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28 April 2022
Kentucky Man Facing Federal Charges for Defrauding Former Evansville EmployerRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE – On April 21, 2022, a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Indiana returned an indictment charging James H. Cox, 44, of Robards, Kentucky, with ten counts of wire fraud. The indictment was unsealed late yesterday following the defendant’s arrest.
According to court documents, Cox was formerly employed as the Parts Manager for a business located in Evansville. Cox was responsible for ordering parts and logging them into inventory. From approximately 2016 to 2020, Cox is alleged to have defrauded his employer by ordering parts that the business did not need, stealing the parts, selling them on eBay, and retaining the proceeds from the sales for his own personal benefit. Cox did not disclose to eBay or potential buyers that the products listed for sale were stolen.
If convicted, Cox faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and a $250,000 fine on each count. Actual sentences are determined by a federal district court judge and are typically less than the maximum penalties. The defendant was ordered detained in the custody of the United States Marshal pending a hearing scheduled for Friday, April 29, 2022.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Herbert Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office, and Andrew M. Campion, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the USSS Indianapolis Field Office made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Secret Service are investigating the case. The Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable assistance.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Miller, who is prosecuting this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law
Jacksonville Sexual Predator Sentenced to 35 Years for Using Hidden Camera to Produce and Possess Child Sexual Abuse Videos and ImagesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced James Thomas Butler II (41, Jacksonville) to 35 years in federal prison for the production, attempted production, and possession of videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of a minor child. Butler was also ordered to serve a 25-year term of supervised release. A federal jury had found Butler guilty in December 2021. Butler was arrested on October 2, 2018, and has been detained since his arrest.
In 2001, Butler was convicted of attempted capital sexual battery and lascivious molestation of minor children in Jacksonville, and since then he has been registered and designated as a sexual predator.
According to court documents and evidence and testimony admitted during the trial, on May 2, 2018, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence in Jacksonville where Butler and several other registered sex offenders lived. During an interview with law enforcement, FBI agents obtained a smart phone from Butler. A forensic examination of Butler’s smart phone revealed that it contained sexually explicit videos and images of a minor child that appeared to have been filmed using a camera concealed in a bedroom. Through further investigation, law enforcement was able to identify this child as well as the residence located in north Florida where the camera was concealed. On October 2, 2018, FBI agents and personnel executed a federal search warrant at this residence and discovered that Butler had installed a tiny internet-enabled camera device in an air vent in the child’s bedroom. Butler had wired this hidden camera into the house’s electrical system through the attic and was able to control this camera remotely over the internet using an app on his smart phone, collecting videos, and creating customized, lascivious screenshots of the child. A forensic review of Butler’s smart phone revealed that it contained at least 65 videos and 35 screenshots that depicted the child in various stages of undress.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Duval County School Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. The forfeiture of assets is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jacksonville Methamphetamine Dealers Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced three Jacksonville men to federal prison for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Steven Ray McWhorter (49) was sentenced to 11 years and 4 months, Christopher Douglas Green (48) was sentenced to 10 years, and Kevin Joseph DeWitt (50) was sentenced 3 years and 1 month. A fourth individual, Michael Brandon Voght (28, Jacksonville), was charged in the same indictment and was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The Court also ordered McWhorter to forfeit $21,000, two firearms, and ammunition, which were used to facilitate and/or were proceeds of McWhorter’s drug trafficking activities. Each of the defendants had previously pleaded guilty.
According to court documents, from June to November 5, 2020, McWhorter, Green, and DeWitt worked together to distribute methamphetamine. Specifically, McWhorter distributed 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, while Green and Witt distributed 50 grams of more of methamphetamine. Several controlled purchases of methamphetamine were made during the investigation. In addition, law enforcement made a controlled purchase of a 12-gauge shotgun from Voght. Voght had previously been convicted of a felony and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Beatriz Gonzalez and Ashley Washington. The forfeiture of assets was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Honduran national admits to deadly smuggling incidentRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas - A 26-year-old Honduran man has pleaded guilty to transporting undocumented aliens resulting in a death, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Darwuin Sai Kabrera-Garsia pleaded guilty to smuggling three non-U.S. citizens resulting in the death of one.
On Nov. 9, 2021, Kabrera-Garsia acted as a brush guide to smuggle three non-U.S. citizens from Mexico into the United States. Kabrera-Garsia and the group crossed Texas Highway 83. At that time, an oncoming SUV struck an individual of the group. She died at the scene.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana will impose sentencing at a future date. If convicted, Kabrera-Garsia faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Kabrera-Garsia has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol and the Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Isaac and Anthony G. Brown are prosecuting the case.
Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Firearm While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANDRE HUDSON, 43, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Hudson also admitted that he violated the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 8, 2021, a Connecticut State Police trooper stopped a vehicle that Hudson was driving at a high rate of speed. At the time of the traffic stop, Hudson possessed a loaded Kel-Tec, Model P-11 9mm pistol and a distribution quantity of marijuana. Hudson was arrested at that time.
Hudson’s criminal history includes a 2007 federal conviction in Connecticut for distributing crack cocaine, for which he was sentenced to 108 months of imprisonment, and a 2019 federal conviction in Vermont for distributing crack and heroin, for which he was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment and an additional 24 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release in the Connecticut case. In June 2020, Hudson was granted compassionate release from prison due to the coronavirus pandemic. He was on supervised release at the time of his arrest in September 2021.
Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for July 28, at which time Hudson faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years for the firearm offense, and up to two years of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
Hudson is released on bond in home confinement while awaiting sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony E. Kaplan.
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.
Gary Man Sentenced to 63 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Michael Thedford, 29 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge James T. Moody on his plea of guilty to possessing an unregistered machinegun, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Thedford was sentenced to 63 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release
According to documents in the case, on March 21, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Thedford’s residence and recovered narcotics, five loaded firearms with high capacity magazines, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Also recovered was a Glock firearm that contained a conversion device also known as a “Glock Switch” that converted the semi-automatic firearm to a fully automatic weapon. This weapon was required to be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Records in accordance with the National Firearms Act but was not.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Caitlin M. Padula and Kevin Wolff.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Four Men Convicted in New Orleans Murder for HireRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that LOUIS AGE JR., age 73, and LOUIS’ son, LOUIS AGE III, a/k/a “Big Lou”, age 51, RONALD WILSON a/k/a “Tank”, age 47, and STANTON GUILLORY a/k/a “Nan-Nan”, age 27, all from New Orleans, were found guilty yesterday after a three-week jury trial before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe. They were found guilty of various violations, including conspiracy to commit murder for hire, murder for hire, and other related offenses along with lying to a federal agent.
Milton Womack was shot and killed on July 27, 2012. On August 17, 2017, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging LOUIS AGE JR., LOUIS AGE III, a/k/a “Big Lou”, RONALD WILSON a/k/a “Tank”, and STANTON GUILLORY a/k/a “Nan-Nan” with a variety of crimes related to an alleged plot to murder Milton Womack. These crimes were committed both to retaliate against and prevent Mr. Womack from testifying in a federal health care fraud trial and from cooperating with law enforcement about the health care fraud as well as other crimes, including the use of fire to commit mail fraud.
AGE JR. was also charged and convicted of crimes related to an alleged plot against another witness. Additionally, AGE JR. was charged and convicted of making false statements to federal agents. AGE III was also charged and convicted of making false statements to federal agents.
LOUIS AGE JR., LOUIS AGE III, a/k/a “Big Lou”, RONALD WILSON a/k/a “Tank”, and STANTON GUILLORY a/k/a “Nan-Nan” all face a mandatory life sentence. Sentencing will be held before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe on August 4. 2022.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Privitera, David Haller, Brandon Long and Ted Carter are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Department of Unemployment Assistance Employee Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former employee of the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) was sentenced yesterday for conspiring to misuse her position in an effort to obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) funds through fraudulent claims, including claims using identities she stole.
Tiffany Pacheco, a/k/a Tiffany Tavery, 36, formerly of New Bedford, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $199,555 and forfeiture of $17,181. On Aug. 30, 2021, she pleaded guilty to six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Tiffany Pacheco was hired by the DUA in April 2020, shortly after her release from federal prison following a conviction for aggravated identity theft. While employed by DUA, Tiffany Pacheco abused her position and access to the PUA claim system to submit fraudulent claims using stolen identity information and to submit fraudulent PUA claim information on behalf of herself and her husband, Arthur Pacheco, who was incarcerated in Texas until Sept. 4, 2020, and thus ineligible for PUA funds. Tiffany Pacheco also induced a friend to continue her scheme after she was caught, charged and detained.
“Ms. Pacheco violated the public’s trust by egregiously abusing her position as a DUA employee to perpetrate a fraud scheme that stole personal information from innocent victims and stole money from hardworking taxpayers,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “COVID-related assistance is intended to help hardworking American workers most affected by the pandemic. To take from these funds is to take from those experiencing legitimate hardship and genuine need. Adding insult to injury, Ms. Pacheco’s job at DUA presented an opportunity for new beginnings following her previous felony conviction. However, she ruined that opportunity by engaging in criminal behavior and refusing to change. Now she will be held responsible.”
“Pacheco abused her privileged access to the personal information of Massachusetts residents seeking unemployment assistance. She stole identities and manipulated records in the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance computer system in a scheme to enrich herself and her husband without regard for the lives of those whose identities were impacted or for the funds that should have gone to those in legitimate need,” said Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for the Homeland Security Investigations’ New England Field Office.
“Tiffany Pacheco, while employed at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA), engaged in a scheme to defraud the Department of Unemployment Assistance by applying for and receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance that she was not entitled to, using her own identity, her husband's identity, and at least two stolen identities she accessed through DUA records. Pacheco abused her position at DUA by taking action on claims, including her husband's claim, to secure just under $200,000 in stolen benefits. The Office of Inspector General remains committed to protecting the integrity of the unemployment insurance program, particularly against those who attempt to use their positions of trust to enrich themselves at the expense of taxpayers,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
Tiffany Pacheco abused her employment-related access to DUA’s online PUA claim system to submit and make changes to claims for five individuals. For two of these claims, she used personal identifying information (PII) obtained by virtue of her job at DUA, while other claims used PII that she had obtained independently. Tiffany Pacheco also used her access to the PUA claim system to make unauthorized eligibility determinations to prompt the payment of benefits and to increase the amount of payments. The total loss associated with the fraudulent claims Tiffany Pacheco submitted using stolen PII is $159,922.
In June 2020, PUA claims submitted for Tiffany Pacheco and her husband reflected 2019 income of $0 and no dependents. In July 2020, via her employment with DUA, Tiffany Pacheco obtained access to the PUA computer system, and later changed claim information for herself and Arthur Pacheco in order to increase the amount of PUA funds they would receive. For example, Tiffany Pacheco increased the amount of 2019 income for her and Arthur Pacheco to more than $240,000 and increased the number of their dependents to seven. Tiffany Pacheco further used her access to the PUA system to verify the increased 2019 income on both claims without the required income verification documents.
In November 2020, Arthur Pacheco called DUA and falsely denied that he had been incarcerated during the timeframe leading up to September 2020, and that he was only incarcerated for approximately one month. Tiffany Pacheco also spoke with DUA and misrepresented the period of time in which Arthur Pacheco had been incarcerated.
Additionally, Tiffany Pacheco instructed Donna Wasson – a friend who resided in Texas – to use the DUA customer portal to access PUA claims for two of the fraudulent claims Tiffany Pacheco had submitted using stolen PII. Tiffany Pacheco further instructed Wasson to pose as a claimant and directed Wasson to a Google Drive account that contained the images of driver’s licenses and other documents under certain stolen identities. As a result, Wasson accessed unemployment claims under multiple stolen identities to fraudulently obtain benefits to which she was not entitled.
In September 2020, a search of the New Bedford apartment where Tiffany and Arthur Pacheco resided uncovered various tools of identity fraud, including an ID laminator, 100 blank ID cards, 68 hologram overlays, 150 card lamination sheets and 649 sheets of blank checks. Law enforcement also seized approximately $17,000 cash and a notebook that contained the personal identifying information of various individuals. In addition, a driver’s license recovered during the search matched the name of a victim Tiffany Pacheco used to submit another fraudulent PUA claim. On Sept. 23, 2020, DUA terminated Tiffany Pacheco’s employment.
On Nov. 18, 2021, Arthur Pacheco was sentenced by Judge Talwani to one year in prison and three years of supervised release. Arthur Pacheco was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture in the amount of $7,491. On March 8, 2022, Wasson was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Wasson was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture in the amount of $5,437.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, HSI SAC Millhollin and DOL OIG SAC Mellone made the announcement today. The New Bedford Police Department, Massachusetts Parole Board and Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance, Program Integrity Unit provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Abely, Chief of Rollins’ Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Chao, Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit, prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security’s Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized field investigative group comprised of personnel from various local, state, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Former DMV Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Receive Bribes to Alter Records in DMV Database in SacramentoRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Shawana Denise Harris, 52, of Rancho Cucamonga, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bribery, to commit unauthorized access of a computer, and to commit identity fraud, which resulted in unqualified drivers receiving their California commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Nov. 16, 2017, Harris was charged with conspiring to receive bribes as a DMV employee in Rancho Cucamonga for accessing and altering records in the DMV’s database in Sacramento. During the scheme, Harris altered records to show that applicants for California CDLs had passed the required tests when, in truth, they had not done so, and in some cases had not even taken the tests. In so doing, this caused the DMV to issue permits and completed California CDLs despite the applicants not having taken or passed those tests.
This case is the product of an investigation by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Office of Internal Affairs; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rosanne L. Rust and Christopher S. Hales are prosecuting the case.
Harris is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley. Harris faces a maximum statutory penalty of five 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.
Former Chicago-Area Tax Preparer Charged with False Returns and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
In an indictment unsealed today, a federal grand jury in Chicago charged a former Illinois tax preparer with filing false returns for clients, filing false returns on her own taxes, and wire fraud.
According to the indictment, from 2014 to 2019, Erica Early, formerly of Robbins and Richton Park, prepared income tax returns for her clients that included false education expenses and business income, in an effort to secure refunds from the IRS for the clients that they were not entitled to receive. Early, who was employed by the U.S. Postal Service at the time, allegedly charged clients $1,000 or more for each return. Early also allegedly falsified her personal income tax returns for 2014 through 2018, claiming education credits she knew she was not eligible to receive.
If convicted, Early faces a maximum penalty of three years for each count of filing false tax returns and helping clients file false tax returns, and 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud. She also faces a period of supervised release and monetary penalties. 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 John R. Lausch Jr. for the Northern District of Illinois made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Matthew J. Kluge and Trial Attorney Boris Bourget of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Assistant Controller Charged with Embezzling over $3 Million from Pennsylvania-Based Metal Salvage CompanyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA –United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Tammy Simpson, 49, of Pocono Lake, PA, was charged by Indictment with wire fraud and filing false tax returns. These charges stem from the defendant’s employment with Metal Traders, Inc., d/b/a Triad Metals International (“Triad”), where she worked as the Assistant Controller for fourteen years.
The Indictment alleges that between 2012 and when she was terminated in October 2019, Simpson used her position at Triad to steal company money and use it to pay personal expenses charged to her credit cards and to make payments on personal loans. She allegedly did so by paying her personal credit card bills and loan payments with electronic transfers from the company’s business checking account. The defendant is also alleged to have kept credit cards from employees who had left the company and used them to charge personal expenses including airfare and other entertainment expenses for her family and friends, and to pay her personal tax liabilities and those of other individuals for whom she prepared tax returns. None of these payments or transfers were for legitimate business expenses of her employer. The Indictment further alleges that Simpson failed to report the money stolen from the company as income on her tax returns for tax years 2015 through 2018.
The Indictment seeks forfeiture of $3,199,192.68, which represents the total amount of money Simpson allegedly embezzled from her now former employer.
“This defendant allegedly swindled almost more than three million dollars from her former employer over the better part of a decade,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Instead of doing the right thing and performing her job honestly as the assistant controller for this company, she took advantage of her position and chose the greedy path. Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect innocent individuals and businesses from being victimized by financial fraud.”
“Tammy Simpson’s company entrusted her with key accounting duties,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Little did they know their longtime employee would take full advantage of that trust, allegedly diverting and using millions of dollars of the business’s money as her own. The FBI will diligently investigate and hold accountable anyone engaged in such egregious financial fraud.”
“No matter how it’s earned, all income must be reported,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty. “Simpson stands accused of treating Triad’s bank account as her personal bank account, supporting her lifestyle and that of her friends and family. This indictment should reassure those who play by the rules that IRS Criminal Investigation and its law enforcement partners will investigate anyone suspected of similar conduct.”
If convicted, Simpson faces a maximum possible sentence of 172 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $2,400,000 fine and a $1200 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Criminal Investigation Office of the Internal Revenue Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney MaryTeresa Soltis
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Five Members of Violent Chester, PA Drug Gang Plead Guilty to Multiple Narcotics and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Issac Barrett, 35; Kaleaf Gilbert, 30; Darnell Bell, 31; Terrance Womack, 35; and Jamar Bright, 33; all of Chester, PA, pleaded guilty this week before United States District Court Chief Judge Juan R. Sanchez to charges including conspiracy to distribute crack, cocaine and heroin, as well as related narcotics and gun offenses.
In October 2019, two dozen defendants were arrested pursuant to parallel Indictments of rival drug gangs that operated for years in and around the city of Chester, Delaware County: the “William Penn” drug trafficking group, which controlled the territory surrounding the Chester Housing Authority’s William Penn Homes, and their rivals the “3rd Bone” drug trafficking group, which held power in the area of 3rd and Lamokin Streets. This week, the remaining five William Penn defendants pleaded guilty, wrapping up the years-long investigation and prosecution, and ending this violent drug gang’s reign of terror in the greater Chester community. The defendants will be sentenced in August 2022, when defendants Barrett and Gilbert will face at least 15 years in prison due to the statutory mandatory minimum penalties on their drug and gun convictions.
As established during their plea hearings, defendant Issac Barrett served as the group’s source of supply, ensuring that his co-conspirators had a constant stock of crack, heroin, and cocaine, which his co-conspirators would then sell to their customer base of drug addicts. Co-defendant Kaleaf Gilbert managed a shared “trap phone” or drug phone, which the group, including co-defendants Bell and Womack, used to provide their joint customer base with around-the-clock access to crack and other controlled substances.
Not only did the William Penn defendants poison the Chester community with dangerous narcotics, they also used violence and threats of violence in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes, including against the rival 3rd Bone gang. In February 2019, a dispute between the two gangs came to a head in an exchange of gunfire between Barrett and Gilbert and three 3rd Bone members in the parking lot of a downtown Chester bar, which resulted in the shooting and hospitalization of one of the rival gang members. Subsequent wiretapped calls with Gilbert’s phone revealed Gilbert attempting to get rid of the gun used in the shooting by throwing it on the roof of an adjacent building, trying to hide his bullet-ridden car, and cavalierly talking about the shooting and potential paralysis of the 3rd Bone member. Texts recovered from Barrett’s phone showed him placing a $15,000 bounty on a rival gang member whom he suspected was responsible for the shooting.
“These defendants and their co-conspirators in the William Penn gang, together with the defendants in 3rd Bone, terrorized the Chester community for years with their drug dealing and associated violence,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Barrett sourced and supplied dangerous narcotics, and Gilbert managed the distribution ‘business’ through a cell phone, a business which eventually led to a violent shooting. Thanks to the efforts of investigators at the FBI and DEA, the 3rd Bone and William Penn drug operations have been permanently shut down, making the streets safer and improving the quality of life for the Chester community.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, working closely the Chester City Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew T. Newcomer and Meaghan A. Flannery.
Federal Jury Finds Boone County Man Guilty in Connection with Damage to Energy FacilityRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After two days of trial, a federal jury convicted a Boone County man today of attempting to damage the property of an energy facility, identified as a known mine located across Boone and Lincoln counties.
Evidence at trial revealed Brandon Beverly, 46, of Whitesville, helped to steal specialized mine equipment from the known mine in May and June 2019, resulting in more than $5,000 in damage.
Beverly is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
“I commend the West Virginia State Police and Lt. A.S. Perdue as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their work on this case,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I also applaud Assistant United States Attorneys Kathleen Robeson and Nowles Heinrich and the trial team for securing a guilty verdict. There is an extensive history of such wrongdoing in the Southern District, and this prosecution shows it won’t be tolerated. These crimes harm not just these facilities but the people who work at them.”
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. presided over the jury trial.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-260.
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Federal Jury Convicts Clackamas Man for Armed Robbery of PubRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—On April 27, 2022, a federal jury in Portland found a Clackamas, Oregon man guilty for robbing a local public house at gunpoint and making off with five cartons of cigarettes.
Dustin Lee Henderson, 40, was found guilty of interfering with commerce with threats or violence; possessing a firearm in furtherance of, and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to, a crime of violence; and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on November 22, 2019, Henderson robbed the Lighthouse Pub, a public house and deli located on 82nd Avenue in Clackamas. In video surveillance of the robbery, Henderson was seen handing the pub clerk a bag and taking five cartons of cigarettes. The pub’s owner chased Henderson through a parking lot when Henderson discharged a single round from his firearm, prompting the owner to stop the chase. Law enforcement later recovered a .22 caliber cartridge case near the site of the shooting.
Law enforcement later observed Henderson in a nearby mobile home lot and arrested him. Investigators executed a state search warrant on a mobile home where Henderson resided and recovered the stolen cigarette cartons, clothes worn by Henderson during the robbery, and a .22 pistol. A DNA analysis later linked Henderson to the seized firearm.
On January 22, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Henderson with interfering with commerce with threats or violence, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Henderson faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) with assistance from Oregon State Police and the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cassady Adams, Craig Gabriel, and Suzanne Miles prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Federal Firearms Charges Brought Against 6 Fresno Residents Arrested in Operation No Fly ZoneRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned four indictments today against six Fresno residents as a result of Operation No Fly Zone that sought to address a rise in the number of shootings and homicides in Fresno, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
The multi-agency, months-long investigation resulted in the arrests of over 40 individuals, including six federal defendants.
Fresno residents Patrick Anthony Feaster, 23, and Marcus Rashad Newton, 24, are charged in one indictment with one count each of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Both have prior felony convictions and are prohibited from possessing firearms.
Donald Ray Phelps Jr., 28, of Fresno, is charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition. He has a felony conviction for conspiracy to commit pandering in Orange County and is prohibited from possessing ammunition.
Reginald Keith Cannon Jr., 24, of Fresno, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He has prior felony convictions involving firearms offenses and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Fresno residents Taylor Washington, 21, and his mother Jawana Washington, 42, are charged in one indictment. Taylor is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and Jawana is charged with aiding and abetting a felon’s possession of a firearm when she provided Taylor with a 9 mm handgun, knowing that he had been convicted of two felonies involving firearms offenses and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
According to court documents, on March 16, 2022, investigators gained information that Newton and Feaster would be meeting at a residence in Fresno so that Newton could provide Feaster with a firearm and an extended magazine. Investigators observed the meetup, and shortly after Feaster left the residence, officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Feaster’s car. Feaster failed to yield, bailed out of the car with a bag, and fled on foot. After a chase, officers arrested Feaster and seized the bag from him. Inside the bag, officers found a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine.
On March 18, 2022, investigators learned about the presence of a firearm inside a car in which Phelps was a passenger. Officers conducted a traffic stop on the car, and during a search of the car, under the seat where Phelps had been sitting, officers found a loaded, privately manufactured, semi-automatic handgun with no serial number.
On March 23, 2022, investigators received information that Cannon was in possession of a firearm at the Fashion Fair Mall. Officers reported to the mall, where they found Cannon, a parolee, and conducted a parole-compliance check on him. During a search of his person, officers found a loaded semi-automatic firearm with an extended magazine attached.
On March 25, 2022, Jawana Washington loaned a firearm to Taylor Washington. Officers conducted a traffic stop on Taylor Washington’s car, searched it, and found the firearm in the center console.
These cases are the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno-area Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the California Department of Justice Special Operations Unit, the California Department of Justice Human Trafficking / Sexual Predator Apprehension Team, the California Highway Patrol, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Kings County Sheriff’s Office, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Antonio J. Pataca, Justin J. Gilio, and Kimberly A. Sanchez are prosecuting the cases.
If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would 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 are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Fayette County Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Fayette County man was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Anthony Maurice Bell, 55, of Oak Hill, possessed more than 400 grams of a substance containing fentanyl and a firearm in Oak Hill on January 26, 2021. Bell admitted that he intended to sell the fentanyl.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Oak Hill Police Department, and the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force for conducting the investigation.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-16.
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FACT SHEET: Administration Legislative Proposals in Support of Kleptocracy Asset RecoveryRead the Press Release
“The Justice Department is putting all available resources to use to hold accountable individuals whose criminal actions are enabling Russia’s unjust war in Ukraine. The President’s proposals will give the United States and our international partners critical resources and tools to dismantle the criminal networks that enable sanctions evasion; to freeze, seize, and forfeit kleptocrat assets; and to transfer the proceeds of those assets to remediate the harms the people of Ukraine are enduring from Russia’s aggression.”
~ Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, April 28, 2022
Today, as part of the President’s supplemental budget request to support Ukraine, the Administration will send a package of proposals to Congress that would enhance the Justice Department’s ability to hold the Kremlin and Russian oligarchs accountable for the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
In March, Attorney General Garland launched Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force led by Justice Department prosecutors that is dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Since that time, the Justice Department has worked with international partners to seize a Russian oligarch’s $90 million luxury yacht and seized approximately $625,000 associated with sanctioned parties held at nine U.S. financial institutions. Those seizures are based on sanctions violations by several specially designated Russian nationals. The Justice Department has also charged Russian oligarchs and their associates for evading sanctions, as well as foreign malign influence operations, arising from illegal efforts to promote Russian propaganda and undermine Ukrainian democracy and society.
The President’s supplemental budget request and accompanying proposals will give the Justice Department critical resources and tools to impose serious costs for Russia’s unjustified aggression, and to isolate and target the crimes of Russian officials, government-aligned elites, and those who aid or conceal their unlawful conduct. In addition to the Administration’s announced proposal to streamline asset forfeiture proceedings in certain circumstances, the following critical proposals would strengthen the Justice Department’s efforts:
- Enabling the Transfer of the Proceeds of Forfeited Kleptocrat Property to Ukraine to Remediate Harms of Russian Aggression. The proposal would improve the United States’ ability to use forfeited funds to remediate harms caused to Ukraine by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Generally, forfeited funds are used to compensate victims of the crimes underlying the forfeitures and for law enforcement purposes. This proposal would permit the Departments of Justice, the Treasury, and State to work together to return funds forfeited to the U.S. government to remediate harms of Russian aggression toward Ukraine. Providing this authority requires amendments to multiple statutes governing the use of forfeited funds.
- Clamping Down on Facilitation of Sanctions Evasion. This proposal would expand forfeiture authorities under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to reach property used to facilitate sanctions violations enabling the government to take away the violators’ “tools of the trade.” This proposal would amend IEEPA’s penalty provision to extend the existing forfeiture authorities to facilitating property, not just to proceeds of the offenses.
- Modernizing Racketeering to Include Sanctions Evasion. This proposal would improve the United States’ ability to investigate and prosecute sanctions evasion and export control violations by adding criminal violations of IEEPA and the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) to the definition of racketeering activity in the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. This proposal would extend a powerful forfeiture tool against racketeering enterprises engaged in sanctions evasion.
- Expanding the Time Limit to “Follow the Money.” This proposal would ensure that the United States can prosecute violators and seek forfeitures based on foreign offenses more effectively by extending the statute of limitations from five years to 10 years. The change would also extend the statute of limitations for seeking forfeiture of property based on these offenses, as a critical tool to deprive criminals of their ill‑gotten gains.
- Leveraging Foreign Partners’ Ability to Recover Oligarch Wealth. This proposal would improve the United States’ ability to work with our international partners to recover assets linked to foreign corruption. As kleptocrats and other criminals commit crimes and launder money in multiple jurisdictions, this proposal would expand upon existing U.S. law to facilitate enforcement of foreign restraint and forfeiture orders for criminal property. The proposal would improve our ability to take these actions here in the United States in support of international efforts to forfeit criminal property.
East St. Louis Man Sentenced to 30 Years Imprisonment for Production of Child Pornography and Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Dinish L. Watson, 26, of East St. Louis, Illinois, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, for Production of Child Pornography and Felon in
Possession of a Firearm. Following his release from prison, Watson will serve a five-year term of supervised release. Watson was also ordered to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, on January 11, 2021, the United States Marshal’s Service (USMS) executed an arrest warrant at Watson’s residence for one of Watson’s friends. Discovered during the arrest was a Del-Ton 5.56 caliber rifle with a loaded extended magazine, a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, a bullet proof vest, and additional ammunition. Watson admitted to law enforcement officials that he had previously held the rifle and posed for pictures with it. Watson later messaged two different friends on a social media application indicating that law enforcement had taken his guns. Evidence adduced at the sentencing hearing showed that Watson had acquired at least one firearm after his contact with USMS and that Watson claimed affiliation with a local gang in
East St. Louis.Separately, in late January of 2021, the East St. Louis Police Department and the Public Safety
Enforcement Group (PSEG) received information that Watson had engaged in a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old female. The investigation revealed that he repeatedly engaged in sexual conduct with the 16-year-old and filmed her performing a sex act on him. While law enforcement investigated the case, Watson threatened the 16-year-old and posted the video of the sex act to a social media website.Watson has prior felony convictions for Aggravated Battery and Stealing from a Person. He was on probation at the time of the offenses.
This case was brought as 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 Public Safety Enforcement Group (PSEG), the East St. Louis Police
Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). PSEG is an Illinois
State Police unit embedded in and working in direct partnership with the East St.
Louis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Reppert prosecuted the case.East Chicago Man Sentenced to 24 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Morris Burdette, 30 years old, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge James T. Moody on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Burdette was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on September 10, 2020, Officers responded to a shots fired call in East Chicago and encountered Burdette at the scene. While possessing a firearm, Burdette fled from law enforcement, and was arrested as he attempted to throw the firearm over a fence. According to his criminal history, Burdette had a prior felony conviction for robbery, making his possession of a firearm or ammunition illegal.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives/High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force with the assistance of the East Chicago Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Toth.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Doctor Sentenced in $12 Million Medicare Fraud and Device Adulteration SchemeRead the Press Release
A California doctor was sentenced today to 93 months in prison for defrauding Medicare, re-packaging single-use catheters for re-use on patients, and submitting false declarations in a bankruptcy proceeding.
According to court documents, Donald Woo Lee, 55, of Temecula, recruited Medicare beneficiaries to his clinics, falsely diagnosed the beneficiaries, and provided the beneficiaries with medically unnecessary procedures. Lee billed these unnecessary procedures to Medicare using an inappropriate code in order to obtain a higher reimbursement, a practice known as “upcoding.” In addition, the evidence showed that Lee re-packaged used, contaminated catheters for re-use on patients. These catheters had been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for marketing as single-use only and the re-use of these devices put patients at risk of infection and other bodily injury. Lee submitted claims of approximately $12 million to Medicare for the vein ablation procedures he performed, and received $4.5 million as a result.
In October 2019, Lee was convicted after a five-day trial, when a jury found him guilty of seven counts of health care fraud and one count of adulteration of a medical device. Lee also pleaded guilty on March 2, 2020, to one count of submitting false declarations in a bankruptcy proceeding. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Lee was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $4.5 million in restitution to Medicare.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison for the Central District of California; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Assistant Director in Charge Kristi K. Johnson of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Timothy DeFrancesca of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Los Angeles Regional Office; and Special Agent in Charge Lisa Malinowski of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations’ (FDA-OCI) Los Angeles Field Office, made the announcement.
The FBI, HHS-OIG, and FDA-OCI investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Alexis Gregorian and Trial Attorney Emily Culbertson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for nearly $19 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
District Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Armed Robbery of Northwest Washington Liquor StoreRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Leon A. Miller, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a nine-year prison term for armed robbery and a firearms offense stemming from a hold-up last fall at a liquor store in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Miller pleaded guilty in February 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for Miller to be sentenced to a term of imprisonment between seven and nine years. The Honorable J. Michael Ryan accepted the plea and sentenced Miller accordingly. Following his prison term, Miller will be placed on five years of supervised release.
In court documents, Miller also admitted to committing two other robberies of liquor stores, also in Northwest Washington, and of two store customers. The five robberies took place on three successive evenings.
Miller pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the Oct. 14, 2021, robbery of Paul’s Wine and Spirits, in the 5200 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW. According to a factual proffer, Miller entered the store at approximately 6 p.m., brandished what appeared to be a black handgun, and demanded that a store employee open the cash registers. He stole about $200 in cash. He also demanded three specific kinds of champagne, none of which the store carries.
Miller also admitted robbing The Wine Specialist, in the 1100 block of 20th Street NW, on the evening of Oct. 12, 2021. There, he also brandished what appeared to be a black handgun and demanded that an employee open the cash registers. He took approximately $2,000 in cash as well as two bottles of champagne, valued at roughly $950.
The next evening, Oct. 13, 2021, Miller entered Press Liquors, in the 500 block of 14th Street, brandished what appeared to be a black handgun, and demanded an employee open the registers. He stole approximately $900 in cash. In addition, he brandished the gun at two customers and took their wallets and phones.
Miller was arrested about an hour after the robbery of Paul’s, near the Dupont Circle Metro station. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Metro Transit Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Crystal Waddy, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 84 Months Imprisonment for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Bernard L. Mosley, Jr., 23, of East St. Louis, Illinois, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
As part of his sentence, Mosley will serve a two-year term of supervised release following his release from federal prison.On August 4, 2020, the United States Marshals Service located Mosley at a house in East St. Louis and arrested him on an active warrant. At the time of his arrest, Mosley was in possession of a loaded handgun. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms or firearm ammunition. A federal grand jury indicted Mosley in October of 2020, and Mosley pled guilty on February 22, 2022.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), United States Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Illinois State
Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ali Burns and David Dean prosecuted the case.Convicted Felon Sentenced to 84 Months Imprisonment for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Bernard L. Mosley, Jr., 23, of East St. Louis, Illinois, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
As part of his sentence, Mosley will serve a two-year term of supervised release following his release from federal prison.On August 4, 2020, the United States Marshals Service located Mosley at a house in East St. Louis and arrested him on an active warrant. At the time of his arrest, Mosley was in possession of a loaded handgun. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms or firearm ammunition. A federal grand jury indicted Mosley in October of 2020, and Mosley pled guilty on February 22, 2022.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), United States Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Illinois State
Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ali Burns and David Dean prosecuted the case.Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Identity Theft, and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A six-time convicted felon from Richmond pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents, from around October 2020 through January 2021, Wilbert Bouldin, 25, joined together with at least two other men to defraud banks out of money and property under their custody and control. Bouldin and his coconspirators used the stolen driver’s license and social security card of an identity theft victim to negotiate thousands of dollars in counterfeit and stolen checks at banks in Williamsburg, Gloucester, Newport News, Hampton, and Richmond.
Bouldin has six prior felony convictions for fraud, firearm, and drug offenses. He and one of his codefendants are aspiring musicians who have released music under the moniker, “Rich Felons.” When police went to arrest Bouldin, he fled from the law enforcement, but was ultimately apprehended in possession of a Smith & Wesson, SD9VE semi-automatic handgun – a firearm he is not allowed to possess as a convicted felon.
Bouldin pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years and a maximum sentence of 42 years in prison when sentenced on August 26. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Greg L. Torbenson, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Coleman is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-cr-13.
Convicted Bank Robber Indicted for EscapeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Derek T. Smith, age 54, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and previously of Maryland, was indicted on April 27, 2022, by a federal grand jury on escape charges.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on April 21, 2022, Smith escaped from custody of the Capital Pavilion Residential Reentry Center in Dauphin County, where he was confined following his conviction for Bank Robbery. Following the escape, he was apprehended on April 23, 2022.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Johnny Baer is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 5 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.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man pleaded guilty today to distribution of 5 or more grams of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Colin Webb, 32, admitted that he sold approximately 2 ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $760 in a Kanawha City parking lot on February 13, 2020.
Webb is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21, 2022, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 in prison as well as up to four years of supervised release and a $5 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for conducting the investigation.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-53.
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Cameroonian Citizen Sentenced for Online Pet Purchasing ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Cameroonian national was sentenced today to 21 months in prison and two years of supervised release for his role in a scheme to trick American consumers into paying fees for pets that were never delivered and for using the COVID-19 crisis as an excuse to extract higher fees from victims.
“The Department of Justice will pursue criminals anywhere in the world when they target and exploit American consumers through fraud schemes, including when they take advantage of the circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We appreciate our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the FBI, as well as the assistance from Romanian law enforcement in arresting and extraditing this defendant.”
Desmond Fodje Bobga, 29, was extradited to the United States from Romania in April 2021. According to court documents, from approximately June 2018 to approximately June 2020, Bobga conspired with others to offer pets for sale on internet websites. He and others communicated by text message and email with potential victims to induce purchases. Following each purchase, Bobga and co-conspirators claimed that a transportation company would deliver the pet and provided a false tracking number for the pet. Bobga and his co-conspirators, posing as the transportation company, then claimed the pet transport was delayed and that the victim needed to pay additional money for delivery of the pet.
Bobga and co-conspirators told some victims that they needed to pay more money for delivery because the pet had been exposed to COVID-19. The perpetrators used false promises and bogus documents regarding shipping fees and COVID-19 exposure to extract successive payments from victims. Once Bobga and the co-conspirators received money directly and indirectly through wire communications from the victims, they never delivered any pets.
“While many people came together to support each other during the pandemic, this defendant chose to use COVID-19 as a means to defraud the victims in this matter and he will now serve a prison sentence to answer for that crime,” said U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Our office remains committed to addressing all types of fraud committed in relation to the pandemic.”
“Mr. Bobga was a scam artist, plain and simple,” said Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office. “He exploited those who were looking for comfort during the COVID pandemic and cashed in at their expense. The FBI is firmly committed to holding fraudsters like Mr. Bobga accountable.”
The FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. Law enforcement authorities in Romania, including the Romanian National Police, Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and the Cluj Brigade for Combating Organized Crime, provided significant cooperation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. Cook for the Western District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Wei Xiang of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Cameroonian Citizen Sentenced for Online Pet Purchasing ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Cameroonian national was sentenced today to 21 months in prison and two years of supervised release for his role in a scheme to trick American consumers into paying fees for pets that were never delivered and for using the COVID-19 crisis as an excuse to extract higher fees from victims.
“The Department of Justice will pursue criminals anywhere in the world when they target and exploit American consumers through fraud schemes, including when they take advantage of the circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We appreciate our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the FBI, as well as the assistance from Romanian law enforcement in arresting and extraditing this defendant.”
Desmond Fodje Bobga, 29, was extradited to the United States from Romania in April 2021. According to court documents, from approximately June 2018 to approximately June 2020, Bobga conspired with others to offer pets for sale on internet websites. He and others communicated by text message and email with potential victims to induce purchases. Following each purchase, Bobga and co-conspirators claimed that a transportation company would deliver the pet and provided a false tracking number for the pet. Bobga and his co-conspirators, posing as the transportation company, then claimed the pet transport was delayed and that the victim needed to pay additional money for delivery of the pet.
Bobga and co-conspirators told some victims that they needed to pay more money for delivery because the pet had been exposed to COVID-19. The perpetrators used false promises and bogus documents regarding shipping fees and COVID-19 exposure to extract successive payments from victims. Once Bobga and the co-conspirators received money directly and indirectly through wire communications from the victims, they never delivered any pets.
“While many people came together to support each other during the pandemic, this defendant chose to use COVID-19 as a means to defraud the victims in this matter and he will now serve a prison sentence to answer for that crime,” said U.S. Attorney Cindy K. Chung. “Our office remains committed to addressing all types of fraud committed in relation to the pandemic.”
"Mr. Bobga was a scam artist, plain and simple," said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. "He exploited those who were looking for comfort during the COVID pandemic and cashed in at their expense. The FBI is firmly committed to holding fraudsters like Mr. Bobga accountable."
The FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. Law enforcement authorities in Romania, including the Romanian National Police, Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and the Cluj Brigade for Combating Organized Crime, provided significant cooperation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. Cook for the Western District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Wei Xiang of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Cadott Pharmacy to Pay Civil Penalty for Controlled Substance Dispensing and Recordkeeping ViolationsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced today that Cadott Miller Pharmacy, Ltd., located in Cadott, Wisconsin, entered into a settlement agreement to pay $20,000 to resolve civil allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) by dispensing controlled substances outside the usual course of professional pharmacy practice, among other CSA violations.
As a registrant with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the CSA required the pharmacy to be both knowledgeable of and to adhere to federal and state statutes and regulations concerning the receipt, storage, recordkeeping, distribution, dispensing, and destruction of controlled substances.
Between 2017 and 2019, the DEA executed several administrative inspection warrants to review the pharmacy’s operations. As part of the inspections, the DEA investigated the pharmacy’s practices regarding the receiving, dispensing, and recordkeeping of controlled substances. On December 17, 2019, after determining the pharmacy’s compliance measures were unsuccessful, DEA served an immediate suspension order of the pharmacy’s DEA Certificate of Registration, and Cadott Miller Pharmacy voluntarily surrendered its DEA registration on January 7, 2020, for cause. As a result, the pharmacy has been unable to dispense controlled substances.
According to the government’s allegations set forth in the settlement agreement, Cadott Miller Pharmacy dispensed controlled substances outside the usual course of professional pharmacy practice by filling combinations of controlled substances and medications that have no legitimate medical purpose, are highly addictive, and were specifically combined to create or enhance abusive and euphoric effects. In addition, the government alleged that the pharmacy dispensed controlled substances with no valid prescription, provided unauthorized early refills, and dispensed Schedule II controlled substances for opioid dependence, which is prohibited under federal law.
In enacting the CSA, Congress recognized the importance of preventing the diversion of drugs from legitimate to illegitimate uses. The CSA, in relevant part, deters the illegal distribution, possession, dispensing, and improper use of controlled substances, all of which have contributed significantly to the opioid epidemic over the past two decades. The CSA therefore regulates all entities in the chain of distribution, including pharmacies and pharmacists.
“Pharmacies that dispense controlled substances outside the course of professional pharmacy practice endanger the public, abuse their DEA registration, and violate federal law,” said United States Attorney O’Shea. “Pharmacies hold a public trust and grave responsibilities. The overwhelming majority of pharmacies closely adhere to federal and state law and are entirely deserving of the public’s trust. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will, however, gladly partner with DEA to protect the public when pharmacies violate federal law.”
“The men and women of the DEA, alongside our state and local partners, will continue keeping the citizens of Wisconsin safe from the reckless and unscrupulous practices of pharmacies that do not adhere to the Controlled Substances Act,” said John G. McGarry, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-Wisconsin.
According to the settlement agreement, the civil penalty amount was based on an inability to pay a substantial penalty and determined after analysis and review of the pharmacy’s financial circumstances.
Assistant United States Attorney Leslie Herje represented the government in this matter. The DEA Milwaukee District Office primarily conducted the investigation, along with the United States Attorney’s Office Affirmative Civil Enforcement team. The settlement agreement states CSA allegations only; Cadott Miller Pharmacy denies the allegations.
Arizona Man Found Guilty of Bulk Cash SmugglingRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Yesterday, a federal jury in Tucson found Charles Robert Wright, 61, guilty of attempting to smuggle $204,080 in U.S. currency into Mexico. Sentencing is set for July 6, 2022 before U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez.
The facts at trial showed that on April 18, 2021, Charles Robert Wright was the owner, driver, and sole occupant of a Winnebago Adventurer when he attempted to leave the United States through the Lukeville Port of Entry. During outbound inspection, Wright denied transporting over ten thousand dollars in the Winnebago. The vehicle was subjected to an X-ray, which showed abnormalities in the roof. Customs and Border Protection Officers conducted a search of the vehicle and found a non-factory compartment that contained two plastic bags of U.S. currency, which was folded and rubber banded together. Officers also located 10 additional individually wrapped cellophane packages that contained U.S. currency. The total amount of cash found in the vehicle was $204,080.
Customs and Border Protection completed the interdiction. Homeland Security Investigations, Sells, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew G. Eltringham, District of Arizona, Tucson, OCDETF, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 21-CR-01031-TUC-RM (MSA)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-054_Wright# # #
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.Appomattox Woman Admits to Defrauding Social Security AdministrationRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – An Appomattox woman, who was paid more than $30,000 in government benefits to which she was not entitled, pleaded guilty this week in federal court.
Amanda Nicole Mann, 38, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging her with theft of government money. At sentencing, Mann faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000.
According to court documents, in 2018, Mann falsely reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA) that her husband had not lived in her residence for the previous year. The reported change in this living situation caused Mann, and her son, to become eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. Mann would not have been eligible for these benefits if SSA knew the truth about her husband still living in the home.
As a result, Mann was paid $31,578 in SSI payments to which she was not entitled.
U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia made the announcement.
The Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlene R. Day is prosecuting the case.
Albuquerque man sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug traffickingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Guy Anthony Garcia, 62, of Albuquerque, was sentenced in federal court today to 10 years in prison for attempted possession with intent to distribute 40 grams and more of fentanyl, attempted possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, and attempted possession with intent to distribute 100 grams and more of heroin. Garcia pleaded guilty on Sept. 1, 2021.
A federal grand jury indicted Garcia on March 9, 2021. In his plea agreement, Garcia admitted that on Dec. 9, 2020, he arranged for a delivery of drugs to his business in Albuquerque. The shipment was intercepted by law enforcement and the person delivering the drugs agreed to be accompanied by an undercover officer to proceed with the delivery and transaction. They arrived at Garcia’s business with what Garcia believed was methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl, for which Garcia paid them $39,820. Garcia acknowledged that he intended to sell the drugs.
At the time, Garcia was on supervised release following a prison sentence for a 2016 drug trafficking conviction. The terms of his release required him to refrain from any unlawful use of a controlled substance and prohibited him from committing any federal, state or local crime. In his plea, Garcia acknowledged that his offenses on Dec. 9, 2020, were in violation of the terms of his supervised release. Additionally, on Nov. 5, 2020, he submitted a urinalysis sample that tested positive for amphetamine, opiates and cocaine. On Nov. 25, 2020, Garcia submitted another sample, which again tested positive for opiates.
Upon his release from prison, Garcia will be subject to 4 years of supervised release.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Nelson prosecuted the case.
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Albany Man Sentenced for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon at Albany International AirportRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK - Josef Jarvis, age 32, of Albany, was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon at the Albany International Airport. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his guilty plea, Jarvis, who has prior felony convictions for racketeering and weapons offenses, admitted that he possessed a loaded handgun and ammunition while attempting to pass through a security checkpoint at Albany International Airport before boarding a flight on August 16, 2021.
Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release, which will start after Jarvis is released from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping.
27 April 2022
Wytheville Pair Sentenced to Federal Prison for Large-Scale Mail TheftRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A pair of Wytheville, Virginia residents were sentenced yesterday to federal prison time for possessing stolen mail, including letters from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration, and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
Joseph Arthur Manning, 35, was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment followed by three years’ supervised release. Manning’s girlfriend, Caitlyn Page Turner, 23, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment followed by three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on December 28, 2021, a victim contacted the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office and stated that they witnessed mail being stolen from their mailbox by a pair of individuals who drove off in a Kia Optima. Shortly after the call, Wythe County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop on a Kia Optima and Manning and Turner were the occupants of the vehicle.
During the traffic stop, deputies located and recovered 63 pieces of mail from 32 different addresses in the Barren Springs area. The officers also recovered marijuana and a small quantity of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh made the announcement.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division and the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case for the United States.
Worcester Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Purchase Jeep with Counterfeit CheckRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man pleaded guilty on Monday, April 25, 2022, to attempting to purchase a $56,000 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with a counterfeit check.
David Hogan, 58, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Sept. 27, 2022. Hogan was charged on March 4, 2022.
On March 31, 2021, Hogan visited a car dealership in Newton, where he agreed to purchase a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon for $56,208. Hogan tendered a check from Charles Schwab bank in the amount of the purchase price, took possession of the Jeep and drove it off the lot. When the car dealership attempted to cash the check, the bank did not honor it because the bank account had been frozen. The dealership contacted Hogan and advised that the check was not valid.
On April 9, 2021, using the dealership’s electronic chat app, Hogan promised the dealership that he would wire the money to the bank. Hogan did not ultimately wire any funds and the vehicle was repossessed by the dealership. A subsequent investigation revealed that the Charles Schwab account was opened using a stolen identity. Hogan later admitted that the phony check he used when attempting to purchase the Jeep had been printed by Brandon Brouillard.
Brouillard was charged separately with two counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in connection with using two victims’ identities to open bank accounts and attempting to purchase an $83,000 Chevrolet Camaro. Brouillard has since pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 13, 2022.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston, Braintree, Natick, Newton, Norwood, Worcester and Scottsdale (Ariz.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Woman Pleads Guilty to Laundering More Than $700,000Read the Press Release
A Florida woman pleaded guilty today to laundering $735,695 in money stolen from Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers as part of a sprawling health care fraud scheme in Miami.
According to court documents, Loyda Triana, 65, of Miami, laundered the fraudulent proceeds of five fraudulent medical supply companies over a two-year period. These companies — BF Distributors Corp, Timely Medical Services Corp., Ortho-Med Solution Inc., Expedited Medical Supplies Corp., and Prime Orthopedic Solutions Corp — were fake medical supply companies that billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers more than $48 million for medical equipment the companies never actually purchased and never actually provided to any patients. Triana laundered the stolen money by cashing checks issued by these companies and returning the cash, minus a fee, to her co-conspirators. To date, more than 15 individuals have been charged as part of the government’s investigation into this fraud and money laundering scheme.
Triana pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. She is scheduled to be sentenced on May 25, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of the Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Regional Office; and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody made the announcement.
The FBI, HHS-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and Florida’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
Winston-Salem Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Greensboro, NC - Jose Mondujano-Hernandez, 25, was sentenced on April 27, 2022, to a total of 300 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Sandra J. Hairston, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, made the announcement.
According to court documents, in September 2020, an undercover officer (UC) was introduced to an unknown person located in Mexico who began negotiating a sale of crystal methamphetamine. On September 28, 2020, the UC was contacted by another unknown individual to coordinate the drug transaction in Winston-Salem. Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Greensboro conducted surveillance on the meeting location where the transaction occurred and was video recorded. Mondujano-Hernandez sold the UC one kilogram of suspected methamphetamine, and a laboratory test confirmed the substance to be methamphetamine. On October 13, 2020, and November 5, 2020, the UC made additional controlled drug purchases from Mondujano-Hernandez for three kilograms of methamphetamine. In the following weeks, the UC was involved in further transactions involving Mondujano-Hernandez and his co-defendants for additional purchases that totaled approximately 16 kilograms of methamphetamine. Mondujano-Hernandez and four other co-defendants were charged by Superseding Indictment with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in February 2021.
The Honorable Thomas D. Schroeder sentenced Mondujano-Hernandez to 300 months imprisonment. After imprisonment, Mondujano-Hernandez will be subject to supervised release for ten years.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Terry M. Meinecke. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration were involved in the investigation of the case and were assisted by several local and state agencies.
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Waterbury Drug Distributor Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ISAAC WILSON, also known as “Ike,” 25, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2020, the DEA New Haven Task Force and Waterbury Police Department began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization that was distributing large amounts of heroin, cocaine and crack in the Waterbury area. The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones used by members of the organization, physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and motor vehicle stops that resulted in the seizure of drugs. In November and December 2020, Wilson was intercepted multiple times on a wiretap ordering distribution quantities of heroin and crack from Zachary Lee Foster. Wilson then sold the drugs to his own customers.
On March 1, 2021, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Wilson, Foster and 15 others. On November 1, 2021, Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine base (“crack”).
Wilson has been detained since his arrest on March 3, 2021. On that date, law enforcement executed seven search warrants and seized approximately 40,000 bags of suspected heroin, 350 grams of cocaine and 50 grams of crack cocaine, and nine firearms
Foster pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Hamden, West Haven, North Haven, East Haven, Branford, Ansonia, Meriden, Derby, Middletown, Naugatuck and Waterbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick F. Caruso and Brendan Keefe through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Boyle thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Waterbury for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
Vice President of Kenwood Keys Sentenced for Failing to Pay over Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling announced that on April 27, 2022, Patrick Souter (age: 57) of Racine, WI was sentenced to one year and one day in prison on charges that he willfully failed to account for and pay over payroll taxes to the Internal Revenue Service, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7202.
According to documents filed in court, federal law requires employers to collect payroll taxes (which include federal income taxes, Social Security taxes, and Medicare taxes) from the wages paid to its employees, and to pay over these taxes to the United States through the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). The taxes withheld from wages paid to employees are commonly referred to as the “trust fund” portion of payroll taxes. Federal law also requires employers to pay additional payroll taxes to the IRS in an amount equal to the employees’ share of Social Security and Medicare taxes. These taxes are referred to as the “matching” portion of payroll taxes.
According to court filings, Souter is the vice president and a 50 percent shareholder of Kenwood Keys. Beginning in 2006 and continuing through 2020, Souter regularly failed to pay over to the IRS all or a portion of trust fund payroll taxes that he had withheld from employees’ wages. During that same time period, Souter also regularly failed to pay to the IRS all or a portion of the matching part of payroll taxes owed by Kenwood Keys. Records show that for the fifteen years from 2006 through 2020, Souter failed to pay a total of $559,249.82 in payroll taxes.
United States District Judge Lynn Adelman, who earlier this year had accepted Souter’s guilty plea, today sentenced Souter to a prison term of one year and one day and ordered him to pay $559,249.82 in restitution to the IRS.
The IRS Criminal Investigation division in Milwaukee investigated this case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad.
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Urgent Care Doctor and his Facilities Settle Allegations of Federal Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced today that Dr. Josef Schenker and two urgent care facilities owned by him, Josef Schenker, M.D., P.C., and Care Partners Medical Management, LLC, have agreed to pay $564,217.70 to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims to Medicare for services not provided in administering COVID-19 vaccines and tests.
“In billing for medical services that were not provided to patients receiving COVID-19 vaccines and tests, Dr. Schenker exploited the pandemic for his own personal benefit,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “This Office is committed to combatting fraud and abuse of our taxpayer-funded programs.”
This resolution follows the Department’s recent announcement of a nationwide coordinated law enforcement action to combat health care- related Covid-19 fraud.
When health care providers bill Medicare for COVID-19 tests and vaccines, they use certain Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes that specify the services that have been provided. In doing so, they signify that the services were performed as described and properly billed in accordance with industry standards. Applicable industry standards preclude physicians from billing for mid-level or high-level evaluation and management office visits when a Medicare beneficiary actually receives only a COVID-19 vaccine or test.
An investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York revealed that, from July 2020 to December 2021, Dr. Schenker routinely used CPT codes which falsely indicated to Medicare that he had conducted detailed examinations of the patients during mid-level and high-level evaluation and management office visits when, in fact, he had provided only a COVID-19 vaccine or test. The settlement resolves potential claims that Dr. Schenker’s alleged conduct violated the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-33. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only.
The United States’ case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ekta Dharia of the Office’s Civil Division with assistance from Civil Investigator Joseph Giambalvo.
U.S. Attorney's Office Observes National Crime Victims' Rights Week & Hosts Ceremony to Honor Contributions to Crime Victims' RightsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Each year in April, the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf.
Throughout this week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office joins federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies, service providers, victim advocates and other allied professionals in remembering and honoring victims lost to violence and survivors of violence. This year’s observance, which takes place April 24-30, with the theme “Rights, Access, Equity for all Victims,” underscores the importance of assisting crime survivors find their justice by enforcing victims’ rights, expanding access to services, and ensuring equity and inclusion.
To commemorate NCVRW, the U.S. Attorney’s Office hosted an awards ceremony today, to honor outstanding individuals for their dedication to the cause of justice and for their support and service to crime victims.
“This week highlights the importance of promoting equal access to services for crime victims and ensuring that our criminal justice system supports all aspects of victims’ healing and recovery throughout the legal process and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Dena J. King. “The individuals honored today were selected for their work in delivering justice to victims and their loved ones. Their work serves as a reminder that what we do impacts countless lives. I am grateful for the honorees’ contributions and I am proud of their work in ensuring that each and every crime victim in Western North Carolina receives the assistance and justice they need and deserve.”
Following is a list of the 14 award recipients who were nominated by their colleagues and selected by U.S. Attorney King:
Outstanding Law Enforcement Award
- Special Agent Klarissa Zaffark – Homeland Security Investigations
- Captain Errol Wedra – Mint Hill Police Department
- Captain Marnee Moberg – Mint Hill Police Department
- Criminal Analyst John White – Mint Hill Police Department
Outstanding Criminal Justice Professional Award
- Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Solheim
- Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Smith
- Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley
- Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bain-Creed
- Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Wood
Outstanding Support Staff Award
- Legal Assistant Robert Cassidy
- Legal Assistant Stacey Clickner
- Legal Administrative Specialist Shafia Rangoonwala
- Paralegal Lisa Shenton
Outstanding Victim Survivor Award
- Arist (Art) Doumtjes
U.S. Attorney King thanked the honorees for their outstanding dedication and service in working with crime victims and noted the important role each honoree has played in delivering justice and providing victims with the support they need in the aftermath of crime.
Throughout the nation, and in the Western District of North Carolina, victim advocacy organizations, community groups and state, local, and Tribal agencies host rallies, candlelight vigils, and other events during NCVRW, to raise awareness of victims’ rights and services. The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities in their annual observances of NCVRW by promoting victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. This year, several national events are returning in-person, but will continue to feature livestream feeds. On Thursday, April 28, 2022, a candlelight vigil will be held on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. On Friday, April 29, 2022, the National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony will be held at Constitution Gardens National Park on the National Mall from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. To access a livestream feed for either event, please visit ovc.ojp.gov/live.
OVC and the U.S. Attorney’s Office encourages widespread participation in the week’s events and in other victim-related observances throughout the year. For additional information about this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and how to assist victims in your community, please visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.gov. For ongoing updates from OVC and ideas throughout the year on how you can support victims, please subscribe to OVC’s email notifications at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/subscribe/.
U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against A Doctor, Dentist, and Former NBA Player for Defrauding the NBA Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit PlanRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging TERRENCE WILLIAMS, AAMIR WAHAB, WILLIAM WASHINGTON, ALAN ANDERSON, KEYON DOOLING, ANTHONY ALLEN, DESIREE ALLEN, SHANNON BROWN, WILLIAM BYNUM, RONALD GLEN DAVIS, CHRISTOPHER DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, a/k/a “Supreme Bey,” JAMARIO MOON, DARIUS MILES, MILTON PALACIO, RUBEN PATTERSON, EDDIE ROBINSON, SEBASTIAN TELFAIR, CHARLES WATSON JR., and ANTHONY WROTEN with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud the National Basketball Association’s (“NBA’s”) Health and Welfare Benefit Plan out of at least approximately $5 million. TERRENCE WILLIAMS and ALAN ANDERSON are also charged with aggravated identity theft in connection with the same scheme. TERRENCE WILLIAMS, ALAN ANDERSON, ANTHONY ALLEN, DESIREE ALLEN, SHANNON BROWN, WILLIAM BYNUM, RONALD GLEN DAVIS, CHRISTOPHER DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, a/k/a “Supreme Bey,” JAMARIO MOON, DARIUS MILES, MILTON PALACIO, RUBEN PATTERSON, EDDIE ROBINSON, SEBASTIAN TELFAIR, CHARLES WATSON JR., and ANTHONY WROTEN were charged in a prior Indictment and arrested, or surrendered, in October 2021. AAMIR WAHAB and WILLIAM WASHINGTON, both medical providers who allegedly facilitated the scheme, and KEYON DOOLING, a former NBA player who allegedly engaged in the scheme and recruited other co-conspirators to join the scheme, were added as defendants to the charged health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy. WAHAB, WASHINGTON, and DOOLING were arrested today. WASHINGTON will be presented in the Western District of Washington. WAHAB will be presented in the Central District of California. DOOLING will be presented in the District of Utah. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today’s unsealing of additional charges in this case shows my office will investigate, and where appropriate charge, individuals involved in fraud schemes including medical providers who abuse their positions to defraud others. I thank our law enforcement partners in the FBI for their hard work uncovering more details of the defendants’ alleged pervasive scheme to attempt to defraud the NBA Health and Welfare Benefit Plan out of at least approximately $5,000,000.”
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “Today we’re charging additional defendants in this health care fraud scheme who attempted to defraud the National Basketball Association’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plan of at least approximately $5,000,000. Health care fraud causes serious problems for both the industry and consumers alike, and results in losses of tens of billions of dollars a year to fraud. Thanks to the work of our dedicated FBI agents and partners who continue to work tirelessly on this case.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment unsealed today[1]:
The National Basketball Association Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit Plan (the “Plan”) is a health care plan providing benefits to eligible active and former players of the NBA. From at least in or about 2017, up to and including at least in or about 2021, TERRENCE WILLIAMS, AAMIR WAHAB, WILLIAM WASHINGTON, ALAN ANDERSON, KEYON DOOLING, ANTHONY ALLEN, DESIREE ALLEN, SHANNON BROWN, WILLIAM BYNUM, RONALD GLEN DAVIS, CHRISTOPHER DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, a/k/a “Supreme Bey,” JAMARIO MOON, DARIUS MILES, MILTON PALACIO, RUBEN PATTERSON, EDDIE ROBINSON, SEBASTIAN TELFAIR, CHARLES WATSON JR., and ANTHONY WROTEN engaged in a widespread scheme to defraud the Plan by submitting and causing to be submitted fraudulent claims for reimbursement of medical and dental services that were not actually rendered. Over the course of the scheme, the defendants submitted and caused to be submitted to the Plan false claims totaling at least approximately $5 million.
TERRENCE WILLIAMS orchestrated the scheme to defraud the Plan. WILLIAMS recruited other Plan participants to defraud the Plan by offering to provide them with false invoices to support their fraudulent claims. AAMIR WAHAB, a dentist in California, and WILLIAM WASHINGTON, a doctor in Washington State, provided WILLIAMS with fraudulent invoices that WILLIAMS sent to other co-conspirators. WILLIAMS, ALAN ANDERSON, and KEYON DOOLING each recruited other Plan participants to defraud the Plan by offering to supply them with false invoices to support their false and fraudulent claims to the Plan in exchange for payments to WILLIAMS and DOOLING. DOOLING also obtained fraudulent invoices from WAHAB, and others, which he used to submit his own fraudulent claims; based on those claims, DOOLING himself fraudulently obtained approximately $350,000 of Plan proceeds.
As described in the Superseding Indictment, WAHAB exchanged text messages with both WILLIAMS and DOOLING about the scheme.
For example, in or about March 2019, WILLIAMS requested that WAHAB produce additional fraudulent invoices, but WAHAB was hesitant to do so because they were having trouble collecting kickbacks from co-conspirators. WILLIAMS appeared to be upset and messaged WAHAB, in substance and in part, “YOUVE MADE THOUSANDS OF F[---]ING DOLLARS TO PRINT A INVOICE WITH A NAME AT THE TOP like you f[---]ing kidding me[?] We not gonna act like you doing dental work.” WILLIAMS also sent WAHAB messages containing the names, dates, and amounts to be listed on the fraudulent invoices.
In or about April 2018, WAHAB and DOOLING exchanged messages about the creation of fraudulent invoices for another former-NBA player. On or about April 30, 2018, WAHAB and DOOLING continued their discussion:
DOOLING: Let’s make this thing grow sir.
WAHAB: Lol I’m down bro[.] Get me the whole NBA [laughing emoji]
DOOLING: Yes we will[.]
DOOLING also messaged with another co-conspirator about transferring proceeds obtained from a transaction in the scheme. Specifically, on or about June 28, 2019, DOOLING messaged that co-conspirator and stated, in substance and in part, “Hey bro, here’s the breakdown: 5600 for you and me. Then 10800 for the guy. I fronted him 4200$ so you can put it with my 5600= 9800 to My [bank account information]. . . . That way everything is under 10k.”
The Plan also enabled eligible participants to use a Plan-issued debit card (the “Plan Debit Card”) to pay for eligible medical services and products at the point of service. WILLIAM WASHINGTON charged, and caused others to charge, the Plan Debit Cards of two co-conspirators for approximately $436,126. WILLIAMS also exchanged messages with WASHINGTON about WASHINGTON’s creation of fraudulent invoices in furtherance of the scheme. For example:
WILLIAMS: You have the card reader I have the [Plan Debit C]ards. Let’s work together . . . . Give me the bread I’ll get it to them. You still swiping. You getting your money back. . . . you gonna owe me. Ok.
WASHINGTON: We owe each other lol. . . .
To verify that certain services were medically necessary, the Plan sometimes requires participants to submit a letter of medical necessity from a medical provider establishing that necessity of the provided services. WILLIAMS fraudulently created, and transferred letters of medical necessity for three co-conspirators. ANDERSON also counseled, aided, and induced at least one co-conspirator to submit a forged letter of medical necessity to the Plan. These letters were unusual in several respects: they were not on letterhead, contained unusual formatting, had grammatical errors, and one of the letters misspelled a purported patient’s name.
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TERRENCE WILLIAMS, AAMIR WAHAB, WILLIAM WASHINGTON, ALAN ANDERSON, KEYON DOOLING, ANTHONY ALLEN, DESIREE ALLEN, SHANNON BROWN, WILLIAM BYNUM, RONALD GLEN DAVIS, CHRISTOPHER DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, a/k/a “Supreme Bey,” JAMARIO MOON, DARIUS MILES, MILTON PALACIO, RUBEN PATTERSON, EDDIE ROBINSON, SEBASTIAN TELFAIR, CHARLES WATSON JR., and ANTHONY WROTEN are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. TERRENCE WILLIAMS is also charged with two counts of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed. ALAN ANDERSON is also charged with one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI. In addition to the New York Field Office, Mr. Williams praised the work of the Seattle, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake City field offices.
The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan B. Finkel and Kristy J. Greenberg are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment, and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Keene Residents Charged in Superseding Indictment with Additional Charges Related to Virtual Currency Exchange BusinessRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A federal grand jury returned a 33-count superseding indictment on Monday charging Ian Freeman, 41, and Aria DiMezzo, 35, both of Keene, with a variety of financial and fraud crimes, United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to the superseding indictment, Freeman, DiMezzo, and others operated a business that enabled customers to exchange fiat currency for virtual currency. The superseding indictment alleges that the unlicensed business violated federal anti-money laundering laws and regulations. Among other things, the superseding indictment alleges that the defendants opened bank accounts at financial institutions while deceiving financial institutions about the nature of the business being transacted through the accounts. The superseding indictment alleges that some of the transactions conducted by Freeman facilitated the transfer of the proceeds of scams, such as “romance scams.”
Freeman and DiMezzo are charged with participating in a conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Freeman also is charged with: (1) operating an unlicensed money transmitting business; (2) conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud; (3) twelve counts of wire fraud; (4) four counts of money laundering; (5) conspiracy to commit money laundering: (6) four counts of attempting to evade taxes; and (7) operating a financial crimes enterprise.
DiMezzo also is charged with (1) operating an unlicensed money transmitting business; (2) four counts of wire fraud; and (3) three counts of money laundering.
Freeman and DiMezzo, along with four others, were previously arrested on March 16, 2021.
Three co-defendants, Nobody F/K/A Richard Paul, of Keene, and Andrew and Renee Spinella of Derry, have pleaded guilty. The government has moved to dismiss the charges against the fourth co-defendant without prejudice.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Postal Inspection Service in coordination with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Georgiana L. MacDonald, Seth R. Aframe, and John Kennedy.
The charges in the superseding indictment are only allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Two Air Force Non-Commissioned Officers Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Government Property in Scheme to Steal U.S. Air Force AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – United States Air Force Staff Sergeants John I. Sanger and Eric A. Eagleton have been arrested on charges of Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Government Property. According to charging documents, Sanger, Eagleton, and others engaged in a conspiracy in March 2022 to steal ammunition belonging to the United States Government. As part of the scheme, Sanger, Eagleton, and their conspirators are alleged to have stolen thousands of rounds of U.S. Air Force ammunition. According to charging documents, they also falsified records at Fairchild Air Force Base to conceal the theft.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref commended the joint efforts of law enforcement and emphasized the importance of safeguarding government property and resources. “As the U.S. Attorney, I will not tolerate any abuse of trust by those charged with protecting our great Nation and community. So many of those who serve at Fairchild Air Force Base are career public servants who sacrifice their time, energy, and even their lives to keep America safe. When individuals put their own interests ahead of others and abuse the public trust, those individuals dishonor the countless public servants who dedicate their lives to government and military service. I commend the FBI and Air Force Office of Special Investigations, who identified this scheme and who serve diligently to keep our country and communities safe and strong.”
“Members of our nation’s armed forces swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” said Donald M. Voiret, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle Field Office. “There is no exception to set aside this oath to achieve personal goals. The FBI, along with our partners in the Air Force and U.S. Attorney’s Office, are upholding our oaths and ending this criminal conspiracy.”
As the Department of the Air Force’s federal law enforcement arm, the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) works closely with interagency partners to identify and neutralize threats to the force in any form to include the theft of government property and its use for criminal gain. “I am proud of the expertise and commitment that went into this difficult and complex operation from all involved. From its start, force protection and community safety were our top priorities. I am in awe of how our law enforcement partners came together to halt this dangerous conspiracy,” stated Brigadier General Terry Bullard, Commander, OSI.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Seattle Field Office, Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force (“INJTTF”), and the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI).
This case is being prosecuted by Patrick J. Cashman, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tulsa Man Sentenced for Burglary and Assault that Resulted in Substantial Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man who battered a former dating partner and threatened to kill her was sentenced in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Gerald Smith, 28, of Tulsa, to 84 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not shy away from prosecuting cases of domestic violence,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Gerald Smith’s threats and vicious attack on this victim are inexcusable, and he will spend seven years in federal prison as a result.”
In November, Smith pleaded guilty to first degree burglary in Indian Country and assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to an intimate/dating partner in Indian Country.
Smith admitted that on May 4, 2021, he broke into the home of a former dating partner and assaulted her. Smith entered the home without the victim’s permission through a sliding door and demanded the victim allow him to live in her home. When the victim declined, Smith further demanded that she book a hotel room for him and pay for it. He threatened to kill her if she refused. He then drove the victim in her vehicle to a local hotel where she paid for his room. As she attempted to leave in her car, Smith grabbed her and struck her in the face multiple times, resulting in scratches on her face and neck, a bite mark on her forearm, and an eye that was swollen shut.
The Tulsa Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven J. Briden prosecuted the case.
Tucson Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Zachary Zane Stephenson, 45, of Tucson, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to 10 years in prison. Stephenson previously pleaded guilty to one count of Possession of Child Pornography.
On October 28, 2020, Stephenson, who was on supervision at the time in connection with a similar prior conviction, was charged after he was found to be using his cellphone to access graphic child sexual abuse material. Upon release from prison, Stephenson will be placed on lifetime supervised release with stringent conditions of supervision. He will be required to register as a sex offender and to complete a sex offender treatment program.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Homeland Security Investigations, Tucson, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carin C. Duryee and Erica L. Seger, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-02257-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-051_Stephenson# # #
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.Timber Thieves Indicted for Large-Scale Theft from Government LandRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A federal grand jury in Roanoke has indicted a trio of men on conspiracy charges, Lacey Act violations, and other charges related to the alleged illegal removal of walnut trees from federally protected land. The indictment, returned under seal May 20, 2021, was unsealed earlier this month following the arrest of two of the defendants. A third defendant remains at-large, and his identity remains under seal.
William Riley Stump, 52, of Narrows, Virginia, and Derrick Anthony Thompson, 48, of Princeton, West Virginia, were arraigned this week in U.S. District Court in Roanoke.
Stump is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit an offense to defraud the United States, five counts of violating the Lacey Act, five counts of theft of government property, five counts of removal of timber from lands of the United States, and seven counts of the illegal cutting of trees on lands of the United States. Thompson is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit an offense to defraud the United States, one count of violating the Lacey Act, one count of theft of government property, one count of removal of timber from lands of the United States, and three counts of illegal cutting of trees on lands of the United States.
“The Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute those who steal natural resources from federal lands for their personal enrichment,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “Federal protected lands not only serve as areas of conservation and flood management but also provide intrinsic beauty we all enjoy, particularly here in the Western District of Virginia.”
“It is the duty and mission of U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigation to protect our federal land resources from theft, unwarranted destruction and disturbance, and to deter and prevent crimes,” said Katie Ballew, Patrol Captain USDA Forest Service George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.
According to court documents, Stump, Thompson, and another indicted co-defendant conspired to cut and remove black walnut trees located in the Bluestone Project in Giles County, Virginia and transport them to Lindside, West Virginia to sell. The Bluestone Project is a United States Army Corps of Engineers Flood Damage Reduction program designed to inhibit flood-level water flow along both the New River and Bluestone River. The project’s federally-protected area involves 21,000 acres of land that is a fertile habitat for growth of certain trees and plants, including the highly valuable black walnut trees, which are among the largest and longest living hardwood trees in the United States.
The U.S. Forest Service and the Army Corps of Engineers are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Baudinet is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Sentenced in Scheme to Obtain and Distribute More Than Three Gallons of PCP and Meth from U.S. MailRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that three individuals were sentenced for their roles in a scheme that sought to distribute approximately three gallons of phencyclidine (PCP) and methamphetamine obtained through the U.S. mail.
Erwin D. Owens, age 39, of Compton, California, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison, and Nathan Stewart, age 40, of North Olmsted, Ohio, was sentenced to six years in prison on April 25, 2022. Dawuan L. Williams, age 47, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, was previously sentenced to seven years in prison on January 3, 2022.
According to court documents, in May 2020, investigators with the United States Postal Inspection Service identified three mail parcels suspected of containing drugs. After obtaining search warrants for the parcels, postal inspectors found that each parcel contained approximately one gallon of PCP concealed in acetone containers. Investigators identified Williams as the intended recipient of the three parcels in Ohio, and Owens as the person who mailed them from California.
Between February and March 2021, postal inspectors seized two more parcels that had been sent from California to addresses in Ohio. Each of those two parcels was found to contain approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine. Postal inspectors eventually identified Stewart as the intended recipient of those two drug parcels in Ohio and Owens as the person who sent them from California.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James P. Lewis and Vasile C. Katsaros.
Three Men Convicted on Federal Charges Relating to a Kidnapping Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.- Rosario Diaz Barraza, 32, of Phoenix, Ariz., and Ramon Camacho Zepeda, 54, of Lexington, were convicted by a federal court jury on Wednesday, of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and interstate transportation of stolen automobiles, following a 7-day trial. A third defendant, John Carlos Betancourt, 27, of Penuelas, Puerto Rico, was convicted of the interstate transportation of stolen vehicles.
According to evidence presented at trial, the charges stemmed from the kidnapping of two individuals, identified in court records as J.O. and M.A.T.O. Both victims were killed during the commission of the kidnapping. Their bodies were discovered in the trunk of a Volkswagen Jetta, on September 11, 2017, at 430 Blue Sky Parkway in Lexington. The location was an automotive repair business owned by J.O. Two vehicles belonging to J.O. were stolen during the offenses and transported to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Evidence presented at trial included that Camacho Zepeda and Diaz Barraza were distributing kilogram quantities of cocaine and heroin in Lexington, and that J.O. had allegedly incurred a debt to them based on his involvement in the drug trafficking. Testimony by a pathologist from the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office showed that J.O.’s cause of death was attributed to “chop wounds” to the head and asphyxiation. The second victim, M.A.T.O., died from asphyxiation.
Two other defendants, Jose Felix Tlatenchi, 39, also of Wilkes-Barre, and Jean Michael Serrano-Jimenez, 31, of Hanover Township, Penn., previously entered guilty pleas relating to their involvement. Serrano-Jimenez pled guilty as charged to conspiracy to commit kidnapping, while Tlatenchi pled guilty as an accessory after the fact to the kidnappings.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, DEA, Louisville Field Office; Colonel Phillip Burnett, Commissioner, Kentucky State Police; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the verdict.
The lengthy investigation was conducted primarily by the Lexington Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Kentucky State Police. Multiple additional law enforcement agencies also provided valuable assistance, including the Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Police Department, the Reading, Pennsylvania Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the New York City Police Department, the Harlingen, Texas Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd Bradbury and Francisco Villalobos.
Serrano-Jimenez is scheduled for sentencing on May 12, 2022. Tlatenchi is scheduled for sentencing on July 7, 2022. Diaz Barraza, Camacho Zepeda and Betancourt are all scheduled for sentencing on July 25, 2022. Diaz Barraza, Camacho Zepeda, and Serrano-Jimenez face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Tlatenchi faces up to 15 years and Betancourt up to 10 years. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence.
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The Department of Justice and Virgin Islands U.S. Attorney Announce National Crime Victims’ Rights Week for the U.S. Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – In observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 24-30, 2022, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the U.S. Virgin Islands, recognizes crime victims and those individuals, law enforcement agencies, community organizations, and faith-based institutions that have dedicated themselves to serve and assist victims of crime.
Each year in April, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and United States Attorney’s Offices observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nationwide by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department organizes events to honor crime victims and advocates, as well as to bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 24-30, with the theme: Rights, access, equity, for all victims. This theme underscores the importance of helping crime survivors find justice by enforcing victims’ rights, expanding access to services, and ensuring equity and inclusion for all.
“Recognizing the rights of victims and providing services to victims of crime is an integral part of the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” U.S. Attorney Shappert said. “We work with our law enforcement and community partners to seek justice, obtain restitution, and identify additional resources necessary to compensate those who suffer the consequences of crime.”
The U.S Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and right of victims of crime.
The District of the U.S. Virgin Islands has a dedicated Victim Witness Coordinator who supports federal crime victims across the district. The U.S. Attorney’s Office staff notifies victims of significant case events through the DOJ Victim Notification System (VNS). Through VNS, victims learn of upcoming court proceedings and the outcome of these proceedings. VNS enables victims to participate in court proceedings and make their voices heard.
In calendar year 2021, the Virgin Islands U.S. Attorney’s Office staff provided more than 1,000 notices to crime victims. In addition to notification, the District of the U.S. Virgin Islands Victim Witness Coordinator provides essential services to victims, such as making referrals for counseling, securing temporary housing, assisting with access to victim compensation funds, and accompanying victims to court to provide support and guidance during the proceedings. These services provide tools for victims to reshape their futures.
The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America and providing grants for the implementation of these crime-fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about National Crime Victims’ Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/. You may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Program at [email protected].
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