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Tuesday 22 March 2022
Billings woman admits trafficking meth, fentanylRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings woman accused of possessing multiple drugs, including methamphetamine and more than 9,000 fentanyl pills, for distribution admitted to a trafficking crime today, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Elizabeth Ardelle Grace Ronshaugen, 29, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Ronshaugen faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Ronshaugen was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that law enforcement began an investigation into Ronshaugen and co-defendant Eric Charles Swan in 2021 after receiving information of possible drug trafficking. In November, agents observed that Swan was traveling to Denver and returning to Montana. Law enforcement pulled over Swan and Ronshaugen near Buffalo, Wyoming. Ronshaugen was found to have several fentanyl pills hidden in her clothing and approximately 52 additional fentanyl pills were located in a plastic zip lock bag on her person. During a search of the vehicle, Wyoming law enforcement located approximately 9,616 fentanyl pills, approximately 466 grams, or a little more than one pound, of heroin, 103 grams of meth, a gram of cocaine, 14 Dialudid pills and $9,775 in U.S. currency. Swan has pleaded guilty to charges and is pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas K. Godfrey is prosecuting the case. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force investigated the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Beaver County Felon Charged with Illegal Possession of a Gun and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Rochester, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on March 17, named James Gilmore, age 32, as the sole defendant.
According to Indictment, on or about June 9, 2021, Gilmore possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of ten (10) years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The defendant is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Atlanta drug trafficker sentenced for distributing heroin that killed college studentRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - DeAngelo Copeland has been sentenced for selling heroin and admitting that his act of distribution resulted in the overdose death of a college student in April 2018.
“Copeland’s heroin distribution led to yet another drug overdose death in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “Opioid overdoses will be investigated and prosecuted as a federal priority and those who sell this poison will be held accountable for the death and suffering that it causes.”
“HIDTA’s commingled drug task forces are committed to the disruption and dismantlement of organizations determined to make a profit on the backs of addiction. This loss of life and the more than 100,000 that died in 2021 from a drug overdose, fuels our drive to make our communities safer. This successful investigation by Agents, Task Force Officers and the US Attorney’s office is the result of cooperative law enforcement,” said Dan R. Salter, Executive Director, Atlanta-Carolinas HIDTA.
“The sentencing of Copeland proves that the justice system is committed to holding drug traffickers accountable for their crimes,” said Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant. “Additionally, the sentencing sends a message to drug traffickers that the illegal sale of drugs will not be tolerated in Atlanta.”According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: On April 10, 2018, officers with the Atlanta Police Department responded to a 911 call seeking medical attention for a 22-year-old college student, who died of a heroin overdose that night. The investigation revealed that the college student ordered the heroin from Copeland in a series of text messages earlier that afternoon.
That evening, Copeland delivered the heroin outside the apartment where the college student was staying. The college student subsequently used the heroin Copeland sold, causing his death. Investigators identified Copeland as the heroin seller by arranging undercover drug purchases with the same phone number Copeland used on April 10, 2018.
Copeland sold drugs to the undercover officer on multiple occasions inside his car. Copeland, who has a history of drug trafficking offenses, admitted to trafficking in heroin and acknowledged that the heroin he sold caused the victim’s death.
DeAngelo Copeland, a/k/a Lo, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen to 15 years, eight months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the charge of distributing heroin on September 9, 2021.
This case was investigated by the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, with valuable assistance by the Atlanta Police Department.
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Hartigan and Calvin A. Leipold, III prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Armed Carjacker Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
An Irving man who carjacked a woman at gunpoint was sentenced this week to 14 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Markus DeWayne Vine, 28, pleaded guilty in May 2021 to carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. He was sentenced Tuesday by Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn.
According to plea papers, Mr. Vine admitted that on Aug. 20, 2020, he carjacked a woman entering her Toyota Highlander outside a grocery store in Irving.
When the victim noticed him approaching, she attempted to get into her vehicle and lock the doors. Mr. Vine, however, pointed a 9mm pistol at her head and demanded she exit the vehicle. She complied, and he drove away.
Mr. Vine then drove the car to a nearby gas station, where pointed the pistol at the clerk and fled with the money from the cash register. Roughly 15 minutes later, he drove to another gas station, pointed the pistol at that clerk, and made off with even more cash.
He was arrested two days later entering the stolen vehicle, which was parked at an Irving apartment complex. Police recovered the pistol from inside an apartment where he’d been staying.
After his arrest, Mr. Vine claimed the pistol was inoperable. Task Force officers inspected the firearm and determined that while the pistol appeared to be missing parts in both the trigger and firing pin assemblies, it qualified as a firearm under federal law.
“Mr. Vine is one of the reasons as to why ATF exists. ATF and our partners, like the Irving Police Department, are dedicated to taking the worst of the worst off of our streets. He was the definition of a menace to society: a carjacking followed by a gas station robbery. We are safer with him behind bars,” stated ATF Dallas Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C Boshek II.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and the Irving Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian McKay prosecuted the case.
Arizona Woman Sentenced to 57 Months for Conspiracy to Smuggle Fentanyl and Heroin into the U.S.Read the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Michelle Krystal Mendez, 36, of Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Mendez previously pleaded guilty to importing fentanyl into the United States from Mexico.
On November 21, 2020, Mendez was returning to the United States from Mexico through the Nogales, Arizona port of entry when a Customs and Border Protection canine alerted to her vehicle. Officers then conducted a search and found nearly five pounds of fentanyl and two pounds of heroin carefully hidden inside the battery compartment under the hood of Mendez’s car.
Customs and Border Protection completed the interdiction and Homeland Security Investigations-Nogales conducted the investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-0689-TUC-JGZ (LAB)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022- 028_Mendez, Michelle# # #
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.11 MS-13 Gang Members Charged in Superseding Indictment with Racketeering, Narcotics and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a superseding indictment was unsealed in federal court in Central Islip charging 11 members of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, with racketeering conspiracy, including predicate racketeering acts involving murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, robbery, witness tampering and witness retaliation, and related narcotics and firearms offenses. Four of the defendants were charged with committing the April 11, 2021 murder of Nazareth Claure in Far Rockaway, New York, whose body was recovered from the trunk of a car.
Three of the defendants – Onan Garcia-Lopez, also known as “Demente,” David Alberto Orantez-Gonzalez, also known as “Carlos Rodriguez-Gonzalez” and “Casper,” and Carlos Torres-Alfaro, also known as “Solitario,” – were arrested today and will be arraigned this afternoon by United States Magistrate Judge Steven I. Locke.
The other eight defendants, Billy Ayala-Pineda, also known as “Berdugo,” and Wilian Estiven Sanchez-Perez, also known as “Maniako,” who were charged in the underlying indictment, and Anander Henriquez-Avila, also known as “Cara Papa” and “El Papa,” Allan Lopez-Villeda, also known as “Serio,” and “Casper,” Carlos Ramirez-Portillo, also known as “Chino” and “Siniestro,” Jose Sarmiento-Valeriano, also known as “David,” Henry Vasquez-Padilla, also known as “Trece,” Rigel Yohario Velasquez-Mancia, also known as “E,” were already in federal and state custody and will be arraigned at a later date.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY); Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI); Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD); and John J. Durham, Director, Joint Task Force Vulcan, announced the arrests and charges in the superseding indictment.
“The significant federal charges in the superseding indictment, including the brutal murder of a mother whose body was wrapped in trash bags, underscores the cruel depravity and senseless violence of the MS-13 gang,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “With this indictment and additional arrests, this Office has taken another step in seeking justice for the murder victim and her family, and we will not rest until the threat of the MS-13 gang is eliminated for good from our communities.”
Mr. Peace also thanked the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the Nassau County Police Department, the United States Marshals Service Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Border Enforcement Security Task Force of HSI Boston for their work on the investigations.
“As alleged, the savagery and brutality of the crimes committed by some of the individuals named in the indictment is beyond comprehension and involves the murder of young woman, who was wrapped in a plastic bag and placed in the trunk of a car like an object instead of a young mother and human being,” said Homeland Security Investigations, Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “Today’s superseding indictment and arrests send a clear message that violent gang members who commit such deplorable and cowardly crimes against humanity will be tracked down and held accountable for their actions. HSI New York’s Transnational Violent Gangs Task Force, working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners will continue to tirelessly pursue the most dangerous offenders and bring them to justice.”
“Today’s announcement highlights the NYPD’s commitment to working with all of its law enforcement partners to dismantle transnational criminal organizations like MS-13, which routinely use violence and intimidation to prey upon vulnerable communities,” said NYPD Commissioner Sewell. “By contributing our unique capabilities to this joint effort, the NYPD continues to remove vicious gang members from the streets of New York and protect the people we serve from the unthinkable harm alleged in this indictment.”
As alleged in the superseding indictment, MS-13 is a transnational criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, but also includes members from other countries such as Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. Although the gang originated in Los Angeles, California, it quickly spread and is now a national and international criminal organization with an estimated 10,000+ members regularly conducting gang activities in nearly all of the United States, including New York, and in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico.
MS-13 cliques are organized together under umbrella groups, called “Programs.” Cliques within a Program were responsible for assisting one another with firearms, drug trafficking connections, territorial disputes with rival gangs, and providing safe havens for members who were wanted by law enforcement. One of the MS-13 Programs operating in the United States is the Los Angeles Program (or “LA Program”).
As further alleged in the superseding indictment, Ayala-Pineda, who was charged in the underlying indictment and arrested on December 15, 2021, was the highest-ranking member (or “First Word”) of the Surenos Locos Salvatruchas (“SLS”) clique operating in Queens and Long Island, New York and a leader of the LA Program operating in the United States. Ayala-Pineda directed the SLS clique’s drug trafficking activity, acts of violence committed against rival gang members and against members and associates of the gang who Ayala-Pineda deemed to have been disloyal to the gang, and the SLS clique’s acquisition of firearms. The other ten defendants all were members and associates of the MS-13 and involved in trafficking narcotics and committing acts of violence in furtherance of the gang’s objectives in conjunction with the SLS clique.
All 11 defendants are charged with racketeering conspiracy for their participation in MS-13 crimes, including murder, robbery, witness tampering, witness retaliation, drug trafficking, and related conspiracy, attempt and firearms offenses. In addition, Henriquez-Avila, Lopez-Villeda, Sarmiento-Valeriano, and Velasquez-Mancia, are charged with the murder of Claure, on or about April 11, 2021 in Queens, New York. In the early morning hours of April 13, 2021, Lopez-Villeda, Sarmiento-Valeriano, and Velasquez-Mancia were pulled over during a car stop by the NYPD and HSI in Queens, New York. Ms. Claure’s body was discovered in the trunk of the car wrapped in trash bags. In addition to the murder, the Indictment charges all the defendants with conspiring to distribute cocaine, oxycodone, and marijuana, as well as their use and possession of firearms in furtherance of their narcotics trafficking. These charges stem from the MS-13 clique’s street-level sales of narcotics on Long Island, the proceeds of which were used to help finance the MS-13’s criminal operations, which is evidenced by financial records of money sent back to El Salvador and Mexico.
Today’s superseding indictment is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent, transnational criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 60 murders in the Eastern District of New York, and has convicted more than 100 MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders.
This superseding indictment is the product of coordination between EDNY and Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), which was created in August 2019 as a whole-of-government approach to dismantle transnational criminal organizations, such as MS-13.Since its creation, JTFV has successfully increased coordination and collaboration with foreign law enforcement partners, including El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala; designating priority MS-13 programs, cliques and leaders, who have the most impact on the United States, for targeted prosecutions; and coordinating significant MS-13 indictments in U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the first use of national security charges against MS-13 leaders in El Salvador. JTFV has been comprised of members from U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the EDNY; the Southern District of New York; the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the Eastern District of Virginia; the District of Massachusetts; the Eastern District of Texas; the District of Alaska; the Southern District of Florida; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. In addition, all Department of Justice law enforcement agencies are involved in the effort, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. In addition, HSI also plays a critical role in JTFV.
The charges announced today are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison, and the four defendants charged with the Claure murder are eligible for the death penalty.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Warren from JTFV and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci and Megan E. Farrell from the EDNY’s Long Island Criminal Division. The charges in the Superseding Indictment were investigated by the Violent Gang Task Force of HSI and the NYPD.
The Defendants:
Billy Ayala-Pineda (“Berdugo”)
Age: 31
Long Island, New YorkOnan Garcia-Lopez (“Demente”)
Age: 20
Long Island, New YorkAnander Henriquez-Avila (“Cara Papa” and “El Papa”)
Age: 29
Queens, New YorkAllan Lopez-Villeda (“Serio”)
Age: 23
Queens, New YorkDavid Alberto Orantes-Gonzalez (“Carlos Rodriguez Gonzalez” and “Casper”)
Age: 24
Queens, New YorkCarlos Ramirez-Portillo (“Chino”)
Age: 21
Queens, New YorkWilian Estiven Sanchez-Perez (“Maniako”)
Age: 21
Queens, New YorkJose Sarmiento-Valeriano (“David”)
Age: 22
Long Island, New YorkCarlos Torres-Alfaro (“Solitario”)
Age: 20
Queens, New YorkHenry Vasquez-Padilla (“Trece”)
Age: 26
Queens, New YorkRigel Yohairo Velasquez-Mancia (“E”)
Age: 21
Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 21-CR-635 (S-1)(JMA)
Monday 21 March 2022
Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Violently Sex Trafficking Two ChildrenRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for violently sex trafficking two children in the Chicago area and Wisconsin.
In late 2019 and early 2020, DAVID L. SMITH took sexually explicit photographs of the children, who at the time were 16 and 17 years old, and posted them in commercial sex advertisements on the websites SkipTheGames and MegaPersonals. He then arranged for the children to meet customers in hotel rooms, with Smith keeping all of the money that the children received. On at least one occasion, Smith hit the 17-year-old victim in the face after she mistakenly accepted fake money from a customer. On another occasion, Smith hit the 16-year-old victim in the face after he learned that the girl had contacted her mother.
Smith, 28, of Milwaukee, Wis., pleaded guilty last year to a federal sex trafficking charge. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr., on Friday ordered Smith to pay $50,000 in restitution to each of his victims.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Oak Lawn (Ill.) Police Department, FBI Milwaukee Field Office, FBI Kansas City Field Office, FBI St. Louis Field Office, Wauwatosa (Wis.) Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Marie E. Ursini and Caitlin S. Walgamuth.
“Defendant caused his minor victims irreparable harm and trauma by causing them to engage in commercial sex on numerous occasions,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Marie E. Ursini argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “These victims will carry the emotional scars of the defendant’s actions for the rest of their lives.”
Windsor Locks Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses; Victimizing Teens 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 JUSTIN McKENNEY, 27, of Windsor Locks, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with multiple child exploitation offenses.
McKenney was arrested on March 17, 2022, in Boston, where he was employed Following his arrest, he appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford, who ordered McKenney detained.
As alleged in court documents, in October 2021, Glastonbury Police began investigating the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl by an individual she met on Snapchat. The investigation revealed that McKenney, posing as a high school student and using the Snapchat username “keepingupg,” began communicating with the minor victim in September 2021, and he subsequently enticed her to engage in sexual activity.
It is further alleged that, between October 2021 and February 2022, McKenney used Snapchat to engage in sexually explicit communications with at least six other minor females in other states. McKenney sent sexually explicit messages, and sextually explicit images and videos of himself, to minor victims, and he received sexually explicit images and videos from minor victims.
The complaint charges McKenney 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; possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; and transfer of obscene material to a minor, 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), the Glastonbury Police Department, the Windsor Locks Police Department, the Manchester Police Department, and the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations, with the assistance of the Hudson (Mass.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
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.
Washington Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Vancouver, Washington, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on March 21, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Aidan Gianni Carl Bratt, age 21, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Bratt was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 3, 2021. He pled guilty on December 21, 2021.
The conviction stems from Bratt failing to register as a sex offender as required by federal law between October 11, 2020 and January 12, 2021. Bratt had previously been convicted of a sex offense in the State of Washington. On October 8, 2021, Bratt traveled to South Dakota from Washington State and began to reside in South Dakota. He knowingly failed to register his change of residence in either South Dakota and/or Washington, within three business days of his relocation, as required by law.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Bratt was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Vallejo Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
Tariq Arrhamann Majid, 43, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty today to two counts of sexual exploitation of children, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Dec. 31, 2018, Majid was arrested following an investigation involving online sharing of child pornography. Investigators discovered images and videos of Majid sexually abusing two minors, one of whom was 9 years old at the time of the offense. During the investigation, it was discovered that Majid had contact with many other minors, some of whom reported that Majid would invite minors to spend the night at his home.
This case is the product of an investigation by the California Highway Patrol Computer Crimes Investigation Unit and the Golden Gate Special Investigations Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith is prosecuting the case.
Majid is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on June 27, 2022. Majid faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Utah Dentist Found Guilty of Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Utah man on Thursday of tax evasion, filing false tax returns and impeding the IRS.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Derald Wilford Geddes, of Ogden, was a dentist who owned and operated Mount Ogden Dental PC. From approximately 1998 through 2014, Geddes took numerous steps to evade approximately $1.8 million in back federal income taxes that he owed. He also obstructed the IRS’s efforts to collect these taxes, including by filing false liens against properties he owned and submitting to the IRS bogus “bonds to discharge debt” that he claimed were from the account of the former Treasury Secretary.
Geddes faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion and three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return and impeding the IRS. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Andrea T. Martinez for the District of Utah made the announcement.
This case is being investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Trial Attorneys Ahmed Almudallal, Christopher Lin and Matthew Hoffman of the Tax Division, and supervisory paralegal Melissa McKinnon of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, are prosecuting the case.
UPS to Pay $5.3 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations for Falsely Reporting Delivery Times of U.S. Mail Carried InternationallyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced that United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) has agreed to pay approximately $5.3 million to resolve its potential liability under the False Claims Act for falsely reporting information about the transfer of U.S. mail to foreign posts or other intended recipients under contracts with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). UPS is an international package delivery company incorporated in Delaware with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
USPS contracted with UPS to pick up U.S. mail at six locations in the United States and at various Department of Defense and State Department locations abroad, and then deliver that mail to numerous international and domestic destinations. To obtain payment under the contracts, UPS was required to submit electronic scans to USPS reporting the time the mail was delivered at the identified destinations. The contracts specified penalties for mail that was delivered late or to the wrong location. The settlement resolves allegations that scans submitted by UPS falsely reported the time and fact that it transferred possession of the mail.
“Companies doing business with the government must meet their contractual obligations,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will pursue those who knowingly fail to live up to their bargain and falsely bill the government for goods or services that they did not provide.”
“The USPS contracts with commercial airlines for the safeguarding and timely delivery of U.S. mail to foreign posts, including the mail sent to our soldiers deployed to foreign operating bases,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Ken Cleevely of the USPS Office of Inspector General. “The Office of Inspector General supports USPS by aggressively investigating allegations of contractual non-compliance within the mail delivery process, including the falsification of delivery information. Our special agents worked hand-in-hand with the Department of Justice to help ensure a reasonable resolution and we applaud the exceptional work done by the investigative and legal teams.”
This is the fifth civil settlement involving air carrier liability for false delivery scans under the USPS International Commercial Air Contracts, and collectively the United States has recovered more than $70 million as a result of its investigation of such misconduct.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with substantial assistance from the USPS Office of the Inspector General and the USPS Office of General Counsel. Senior Trial Counsel Don Williamson of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, represented the government in the civil case.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Two Plead Guilty to Operating Illegal Gambling Business in Northern California and Conspiring to Launder MoneyRead the Press Release
Two Los Angeles-area residents pleaded guilty today to operating an illegal gambling business and conspiring to launder money, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Pleading guilty today were Yosef Yitzchak Beshari, 29, of North Hollywood, and Efraim Journo, 30, of Los Angeles, in related cases.
According to court documents, Beshari and Journo conducted an illegal gambling business involving video slot machines and devices and the sale of credits for online gambling, in Stanislaus County, San Joaquin County, Sacramento County and elsewhere. In addition, Beshari conspired with Schneur Zalman Getzel Rosenfeld, 33, of Los Angeles, who has been charged in a related case, to launder the proceeds of the illegal gambling business by exchanging the cash proceeds for various payments, including checks, direct deposits of purported salary, and a wire transfer to an escrow company for the purchase of Beshari’s house.
In a related case, an indictment charges Los Angeles residents Gal Yifrach, 35, with operating an illegal gambling business and conspiracy to commit money laundering; Nick Shkolnik, 39, with operating an illegal gambling business; and Shalom Ifrah, 32, and Rosenfeld with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, Yifrach and Shkolnik also conducted the illegal gambling business. Yifrach and Ifrah conspired to launder the proceeds of the illegal gambling business in multiple ways, including by exchanging the cash for checks, exchanging the cash for casino chips, and conducting cash exchanges of no more than $10,000 at banks to avoid transaction reporting requirements.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice – Bureau of Gambling Control. Assistant U.S. Attorney Miriam R. Hinman is prosecuting the case.
Beshari and Journo are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on June 27, 2022. They each face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conducting an illegal gambling business. In addition, Beshari faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved, whichever is greater, for conspiracy to commit money laundering. Beshari has also agreed to forfeit $250,000. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
The charges against the other defendants are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Twenty Defendants Federally Charged in OCDETF OperationRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation resulted in the charging and arrest of 20 defendants for various offenses, including drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
An OCDETF investigation is a coordinated federal, state, and local strategy to combat drug trafficking and organized crime, and it is the nation’s primary tool to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations.
This investigation was spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and assisted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Marshals Service, the Brunswick, Bladen, and Duplin County Sheriffs’ Offices, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).
ATF utilized agents from North and South Carolina as well as Task Force Officers from the New Hanover and Brunswick County Sheriffs’ Offices and the Jacksonville, Goldsboro, and Wilmington Police Departments.
This initiative speaks to the multi-agency commitment to fight crime in Brunswick, New Hanover, Duplin, and Bladen counties in partnership with United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, the District Attorney’s Offices, as well as other federal, state, and local law enforcement.
The following individuals were charged by way of Criminal Indictment or Criminal Complaint. The individual charges for each defendant are contained in the parenthesis following each listed defendant.
- Jiani Tomaz Alston, 26, of Raleigh, NC (Conspiracy to Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possess With the Intent to Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; and Aiding and Abetting)
- Demetrius Sonaz Alston, Jr., 25, of Charlotte, NC (Conspiracy to Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possess With the Intent to Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; and Aiding and Abetting)
- Kenneth Brown, 40, of Wilmington, NC (Conspiracy to Possess With the Intent to Distribute Twenty-Eight (28) Grams or More of Cocaine Base (Crack); Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine Base (Crack); Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon)
- Massimo Campana, 30, of Wilmington, NC (Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime)
- Kawshie Chapman, 48, of Wilmington, NC (Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute 50 Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon; Receiving and Possessing a Short-Barreled Rifle)
- Ronesha Greene-McNeil, 35, of Leland, NC (Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and Cocaine; Distribute 50 Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine)
- David Hedge, 21, of Wilmington, NC (Distribution of a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and Quantity of Cocaine; Distribution of a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Distribution of Five (5) Grams or More of Actual Methamphetamine)
- Anthony Jackson, 31, of Wilmington, NC (Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine)
- Naulege Johnson, 23, of Wilmington, NC (Distribution of a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribution of Fifty (50) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine)
- Shamar Keaton, 32, of Riegelwood, NC (Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine)
- Devonte Lewis, 26, of Navassa, NC (Distribution of a Quantity of Cocaine Base (Crack); Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Distribution of a Quantity of Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of a Machine Gun; Distribution of a Quantity of Cocaine Base (Crack))
- Juan Martinez, 22, of Wilmington, NC (Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon)
- Erving Muse, 39, of Wilmington, NC (Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon)
- Dwayne Nixon, 46, Wilmington, NC (Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine)
- David Pigford, 36, of Clinton, NC (Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute and Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine)
- Ernest Robinson, 34, of Currie, NC (Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon)
- Rodna Robinson, 34, of Currie, NC (Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine Base (Crack); Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime)
- Anthony Smith, 39, of Clarkton, NC (Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; and Aiding and Abetting)
- Tyquawn Washington, 28, of Wilmington, NC (Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Heroin)
- Oscar Williams, 38, of Leland, NC (Conspiracy to Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; and Aiding and Abetting; Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Heroin; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Heroin)
“We are grateful to the ATF, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Marshals, and all the other agencies involved for their partnership and willingness to participate in this investigation,” stated Brunswick County Sheriff John Ingram. “We can always achieve more when working together as a team; this operation is a great example of that. I believe this sends a strong message to anyone thinking they can conduct criminal business in Brunswick County.”
“Our work today will have an immediate impact on this community,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Mein. “This collaborative investigation, and the arrests made this week, will ensure that many of those responsible for criminal activity in our community remain behind bars.”
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictments and Criminal Complaints are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Severo and Gabriel Diaz are prosecuting the case.
Tucson Woman Sentenced to Nearly Five Years for Smuggling Drugs and Undocumented NoncitizensRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Yesenia Isabel Mendez, 40, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Mendez was convicted of one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and one count of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit while Placing in Jeopardy the Life of any Person.
On August 1, 2020, Mendez was arrested for carrying nearly half a pound of fentanyl hidden on her body while she was a passenger on a commercial shuttle van inbound from Mexico. With no prior criminal history, she was released pending resolution of her case. On October 23, 2020, Mendez pleaded guilty to the charge; however, in January 2021, she absconded from her pretrial supervision, before her sentencing could take place. Three months later, on March 21, 2021, Mendez was again arrested, this time for Alien Smuggling. During the attempted traffic stop in that offense, she and her co-defendant tried to flee from Border Patrol but instead crashed into a concrete wash, resulting in injuries to herself, the co-defendant, and the undocumented noncitizen they were smuggling. She subsequently pleaded guilty on June 21, 2021, to the Alien Smuggling Offense. Her sentence included a mandatory enhancement due to the multiple offenses that she committed.
United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-2157-TUC-JGZ (LCK); CR-21-1408-TUC-JGZ (LCK)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022- 027_Mendez, Yesenia# # #
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.Todd County Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Todd County, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on March 21, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Alejandro Santistevan, age 21, was sentenced to 4 months in federal prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, with the first 4 months to be served on home confinement, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Santistevan was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 9, 2020. He pled guilty on December 30, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred in the early morning hours of May 18, 2020, in Todd County, South Dakota. On that date, Rosebud Sioux Tribe law enforcement officers responded to a report that Santistevan was drunk and causing a disturbance at a residence in the Okreek Community. Upon arrival to the residence, the officers found Santistevan lying under a tree. Santistevan did not respond to commands to show his hands, so one of the officers grabbed Santistevan’s foot to see if he was awake. Santistevan then became combative and assaulted one of the officers.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Department of Natural Resources and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Santistevan was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Swissvale Teen Sentenced for Possessing Fentanyl and a GunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to eight months’ imprisonment followed by a term of three years’ supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotic laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Damon Tam Wheat-Avery also known as Damon Tamar Wheat-Avery, age 19, formerly of the Swissvale area.
According to information presented to the court, on May 27, 2021, the Allegheny County Police Department’s Narcotics Unit was conducting a violent suppression detail in the Rankin area, when they pulled over a vehicle occupied by Wheat-Avery and others. Detectives noticed a firearm that had been sitting at Wheat-Avery’s feet, and a later search of the vehicle led to the seizure of another firearm and a substantial quantity of fentanyl. During his guilty plea hearing, Wheat-Avery admitted that the fentanyl was his and that he intended to distribute it, and he further admitted that he possessed the firearm for his protection.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Allegheny County Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Wheat-Avery.
Stroudsburg Man Sentenced to Two Years’ Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Scott a/k/a “Wells,” age 39, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 18, 2022, to 24 months in prison by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for drug trafficking.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Scott distributed and possessed with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base (“crack”) and MDMA (“molly”), on five separate occasions between December 2016 and February 2019 in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. A search warrant executed at a Howard Johnson Hotel room in Bartonsville, where Scott lived at the time of his arrest in 2019, resulted in the seizure of cocaine, cocaine base, MDMA, a digital scale, $509 in cash, and drug packaging materials.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Stroud Area Regional Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni.
This case was 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 prosecution is part of an extensive Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Stratford Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Heroin Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NADYAR MALAKA, 35, of Stratford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 48 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin. Judge Shea also ordered Malaka to pay a $50,000 fine, and to forfeit $52,111.45 and a 2012 Porsche Panamera 4.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation revealed that Eddy Antonio Torres Morel was trafficking narcotics from Big Daddy’s Deli and Jamal’s Market, two stores he operated on East Main Street in Bridgeport. During the investigation, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of a half-kilogram of heroin from Torres, first at Jamal’s Market on October 29, 2019, and then at Big Daddy’s Deli on January 24, 2020.
Malaka assisted Torres’ drug trafficking operation by storing and packaging narcotics at his residence, storing drug proceeds at his residence, and transporting narcotics and drug proceeds to Torres and others.
The investigation also revealed that Malaka engaged in the interstate trafficking of untaxed cigarettes.
Malaka was arrested on February 27, 2020. On July 21, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
Torres, of Meriden, pleaded guilty to the same charge and, on September 24, 2021, was sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bridgeport Police Department and the Stamford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Vizcarrondo.
Shelby County Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, KY – A Shelbyville, Kentucky woman pleaded guilty last week to embezzling funds from her employer and including false information on her tax returns.
According to court documents, Kimberly F. Jones, 52, was employed as an office manager at Guardian Retention Systems, LLC in Bullitt County, Kentucky. As office manager, she handled accounts payable and receivable, petty cash, payroll, and taxes. She also had electronic access to the bank accounts to pay bills. During her time as officer manger, Jones took several actions to embezzle from her employer. She used company credit cards in her name and the names of other employees to make unauthorized personal purchases. She directed unauthorized transfers from the company bank account and diverted customer revenue received by the company’s electronic payment account. Jones also set up a business called KAB Enterprises, LLC to issue false invoices to Guardian Retention Systems. Jones would use the company credit cards and bank account to pay the fraudulent invoices from KAB Enterprises, LLC.
Jones also failed to report her embezzled funds as income on her tax returns for tax years 2016 through 2018. As part of the plea agreement, Jones acknowledged that she owes $63,580 to the Internal Revenue Service.
Jones pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and three counts of filing a false tax return, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1). She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, Cincinnati Field Office, made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda E. Gregory is prosecuting the case.
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Rochester Man Sentenced to 78 Months for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Michael A Clemence, 36, of Rochester, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in February of 2020, the Homeland Security Investigations New Hampshire office received information that on April 28, 2019, an individual originating from an IP address at a Rochester residence had accessed a website known for sharing child sexual abuse and exploitation material. Clemence was identified as the subscriber of the target IP address.
On May 26, 2021, agents conducted a consensual interview with Clemence. They advised him they were investigating internet activity associated with child exploitation material and that some of the activity occurred in April of 2019 from the IP address associated with his previous address. After further investigation, a search warrant was executed at Clemence’s residence, which resulted in the seizure of numerous electronic devices. Forensic examination of the devices confirmed the presence of child exploitation material. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified 1,351 images as depicting known minor victims. It was determined by law enforcement that no other household members were involved in Clemence’s criminal activity.
Clemence previously pleaded guilty on December 7, 2021. In addition to his sentence, Clemence was ordered to pay $52,000 in restitution and will be under supervised release for 10 years after his release from prison.
“Innocent children are exploited and harmed during the creation of child sexual abuse material,” said U.S. Attorney Farley. “By amassing a significant quantity of graphic images of minors, this defendant furthered the exploitation of these youthful victims. To protect innocent children from harm, we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who possess or distribute these horrific images of sexual abuse.”
“Clemence downloaded material that depicted the horrific abuse of children. HSI is proud to work alongside our partners at the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to investigate and seek prosecution of those who download child exploitation material,” said Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for the Homeland Security Investigations’ Boston Field Office. “We are grateful for the additional assistance of the Rochester Police Department and Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office in this case.”
This matter was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from the Rochester Police Department and Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Puerto Rican Man Sentenced in Wide-Ranging Fentanyl, Heroin and Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Puerto Rican man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
Rafael Hidalgo Rodriguez, 34, of Ponce, P.R., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 68 months in prison and four years of supervised release. On Dec. 2, 2021, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
According to court documents, following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, law enforcement began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by co-conspirators Pedro Baez and Anthony Baez that distributed cocaine, heroin and fentanyl in the Fitchburg area. Through a series of court-authorized interceptions of phones used by the DTO and its suppliers, surveillance and controlled purchases, Rodriguez was identified as the source of the DTO’s cocaine and crack cocaine supply chain. Rodriguez, who was based in Puerto Rico, mailed packages containing cocaine to Rhode Island and Massachusetts. During the investigation, a package Rodriguez mailed to Massachusetts was seized which contained two kilograms of cocaine, as well as a package destined for Rodriguez in Puerto Rico that contained $65,000 in cash.
Over the course of the investigation, over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilograms of cocaine and over 50 grams of crack cocaine, as well as a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000 was seized. Rodriguez distributed between three and a half and five kilograms of cocaine.
Rodriguez was charged along with 17 others in July 2020. Rodriguez is the seventh defendant to be sentenced in the case. Co-defendants Amanda Ford, Branny Taveras and Hector Matos have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. In December 2020, Anthony Baez was sentenced by Judge Hillman to 13 years in prison and five years of supervised release Pedro Baez pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 17, 2022. The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Fitchburg Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Lunenburg Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to Prison for Distributing a Heroin/Fentanyl Mixture and a GunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 41 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws in connection with a large-scale investigation conducted by the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV imposed the sentence on Trevon McCrary, age 27.
According to information presented to the court, from January 2018 through June 2019, McCrary participated in a conspiracy with Ronald Williams, Christopher Highsmith, and others to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the Pittsburgh area. McCrary was intercepted on a court-authorized wiretap arranging purchases and sales of heroin/fentanyl and was the subject of physical surveillance while engaging in drug-trafficking activity. McCrary took responsibility for distributing between 32 and 40 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, as well as possession of a firearm.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Stickman stated that while he recognized that McCrary’s conduct was quite serious in that it involved drug trafficking and firearms, based upon all information provided to the court including the statements made by the defendant, he believed that the defendant had taken the necessary steps to begin a more productive and law-abiding life upon release from imprisonment.
Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn J. Bloch and Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Allegheny County Adult Probation, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Wilkinsburg Police Department. Other assisting agencies include the Green Tree Police Department, New York City Police Department, Mount Oliver Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Yonkers Police Department, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
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.
PICC Inmate Sentenced to Seven Years for Conspiring with Corrections Officer to Smuggle Contraband into PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced Kennard Murray, 37, of Philadelphia, PA, a currently incarcerated inmate at the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center (PICC), was sentenced to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe for his role in a conspiracy to smuggle contraband into the facility.
In May 2021, the defendant and two co-defendants, Haneef Lawton, 34, a Philadelphia Corrections Officer, and Charlene Stallings, 43, the defendant’s girlfriend, were charged by Indictment with conspiracy; federal program bribery; and distribution, conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute narcotics.
The defendant and Lawton agreed to smuggle contraband on multiple occasions into PICC in exchange for a series of bribes. As part of the arrangement, Lawton delivered the narcotics to Murray, and Murray arranged to sell the contraband to other inmates in exchange for cash and electronic payments via peer-to-peer methods such as CashApp. In return, Murray and Stallings paid Lawton over $11,400, also using CashApp. Through this scheme, the defendants were able to traffic as much as $69,000 worth of contraband into PICC.
“One goal of incarceration is to deter future criminal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “But instead of learning from previous mistakes, this defendant used his time behind bars to commit even more illegal acts by smuggling dangerous contraband inside. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate this kind of lawless behavior.”
“Murray conspired from behind bars on this money-making scheme to have contraband smuggled into his facility,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “It’s disheartening when incarcerated prisoners are determined to keep breaking the law like this. Introducing illegal contraband into prisons poses a danger to correctional officers and inmates alike – that’s why the FBI is so determined to put a stop to it and hold those involved accountable.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Affairs from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric L. Gibson and Frank Costello.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sex Offense Against a MinorRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Makel Elboghdady, 37, an Egyptian national living in Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor. Elboghdady was also ordered to serve 20 years on supervised release after completing his prison sentence.
Elboghdady was previously convicted after a jury trial in May 2021. Evidence at trial revealed that Elboghdady traveled on February 28, 2020 from Columbus, Ohio to Huntington to meet a woman in order to engage in sexual activity with her purported minor daughters. Elboghdady believed the girls were 11 and 13 years old. When he arrived in Huntington and met with the person he believed to be the mother of the girls, Elboghdady was placed under arrest.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Julie White prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-00069.
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North Hills Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robberies in Two CountiesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of McCandless, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to robbing three area banks and attempting to rob a fourth bank, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Dylan Michael Poole, age 24, pleaded guilty to three counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Poole robbed a WesBanco Bank in McCandless, Pennsylvania on or about November 8, 2018; a PNC Bank in Donegal, Pennsylvania on or about November 9, 2018; and a First National Bank in Wexford, Pennsylvania on or about November 13, 2018. In addition, on or about November 15, 2018, Poole attempted to rob a PNC Bank in Latrobe, Pennsylvania..
Chief Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for July 20, 2022, at 9:30 AM. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s bond of $25,000.
Assistant United States Attorney Yvonne M. Saadi is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The FBI Pittsburgh’s Violent Crimes Task Force, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police, Northern Regional Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, McCandless Police Department and Shaler Township Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Poole.
Mission Man Sentenced on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on March 21, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Cassius Farmer, age 28, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Farmer was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 9, 2021. He pled guilty on December 30, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on October 21, 2021, in Mission, South Dakota. On that date, United States Marshals Service personnel and Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel were searching for Farmer, who had an arrest warrant for a violation of federal supervised release. Farmer was located at an apartment building in Mission, but gave a false name. Farmer was detained, at which point he informed the officers he was carrying a handgun. The firearm was seized, and Farmer then properly identified himself.
Farmer was convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in 2018, making it illegal for him to possess firearms and ammunition. Farmer will forfeit ownership of the handgun and ammunition to the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Dakota Territory Fugitive Task Force, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Farmer was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mechanicville Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing ChildrenRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Gary Ryan, age 51, of Mechanicville, New York, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for aggravated sexual abuse and transportation of minors to engage in sexual activity. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Colonie Police Department Chief Michael Woods.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Ryan admitted that in 2003 and 2004, he took Victim 1, then 5 and 6 years old, to Florida, Massachusetts, and Nevada. On those trips, Ryan anally penetrated Victim 1.
In 2007, Ryan took Victim 2, then 14 years old, to Florida and Massachusetts. On those trips, Ryan showed Victim 2 pornography and rubbed Victim 2’s penis.
Between 1998 and 1999, Ryan took Victim 3, then 14 or 15 years old, to Massachusetts. On that trip, while Victim 3 was asleep, Ryan rubbed Victim 3’s penis to try to arouse him and shaved Victim 3’s genitals. Ryan instructed another teenager to video-record the conduct.
In imposing sentence, United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino told Ryan that he is “the definition of a sexual predator.” She also imposed a lifetime term of supervised release, which will begin after Ryan is released from prison. Ryan will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes investigators from the Colonie Police Department, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department, and the New York State Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Kopita as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Martin Woman Sentenced for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Martin, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on March 21, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Carly Rae Shott, age 23, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, four years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100, and forfeiture of a handgun and ammunition.
Shott was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 9, 2020. She pled guilty on December 20, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred between August 2018 and August 2019, wherein Shott conspired with others to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine in South Dakota. Further, on August 30, 2019, Shott was arrested in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, with approximately ten grams of methamphetamine, $6,166 in United States currency, and a loaded handgun.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The investigation was conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Shott was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man involved in a shooting incident in a Chicago suburb has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for illegally possessing ammunition.
LAVOYCE BAYS was charged with illegally possessing four cartridges of .40-caliber ammunition on June 15, 2019, in Markham, Ill. Bays was involved in a dispute with a man and others at a party and later saw the man at a gas station in the south suburb. As the man attempted to drive away from the gas station, Bays fired multiple shots and wounded him. The victim survived the shooting. Law enforcement recovered ammunition casings from the crime scene, which led to the federal charges.
Bays, 32, of Markham, pleaded guilty last year to a federal charge of illegal possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. He had previously been convicted in state court of a felony criminal offense and was not legally allowed to possess ammunition or a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman on Friday imposed a 102-month federal prison sentence. Judge Coleman found that, in addition to illegally possessing the ammunition, the government met its burden in proving Bays possessed a firearm and committed the shooting at the gas station, conduct which supported an enhanced sentence.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Kristen de Tineo, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Markham Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Albert Berry III.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Attorney Lausch and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Lillian Man Sentenced in Federal Court for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Lillian, Alabama, man was sentenced on March 14, 2022, to 24 months in prison for his illegal possession of firearms after being convicted of a felony.
According to court documents, Alvin Dewayne Pope, 43, was identified during an investigation in which investigators used a confidential informant to make controlled purchases of marijuana from him. A search warrant was obtained for Pope’s residence. Investigators discovered and seized four guns from his residence, which was the location where the marijuana was sold to the informant. Pope had been previously convicted of selling, manufacturing, delivering, or possessing a controlled substance with intent to sell in Escambia County, Florida, in 2013. Pope pled guilty to the charge in October of 2020.
United States District Court Judge Jeffery Beaverstock imposed the 24-month sentence and further ordered that Pope would also serve three years on supervised release following his imprisonment. As conditions of his supervision, Pope will also undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that Pope pay $100 in special assessments.
The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Leader of Fort Myers Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Marvin Harris, Jr., aka “Mesh” (23, Fort Myers), to 24 years and 5 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base (crack cocaine), and cocaine. The Court also ordered Harris to forfeit his Mercedes-Benz, $58,217 in seized cash, an 18k gold Datejust Rolex, and multiple gold Cuban link chains, all of which were traceable proceeds of his drug trafficking organization.
According to court documents, Harris led a drug trafficking organization (DTO) which operated in neighborhoods off Palm Beach Boulevard in Fort Myers. Harris recruited dealers to work for him and provided them with housing, with those houses serving as the main distribution points for the DTO.
On August 14, 2020, Harris was jailed for contempt of court in connection with a homicide investigation. He continued to run his organization while incarcerated, enlisting his girlfriend, co-defendant Destiny Molina, to supply his dealers with drugs and collect the revenue generated by the business. Recorded phone calls between Harris and Molina captured him teaching Molina how to mix fentanyl with adulterants to increase the profit potential of his product along with other instructions necessary to keep his illegal enterprise afloat.
On October 15, 2020, the FBI executed simultaneous search warrants at Molina’s residence located on Gaillard Avenue in North Port, and Harris’s main drug house located on New York Drive in Fort Myers. Inside Molina’s residence, law enforcement recovered more than $53,000 in cash, multiple pieces of expensive jewelry, over 100 grams of fentanyl and cocaine, and a firearm. At the drug house, law enforcement recovered nearly $5,000 in cash, more fentanyl and cocaine, and another firearm.
Four other members of the conspiracy had previously pleaded guilty in connection with his case:
Name
Charge
Status
Destiny Molina
(20, Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Faces 5-40 years in prison, sentencing scheduled for 6/6/22
Bradly Griffin, aka “Jit”
(20, Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Sentenced to 7 years, 3 months in federal prison
Robert Rosado, aka “Drew”
(24, Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; Distribution of a controlled substance
Sentenced to 12 years, 7 months in federal prison
Fabian Kelly, aka “Bob”
(20, Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense
Sentenced to 9 years, 3 months in federal prison
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
Large-Scale Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who led a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organization was sentenced on March 18, 2022, to 30 years in federal prison.
George Patrick Ashby, age 62, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 16, 2021 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Evidence disclosed at sentencing showed that, from at least the summer of 2018, and continuing to March 10, 2020, Ashby organized and led a large-scale drug trafficking organization that brought significant amounts of ice methamphetamine from Burlington, Iowa, to the Cedar Rapids area for redistribution. Ashby possessed firearms in connection with this drug distribution, and he provided firearms to other members of the organization. Ashby was responsible for distributing at least 4.5 kilograms of ice methamphetamine.
Ashby was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Ashby was sentenced to 360 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ashby 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 Attorneys Emily Nydle and Dillan Edwards and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff’s Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; and the Burlington Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-00027.
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Justice Department Honors Fifth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community PolicingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The Justice Department last Thursday announced the recipients of the Fifth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing. This year’s awards recognize the exceptional work of 18 law enforcement officers and deputies from 12 jurisdictions across the country, including two from the Eastern District of Virginia.
This year’s awardees included Norfolk Police Department Detective Jonathan Smith and the late Detective Victor Powell, who was awarded posthumously.
Attorney General Garland announced the award recipients in Atlanta, Georgia. Later, he attended a ceremony for three award recipients from the DeKalb County Police Department.
“The work of law enforcement has always been difficult—but perhaps no more so than in the recent past, as officers have faced a host of significant challenges. The officers and deputies receiving this year’s awards demonstrate how so many go above and beyond, even in the midst of trying circumstances,” he said. “Every day, thousands of people who work in law enforcement forge and maintain strong community ties that are essential for ensuring public safety. The recipients of this award represent quintessential examples of such critical efforts. It is an honor to recognize them.”
“Detectives Jonathan Smith and Victor Powell showed exemplary passion and dedication to the people of EDVA for their work to identify the perpetrator of an unsolved murder from 1980,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Thanks to their efforts, this killer was brought to justice and the victims’ family found some measure of peace. It is an honor to work alongside the Norfolk Police Department, and all of our police department partners.”
The Attorney General’s Award recognizes individual state, local, Tribal, and territorial police officers, deputies, and troopers for exceptional efforts in community policing. The awarded officers and deputies have demonstrated active engagement with the community in one of three areas: innovations in community policing, criminal investigations, or field operations. This year, the Department received 185 nominations from 145 agencies, recognizing a total of 347 individual officers, deputies, and troopers. There were 39 states represented in the nomination pool, covering state, local, campus, sheriff, and other agency types.
The work being honored this year reflects numerous examples of law enforcement officers working closely with the community to build trust, solve problems, reduce crime, and improve public safety.
The Department of Justice works closely with national law enforcement stakeholder groups during the award review period, taking advantage of their expertise and experience to determine the recipients in a competitive nomination process. The Department also works closely with its components, utilizing the breadth of knowledge within the Department to ensure a successful program that honors the exceptional service of our nation’s law enforcement officers and deputies.
Complete information on the Fifth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ag/policing-award.
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.
Judge sentences Jefferson County woman on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Kietra R. Studdard, age 44, of Fenton, Missouri appeared before United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on today’s date. Studdard pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 115 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine; and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Studdard was previously indicted by a federal grand jury on September 3, 2020.
According to the plea agreement, on May 22, 2019, officers with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office were surveilling a known drug house when Studdard arrived in a blue Buick LeSabre. She retrieved several items from the residence and put them in her vehicle. When Studdard left, the officers followed her, eventually stopping her for a series of traffic violations.
When contacted by deputies, Studdard admitted to having a pistol in her purse, and she was arrested after it was determined she was in possession of methamphetamine. A search of the vehicle revealed numerous boxes pseudoephedrine tablets that Studdard admitted would be used to cook methamphetamine.
Studdard is prohibited by law from possessing a weapon due to a previous felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Bluestone.
Inmate Charged with Possessing Narcotic DrugRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Torrance Gamble, age 49, an inmate at Federal Corrections Institution Schuylkill, Minersville, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information with possession of a narcotic drug.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the information alleges that Gamble possessed buprenorphine, also known as Suboxone, a narcotic controlled substance on December 1, 2021. Federal inmates are not permitted to possess narcotics.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Illegal gambling business operator admits to plotting military equipment theftRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 46-year-old Corpus Christi resident has entered a guilty plea to conducting an illegal gambling business and conspiring to steal government property, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Nathan Nichols admitted that from March 2018 to August 2019, he operated illegal gambling businesses in Corpus Christi. He also pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal sensitive government property from the U.S. Army installation at Ft. Hood in June 2021.
Nichols was the co-owner of Theo's Bar and owner/operator of Lady Luck, both facilities containing illegal gaming devices. The establishments contained sweepstakes games which people play by using computers and monitors rather than casino-style equipment. The games are software-based and function as traditional slot-machine games or “8-liners.” However, the action of the slot-machine reels are simulated on a computer screen rather than on mechanical reels. Those playing the machines place bets before each spin and receive winnings in cash.
In a separate case, Nichols also admitted he conspired with others to steal sensitive U.S. Army property valued at $2,176,000. He had been in contact with one of the persons responsible for the theft and requested pictures of the property before agreeing to buy it for resale. Once he obtained the items, Nichols subsequently listed them for sale on eBay.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Nichols’ residence in July 2021. At that time, they discovered sensitive military equipment including laser range finders, thermal scopes, night vision scopes, night vision goggles and laser aiming devices. All of the property belonged to the U.S. Army.
As part of his guilty pleas, Nichols agreed to forfeit a total of $2,185,218.73 as proceeds from his illegal activity. Sentencing has been set for June 21 before U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos. At that time, Nichols faces up to five years in prison for each conviction.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Corpus Christi Police Department on the gambling case. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the stolen property investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) Joel Dunn and Christopher Marin are prosecuting the cases with the assistance of Asset Forfeiture AUSA Yifei Zheng.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Federal Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, Scott Lee Midkiff, 35, admitted that he participated in the conspiracy from the summer of 2020 to July 2021. During the conspiracy, Midkiff frequently obtained quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl to distribute to various customers in the Huntington area. Midkiff provided the drugs to customers on consignment and was aware his customers intended to redistribute the drugs. Midkiff also admitted that he participated in arranging drug transactions by steering customers to certain drug dealers when customers would contact Midkiff.
On April 5, 2021, investigators seized over 1.2 pounds of methamphetamine, 130 grams of fentanyl and $84,000 in cash that Midkiff had arranged to be hidden in a vehicle parked in Huntington. When arrest and search warrants were executed in the investigation on July 29, 2021, agents seized an additional 133 grams of fentanyl and $11,600 from a residence Midkiff shared with another individual.
Midkiff faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on June 27, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force. The Southern West Virginia TOC-West Task Force is comprised of officers with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Hurricane Police Department, and the Marshall University Police Department, with support from the West Virginia State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police, and the FBI and DEA in Columbus, Ohio also assisted in the investigation.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Cremeans are handling the prosecution.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00109.
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Hacienda Heights Man Admits Bilking Amazon in $1.3 Million Refund Scam and Will Plead Guilty to Federal Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A third-party seller on Amazon.com Inc. has admitted gaming the online retailer’s payment system in a scheme that defrauded the company out of more than $1.3 million, the Justice Department announced today.
Ting Hong Yeung, 41, of Hacienda Heights, was charged with wire fraud in an information filed today in United States District Court. In a plea agreement also filed today, Yeung agreed to plead guilty to the felony offense, which carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
As described in the court documents, Amazon allows third-party sellers to use its online retail platform to advertise items, make sales and communicate with customers. Ordinarily, when an Amazon customer purchases an item listed by a third-party seller, Amazon credits the third-party seller’s internal Amazon account for the amount of that purchase. About every two weeks, Amazon disburses into the seller’s bank account the proceeds of those sales for which the seller has provided proof that the items purchased have been shipped – namely, the shipment tracking numbers.
Yeung operated as an Amazon third-party vendor using business names including “Speedy Checkout,” “Special SaleS” and “California Red Trading Inc.” After enough time passed to allow his businesses to appear to be reputable vendors, Yeung would list expensive merchandise, such as furniture and home décor, at cut-rate prices to drive a spike in sales. However, instead of shipping purchased items to the customers, Yeung provided Amazon with bogus tracking numbers. When customers complained about not receiving their purchases, Yeung delayed customer refund requests long enough to ensure that Amazon would disburse funds into his businesses’ bank accounts. As a result, Yeung collected payment for items that were never shipped and relied on Amazon to issue refunds to his disgruntled customers under its “A-to-z Guarantee.”
In some instances, instead of sending customers the products they ordered, Yeung shipped them cheap crystal ornaments, which served the dual purpose of generating tracking numbers that induced Amazon to disburse customer funds and forestalling customer complaints and demands for refunds. Yeung also used Amazon’s Buyer-Seller Messaging Service to convince customers that their orders were on their way when, in fact, they were not.
On occasion, Yeung provided goods to his customers that he obtained through his own fraudulent purchases from Amazon, which he made using credit cards in the names of other people and fictitious identities. After the goods were delivered to his customers, Yeung requested refunds for the goods from Amazon. Yeung often falsely claimed that he was entitled to a refund because the product was “Different from what was ordered,” and then returned lower-value items rather than the merchandise he had originally ordered. As a result, Yeung received both the refund and the proceeds of the original sale to his own customer.
In his plea agreement, Yeung admitted causing Amazon to suffer approximately $1,302,954 in losses. Yeung has agreed to pay restitution, some of which will be paid with gold and silver bars that investigators seized during a search of his residence last month.
Yeung is expected to make his initial appearance in this case in United States District Court on April 12.
The FBI investigated this matter and received cooperation from Amazon.
Assistant United States Attorney Alexander B. Schwab of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting the case.
Guatemalan National Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking of a Minor and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander today sentenced Feliciano de Jesus Diaz-Martinez, a/k/a Alex, age 43, of Owings Mills, Maryland, to 27 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for sex trafficking of a child, enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution, sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, and distribution of controlled substances. Diaz-Martinez, who has been in custody since his indictment on July 25, 2019, was convicted of those charges by a federal jury on November 18, 2021.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
According to the evidence presented at his nine-day trial, from at least 2016 through May 2019, Diaz-Martinez, a Guatemalan national in the United States illegally, caused at least eight individuals, including a minor, to engage in commercial sex acts for his own financial benefit by means of force, fraud, and coercion. Trial testimony confirmed that Diaz-Martinez knew that Victim 1 was 16 years old when he first caused her to engage in commercial sex acts. Victim 1 continued to work for Diaz-Martinez until she was approximately 18 years old. The evidence proved that nearly all of the victims that Diaz-Martinez caused to engage in commercial sex acts suffered from serious substance abuse disorders, including addictions to heroin, crack cocaine, and Xanax. Diaz-Martinez took half or all of the money earned by the victims working for him, and sold some of the victims narcotics, often at prices significantly higher than he paid to purchase the drugs.
As detailed in trial testimony, Diaz-Martinez maintained a network of friends and associates who paid to engage in commercial sex acts with the victims Diaz-Martinez advertised and made available to them. Diaz-Martinez sent his customers pictures of the victims available for commercial sex and set the prices that customers would pay to engage in sex acts with the victims he controlled. Diaz-Martinez then transported, or caused to be transported, victims to his customers’ homes, or to hotel rooms he rented, to engage in commercial sex acts. The evidence showed that Diaz-Martinez also invited customers to engage in commercial sex acts with victims in his apartment and in a storage unit that he rented.
Witnesses testified that Diaz-Martinez maintained several different accounts in alias names on a social media platform, which he used to recruit and communicate with the victims in order to entice them to work for him and engage in commercial sex acts, including many users he had never met. The jury found that Diaz-Martinez sometimes offered the users he communicated with heroin and crack cocaine, referred to as “boy” and “girl,” in exchange for engaging in commercial sex with his customers. Diaz-Martinez also directed the victims working for him to recruit their friends, many of whom were also addicted to narcotics, to engage in commercial sex for his financial benefit.
Several victims testified that Diaz-Martinez frequently demanded that they engage in sex acts with him, free of charge, and that he retaliated against the victims if he was not personally satisfied with the sexual encounter. Diaz-Martinez also retaliated against victims who violated his rules, failed to earn sufficient money from commercial sex, or otherwise displeased him in a number of ways, including, abandoning them at customers’ homes and on roadsides without their belongings or transportation and withholding drugs from the victims whom he knew to be addicted.
This case was investigated by the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2007 to discover and rescue victims of human trafficking while identifying and prosecuting offenders. Members include federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as victim service providers and local community members. For more information about the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/priorities_human.html.
Report suspected instances of human trafficking to HSI's tip line at 866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423) or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI Baltimore, the Baltimore County Police Department and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary W. Setzer and P. Michael Cunningham, who prosecuted the case.
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Former Long Beach Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge of Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Long Beach Police officer pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for distributing child pornography, including when he was on duty as a law enforcement officer.
Anthony Brown, 57, of Lakewood, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, Brown used his smart phone to log into MeWe, an internet-based messaging application, including when he was on duty as a Long Beach Police officer. While logged in, Brown knowingly distributed and possessed child pornography.
Brown admitted in his plea agreement to distributing sexually explicit images of girls in November 2019, March 2020 and April 2020.
From October 2019 through May 2020, Brown also knowingly possessed a sexually explicit image of a girl who appeared to be 11 or 12 years old.
Brown was a Long Beach Police officer for 27 years. He left the force last year after his arrest on state charges of possession and distribution of child pornography. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office dismissed those charges in light of the federal case.
United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. has scheduled a July 25 sentencing hearing, at which time Brown will face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Long Beach Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Kathrynne N. Seiden of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Florida woman sentenced for bankruptcy fraudRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Heather Lynn Pratt, of Fort Myers, Florida, was sentenced today to five years of probation for bankruptcy fraud, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Pratt, 32, pleaded guilty in April 2021 to one count of “Fraudulent Concealment of Bankruptcy Assets.” At the time of the offense, Pratt was employed by Emerald Grande, LLC and had access to the finances of the Florida-based company. Emerald Grande was operating two La Quinta Inn & Suites in West Virginia, one in Elkview and the other in Summersville, as well as a commercial property in Charleston known as the Kanawha Landing Property. Emerald Grande was a debtor in a bankruptcy case filed and pending in Clarksburg United States Bankruptcy Court.
Pratt admitted to concealing more than $145,000 she embezzled from the operating account of the LaQuinta Inn & Suites in Summersville from the bankruptcy trustee, when in fact, that money belonged to the debtor, Emerald Grande, LLC.
Pratt was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $145,386.93 to the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Edinburg man sentenced for “catching a case” of sex tourism with minorRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 23-year-old Edinburg man has been ordered to federal prison for engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor in Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Carlos Daniel Uribe-Garza pleaded guilty June 7, 2021, admitting to the crime and that it had resulted in a pregnancy.
Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ordered him to serve a 121-month sentence. At the hearing, the court heard about Uribe-Garza’s repeated phone calls with the victim. During those conversations, he attempted to influence her not to cooperate with law enforcement and instructed her to send letters to the judge retracting her previous statements. Evidence was also presented that indicated Uribe-Garza was emotionally manipulative towards the victim and had associates confront her and her family at their residence. Judge Crane considered comments from the victim’s mother indicating how Uribe-Garza’s conduct was obsessive, manipulative and toxic. After considering all the evidence, the court determined Uribe-Garza engaged in the obstruction of justice.
Judge Crane also heard that Uribe-Garza had previously engaged in another illicit sexual relationship with a 16-year-old minor in 2019, which also resulted in a pregnancy. Uribe-Garza told that girl not to tell anyone of their relationship because he could “catch a case.” The court deemed him a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors and imposed a sentencing enhancement.
In imposing the prison term, the court noted Uribe-Garza is predatory toward minors. Following his imprisonment, Uribe-Garza will serve five years on supervised release, during which time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
Uribe-Garza spoke at sentencing and told the court his only regret was attempting to bring the victim into the United States.
Uribe-Garza met the minor victim at her 15th birthday party in Reynosa, Mexico, and then began contacting her via social media. From December 2020 to February 2021, Uribe-Garza pursued a sexual relationship with the victim, traveling from Texas to Mexico on multiple occasions.
She became pregnant that February.
Uribe-Garza attempted to bring the minor into the United States at the Hidalgo Port of Entry on February 24, at which time authorities took him into custody. Uribe-Garza had disguised the victim as a male United States citizen by cutting her hair, dressing her in men’s clothing, and providing her with false documentation.
Uribe-Garza has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Devin V. Walker and Amy L. Greenbaum prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Agrees to Pay Damages for 2018 Fire and Modify Railroad Operations to Reduce Wildfire RiskRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces an agreement with the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Company and its parent company, American Heritage Railways (together, the “Railroad”), under which the Railroad will pay $20 million to compensate the United States for damages caused by a 2018 fire near Durango, Colorado, and will also modify railroad operations and take other measures to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition.
“The Durango & Silverton Railroad represents an important historic and cultural icon in southwest Colorado,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “We intend for this settlement to enable the Railroad to continue to operate, but in a manner that will avoid causing future catastrophic wildfires. In addition, this agreement ensures fair compensation for the damages caused by the 416 Fire.”
“When finalized, the proposed settlement and subsequent operational changes will help protect southwestern Colorado’s communities, cultural, and natural resources from future wildfires,” said Frank Beum, Regional Forester for the United States Forest Service. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Company and American Heritage Railways,” he added.
Bureau of Land Management Acting Colorado State Director Stephanie Connolly said, “BLM is committed to investigating all human-caused fires and finding ways to prevent wildfires on public lands. Working with the U.S. Forest Service and the Railroad, this settlement will include an Industrial Fire Restrictions Plan to help reduce the risk of wildfires like the 416 fire from happening again in Colorado.”
The agreement arises from a lawsuit involving the “416 Fire,” a wildland fire that was ignited on June 1, 2018, on the San Juan National Forest near Durango. The 416 Fire burned more than 54,000 acres of federal lands until it was fully suppressed approximately six months later. The fire damaged natural habitat, caused erosion, and caused other natural resource damages on federal lands within the San Juan National Forest. It also threatened private residences, requiring emergency evacuations. The federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, that responded to and suppressed the fire incurred significant costs.
An investigation by federal fire investigators concluded that the 416 Fire was caused by particles emitted from a smokestack on a coal-burning steam train engine owned and operated by the Railroad. Private fire investigators, who also investigated the ignition area, reached the same conclusion.
In July 2019, the United States filed a lawsuit against the Railroad in federal district court in the District of Colorado seeking to recover damages for the fire. The United States sued the Railroad relying on a Colorado state statute that requires railroad operators to pay money damages for fires caused by their operations.
After several years of litigation, the United States and the Railroad reached an agreement to resolve the claims. The settlement is set forth in a proposed consent decree. The Court will review the consent decree and determine whether to approve and enter it. Under the terms of the proposed consent decree, the Railroad will pay the government a $15 million lump sum payment within 45 days, and then will pay an additional $5 million, plus interest, over a ten-year period. In addition to these monetary payments, the consent decree will require the Railroad to undertake substantial operational changes over a ten-year term, including:
- The Railroad will comply with an Industrial Fire Restrictions Plan (which is an exhibit to the consent decree, and is publicly available). This Plan places limits on the Railroad’s operations when fire risk is elevated and prohibits operations when fire risk is extreme.
- The Railroad will prepare and submit to the U.S. Forest Service, each year, an Operating and Fire Prevention Plan.
- The Railroad will retain a qualified independent consultant who, each year, will inspect, report on, make recommendations, and audit the Railroad’s fire mitigation and prevention measures.
- The Railroad will hire a full-time, qualified fire management officer, who will provide monthly certification of compliance with the aforementioned plans and reports.
- The Railroad will maintain a minimum of $3 million in wildfire insurance coverage and conduct an annual review to determine the economic feasibility of additional insurance coverage.
- The Railroad will create a self-insured wildfire fund, which will be funded by the Railroad at a rate of $100,000 per year and may be used to pay for costs arising from any wildfire caused by the Railroad.
If approved, these measures will reduce the fire risk associated with the Railroad’s operations. They will also provide the public some minimum insurance against fire-related damages from the Railroad’s operations. Notably, under the proposed consent decree, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad will no longer operate coal-burning locomotives during periods of elevated fire risk. This change arises from the consent decree’s requirement that the Railroad comply with the Industrial Fire Restrictions Plan. Since the lawsuit was filed, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has begun converting its locomotives to oil-based engines, instead of using coal-fired engines.
The Railroad denied, and continues to deny, that it caused the 416 Fire, and the settlement is not an admission of the Railroad’s liability.
Private parties filed a separate lawsuit in Colorado state court against the Railroad seeking damages for claimed harms to their property, lost revenues, and other damages. The United States is not a party to that case, and those private parties’ claims are being resolved separately.
The federal case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Licht and Katherine Ross, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick Deuschle, David Moskowitz, and Andrew Soler.
Cuban guilty of ignoring court orderRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A Corpus Christi jury has returned a guilty verdict against a 45-year-old citizen of Cuba for failing to appear in court as ordered, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The federal jury deliberated for approximately 20 minutes following one-day of trial before convicting Noriel Ramos-Garcia as charged.
Ramos-Garcia had been facing charges related to the unlawful transportation of individuals. A U.S. magistrate judge had permitted him release upon positing bond pending further criminal proceedings. As part of his conditions, he was ordered to stay in contact with authorities and attend all court hearings.
However, he did not appear for his court date Jan. 21, 2021.
At trial, a U.S. probation officer testified that in November 2020, Ramos-Garcia ceased all communications with them. Law enforcement was unable to locate him until September 2021.
The jury heard Ramos-Garcia left the United States and traveled to Cuba in November 2020 and returned September 2021. Law enforcement arrested him upon landing in the United States.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that Ramos-Garcia went to Cuba with the intent of delivering medicine for his family members who had been infected with Covid-19. Ramos-Garcia claimed he intended to fly back three days later, but the flights were cancelled. He told the court he did not intend to miss his court date. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for June 15. At that time, Ramos-Garcia faces up to five years of imprisonment and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Ramos-Garcia has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman prosecuted the case.
Court Imposes Restrictions on Credit Repair Company to Protect ConsumersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that a federal court in Houston, Texas, entered a permanent injunction barring a credit repair company and its CEO from representing that it can repair or improve consumers’ credit scores. The court also entered a preliminary injunction that prohibits the defendants from making large or non-essential expenditures to preserve assets for consumer redress.
In a civil complaint filed March 1 and unsealed on March 14, the Department of Justice alleged that that Alexander V. Miller, 42, of Missouri City, Texas, and his company Turbo Solutions Inc. violated the Credit Repair Organizations Act, the Telemarketing and Consumer Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act, the FTC Act and the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule in connections with defendants’ marketing and sales of credit repair services. On March 4, the court issued a temporary restraining order imposing financial restrictions on defendants, which remained in place through the resolution of the preliminary injunction hearing.
The complaint alleges that the defendants used internet websites and telemarketing to falsely claim that the defendants could improve consumers’ credit scores by removing all negative items from consumers’ credit reports. According to the complaint, the defendants also filed or caused to be filed fake identity theft reports with the FTC. The complaint further alleges that the defendants routinely took prohibited advanced fees for their credit repair services and did not make required disclosures regarding those services. Many consumers allegedly paid defendants a fee ranging from several hundred dollars to $1,500, but did not receive the higher credit scores defendants promised.
“Credit repair scams affect consumers who already are suffering from low credit scores,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will use all tools at its disposal to stop credit repair agencies from engaging in unlawful conduct targeting financially vulnerable consumers.”
“IdentityTheft.gov is a resource for consumers, not scammers,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Those who abuse this resource by filing fake reports can expect to hear from us.”
The government is represented in the civil matter by Trial Attorneys Marcus Smith and Amy Kaplan, Senior Trial Counsel Stephen Tosini, Senior Litigation Counsel Claude Scott, Assistant Director Lisa Hsiao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Kincheloe of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. The FTC is represented by Gregory A. Ashe.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit its website at https://www.FTC.gov.
Citrus Heights Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
Ryan Kent Wheeler, 39, of Citrus Heights, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to 20 years in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release and a $35,000 order of restitution for sexual exploitation of a child, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between November 2019 and February 2020, Wheeler set up hidden cameras in a house he shared with the victim to capture nude images of the victim. Wheeler made screen captured still images from video files and sent those still images into a Kik chat group. Agents obtained a search warrant, and recovered the hidden cameras, digital media that stored the files, and other devices.
This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Placer County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang prosecuted the case.
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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Cedar Rapids Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who intended to distribute methamphetamine and possessed a firearm while doing so was sentenced today to more 15 years in federal prison.
Thomas Charles Mart, age 38, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 27, 2021 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In a plea agreement, Mart admitted that, on September 24, 2020, he possessed with the intent to distribute over 350 grams of methamphetamine and possessed a revolver in furtherance of his drug trafficking. Mart also admitted that, on October 11, 2020, he fled from officers on his motorcycle and possessed with the intent to distribute over 16 grams of methamphetamine. Mart further admitted that, on April 29, 2021, he possessed with the intent to distribute over 100 grams of methamphetamine.
Mart was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Mart was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Mart 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 Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-00029.
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Casper Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography ConvictionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that JEREMIAH LINCOLN CURRENT, age 39, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced for possession of child pornography during a sentencing hearing held on March 8, 2021, before Chief Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl. He was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was further ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.
Current was arrested on September 23, 2021, in Sterling, Colorado after being indicted by a federal grand jury. According to the evidence, Special Agents with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation interviewed Current in the Natrona County Detention Center after he was arrested pursuant to an unrelated warrant. During the interview, Current told agents that he had several electronic devices containing large amounts of child pornography. Agents subsequently executed search warrants for Current’s residence and recovered numerous devices with large amounts of child pornography.
This crime was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Forwood.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Case Number 0:21-cr-00107-SWS
Bridgeport Tax Return Preparer Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that TORISE BAKER, 38, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to a tax fraud offense.
According to court documents and statement made in court, for the 2014 through 2016 tax years, Baker prepared approximately 3,600 federal tax returns for clients through 101 Things 2 Do, LLC, a multi-service business she operated in Bridgeport. Many of these tax returns claimed false deductions, including unreimbursed business expenses, charitable contributions and tax preparation fees.
In April 2016, Baker met with an undercover federal agent posing as a customer. The agent provided Baker with a W-2 for the 2015 tax year, told Baker that he/she did not make any gifts to charity, and offered no information about any other valid deductions. On the tax return that she prepared and filed for the agent, Baker included $5520 in deductions for charitable gifts; $2,105 for parking fees, tolls, and transportation; and $2,660 for uniforms and protective clothing.
In addition, Baker failed to file her own federal tax returns for the 2015 and 2016 tax years.
Baker has agreed to pay $112,956 in restitution to the IRS.
Baker pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false and fraudulent income tax returns, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years. She is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea on June 13. Baker is released on bond pending sentencing.
As a result of Baker’s criminal conduct, many of her clients’ filed tax returns will need to be amended. The amount of Baker’s restitution may be reduced as her clients resolve their own tax liability with the IRS.
This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed.