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25 April 2022
Two European Citizens Charged for Conspiring with a U.S. Citizen to Assist North Korea in Evading U.S. SanctionsRead the Press Release
Two individuals are charged in a superseding indictment, unsealed today in the Southern District of New York, with conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea) by working with U.S. citizen Virgil Griffith to illegally provide cryptocurrency and blockchain technology services to the DPRK.
According to court documents, Alejandro Cao De Benos, 47, a citizen of Spain, and Christopher Emms, 30, a citizen of the United Kingdom, partnered to jointly plan and organize the Pyongyang Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Conference (the DPRK Cryptocurrency Conference) for the benefit of the DPRK. Both Cao De Benos and Emms remain at large. Griffith pleaded guilty to conspiring to assist North Korea in evading sanctions in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), and was sentenced on April 12 to 63 months in prison and a $100,000 fine by U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel.
“The United States will not allow the North Korean regime to use cryptocurrency to evade global sanctions designed to thwart its goals of nuclear proliferation and regional destabilization,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This indictment, along with the successful prosecution of co-conspirator, Virgil Griffith, makes clear that the department will hold anyone, wherever located, accountable for conspiring with North Korea to violate U.S. sanctions.”
“As alleged, Alejandro Cao de Benos and Christopher Emms conspired with Virgil Griffith, a cryptocurrency expert convicted of conspiring to violate economic sanctions imposed on North Korea, to teach and advise members of the North Korean government on cutting-edge cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, all for the purpose of evading U.S. sanctions meant to stop North Korea’s hostile nuclear ambitions,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “In his own sales pitch, Emms allegedly advised North Korean officials that cryptocurrency technology made it ‘possible to transfer money across any country in the world regardless of what sanctions or any penalties that are put on any country.’ The sanctions imposed against North Korea are critical in protecting the security interests of Americans, and we continue to aggressively enforce them with our law enforcement partners both here and abroad.”
“Those contemplating evading U.S. sanctions against a foreign government should know the FBI and its partners will aggressively investigate these cases,” said Acting Assistant Director Bradley S. Benavides of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “The FBI appreciates the partnership of the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Singapore Police Force, whose work helped secure this indictment.”
Pursuant to the IEEPA and Executive Order 13466, U.S. persons are prohibited from exporting any goods, services or technology to the DPRK without a license from the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and it is illegal to conspire with U.S. persons to do the same.
As alleged in the superseding indictment, beginning in or about early 2018, Cao De Benos, the founder of the Korean Friendship Association, a pro-DPRK affinity organization, and Emms, a cryptocurrency businessman, partnered to jointly plan and organize the DPRK Cryptocurrency Conference for the benefit of the DPRK. Cao De Benos and Emms recruited Griffith, an American cryptocurrency expert, to provide services at the DPRK Cryptocurrency Conference and arranged Griffith’s travel to the DPRK in April 2019 for this purpose, in contravention of U.S. sanctions. Cao De Benos coordinated approval from the DPRK government for Griffith’s participation in the conference. Emms confirmed for Griffith that “the DPRK will not stamp your passport,” which could risk revealing Griffith’s travel to U.S. authorities, and that Emms had “obtained a rare full permission” from the DPRK “for U.S. citizens to enter the country” for the DPRK Cryptocurrency Conference.
According to court documents, at the DPRK Cryptocurrency Conference, Emms and Griffith provided instruction on how the DPRK could use blockchain and cryptocurrency technology to launder money and evade sanctions, and Emms’ and Griffith’s presentations were approved by DPRK officials and tailored to the DPRK audience. For example, Emms opened the DPRK Cryptocurrency Conference by stating that it was a “great honor” to be “leading this delegation” to “explain to you a lot about blockchain . . . and how you can use this technology here in the DPRK.” Emms introduced Griffith as an “early scientist” behind blockchain technology, which, according to Emms, made it “possible to transfer money across any country in the world regardless of what sanctions or any penalties that are put on any country.”
Emms and Griffith answered specific questions about blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies for the DPRK audience, including individuals whom they understood worked for the North Korean government; proposed plans to create specialized “smart contracts” to serve the DPRK’s unique interests; and mapped out cryptocurrency transactions designed to evade and avoid U.S. sanctions, including by diagramming such transactions on a whiteboard for the North Korean audience. In one question-and-answer session, Emms described how North Koreans could use over-the-counter cryptocurrency providers in transactions to evade and avoid U.S. sanctions.
After the DPRK Cryptocurrency Conference, Cao De Benos and Emms continued to conspire with Griffith to provide additional cryptocurrency and blockchain technology services to the DPRK, including by seeking to develop potential cryptocurrency infrastructure and equipment inside North Korea, attempting to broker introductions for DPRK Cryptocurrency Conference attendees, through Griffith, to other cryptocurrency service providers, and recruiting others through Griffith’s contacts, including Americans, to provide expert services relating to cryptocurrency to the DPRK. As part of these efforts, Cao De Benos, Emms and Griffith planned to hold a second cryptocurrency conference in the DPRK in 2020.
As alleged, Cao De Benos and Emms took steps to conceal their activity, and Griffith’s role in the conspiracy from U.S. authorities. Griffith was arrested by U.S. authorities in November 2019, disrupting Cao De Benos, Emms and Griffith’s scheme and the second conference planned for 2020. At no time did Cao De Benos, Emms or Griffith obtain permission from OFAC to provide goods, services or technology to the DPRK.
Cao De Benos and Emms are charged with one count of conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of IEEPA, which carries a maximum statutory 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.
The FBI is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, and the Singapore Police Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly J. Ravener and Kyle A. Wirshba for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney Matthew J. McKenzie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section 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.
Saint Charles Parish Men Sentenced on Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that, on April 19, 2022, DUVELL LONDON, JR., 41, of St. Rose, La., and JEREMY LEVANDA, age 40, of Destrehan, La., were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter on drug trafficking charges. LONDON previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, powder cocaine, and crack cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. LONDON further pled guilty to 4 counts of distribution of controlled substances, 3 counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and 4 counts of use of a telephone in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. LEVANDA previously pled guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of use of a telephone in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, LONDON, LEVANDA, and others, distributed significant quantities of fentanyl, powder cocaine, and crack cocaine in St Charles Parish and surrounding areas during the summer of 2020.
LONDON was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment, 4 years of supervised release following imprisonment, and $1,200 in mandatory special assessment fees. LEVANDA was sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment, and $300 in mandatory special assessment fees.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. John the Baptist Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Nolan Paige and Paige O’Hale.
S. Lane Tucker Appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of AlaskaRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – U.S. District Chief Judge Sharon L. Gleason appointed S. Lane Tucker as U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska effective April 25, 2022.
Tucker is leaving her position as a partner at the law firm Stoel Rives to accept this appointment. She brings with her over three decades of experience as a prosecuting attorney and defense attorney. Prior to entering private practice, Tucker was an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Civil Chief for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Anchorage. Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Tucker was a Trial Attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C., and began her legal career as an Assistant General Counsel for the General Services Administration.
“I am both honored and humbled to have this opportunity to serve Alaskans,” Tucker said. “Over the past twenty years I have built the most important relationships of my life among the people of Alaska, and I look forward to working tirelessly to give back to this great state. I know from personal experience that the prosecutors and staff in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska are deeply committed to ensuring justice for the people of Alaska, and I am prepared to lead our office to a new era of combating crime in our state and making Alaska a safe place for all who live here.”
Tucker has served as President of the Federal Bar Association, as a lawyer representative to the 9th Circuit Judicial Conference, and is the founder and chair of the Alaska Bar Public Contracts section. For many years she has been selected as one of America’s Leading Lawyers for litigation by Chambers USA, included in Best Lawyers in America, and listed in Alaska Super Lawyers. She has served as a board member and officer for the Alaska Community Foundation and the Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers.
She received her J.D. from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law in 1987, her B.A. from Mary Baldwin College in 1983, and attended Oxford University.
For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ak
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Roanoke Woman Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Dealing HeroinRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke woman, who sold drugs on behalf of her incarcerated boyfriend, was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison.
Aminee Jewell Davenport, 35, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to one count of distributing more than 100 grams of heroin.
According to court documents, Davenport was in a romantic relationship with Anthony Barnett, who had been arrested for his involvement in a shooting that occurred in Roanoke. Once incarcerated, Barnett directed Davenport to sell narcotics on his behalf. Investigators with the Virginia State Police made two controlled purchases of approximately four ounces of heroin from Davenport.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia, Jared Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police, made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Virginia State Police, and members of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA) conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Coleman Adams and Kari Munro prosecuted the case.
Randolph County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Cameron K. Shreve, of Mill Creek, West Virginia, has admitted to a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Shreve, 43, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm as a Drug User.” Shreve, a person prohibited from having firearms, admitted to having a semi-automatic rifle and a 9mm pistol in May 2021 in Randolph County.
Shreve faces up to 10 years of incarceration and fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the United States Marshals Service investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Putnam County Man Sentenced for Defrauding Elderly Citizens and Local BankRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Putnam County man was sentenced today to four years in prison for committing two counts of aggravated identity theft as part of his scheme to defraud a local bank and two elderly residents in the Southern District of West Virginia.
Robert Jones, 52, of Hurricane, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence and to pay $25,000 in restitution as a result of his offenses and similar relevant conduct.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jones admitted that an elderly woman from Clendenin hired him to do mold remediation and other handyman services at a Clendenin property that belonged to another elderly woman of advanced age. Jones admitted that he obtained blank checks belonging to the elderly homeowner and forged the signature of the woman who hired him. Jones wrote himself checks in this manner multiple times, in amounts payable of $7,000 and $8,500. Jones then deposited these falsified checks at the Hurricane branch of a local bank, where he had a checking account. Jones admitted that neither woman was aware that he used their personal identifiers in his efforts to obtain money from the bank.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. The Court cited Jones’ “despicable” criminal record, observing that Jones has a “persistent business of cheating people out of their hard-earned money” and that he “can’t keep cheating people and expect to get away with it.”
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office-Consumer Protection Division for conducting the investigation.
“The excellent investigative work in this case helped bring justice for some of the most vulnerable among us,” Thompson said.
Assistant United States Attorney Kristin F. Scott prosecuted the case. Jones currently faces additional pending state-level charges in Jackson, Lewis, Lincoln, and Putnam counties in connection with additional fraud schemes.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-132.
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Previously convicted felon sentenced to more than 8 years in prison for possessing firearm near Dayton barRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Aaron Spencer Doakes, 33, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 100 months in prison for possessing firearms and ammunition after being convicted of a felony crime.
According to court documents, in February 2020, Dayton police officers were investigating the circumstances of a firearm visible in a vehicle that was running but not occupied near the Uptown Lounge on West Third Street in Dayton.
Doakes returned to the vehicle with the vehicle’s key fob in hand but fled on foot from law enforcement. As he ran, Doakes discarded a Glock 9mm magazine that was loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition.
Doakes was apprehended and detained. The magazine matched the firearm in the vehicle.
While executing subsequent search warrants, officers discovered four additional firearms and nearly $10,000 in cash that was in Doakes’s residence and on his person.
Doakes pleaded guilty in September 2021 to possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony crime. His prior convictions include various violent assaults, including with a deadly weapon.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. Newman. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is representing the United States in this case.
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Plover Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing Client Tax Returns with Falsely Inflated DeductionsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that on Friday, April 22, James Canfield, 72, Plover, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to aiding in the preparation of false tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Canfield will be sentenced on September 14, 2022. He faces a maximum penalty of 3 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
Canfield owned and operated Advanced Accounting Concepts, Inc., a business located in Plover. As part of his business, Canfield prepared tax returns for third parties in exchange for a fee. Between 2013 and 2018, on behalf of clients, Canfield prepared and electronically submitted tax returns to the IRS with exaggerated business expenses and unjustified deductions for the business use of clients’ homes. This false information fraudulently reduced the amount of taxes his clients owed. Despite being told by clients that they primarily used their homes as their personal residence, Canfield attributed 100% of their home for business, then took home expenses as deductible business expenses.
Canfield previously has been fined on two separate occasions by the IRS for preparing returns with unjustified business expenses and claiming personal living expenses as business deductions. As a consequence of the plea, Canfield will also be permanently prohibited from preparing and filing federal tax returns for other persons.
The charge against Canfield is the result of an investigation conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert A. Anderson and Meredith Duchemin are handling the prosecution.
Pittsburgh Man Admits Possessing Deadly Opioids in August 2019Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Raymond Moon, age 33, of the Brighton Heights neighborhood, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge William S. Stickman.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that the defendant, on August 30, 2019, possessed with the intent to distribute 10 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of acetyl fentanyl, 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and quantities of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin and Carfentanil.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for Sept. 12, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both.
Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Yvonne M. Saadi is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution in this case.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Ira Sims, age 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 100 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann for his role in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy based in Williamsport.
According to U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, Sims previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl from August 2019 to August 2020 in Williamsport.
At the sentencing, Chief Judge Brann highlighted the way that fentanyl has ravaged this community and the country, along with the fact that Sims was being supervised for a prior drug-trafficking conviction when he engaged in the criminal conduct that led to his federal charges.
Six other co-defendants were previously sentenced and received the following:
- Braheem Lewis, age 24, was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment;
- Kevin Bryant, age 23, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment;
- Ethan Bailey, age 23, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment;
- Basil Arties, 27, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment;
- Damion Bethea, 26, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment; and
- Kenyon Bonaparte, 21, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.
Co-defendants Angellitto Lawton and Jordan Watkins are awaiting trial.
The charges stem from an investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Williamsport Bureau of Police, the Lycoming County Narcotics Enforcement Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Philadelphia Felon Sentenced to over Three Years for Illegally Possessing a Firearm Following Incident on I-76Read the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Bernard Giddings, 26, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was sentenced to three years and one month in prison, and three years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Michael M. Baylson for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon following an incident on a state highway last year.
In December 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The charges stemmed from an incident that took place in March 2021 on Interstate-76, to which Pennsylvania State Police responded. Following leads developed in the investigation, PSP investigators obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s residence in Philadelphia. Upon execution of the search warrant, Troopers recovered a loaded semi-automatic firearm and an extended magazine under the bed where the defendant was sleeping. The defendant ultimately admitted to possessing the gun, and forensic testing found his DNA on the weapon as well. PSP investigators later determined that the firearm had been reported stolen out of North Carolina in 2019.
“The crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm is a serious offense, particularly in Philadelphia where gun violence continues to plague neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Giddings will now spend years in prison for this offense, which means there is one less person illegally carrying a weapon on the streets of our city. Our Office is determined to continue doing everything we can to reduce gun violence in Philadelphia by being ‘All Hands On Deck’ to put criminals like this defendant behind bars.”
“Identifying, investigating, and assisting in the prosecution of the armed gunmen that threaten the safety of the public is ATF’s primary focus,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “ATF is determined to collaborate with our law enforcement partners in our plight to ensure Philadelphia neighborhoods can be free of gun violence. Thank you to the Pennsylvania State Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their committed support in our effort to combat violent crime.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by Pennsylvania State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Martin Howley.
Omaha man Sentenced to 96 Months for Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Shane Morris, 45, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 25, 2022, by United States Chief Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. for possessing with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of pure methamphetamine. Morris received a sentence of 96 months’ imprisonment with a four-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
On April 17, 2020, during a traffic stop by the Omaha Police Department, 10 grams of pure methamphetamine were found in Morris’s possession. Morris was also stopped by the Omaha Police Department on October 21, 2020, and found to be in possession of 6 grams of methamphetamine. On January 10, 2021, Morris was again stopped by the Omaha Police Department and was in possession of 19 grams of methamphetamine. Finally, Morris sold methamphetamine to an Omaha Police Department informant on both January 5, 2021 (3 grams) and January 6, 2021 (5 grams).
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Gilroy Stewart, age 52, of Cleveland, Ohio, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to the charge of possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Stewart admitted to possessing twenty kilograms of cocaine for further distribution. The charge stems from an incident on August 28, 2018, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle on Interstate Route 80 in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. Stewart was the sole occupant of the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of twenty kilograms of cocaine found in a hidden compartment inside the vehicle.
The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison. The maximum penalty under federal law is up to life in prison, 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.
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North Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Supplying Methamphetamine to Middle Georgia CommunityRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Covington, Georgia, resident admitted in federal court to supplying a large quantity of methamphetamine to a drug dealer in the Monroe County, Georgia, community.
Frank Settambrino, 63, of Covington, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell today. Settambrino faces a maximum sentence of twenty years imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 6. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The defendant was supplying a consistent and significant quantity of methamphetamine to Monroe County and the surrounding communities,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Those individuals who profit by pushing large amounts of illegal and deadly drugs into the Middle District of Georgia face the possibility of federal prosecution for their criminal activities. I want to thank the DEA and both the Monroe and Newton County Sheriff’s Offices for shutting down this methamphetamine supply chain.”
“The by-products of ‘meth’ after its manufacture leave behind a dangerous and toxic trail of waste,” said the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division Robert J. Murphy. “DEA and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting citizens from these dangers by disrupting, dismantling and destroying those who traffic these toxic chemicals. Now that this defendant has been removed from the streets, the middle Georgia community is a safer place.”
According to court documents and other evidence, an ongoing investigation into methamphetamine distribution activities by Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigators revealed that Settambrino was supplying methamphetamine to a dealer in the region. Between Sept. 2020 and Jan. 2021, the DEA and the MCSO coordinated a series of five audio and video recorded controlled purchases of methamphetamine involving Settambrino. A federal search warrant was executed at Settambrino’s residence on Jan. 14, 2021, where agents located more than one kilo of methamphetamine and other drug paraphernalia scattered throughout his home.
The case was investigated by DEA with assistance from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Newton County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim is prosecuting the case for the Government.
New York Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Tax ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A New York man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Richard Barker, of Queens, owned and operated a tax return preparation business under the names Tax Depot Inc. and KPS Kampant, Parkinson, Sinclair & Co. Inc. From approximately 2012 through 2019, Barker conspired with other individuals to submit false tax returns to the IRS on behalf of clients. These tax returns included Forms 1099-OID that falsely reported financial institutions, creditors and other entities had withheld and paid taxes to the IRS on behalf of the clients, when in reality no such taxes had been withheld or paid. As a result of these fictitious withholdings, the IRS paid the clients refunds they were not entitled to receive. Barker also filed false returns for himself based on the same 1099-OID scheme and recruited at least one other individual to do the same. In total, Barker caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $460,000.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Eric R. Komitee ordered Barker to serve two years of supervised release and to pay approximately $464,252 in restitution to the IRS.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Ann M. Cherry and Mark Kotila of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.
New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution and Gun Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOEL MARTINEZ, JR., 23, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 17, 2020, during a court-authorized search of a New Haven hotel room being used by Martinez to process and package narcotics, law enforcement seized a loaded Glock model 26, 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number; a box of 9mm ammunition; approximately 51 grams of crack cocaine; approximately 136 grams of heroin; 12 digital scales; three blenders; other items used to process and package narcotics; and $1,825 in cash. Martinez was arrested on state charges at that time.
Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin and fentanyl, and to one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall on July 18 at which time he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Martinez has been detained since his federal arrest on October 14, 2020.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force, New Haven Police Department and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara E. Levens.
New Haven Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that TYRONE BROWN, 26, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Brown was arrested on August 9, 2021, after a court-authorized search of his residence on Stevens Street in New Haven revealed a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Brown’s criminal history includes state convictions for felony firearm, robbery, burglary and larceny offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Brown has been detained since his arrest. At sentencing he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham.
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.
Mount Pleasant Couple Charged with Firearms Trafficking and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard G. Frohling of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on April 19, 2022, an indictment was returned charging Deandre L. Rodgers (age 36) of Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin, and Viridiana Garcia-Ramirez (age 24) of Los Angeles, California, with conspiring to violate the laws of the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, dealing in firearms without a license, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, 922(a)(1)(A), making a false statement to a federal firearms licensee, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(a)(6), unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), distribution of a controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1).
According to court documents, Rodgers and Garcia-Ramirez engaged in a conspiracy to purchase firearms from local gun stores in Wisconsin, alter or obliterate the serial numbers on those firearms, and sell those firearms to others. As part of the conspiracy, Rodgers and Garcia-Ramirez purchased 11 handguns and 1 rifle from local gun stores between December 2021 and March 2022. On April 5, 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) executed a warrant at a hotel in Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin, where Rodgers and Garcia-Ramirez were staying. Inside the hotel room, agents found 29-individually wrapped plastic bags containing crack cocaine, two digital scales, and approximately $800, but none of firearms. Rodgers is prohibited from possessing a firearm as a result of a prior felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the ATF and will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip T. Kovoor.
An indictment and criminal complaint are merely allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Missoula felon sentenced to 46 months in prison for possessing 10 firearms, ammunitionRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula man who admitted to illegally possessing firearms after law enforcement recovered a high-capacity AR-15 rifle and ammunition from his vehicle and nine other firearms and a pipe bomb from his residence was sentenced today to 46 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Paul Joseph Richter, 58, pleaded guilty in February to prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in November 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Missoula received an anonymous tip that Richter was a felon in possession of firearms. Richter had a federal felony conviction in Montana for felon in possession of a firearm. Agents saw Richter carry what appeared to be a rifle into his residence and then later leave and drive to the Veteran’s Administration clinic. While Richter was in the clinic, agents looked in the windows of Richter’s vehicle and saw an AR-type rifle on the front passenger floorboard. Agents detained Richter when he left the clinic. Richter told agents he had eight guns and approximately 5,000 rounds of ammunition at his residence. Richter also said he had recently completed federal supervision and didn’t believe in the idea his firearm rights should be taken away. He told agents that he thought he would never “get called on it again. Any normal person would be done but not me.”
Agents executed search warrants on Richter’s residence and vehicle and recovered an AR-15 rifle in close proximity to three magazines that were capable of holding more than 15 rounds for the gun, 25 rounds of .223 ammunition and other ammunition from the vehicle. From Richter’s residence, agents recovered nine firearms, assorted ammunition, a suspected PVC pipe bomb and a suspected smoke grenade.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Clark prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Martinsburg woman admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kristin Leanne Price, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, has admitted to her role in a firearms trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Price, 28, pleaded guilty today to one count of “False Statements During Purchase of Firearm.” Price admitted to falsifying forms to purchase a 9mm pistol from a licensed dealer in Berkeley County in June 2020.
Price faces up to 10 years of incarceration and fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Marshall County man sentenced for drug chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Lonnie James Tanner, Jr., of Cameron, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 46 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Tanner, 53, pleaded guilty in January 2022 to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Tanner admitted to selling methamphetamine in July 2021 in Marshall County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Man Using Whisper App Sentenced for Enticing a MinorRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – Matthew Benjamin Foltz, 29, of Cleveland, Ohio, used the messaging application “Whisper” to engage in sexually explicit conversations with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl from Virginia.
Foltz was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to one count of persuading, enticing, or coercing a person to travel in interstate commerce to engage in sexual activity.
According to court documents, undercover law enforcement portrayed themselves as a 13-year-old girl living in Roanoke, Virginia, and began an online conversation on Whisper with a user named “Macabre_return,” later determined to be Foltz.
Several times during the course of his online conversation with law enforcement, Foltz expressed his desire to bring the 13-year-old girl back to his home in Ohio so that he could both impregnate her and teach her how to please him sexually. Foltz, who also identified himself by the alias “Michael Halliburton,” provided what he purported was a photograph of himself as well as airline flight information for a trip to Ohio.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Christiansburg Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel B. Swartz prosecuted the case.
MS-13 Leader Sentenced to Life in Prison for Racketeering Offenses Connected to Five Murders in Maryland and VirginiaRead the Press Release
A Maryland man was sentenced today to life in prison for his conduct in connection with La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise, also known as MS-13.
MS-13 is a transnational gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland.
According to court documents, Junior Noe Alvarado-Requeno aka Insolente, aka Trankilo, 24, of Landover, Maryland, was convicted on multiple racketeering-related offenses on Nov. 23, 2021 after a four-week trial. Alvarado-Requeno was convicted of three counts each of murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine.
According to the evidence presented at the four-week trial, between 2015 and 2018, Alvarado-Requeno and his co-defendant, Miguel Angel Corea Diaz, aka Reaper, 41, of Long Branch, New Jersey, controlled and operated the Sailors Locos Salvatruchos Westside (S.L.S.W. or Sailors) clique through a pattern of illegal activity, which included murder, extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering, and witness tampering. Corea Diaz was sentenced to life in prison on April 1, 2022.
Evidence showed that the gang ran a protection scheme in and around its home base in Langley Park, Maryland, and extorted local businesses by charging them “rent” for the privilege of operating in MS-13 “territory” and trafficked in illegal drugs. A large share of the proceeds of the gang’s illegal activities were sent to gang leadership in El Salvador to further promote the goals of the gang, using structured transactions and intermediaries to avoid law enforcement scrutiny.
The Sailors clique committed acts of violence against suspected rival gang members, as well as against its own membership for breaking gang rules. Evidence presented at trial showed that in June 2016, Alvarado-Requeno ordered members of the Sailors clique to murder a suspected rival in the woods at Malcolm King Park in Gaithersburg. Luring him with the promise of sex with a female MS-13 associate, the gang members ambushed the teenaged victim and stabbed him 153 times. The victim did not belong to any gang.
In March 2017, a member of the Sailors clique who was hiding from law enforcement in the Lynchburg, Virginia, area had a dispute with a local high school student. In response, Alvarado-Requeno and Corea Diaz organized a squad of MS-13 members to drive down to Lynchburg and murder the minor. The gang members kidnapped the student from his front lawn and cut his hand off before killing him. After the murder, the Alvarado-Requeno and Corea Diaz helped to hide and protect the killers who escaped the scene from law enforcement.
According to evidence presented at trial, among the most important rules of MS-13 is the prohibition against talking to law enforcement, embodied by the maxim ver, oir, y callar – see, hear, and say nothing. The gang enforced this rule by placing a “green light” – an order to kill – on any member of MS-13 who was thought to be informing on the gang. In December 2016, Alvarado-Requeno directed and participated in the murder of a 14-year-old member of MS-13 who was suspected of talking to the police. The victim’s remains were discovered 18 months later in the woods outside of Germantown, Maryland.
The case was investigated by the FBI, HSI, the DEA’s Washington and Buffalo Field Divisions, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department and the Bedford County Sherriff’s Office. The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office provided valuable assistance.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Julie Finocchiaro and Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Hagan and William Moomau for the District of Maryland.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tip lines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.
MS-13 Gang Leader Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy and Conspiring to Commit Multiple MurdersRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis today sentenced El Salvadorian national Junior Noe Alvarado-Requeno, a/k/a “Insolente” and “Trankilo,” age 24, of Landover, Maryland to life in federal prison, for conspiring to participate in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13, and for three counts each of murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, as well as for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine. Alvarado-Requeno was convicted of those charges on November 23, 2021 after a four-week trial.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly; Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D'Antuono, of the FBI Washington Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore Office; Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Bedford County (VA) Sheriff Michael W. Miller.
“The brutal and tragic violence perpetrated by Alvarado-Requeno and his fellow MS-13 gang members is totally unacceptable. Today’s sentence sends the message that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and our local and state partners are working together to remove these violent international gang members to keep our communities safe from the threat of MS-13,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron.
“Members of the Sailors Clique of MS-13, including Alvarado-Requeno, spread fear in local communities using violence and extortion,” said Steven M. D’Antuono, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “He directly participated in the brutal murder of a teenager, and directed and planned four other homicides with his MS-13 co-conspirators. With today’s sentence, he will no longer be able to commit—or direct others to engage in—brutal, senseless violence against members of our communities.”
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said, “The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office has for years been dedicated to pursuing MS-13 across Long Island and dismantling the organization piece by piece, successfully prosecuting key leadership in our area and blunting gang violence in our communities. This work, however, does not end at our county borders. We are proud to have participated in the collaborative investigative effort that led to the prosecution of this dangerous criminal and further diminishes MS-13’s impact.”
MS-13 is a transnational gang composed primarily of immigrants or descendants from El Salvador. Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland.
According to the evidence presented at the four-week trial, between 2015 and 2018, Alvarado-Requeno and his co-defendant, Miguel Angel Corea Diaz, a/k/a “Reaper,” age 41, of Long Branch, New Jersey, controlled and operated the Sailors Locos Salvatruchos Westside (S.L.S.W. or “Sailors”) Clique through a pattern of racketeering activity, which included murder, extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering, and witness tampering. Evidence showed that the gang ran a protection scheme in and around its home base in Langley Park, Maryland, and extorted local businesses by charging them “rent” for the privilege of operating in MS-13 “territory.” The gang also trafficked in illegal drugs, including marijuana, heroin, and cocaine. A large share of the proceeds of the gang’s illegal activities were sent to gang leadership in El Salvador to further promote the goals of the gang, using structured transactions and intermediaries to avoid law enforcement scrutiny.
The Sailors Clique committed acts of violence against suspected rival gang members, as well as against its own membership for breaking gang rules. The evidence showed that in June 2016, Alvarado-Requeno ordered members of the Sailors Clique to murder a suspected rival in the woods at Malcolm King Park in Gaithersburg. Luring him with the promise of sex with a female MS-13 associate, the gang members ambushed the teenaged victim and stabbed him 153 times. In fact, the victim did not belong to any gang.
In March 2017, a member of the Sailors Clique who was hiding from law enforcement in the Lynchburg, Virginia area had a dispute with a local high school student over marijuana. In response, Alvarado-Requeno and Corea-Diaz organized a squad of MS-13 members to drive down to Lynchburg and murder the high schooler. The gang members kidnapped the student from his front lawn and cut his hand off before killing him. After the murder, the Alvarado-Requeno and Corea Diaz helped to hide and protect the killers who escaped the scene from law enforcement.
Among the most important rules of MS-13 is the prohibition against talking to law enforcement, embodied by the maxim “ver, oir, y callar – see, hear, and say nothing.” The gang enforced this rule by placing a “green light” – an order to kill – on any member of MS-13 who was thought to be informing on the gang. In December 2016, Alvarado-Requeno directed and participated in the murder of a 14-year-old member of MS-13 who was suspected of talking to the police. The boy’s remains were discovered eighteen months later in the woods outside of Germantown, Maryland.
The jury made special findings beyond a reasonable doubt that as part of the racketeering conspiracy Alvarado-Requeno murdered two other individuals and as part of the racketeering conspiracy Corea Diaz conspired to murder a third person.
On April 1, 2022, Judge Xinis sentenced Miguel Angel Corea Diaz to life in prison. Corea Diaz was convicted of the racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, cocaine, and heroin; and possession with intent to distribute heroin.
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite commended the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, HSI, the DEA Washington and Buffalo Field Divisions, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the Bedford County Sherriff’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron and Mr. Polite thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Hagan, and Trial Attorneys Julie Finocchiaro and Alexander Gottfried of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, who are prosecuting the case.
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Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 70 Months’ Imprisonment for Cocaine and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ricardo Jimenez-Rodriguez, age 35, of Hazelton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on April 22, 2022, to 70 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for drug trafficking.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Jimenez-Rodriguez previously pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine. On February 23, 2020, Jimenez-Rodriguez was intercepted while driving a tractor trailer in Conyngham, Pennsylvania. Investigators searched the cab of the truck and found a duffel bag containing what laboratory analysis later revealed to be approximately seven kilograms of cocaine and three kilograms of fentanyl.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni prosecuted the case.
This case was part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Lead defendant sentenced in south Georgia drug trafficking operationRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: The leader of a south Georgia drug trafficking operation has been sentenced to federal prison, while the final defendant in the investigation awaits sentencing after all entered guilty pleas in U.S. District Court.
Nickson Joseph, a/k/a “Cujo,” 57, of Brunswick, was sentenced to 110 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Heroin and Alprazolam, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also fined Joseph $1,500 and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The investigation and prosecution in Operation Jump’s Start is an outstanding example of the successful partnership between local, state, and federal agencies in coordinating the fight against drug trafficking organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “We are committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners to make our streets safer by identifying and prosecuting criminal conspiracies.”
Operation Jump’s Start, an investigation under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), took aim at the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and other drugs in south Georgia. It began in 2019 when a source for the Glynn County Sheriff's Office identified illegal drug distributors in the Glynn, Camden, and McIntosh County area.
With assistance from other law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Glynn County Sheriff’s Office investigators conducted controlled purchases of drugs, searched homes and vehicles, and charged seven defendants, identifying Joseph as the main distributor. Four others named in the conspiracy have been sentenced after pleading guilty. The remaining defendant, Kirk Westberry, 30, of Brunswick, is scheduled for sentencing in May after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
“We look forward to a continued working relationship between the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies,” said Neal Jump, Sheriff of Glynn County. “Our commitment is to take the drugs off the street and lock up the ones doing harm to our citizens.”
“Operation Jump’s Start was a tremendous success as it nabbed the ringleader of a once-thriving drug trafficking organization and several of his associates,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. “This criminal organization has reached its final chapter, and its members will now spend well-deserved time in prison.”
“Illegal drugs have no place in Georgia,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “They are dangerous and threaten the safety of our communities. We will continue to work diligently along with our local and federal partners to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking organizations.”
Operation Jump’s Start was investigated under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. The case was investigated by the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, the DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the GBI, the Georgia State Patrol, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, and the Darien Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah J. Abrams and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.
Justice Department Sues Indiana Town for Discrimination Based on HIV StatusRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the Town of Clarksville, Indiana, for violating Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, alleges that the Town’s police department unlawfully revoked a job offer to a qualified law enforcement officer based on his Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) diagnosis. The officer had been successfully working for the Town’s police department as a volunteer reserve officer for over a year and was fully qualified to work as a police officer.
“No qualified individual should lose a hard-earned career opportunity because of misguided views about their disability that are not supported by medicine or science,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit reflects the Justice Department’s firm commitment to protecting qualified workers, including those with HIV, from unlawful employment discrimination.”
“Every day, we depend on law enforcement officers who put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “Those who are qualified and seek to serve their communities should not be subjected to unlawful discrimination. Individuals living with HIV are entitled to the full protection of our anti-discrimination laws. Our office will work closely with our partners in the Civil Rights Division to ensure that those who seek to serve the public are not unlawfully discriminated against.”
Title I of the ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against qualified individuals on the basis of disability. Discrimination includes withdrawing a job offer to a qualified individual based on unsupported and stereotypical views of the applicant’s disability.
This case is being handled by the department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana based on a referral from the Indianapolis District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The department plays a central role in advancing the ADA’s goals of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities.
For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit http://www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint at https://civilrights.justice.gov/. View the complaint here.
Justice Department Sues Indiana Town for Discrimination Based on HIV StatusRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Today the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the Town of Clarksville, Indiana for violating Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, alleges that the Town’s police department unlawfully revoked a job offer to a qualified law enforcement officer based on his Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) diagnosis. The officer had been successfully working for the Town’s police department as a volunteer reserve officer for over a year and was fully qualified to work as a police officer.
“Every day, we depend on law enforcement officers who put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “Those who are qualified and seek to serve their communities should not be subjected to unlawful discrimination. Individuals living with HIV are entitled to the full protection of our anti-discrimination laws. Our office will work closely with our partners in the Civil Rights Division to ensure that those who seek to serve the public are not unlawfully discriminated against.”
“No qualified individual should lose a hard-earned career opportunity because of misguided views about their disability that are not supported by medicine or science,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The scientific community has agreed for years that an HIV diagnosis does not make an employee a risk to their colleagues or others. This lawsuit reflects the Justice Department’s firm commitment to protecting qualified workers, including those with HIV, from unlawful employment discrimination.”
Title I of the ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against qualified individuals on the basis of disability. Discrimination includes withdrawing a job offer to a qualified individual based on unsupported and stereotypical views of the applicant’s disability.
This case is being handled by the department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana based on a referral from the Indianapolis District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The department plays a central role in advancing the nation’s goal of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities.
For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit http://www.justice.gov/crt. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint at https://civilrights.justice.gov/. The complaint can be viewed here.
Justice Department Issues Statement on the Administration’s Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) National Action Plan and Legislative ProposalRead the Press Release
For almost four years, the Department of Justice has responsibly used the authority Congress granted it in the Preventing Emerging Threats Act of 2018 to protect critical department missions and the public, such as high-profile sporting events like the Super Bowl and the World Series, from the threat posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly referred to as “drones.” The department uses the authority to keep our communities safe while ensuring full respect for the Constitution, privacy, civil rights and civil liberties, and the safety of the national airspace system. But the threat posed by the criminal use of drones is increasing and evolving, and department components cannot protect everyone, everywhere, all the time.
The department strongly supports the Administration’s Counter-UAS National Action Plan and comprehensive legislative proposal transmitted to Congress on April 19 seeking the reauthorization of the department’s authority. Additionally, the department strongly supports the element of the National Action Plan incrementally extending relief from federal criminal laws to state, local, territorial and tribal (SLTT) law enforcement entities to use technology to detect, and in limited circumstances, mitigate UAS threats under appropriate controls and Federal oversight. A third critical component of the plan is endorsement of the department’s legislative proposal that would fill a gap in federal criminal laws to prosecute the most malicious and dangerous uses of drones.
The department is grateful to the Administration for recognizing the increasing risk and for involving federal departments and agencies in crafting a thoughtful approach. The Counter-UAS plan is a whole-of-government measured proposal that builds off existing authorities to address the threat that simultaneously protects privacy and civil liberties of the American people, the safety of the national airspace and the communications spectrum.
In the coming weeks, the department and interagency will engage with the Congress and key stakeholders across the government, private sector, law enforcement and society on the plan and legislative proposal.
A fact sheet about the C-UAS National Action Plan and legislative proposal can be found at the White House webpage at the following link: Counter-UAS National Action Plan Fact Sheet.
Jury Finds Gang Member Guilty of Firearms Offenses and Trafficking Large Quantities of Multiple DrugsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - After deliberating 9½ hours, a federal jury of four men and eight women found Duane Eugene Cash, Jr. guilty of four counts of various violations of federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Cash, age 50, of Penn Hills, PA 15235, was tried before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway, who prosecuted the case, the evidence presented at trial established that Cash participated in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of heroin, acetyl fentanyl, and fentanyl, possessed with the intent to distribute large quantities of heroin, acetyl fentanyl, fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, possessed a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessed a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking offense. He was part of a drug trafficking organization who used the moniker of Hustlas Don’t Sleep which distributed large quantities of illegal narcotics from 2017 to 2019, mostly in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh, including Penn Hills, Wilkinsburg, and Monroeville.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for Sept. 6, 2022 The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 15 years in prison and not more than life, a fine not to exceed $10,500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court revoked the defendant’s bond.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Monroeville Police Department, and the Penn Hills Police Department, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cash.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Johnston Man Sentenced for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Johnston man who recruited individuals to allow counterfeit checks to be deposited into their accounts as part of a scheme to defraud banks; deposited counterfeit checks into those bank accounts; and aided and abetted in the withdrawal of funds from the accounts, was sentenced today to sixteen months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
According to charging documents and information presented to the court, beginning in October 2020, while on federal supervised release, having been convicted of bank fraud and sentenced in 2019 for participating in a similar conspiracy, Nestor Concepcion, 26, arranged for and coordinated the deposit of multiple counterfeit checks with an intended loss to banks totaling $71,717.77.
In this latest matter, Concepcion pleaded guilty on January 21, 2022, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and three counts of bank fraud.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith sentenced Concepcion to sixteen months in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. Conception was ordered to pay restitution totaling $33,635, representing the actual loss to banks.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William J. Ferland.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
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Jefferson County man admits to firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kyle Lee Harder, of Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia, has admitted to his role in a firearms trafficking conspiracy, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Harder, 23, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Unlawful Possession of Firearm.” Harder, a person prohibited from having firearms, admitted to having a 9mm pistol in April 2021 in Jefferson County.
Harder faces up to 10 years of incarceration and fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Inmate Charged with Possessing A CellphoneRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tyevhon King, age 35, an inmate at Federal Correctional Institute-Schuylkill, Minersville, Pennsylvania, was charged by a criminal information on April 22, 2022, for unlawfully possessing a cell phone.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the information alleges that on July 16, 2021, King possessed a cellphone. Federal law makes the possession of cell phones by an inmate in prison illegal out of security concerns that arise from unmonitored calls.
The matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and Federal Bureau of Investigations. United States Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is one year of imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Health care clinic and home health owners found guilty of fraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two individuals have been convicted of conspiracy to commit and committing health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The jury deliberated for 45 minutes before convicting Alfred Olotin Alatan, 62, formerly of Houston and now residing in Fulshear, and Francis Ekene, 71, Sugar Land, following a day three-day trial. Alatan was also found guilty of money laundering.
Alatan was the owner of Colony Home Health Services, while Francis was the owner of Milten Medical Clinic, both businesses located in Houston.
At trial, the jury heard that Alatan paid recruiters to bring patient information to be billed for home health services regardless of whether they needed it or not. Beneficiaries testified in trial and admitted they did not need home health services at the time the health care service providers billed them.
Additional testimony revealed Dr. John Ramirez had signed off on plan of care forms at the Milton Clinic when patients were not actually under his care.
Previous employees Susana Bermudez and Rita Kpotie Smith also testified. Bermudez admitted she and Smith operated both clinics and that Alatan was the leader of the scheme. Both Alatan and Ekene would consult Bermudez and Smith who directed them and provided assistance in carrying out the scheme within both offices.
At trial, the defense attempted to convince the jury they were not involved in the daily operations and did not know the provided services were unnecessary and fraudulent.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake presided over trial and set sentencing for July 22. At that time, Alatan and Ekene face up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine on each count of conviction. Alatan could also receive up to 20 years for his conviction of money laundering.
Alatan and Ekene were permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
Bermudez, both 55 and of Houston, previously pleaded guilty to their roles as co-conspirators in the scheme. Bermudez is currently serving 30 months in federal prison, while Smith is set for sentencing July 21.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with the assistance of the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tina Ansari and Grace Murphy are prosecuting the case.
Han Gil Defendant Who Sexually Assaulted, Allegedly Murdered Young Drug User Sentenced to 40 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
The final defendant in the Han Gil drug trafficking case was sentenced today to 40 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
In June 2021, after seven days of trial, a jury convicted Bryan Reshad Hill, 39, of conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine. He was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Karen Gren Scholer.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Hill, aka “Black,” dealt heroin and cocaine out of Han Gil Hotel Town, a drug infested establishment shut down by the feds in March 2019. He and other dealers paid an inflated daily rate, dubbed a “drug tax,” to induce the hotel’s proprietor to turn a blind eye to the trafficking occurring inside the building.
The Han Gil – which served as home base for numerous high-level traffickers – saw four confirmed deaths, two non-fatal shootings, and dozens of drug-related incidents in the months before its closure. Numerous drug users, who often injected themselves while still on the premises, were subjected to brutality (including beatings and burnings with a butane torch) and sexual abuse by the dealers headquartered there. The hotel, once located caddy-corner to a local elementary school, has since been demolished.
According to evidence presented at his sentencing hearing, Mr. Hill raped and presumably murdered a 19-year-old drug user inside one of the Han Gil trap rooms on Dec. 27, 2018.
A witness to the assault testified at Mr. Hill’s jury trial that she heard the defendant tell the victim, “stop fighting, you cannot win.” The witness later saw the girl’s lifeless body on the floor of restroom after Mr. Hill exited. Her corpse was dumped in a park in Oak Cliff and recovered a month later.
During the hearing, Judge Scholer stated on the record that based upon her review of surveillance footage taken from the hotel – which showed the defendant carry the near-unconscious victim into the bathroom, then exit the bathroom a short time later wearing gloves on both hands (download footage here) - she determined that because the girl was unable to consent to a sex act, Mr. Hill had perpetrated a sexual assault against a vulnerable victim.
Her death was just one of several stemming from drug incidents at Han Gil. Two former Coppell High School students, both age 22, died of overdoses during the summer of 2018, and the body of an unknown male was removed from the property that fall.
Twenty three additional defendants have already been sentenced in this case, including Han Gil owner Su Amos Mun, who pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug involved premises and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, and lead dealer Eric Dewayne Freeman, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon and was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison.
“Behind the walls of the Han Gil, this defendant committed truly heinous acts,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “It has been four years since our office began its investigation of Han Gil Hotel Town, and today, we are proud to bring this sordid case to a close. We know, however, that our work is far from over. We will continue our crack down on violent drug traffickers and the establishments that allow them to operate.”
“To say the crimes that occurred at the Han Gil Hotel were horrendous would not be enough to describe the degree of violence, viciousness, and pain that occurred at the hands of Mr. Hill and others,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez. “During this time where we honor Victims’ Rights Week, DEA Dallas will continue to work tirelessly to keep these atrocities and other acts of drug-related violence from repeating themselves.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Coppell Police Department, the Dallas Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Office, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, IRS - Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Grand Prairie, Arlington, Grapevine, Lancaster, Plano, Farmers Branch, Garland, Rowlett, Denton, Lewisville, and McKinney police departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Phelesa Guy prosecuted the criminal case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Hogan, Lindsey Beran (fmr.), and Braden Civins handled the civil case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Beverly Chapman and Melissa Childs oversaw the forfeiture
Hammond Man Sentenced to 33 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Edward Timothy Rzasa, 49 years old, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge James Moody on his plea of guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Rzasa was sentenced to 33 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on August 2, 2021, Officers with the Griffith Police Department arrested Rzasa based on an outstanding arrest warrant. During a search incident to his arrest, Officers recovered a loaded .380 caliber pistol which they learned had previously been reported as stolen. According to his criminal history, Rzasa had multiple prior felony convictions.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives/High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force and the Griffith Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Padilla.
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.
Fresno County Man Sentenced to over 4 Years in Prison for Possession of Stolen MailRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Randall McKinney, 33, of Clovis, was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison for possession of stolen mail and possession of a counterfeit postal key, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between April 2021 and October 2021, McKinney stole and possessed stolen mail and possessed a counterfeit postal key for the delivery of mail. McKinney claimed to have broken into approximately five thousand to 10 thousand mailboxes, using the counterfeit postal key for many of the thefts. On Aug. 17, 2021, law enforcement officers observed Kinney drive up to a community mailbox in Clovis, exit his truck, open the rear door of the mailbox with the key, and steal mail from the mailbox. When McKinney was arrested, he possessed stolen mail that included checks, credit cards, and device making equipment. Through his conduct, McKinney caused an intended loss that exceeded $150,000. McKinney was also ordered to pay over $50,000 in restitution to the victims of the mail theft.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office - Elder Abuse Unit, and the Clovis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandre Dempsey prosecuted the case.
Former eBay Executive Pleads Guilty to His Role in Cyberstalking CampaignRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former eBay, Inc. executive pleaded guilty today in connection with his role in a cyberstalking campaign targeting the editor and publisher of a newsletter that eBay executives viewed as critical of the company.
James Baugh, 47, of San Jose, Calif., eBay’s former Senior Director of Safety & Security, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel and through facilities of interstate commerce, two counts of stalking through interstate travel, two counts of stalking through facilities of interstate commerce, two counts of witness tampering and two counts of destruction, alteration and falsification of records in a federal investigation. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Sept. 29, 2022.
In June 2020, Baugh was arrested and charged along with David Harville, eBay’s former Director of Global Resiliency. Co-conspirators and former eBay employees Philip Cooke, Brian Gilbert, Stephanie Popp, Veronica Zea and Stephanie Stockwell previously pleaded guilty. Cooke was sentenced in July 2021 to 18 months in prison. Gilbert, Popp, Zea and Stockwell are awaiting sentencing. Harville has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
According to court documents, between approximately Aug. 5, 2019 and Aug. 23, 2020, Baugh and his co-conspirators at eBay agreed to engage in a harassment campaign targeting a husband and wife in Natick, Mass. for of their roles in publishing a newsletter that reported on issues of interest to eBay sellers. Senior executives at eBay were frustrated with the newsletter’s tone and content, and with the tone and content of comments posted beneath the newsletter’s articles. The harassment campaign arose from communications between those executives and Baugh, who was eBay’s senior security employee.
Baugh and his co-conspirators allegedly executed a three-part harassment campaign intended to intimidate the victims and to change the content of the newsletter’s reporting. The campaign included sending anonymous and disturbing deliveries to the victims’ home; sending private Twitter messages and public tweets criticizing the newsletter’s content and threatening to visit the victims in Natick; and traveling to Natick to surveil the victims and install a GPS tracking device on their car.
The deliveries ordered to the victims’ home included a book on surviving the death of a spouse, a bloody pig mask, a fetal pig, a funeral wreath and live insects. The harassment also featured Craigslist posts inviting the public for sexual encounters at the victims’ home.
The threatening Twitter messages were written as if they had been sent by eBay sellers who were unhappy with the victims’ coverage in the newsletter. Some of these messages posted the victims’ address and threatened to visit the victims at their home.
On Aug. 15, 2019, Baugh and co-conspirators allegedly traveled from California to Natick to surveil the victims and to install a GPS tracking device on the victims’ car. The victims spotted the surveillance team and contacted local police. After learning of the police’s investigation, Baugh made false statements to police and internal investigators, deleted digital evidence related to the cyberstalking campaign and falsified records intended to throw the police off the trail.
The charges of conspiracy to commit stalking and stalking each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution. The charges of witness tampering and destruction, alteration and fabrication of records in a federal investigation each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and restitution. The witness tampering charges also carry the potential for forfeiture. 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; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Natick Chief of Police James G. Hicks made the announcement. eBay provided valuable assistance and cooperation with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Securities, Financial and Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former USDA animal inspector pleads guiltyRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 68-year-old Laredo man has admitted to accepting bribes, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Roberto Adams pleaded guilty to accepting over $40,000 in bribery payments while employed as a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) lead animal health technician.
Adams inspected cattle entering the United States to determine if they met the necessary health requirements to enter the country. Over the course of at least 14 months, Mexican cattle brokers paid Adams to allow cattle into the country without proper quarantine or legitimate inspection.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing Aug. 3. At that time, Adams faces up to 15 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Adams was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of USDA – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter is prosecuting the case.
Former Substitute Teacher Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for SextortionRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Carver County man was sentenced to 480 months in prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for producing child pornography and extortion related to a years-long sextortion scheme, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
“For nearly a decade, Mitchell Ottinger engaged in a sextortion scheme that targeted dozens of vulnerable, young victims. This predator will now spend the next 40 years behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Luger. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office stands united with our law enforcement partners in combatting child sexual exploitation.”
“Today's crippling sentence reflects the heinous nature of the defendant's crimes, as he used his position of trust and authority to find his victims, and traumatize them,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Paul. “Sextortion is a crime that can victimize any child and the FBI will continue to work with our partners and in our communities to make sure our children know that help is available and that we will spare no effort in hunting down their predators.”
According to court documents, Mitchell James Ottinger, 25, a former substitute teacher and paraprofessional, engaged in a scheme to obtain sexually explicit images and videos of minors and adults by using false online personas. Ottinger threatened to disseminate the images and videos of his victims in order to extort more images and videos. Over the course of several years Ottinger victimized 42 people, including at least 23 minors, some of whom he knew from the school district where he worked.
Law enforcement was alerted to the sextortion when one of the victims contacted the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center and reported the threats.
Ottinger was sentenced late last week by U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright. At sentencing, Judge Wright commented that Ottinger committed heinous crimes that introduced grievous harm and suffering into the lives of his victims. On October 19, 2021, Ottinger pleaded guilty to two counts of production and attempted production of child pornography and one count of interstate communication with intent to extort.
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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
If you know of any child who may have been a victim of exploitation, please call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or visit NCMEC’s web site at www.missingkids.com.
This case is the result of investigations conducted by the FBI and the Carver County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Miranda E. Dugi prosecuted the case.
Former Santa Cruz County Assessor Pleads Guilty to Bribery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Felipe Fuentes, 62, of Nogales, Arizona, pleaded guilty last week for his role in a long-running bribery conspiracy that spanned much of his tenure as the elected County Assessor for Santa Cruz County. Fuentes pleaded guilty to a felony charge of Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire Fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for August 2, 2022 before the Honorable Raner C. Collins, Senior United States District Judge.
According to Fuentes’ admissions in connection with the plea hearing, Fuentes and other co-conspirators engaged in a multi-year bribery scheme in which Fuentes received cash payments from a large landowner in Santa Cruz County. Fuentes admitted that, in exchange for the cash payments, he took various official acts in his capacity as the County Assessor to benefit the landowner, including reducing assessed values for properties owned by him and his business entities. According to Fuentes’ plea agreement, in addition to the cash payments, the landowner also allowed Fuentes to use a 17-acre ranch owned by one of his business entities free of charge for multiple years during the course of the bribery conspiracy.
“Property taxes pay for critical local government services that support our communities,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “Fuentes abused the public trust when he reduced the assessed value of property, and by doing so diverted money away from Santa Cruz County in order to serve his own self-interest.”
"The citizens of Arizona deserve a government free of corruption. The FBI will not tolerate those who abuse their positions of authority and is committed to rooting out public corruption and civil rights violations at all levels," said Sean Kaul, special agent in charge of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. "The FBI continues to investigate this case and encourages the public to come forward if they have any information."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Southern Arizona Corruption Task Force investigated the case. The Financial Crimes and Public Corruption section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00824-TUC-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-049_Fuentes# # #
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.Former Real Estate Agent Sentenced to Prison for Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Sarah Nicole Kelley, 41, of Coolidge, Arizona, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 46 months in prison and ordered to pay $190,774.64 in restitution. Kelley was found guilty of 24 counts of wire fraud and 8 counts of money laundering by a federal jury in October 2021.
The evidence at trial showed that Kelley defrauded a family friend out of $185,000 in savings. Kelley, a former real estate agent, convinced the victim to invest in a real estate project and send additional money for a short-term loan. Instead of using the money as promised, Kelley used the victim’s savings to pay off her own debts. Kelley then strung the victim along for months with a series of lies and excuses about how the money was spent and when the victim would get it back.
At sentencing, the Court found that Kelley previously defrauded another family friend out of $647,000 using similar tactics. The Court also found that Kelley provided false testimony under oath when seeking to overturn the jury’s guilty verdict.
Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-01143-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022- 048_Kelley# # #
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.Former Olympic Boxer Convicted by Federal Jury for Producing Child Pornography, Transporting Minors for Criminal Sexual Conduct, and other Sex Related CrimesRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI –United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced today that John Jackson, a 33-year-old resident of St. Thomas, was convicted on Friday of four federal and two local criminal charges following a six-day jury trial.
Jackson was convicted of producing child pornography, three counts of transportation of a minor for criminal sexual conduct, first degree rape, and aggravated second degree rape. The jury heard testimony from three victims detailing how Jackson picked them up from high school and other locations and then transported them to various places on St. Thomas to engage in criminal sex acts. Each of the three victims was a juvenile when the sexual activity occurred.
On one occasion, Jackson video-recorded himself having sexual intercourse with the victim Jane Doe 1, who had just turned fifteen years old. Jackson used the victim’s cell phone to make the recording.
According to trial testimony, Jackson provided the three victims with money, jewelry, and marijuana. In a videotaped confession shown to the jury, Jackson acknowledged that he engaged in sexual relations with Jane Doe Number 1, who was only 15 years old at the time.
Jury selection for the trial began on April 11, 2022. The trial of the matter commenced on April 19, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Shappert commended citizens in the community and law enforcement for taking the allegations of the three victims seriously. "We are grateful for the initiative of the adults in these young women’s lives who brought John Jackson’s criminal actions to the attention of law enforcement. We are also grateful for the courage of the three young women who testified about their suffering at the hands of the defendant."
Jackson, who has been in federal custody since his arrest in February of 2019, competed in the 2008 Olympics.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Virgin Islands Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Rainwater, and Assistant U.S. Attorney, Natasha Baker.
Chief District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy set sentencing for August 25, 2022. Jackson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years for production of child pornography.
A federal district court judge will determine the defendant’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
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Former Head of LADWP Sentenced to Six Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The former general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison for accepting bribes from a lawyer in exchange for his official action to secure a three-year, $30 million no-bid LADWP contract for the lawyer’s company.
David H. Wright, 62, of Riverside, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr., who described Wright’s conduct as “egregious” because Wright – while a public servant – executed an “elaborate and sophisticated criminal scheme” that was motivated by “pure greed.” Judge Blumenfeld also ordered Wright to pay a fine of $75,000.
Wright, who is the first defendant to be sentenced in the LADWP corruption cases, pleaded guilty on January 25 to one count of bribery.
Wright served as LADWP’s general manager from September 2016 until July 2019, when he resigned at the direction of the mayor of Los Angeles.
“As the leader of the nation’s largest municipal utility, David Wright embarked on a campaign of corruption, including pushing through a no-bid $30 million contract for a company from which he had secretly accepted a lucrative job offer,” said United States Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison. “This ongoing criminal case has placed a spotlight on public corruption that harmed ratepayers while benefiting dishonest officials and unscrupulous lawyers.”
“This case is especially significant given the corruption that was rooted in the highest level of city government,” said Kristi K. Johnson, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “This investigation highlighted the lack of oversight for a $30 million contract and the inexcusable silencing of whistleblowers, amounting to a gross misuse of Mr. Wright’s position and a violation of the public’s trust. The FBI encourages those with information about corruption to speak up and hold accountable public officials whose conduct erodes trust in government.”
During 2016 and 2017, Wright developed a relationship with Paul O. Paradis, 58, of Scottsdale, Arizona, a lawyer appointed by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office to represent LADWP in a lawsuit in which the department blamed the vendor of its billing system for the misbilling of hundreds of thousands of ratepayers. Paradis and his New York-based law firm also held a $6 million LADWP contract to provide project management services in connection with the department’s remediation of the faulty billing system.
By early 2017, Wright and Paradis agreed that – in exchange for Wright’s support of a “no-bid” $30 million contract for Paradis’s downtown Los Angeles-based company Aventador Utility Services LLC — Paradis would give Wright a $1 million-per-year job as Aventador’s CEO and a luxury company car once Wright retired from LADWP.
In exchange, Wright lobbied members of the LADWP board of directors to vote in favor of the contract for Aventador, whose company name was taken from a model of Lamborghini sports car. At the time it approved the $30 million no-bid contract in June 2017, the LADWP board was not informed of Wright’s illegal agreement with Paradis to take a lucrative job as Aventador’s CEO upon retiring from LADWP.
After the awarding of the contract, through early 2019, Wright continued to collaborate with Paradis to build and market Aventador and to seek additional lucrative business opportunities for it — and thus for Wright and Paradis — both inside and outside LADWP. Despite being a public official, Wright used his position as LADWP’s general manager to advertise Aventador's services at industry events and in meetings and discussions with other industry officials and executives.
By March 2019, Paradis had been forced to resign from his role as special counsel to the City Attorney’s Office. Around this time, the LADWP board voted to terminate Aventador’s contract, but it agreed to retain the company’s services if Paradis sold his stake in the company and disavowed any interest in the company, which Paradis purported to do. In late March 2019, after Paradis sold the company to an employee, Aventador officially changed its name to Ardent Cyber Solutions LLC.
In late March 2019, after Paradis had begun covertly cooperating with the FBI, Wright met with Paradis at Wright’s home and directed Paradis to destroy their incriminating text messages and emails from Wright’s cell phone and Apple iCloud account and to take back an Aventador laptop and wipe it clean. Wright told Paradis that he had already gone through his office at LADWP and destroyed all incriminating physical evidence.
In April 2019, Wright used his position to urge the LADWP board to support a new cybersecurity contract to Ardent for more than $10 million. Wright again did not inform the board of another secret arrangement with Paradis, which by then included their agreement that Wright would receive a “substantial sign-on bonus” of $600,000 or $1.2 million, as well as an increase in his ownership of their company, in addition to a previously agreed-to $1 million annual salary and luxury car.
Paradis pleaded guilty on January 28 to a federal bribery charge for accepting an illicit kickback of nearly $2.2 million for getting another attorney to purportedly represent his ratepayer client in a collusive lawsuit against LADWP related to the billing debacle. Paradis is cooperating with the ongoing investigation into the collusive litigation and corruption at LADWP. Paradis is scheduled to be sentenced on July 19.
David F. Alexander, 54, of Arcadia, LADWP’s former chief information security officer and its former chief cyber risk officer, pleaded guilty on February 8 to one felony count of making false statements to federal investigators probing corruption in the department. Alexander’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 7.
Thomas H. Peters, 56, of Pacific Palisades, the former chief of the Civil Litigation Branch of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, pleaded guilty on April 5 to one count of aiding and abetting extortion. Peters threatened to fire a plaintiffs’ attorney from a lucrative special counsel job with the city unless the attorney paid a substantial extortion demand from a former employee who was threatening to expose the city’s collusive litigation over its faulty water-and-power billing system. Peters, who is also cooperating with the ongoing investigation, is scheduled to be sentenced on August 2.
The FBI is investigating this matter. Any member of the public who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter in the City of Los Angeles is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s tip line at tips.fbi.gov or to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.
Assistant United States Attorneys Melissa Mills, Jamari Buxton, and Susan Har of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted this case.
Former Federal Felon Sent to Federal Prison Again for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Burlington man who distributed over 79 pounds of methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than 10 years in federal prison.
Corey Lowery, age 44, from Burlington, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 15, 2021, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Information disclosed at sentencing showed that, beginning in 2018, Lowery began distributing pound-quantities of methamphetamine to several individuals in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area. At the time, Lowery was still on federal supervised release as a result of his conviction in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. During the methamphetamine conspiracy, from 2018 to March 10, 2020, Lowery distributed at least 79 pounds of methamphetamine to the individuals from Cedar Rapids.
Lowery was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Lowery was sentenced to 126 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Lowery is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dillan Edwards and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; and the Burlington Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-00010.
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Former El Paso Physician Agrees to Pay $350,000 to Resolve Allegations that He Failed to Account for Large Quantities of OpioidsRead the Press Release
EL PASO – Dr. Herbert Nassour, a former physician in El Paso, has agreed to pay $350,000 under a civil settlement to resolve allegations he violated certain provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
Dr. Nassour was a physician registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to prescribe and dispense controlled substances through his private practice located in El Paso. The United States contends that Dr. Nassour violated the CSA by failing to properly account for over 11,000 doses of hydrocodone and by not maintaining the proper inventory or dispensing records for controlled substances as required by the CSA. The failure to account for such large doses of opioids raises serious concerns about the potential diversion of controlled substances. The settlement reflects the ongoing commitment of Department of Justice and DEA to address the opioid crisis and to prevent, detect and investigate the diversion of controlled substances.
“Doctors must live up to their obligations under the CSA to ensure that controlled substances are not illegally diverted into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff. “Protecting our community from the diversion of controlled substances is a priority for the DEA and this office.”
“Opioid misuse and abuse remain at epidemic levels in the United States,” said Greg Millard, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement’s El Paso Division. “Because the majority of opioid addictions in America start with prescription pills, registrants must do their part and comply with the rules and regulations set forth by the Controlled Substance Act. Through our oversight, DEA will ensure that registrants comply with the law.”
The DEA’s El Paso Diversion Group investigated this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eduardo R. Castillo handled this case on behalf of the government.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Former Defense Contractor Manager Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A former manager for a defense contractor pleaded guilty today to tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2010 through 2016, Ronald L. Thomas, of Wellington, Florida, worked in Afghanistan, Oman and the United Arab Emirates for a U.S. Department of Defense contracting company as a project director and in other roles. In 2016 and 2017, Thomas served as a paid consultant for a Mexican oil and gas venture. From 2010 to 2017 Thomas evaded taxes owed to the IRS by underreporting to his tax preparer the salaries and bonuses he earned for each of those years. In total, Thomas did not report approximately $870,000 in compensation he earned from 2010 through 2017, causing a tax loss to the government of more than $227,000.
Thomas is the third defendant associated with the defense contracting company to plead guilty. Charles Squires pleaded guilty to tax evasion in February 2022, and James Robar pleaded guilty to tax evasion in March 2022.
Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution 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 Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction are investigating the case.
Assistance was provided by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States.
Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis and Trial Attorneys Brittney Campbell and Sarah Ranney of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Goemaat of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
Former Defense Contractor Manager Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - A former manager for a defense contractor pleaded guilty today to tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2010 through 2016, Ronald L. Thomas, of Wellington, Florida, worked in Afghanistan, Oman and the United Arab Emirates for a U.S. Department of Defense contracting company as a project director and in other roles. In 2016 and 2017, Thomas served as a paid consultant for a Mexican oil and gas venture. From 2010 to 2017 Thomas evaded taxes owed to the IRS by underreporting to his tax preparer the salaries and bonuses he earned for each of those years. In total, Thomas did not report approximately $870,000 in compensation he earned from 2010 through 2017, causing a tax loss to the government of more than $227,000.
Thomas is the third defendant associated with the defense contracting company to plead guilty. Charles Squires pleaded guilty to tax evasion in February 2022, and James Robar pleaded guilty to tax evasion in March 2022.
Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution 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 Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction are investigating the case.
Assistance was provided by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States.
Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis and Trial Attorneys Brittney Campbell and Sarah Ranney of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Goemaat of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
Former Crestwood Mayor Sentenced to a Year in Federal Prison for Participating in Bribery Scheme Involving Red-Light Camera ServicesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The former mayor of Crestwood, Ill., was sentenced today to a year in federal prison for improperly soliciting and receiving benefits from an individual with a financial interest in a red-light camera company that provided services to the Chicago suburb.
LOUIS PRESTA, 71, of Crestwood, pleaded guilty last year to one count of using a facility in interstate commerce in aid of bribery and official misconduct, and one count of filing a false income tax return. U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin imposed the year-and-a-day sentence after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago.
“Public corruption is an extremely serious offense that erodes the public’s trust in all levels of government,” Assistant U.S. Attorney James P. Durkin argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “It tarnishes by association the honest public servants who view their jobs through the lens of what is in the public interest, not their own self-interest.”
According to Presta’s plea agreement with the government, the red-light camera company provided camera services to Crestwood that enabled the municipality to issue tickets to motorists for certain traffic violations. While the company was attempting to provide additional such services to Crestwood, then-Mayor Presta asked for and accepted benefits from the individual with a financial interest in the company. Presta told the individual that the percentage of red-light traffic violations that Presta approved would remain high or increase – in exchange for a cash payment to Presta from the individual, the plea agreement states.
The plea agreement describes a Feb. 27, 2018, phone call in which Presta updated the individual on the higher percentage of red-light traffic violations that Crestwood approved the previous week. During the call, Presta stated, “We’re starting to get the numbers again… you got a new sheriff in town.” Shortly after that call, Presta on March 7, 2018, received a $5,000 cash bribe from the individual. When subsequently questioned by federal law enforcement about his receipt of the $5,000 bribe payment, Presta falsely stated that he neither asked for nor received the $5,000 bribe.
In addition to the bribery scheme, Presta admitted in the plea agreement that he willfully filed a false personal income tax return for the calendar year 2015.