyer for the Office of the State Appellate Defender in 1976 where he represented indigent criminal defendants on appeal. From 1979 to 1980, he served as legal counsel for the Illinois Governor’s Office of Manpower and Human Development and later as a staff attorney for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Development. From 1980 to 1988, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. From 1988 to 2001, he was a lawyer for Giffin, Winning, Cohen & Bodewes in Springfield, Illinois. He later rejoined the Central District of Illinois in 2001, where he served as chief of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney. Harris was born in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1971 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law in 1976.
Andrew Luger
The Senate confirmed Andrew Luger as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota in March 2022. He previously served in that role during the Obama administration and briefly during the Trump administration from 2014 to 2017. Prior to his appointment, Luger was a partner in the Minneapolis office of Jones Day from 2017 – 2022. Luger has also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, from 1989 to 1992, and for the District of Minnesota from 1992 to 1995, where he prosecuted a wide variety of narcotics and violent crimes, as well as complex white collar frauds. In 1995, Luger joined the law firm of Greene Espel in Minneapolis, where he was a partner until 2014. Luger earned a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
Gary Restaino
The Senate confirmed Gary Restaino as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Restaino served in Paraguay with the Peace Corps. From 1996 to 1999, he provided legal services to seasonal farm workers as a lawyer with Community Legal Services. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a civil rights lawyer in the Arizona Attorney General's Office. He then served as a trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Restaino joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona in 2003. He was nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney in October 2021. Restaino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College in 1990 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996.
Cole Finegan
The Senate confirmed Cole Finegan as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado in November 2021. From 1991 to 1993, Finegan served both as Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Policy and Initiatives for Colorado Governor Roy Romer. From 1993 to 2003, Finegan was a partner for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Denver office. Finegan joined Hogan Lovells (then Hogan & Hartson) in 2007 as a partner. Finegan acted as an adviser to Governor Hickenlooper and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet. Finegan attended the University of Notre Dame from 1974 to 1978, earning a degree in English. Finegan earned a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986.
Matthew Graves
The Senate confirmed Matthew Graves as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia in October 2021. After graduating law school, Graves began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Richard W. Roberts of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. From 2002 to 2007, he was an associate at WilmerHale. From 2007 to 2016, Graves worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he served in the office’s fraud and public corruption section, ultimately serving as the acting chief of the section. Since 2016, he has been a partner at DLA Piper. Graves earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington and Lee University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2001.
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Arizona man pleads guilty to perjuring himself during trial for transporting individuals for prostitutionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – John Dompierre, 58, of Avondale, Arizona, pleaded guilty on March 28 in federal court to perjury.
On Sept. 10, 2020, federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Dompierre with one count of conspiracy and one count of transportation for illegal sexual activity. Dompierre went to trial on those charges in November 2021, but a mistrial was ordered on Nov. 5, 2021, when the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict.
In his plea agreement, Dompierre admitted that he perjured himself during the trial, on Nov. 3 and 4, 2021, as he testified in his own defense. Dompierre falsely testified that he could not be guilty because he suffers from a condition that renders him incapable of sexual activity. He also falsely testified that he had not taken his medication for that condition for years prior to the alleged crimes. Dompierre admitted that, while he does have a condition, it does not render him incapable of sexual activity and that his condition had not gone unmedicated. Dompierre acknowledged that he knew his testimony was false and that it was material to the criminal trial because it formed the substantial basis for his defense.
The maximum statutory penalty for perjury is up to five years in prison.
The FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Letitia Carroll Simms is prosecuting the case.
Andrew M. Luger Takes Oath of Office as United States Attorney for the District of MinnesotaRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Andrew M. Luger has taken the oath of office to become the United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota. U.S. Attorney Luger was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on November 12, 2021, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 23, 2022. He took the oath of office from Chief U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim this afternoon. He succeeds Erica H. MacDonald, who served as the United States Attorney from 2018 – 2021.
“I am honored to lead this office and once again serve the people of Minnesota as their United States Attorney,” said U.S. Attorney Luger. “I look forward to working with these talented public servants who are committed to public safety and the pursuit of justice.”
As United States Attorney, Mr. Luger is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the District of Minnesota. He will oversee a staff of 115 employees, including 59 attorneys and 56 support personnel. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, firearms, narcotics, child exploitation, human trafficking, financial fraud, healthcare fraud, and public corruption. The office is also responsible for representing the United States in affirmative and defensive civil cases, as well as assisting communities throughout Minnesota in appropriate community-building efforts designed to enhance public safety.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland appointed Mr. Luger to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), which is tasked with advising the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies.
Prior to returning to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Luger was a partner in the Minneapolis office of Jones Day from 2017 – 2022. As a member of the firm’s Investigations and White Collar Defense Practice, he represented local and international companies and was a leader of the firm's national hate crimes and extremism initiative. Mr. Luger was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as Minnesota’s United States Attorney from 2014 – 2017.
In 1995, Mr. Luger joined the law firm of Greene Espel in Minneapolis, where he was a partner until 2014. Mr. Luger has also served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (1989 – 1992) and for the District of Minnesota (1992 – 1995), where he prosecuted a wide variety of narcotics and violent crimes, as well as complex white collar frauds.
He graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center (1985), and earned his bachelor's degree from Amherst College, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa (1981).
Upon taking office, U.S. Attorney Luger thanked Mr. Kovats, who most recently served as Acting U.S. Attorney, for his continued and dedicated service to the office and to the Department of Justice.
Anaconda man sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted coercion, enticement of minor for sex in undercover investigationRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — An Anaconda man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, after he admitted he tried to coerce a girl he believed to be a minor into engaging in sex during an undercover investigation, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Terry Joseph Jette, 56, pleaded guilty in December 2021 to attempted coercion and enticement.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on June 21, 2021, Jette initiated a conversation through social media with a 13-year-old user girl who was actually an undercover FBI special agent. From the beginning, Jette was told the girl was 13 years old. Jette continued online communication with the girl until his arrest on July 9, 2021. During the communications, Jette sent the girl an image of his penis and requested nude images of the child. Jette initiated sexually explicit conversations, suggested a meeting and discussed bringing methamphetamine and condoms to the meeting. On July 8, Jette traveled from Anaconda to Missoula to meet the girl and asked her to sneak out of her house. When the girl was unable to meet that day, Jette suggested a meeting the next day in East Missoula. Jette made explicit statements about engaging in sexual intercourse and said he had meth. On July 9, Jette was arrested at the predetermined meeting location. During a search of his vehicle, law enforcement found a condom, meth, Viagra and candy for the girl.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children.
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Activity in the United States Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Chief United Stated District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced TYLER EUGENE MCCURDY 40, of Riverton, Wyoming on March 16, 2022, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during and relation to a drug trafficking crime. McCurdy was arrested in Lander, Wyoming on September 30, 2021. He received 200 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $500 in restitution and a $200 special assessment. At the time of the arrest, on July 9, 2021, McCurdy was in possession of approximately 360 grams of methamphetamine, 21 grams of heroin, plant form and liquid marijuana, 33 pills containing fentanyl, as well as a semi-automatic pistol, two 12-gauge shotguns, and $2,260 in U.S. currency. Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the crime. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case.
United States District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal sentenced KENNETH ANDREW DOERGE, 43, of Billings, Montana on March 7, 2021, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was arrested on August 31, 2021, in Campbell County, Wyoming. Doerge received 21 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms investigated the case, and it was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Forwood.
United States District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal sentenced BRANDON D SPENCE 21, of Casper, Wyoming on March 7, 2022 for distribution of fentanyl. Spence was arrested in Casper, Wyoming on September 24, 2021. He received 60 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $500 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Cheyenne Police Department investigated the crime. Assistant United States Attorney Margaret M. Vierbuchen prosecuted the case.
Chief United States District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced WILLIAM TAYLOR, 61, of Cody, Wyoming for distribution of methamphetamine on February 2, 2022. Taylor was arrested on July 27, 2021, in Park County, Wyoming. He was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $250 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. According to the evidence, Taylor was part of a drug conspiracy that involved shipping methamphetamine via the United States Postal Service between 2020 and 2021. The co-defendants in this case were Phillip Dobbins and Melissa Walsh. This crime was investigated by Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Forwood.
United States District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal sentenced MELISSA WALSH, 41, of Citrus Heights, California for distribution of methamphetamine on February 15, 2022. She was arrested on August 2, 2021, in Sacramento, California. Walsh was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $200 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. According to the evidence, she was part of a drug conspiracy that involved shipping methamphetamine via the United States Postal Service between 2020 and 2021. The co-defendants in this case were Phillip Dobbins and William Taylor. This crime was investigated by Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Forwood.
United States District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson sentenced TREVOR HYLLE, 24, of Gillette, Wyoming for transportation of child pornography on February 18, 2022. Hylle received 60 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $27,000 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. According to the evidence, in 2019 a CyberTipline Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted authorities to a Dropbox account that contained child pornography. The Dropbox account belonged to Hylle. A subsequent investigation and interview with Hylle concluded he received and/or distributed child pornography on multiple online accounts including Kik, Dropbox, Mega, Snapchat and Tumblr. This crime was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children task force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. Hambrick.
Chief United Stated District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced NEOAL GUYEAL HAYES, 46, of Denver Colorado for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He received 120 months’ imprisonment for count one and 60 months’ imprisonment for count 2 (to be served consecutively), five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $500 community restitution and a $200 special assessment. Hayes was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming on March 10, 2020. During a traffic stop, 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and smaller amounts of cocaine and heroin were seized from his vehicle. A handgun was also located in the vehicle. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Cheyenne Police Department, and Wyoming Highway Patrol investigated the crime. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie I. Sprecher.
Activity in the United States Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Chief United Stated District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced TYLER EUGENE MCCURDY 40, of Riverton, Wyoming on March 16, 2022, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during and relation to a drug trafficking crime. McCurdy was arrested in Lander, Wyoming on September 30, 2021. He received 200 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $500 in restitution and a $200 special assessment. At the time of the arrest, on July 9, 2021, McCurdy was in possession of approximately 360 grams of methamphetamine, 21 grams of heroin, plant form and liquid marijuana, 33 pills containing fentanyl, as well as a semi-automatic pistol, two 12-gauge shotguns, and $2,260 in U.S. currency. Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the crime. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case.
United States District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal sentenced KENNETH ANDREW DOERGE, 43, of Billings, Montana on March 7, 2021, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was arrested on August 31, 2021, in Campbell County, Wyoming. Doerge received 21 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms investigated the case, and it was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Forwood.
United States District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal sentenced BRANDON D SPENCE 21, of Casper, Wyoming on March 7, 2022 for distribution of fentanyl. Spence was arrested in Casper, Wyoming on September 24, 2021. He received 60 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $500 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Cheyenne Police Department investigated the crime. Assistant United States Attorney Margaret M. Vierbuchen prosecuted the case.
Chief United States District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced WILLIAM TAYLOR, 61, of Cody, Wyoming for distribution of methamphetamine on February 2, 2022. Taylor was arrested on July 27, 2021, in Park County, Wyoming. He was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $250 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. According to the evidence, Taylor was part of a drug conspiracy that involved shipping methamphetamine via the United States Postal Service between 2020 and 2021. The co-defendants in this case were Phillip Dobbins and Melissa Walsh. This crime was investigated by Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Forwood.
United States District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal sentenced MELISSA WALSH, 41, of Citrus Heights, California for distribution of methamphetamine on February 15, 2022. She was arrested on August 2, 2021, in Sacramento, California. Walsh was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $200 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. According to the evidence, she was part of a drug conspiracy that involved shipping methamphetamine via the United States Postal Service between 2020 and 2021. The co-defendants in this case were Phillip Dobbins and William Taylor. This crime was investigated by Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Forwood.
United States District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson sentenced TREVOR HYLLE, 24, of Gillette, Wyoming for transportation of child pornography on February 18, 2022. Hylle received 60 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $27,000 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. According to the evidence, in 2019 a CyberTipline Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted authorities to a Dropbox account that contained child pornography. The Dropbox account belonged to Hylle. A subsequent investigation and interview with Hylle concluded he received and/or distributed child pornography on multiple online accounts including Kik, Dropbox, Mega, Snapchat and Tumblr. This crime was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children task force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. Hambrick.
Chief United Stated District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl sentenced NEOAL GUYEAL HAYES, 46, of Denver Colorado for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He received 120 months’ imprisonment for count one and 60 months’ imprisonment for count 2 (to be served consecutively), five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $500 community restitution and a $200 special assessment. Hayes was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming on March 10, 2020. During a traffic stop, 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and smaller amounts of cocaine and heroin were seized from his vehicle. A handgun was also located in the vehicle. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Cheyenne Police Department, and Wyoming Highway Patrol investigated the crime. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie I. Sprecher.
12 Methamphetamine Traffickers Arrested in Brownfield, Lamesa Drug BustRead the Press Release
Twelve alleged drug traffickers were arrested Wednesday in Operation Tormenta De Arena (“Sandstorm”), announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
During the bust in Lubbock, Brownfield, and Lamesa, DEA agents and their law enforcement partners also seized roughly 27 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, U.S. currency, and two firearms, including one that had been stolen.
Ten of the defendants were charged in a 12-count indictment unsealed today. Those charged in the indictment include:
- Jamey Jimenez, aka “Shorty,” charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Celia Zurita, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Alfred Miranda, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Rorigo Gonzales-Gonzales, aka “Canelo,” charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Patricia Renee Guerrero (née Lopez), charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Christina Fuentes, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Jessica Moreno, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Amanda Uresti Salgado, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Lauren Mackenzie Helbert (née McCarroll), charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Christopher Matthew Vasquez, aka “Peeps,” charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine
Another two were charged via criminal complaint.
“Methamphetamine trafficking penetrates every aspect of our society and threatens the safety of our neighborhoods,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division, which oversees operations in Lubbock. “DEA Lubbock and our law enforcement partners are committed to identifying and destroying the networks and criminal organizations who distribute this poison throughout La Mesa and Terry counties, and the overall greater Lubbock area.”
Defendants’ initial appearances will begin Thursday, March 31 at 1:30 p.m. in Lubbock.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, some defendants face up to life in federal prison; others face up to 20 years.
The operation was the result of the hard work of the Caprock HIDTA (High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) Task Force. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division – Lubbock Resident Office and Caprock HIDTA led the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety, Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Terry County Sheriff’s Office, Lubbock Police Department, Brownfield Police Department, Lamesa Police Department, and the Texas Anti-Gang Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey R. Haag and Stephen J. Rancourt are prosecuting the case.
Tuesday 29 March 2022
Washington, D.C. man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Daquan E’mon Hunt, of Washington, D.C., has admitted a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Hunt, 25, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Aiding and Abetting False Statement During Purchase of Firearm.” Hunt admitted to making false statements to illegally purchase firearms in July 2021 in Berkeley County.
Hunt faces up to 10 years of incarceration and fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Warren Man Sentenced to 10 years in Federal Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
DETROIT, MI – Marvin Booker, 30, of Warren, MI, was sentenced in federal court for coercion and enticement of a minor, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Booker was sentenced by United States District Judge Gershwin Drain to ten years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Booker has been in custody since his arrest in March 2020.
Joining in the announcement was Josh Hauxhurst, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit, Michigan office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and William Dwyer, Commissioner for the Warren Police Department.
According to court records, Booker sexually exploited a 16-year-old girl for his own profit by having her perform commercial sex dates. Booker posted the minor for dates online, transported her to dates and rented hotel rooms, and took money that the minor was paid for performing sex acts. In addition, Booker instructed the victim to send sexually explicit images to him for the online advertisements.
“Human traffickers like this defendant exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause their victims indescribable harm,” stated U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “He manipulated, threatened, and trafficked a minor victim to profit from the sex work she conducted. We hope that today’s sentence offers the victim a sense of justice and closure and sends the message that we will not tolerate sex trafficking in our communities.”
“This defendant preyed upon a very vulnerable teenager by promising her shelter, money, and affection. Instead of providing those things, he callously sold her to other men for his own financial benefit,” said Josh Hauxhurst, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division. “The FBI, Warren Police Department, and law enforcement partners across Southeast Michigan will work tirelessly to protect our children from this type of predatory behavior.”
“Our Detectives did an excellent job in advocating for this minor victim survivor and pursuing charges in partnership with the FBI,” said William Dwyer, Commissioner for the Warren Police Department. “Warren will continue to have zero tolerance for commercialized sex and offenses that breed human trafficking in our communities.”
On January 31, 2022, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland released the Justice Department’s new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which aims to enhance the department's capacity to prevent human trafficking; to prosecute human trafficking cases; and to support and protect human trafficking victims and survivors.
Among other things, the Justice Department’s multi-year strategy to combat all forms of human trafficking will:
- Strengthen engagement, coordination and joint efforts to combat human trafficking in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and by federal law enforcement agents nationwide.
- Establish federally-funded, locally-led anti-human trafficking task forces that support sustained state law enforcement leadership and comprehensive victim assistance.
- Step up departmental efforts to end forced labor by increasing attention, resources and coordination in labor trafficking investigations and prosecutions.
- Develop and implement new victim screening protocols to identify potential human trafficking victims during law enforcement operations and encourage victims to share important information.
- Increase capacity to provide victim-centered assistance to trafficking survivors, including by supporting efforts to deliver financial restoration to victims.
- Expand dissemination of federal human trafficking training, guidance and expertise.
- Advance innovative demand-reduction strategies.
To learn more about the Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking, please visit www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-merrick-b-garland-announces-justice-department-strategy-combat-human.
To learn more about human trafficking indicators visit www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/indicators-human-trafficking. If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, please contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or Text 233733.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Warren Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Barbara Lanning.Venice Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison for Making Threatening Phone Calls to Members of CongressRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung today sentenced Frank Anthony Pezzuto (73, Venice) to 15 months in federal prison for transmitting in interstate commerce communications threatening to injure certain members of Congress. The Court also ordered Pezzuto to pay a fine of $7,500. A federal jury found Pezzuto guilty on November 9, 2021.
According to evidence presented at trial, Pezzuto made three threatening phone calls from his home in Venice to certain congressional offices in Washington, D.C. The first call took place on January 25, 2020, when Pezzuto left a voicemail at Congressman E.S.’s office in which Pezzuto said that he was coming to kill E.S. Pezzuto subsequently left a voicemail at Congressman A.S.’s office on January 30, 2020, stating that he was a worker for MS-13 and that MS-13 was coming to cut off A.S.’s head. Then, on February 3, 2020, Pezzuto called Congresswoman I.O.’s office and stated to the person who answered the phone: “tell her I’m going to kill her today.”
Each time Pezzuto made these threatening calls, he used his cellphone but concealed his phone number and attempted to disguise his voice. United States Capitol Police were able to identify Pezzuto as the caller and confirm that the calls had been routed through a cell tower near Pezzuto’s home in Florida.
This case was investigated by United States Capitol Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Scruggs and Risha Asokan.
Utah man who operated fraudulent veteran charities sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Travis Peterson has been sentenced for mail fraud while operating a fraudulent charity scheme. For nearly six years, he used millions of robocalls to urge people—often targeting senior citizens—to donate vehicles and other valuable items by falsely claiming their donations would go to veterans’ charities and were tax-deductible. In reality, veterans received nothing, and Peterson pocketed more than $500,000.
“Peterson shamelessly defrauded thousands of people while supposedly helping veterans,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “Fraudsters rely on the goodwill of unsuspecting citizens to perpetrate their schemes. With our law enforcement partners, we will track them down and bring them to justice.”
“This defendant preyed on older citizens who were trusting and unknowingly fell for a scam that was for his financial benefit,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “Postal Inspectors will continue to work with our law enforcement partners in our relentless pursuit to combat elder financial exploitation and tracking down unscrupulous schemers to bring them to justice.”
“Peterson deserves his time in federal prison for lining his pockets with money that he told donors would benefit our veterans,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Charity scams and illegal robocalls are a toxic mix that we’ll continue to target with the help of our law enforcement partners.”
According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: Between approximately April 2012 and July 2018, Travis Peterson registered nearly a dozen corporate entities in Nevada, Michigan, and Utah. Each of these companies was purportedly a tax-exempt charitable organization that Peterson established to help veterans and their families. None of these companies, however, was an actual charity with tax exempt status. Peterson in fact never owned or operated a single charity that benefitted veterans.
Using millions of robocalls, as well as multiple websites and newspaper advertisements, Peterson defrauded thousands of people around the country into believing they were donating vehicles and other property to benefit veterans. Peterson and those working at his direction falsely informed would-be donors that their donations would be used to benefit veterans and were tax deductible. In order to execute his fraud, Peterson contracted with third-party auto auction companies to handle the logistics of acquiring and selling the donated vehicles. After the vehicles were sold, the auction companies would remit any proceeds to bank accounts controlled by Peterson. None of these funds went to the benefit of veterans. Peterson instead used them for own personal expenses, including to pay for online dating services and to purchase an all-terrain vehicle. As a result, Peterson defrauded donors of more than $500,000.
The FTC had previously filed a complaint against Peterson in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah arising from this same fraudulent scheme. On April 1, 2019, the court entered a stipulated order and judgment which permanently banned Peterson from soliciting charitable contributions and from using robocalls, as well as prohibiting him from making misrepresentations that a charitable contribution is tax-deductible. The order also imposed a $541,032.10 monetary judgment against Peterson and required that he forfeit 88 vehicles. The FTC’s investigation of Peterson is part of a broader initiative by the agency to combat illegal robocalls.
More information about several of the FTC’s recent enforcement actions, including Peterson’s, is available online: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/03/ftc-crackdown-stops-operations-responsible-billions-illegal.
Travis Peterson, 54, of West Ephraim, Utah, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross to three years and five months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $541,032.10. He was originally charged by a federal grand jury in December 2020 with multiple counts of mail and wire fraud. On November 4, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Atlanta and Cleveland Regional Offices of the Federal Trade Commission provided invaluable contributions in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex R. Sistla prosecuted the case.
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.
Union Treasurer Pleads Guilty to TheftRead the Press Release
EL PASO – An El Paso woman pleaded guilty today to stealing money from a union.
According to court documents, Dorothy Ferguson, 58, was the treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees Local Union 2516 located in Fort Bliss, El Paso from December 2019 to April 2020. During her tenure, she consistently failed to present financial reports to Board meetings and at membership meetings. Further investigation revealed Ferguson made 29 unauthorized cash withdrawals from the Union’s bank account that totaled $16,604.
Ferguson pleaded guilty to one count of Theft within Special Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction. A sentencing date has not been set. Ferguson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas; FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey, El Paso Field Office; and Department of Labor Office of Labor-Management Standards (DOL-OLMS) District Director Michelle Hussar, Dallas Office made the announcement.
The FBI and DOL-OLMS are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael M. Osterberg is prosecuting the case.
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Two Penn North Baltimore Neighborhood Drug Dealers Plead Guilty to Fentanyl Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland- Kinnard Riggs, age 47, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. In an unrelated case, James Meekins, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
The guilty pleas were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to their guilty pleas, as a result of a 2019 OCDETF Strike Force investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Riggs and Meekins were identified as associates of unrelated drug trafficking organizations (DTO) known as the “Special” DTO and the “Bullseye” DTO; respectively.
Between September and October 2019 investigators intercepted communications of individuals associated with the Special and Bullseye DTOs and observed both defendants conducting trafficking activity, including hand to hand drug transactions within their respective DTO’s territory. Intercepted communications and observations established that both DTOs operated on a daily basis.
Specifically, in November 2019, during a controlled purchase involving an undercover officer, Riggs gave two DTO associates a clear bag and engaged in a hand-to-hand drug transaction in an alley. Soon after that transaction, the undercover officer purchased 10 gelatin fentanyl capsules from the same two DTO associates. Chemical analysis of these purchases identified the presence of fentanyl.
Likewise, investigators conducted controlled purchases in the known territory of the Bullseye DTO from co-conspirators who advised their narcotics as being “Bullseye”. Subsequent analysis of the substances obtained during the controlled purchases identified a detectable amount of fentanyl.
In November and December of 2019, investigators executed search and seizure warrants at locations associated with the Special and Bullseye DTOs, including Riggs’ residence. As a result of the search warrant executed at Riggs’ residence, investigators recovered 19 gelatin capsules containing fentanyl and a .22 caliber pistol loaded with eight rounds of ammunition and the pistol also had an obliterated serial number. As a result of the executed search warrants at various Bullseye DTO locations and its members, investigators recovered approximately 400 grams of mixtures containing fentanyl, cutting agents used in preparing controlled substances, and packaging paraphernalia.
Riggs and Meekins face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. and June 15, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. for Riggs and Meekins; respectively.
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The specific mission of the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force is to reduce violent, drug-related, and gang crime in the Baltimore area and surrounding region.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. 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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Austin, who is prosecuting the cases.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Two Men Indicted for Conspiring to Commit A Drug Related Robbery That Resulted in the Murder of Two MenRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Jy’Quale Samari Grable (20, Tampa) and Aquavious Smith (19, Palmetto) with conspiracy and interference with commerce by robbery. Grable was also charged with using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence causing the death of two victims. If convicted on all counts, Grable faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison, and Smith faces a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.
According to court documents, on December 22, 2020, Grable and Smith committed an armed robbery at an apartment complex in Valrico. During the robbery, Grable shot and killed B.B. and M.M on the back patio of the apartment.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
Two Men Aboard Lights-Out Vessel Jettison 79 Kilos of Cocaine During Boat Chase Near Savanah Island, USVIRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that two Puerto Rican men were arrested today, March 29, 2022, in St. Thomas, USVI on criminal charges related to possession with intent to distribute 79 kilograms of cocaine.
According to court documents, on March 29, 2022, Wesly Albert Amaro, and Brian Santiago Gonzalez, were stopped in the waters near Savanah Island, just west of St. Thomas, USVI. At approximately 4:00 a.m., the United States Coast Guard (USCG) detected a vessel operating without navigation lights traveling at a high rate of speed from Culebra, PR towards Hendrick Bay, St. Thomas. Customs and Boarder Protection Air and Marine (AMO) vessels responded as the USCG provided updates of the vessel’s location. AMO agents located the lights-out vessel using radar and attempted a stop. The vessel fled while the two men onboard jettisoned bags overboard. The vessel would not heave to, so AMO agents disabled the vessel’s engine. During the chase, AMO agents marked when and where bags were discarded from the vessel. Upon, returning to the marked areas, AMO agents recovered three duffel bags containing 79 kilograms of suspected cocaine.
Both men are charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance pursuant to 21 U.S.C §§ 841(b)(1)(B). If convicted, each man faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
CBP-AMO, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are investigating the case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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.
Two Individuals Convicted at Trial of Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Greenbelt, Maryland, convicted a North Carolina woman and a Maryland man yesterday for conspiring to defraud the United States, helping file false tax returns, and stealing government funds.
According to evidence presented at trial, between 2013 and 2016, Sandra Denise Curl, of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Percy Leroy Jacobs, of Prince Frederick, Maryland, filed tax returns on behalf of multiple fraudulent trusts they owned, seeking refunds to which they were not entitled. Curl and Jacobs also filed false individual tax returns in their own names, claiming fictitious false tax withholdings in order to generate refunds. In total, the defendants attempted to defraud the IRS of more than $2.2 million.
Curl and Jacobs are scheduled to be sentenced on July 7. Both defendants face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States, three years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return, and 10 years in prison for theft of government property. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Jeffrey McLellan and George Meggali of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morgan for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
Two Individuals Convicted at Trial of Federal Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Sandra Denise Curl of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Percy Leroy Jacobs of Prince Frederick, Maryland late yesterday for conspiring to defraud the United States, helping file false tax returns, and theft of government funds.
The convictions were announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; and Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
According to evidence presented at trial, between 2013 and 2016, Curl and Jacobs filed tax returns on behalf of multiple fraudulent trusts they owned, seeking refunds to which they were not entitled. Curl and Jacobs also filed false individual tax returns in their own names, claiming fictitious false tax withholdings in order to generate refunds. In total, the defendants attempted to defraud the IRS of more than $2.2 million.
Curl and Jacobs face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States, three years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return, and ten years in prison for theft of government property. U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel has scheduled sentencing for both defendants on July 7, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division commended IRS-Criminal Investigation for its work in the case. U.S. Attorney Barron and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morgan and Trial Attorneys Jeffrey McLellan and George Meggali of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach
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Three Men Found Guilty of Federal Charges in Series of Armed Robberies Targeting Area BusinessesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three area men have been found guilty by a jury of federal offenses stemming from a string of 10 armed robberies of gas stations, liquor stores, convenience stores, and restaurants in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, all within a four-week period in 2018.
The verdict, returned yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division, Marcus G. Jones, Chief of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Department, and Antonio DeVaul, Chief of the Takoma Park, Maryland Police Department.
Those convicted of federal conspiracy, robbery, and weapons charges include: Quaysa Flumo, 34, of Washington, D.C., Enyianna Onyewu, 29, of Silver Spring, Maryland, and Emmanuel Sumo, 27, of Takoma Park, Maryland. All remain held pending sentencing by the Honorable Amit P. Mehta. Onyewu is to be sentenced on July 22, 2022, Flumo on Aug. 12, 2022, and Sumo on Aug. 26, 2022.
According to the government’s evidence, throughout January 2018, the defendants, working together, robbed a series of gas stations, liquor stores, convenience stores, and restaurants in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. In each of the robberies, the defendants were armed with a .45 caliber handgun. They wore masks and gloves to avoid being identified. In several robberies, they physically assaulted store employees and put the gun directly to the heads of their victims. The robberies took place at various hours, including some in broad daylight. The victims remain shaken and shocked by the incidents. Fortunately, none of them sustained serious physical injuries.
During the trial, the government presented testimony from nearly 30 witnesses. The first robbery took place on Jan. 2, 2018, at a gas station in Silver Spring. Other targets were in Takoma Park, Maryland, Silver Spring, Maryland, Northwest Washington, and Arlington, Virginia. On Jan. 10, 2018, two robberies took place within a 45-minute period. The final robbery in the series took place on Jan. 29, 2018, at another gas station in Silver Spring.
Onyewu was arrested on Oct. 22, 2020. Sumo was arrested on Nov. 23, 2020, and Flumo was arrested on April 27, 2021.
In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, Chief Jones, and Chief DeVaul commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force, the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department, the Takoma Park, Maryland Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department, and the Arlington County, Virginia Police Department.
They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Lenerz, Paralegal Specialists Candace Battle, Mary Downing, and Kim Hall, Legal Assistant Latoya Wade, Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Litigation Technology Specialist William Henderson.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Candice Wong, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
The United States and Practice Fusion, Inc. Resolve Allegations of Violations of Practice Fusion’s Deferred Prosecution AgreementRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced today that it has resolved allegations that Practice Fusion, Inc. violated the terms of its deferred prosecution agreement (“DPA”). On January 27, 2020, the United States Attorney announced a resolution of criminal charges against Practice Fusion in connection with Practice Fusion’s role in soliciting and receiving kickbacks in return for embedding electronic prompts in its electronic medical record (“EMR”) to influence the prescribing of opioid medications. As part of that resolution, the United States Attorney and Practice Fusion executed a DPA pursuant to which Practice Fusion was to maintain an Oversight Organization for the duration of the DPA.
According to court documents, the United States Attorney alleged that Practice Fusion failed to comply with the terms of its DPA. Specifically, the United States Attorney alleged that Practice Fusion failed to: (1) retain a new Oversight Organization following the resignation of its previous Oversight Organization; (2) provide its previous Oversight Organization with adequate access to information and witnesses to discharge its oversight responsibilities; and (3) pay for certain expenses incurred by the Oversight Organization. Practice Fusion denied that it had failed to comply with the terms of the DPA. On March 18, 2022, the parties resolved the dispute. As part of the resolution, the term of Practice Fusion’s DPA shall be extended by eleven weeks and Practice Fusion shall pay a fine of $200,000.
“Compliance with oversight obligations after resolution of cases with the Department of Justice is critically important, and companies under corporate integrity agreements, non-prosecution agreements, and deferred prosecution agreements must assiduously adhere to those responsibilities,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest. “This office will not tolerate failure to comply with oversight obligations, which provide the Department and citizens assurance that corporate wrongdoers have cleaned up their acts.”
The DPA is pending in the District of Vermont and the case is captioned United States of America v. Practice Fusion, Inc., No. 2:20-cr-11 (D. Vt.)
PF DPA Settlement AgreementThe Government is represented by Owen C.J. Foster and Michael P. Drescher of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont. Practice Fusion is represented by Laura Hoey, Christine Moundas, and Patrick Welsh of the law firm Ropes & Gray, LLP.
The government’s claims are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability as part of this resolution.
Suburban Chicago Woman Sentenced to a Year in Federal Prison for Insider TradingRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge today sentenced a suburban Chicago woman to a year in prison for using insider information obtained from her husband to purchase shares of a company ahead of its acquisition by the husband’s employer.
DENISE GREVAS, 60, of Evanston, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to a securities fraud charge. In addition to the year-and-a-day prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber fined Grevas $100,000.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed a civil enforcement action against Grevas, provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten and Jason Yonan represented the government in the criminal case.
Grevas admitted in a plea agreement that she made $286,960 in illegal profits from the purchase and sale of securities in a Washington state-based pharmaceutical company, which was a target for acquisition and later acquired by a foreign pharmaceutical company that employed Grevas’s husband. Grevas used material, non-public information about the expected acquisition to purchase shares in the Washington company ahead of a public announcement of the acquisition on Sept. 16, 2019. After the announcement, the Washington company’s stock price increased and Grevas sold the shares for the profit.
South Holland Woman Sentenced to 28 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Yvonna Lee, 36, of South Holland, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio on her plea of guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Lee was sentenced to 28 months in prison, 1 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $405, 867 in restitution to the IRS.
According to documents filed in the case, Lee engaged in a scheme between 2014 and 2017, whereby she and others filed fraudulent federal tax returns that generated improper refunds for clients who then paid them a cut of the refunds. As part of the scheme, Lee assisted in the preparation of 146 tax fraudulent tax returns resulting in a total loss of more than $400,000 to the IRS.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Chang with assistance from former Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Lerner, Jill Koster, and Diane Berkowitz.
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Shipping Equipment Giants Cargotec and Konecranes Abandon Merger After Justice Department Threatens to SueRead the Press Release
Cargotec Corporation (Cargotec) confirmed today that it has abandoned its intended merger of equals with Konecranes Plc (Konecranes) one day after the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division informed the parties that the settlement proposal was not sufficient to address concerns that the proposed combination would eliminate important competition in four types of shipping container handling equipment used by port customers to move goods in the global supply chain.
“The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division will vigorously investigate potential violations of our antitrust laws, no matter the industry, no matter the company, and no matter the individual,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The proposed merger of these two shipping equipment giants would have harmed American consumers. It threatened the global supply chain and the free and fair markets upon which the integrity of our economy depends. I commend the outstanding work of our Antitrust attorneys and investigators that led to this outcome and the cooperation of our enforcement partners around the world.”
“Cargotec’s and Konecranes’ proposed merger threatened to harm competition in the sale of container handling equipment to U.S. port customers and terminal operators that move consumer products, medicines, and other important goods through the global supply chain,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The combination of Cargotec and Konecranes would have been the culmination of decades of consolidation — and the companies proposed to accomplish it by extracting and retaining the strongest parts of both businesses and selling off the least desirable assets to placate the department. But the Clayton Act is clear: acquisitions that create or entrench market power are illegal. The department will not accept patchwork settlements that do not replace the competition that is lost by a merger.”
The proposed transaction would have eliminated intense competition between Cargotec and its closest rival, Konecranes, in markets that are already highly concentrated. In particular, the merger would have led to illegal consolidation in the manufacture and supply of four types of container handling equipment: straddle carriers, rubber-tired gantry cranes, automated stacking cranes, and rail-mounted gantry cranes. Each piece of equipment has a unique design that allows the equipment to move containers between different modes of transportation in the supply chain. Cargotec and Konecranes are also at the forefront of automating port operations and reducing carbon emissions by electrifying equipment — megatrends that are likely to drive purchasing decisions from port customers in the coming years.
The department expresses thanks to its enforcement partners, including the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the European Commission, and the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority, for their close and constructive collaboration on this matter.
Cargotec Corporation, operating under the Finnish name Cargotec Oyj, is a public limited company headquartered in Helsinki, Finland. Cargotec earned revenues of approximately $900 million in the United States in 2021.
Konecranes Plc, operating under the Finnish and Swedish names Konecranes Oyj and Konecranes Abp, is a Finnish public limited company headquartered in Hyvinkää, Finland. Konecranes earned revenues of approximately $1.1 billion in the Americas in 2021.
Second Doctor Pleads Guilty to Workers’ Comp Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE - An Alexandria, La., physician pleaded guilty today to having conspired to violate three different federal statutes in connection with a scheme to defraud both federal and private workers’ compensation insurers.
U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the plea hearing, in which Robert Clay Smith, 60, waived indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, wire fraud, and illegal remunerations (taking kickbacks).
Court documents allege that the basic premise of the scheme, which ran from 2013 until 2017, was that individuals associated with a Rogers-based medical supply and billing company recruited Smith to dispense pain creams and patches to his workers’ compensation patients by offering him a split of the profits. The Rogers company acted as the billing agent for Smith, handling all the paperwork and submitting the allegedly fraudulent claims to both the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, which covers all federal employees, and to private insurers as well. In exchange, Smith admitted, the company paid him 50 to 55 percent of the profits collected from successfully billing insurers, at markups of 15 to 20 times what the medications actually cost.
According to court documents, Smith, a Louisiana physician, made more than $650,000 from the scheme. Smith admitted that in addition to receiving illegal kickbacks, he knew he did not have a license to dispense medications from his clinic, required under Louisiana law, and nonetheless bought topical medications from the Rogers company and dispensed them to his workers’ compensation patients from his clinic.
Smith is the second physician to plead guilty in connection with the federal investigation. In July 2021, Dr. Robert Dale Bernauer Sr., another Louisiana doctor, pleaded guilty to conspiring with the same individuals, in a scheme similar to the one for which Smith has accepted responsibility. Additionally, in October 2021, the company’s former billing director, Amanda Dawn Rains, pleaded guilty to participating in criminal conspiracies with the two doctors, and others.
As a result of his guilty plea, Smith may be sentenced to up to five years in prison. The court will determine his sentence at a later date, after reviewing a pre-sentence investigation report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office and considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the Louisiana Department of Justice, the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, and the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hunter Bridges and Steven Mohlhenrich are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Seattle Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOISE – A Seattle man pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to court records, from at least May 2018 through November 2020, Ryan M. Tichy, 42, executed a scheme to defraud wherein he obtained the means of identification of many individuals and used that information to create false identification documents, open credit accounts, obtain loans, takeover existing credit accounts, and make purchases. The fraudulently obtained means of identification included names, social security numbers, dates of birth, and account numbers. After he gathered that information, Tichy would often create a fake driver’s license using his picture but the victim’s name. Tichy travelled around Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, and elsewhere to make fraudulent purchases.
When law enforcement executed a search warrant on December 2, 2020, they discovered a mobile identity theft lab inside a trailer Tichy purchased using another person’s identity. The trailer contained materials, machines, computers, and printers for use in producing counterfeit identity cards and debit/credit cards. The trailer also contained foils, blank stock for driver’s licenses, an embosser, a card punch, printers, counterfeit driver’s licenses in various stages of completion, and counterfeit credit cards.
Tichy is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud and a mandatory minimum of two years for aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“This guilty plea reflects hard work by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and investigators to hold Mr. Tichy accountable for this widespread fraud that affected so many victims, who had their identities brazenly stolen,” said U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr. “This office will continue to work tirelessly to uphold the integrity of the Social Security programs and protect the identities of our citizens. I applaud the work of our investigating partners in shutting down this stolen identity mill,” he concluded.
“This case results from collaborative law enforcement efforts to bring Mr. Tichy to account for his criminal offenses. He misused Social Security numbers and the identifiers of others for his personal gain, causing financial losses to individuals and businesses,” said Christian Assaad, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Seattle Field Division. “I thank our law enforcement partners for their work in this investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.”
U.S. Attorney Gonzalez commended the cooperative efforts of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the Boise Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Meridian Police Department, the Nampa Police Department, the Edmonds Police Department, the Island County Sheriff’s Office, the Kirkland Police Department, the Lynden Police Department, the Marysville Police Department, the Port of Portland Police Department, the Redmond Police Department, the Reno Police Department, the Seattle Police Department, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, the Spokane Police Department, the Union Gap Police Department and United States Probation and Pretrial Services in the Western District of Washington, which led to charges.
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San Antonio Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Yesterday, a San Antonio man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor.
According to court documents, Daniel Vesa, 39, coerced a minor into self-producing videos showing the child engaging in sexually explicit conduct using an online social media platform. Vesa also forced the child to engage in sex acts with him over a two-year period.
On November 19, 2021, Vesa pleaded guilty to one count of Production of Child Pornography. In addition to the prison sentence, Vesa was ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution to the victim and serve a lifetime of supervised release.
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, along with invaluable assistance from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case.
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 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.
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San Antonio Man Found Guilty of Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – On Friday, a federal jury convicted Kenton Maurice Haynes, 27, of San Antonio for his role in drug trafficking.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on March 26, 2020, law enforcement officers observed Haynes and Kevin Johnson, Jr., 29, of San Antonio, driving a car in circles in an empty parking lot, parking, and then repositioning several times. Another car pulled up, and the driver exited his vehicle and got into the backseat of Johnson’s car. Officers then executed an arrest of all three of the individuals for a drug transaction that was in progress. At the time of the arrest, Johnson had a loaded handgun and nearly $10,000 in cash. Haynes had a loaded handgun equipped with a high-capacity magazine and approximately $2,700 in cash. Officers also recovered approximately two and a half pounds of marijuana, ecstasy and cocaine during the arrest.
At the time of the arrest, Haynes, who was a documented member of the Bloods and Neighborhood Piru street gangs, was under felony indictment for state offenses. Haynes was also wanted for multiple felony warrants for narcotics and firearms offenses.
At the conclusion of a four-day jury trial, Haynes was found guilty on all three charges alleged: one count of Receipt of Firearm While Under Indictment; one count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana. Haynes is scheduled for sentencing before United States Senior District Judge David A. Ezra on August 8, 2022. He faces a maximum of five years in prison for both his receipt of a firearm while under indictment and his possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Haynes also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime to be served consecutively with any other sentence imposed.
On March 16, 2022, Haynes’ co-defendant, Kevin Johnson, Jr., pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Henry J. Bemporad to one count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime and one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana. Johnson is scheduled for sentencing before Judge Ezra on July 25, 2022. He faces a maximum of five years in prison for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime to be served consecutively with any other sentence imposed.
U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Fred J. Milanowski made the announcement.
The ATF, along with members of San Antonio Texas Anti-Gang Center (TAG), is investigating the case.
The public is encouraged to report San Antonio area gang-related crime to TAG’s intervention and prevention website at stopsanantoniogangs.org.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and William F. Calve are prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Salinas Man Charged with Enticing Minor Boy into Sex and ProstitutionRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Daniel Philip Aguirre appeared in federal court yesterday to face charges for enticement and sexual exploitation of a minor boy, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King.
According to the allegations in the criminal complaint, Aguirre, 30, of Salinas, used phones and internet applications (including Grindr, Snapchat, and Craigslist) to entice a 14-year-old boy to engage in sex acts with him and ultimately to engage in multiple acts of prostitution, all over the period from April 2017 to September of 2017. The criminal complaint alleges that Aguirre knew of the victim’s age but nevertheless pursued a sexual relationship with him. After establishing his own sexual relationship with the victim, Aguirre is alleged to have prostituted the victim to Aguirre’s associates and others and received payment for the victim’s sex acts. The complaint further alleges Aguirre created and distributed videos of the victim engaged in sex acts with Aguirre and others, including a man who responded to a Craigslist posting created by Aguirre that advertised sex with the victim. The victim later reported Aguirre to law enforcement.
Aguirre was arrested in Salinas and made his initial appearance in federal court in San Jose on March 28, 2022. Aguirre remains in custody and is scheduled for a detention hearing on March 31, 2022.
The complaint charges Aguirre with the sexual enticement and coercion of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). If convicted, Aguirre faces a maximum sentence of life and a minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, a term of supervised release following imprisonment of up to life, and mandatory restitution to the victim. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Marissa Harris is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Sahib Kaur. The prosecution is the result of a 16-month investigation by HSI and Carmel-by-the-Sea Police Department. Salinas Police Department also assisted with the execution of a search warrant at Aguirre’s home.
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 the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Saint Tammany Parish Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft in Connection with Postal “Blue Box” TheftsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RONALD S. RILEY, JR., (“RILEY’), age 26, of Slidell, Louisiana plead guilty on March 28 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charged in a bill of information filed February 7, 2022 in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
According to documents filed in federal court and signed by RILEY, RILEY was involved in stealing mail from postal receptacles located in the Greater New Orleans area. Items stolen from the mail included monetary instruments and banking information that RILEY used to create fraudulent checks. These fraudulent checks were then used to defraud a number of federally insured financial institutions. RILEY also stole and used the identity of other persons to execute the scheme to defraud.
The crime of conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of up to five years imprisonment, followed by up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. RILEY also faces the potential for the payment of restitution to his victims. The penalty for aggravated identity theft is a mandatory two-year term of imprisonment that runs consecutive to any term of imprisonment imposed on the underlying offense, followed by up to one year of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. RILEY is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Secret Service, the Louisiana State Police, and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. and Richard R. Pickens, II are in charge of the prosecution.
Phoenix Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Bludgeoning DeathRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jesse Don Moquino, 39, of Phoenix, Arizona, an enrolled member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
On September 11, 2019, Moquino stabbed the victim with a sharp object and then hit her on the back of the head with a blunt object multiple times, killing her. Moquino pleaded guilty on February 26, 2020 to Voluntary Manslaughter.
The Salt River Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raynette Logan, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-01199-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-034_Moquino# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Pennsylvania Man Admits Role in $35 Million Pharmacy Compounded Medication SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Langhorne, Pennsylvania, man today admitted participating in a massive compounded-medication kickback scheme that he and others ran out of a pharmacy in Clifton, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Robert Schneiderman, 79, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez in Newark federal court to two counts of an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2014 through 2016, Schneiderman and his conspirators used Main Avenue Pharmacy, a mail-order pharmacy with a storefront in Clifton, to run a fraud and kickback scheme involving compounded drugs like scar creams, pain creams, migraine mediation, and vitamins. Schneiderman was the President of Main Avenue Pharmacy and was a founder and CEO of its corporate parent.
The scheme revolved around identifying compounded drugs that would yield exorbitant reimbursements from health insurers, including both federal and commercial payers. Once Main Avenue identified lucrative formulas for compounds, it would create large prescription pads with precisely those formulas on it. The prescription pad was extremely easy to use – it included check boxes for doctors to select a particular compounded formula. This increased the likelihood that the doctor would not alter the high-paying formula. There was also a place to select up to a dozen refills and a box authorizing the pharmacy to alter the ingredients itself in case an insurer wasn’t covering a particular compounded medication.
Once the prescription pad was set, Main Avenue would disseminate it to its stable of marketers across the country, with whom it had contractual relationships. The marketing companies would in turn distribute the prescription pad to telemedicine companies and doctors with whom they had a financial arrangement.
Physicians who signed prescriptions for compounded medications that were filled at Main Avenue often had never even spoken to the patient, let alone examined him or her. Once the prescriptions were signed by a doctor, they would be returned to Main Avenue Pharmacy. Main Avenue would then fill the prescription regardless of its medical necessity and then submit claims to health care benefit programs for reimbursement. They did so with federal payers like Medicare and Tricare and with commercial payers in New Jersey and elsewhere.
After Main Avenue obtained reimbursement from the health insurers, they would pay kickbacks to the marketers who had generated the prescriptions based on the overall adjudication amount. Main Avenue signed contracts with many of the marketers, and the contracts themselves spelled out the kickback arrangement, which called for Main Avenue to pay each marketer money based on the volume of referrals of compounded prescriptions and the reimbursement amount that Main Avenue received.
As part of the scheme, Main Avenue would routinely waive co-payments of the patients to whom they were sending multiple prescriptions. It did this to ensure that the patients would keep the medications that Main Avenue had sent regardless of whether the patient wanted them. On some occasions, Main Avenue Pharmacy paid the co-payments on behalf of the patients, and falsified money orders from the patients to Main Avenue to make it appear as if the patients had paid their co-payments when they had not.
On compounded medications alone, Main Avenue received over $34 million in reimbursements from health care benefit programs. Approximately $8 million of that total was paid by federal payers. Schneiderman himself earned over $400,000 through the course of the scheme.
The count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Both counts also are punishable by a maximum fine of $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 16, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch in Newark; the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty; special agents of the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Scott J. Lampert; and special agents of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Health Care Fraud Unit Chief Jason S. Gould of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
Peabody Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Drugs Laced with FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Peabody man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to participating in a conspiracy that distributed fentanyl and drugs laced with fentanyl.
Francisco Tavarez, a/k/a “Jose,” 25, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Aug. 9, 2022. Tavarez was charged in November 2017 along with co-defendant Yeffry Reynoso.
In January 2017, a fatal opioid overdose in Melrose prompted an investigation into drug activity on the North Shore of Boston. Reynoso was identified as a heroin and fentanyl supplier who ran an active drug business and employed various individuals as runners who delivered the drugs on his behalf. The investigation determined that Reynoso supplied the opioids that led to the fatal overdose in January and that he had previously supplied the victim with heroin and a heroin/fentanyl mixture on a regular basis in 2016.
During the subsequent investigation into Reynoso’s drug trafficking activities in the Spring of 2017, a cooperating witness made several controlled purchases of heroin and a heroin/fentanyl mixture from Reynoso. In March 2017, Tavarez was identified as a runner for Reynoso when he delivered fentanyl to an undercover agent on Reynoso’s behalf. Tavarez was also observed engaging in multiple suspected drug transactions with individuals believed to be Reynoso’s drug customers. Following a suspected hand-to-hand drug deal in Salem, local law enforcement stopped Tavarez and seized fentanyl and a cocaine/fentanyl mixture from his car.
Reynoso pleaded guilty in January 2019 and, in June 2019, was sentenced to 150 months in prison and four years of supervised release. Reynoso was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,765 and a $700 special assessment.
The charge of distribution of fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 40 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. 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; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Melrose Police Chief Michael Lyle; and Salem Police Chief Lucas J. Miller made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Arnold of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
New York Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Role in KidnappingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for his role in a kidnapping in Paterson, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Maurice Cottman, 42, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler to an information charging him with one count of kidnapping. Judge Chesler imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Oct. 8, 2020, Cottman and his conspirator, Reginald Law, entered a retail store in Paterson and assaulted the victim, who was working in the store. Cottman and Law dragged the victim from the store, threw him into the back of a U-Haul truck and drove to New York. Cottman and Law pistol whipped the victim in the head and face. Later that morning, Cottman called the victim’s family, told them that he had the victim and demanded amounts as high as $200,000 for his return.
That afternoon, law enforcement officers went to Harlem, New York, where they saw the U-Haul parked on the street. When the officers approached, Cottman and Law fled in the U-Haul and were pursued. After some distance, the U-Haul crashed, and a foot pursuit ensued. Ultimately, the officers apprehended Cottman. The officers found the victim in the rear of the U-Haul. Law was arrested on May 26, 2021.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Chesler sentenced Cottman to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the FBI New York Field Office and the Paterson Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit.
The charges against Law remain pending, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New York Man Charged with Making Bomb Threats Directed at a Business on St. JohnRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that a New York man was arrested Tuesday, March 29, 2022, on St. Thomas on criminal charges related to making bomb threats that were allegedly made involving a business on St. John.
According to court documents, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Gilbert Brady, 54, after telephone calls were made to the Virgin Islands Territory Emergency Management Agent (VITEMA) 911 call center and the Beach Bar, in Wharfside Village, St. John stating that explosives were left at the Beach Bar.
On March 20, 2022, an unidentified male called 911 to report that he had left a "package with a timer on it" at the Beach Bar in St. John. The Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) responded and evacuated the premises. No device was discovered. On March 23, 2022, an unidentified male called the Beach Bar and stated that he had placed an explosive under the stage and that it would detonate in 45 minutes. Employees recognized the caller as Brady who had recently been banned from the Beach Bar. Shortly thereafter, an unidentified caller called 911 and stated that, "whatever is under the stage at the Beach Bar in St. John is going to detonate and injure an awful lot of people." Again, the Beach Bar was evacuated, and no explosive was found. The 911 caller was later identified as Brady.
Brady is charged with willfully making a threat involving an explosive pursuant to 18 U.S.C § 844(e). If convicted, Brady faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s office is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Jersey man sentenced for role in drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kyle Flack, of Camden, New Jersey, was sentenced today to five years of probation for his role in a drug conspiracy that spanned several states, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Flack, 38, pled guilty in November 2020 to one count of “Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl.” Flack admitted to working with others to distribute heroin, fentanyl from June to November 2019 in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties and elsewhere.
This case is the result of investigations supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) under the Attorney General-led Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS)/Special Operations Division (SOD) Project Clean Sweep. This initiative seeks to reduce the supply of synthetic opioids in “hot spot” areas previously identified by the Attorney General of the United States, thereby reducing drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths, and identify wholesale distribution networks and sources of supply operating nationally and internationally.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Lydia Lehman, also with the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Original case press release here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/25-charged-six-state-drug-conspiracy-involving-heroin-fentanyl-cocaine
Navajo man charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Monty Montoya, 42, of Cuba, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, appeared in federal court today for an initial appearance, facing charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Montoya will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for March 31.
According to a criminal complaint, on March 15, Montoya allegedly assaulted a victim, identified in court records as Jane Doe, at his residence on the Navajo Nation. Montoya allegedly repeatedly struck the victim about the head and face with his fists and with a .45 caliber pistol. When the victim broke free of Montoya, he allegedly pointed the pistol at her and shot her through the arm, breaking a bone. The victim later was taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital for medical treatment.
When law enforcement arrived, they found Montoya at his mother’s residence nearby. They later recovered a pistol from the property.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of all charges, Montoya faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Mark Pfizenmayer is prosecuting the case.
Missoula meth trafficker sentenced to six years in prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula man convicted of trafficking methamphetamine in the community was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Leonard George Carleton, 58, pleaded guilty in December 2021 to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents filed in the case, the government alleged that in May 2021, the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office supervised a controlled buy of approximately 53.6 grams of meth from Carleton. Later, on June 2, 2021, members of law enforcement searched Carleton’s shop and vehicle and recovered numerous guns, and over 2,800 grams, or approximately six pounds, of pure meth. Six pounds of meth is the equivalent of about 22,106 doses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Unemployment Fraud and Identity Theft Related to COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Michigan man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain COVID-19-related unemployment assistance.
Devin Smith, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Aug. 9, 2022. Smith was arrested on Jan. 12, 2021.
In March 2020, in response to the global coronavirus pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act provided funding to existing state unemployment insurance programs and created a new temporary federal program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). The PUA program, which in Massachusetts was administered by the Department of Unemployment Assistance, provided unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment benefits.
Between March and May 2020, Smith participated in a scheme to obtain proceeds from fraudulent unemployment and PUA claims submitted in nine different states, including Massachusetts. Smith used stolen identities, including the identities of Massachusetts residents, to submit fraudulent unemployment and PUA claims resulting in over $150,000 in payments. Additionally, Smith filed multiple fraudulent unemployment and PUA claims in his own name in six different states, including in Massachusetts.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and forfeiture. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Postal Service and the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Mexican national admits firearm and immigration crimes after arrest in Glacier CountyRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Mexican national today admitted to firearm and immigration crimes after an arrest in Glacier County in which law enforcement found a stolen firearm, ammunition, methamphetamine, fentanyl pills and counterfeit identification cards, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Jesus Zamora-Cuevas, 23, from Mexico, pleaded guilty to prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition and to illegal reentry. Zamora-Cuevas faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the firearm count.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. Chief Judge Morris set sentencing for June 15. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Zamora-Cuevas was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that at 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 14, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services officers responded to a report of a strange vehicle parked near a local resident’s driveway. The caller reported hearing what sounded like a gun being cocked when he approached the vehicle. Officers located the vehicle near the caller’s driveway. Zamora-Cuevas was the driver and there was one passenger. Officers removed both individuals from the vehicle and patted them down. Officers found approximately 32 grams of meth on Zamora-Cuevas.
Officers saw the butt of a pistol under the driver’s seat and removed it. The pistol, which had a round in the chamber and a partially loaded magazine, had been reported stolen in Washington. A search warrant was executed on the vehicle, and officers found a second firearm, a .410-gauge shotgun, in the trunk, a second loaded magazine for the pistol and numerous rounds of 9mm ammunition in a bag. In addition, officers found in the vehicle a locked box that contained thousands of fentanyl pills.
Officers also found on Zamora-Cuevas documents bearing his name and purporting to be a permanent resident card and a Social Security card. The identification number on the permanent resident card was associated with a female, from Pakistan, who had become a U.S. citizen, while the number on the Social Security card was issued to an individual born in 1863. The investigation determined that Zamora-Cuevas was not a U.S. citizen and had unlawfully re-entered the United States after having been removed in 2017.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Sentenced to More Than Nine YearsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney sentenced Alberto Manuel Lara-Zuniga, 46, of Mexico, to 108 months in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney King is joined in making today’s announcement by Brian Mein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).
According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, from December 2020 to February 2021, Lara-Zuniga conspired to distribute narcotics in the greater Charlotte area, as well as trafficked in illegal firearms. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that Lara-Zuniga obtained methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico for distribution into North Carolina through his ties to Sinaloa and Nayarit Cartels in Mexico. Court documents also show that the narcotics were transported into North Carolina through Georgia and California.
Lara-Zuniga is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making this announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked ATF, HSI and CMPD for their investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Taylor G. Stout, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Mercer County Felon Charged with Illegal Possession on a Gun and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Devon Smith was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for possessing a firearm and ammunition after a prior felony conviction, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The Indictment charges Smith, age 24 of Greenville, Pennsylvania, with possessing a firearm and ammunition on December 22, 2021, after a prior felony conviction.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Under States Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller and Special Assistant United States Attorney/Mercer County Assistant District Attorney Shane T. Crevar are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the return of the Indictment in this case. This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) which 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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.