Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
5 May 2022
East Chicago Man Sentenced to 24 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Terrence McCray, 22 years old, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon on his plea of guilty to conspiracy to make false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealers in connection with the acquisition of multiple firearms, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
McCray was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in 2019, McCray conspired with three other persons to straw purchase 17 firearms on 14 occasions. In each of the transactions, a buyer falsely certified on the federal forms that he/she was the actual buyer of the firearms. However, the buyer was really making the purchase of the firearms for McCray, who had selected and provided the funds for the purchase of the firearms.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin F. Wolff and Michael J. Toth.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
District Court Appoints Sandra J. Stewart to Remain as United States Attorney for the Middle District of AlabamaRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – The United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama has appointed Sandra J. Stewart to continue serving as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. Chief United States District Judge Emily C. Marks administered the oath of office on April 22, 2022. Stewart’s appointment became effective on April 25, 2022.
“It is a privilege and honor to serve the people of the Middle District of Alabama,” stated United States Attorney Stewart. “I am grateful for the confidence the Court has placed in me to lead an office filled with dedicated professionals devoted to impartially and ethically enforcing the rule of law on behalf of the United States. I look forward to continuing to work closely with our state, federal, and local law enforcement partners to make our communities safer for all.”
As United States Attorney, Ms. Stewart is the chief federal law enforcement officer responsible for all federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States within the Middle District of Alabama. The Middle District consists of 23 counties and includes the cities of Montgomery, Dothan, Auburn, and Phenix City.
United States Attorney Stewart has served the Department of Justice since 2002. Initially, she worked for the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. During her time in the Northern District, Ms. Stewart served as Chief of the Appellate Division and as First Assistant United States Attorney. After completing a one-year detail as an attorney advisor with the Department’s Professional Responsibility Advisory Office, in 2007, Ms. Stewart came to the Middle District. During her time in the office, she has served multiple terms as the First Assistant United States Attorney and worked as the Criminal Division Appellate Chief.
Prior to joining the Department of Justice, United States Attorney Stewart spent approximately 16 years working for the Alabama Attorney General’s Office. While there, she served as the Chief Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Appeals and Capital Litigation Divisions, and as an Assistant Attorney General with the Alabama Department of Mental Health.
United States Attorney Stewart began her legal career in 1985 serving as a law clerk for Judge Edward B. McDermott in Mobile, Alabama. She attended the University of Alabama School of Law, where she received her J.D., and before that Auburn University, graduating with a B.S. in Public Administration.
Department of Justice and Department of Interior take important step in addressing Missing and Murdered Indigenous People crisisRead the Press Release
Seattle – U.S. Attorney Nick Brown today highlighted National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day. Washington State and both of its U.S. Attorney’s Offices are working collaboratively to build systems to ensure tribal communities can quickly report and seek help if a tribal member goes missing.
“Here in Washington, many of our tribal communities are completing their tribal community response plans to address this initiative. These plans set a framework so that the community and law enforcement can quickly respond if someone goes missing,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “Our program coordinator has seen great progress on the plans and in the months ahead will continue to expand the planning process to additional tribes.”
Today, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco recognized National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day with a virtual event to highlight the Not Invisible Act Commission. The commission is a cross jurisdictional advisory committee composed of law enforcement, Tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and most importantly — survivors. Member of the commission are listed here: https://www.doi.gov/priorities/strengthening-indian-country/not-invisible-act-commission
“The Justice Department is committed to addressing the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous persons with the urgency it demands,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That commitment is reflected in the strength of our partnerships across the federal government, including with the Department of the Interior as we take the next steps in launching the Not Invisible Act Commission. The Commissioners announced today will play a critical role in our efforts to better meet the public safety needs of Native communities. The Justice Department will continue to work alongside our Tribal partners with respect, sincerity, and a shared interest in the wellbeing of Tribal communities.”
“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community, but a lack of urgency, transparency and coordination have hampered our country’s efforts to combat violence against American Indians and Alaska Natives,” said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. “As we work with the Department of Justice to prioritize the missing and murdered Indigenous people’s crisis, the Not Invisible Act Commission will help address the underlying roots of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis by ensuring the voices of those impacted by violence against Native people are included in our quest to implement solutions.”
The Not Invisible Act Commission will make recommendations to the Departments of the Interior and Justice to improve intergovernmental coordination and establish best practices for state, Tribal, and federal law enforcement, to bolster resources for survivors and victim’s families, and to combat the epidemic of missing persons, murder, and trafficking of Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian people.
Among its missions, the Commission will:
- Identify, report and respond to instances of missing and murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) cases and human trafficking,
- Develop legislative and administrative changes necessary to use federal programs, properties, and resources to combat the crisis,
- Track and report data on MMIP and human trafficking cases,
- Consider issues related to the hiring and retention of law enforcement offices,
- Coordinate Tribal-state-federal resources to combat MMIP and human trafficking offices on Indian lands, and
- Increase information sharing with Tribal governments on violent crimes investigations and other prosecutions on Indian lands.
The Commission has the authority to hold hearings, gather testimony, and receive additional evidence and feedback from its members to develop recommendations for the Secretary and Attorney General.
Defendant Pleads Guilty to Attempted Armed Robbery of a Federal Officer in BrooklynRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, John Shortt pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Eric Komitee to assault of a federal police officer and possessing and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence in connection with the attempted robbery of a federal officer outside a nightclub in Brooklyn. When sentenced, Shortt faces up to 27 years in prison.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty plea.
“With today’s guilty plea, John Shortt is held responsible for causing a wild shoot-out on a public street that resulted in one death, seriously wounded three victims including a federal officer who was targeted by the defendant for a robbery, and endangered numerous other persons,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office and our law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to reduce gun-related violence in the district and we will vigorously prosecute criminals like the defendant who use illegal firearms with complete disregard for the consequences of their actions.” Mr. Peace thanked the New York City Police Department for its assistance with the case.
According to court documents, on September 18, 2021, Shortt and an accomplice, Isiah Greenaway, attempted to rob a United States Park Police Officer and another individual at gunpoint outside a nightclub located at 1440 Utica Avenue in Brooklyn. The officer drew his weapon and announced himself as a police officer to protect himself and prevent a felony in-progress. The attempted robbery led to a shoot-out in which the officer and two other individuals were seriously wounded, and another man was killed. Shortt was also shot by the officer. Greenaway is charged with assault of a federal police officer and possessing and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Greenaway’s case is pending and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Nick M. Axelrod and Sophia M. Suarez are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
JOHN SHORTT
Age: 28
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-7 (EK)
Declaración del Fiscal Federal Breon Peace sobre United States V. Úsuga DavidRead the Press Release
“Buena tarde, soy Breon Peace, el Fiscal de los Estados Unidos del Distrito Este de Nueva York. Gracias a todos por estar aquí esta tarde en persona y en línea.
Hoy me acompañan: Anne Milgram, Administrador de la Administración para el Control de Drogas, Ricky J. Patel, Agente Especial Encargado en funciones, desde la oficina del FBI en Nueva York, tenemos a Michael Driscoll, director Adjunto a cargo, de la policía de Nueva York tenemos al Capitán Thomas Kelly, comandante de la Fuerza de Tarea contra la Droga, el jefe de los Alguaciles Vincent DeMarco del Servicio de Alguaciles de los Estados Unidos, el Capitán Captain Michael Sumnick de la Policía del Estado de Nueva York; y mi equipo de la Oficina del Fiscal de los Estados Unidos, los AUSA Gillian A. Kassner y Tara B. McGrath y la asistente legal Sophia Cronin.
Estamos hoy aquí para anunciar la extradición desde Colombia de uno de los capos de la droga más peligrosos y buscados del mundo, Dairo Antonio Úsuga David (también conocido como "Otoniel"), para quien el asesinato era insignificante, y la violencia la mejor divisa.
Durante la última década, Úsuga David ha sido el principal líder del Clan del Golfo, o CDG, el cartel paramilitar y de narcotráfico más poderoso de Colombia. Es responsable del tráfico de cantidades enorme de cocaína -medidas en toneladas, no en libras o kilogramos; de obtener masivos beneficios, medidos en miles de millones, no en millones- y de supervisar un ejército de secuaces que asesinaron, secuestraron y torturaron a víctimas -incluidos agentes de la ley y militares colombianos- para mantener el control del cartel y de las regiones en las que opera.
Sus órdenes directas a sus miles de secuaces ataviados con ropa militar enviaron un efecto dominó de drogas, muerte y destrucción a todas las comunidades que tocaban sus cargamentos de cocaína, desde Colombia hasta aquí mismo, en el Distrito Este de Nueva York.
Hoy se enfrentará por fin a la justicia en un tribunal federal de Brooklyn por cargos que se basan en su papel como líder supremo del cártel.
Úsuga David está acusado en una imputación sustitutiva de tres cargos de dirigir una empresa criminal continua desde junio de 2003 hasta octubre de 2021 y de participar en una conspiración internacional para fabricar y distribuir cocaína, a sabiendas y con la intención de que los estupefacientes fueran importados ilegalmente a los Estados Unidos.
Estos son los cargos, y los detalles sobre Usuga David y su letal organización son escalofriantes. El CDG es uno de los mayores distribuidores de cocaína del mundo.
También conocidos como "Los Urabeños" o "Clan Úsuga", tienen su sede en la región del Urabá antioqueño, en Colombia, y cuentan con un ejército de miles de miembros (en su punto álgido, unos 6.000). Para ponerlo en perspectiva, tenía más empleados que los departamentos de policía de Boston y Miami juntos.
En la pantalla hay un mapa de Colombia y un corredor de países que en última instancia conducen a Estados Unidos. En rojo, se puede ver el extenso territorio bajo control del CDG, gran parte del cual consistía en costas. Dentro del territorio bajo control del CDG, se puede ver la región de Antioquia, que servía de base al CDG. Se puede ver el Golfo de Urabá y tres importantes ciudades portuarias a lo largo del Océano Pacífico a la izquierda y el Mar Caribe a la derecha. Se puede ver que el territorio del CDG está en la parte noroeste del país, más cerca de Estados Unidos, y que estas ciudades portuarias proporcionaban acceso directo a las vías navegables desde las que podían partir los barcos. Y por las líneas azules punteadas, se pueden ver algunas de las rutas de exportación de cocaína que parten de estas zonas y que el CDG utilizaba para el contrabando de drogas hacia Estados Unidos.
El cartel de Úsuga David importaba cantidades exorbitantes de cocaína a Estados Unidos. En la acusación se imputan más de 40 casos -40- en los que su cártel exportó una tonelada o más de cocaína desde Colombia. El CDG exporta y coordina la producción, la compra y el traslado de cargamentos semanales de varias toneladas de cocaína desde Colombia a Centroamérica y México para su importación final a Estados Unidos.
Las autoridades policiales han interceptado algunos de estos envíos, incluidas más de 10 toneladas de cocaína incautadas en barcos frente a la costa de Panamá y en una región selvática de Colombia.
Como líder de alto rango dentro del CDG desde su creación y su director general durante la última década, Úsuga David dirigió a su ejército para que cometiera actos brutales de violencia, terror y represalias; para ejercer el control sobre vastas regiones territoriales de Colombia y su población; y para exportar cantidades abrumadoras de cocaína con destino a Estados Unidos. Todo ello fue enormemente lucrativo y le reportó a Úsuga David y a su cártel miles de millones de dólares en concepto de ingresos procedentes de la droga.
Estas drogas ilícitas, que fueron enviados a los Estados Unidos, causaron adicción, violencia y muerte, y deterioran trágicamente la calidad de vida de los residentes de las comunidades afectadas, incluidas muchas del área metropolitana de Nueva York, y del país en general. Las actividades de tráfico de drogas del CDG financiaron y permitieron el ascenso al poder de Úsuga David. El CDG ha utilizado tácticas militares y armas para controlar la región más lucrativa del tráfico de cocaína dentro de Colombia. La organización paramilitar de Úsuga David tiene miles de soldados, incluidos los "sicarios", que asesinaban, asaltaban, secuestraban, torturaban y asesinaban bajo la dirección de Úsuga David y el CDG imponer un "impuesto" a cualquier narcotraficante que opere en su territorio, cobrando tasas por cada kilogramo de cocaína fabricado, almacenado o transportado a través de la región.
La violencia de Úsuga David incluyó demostraciones públicas de su poder y la represión de civiles inocentes. Impuso cierres obligatorios o "huelgas", una especie de ley marcial en la que ordenó que todos los negocios en el territorio controlado por el CDG permanecieran cerrados y que los ciudadanos colombianos de esas regiones se quedaran en casa. Él ordenó a los soldados del CDG que ejecutaran a cualquiera que desobedeciera las normas de los cierres.
Bajo la dirección de Úsuga David, el CDG también llevó a cabo campañas organizadas (a las que llamaron "Plan Pistola") para matar a personal de las fuerzas públicas y del ejército colombiano utilizando armas de uso militar, como granadas, explosivos y fusiles de asalto, y para asesinar a personas que se creía que cooperaban con las fuerzas del orden. En numerosas ocasiones, Úsuga David ordenó personalmente el asesinato y la tortura de personas consideradas enemigas del CDG.
Durante años, Úsuga David evadió su captura moviéndose a través de una red de casas rurales seguras en las selvas de Colombia y evitando la tecnología moderna, viviendo por fuera del entorno visible. Al mismo tiempo, con un ejército de despiadados sicarios a sus órdenes, Úsuga David pudo ampliar el territorio y el poder del CDG y creer que era esencialmente intocable. Hasta ahora.
La captura de Úsuga David fue el resultado de una amplia campaña conjunta de la Policía Nacional de Colombia, la Fuerza Aérea Colombiana y el Ejército Nacional de Colombia que comenzó en 2016. Antes de la detención de Úsuga David, el gobierno colombiano ofreció una recompensa de 800.000 dólares por información sobre su paradero y Estados Unidos ofreció una recompensa de 5 millones de dólares por información que condujera a su arresto. Úsuga David fue finalmente capturado el 23 de octubre de 2021 en un escondite rural en una provincia de Antioquia, Colombia, cerca de la frontera entre Colombia y Panamá, tras una operación en la que participaron 500 soldados y 22 helicópteros. El presidente de Colombia, Iván Duque, describió la operación como "la mayor penetración en la selva jamás vista en la historia militar de nuestro país."
Un caso como éste requiere un ejército propio, y agradezco el trabajo de mi oficina y de nuestros socios, por poner fin a su reinado de terror, y dar esperanza al pueblo de Colombia de un futuro mejor y más seguro.
Al pueblo de Colombia: nos comprometemos a buscar la verdad sobre los crímenes de Úsuga David y de quienes le ayudaron, a garantizar que se enfrenten a las consecuencias de esos crímenes y a recuperar las ganancias mal habidas para devolvérselas a las víctimas y a sus familias.
Me gustaría dar las gracias especialmente a los agentes de la DEA, el HSI, la policía de Nueva York y el FBI en este caso, y al Servicio de Alguaciles de los Estados Unidos por haber tomado la iniciativa de garantizar que el acusado esté retenido de forma segura en el distrito mientras espera el juicio.
Quisiera expresar mi profunda gratitud al presidente de Colombia, a la Fiscalía General de la Nación, a la Policía Nacional de Colombia, al Ministerio de Defensa Nacional, al Ministerio de Justicia y al Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores. La República de Colombia y sus funcionarios encargados de hacer cumplir la ley han arriesgado, y con frecuencia han perdido, sus vidas en la persecución de este malhechor. Y el pueblo colombiano ha sufrido mucho a manos de Úsuga David y del CDG. Honraremos su sacrificio y honraremos el compromiso de Colombia de luchar contra el narcotráfico haciendo justicia en este caso para las víctimas y sus familias.
También me gustaría reconocer el enorme trabajo realizado por la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales del Departamento de Justicia y los Agregados Judiciales de la Sección de Estupefacientes y Drogas Peligrosas (NDDS) de la División Penal en Bogotá, Colombia y los Abogados Litigantes de NDDS SOD.
Por último, me gustaría agradecer a las Fiscalías del Distrito Sur de Florida, del Distrito Medio de Florida, del Distrito Este de Texas y del Distrito Sur de Nueva York, por colaborar con nosotros en este caso. Los fiscales de esas oficinas han demostrado un extraordinario profesionalismo y dedicación al ofrecer su ayuda en la promoción del caso aquí en el Distrito Este de Nueva York.”
El video de la declaración esta aquí.
Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A convicted West Virginia sex offender pleaded guilty today to failing to provide information related to foreign travel as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Andrew Todd Smith, 32, of Peterstown, Monroe County, admitted that he traveled to South Africa in November 2021 without providing the required advanced notification. Smith was required to register as a sex offender under SORNA after he was convicted of three counts of third-degree sexual assault in Monroe County Circuit Court in 2013. Smith admitted that when he registered as a sex offender with the West Virginia State Police, he signed written forms acknowledging his requirement to report any international travel at least 21 days in advance.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on August 2, 2022, and faces up to 10 years in prison, supervised release of five years and up to life, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the United States Marshals Service and the West Virginia State Police for conducting the investigation.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-50.
###
Convicted Felon Sentenced to over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
HOT SPRINGS – A Hot Springs man was sentenced yesterday to 92 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.
According to court documents, on September 4, 2020, a Hot Springs Police Officer observed a sports bike traveling at a high rate of speed and weaving in and out of traffic in Hot Springs, Arkansas. When Officer’s attempted to stop the sports bike, the driver, who was later identified as, Derek Christopher Lowrey, age 35, fled via the sports bike and then on foot. Lowrey was eventually arrested and, in a search incident to his arrest, law enforcement officers located a .380 caliber pistol in his front right pants pocket.
At the time that Lowrey possessed the firearm, he was an absconder from parole and had several prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing any firearms.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Hot Springs Police Department and the ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elser prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
California Man Accused of Threatening Merriam-Webster with Anti-LGBTQ Violence IndictedRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A California man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with making threats to commit anti-LGBTQ violence against Springfield-based Merriam-Webster, Inc. and others.
Jeremy David Hanson, 34, of Rossmoor, Calif., was indicted on one count of interstate communication of threatening communications to commit violence. The grand jury also charged Hanson with intentionally selecting Merriam-Webster, Inc., its property and its employees as the object of the threatening communications pertaining to one’s actual or perceived gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Hanson will appear in federal court in Springfield on May 13, 2022. On April 20, 2022, Hanson was arrested and charged by criminal complaint.
“We believe Mr. Hanson, motivated by hate and veiled by the assumed anonymity of the internet, made numerous threats of violence to instill fear in our communities,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Hateful and bigoted activity, like the conduct alleged here, is destructive on so many levels and will not be tolerated. Every individual has a right to feel safe in their community. My office will continue its relentless pursuit of those who seek to threaten, intimidate and divide us and hold them accountable.”
“Jeremy Hanson is accused of repeatedly making violent threats, motivated by hate, to intimidate others – even going as far as causing Merriam-Webster to shut down its offices for five days out of fear for their employees’ safety,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Threatening violent action strikes at the heart of our fundamental right as Americans to live and work without fear, and this case underscores the FBI’s commitment to ensuring that everyone’s civil rights are protected, and those who try to infringe on them are brought to justice.”
According to the charging documents, between Oct. 2 and Oct. 8, 2021, Springfield-based Merriam-Webster, Inc. received various threatening messages and comments demonstrating bias against specific gender identities submitted through its website’s “Contact Us” page and in the comments section on its webpages that corresponded to the word entries for “Girl” and “Woman.” Authorities later identified the user as Hanson.
Specifically, it is alleged that on Oct. 2, 2021, Hanson used the handle “@anonYmous” to post the following comment on the dictionary’s website definition of “female”: “It is absolutely sickening that Merriam-Webster now tells blatant lies and promotes anti-science propaganda. There is no such thing as ‘gender identity.’ The imbecile who wrote this entry should be hunted down and shot.”
Hanson also allegedly sent the following threatening message via the website’s “Contact Us” page: “You [sic] headquarters should be shot up and bombed. It is sickening that you have caved to the cultural Marxist, anti-science tranny [sic] agenda and altered the definition of ‘female’ as part of the Left’s efforts to corrupt and degrade the English language and deny reality. You evil Marxists should all be killed. It would be poetic justice to have someone storm your offices and shoot up the place, leaving none of you commies alive.”
It is further alleged that on Oct. 8, 2021, Hanson posted another threatening comment on the dictionary’s website and a threatening message via the “Contact Us” page that read: “I am going to shoot up and bomb your offices for lying and creating fake definitions in order to pander to the tranny mafia. Boys aren’t girls, and girls aren’t boys. The only good Marxist is a dead Marxist. I will assassinate your top editor. You sickening, vile tranny freaks.” As a result of the threats, Merriam-Webster closed its offices in Springfield and New York City for approximately five business days.
The criminal complaint identified numerous related threats, including to the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, Land O’ Lakes, Hasbro, Inc., IGN Entertainment, the President of the University of North Texas, two professors at Loyola Marymount University and a New York City rabbi.
Individuals or entities who believe they may be victims of this alleged crime should contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 888-221-6023.
The charge of interstate transmission of threatening communications provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Rollins and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
California Couple Sentenced for Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that John Wong, 61, and Joyce Luo, 49, both of Rowland Heights, California, were sentenced on May 4, 2022, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for their role in a sex trafficking conspiracy. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Wong and Luo each to 1 year and a day imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Wong and Luo are released from prison, they will begin a three-year term of supervised release. Judge Buescher fined Wong $50,000 and Luo $5,000.
An investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations determined that beginning in May 2017, Wong and Luo, assisted females to travel to Nebraska for to engage in commercial prostitution. Wong and Luo, who cohabitate, would place advertisements for “Hot Young Sexy Asian Girls” on the website, Backpage.com. The advertisements were directed at customers in numerous cities, including Omaha, Nebraska. The Backpage advertisements provided a phone number for a prospective customer to call and set up a “date.” Wong and Luo also facilitated and made travel and lodging arrangements for the females. Wong and Luo would communicate with the females using WeChat, a Chinese multi-purpose messaging, social media, and mobile payment application.
There were approximately 5,451 Backpage advertisements posted in 44 cities, including Omaha, using phone numbers associated with Wong and Luo. Once a customer would contact the number associated with a Backpage advertisement listed, Luo, working out of a “call center” in California, would communicate with the prospective customer. Lou would direct that customer to a hotel where a female was staying for purposes of engaging in commercial prostitution. The females charged customers $160 for a half hour of time and $200 for an hour of time. The female would typically keep a portion of a payment for the commercial sex act. The female would also deposit a portion of the payment into a bank account associated with Wong and Luo.
Wong and Luo agreed to abandon and forfeit to the government more than $2.6 million dollars in proceeds related to the operation as well as a 2015 BMW X6.
“Defendants, like these, are far more concerned with lining their pockets through the sexual trafficking of vulnerable individuals, than the humane treatment of those they manipulated,” said acting Special Agent in Charge of the Kansas City area of operations R. Sean Fitzgerald. “HSI and our law enforcement partners are committed to the eradication of these types of sex crimes and will continue to work to protect these at-risk populations from harm.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Nebraska State Patrol.
Bronx Man Sentenced to 2 Years for Crack and Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Bronx, New York man was sentenced in federal court today for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Troy Roberts, 27, to two years in prison and three years of supervised release.
According to court records, on November 21, 2019, investigators received a tip that Roberts was coming to Bangor by bus from New York City with drugs that he intended to sell in the area. Law enforcement officers conducted surveillance of the bus station and observed Roberts exit a bus carrying a backpack. Officers followed the waiting vehicle that Roberts entered and conducted a traffic stop. During the roadside investigation, officers discovered approximately one ounce of cocaine base (crack) and one ounce of heroin in the backpack Roberts had been carrying. Further investigation revealed that Roberts was a member of a group who had made multiple trips to Bangor from New York City for the purpose of selling drugs.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Maine State Police investigated the case.
###
Brentwood Woman Sentenced to 81 Months in Prison for Serial Tax Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Jehoaddan Wilson was sentenced in federal court today to 81 months for filing false tax claims, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft in a tax fraud scheme that caused losses of $902,040, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Mark H. Pearson. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Jon S. Tigar.
Wilson, 41, of Brentwood, was convicted by a federal jury on September 28, 2021, of five counts of filing a false tax claim, five counts of wire fraud, and five counts of aggravated identify theft. Trial evidence demonstrated that Wilson obtained personal identifying information from scores of unsuspecting individuals through lies and misrepresentations and then filed fraudulent tax returns in their names.
Evidence presented at trial showed Wilson perpetrated her scheme by obtaining victims’ social security numbers either by manipulating them into providing the information under false pretenses or by obtaining their social security numbers without their knowledge. Wilson then filed tax returns in each victim’s name that contained false information and that fraudulently claimed a tax refund. In each return, Wilson requested the tax refund be deposited between at least two bank accounts, one or both of which were Wilson’s personal bank accounts. In sum, Wilson filed fraudulent tax returns for people without their knowledge or consent that caused the federal government to pay tax refunds not owed and to deposit those refunds into bank accounts controlled by Wilson.
At trial, one victim testified that she provided her personal identifying information to Wilson with the understanding that Wilson, who presented herself as a legitimate tax preparer, would assist in filing her tax return. Unbeknownst to the victim, Wilson made numerous false statements about the victim’s employment, expenses, and income in the tax return which fraudulently claimed a tax refund. Wilson also requested, without the victim’s knowledge or consent, that approximately half of the tax refund be deposited into Wilson’s bank account. In another instance, an elderly woman fell victim to Wilson’s scheme when Wilson or one of her associates visited the woman’s retirement community and convinced her to provide her identifying information to obtain free money from an alleged federal government “Obama Stimulus” plan. Wilson used the personal information to file a tax return on the elderly woman’s behalf and without her knowledge. The tax return, replete with false information, generated a fraudulent tax refund, and Wilson directed approximately half of the refund into her own bank account. Wilson victimized a third person, according to trial evidence, by obtaining the victim’s identifying information and filing a false tax return in his name while he was incarcerated and without his knowledge, again enriching herself. Wilson exploited a fourth and a fifth victim using a similar pattern of obtaining their identifying information, filing false tax returns in their names without their knowledge or consent, and causing portions of the tax refunds to be deposited into her bank accounts.
Evidence presented at trial also established that search warrants executed at Wilson’s home and office turned up numerous additional documents containing identifying information of victims, including copies of driver licenses and social security cards.
In its memorandum filed for sentencing, the government described that Wilson’s fraud was so pervasive that in just one tax year – 2011 – she victimized approximately 388 people. Her fraudulent tax claims caused a loss to the federal government of $902,040 in that tax year alone.
United States District Judge Jon S. Tigar also ordered, in addition to the 81 months imprisonment, that Wilson pay restitution in the amount of $902,040. The sentence included a three year period of supervision for Wilson following her release from prison. Wilson was remanded into custody at the end of the sentencing hearing and begins serving her sentence immediately.
Robert David Rees and Kristina Green are the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who prosecuted the case, with the assistance of Jasmine Sanders, Claudia Hyslop, and Leeya Kekona. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by IRS-CI.
Bluefield Man Sentenced to Prison for Distributing Pound of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – A Bluefield man was sentenced today to eight years and one month in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Eric Lee Flack, 43, admitted that on July 28, 2020, he sold approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine for $5,600 to an undercover informant. Flack also admitted to selling quantities of hydromorphone to the same undercover informant on two separate occasions in September and November 2020. He received approximately $3,500 for each transaction, and both occurred in Bluefield, West Virginia.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The Southern Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, the Bluefield Police Department and the Princeton Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-255.
###
Blawnox Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Blawnox, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release on his conviction for possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV imposed the sentence on Michael Marlette, 56.
According to information presented to the court, on August 19, 2018, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations and the Blawnox Police Department executed a federal search and seizure warrant at Marlette’s residence. Investigators seized numerous electronic devices from the residence. A subsequent search of Marlette’s electronic devices revealed approximately 9,746 images and 291 videos that depicted child pornography.
Prior to imposing the sentence, Judge Stickman referenced the seriousness of the offense and the number of victims in Marlette’s child pornography collection.
Assistant United States Attorney Mark V. Gurzo prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended Homeland Security Investigations and the Blawnox Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Marlette.
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.justice.gov/psc.
Bergen County Doctor Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Distributing Opioids to PatientsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County doctor was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for distributing opioids without a legitimate medical reason and falsifying medical records to cover it up, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Robert Delagente, 48, of Oakland, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substances, three counts of distribution of controlled dangerous substances, and one count of falsifying medical records. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentence today.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Beginning in May 2014, Delagente was a doctor at a medical practice called North Jersey Family Medicine (NJFM) in Oakland, New Jersey. Delagente knowingly prescribed controlled substances, such as oxycodone, Percocet, Tylenol with codeine, and various benzodiazepines (alprazolam, diazepam, clonazepam, and temazepam), outside the ordinary course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. He ignored the inherent danger and medical risk of overdose, drug abuse, and death that can accompany prescriptions of highly addictive opioids, benzodiazepines, and muscle relaxers, both on their own and in combination with one another.
Delagente also was charged with altering medical records of patients who received controlled substance prescriptions from him after law enforcement officials had subpoenaed the records in late April 2019.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Delagente to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Messenger in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason S. Gould of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Sean M. Sherman of the Opioids Unit in Newark.
Armed Carjacker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Javeon Maurice Jacobs (22, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to three firearms offenses relating to his brandishing of a firearm during three armed carjackings. Jacobs had entered his guilty pleas on April 14, 2022. He faces a minimum mandatory term of 21 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 13, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, on March 31, 2021, Jacobs used a firearm and physical force to carjack a vehicle in Safety Harbor. On April 18, 2021, Jacobs kidnapped two individuals at gunpoint in Tampa and took their vehicle. After releasing those victims, Jacobs abandoned their vehicle at another location in Tampa. He then carjacked another vehicle, again by brandishing a firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Tampa Police Department, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Largo Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jim Preston.
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.
Appleton Man Sentenced to 15 Years’ Imprisonment for Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 4, 2022, Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Robert Narvett (age: 57), of Appleton, Wisconsin to 180 months’ imprisonment for one count of Wire Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 and one count of Money Laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956. Narvett was also ordered to pay restitution to his victims, sentenced to three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 Special Assessment.
Narvett was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2021 and pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering on January 21, 2022. Judge Griesbach found that Narvett defrauded nearly 70 different victims, including his family, friends, and neighbors of over $2 million and that he engaged in the scheme for over a decade. More than a dozen of Narvett’s victims spoke at the sentencing hearing, describing the ways in which Narvett ruined their lives. Many described ruined credit scores, inability to afford basic life necessities, and having to re-enter the workforce after retiring. One victim told Judge Griesbach that Narvett’s fraud made her a “prisoner of my life.”
Judge Griesbach described Narvett’s crime as “horrible,” noting that it had the “earmarks of violent crime” because of the way it impacted Narvett’s victims. He described Narvett’s conduct as “astounding” and explained that the 15-year sentence he was imposing was necessary to provide just punishment, protect the public, and send a serious message to others that financial crimes that victimize people do not pay.
“The sentence imposed in this case reflects the devastating impact that white collar crime can have on individual victims and our entire community,” stated U.S. Attorney Frohling. “To satisfy his own greed, Mr. Narvett left a wake of financial devastation and shattered lives for his family, friends, and others whose trust he had gained. I commend the team of agents, attorneys, and support staff who dedicated themselves to pursuing justice for the victims in this case.”
“The fraud committed by a trusted friend, family member, and neighbor for personal gain was devastating and negatively impacted our community members.” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle. “The FBI continues to work with our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office to ensure perpetrators of financial fraud are investigated and brought to face justice.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Julie F. Stewart and Daniel R. Humble prosecuted. Narvett is also facing a pending civil action brought by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission regarding similar conduct.
# # #
For further information contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on Twitter
$300 Million Yacht of Sanctioned Russian Oligarch Suleiman Kerimov Seized by Fiji at Request of United StatesRead the Press Release
Fijian law enforcement executed a seizure warrant freezing the Motor Yacht Amadea (the Amadea), a 348-foot luxury vessel owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov. Fijian law enforcement, with the support and assistance of the FBI, acted pursuant to a mutual legal assistance request from the U.S. Department of Justice following issuance of a seizure warrant from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which found that the Amadea is subject to forfeiture based on probable cause of violations of U.S. law, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), money laundering and conspiracy.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Kerimov as part of a group of Russian oligarchs who profit from the Russian government through corruption and its malign activity around the globe, including the occupation of Crimea. In sanctioning Kerimov, the Treasury Department also cited Kerimov as an official of the Government of the Russian Federation and a member of the Russian Federation Counsel.
According to court documents, Kerimov owned the Amadea after his designation. Additionally, Kerimov and those acting on his behalf and for his benefit caused U.S. dollar transactions to be routed through U.S. financial institutions for the support and maintenance of the Amadea.
“This ruling should make clear that there is no hiding place for the assets of individuals who violate U.S. laws. And there is no hiding place for the assets of criminals who enable the Russian regime,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to hold accountable those who facilitate the death and destruction we are witnessing in Ukraine.”
“Last month, I warned that the department had its eyes on every yacht purchased with dirty money,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “This yacht seizure should tell every corrupt Russian oligarch that they cannot hide – not even in the remotest part of the world. We will use every means of enforcing the sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine.”
“This seizure demonstrates the FBI's persistence in pursuing sanctioned Russian oligarchs attempting to evade accountability for their role in jeopardizing our national security,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI, along with our international partners, will continue to seek out those individuals who contribute to the advancement of Russia’s malign activities and ensure they are brought to justice, regardless of where, or how, they attempt to hide.”
“This seizure of Suleiman Kerimov’s vessel, the Amadea, nearly 8,000 miles from Washington, D.C., symbolizes the reach of the Department of Justice as we continue to work with our global partners to disrupt the sense of impunity of those who have supported corruption and the suffering of so many,” said Director Andrew Adams of Task Force KleptoCapture. “This Task Force will continue to bring to bear every resource available in this unprecedented, multinational series of enforcement actions against the Russian regime and its enablers.”
“The U.S. Marshals Service will continue to contribute our expertise in support of Task Force efforts to take possession of seized assets of Russian oligarchs during these forfeiture operations,” said Director Ronald L. Davis of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The seizure was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls, and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2 and run out of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
Upon receipt of a mutual legal assistance request from the United States, Fijian authorities executed the request, obtaining a domestic seizure warrant from a Fijian court.
The Amadea, International Maritime Organization number 1012531, is believed to be worth approximately $300 million or more. The yacht is now in Lautoka, Fiji.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office with assistance from the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Canberra, Australia, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the U.S. Embassy in Suva, Fiji.
Trial Attorney Andrew D. Beaty of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Trial Attorney Joshua L. Sohn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are handling the seizure. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance. The United States thanks the Fijian authorities for their cooperation in this matter.
4 May 2022
York Man Sentenced to 270 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Eric Banks, age 42, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 270 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for drug-trafficking and firearms offenses.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, following a four-day trial in October 2021, a jury found Banks guilty of conspiracy to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, crack cocaine, and powder cocaine, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of firearms as a previously convicted felon. The trial evidence showed that Banks distributed significant quantities of heroin, fentanyl, crack cocaine, and powder cocaine in the York area in 2017 and 2018. In January 2018, during the execution of a search warrant at Banks’ York residence, law enforcement recovered drugs, drug-packaging materials, and three loaded handguns. Two of the handguns had been reported stolen.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the York County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlo D. Marchioli and Christian T. Haugsby prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
# # #
Waterbury Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARBIN JIMENEZ, also known as “Rabia,” 33, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a joint investigation headed by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department into a Waterbury-based drug trafficking operation headed by Nestor Sosa-Ortiz. The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical surveillance, and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Sosa-Ortiz’s organization received large quantities of heroin and fentanyl from suppliers in Connecticut and New York and distributed the narcotics throughout New Haven County. After Sosa-Ortiz was arrested in New York City on a separate federal heroin and fentanyl trafficking charge in May 2019, he continued to control his drug network while incarcerated by using smuggled cell phones to communicate with various co-conspirators, including his sisters, Isamelis Sosa-Ortiz and Imirici Sosa-Ortiz, in Waterbury.
On November 6, 2019, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging 15 members of the Sosa-Ortiz drug trafficking organization with conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl. A superseding indictment returned in January 2020 added a sixteenth defendant.
Jimenez was subsequently identified as a redistributor for the Sosa-Ortiz drug trafficking organization. On three occasions in July and August 2020, investigators conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl from Jimenez.
Jimenez has been detained since his arrest on August 31, 2020. At the time of his arrest, he possessed approximately 150 grams of fentanyl, kilogram presses, digital scales, and a drug ledger. Jimenez pleaded guilty on November 1, 2021.
Nestor Sosa-Ortiz, Isamelis Sosa-Ortiz and Imirici Sosa-Ortiz have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck, and Waterbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara E. Levens, Lauren C. Clark and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.
Waterbury Man Involved in Connecticut-to-Maine Drug and Gun Trafficking Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LONNIE JOYNER, also known as “Flo,” 37, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking firearms and narcotics between Connecticut and Maine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2016, the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Joyner and other Connecticut residents who were driving to northeastern Maine with 100-gram quantities of heroin, and sometimes crack cocaine, and selling the drugs to customers in Maine. In exchange for the narcotics, Joyner received money or firearms from his customers. On September 27, 2017, a court-authorized search of a storage unit that Joyner rented at a Waterbury storage facility revealed two .38 caliber revolvers.
Joyner’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for firearm, narcotics, strangulation and failure to appear offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
After his arrest in this case and while released on bond, Joyner threatened his probation officer and failed to appear for a court proceeding. He has been detained since May 11, 2021, when he was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Connecticut Violent Fugitive Task Force. On June 4, 2021, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearms by a felon.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Connecticut and Maine, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Waterbury Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for His Role in a Maryland Casino and Hotel KidnappingRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Christopher Allen Young, a/k/a “40,” age 26, of Washington, D.C., to 126 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit kidnapping, in connection with the kidnapping of a victim from a Maryland casino and hotel.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to Young’s guilty plea, on February 3, 2021, Young, Darius Young a/k/a “Mup”, Anthony Hebron, Lamar Perkins, and Co-conspirator 1 worked together to kidnap a victim from a Maryland casino and hotel. Hebron and Co-conspirator 1 met Victim A at the casino and hotel, where they made the false promise that they would get women for Victim A if Victim A accompanied them to Southeast Washington, D.C. At approximately 7:30 a.m., Victim A agreed to travel to Southeast Washington, D.C. in Co-conspirator 1’s car with Hebron and Co-conspirator 1.
At 8:12 a.m., Young received a call from Hebron. A minute later, Young called Mup to report that Co-conspirator 1 and Hebron had “snatched” Victim A. Young advised Mup that he was going to split the proceeds of the robbery with Co-conspirator 1 and Hebron and would pay Mup from his share. Young added that, if Victim A “gets feisty, I don’t want to have to crush him.”
A short time later, Co-conspirator 1 and Hebron arrived in Southeast D.C. with Victim A, and Young and Mup got in the car. Hebron then pointed a gun at Victim A, while Young and the co-conspirators took Victim A’s personal items, including Victim A’s wallet, cellphone, and watch (which had been purchased for approximately $500), and the key to Victim A’s hotel room. Young and the co-conspirators then demanded the code to the safe in Victim A’s hotel room. After Victim A refused to provide the code to the safe, Hebron struck Victim A in the forehead with the gun, and Victim A gave up the code to his safe. Hebron then forced Victim A out of the vehicle.
Young and Mup then exited the vehicle with Victim A, while Co-conspirator 1 and Hebron drove back to the casino and hotel. Young and Mup then led Victim A, at gunpoint, to a boiler room inside an apartment building in Southeast D.C. Inside the boiler room, Young and Mup physically assaulted Victim A and demanded that Victim A disclose the PIN number for his ATM card and provide details about items located in Victim A’s hotel room.
According to the plea agreement, members of the conspiracy were seen on surveillance footage leaving Victim A’s hotel room with a backpack and roller suitcase, which contained items they had stolen from the room, including an Xbox, at least $1,500 in casino chips, and approximately $6,000 in cash.
Soon after learning that Co-conspirator 1 and Hebron had stolen Victim A’s valuables from his hotel room, Young and Mup left the boiler room, leaving Victim A behind.
Just a few moments later, law enforcement located Victim A near the apartment building, with blood running down his face and a wound on his forehead. Victim A also appeared to have suffered cuts on his mouth and eye, and a broken nose.
Following the robbery and assault, Young and his co-conspirators discussed the kidnapping and robbery on a phone call. Young told the co-conspirators that he was not worried about Victim A talking to law enforcement because Victim A would be too afraid after Young and Mup threatened him. Young said he told Victim A, “If the police come, or anything come, I got your address. Mom…your little brother, all them is gone!”
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.
This case is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI Washington, and the FBI Baltimore Field Offices for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also praised the Prince George’s County Police Department for their assistance in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey J. Izant and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Engelking, 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Virginia Beach Woman Pleads Guilty to $2.7M Tax FraudRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach woman pleaded guilty yesterday to failing to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) payroll taxes that were deducted from her employees’ paychecks.
According to court documents, from at least 2011 to 2019, Wendy Brockenbrough, 53, failed to pay over to the IRS pay roll taxes from the three different companies she owned. As the principal owner, Brockenbrough was responsible for withholding the required employment taxes and paying that amount over to the IRS. She also had an obligation to file Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return but failed to do so for years with respect to each of these businesses.
The court records indicate that Brockenbrough issued her employees weekly paystubs and annual Form W-2s indicating that the appropriate payroll taxes were being withheld from her employees’ paychecks. While Brockenbrough withheld the taxes, she failed to pay over the amounts to the IRS. Instead, Brockenbrough lived a lavish lifestyle by purchasing a Regulator center console boat for approximately $126,000, a Hatteras 60-foot yacht for approximately $820,000, and a Jeep Wrangler for approximately $41,000. Brockenbrough attempted to conceal her actions by lying to her accountants and stating that she made the payments. To support her claims, she forged IRS records and Quickbook entries showing the taxes had been paid. Brockenbrough’s actions caused an approximate $2,721,268 loss in unpaid payroll taxes to the IRS.
Brockenbrough is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8. She faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Darrell J. Waldon, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask took the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Kosky is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-46.
U.s. Postal Service Engineer Pleads Guilty to Taking Illegal Gratuities from Postal Service ContractorRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Thomas Berlucchi, a Facilities Engineer for the United States Postal Service (USPS), pleaded guilty today to accepting over $6,500 in illegal gratuities from a USPS contractor announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Kenneth Cleevely, Special Agent in Charge of the Contract Fraud Investigations Division, United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (OIG).
Thomas Berlucchi, 61 years old, of Troy, Michigan, stands convicted of accepting illegal gratuities from Michael Rymar, who was the owner of a Rochester Hills company, Horizons Materials & Management LLC, which was awarded contracts to repair USPS buildings in Michigan and New York. According to court records, from 2015 to 2018, Berlucchi and other USPS engineers awarded Rymar’s company over $5 million in contracts. As a USPS Facilities Engineer, Berlucchi had the power to award no-bid contracts to contractors like Rymar so long as the contract was worth less than $10,000. During the plea hearing, Berlucchi admitted that between 2013 and 2018, he had accepted over $6,500 in illegal gratuities from Rymar because Rymar sought to continue to receive USPS work from Berlucchi. Berlucchi had awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in work to Rymar. Berlucchi admitted accepting free construction work on his cottage (including exterior stairs and a new roof), free hotel rooms, and donations by Rymar to Berlucchi’s preferred organization.
Separately, Rymar has been charged with and pleaded guilty to stealing government funds because he committed fraud in the USPS contracts which he had received. In that scheme, Rymar provided documentation to the USPS containing false and fraudulent statements, oftentimes dramatically and falsely overstating the amount he paid subcontractors to complete the repairs. Rymar also falsely inflated the amount he paid his own employees and the cost of materials on USPS jobs. Over the course of the three-plus year fraudulent scheme, Rymar stole over $1.2 million from USPS out of the $5 million in contracts he was awarded.
United States Attorney Ison stated, “Federal employees who corrupt the contracting process by accepting illegal gratuities from contractors will be caught and punished.”
“We are gratified to have contributed to this investigation and applaud the exceptional work by the United States Attorney’s Office for both protecting the contracting process and overall program costs,” said Kenneth Cleevely, Special Agent in Charge, USPS OIG. “Along with the Department of Justice, the USPS OIG will continue to aggressively investigate those who would engage in fraudulent activities designed to defraud the Postal Service.”
Upon conviction for a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 201(c)(1)(B), gratuity to a public official, Berlucchi faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Under the United States Sentencing Commission Guidelines, Berlucchi is facing a sentence of between 8 to 14 months in prison.
The investigation of this case was conducted by the of the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Cares.
U.S. Attorney Announces Results of Multi-Faceted Strategy to Combat Fraud Related to COVID-19Read the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results achieved to date by the Middle District of Florida’s efforts to combat fraud related to COVID-19. Those efforts have included complementary actions by the Criminal, Asset Recovery, and Civil Divisions, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
“Throughout the pandemic, my office and our law-enforcement partners have used all available methods to combat fraud related to COVID-19, and we will continue to do so,” stated U.S. Attorney Handberg. “After the United States instituted multiple programs to financially assist those most harmed by the pandemic, criminals sought to defraud those programs for personal enrichment at the expense of the taxpayers who funded these programs. We will continue to disrupt these fraud schemes, prosecute those who commit crimes, and return ill-gotten gains through our efforts.”
On the criminal-enforcement front, the United States Attorney’s Office and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies joined together in March 2020 to form the Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force to identify, investigate, and prosecute fraud related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception, the Task Force has prosecuted 28 defendants for fraud schemes designed to exploit federal programs created or expanded to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”), Unemployment Insurance (“UI”), and the Main Street Lending Program (“MSLP”). These defendants collectively sought to defraud the United States of over $31 million. Eighteen of those defendants have already been found guilty, while prosecution remains pending against ten defendants. (See chart for criminal case details.)
Further, the District’s Asset Recovery Division and federal seizing agencies have completed the forfeiture of more than $14.3 million of PPP, EIDL, and UI funds that were fraudulently obtained, depriving the fraudsters of their ill-gotten gains and recovering the proceeds for the victims. More than $8.5 million in additional pandemic fraud proceeds have been seized and are pending civil or criminal forfeiture.
For example, in May 2020, Don Cisternino obtained a $7.2 million PPP loan for a non-existent movie production company. Cisternino used almost $3.5 million of the PPP loan proceeds to buy a 12,579 square foot luxury home with seven bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a four-car garage, theater room, resort-style pool and spa area, tennis courts, and a 5-stall horse barn, on more than twelve acres, pictured below.
The United States completed a civil forfeiture of the lavish home, selling it earlier this year for more than $4 million, which will be returned to the victim. Cisternino has been indicted in Orlando and was arraigned on April 29, 2022, after being successfully extradited from Croatia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing Cisternino’s arrest and extradition.
Similarly, in April 2020, Casey Crowther obtained a $2.1 million PPP loan by falsely stating that he intended to use the money for his roofing company. However, Crowther quickly used the proceeds for personal purchases, including nearly $700,000 for a 40’ catamaran boat, pictured below.
Crowther was convicted following a trial in Fort Myers, and in June 2021, he was sentenced to over three years in federal prison and was ordered to forfeit the boat and over $3 million.
The District’s Civil Division has similarly combatted fraud related to COVID-19 through its enforcement efforts. For example, in the summer of 2020, consumers complained about websites that were falsely claiming to sell personal protection equipment for the COVID-19 virus. Agents from Homeland Security Investigations identified three men in Vietnam who were using hundreds of web pages to steal money from consumers seeking to purchase PPE. The Civil Division and the agents together halted the payments from U.S. purchasers and obtained a permanent restraining order blocking the websites from being hosted by a U.S. company. The men are now in custody in Vietnam and are facing criminal charges there.
Further, as a result of the efforts of the Civil Division, a Tampa pain management practice, Physician Partners of America, and its affiliated companies, paid a $1.3 million penalty under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act as part of a larger civil settlement, to resolve our claim that the defendants improperly applied for a PPP loan of over $5.9 million while engaged in unlawful Medicare overbilling. Similarly, in two recent bankruptcy proceedings handled by the Civil Division, debtors were required to return PPP loans totaling almost $2 million because the United States objected to their obtaining the loans while also seeking bankruptcy protections.
The Attorney General has 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. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Through the PPP, the federal government authorized over $600 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. The EIDL program provides economic relief to small businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. The MSLP provided support to small and medium-sized businesses and their employees across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. UI programs provided unemployment benefits to eligible workers who became unemployed through no fault of their own.
The criminal cases identified in the linked chart have been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Small Business Administration, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation—Office of Inspector General, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys throughout the Middle District of Florida.
The Department of Justice needs the public’s assistance in remaining vigilant and reporting suspected fraudulent activity. To report suspected fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at (866) 720-5721 or file an online complaint at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Complaints filed will be reviewed at the NCDF and referred to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation.
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.
United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida
COVID Fraud Cases
Defendant(s) (Age)
Charge(s)
Max. Imprisonment
Type of Fraud*
Intended Loss
Amount
Tampa Division
Richard Simpkins (47)
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Illegal monetary transactions
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
PPP
$1.9M
Joseph Abdo (39)
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Illegal monetary transactions
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
PPP
$500k
Jorge Gutierrez Echeverria (33)
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
EIDL
$150k
Steve Moodie (33)
Melinda Hernandez (33)
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 5 Years
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Aggravated identity theft
Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive
UI
$550k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones, Greg Pizzo, Candace Rich, and Jennifer Peresie
Orlando Division
Don Cisternino (46)
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Illegal Monetary Transactions
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
Aggravated Identity Theft
Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive
PPP
$7.2M
Emmet Bowens (53)
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Illegal monetary transactions
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
PPP
$740k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Chauncey Bratt and Amanda Daniels
Fort Myers Division
Daniel Joseph Tisone (34)
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Bank fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Money laundering
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
Aggravated Identity Theft
Maximum Prison Term: 2 Years Consecutive
Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
PPP/EIDL/MSLP
$2.6M
Liliana Gonzalez (31)
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
PPP
$169k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Trent Reichling and Shannon Laurie
Adjudicated Cases
Tampa Division
Rolanda Wingfield (39)
Access device fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
Aggravated identity theft
Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive
UI
$135k
Keith Nicoletta (49)
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
PPP
$1.9M
Randy Jones (34)
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
Aggravated identity theft
Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive
EIDL/UI
$250k
Rosenide Venant (37)
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
EIDL/PPP
$413k
Julio Lugo (45)
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
EIDL/PPP
$4.4M
These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones and Tiffany Fields
Orlando Division
Tomas Ziupsnys (39)
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Bank fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Aggravated identity theft
Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive
PPP
$2M
Holly Urban (36)
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
PPP
$1.5M
These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSA Emily Chang
Fort Myers Division
Anthony Bruey (36)
Amber Bruey (35)
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Wire fraud
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
Illegal monetary transactions
Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years
PPP/EIDL
$881k
Edrica Leann Watson (30)
False statement to a lending institution
Maximum Prison Term: 30 Year
PPP
$392k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Trent Reichling and Jesus M. Casas
Sentenced Cases
Tampa Division
Louis Thornton, III (63)
Wire Fraud
Sentence Imposed: 42 months in federal prison
EIDL/PPP
$815k
Kary Stevenson (48)
Corey Quinn (35)
Conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft
Sentence Imposed: 5 years, 10 months in federal prison (Stevenson)
Sentence Imposed:7 years in federal prison (Quinn)
UI
$1M
Bridgitte Keim (52)
Bank fraud
Sentence Imposed: 2 years in federal prison
PPP
$588k
Wayne Ganaway (47)
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Sentence Imposed: 4 years in federal prison
EIDL
$300k
These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones, Greg Pizzo, Tiffany Fields, and SAUSA Chris Poor
Orlando Division
Jacquavius Smith (21)
Possession of short-barreled rifle; felon in possession of firearm; and aggravated identity theft
Sentence Imposed: 7 years, 1 month in federal prison
PPP
$10k
Johnson Eustache (40)
Wire fraud
Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison
EIDL/PPP
$2.2M
Joseph Harrison (43)
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Sentence Imposed: 12 months in federal prison
UI
$2.1M
These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division were handled by AUSAs John Gardella, Amanda Daniels, Chauncey Bratt, and Jennifer Harrington
Fort Myers Division
Casey Crowther (36)
Bank fraud, false statement to a financial institution, illegal monetary transaction
Sentence Imposed: 3 years, 1 month in federal prison
PPP
$2.7M
This COVID Fraud case from the Fort Myers Division was handled by AUSAs Trent Reichling, Michael V. Leeman. AUSA Suzanne Nebesky obtained the forfeitures.
Types of Fraud*
Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
Unemployment Insurance (UI)
Main Street Lending Program (MSLP)
Two More Defendants Plead Guilty in Multi-State Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two Charleston residents pleaded guilty today to their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in and around Charleston from January to August 2021. The DTO obtained large quantities of methamphetamine from Ohio and Georgia which was then distributed in and around Charleston.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jonathan Gregory Bush, 39, admitted to driving from Charleston to Decatur, Georgia, to purchase methamphetamine, which he then distributed to lower-level dealers and users in and around Charleston. On July 19, 2021, law enforcement surveilled Bush and pulled him over near Atlanta, Georgia, after observing him meet with his supplier. Police searched the vehicle and seized approximately 1 kilogram of methamphetamine.
Brittany Frances Gilbert, 33, acknowledged she served as a drug and money courier for co-defendant Brian Dangelo Terry and others. She admitted to traveling to Ohio to pick up drug packages and transporting them to West Virginia. On January 25, 2021, Gilbert was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by police in Jackson County, West Virginia. Police seized approximately 3 pounds of methamphetamine that Gilbert was transporting from Ohio at Terry’s direction. On August 3, 2021, Gilbert along with Terry and another co-defendant, Angie Lane Harbour, were stopped near Cross Lanes while transporting approximately 1 pound of Terry’s methamphetamine from Columbus, Ohio, to Charleston.
Bush and Gilbert each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. They are scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2022, and face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.
This case is part of a long-term investigation of a methamphetamine distribution network that resulted in 17 individuals being charged with various drug and firearms offenses in three separate indictments and one information.
Terry, Harbour, James Edward Bennett, III, Treydan Leon Burks, Kaitlyn Brooke Combs, Kelly Cordle, Denise Marie Cottrill, Shane Kelly Fulkerson, Jason Robert Oxley, and Michael Antonio Smith have also pleaded guilty. Timothy Wayne Dodd was convicted on March 24, 2022, following a two-day jury trial. Scott Edward Hudson, Leo Antoine Smith and Douglas Johnathan Wesley are scheduled for trial on May 24, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-171, 2:21-cr-172, 2:21-cr-211, and 2:22-cr-90.
###
Two Federal Prison Inmates Charged with Possessing and Attempting to Possess Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH – Ross Landfried and David Curran were indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for prison contraband crimes, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The Indictment charges Landfried, age 40, formerly of Moon Township, Pennsylvania, and Curran, age 39, formerly of Pittsburgh, with possessing and attempting to obtain contraband while in federal prison between July 2017 and January 2019. The Indictment states that the contraband was a Schedule I synthetic cannabinoid controlled substance.
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 is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service - Crimoinal Investigation, the federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General led the multi-agency investigation.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two Albuquerque men arraigned on charges relating to the killing of a federal witnessRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Robert “Fat Head” Padilla, 45, and Gary Coca, 49, both of Albuquerque, were arraigned in federal court on April 27 on a four-count indictment charging them with retaliation against a witness. Padilla was further charged with one count of killing while engaged in drug trafficking, one count of using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence or drug trafficking crime and causing death through use of the firearm, and one count of tampering with a witness, victim or informant by physical force or threat. Both defendants will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
A federal grand jury indicted Padilla and Coca on April 20. According to the indictment and other court records, from about Sept. 17, 2018, to Sept. 10, 2019, Padilla allegedly engaged in trafficking cocaine, cocaine base, heroin and fentanyl. On July 22, 2019, Padilla and Coca allegedly killed a man who was a former federal witness in Las Vegas, New Mexico, in retaliation for the victim providing information to law enforcement. Around Nov. 25, 2020, Padilla allegedly used physical force against John Doe in an attempt to influence, delay and prevent John Doe from communicating to law enforcement information relating to drug trafficking and the murder of a federal witness.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Padilla and Coca face up to life in prison or death.
The FBI investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police, New Mexico Corrections Department and Las Vegas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting this case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program, a nationwide Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations.
# # #
Trempealeau County Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Taking Pictures of Himself Sexually Assaulting a ChildRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Levi A. Robb, 41, of Osseo, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William Conley to 18 years in prison for producing child pornography. This term of imprisonment is to be followed by 20 years of supervised release. Robb pleaded guilty to this charge on January 5, 2022.
In 2020, a 10-year-old girl told her father that Robb sexually assaulted her several years earlier. She was forensically interviewed and disclosed extensive sexual abuse by the defendant. She also reported that he took pictures of the assaults.
When investigators from the Eau Claire County Sheriff’s office arrested Robb for the sexual assaults, they seized his phone and searched it. They did not find pictures of the assault on it but did find numerous other images depicting child pornography. The defendant was released on a signature bond following this arrest but before law enforcement found the explicit images.
Officers went to re-arrest Robb for possessing child pornography and found him in possession of another phone. On this phone, officers found explicit images that the defendant produced of the 10-year-old girl, made when she was between 5 and 7 years old.
Judge Conley called Robb’s conduct “reprehensible beyond words” and said the gravity of the defendant’s conduct warranted a sentence above the mandatory minimum allowed by law.
The charge against Robb was the result of an investigation conducted by the Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Office, Osseo Police Department, Pepin County Sheriff’s Office, Eau Claire County District Attorney’s Office, and Trempealeau County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman prosecuted this case.
Three Plead Guilty in Violent Robbery AttemptRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Three Charlottesville men have pleaded guilty to the attempted violent armed robbery of an Albemarle County man who they believed was in possession of a large amount of marijuana and cash.
Tyreek Saquan Ragland, 24, Madison Wonne Zelee, 26, and Tyrel Anthony Dowell, 22, all pled guilty to their role in an armed home invasion and attempted robbery. Ragland, the leader who organized the robbery plan, pled guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery. Zelee and Dowell both pled guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The Hobbs Act prohibits actual or attempted robbery affecting interstate or foreign commerce in any way or degree and carries a maximum prison term of twenty years. Felons found in possession of a firearm face a prison term of up to ten years.
“From day one, I have emphasized that our strategy for combatting violent crime starts with targeted enforcement efforts and building community trust, and this case represents the core of that strategy,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “When a crime like this occurs, it upsets the sense of safety and security that we all feel in our community. By using federal resources to prosecute the most violent offenders in cases like this, we will continue to build that community trust in federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts to address and reduce violent crime.”
“The brazen and calculated attempts of these defendants to rob these victims, coupled with the discharge of weapons, demonstrates the seriousness of this crime and the potential consequences to the victims. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate these violent crimes and holding these criminals accountable as we collectively seek justice for the victims,” said Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division.
“Law enforcement agencies can most effectively respond to crime when they work in a collaborative fashion,” said Colonel Sean Reeves, Albemarle County Chief of Police. “Cases like this highlights the success of the coordinated approach that Albemarle County Police Department takes to ensure the safety of the community we serve.”
According to court documents, Ragland and his accomplices, Zelee and Dowell, targeted the first victim for robbery because they believed he would be in possession of a large quantity of marijuana and U.S. currency at his home in Albemarle County.
On the afternoon of September 30, 2021, Zelee knocked on the intended victim’s front door and employed a ruse designed to gain entry by claiming he had lost his dog and needed to find it. Dowell, wearing a ski mask, was then seen walking from the woods towards the residence, at which point the intended victim refused to open the front door. Zelee and Dowell fled the scene in the getaway vehicle driven by Ragland.
Shortly after this confrontation, the intended victim notified his father of the incident, who then joined him to search for the vehicle in which Ragland, Zelee, and Dowell had fled.
While father and son were out searching, a witness who had remained at the intended victim’s residence called them to report a pizza delivery person was at the house trying to deliver a pizza. Well aware that no pizza order had been placed, the intended victim instructed the witness not to open the door and immediately returned home. When he arrived, the intended victim observed a vehicle parked along the side of the road near his home that matched the one seen earlier occupied by the defendants.
Upon hearing that the pizza delivery man was adamant that someone had placed a pizza order for that address, the intended victim became concerned that the suspicious individuals from the vehicle parked along the street may now be hiding in the woods again.
Sensing danger, father and son decided to leave again and had entered their car when Zelee and Dowell came out of the wood line and began shooting at them, striking their vehicle. After the gunfire, Zelee and Dowell rejoined Ragland and fled the scene for the second time.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Albemarle County Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald M. Huber is prosecuting the case.
Three Haitian Nationals and One U.S. Citizen Charged with Firearms Trafficking in Support of 400 Mawozo Gang in HaitiRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today charging four defendants with participating in a criminal conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws by smuggling firearms and munitions to Haiti.
The indictment charges Joly Germine, also known as “Yonyon,” 29, a Haitian national; Eliande Tunis, 43, a U.S. citizen, of Pompano Beach, Florida; Jocelyn Dor, 29, a Haitian citizen who had been residing in Orlando, Florida, and Walder St. Louis, 33, a Haitian citizen who had been residing in Miami. They are charged with conspiring to violate export control laws and to defraud the United States, violating export control laws, smuggling, and laundering money.
Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and George Piro, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement today.
Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis were apprehended in Florida in October and November 2021. They pleaded not guilty and are being detained pending trial. The indictment was returned by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Nov. 30, 2021. On May 3, 2022, the Haitian government transferred Germine into United States custody on the basis of the District of Columbia arrest warrant. Germine appeared this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
The indictment alleges that, from at least September through November 2021, Germine, Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis conspired to acquire and supply firearms and munitions to members of the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti. As alleged in the indictment, 400 Mawozo is a Haitian gang and criminal organization that operated in the Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. From at least on or about Jan. 12, 2020, 400 Mawozo was engaged in armed kidnappings of U.S. citizens in Haiti for ransom.
Germine, who has been incarcerated in Haiti since 2018, serves as a leader of 400 Mawozo and directed operations from prison using unmonitored cell phones, the indictment alleges. According to the indictment, Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis obtained from Germine specifications for weapons and ammunition that Germine and other gang members wanted sent to Haiti. Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis, all of whom resided in Florida, purchased a number of firearms at Florida gun shops, including rifles, pistols, and handguns, while falsely stating that they were the “actual buyers” of the firearms. Tunis, Dor, and St. Louis then smuggled the firearms and ammunition to Haiti, concealing them in shipping containers, the indictment alleges. The indictment also outlines the defendants’ use of the U.S. financial system to facilitate the illegal firearm purchases.
The 400 Mawozo gang claimed responsibility for kidnapping 16 U.S. citizens, including five children, and one Canadian citizen who were part of a missionary organization visiting an orphanage in Port au Prince, Haiti, in the fall of 2021. The kidnapping of the U.S. citizens remains under investigation and no charges have been filed for those crimes.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Miami Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Haitian National Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter Deeley, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Thomaston, Georgia, Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Assault Material Resulting from HSI InvestigationRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Middle Georgia resident was sentenced to serve more than six years in prison for possessing child sexual assault material resulting from an ongoing Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) effort combatting child exploitation online.
John Wesley Mitchem, 31, of Thomaston, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 80 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on May 3, after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. In addition, Mitchem will have to register as a sex offender upon his release from federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our office will pursue federal prosecution against child predators who download, possess and share child sexual assault material,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “HSI investigators are working around the clock, along with federal, state and local authorities across the state, to capture and bring to justice all those who lurk online, where children are harmed each and every time images of their assault and manipulation are downloaded and shared.”
“Finding, arresting and prosecuting those who create, share and or collect these horrific images of abuse and exploitation is one of our most important missions,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and its law enforcement partners will continue to work to protect our most vulnerable population from those looking to exploit them.”
According to court documents and evidence submitted in court, HSI’s Child Exploitation Investigation Group (HSI-CEIG) Atlanta, received information from HSI Detroit that an individual employing the Kik application was in contact with an undercover HSI agent and had sent the undercover agent three images that contained child sexual assault material. Mitchem was identified as the Kik user and agents executed a federal search warrant at his Thomaston residence on March 13, 2020. A forensic examination of Mitchem’s digital devices found six images and one video of child sexual exploitation material depicting infants and toddlers. Mitchem admitted that he shared the three images with the undercover agent using his cellular device from his residence.
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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by HSI Atlanta, with assistance from HSI Detroit.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office, Community Stakeholders, Faith Based Leaders, and the Memphis Police Department Announce Efforts to Reduce Violent CrimeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr., along with stakeholders in the north Memphis Community announced the third “Better Community Summit” effort to reduce violent crime throughout our city. Summit organizers and participants include the Neighborhood Christian Centers, represented by CEO, Ephie Johnson, Dr. Todd Richardson, Crosstown Redevelopment Cooperative, Memphis Medical District Collaborative, represented by Rory Thomas, Bishop Brandon Porter, Greater Community Temple Church of God In Christ, Tanja Mitchell, Mitchell Consulting, the Memphis Police Department, represented by Deputy Chief Paul Wright; and program facilitators, Rev. Ricky Floyd, The Pursuit of God Transformation Center; Charlie Caswell, Executive Director of Legacy of Legends, CDC; and DeAndre Brown, Founder, Lifeline2Success.
The U.S. Department of Justice is committed to work with law enforcement and other stakeholders to reduce violent crime in Memphis and West Tennessee. To achieve this goal, the Department has directed every U.S. Attorney’s Office to formulate a strategic plan designed to reduce violent crime. To that end, our office convened meetings with over 40 clergy leaders across the greater Memphis area to discuss violent crime and recommend possible solutions.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Memphis Police Department, non-profit organizations, clergy leaders, and other community stakeholders are pleased to announce the next “Better Community Summit” will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2022, 10 a.m.-2:00 p.m., at the Neighborhood Christian Centers, 785 Jackson Avenue. The summit is tailored to address the needs of parents and children. Topics covered will include domestic violence prevention, gang talk, community conflict resolution, and de-escalation training.
The remaining Summits will be held quarterly in the areas of Whitehaven/Westwood and Hickory Hill/East Memphis.
###Tax service owner admits to failing to pay federal withholdingsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A CEO has pleaded guilty to failing to truthfully account for and to pay over withholdings of federal income and FICA taxes from the wages of his employees to the IRS, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Alejandro Joael Colbert was majority owner and CEO of Colbert Ball Tax Service in Houston. Its main purpose was franchising tax preparation businesses across the country.
According to the plea agreement, Colbert admitted that from 2015 to 2018, he failed to file employment tax returns and did not pay all taxes withheld from the wages of employees to the IRS.
Colbert admitted he caused approximately $710,000 in tax revenue loss. He has agreed to pay more than $196,000 in restitution to the IRS – the amount of withholdings from employee wages for the quarters in years 2015-2018 that remained unpaid at the time he was charged.
To date, he has paid $120,000 towards that restitution.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake set sentencing for Aug. 12. At that time, Colbert faces up to five years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Colbert was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
IRS – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles J. Escher is prosecuting the case.
Tampa Serial Robber Indicted and ArrestedRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Richard Allen Randolph (42, Youngstown, OH) with four counts of interference with commerce by robbery and attempted robbery, three counts of brandishing a firearm, and one count of discharging a firearm during the commission of one of the robberies. If convicted, Randolph faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each robbery count, a minimum mandatory of term of 7 years, up to life, in federal prison for each count of brandishing a firearm, and a minimum mandatory of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison for discharging a firearm during one of the robberies.
According to the indictment, during between January 27 and February 26, 2020, Randolph went into four commercial establishments in Tampa and robbed store employees at gunpoint.
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman.
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.
Stratford Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses, Victimizing Teen Through SnapchatRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston, today announced that ALEXANDER DILELLA, 22, of Stratford, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with multiple child exploitation offenses.
Dilella appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and is detained pending the completion of his detention hearing, which was continued until May 6.
As alleged in court documents, Dilella has used various online applications, including Snapchat, Omegle and FaceTime, to communicate with minor girls, some as young as 13 or 14 years old, and entice them to engage in illegal sexual activity. During one Snapchat exchange with a 14-year-old victim, Dilella referred to the girl as a “child porn slave” and demanded that she send him a sexually explicit image of herself, which she did.
It is further alleged that, on May 24, 2021, investigators seized Dilella’s iPhone. Analysis of the phone revealed videos of prepubescent children being sexually abused.
The complaint charges Dilella with enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of the Stratford and Milford Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Springfield, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois, man, Robert E. Collins, 35, of the 1900 block of South Lawrence Avenue, was sentenced on May 3, 2022, to 108 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of mixtures or substances containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Collins was found in possession of approximately 504 ecstasy pills containing methamphetamine during a traffic stop in Decatur, Illinois, on August 3, 2017, and also had around $8,500 on his person.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough found that a sentencing enhancement for obstructing justice applied in relation to Collins’s flight from a later traffic stop in Sangamon County, Illinois, during which the United States Marshals Service attempted to take Collins into custody on an outstanding arrest warrant. Collins sped away from the traffic stop in a vehicle, dragging two United States Marshals with him. One of the Marshals remained on the running board for several hundred yards before Collins slowed down, allowing the Marshal to jump off safely.
Collins was indicted in March of 2018 and pleaded guilty in November of 2021.
The statutory penalties for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of mixtures containing methamphetamine are not less than five years and not more than 40 years in prison, not more than a $5 million fine, and at least four years of supervised release.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the Springfield Police Department, and the Decatur Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.
South Sioux City Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A South Sioux City man who conspired to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine was sentenced April 29, 2022, to 10 years in federal prison. Miguel Ceron, age 25, from South Sioux City, Nebraska, received the prison term after a December 6, 2021, guilty plea. Ceron admitted to conspiring to distribute approximately 2 pounds of methamphetamine in March 2021.
Ceron was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Ceron was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ceron is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4039.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Silver Spring Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for a Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving High End VehiclesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Francis Arthur, age 35, of Silver Spring, Maryland on May 2, 2022, to one year and a day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a money laundering conspiracy and for money laundering in connection with a scheme to defraud victim account holders at a credit union. As part of his sentence, Arthur has been ordered to pay $339,000 in restitution.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Matthew R. Stohler of the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office; and Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Department of Police.
According to the evidence presented at Arthur’s trial, from October 2016 through April 2017, Arthur and his co-conspirators engaged in financial transactions designed to conceal the nature, source and ownership of the proceeds of a fraud scheme to obtain cash from victim account holders at a Maryland credit union. Specifically, the evidence showed that the conspirators transferred, withdrew cash, and caused cashiers’ checks to be issued from the proceeds of a fraud scheme. Arthur and his co-conspirators then used the funds to purchase motor vehicles to conceal that the funds were derived from a fraud scheme.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Secret Service and the Montgomery County Department of Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan and U.S. Attorney Christian Nauvel of the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Serial Bank Robber from Delaware County Sentenced to 7 ½ Years for Committing Multiple Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Michael George, 31, of Broomall, PA, was sentenced today to seven years and six months in prison and three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $4,790 in both forfeiture and restitution by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky for committing four bank robberies over the course of about a week in March 2020.
In December 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery in connection with three incidents at banks in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia and one on the Main Line in Montgomery County, PA. George admitted to robbing the TD Bank on East Butler Street in Philadelphia on March 7, 2020; the Wells Fargo Bank on Aramingo Avenue in Philadelphia on March 16, 2020; the WSFS Bank on Aramingo Avenue in Philadelphia on March 16, 2020; and the PNC Bank on Youngsford Road in Gladwyne on March 17, 2020. During each robbery, George threatened a bank employee with death for failure to comply with his demand for money; he stole a total of nearly $4,800 from the banks.
“This defendant terrified and threatened the lives of bank employees who were just doing their jobs,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “He is clearly a danger to the community – not stopping at one robbery but escalating to four in a matter of days. This case demonstrates why our All Hands On Deck initiative is so important: we are investigating and prosecuting the most violent criminals to get them off the streets and behind bars.”
“Michael George was a crime spree unto himself, responsible for four bank robberies in 10 days," said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. "He threatened the bank employees he victimized, making them fear for their lives. It was imperative to get him off the street quickly before anyone was physically harmed. This sentence nips his burgeoning bank robbery career in the bud and holds him accountable for his bad actions. The FBI and our partners are committed to making our communities safer by bringing these violent offenders to justice.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lower Merion Police Department, and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Jayne.
Salvadoran National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ALONSO BONILLA, age 45, a citizen of El Salvador, pleaded guilty on May 3, 2022 to a one-count indictment for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
BONILLA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and Spiro Latsis are in charge of the prosecution.
Ringleader of $10 Million TRICARE Scheme SentencedRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—The organizer of a multi-million-dollar kickback conspiracy was sentenced today. Brad Duke, 47, of Little Rock was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment and ordered to forfeit $1,055,855.86 by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.
Duke promoted prescription pain creams, scar creams, and supplements for a Mississippi-based compounding pharmacy, earning a share of whatever the pharmacy was paid for prescriptions issued by Duke’s affiliated doctors. After learning TRICARE, the national military’s health insurer, paid tens of thousands of dollars per month per patient for the compounded drugs he was promoting, Duke began to offer and pay kickbacks to generate prescriptions for those with TRICARE insurance.
Duke paid kickbacks to recruiters, including Michael “Chance” Beeman (52, of Maumelle), Michael Sean Brady (53, of Little Rock), Jason Greene (35, of Nashville, Tenn.), Brian Means (47, of Fort Smith), and Jennifer Sorenson (44, of McKinney, Tex.), to find TRICARE beneficiaries around the country willing to receive the drugs. Duke explained a doctor would sign off on the necessary prescriptions without ever consulting the patients. All Duke needed was TRICARE beneficiary insurance information sufficient to fill out prescription forms.
Upon receipt of beneficiary information from his recruiters, Duke routed prescriptions in the names of the TRICARE beneficiaries to local medical assistant Charlotte Leija (41, of Conway), to whom Duke paid kickbacks, usually $1,000 per prescription, to file the prescriptions under the name of the doctor for whom she worked.
Within a year, Duke’s scheme generated over $10 million in compound drug prescriptions for over 100 TRICARE beneficiaries hailing from as far west as Chula Vista, Calif., to as far east as Foxborough, Mass. No one ever consulted a prescriber. Duke paid his recruiters more than $2 million to supply the beneficiaries and over $250,000 to Leija to issue the prescriptions.
Judge Miller previously sentenced co-conspirators Brady, Beeman, Green, Means, Sorenson, and Leija to prison terms ranging from 8 months to 28 months and ordered them to forfeit illicit proceeds ranging from $198,799.00 to $598,435.99. As of today’s sentencing hearing, the U.S. Marshals had already seized $1,055,855.86 from Duke.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alexander D. Morgan.
# # #
This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@EDARNEWS
Reno Felon Sentenced to Prison for Methamphetamine Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
RENO – A convicted felon was sentenced yesterday to 11 years and three months in prison for selling methamphetamine.
Richard Nelson, 33, of Reno, pleaded guilty on January 25, 2022 to one count of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. In addition to imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Larry R. Hicks sentenced Nelson to five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, from January 3 to March 12, 2020, Nelson sold methamphetamine and heroin on five occasions. The total weight of the drugs seized from Nelson over the course of the investigation was equivalent to approximately 1,144 grams of methamphetamine.
During the execution of a search warrant at Nelson’s residence, law enforcement seized a 12-gauge shotgun and a .357 caliber handgun. Nelson has a prior felony conviction in Reno for Possession of a Controlled Substance, and is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Reno Police Department, Carson City Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Department of Corrections, Nevada Highway Patrol, and the Nevada Gaming Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andolyn Johnson prosecuted the case.
###
Randolph County woman admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jenny Lynn Wood, of Beverly, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Wood, 31, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Wood, a person prohibited from having a firearm, admitted to having two revolvers in July 2019 in Barbour County.
Wood faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Postal Manager and Employee Arrested, Charged with Using the Mail to Distribute Cocaine and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Ralph Minni, 52, and Grace Marie Lopez, 30, of Greece, NY, were arrested and charged in separate criminal complaints with conspiring and attempting to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and 500 grams or more of cocaine. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean C. Eldridge, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaints, Minni is the manager of the Greece, NY Post Office, and Lopez works for the Post Office at the main Jefferson Road facility in Rochester. Minni and Lopez are accused of utilizing their positions to obtain quantities of marijuana and cocaine through the mail and then redistributing the narcotics in the Rochester area.
During the investigation, law enforcement conducted numerous controlled purchases of narcotics from Lopez, who discussed how she obtained the narcotics from her then-boyfriend Minni and described how he used his position as a postal employee to avoid detection and to protect the narcotics. Throughout the investigation, Minni was observed removing mail packages from the post office work floor and taking them into his private office at the Greece Station, later emerging with one or more packages that often appeared to be repackaged. Minni would put the original package back into the mail stream and take a separate box with the contents from the parcel to his personal vehicle. On at least three occasions, video surveillance captured Minni taking cocaine from his desk or pocket and giving it to another employee to snort.
On May 2, 2022, investigators observed Minni remove a package from the work room floor and take it into his office. After removing the contents, Minni returned the original package to the mail stream, took the contents to his vehicle in a separate box, and left the post office shortly after, at which time he was taken into custody. During the execution of search warrants at Minni’s office, his residence, and his vehicle, investigators recovered approximately four pounds of marijuana, over $75,000 worth of narcotics, including THC, marijuana, and cocaine, 40 firearms, over 5,000 rounds of ammunition, and a bullet proof vest.The complaint is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia; the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Eastern Area Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Modafferi; and the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward. Additional assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito; the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood; and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Barry Chase.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
# # # #
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Distributing Images and Videos of the Sexual Abuse of MinorsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to five years’ imprisonment and 10 years’ supervised release on his conviction of distribution of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Shawn O’Brien, age 51, of the City’s South Side neighborhood.
According to information presented to the court, from May 17, 2016, to May 18, 2016, O’Brien knowingly distributed images and videos in computer graphics files, which depicted the sexual exploitation of minors to individuals with whom he was communicating over the KIK Messenger software application. Agents of the FBI seized numerous electronic devices from O’Brien’s residence during the execution of a federal search warrant. Forensic analysis of the contents of the electronic devices revealed that O’Brien was in possession of more than 1200 still images and 23 videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, many of whom were under the age of 12 years.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Bissoon stated that a five-year term of imprisonment reflected the very serious nature of the criminal conduct and O’Brien’s acceptance of responsibility.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Allegheny County District Attorney Investigations Unit, the Allegheny County Police Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of O’Brien.
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.justice.gov/psc.
Phoenix Man Sentenced to Prison for Threatening Arizona Justice of the Peace on FacebookRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Harry Alexander Knight, 54, of Phoenix, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 37 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Knight previously pleaded guilty to transmitting an interstate communication containing a threat to injure another person.
In 2018, Knight was ordered by the victim, an Arizona Justice of the Peace, to wear an ankle monitor in connection with pending criminal charges. Knight subsequently cut off his ankle monitor and fled to the State of Washington. Once there, Knight posted a communication on a publicly available Facebook page threatening to physically injure the victim. FBI agents ultimately apprehended Knight in California, at which time he was returned to the District of Arizona to face charges.
“Freedom of speech is a fundamental right,” observed U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino, “but it is not without its limits. Those who weaponize the internet by posting online communications threatening others with physical harm remain subject to prosecution.”
During his period of supervised release, Knight will be prohibited from contacting his victims and will have his internet usage monitored by the probation officer.
The FBI conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine D. Keller and William G. Voit, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-10-00176-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022- 060_Knight# # #
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.Philadelphia Woman Sentenced to 109 Months in Prison for $100 Million Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An investment fund manager was sentenced today to 109 months in prison for orchestrating a $100 million securities fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Brenda Smith, 61, of Philadelphia, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to Count Seven of an indictment charging her with securities fraud. Judge Arleo imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Smith managed and controlled Broad Reach Capital LP, a pooled investment fund/hedge fund that was established in February 2016 and was open to accredited investors with a minimum investment of $1 million.
From February 2016 through August 2019, Smith orchestrated a scheme in which she made misrepresentations to investors and promised that she would invest their funds in particular trading strategies that Broad Reach Capital was allegedly optimally situated to execute. Smith referred to these strategies as dividend capture, VIX Convergence, and opportunistic trading.
Smith misrepresented the success and performance of Broad Reach Capital to investors and prospective investors. She touted Broad Reach Capital as a trade-focused investment fund that was highly liquid and employed a robust risk management program. Smith distributed written materials about Broad Reach Capital to investors and prospective investors that included purported historical performance information, such as claimed annual returns of over 33 percent in 2017 and positive monthly returns in 2018. In fact, the total cash and securities in the Broad Reach Capital bank and brokerage accounts decreased from approximately December 2016 through June 2019. For example, the written materials claimed that Broad Reach Capital had a 1.76 percent return in February 2018 when in reality, Broad Reach Capital’s brokerage accounts lost approximately 50 percent of their value.
To lull investors and induce them to continue investing, Smith provided monthly account statements to investors that falsely showed that their investments were safe and earning significant returns. Smith also falsely represented that she was personally invested in Broad Reach Capital and provided a fictitious account statement to at least one investor.
Over the course of the scheme, Smith collected more than $100 million of cash into Broad Reach Capital from approximately 40 investors. At its peak, however, the value of cash and securities in the Broad Reach Capital bank and brokerage accounts did not exceed approximately $32 million. Instead of investing the money as she promised, Smith transferred tens of millions of dollars out of Broad Reach Capital to entities she controlled for purposes inconsistent with the trading strategies, including more than approximately $10 million for mineral mining operations and approximately $2 million for American Express credit card bills. When investors requested redemption of their investments, Smith diverted other investors’ funds to pay the requested redemption amounts.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Smith to three years of supervised release and ordered her to pay restitution of $47.2 million.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Philadelphia Regional Office previously filed a civil complaint against Smith based on the same conduct.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire, and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. She also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office, under the direction of Co-Acting Regional Directors Scott Thompson and Joy G. Thompson, for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Osmar J. Benvenuto, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Illegally Possessing a HandgunRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Mark Manigault, 44, of Philadelphia, PA was sentenced to seven years in prison, and three years of supervised release by Senior United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick after having been found guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
In February 2020, the defendant, a four-time convicted felon and repeat parole violator, was convicted after trial of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges stemmed from an incident in September 2016 during which Manigault possessed a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition while loitering on a street in West Philadelphia with another armed man. Investigating Philadelphia Police officers found two firearms hidden in the wheel well of a parked car nearby. Using surveillance footage from the bar and from a private residence down the street, officers determined that Manigault and the other individual possessed the firearms and had placed them in the wheel wells.
“Prosecuting, deterring and preventing violent crime in Philadelphia are top priorities of this Office and our ‘All Hands On Deck’ initiative,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Illegal gun possession poses a serious threat to public safety because it often leads to violence; therefore, we are committed to working with the Philadelphia Police Department and our law enforcement partners to combat this threat.”
“ATF will always investigate violent criminals found in illegal possession of firearms,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Working with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we will do everything within our power to reduce violent crime in Philadelphia by holding violent offenders accountable for continually disregarding the law.”
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. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.
Oshkosh Sexual Offender Indicted on Federal Firearm and Failure to Register as a Sexual Offender ChargesRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 3, 2022, a federal grand jury issued an indictment against Sergio S. Emerson, a/k/a “Kayatennae Geronimo” and “Sergio Santos Garcia,” (age: 41) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The indictment alleges that Emerson, a convicted felon, possessed a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). It also alleges that Emerson, a sexual offender registrant, failed to register as a sexual offender with the State of Wisconsin.
Each charge carries up to ten years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Oshkosh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
# # #
For further information contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on Twitter
Oshkosh Felon Indicted on Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 3, 2022, a federal grand jury issued an indictment against Mitchell C. Burton, a/k/a “Cosby M. Burton,” (age: 32) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The indictment alleges that Burton, a convicted felon, possessed nine firearms in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
If convicted of possessing the firearms he faces up to ten years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Oshkosh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
# # #
For further information contact:
Public Information Officer Kenneth Gales
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on Twitter