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Tuesday 15 March 2022
Jamaican National Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Prison for Drug, Gun and Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANDREW DAVIS, 41, a citizen of Jamaica last residing in Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 295 months of imprisonment for marijuana trafficking, firearm possession and money laundering offenses.
According to the evidence presented during Davis’ trial in December 2018, in 2013, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Connecticut State Police began an investigation into individuals who were moving large amounts of marijuana from the Southwestern United States to Connecticut. During the investigation, investigators intercepted four packages, each containing approximately eight kilograms of marijuana, from the U.S. Mail, and made multiple controlled purchases of the drug from a member of the trafficking ring.
Davis was arrested on February 1, 2017, after investigators conducted court-authorized searches of a Hamden apartment that Davis shared with his girlfriend, Shanice Goffe; a storage unit in West Haven that was rented in Goffe’s name, and two Bridgeport apartments that Davis maintained under different aliases.
A search of the Hamden residence revealed more than one pound of marijuana, a loaded 9mm handgun, boxes of .45 caliber ammunition, $62,409 in cash, and numerous false identifications, including a U.S. passport, all of which contained a photo of Davis. A search of the storage unit revealed approximately 33 kilograms of marijuana, ammunition and firearm magazines, additional false identifications, and $350,100 in cash. A search of a Bridgeport apartment rented in the name of “Cordel Freckleton” yielded one firearm, and a search of an apartment rented in the name of “Andrew Carter” revealed more than 60 pounds of marijuana and two firearms, one of which was stolen.
Investigators also seized a 2014 BMW X6, a 2016 Honda Accord, and a 2008 Honda Odyssey, all of which were registered to Goffe and had been purchased with proceeds of the marijuana trafficking enterprise.
The investigation further revealed that Davis, using the name “Steve Williams,” was under investigation in 2008 for marijuana trafficking. In August 2008, Bridgeport Police conducted a search of Davis’s Bridgeport apartment and discovered a fake identification, photos of Davis/Williams, three firearms, extended magazines, ammunition, drug packaging paraphernalia, marijuana packaged for resale, and eight UPS receipts for packages that had not arrived. Bridgeport Police subsequently seized the UPS packages, which contained a total of more than 75 pounds of marijuana. “Williams” was never located.
At the time of Davis’s federal arrest on February 1, 2017, investigators seized more than 40 identification cards with false names, including the names of the addressees of the 2008 Bridgeport packages. When presented to U.S. Marshals and asked his name, Davis said, “Let’s go with Steve Williams.”
On December 18, 2018, the jury found Davis guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Davis faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
On November 20, 2017, Goffe pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. On February 28, 2018, she was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment.
This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of Bridgeport Police Department, U.S Customs and Border Patrol and the U.S. Marshals Service.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
Iowa business owner pleads guilty to tax evasionRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – On March 10, 2022, Penny Layne Witt appeared in federal court and pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to evade or defeat tax. Witt is scheduled to be sentenced June 27, 2022, by United States District Court Judge Stephanie Rose. The charge of attempting to evade or defeat tax carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; a maximum fine of $100,000; and a term of up to three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Witt operated a tree trimming business under the names Ultimate Tree Service and Spruces Tree Service. She did not keep business records that listed work and gross receipts and did not have business or individual bank accounts. Witt conducted all business in cash and knowingly and intentionally paid all her employees in cash.
Witt admitted that she concealed records of gross income received and attempted to evade assessment of federal income tax. She also admitted that she was aware that she owed a substantial amount of federal taxes for gross income received for tax years 2016 and 2017 and that she willfully chose not to file returns for those years.
The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Incendiary BombRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty today to possessing an incendiary bomb.
According to statements made in court, on September 28, 2020, deputies with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office and firefighters encountered Daniel Justin Watts, 36, at his residence on Green Valley Road in Huntington. Watts had constructed an improvised incendiary device, commonly known as a “Molotov cocktail”, ignited it and threw it on his property which started a fire. Watts admitted to making the device.
Watts pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Act and faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on May 9, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office, and the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00119.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty today to a child pornography crime.
According to court documents, Curtis Ray Pelfrey, Jr., 35, admitted that from November 2018 to December 2019, he used eDonkey, an online file sharing program, to download and share videos and images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Pelfrey further admitted that on October 7, 2019, he received videos, using his computer, containing child pornography. Pelfrey admitted possessing on his computer 24 videos and five images depicting minors engages in sexually explicit conduct. Several of the images and videos have been identified as depicting known children. Pelfrey admitted that he has engaged in this sort of activity since 2014.
Pelfrey pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography and faces a mandatory minimum of five and up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 27, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie White is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00244.
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Group sentenced for trafficking firearmsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Clairvorn Kelly, the final defendant among a trio of indicted firearms traffickers, has been sentenced for conspiring to straw purchase firearms, illegal dealing in firearms, unlawfully transferring firearms to an out of state resident, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Co-defendants Jahziah Roy Lewis and Deja Bess have previously been sentenced for their roles in the criminal scheme.
“Straw purchasers of firearms, like these defendants, facilitate the transfer of weapons to felons and impede the efforts of law enforcement officers to stem the tide of illegal firearms in U.S. cities and abroad,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “We will continue leveraging our partnerships with ATF, BIS, HSI, and state and local law enforcement partners, to disrupt the illegal flow of weapons onto our streets.”
“This case and ultimate conviction highlights the fact that illegal gun trafficking not only affects our local communities but has implications far beyond our borders,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “At a time in which our ports, are seeing unprecedented traffic, this case highlights the need for ATF and our partners to be vigilant in investigating and prosecuting individuals who supply the illegal arms trade.”
"Illegally exporting firearms from the United States is a serious violation of our nation’s export control laws and can have dire consequences abroad,” said Nasir Khan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, Miami Field Office. “Disrupting trafficking networks is a priority for OEE Special Agents. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prevent firearms from potentially falling into the wrong hands overseas.”
“HSI’s work to prevent the smuggling of illegal weapons, and their associated violence, protects communities around the globe,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and its law enforcement partners are committed to catching and prosecuting those involved in this illegal trade.”
According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: Between February 18, 2017, and May 14, 2020, Clairvorn Kelly, a St. Kitts and Nevis citizen, along with his two accomplices, Jahziah Roy Lewis and Deja Bess, engaged in an international weapons trafficking conspiracy to purchase and illegally export approximately 36 firearms from the United States to the United Kingdom and the Caribbean via the U.S. Postal Service. Multiple firearms purchased by the defendants in Georgia were recovered in the United Kingdom and St. Kitts and tied to various criminal networks abroad.
At the time of the firearm purchases, Kelly, Lewis, and Bess conspired to, and did, complete firearms sales in which they falsely claimed to be the actual buyers of the firearms when they knew that they were buying the guns for someone else. Kelly then obliterated serial numbers on the firearms. The defendants illegally exported the weapons abroad.
U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash sentenced each of the defendants as follows:
- Clairvorn Kelly, 25, of St. Kitts and Nevis, was sentenced for of four years, three months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Kelly was convicted of conspiring to straw purchase firearms, illegal dealing in firearms, unlawfully transferring firearms to an out of state resident, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
- Jaziah Roy Lewis, 30, of Saint Kitts and Nevis, was sentenced on September 14, 2021, to four years, nine months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Lewis pleaded guilty to conspiring to straw purchase firearms, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, exporting firearms outside the United States, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
- Deja Bess, 25, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced on November 15, 2021, to three years of probation. Bess pleaded guilty to one count of straw purchasing a firearm.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Department of Homeland Security, with assistance from the United States Postal Service and the United Kingdom National Crime Agency, investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dash A. Cooper prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In keeping with the Attorney General’s mission to reduce violent crime, the Northern District of Georgia’s PSN program focuses on prosecuting those individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities, and supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community, and local community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal conduct.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Ghanaian National Pleads Guilty to Role in Romance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Ghanaian national pleaded guilty to his role in a romance fraud scheme.
According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, Banabas Ganidekam, 24, received fraudulent proceeds from a romance fraud scheme in his bank account that was held in Ohio which he later transferred to a bank account in Huntington. Ganidekam lived in Westerville, Ohio at the time. Ganidekam received the money through wire transfer services including, but not limited to, bank wire transfers, personal checks and cashier’s checks. Ganidekam admitted that he received the fraudulent money from at least 14 different victims.
Ganidekam pleaded guilty to wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 21, 2022. As part of his plea agreement, Ganidekam agreed to pay restitution in an amount to be determined by the court.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), the West Virginia State Police, and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys R. Gregory McVey and Kathleen Robeson are handling the prosecution.
The public is encouraged to report potential online fraud activity or scams at https://www.ic3.gov/.
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-0071.
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Georgia Cyber Fraud Task Force marks one year of progressRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia along with the Office of the Georgia Attorney General, six metro-Atlanta District Attorneys, the FBI Atlanta Field Office, U.S. Secret Service, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and local law enforcement joined forces one year ago to combat the laundering of cyber-enabled fraud proceeds through banks in the Atlanta area. This month the Georgia Cyber Fraud Task Force marks the anniversary with successes in prosecution, community outreach, and training events to combat the rise of “money mule” activity here in Atlanta.
“As a result of the extraordinary partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, money mules and other enablers of cyber-fraud related crimes in our District will be held accountable for their illegal conduct on a broad scale,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “This type of coordination and partnership strengthens our law enforcement response and works to protect our citizens.”
“For over a year, our Cyber Fraud Task Force has worked to investigate, prosecute and prevent cybercrime, and we are already moving the needle significantly,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “Through enhanced communication and collaboration on the local, state, and federal levels, we are strengthening our response to address this problem head-on and ensure bad actors are held accountable. We are proud of the role our office plays in protecting Georgia's citizens and businesses from cyber fraud schemes, and we will continue our efforts to disrupt this type of criminal enterprise in our state.”
“These important cases can seem daunting to an individual agency, but when you have a task force like this one full of resources, we can work together to bring justice to victims. The Clayton County District Attorney’s Office looks forward to continued partnership and success with the Georgia Cyber-Fraud Task Force,” said Clayton County District Attorney Tasha Mosley.
“We are proud to work together with our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to combat cyber fraud. We will continue to do our part to hold accountable the criminals who hide behind computer screens and phone calls to rob our citizens of their hard-earned money,” said Cobb County District Attorney Flynn D. Broady Jr.
“The Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney remains committed to this partnership. Combatting cyber fraud is a top priority as we endeavor to protect unwitting and vulnerable individuals and entities from this predatory crime. Joint collaboration between local, state and federal partners is integral to our success,” said DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston.
“It is no secret that fraud is a major problem in Atlanta. That is why I have made it a priority for my office’s White Collar Crime Unit to participate in the Georgia Cyber Fraud Task Force alongside our fellow Metro Atlanta law enforcement partners to keep money out of the hands of criminals. I promised the citizens of Fulton County that I would protect our community from criminal enterprises, and that is exactly what this task force is accomplishing,” said Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
“As these crimes become more prevalent, it is imperative that we work in concert to obliterate them. Our constituency is placed in peril when criminals take advantage of them. The financial cyber fraud task force is a strong vehicle to keep our communities safe and we look forward to continued work with them,” said Gwinnett Judicial Circuit District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson.
“The FBI would like to thank our federal, state and local partners for their successful coordinated effort to fight cyber fraud throughout the state of Georgia over the past year,” said Philip Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We plan to continue working together to tackle the ever-changing cyber threat through continuous community education on cyber hygiene and relentless pursuit in investigating and prosecuting cyber criminals.”
“The success of the Georgia Cyber-Fraud Task Force relies on the dedication of its partners,” said Steven R. Baisel, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service-Atlanta Field Office. “We will continue to provide the resources needed to fight this kind of fraud.”
“With advancements in technology, Georgians and Georgia businesses are highly susceptible to online fraud. By partnering with the members of this task force, the GBI’s Georgia Cyber Crime Center (G3C) has successfully conducted several cyber investigations in an effort to help combat these fraudulent schemes,” said Vic Reynolds, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Business Email Compromise (BEC) fraud schemes, romance scams, sweepstakes scams, and so-called grandparent scams, all result in a signification amount of personal and business wealth being funneled by fraudsters into bank accounts opened for the purpose of accepting those fraud proceeds. The person responsible for opening the bank account, or accepting the funds into an already existing account, is referred to as a “money mule;” their job is to accept the money and transfer most of it on to other fraudsters in the scheme—their payout is to keep a portion of the money. FBI statistics show Atlanta in the top five cities nationwide for money mule activity.
The task force has engaged with business leaders and community organizations to raise awareness of the money mule issue in our city, including presentations to banking and real estate professionals’ groups as well as the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Board. Members of the task force have made presentations to church and community groups to provide valuable information to citizens about how to avoid becoming a victim and what to do in the event that a scam is successful. The task force is also committed to the training and continuing education of both prosecutors and law enforcement tasked with responding to these crimes and has made several presentations to law enforcement and investigator groups both locally and nationally.
During the past year, the Georgia Cyber Fraud Task Force has referred out over 50 leads to local and state law enforcement for investigation of money mules. Those leads have come from the Internet Crime Complaint Center, known as IC3, and from leads sent to the task force from law enforcement all over the country through the StopTheMuleGa initiative.
The leads have so far resulted in charges against the following individuals:
• Bernard Kaba, 61, of Morrow, Georgia, is charged with three counts of theft by taking in connection with his receipt of BEC fraud proceeds.
• Borin Khoun, 44, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, is charged with four counts of theft by taking in connection with his receipt of fraud proceeds from a romance scam.
• Mark L. Jones, 65, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with one count of theft by taking in connection with his receipt of BEC fraud proceeds that had targeted the proceeds of a real estate closing.
• Bobby Umogbai, 24, of Atlanta, Georgia, was arrested on theft charges related to his receipt of BEC fraud proceeds.
• Alexis Garcia, 24, of Smyrna, Georgia, is charged with wire fraud and money laundering charges related to his receipt of proceeds from a government imposter scam.
• Olayemi Fadipe, 40, of Duluth, Georgia, was arrested on theft charges related to his receipt of fraud proceeds from the victim of a romance scam.
• Eugene W. McNair Jr., 50, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was arrested on theft charges related to his receipt of BEC fraud proceeds.
• Chigbogwu G. Nnamani, 52, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was arrested on theft charges related to his receipt of BEC fraud proceeds.
Members of the public are reminded that these are only charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The Georgia Cyber Fraud Task Force members include representatives from the following agencies: United States Attorney’s Office, Georgia Attorney General’s Office, Cobb County District Attorney, Clayton County District Attorney, DeKalb County District Attorney, Douglas County District Attorney, Fulton County District Attorney, Gwinnett County District Attorney, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Secret Service, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Atlanta Police Department, Riverdale Police Department, Gwinnett County Police Department, Alpharetta Police Department, DeKalb County Police Department, Dunwoody Police Department, East Point Police Department, South Fulton Police Department, Smyrna Police Department, Sandy Springs Police Department, and Georgia Department of Driver Services.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Gentry Woman Sentenced to over 23 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Gentry woman was sentenced yesterday to 280 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and one count of Money Laundering. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, in August of 2019, agents with Homeland Security Investigations received information that Jessica Marie Harcrow, age 40, was trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine into the Northwest Arkansas area from Oklahoma.
In August and September of 2019, agents conducted multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Harcrow in Decatur, Arkansas. On July 14, 2020, Harcrow used proceeds from drug trafficking to obtain a cashier’s check for $26,000.00. Harcrow then used the check to purchase a parcel of land.
On May 14, 2021, agents executed a search warrant on a residence owned by Harcrow in Delaware County, Oklahoma. During the search, law enforcement located and seized approximately five pounds of methamphetamine, a firearm, multiple plastic baggies, and a digital scale.
In August 2021, the defendant gave a voluntary interview and admitted to distributing methamphetamine to three other members of her drug trafficking organization. She further admitted that drug trafficking was her primary source of income. At sentencing, Harcrow was determined to be the leader of her drug trafficking organization and held responsible for seizures of over 5 kilograms of actual methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations Fayetteville, the Benton County Drug Unit, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sydney Butler prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Founders of Boston Nonprofit Indicted on Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The founders of a local nonprofit, Violence in Boston (VIB), have been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with a series of alleged schemes designed to defraud VIB and its donors, the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and a mortgage lending business based in Chicago.
Monica Cannon-Grant, 41, and her husband Clark Grant, 38, both of Taunton, were charged in an 18-count indictment with two counts of wire fraud conspiracy; one count of conspiracy; 13 counts of wire fraud; and one count of making false statements to a mortgage lending business. The indictment also charges Cannon-Grant with one count of mail fraud.
Cannon-Grant was arrested this morning and will make her initial appearance in federal court in Boston later today. Grant was previously charged by criminal complaint in October 2021 with one count of wire fraud and one count of false statements on a loan and credit application. An arraignment date for Grant has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
Cannon-Grant is the founder and CEO of VIB, an anti-violence nonprofit formally established in 2017, the stated purpose of which is to reduce violence, raise social awareness and aid community causes in Boston, among other purposes. Grant is Cannon-Grant’s husband, a founding director of VIB, and until recently a full-time employee for a commuter services company since July 2018.
The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to use VIB as a vehicle to solicit and receive charitable contributions from institutional and individual donors that they then used for a wide range of personal expenses and to enrich themselves while concealing such expenditures from VIB directors, officers and others. Specifically, from 2017 through at least 2020, it is alleged that Cannon-Grant and Grant exercised exclusive control over VIB financial accounts and diverted VIB money to themselves through cash withdrawals, cashed checks, debit purchases and transfers to their personal bank accounts.
On numerous occasions between 2017 through 2021, Cannon-Grant allegedly applied for public and private funded grants and donations in which she represented the funds were to be used for VIB charitable purposes. However, it is alleged that Cannon-Grant and Grant used grant and donation money to pay for personal expenses including, among other things, hotel reservations; groceries; gas; car rentals; auto repairs; Uber rides; restaurants; food deliveries; nail salons; and personal travel. The defendants did not disclose to other VIB directors or VIB’s bookkeepers or financial auditors that they had used VIB funds for such payments.
The defendants also allegedly conspired to defraud the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) by collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits while at the same time collecting income from a variety of sources, including VIB funds utilized for Cannon-Grant and Grant’s personal expenses, consulting fees paid to Cannon-Grant, compensation paid directly by VIB to Cannon-Grant, and the annual salary paid to Grant by his employer for his full-time job. According to the indictment, beginning in or about May 2020 through 2021, Grant and Cannon-Grant fraudulently applied for PUA benefits, created by Congress in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, that they knew they were not eligible to receive. The defendants allegedly coordinated the submission of false online applications and certifications for PUA funds, concealed their income, used the fraudulently obtained PUA funds to pay for their joint household expenses and other personal expenditures, and created and submitted phony documentation in order to continue receiving weekly PUA COVID-19 benefits.
Additionally, the defendants allegedly conspired to defraud an Illinois-based mortgage lender when applying for a home mortgage loan in July 2021. Specifically, it is alleged that from in or about May 2021 through July 2021, Grant and Cannon-Grant submitted to the mortgage lender false information and fraudulent documentation that represented VIB assets as personal assets and concealed the fraudulent nature of Grant’s PUA income, as well as the fraudulent nature of gift funds Grant received in order to help pay for mortgage fees and closing costs.
If you have information pertaining to the crimes alleged against the defendants, you may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts at: 617-748-3663.
The charges of wire fraud conspiracy each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The charge of making false statements to a mortgage lending business provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Massachusetts Inspector General Glenn A. Cunha; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigation; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Chao and Adam Deitch of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former inmate indicted on drug chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Hollie D. Adkins, an inmate formerly housed at Federal Correctional Institution Hazelton, was indicted today on contraband charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Adkins, 34, was indicted today on one count of “Conspiracy to Introduce and Obtain a Prohibited Object (Narcotic)” and one count of “Attempt to Introduce a Prohibited Object (Narcotic).” Adkins is accused of working with others to smuggle suboxone into FCI Hazelton from the summer of 2021 to October 2021 in Preston County.
Adkins is facing up to five years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the conspiracy charge and faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the attempt charge. 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 Prisons Special Investigative Services and the DEA investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former CEO and COO of JHL Biotech Sentenced for Conspiring to Steal Trade Secrets and Commit Wire Fraud Exceeding $101 MillionRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Racho Jordanov, the co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of JHL Biotech, and Rose Lin, another of the company’s co-founders and former Chief Operating Officer, were sentenced today for their respective roles in conspiring to commit trade secret theft and wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, Internal Revenue Service ̶ Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Special Agent in Charge Mark H. Pearson, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair. Jordanov was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of twelve months and one day, to be followed by a term of supervised release of 36 months, a condition of which shall be to serve nine months in home confinement. Lin was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of twelve months and one day, to be followed by a term of supervised release of 36 months. The sentences were handed down today by the Hon. William Alsup, Senior U.S. District Judge.
Both defendants pleaded guilty to the charges on August 24, 2021. According to the plea agreements, in 2012, Raco Ivanov Jordanov, also known as “Racho” Jordanov, 74, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and Rose Lin, also known as Rose Sweihorn Tong, 73, of South San Francisco, Calif., co-founded JHL Biotech, Inc., a biopharmaceutical startup in Taiwan. Between 2011 and 2019, Jordanov, as President and CEO of JHL Biotech, obtained and possessed confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information from Genentech, and used it to accelerate the timeline for and to reduce the costs of JHL Biotech’s development and production of Genentech biosimilars and to enhance JHL Biotech’s ability to meet various regulatory requirements related to the same. By various means, Jordanov obtained for JHL Biotech’s use many confidential and proprietary documents from Genentech without authorization, some of which contained trade secret information. In so doing, he worked with multiple people within JHL Biotech to possess and use confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information he knew JHL Biotech was not authorized to have.
According to the plea agreement, Jordanov hired former Genentech employees to work at JHL Biotech, several of whom he learned surreptitiously brought, without authorization, confidential and proprietary documents with them from Genentech to JHL Biotech. The company used only some of the stolen documents, but Jordanov tolerated this practice by the employees of JHL Biotech and made no effort to discourage its employees from using the documents or information they brought with them. The employees Jordanov hired provided the Genentech documents and information to JHL Biotech, which, at times, allowed the company to cheat, cut corners, solve problems, provide examples, avoid further experimentation, eliminate costs, lend scientific assurance, and otherwise help JHL Biotech start-up, develop, and operate its business secretly using the intellectual property and scientific know-how taken from Genentech. Jordanov admitted that he suspected that some or all the stolen information was brought to JHL Biotech in violation of relevant Genentech non-disclosure agreements and employment contracts, but he made no effort to verify whether that was true.
In January 2014, Lin arranged for Xanthe Lam, a Principal Scientist working full-time at Genentech, to secretly work as the head of formulation for JHL Biotech. Lin encouraged JHL Biotech scientists to ask Xanthe Lam for assistance or information when they ran into problems. Throughout this time, Lin knew that Xanthe Lam continued to work for Genentech and was not authorized to work for JHL Biotech. Lin also knew that Xanthe Lam did not want Genentech to learn of her work for JHL Biotech. Lin agreed to pay Xanthe Lam’s consultancy fee through her husband, Allen Lam. To further conceal Xanthe Lam’s work for the company, JHL Biotech did not enter a direct contract with Xanthe Lam. Instead, it always paid her through Allen Lam. Lin agreed to conceal Xanthe Lam’s work for JHL Biotech because Lin knew Genentech would not permit Xanthe Lam to work for another biotech company. Lin also directed JHL Biotech employees to use Allen Lam’s JHL email address to email questions to Xanthe Lam. Lin also instructed JHL Biotech employees to refer to Xanthe Lam as “Allen” in these email communications.
In early 2014, Lin learned that JHL Biotech employees were using confidential and proprietary documents, taken without authorization from Genentech, to create a set of JHL Biotech standard operating procedure (“SOPs”). JHL Biotech needed SOPs to apply for the initial Good Manufacturing Practices or “GMP” certification of its manufacturing facility by the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration or “Taiwan FDA.” Lin was in charge of the process for ensuring that JHL Biotech met the deadlines set for the GMP certification process. In that role, Lin was copied on emails where JHL Biotech employees discussed using Genentech documents to create JHL Biotech’s SOPs. Ultimately, 90-100 SOPs were generated in this way. Lin knew the JHL Biotech employees did not have the right to use Genentech’s documents and that their actions constituted theft from Genentech.
Between 2014 and 2018, Jordanov sometimes personally used and instructed others to use confidential, proprietary, trade secret Genentech documents and information relating to Genentech’s complex technology transfer procedures and processes. He used Genentech’s confidential and tech transfer documents in the development, construction, and operation of new facilities for JHL Biotech including its manufacturing facility in Wuhan, China. Jordanov instructed the employees to whom he sent the documents not to share them with others inside the company. Later, in September of 2018, after the criminal investigation had begun, the JHL employee Jordanov tasked with using the Genentech tech transfer documents was instructed by Jordanov to delete the email from Jordanov and its attachment and Jordanov instructed the employee to tell others at JHL Biotech to do the same.
In early-December 2016, Jordanov and Lin met with representatives of Sanofi S.A., the multi-national French pharmaceutical company, for approximately one week, during which they reviewed the strategic partnership agreement to be entered into by Sanofi and JHL Biotech. During this week-long meeting, Jordanov and Lin reviewed each section of the prospective partnership agreements in detail. Some of the sections of the agreements involved JHL Biotech representing to Sanofi that it had developed and was conducting its biosimilar operations without infringing the intellectual property rights of other companies or using other companies’ proprietary information. Jordanov and Lin did not disclose their possession and use of stolen Genentech documents to Sanofi, and instead, Jordanov signed the partnership agreements on behalf of JHL Biotech. By concealing these facts, Jordanov and Lin made it appear, falsely, that JHL Biotech had developed its own, or had lawfully obtained, the intellectual property that the biotech company used when, in fact, JHL Biotech had relied upon intellectual property, including confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information that it stole or received without authorization to obtain regulatory approval for its clinical trials, and build out its manufacturing capability. Jordanov and Lin knew that if they had not concealed these facts, Sanofi would not have agreed to the corporate transaction and invest approximately $80 million in JHL Biotech securities pursuant to the subscription agreement and approximately $21 million pursuant to Biologics Products Options Agreement (BPOA) for a total investment by Sanofi in JHL Biotech of approximately $101 million.
On June 1, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Jordanov and Lin, charging both defendants with the following charges: (1) conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets and wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; (2) wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 2 (three counts each defendant); (3) international money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (nine counts against Jordanov and five counts against Lin); and (4) conspiracy to obstruct justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. In addition, the indictment charges Jordanov with two counts of theft of trade secrets, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1832(a)(1)(2)(3) and 2; and charges Lin with one additional count of making false statements to a government agency, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). Pursuant to the plea agreements, both defendants pleaded guilty to count one of the indictment, conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets and wire fraud. The remaining charges were dismissed at sentencing.
On July 7, 2021, in a related case, United States v. Xanthe Lam and Allen Lam, Case No. 18-cr-0527 WHA, both Xanthe Lam and Allen Lam pleaded guilty to, among other offenses, conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets by stealing confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information from Genentech and giving it to JHL Biotech.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam A. Reeves and Claudia A. Quiroz are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Beth Margen and Kathy Tat. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service ̶ Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Former Bank Employee Indicted in $8 Million Fraud and Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County, New Jersey, man was indicted for his role in a conspiracy to bilk millions of dollars from a bank, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Kurt Phelps, 53, of Flanders, New Jersey, is charged by indictment returned March 11, 2022, with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank bribery. Three of Phelps’ conspirators previously pleaded guilty in connection with the fraud scheme.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2013 through 2019, Phelps and his conspirators carried out a scheme to defraud Phelps’ employer, a bank. They obtained millions of dollars of credit from the bank for Starnet Business Solutions Inc. (Starnet), a now-defunct New Jersey based printing company, where Phelps’ conspirators worked. Phelps’ conspirators paid him large cash bribes in connection with the fraud scheme.
In 2013, Starnet received a line of credit from the bank after providing materially false financial information. The bank not only allowed Starnet to maintain the line of credit, at various times it increased the line of credit. By 2018, the line of credit was worth approximately $8 million, and Starnet has not repaid it.
Phelps was aware that financial information Starnet provided to the bank for the line of credit was materially false, and coached Starnet on how to defraud the bank. Phelps would review draft financial information for Starnet and provide feedback on how his conspirators should falsify the information before submission. Phelps also worked to ensure that the bank did not detect the fraud scheme by helping Starnet avoid audits and other quality control measures employed by the bank.
Phelps solicited large cash bribes – tens of thousands of dollars at a time – from Starnet in connection with the fraud scheme. Phelps’s conspirators pooled cash to pay Phelps bribe payments. Over the course of the conspiracy, Phelps accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash bribes.
The conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank bribery charges each carry a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to the indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Suchorsky of the
Economic Crimes Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fitchburg Woman Sentenced in Wide-Ranging Fentanyl, Heroin, Crack and Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fitchburg woman was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for her role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
Monica Troche, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Nov. 30, 2021, Troche pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 280 grams or more of cocaine base (crack cocaine) and 500 grams or more of cocaine. Troche also pleaded guilty to five counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.
According to court documents, following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, law enforcement began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in the Fitchburg area led by co-conspirators Pedro Baez and Anthony Baez. Intercepted phone communications by the DTO and its suppliers revealed that Troche worked with Anthony Baez to distribute a fentanyl and heroin mixture and cocaine. On six separate instances, between May and September 2019, Troche assisted Anthony Baez selling a fentanyl and heroin mixture as well as cocaine to a cooperating witness. Specifically, on Sept. 24, 2019, Troche and Anthony Baez sold a cooperating witness 500 grams of fentanyl and 500 grams of cocaine. Additionally, in August and September 2019, multiple calls between Troche and Anthony Baez were intercepted during which they discussed establishing a drug supply and customer base for Troche. At the time of her arrest in November 2019, over 58 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin were seized from Troche’s residence. In total, Troche was responsible for distributing over one kilogram of fentanyl and 500 grams of cocaine.
Over the course of the investigation, over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilograms of cocaine and over 50 grams of crack cocaine, as well as a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000 was seized.
Troche was charged along with 17 others in July 2020. Troche is the fourth defendant to be sentenced in the case. In December 2020, Anthony Baez was sentenced by Judge Hillman to 13 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Pedro Baez pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 17, 2022.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Fitchburg Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Lunenburg Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
The operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Final Defendant in International Credit Card Scheme with 71 Shell Companies and Moscow Connections Sentenced to over 24 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Aleksandr Maslov, 40, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to 24 years and four months in prison, for his involvement in an international credit card fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to evidence presented in the trials of his co-defendants and in court documents, between approximately Oct. 5, 2011, and March 5, 2014, Maslov conspired with Rouslan Kirilyuk, 43, of Los Angeles; Mihran Melkonyan, 41, of Sacramento; Rouslan Akhmerov, 46, of Studio City; and others in a massive credit card billing scheme that involved working with Moscow‑based hackers to create approximately 71 fraudulent online companies established with the sole purpose of fraudulently charging approximately 119,000 stolen credit card numbers. In total, the members of the scheme billed the stolen credit card numbers for over $3.4 million in unauthorized charges.
To create the fraudulent companies, the members of the scheme obtained over 200 stolen report cards from the San Juan Unified School District in Sacramento. Those report cards had students’ personally identifiable information (PII) on them including names and social security numbers. Using that personal identity information, Kirilyuk and his associates created fraudulent companies with names designed to sound like real companies, such as “CVS Store,” “Walt Mart,” and “Chevran.”
Working with at least one hacker based in Moscow, Maslov and his conspirators used those fraudulent companies to charge stolen American Express credit card account numbers. To transfer the stolen money, they used shell bank accounts held in the names of individuals whose identities had been stolen and accounts in the names of former Russian J-1 Student Visa holders who had returned to Russia after opening multiple bank accounts in California.
The members of the conspiracy also used numerous runners in the Los Angeles area to withdraw money in the form of cash. The conspirators then sent a portion of the stolen money to Moscow, using prepaid debit cards and by hiding cash inside of items shipped through the mail. According to court documents, Maslov’s co-defendant, Kirilyuk has a history of corporate cyber-intrusion dating back to at least 2003.
Maslov, Kirilyuk and Melkonyan all fled to avoid prosecution. Kirilyuk was apprehended in Mexico and arrested by FBI agents after being flown to San Francisco. Melkonyan was apprehended in California after re-entering the United States. Maslov was apprehended in Virginia.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sacramento Field Division with assistance from FBI’s Los Angeles Field Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Anderson and Heiko P. Coppola prosecuted the case.
In trial on Feb. 15, 2017, Melkonyan was found guilty of 24 counts of wire fraud and two counts of mail fraud charged against him related to the scheme. He was sentenced on January 4, 2019, to 19 years and two months in prison.
In trial, on Feb. 26, 2019, Kirilyuk was found guilty of 24 counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of failure to appear. He was sentenced on Dec. 6, 2019, to 27 years in prison.
On Dec. 15, 2014, Akhmerov pleaded guilty to one count of access device fraud for his participation in the scheme and was sentenced to time served.
Federal Jury Convicts Anchorage Man on Murder and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – Following a three-week trial in U.S. District Court, a federal jury convicted an Anchorage man on charges of murder in furtherance of a continuing criminal enterprise, using a firearm to commit murder in a drug trafficking crime, drug conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Matthew Wilson Moi, aka “Matt Matt,” 36, was involved in a drug trafficking enterprise that operated in Alaska between January 2017 and October 2019. The enterprise arranged for packages of multiple kilograms of heroin and methamphetamine to be sent from California to Alaska via the U.S. Postal Service to various addresses in the Anchorage area. The drugs were then re-packaged for sale and further distribution by other members and associates of the drug ring. In 2018, Moi began directing operations in Alaska, including coordinating distribution of narcotics through the mail, while other co-conspirators arranged for shipments from California. The enterprise also laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds through deposits into financial institutions, wire transfers, and bulk cash smuggling from Alaska to other parts of the country.
In April 2019, the enterprise mailed a package of heroin to the Anchorage residence of Navarrow Andrews. After Moi and other co-conspirators spent several days attempting to recover the package without success, Moi concluded that Andrews had stolen it. On April 8, 2019, Moi shot and killed Andrews in an Anchorage alley for stealing the drugs. Moi then fled Alaska, first to Louisiana and then to Los Angeles, where he continued to assist the drug ring with the direction and shipment of narcotic packages to Alaska. In September 2019, federal agents intercepted a shipment of five kilograms of heroin destined for Wasilla. Through a coordinated series of operations, law enforcement arrested co-conspirators in Alaska, California and Florida.
“Drug trafficking is truly one of the great scourges of the modern world,” said U.S. Attorney John Kuhn of the District of Alaska. “Not only do drug traffickers destroy the lives of their customers with their addictive and deadly products, but those like Mr. Moi engage in violent acts and murder as part of their trade. This conviction finally puts an end to a prolific and highly dangerous drug trafficking operation. I commend the federal agencies and the Anchorage Police Department for their investigative work and our prosecutors for securing these convictions.”
“Matthew Wilson Moi and his criminal enterprise of dangerous drug traffickers were pushing potentially lethal drugs and brought violence to the communities in Anchorage,” said Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent-in- Charge DEA Seattle Field Division. “This conviction sends a strong message that the DEA and law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to drive down drug-related violence through coordinated enforcement operations and hold those predatory drug traffickers responsible for causing the most harm in our communities.”
“The shipment of illegal narcotics has no place in the US Postal Service and the State of Alaska. The conviction of Moi removes a dangerous criminal from the streets and provides closure to the family of his victim,” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti. “The US Postal Inspection Service will continue to aggressively investigate those who use the US Mail in support of their criminal activities. We thank our state, local and federal partners for their support and efforts in this investigation.”
“Unfortunately, no community is immune to the dangers of drug trafficking. This trial has shed additional light on the utter greed and brutality of those engaged in selling heroin and laundering its proceeds,” said Special Agent in Charge Bret Kressin, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), Seattle Field Office. “IRS:CI will not stand idly by while drug trafficking continues to irreparably harm our communities. We continue to stand with our law enforcement partners in our efforts to eradicate and dismantle violent drug trafficking organizations by exercising our expertise in tracing the ill-gotten gains of drug traffickers like Mr. Moi.”
“Ultimately this case came to fruition with the help of our partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Alaska State Troopers,” said Anchorage Police Chief Michael Kerle. “Due to the many hours of work put in by all involved, the person responsible has been brought to justice.”
Co-conspirators in the drug enterprise included:
- Jordan Jerome Shanholtzer aka “Two-3 or 23,” 34, pleaded guilty to managing a continuing criminal enterprise and is awaiting sentencing.
- Kenneth Antonio Kiare Ford, aka “Keyes,” 31, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
- Myrick Anthoni Elliott, 36, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison.
- Isaiah Michael Roderick, aka “Izzy”, 22, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
- Marvin Nelson, aka “Unc or Old School,” 57, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and IRS Criminal Investigation, investigated the case, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Anchorage Police Department and the Alaska Department of Public Safety.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Klugman and Kelly Cavanaugh prosecuted the case.
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. Additional information about OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Eagle Butte Woman Sentenced for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on March 14, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Frances Sioux Montero, age 40, was sentenced to seven months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a fine in the amount of $1,000, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Montero was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 10, 2021. She pled guilty on September 30, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on May 12, 2021, in Eagle Butte. Montero knowingly and intentionally possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute the drug.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Montero was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Derry Man Indicted on Child Sexual Abuse Image ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Jason Ellis, 45, of Derry was indicted by a federal grand jury on Monday and charged with one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography, United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
Ellis was arrested on a criminal complaint on February 16, 2022, and is being detained pending trial. The original complaint filed in court alleges that on February 12, 2021, Ellis engaged in sexually graphic online chats with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old girl. During those chats, Ellis sent an image of an erect penis to the officer. In another online chat in January of 2022, Ellis sent to the undercover officer an image of a nude, prepubescent female child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The charges in the indictment are only allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Derry Police Department.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Connecticut Man Sentenced for $4 Million Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A Weatogue, Connecticut man who conspired with an IRS officer to con the United States out of $4 million in overdue employment taxes has been sentenced to four years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Carmine Bianco, 49, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to conspiracy to defraud the United States. He was sentenced Tuesday by Senior U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means, who ordered him to pay $4,744,326 in restitution.
According to plea papers, Mr. Bianco admitted that at the suggestion of Sonya Vivar – an IRS revenue officer with whom he was friends – he acquired the assets of three businesses that were delinquent on their employment taxes, including a restaurant, an emergency services medical company, and a rehabilitation center.
In contracts with the business owners, Mr. Bianco pledged to resolve the businesses’ tax liabilities. He did not. Instead, he transferred their assets into newly formed business entities, then continued to operate the businesses under different names without paying the delinquent taxes.
Meanwhile, Ms. Vivar made sure the businesses’ tax cases were assigned to her and used her position to ensure that Bianco’s companies would not have to pay the taxes owed.
Eventually, however, the rehabilitation center case was transferred to another revenue officer, who suspected fraud and referred the case to the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and IRS – Criminal Investigations.
When she learned the case had been referred, Ms. Vivar made entries into IRS’s records system indicating Mr. Bianco was not responsible for paying employment taxes to the IRS. She then attempted to conceal her relationship with Mr. Bianco from federal investigators.
Ms. Vivar pleaded guilty in November 2020 to corrupt endeavor to obstruct or impede the due administration of internal revenue laws and was sentenced in July 2021 to three years in federal prison.
At Friday’s sentencing hearing, the judge found that due to the defendants’ crimes, the IRS lost the opportunity to collect more than $4 million in taxes and ordered restitution.
IRS – Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay Weimer and Rob Boudreau prosecuted the case.
Clearfield Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Clearfield, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 8 years in prison followed by 4 years supervised release on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Chad Lawhead, 49, of 430 19th Street, Clearfield, PA.
According to information presented to the court, from July 2019 to June 2020, Lawhead did conspire to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Ms. Chung commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Lawhead. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Millcreek Police Department, Erie Bureau of Police, and other local law enforcement agencies.
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.
Clarksburg man indicted on drug chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jesse James Wilson, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was indicted today on drug charges, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Wilson, 38, was indicted today on one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine,” two counts of “Distribution of Methamphetamine,” one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine,” one count of “Possession of Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime,” one count of “Maintaining Drug-Involved Premises,” and one count of “Removing Property Subject to Forfeiture.” Wilson is accused of trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine from the summer of 2021 to October 2021 in Harrison County and elsewhere. Wilson is accused of maintaining a property on Chestnut Street in Clarksburg to further this conspiracy.
As a part of the indictment, the government is seeking Wilson to forfeit four firearms, ammunition, more than $9,000 in cash, and 27 pre-paid gift cards.
Wilson is facing up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for the conspiracy count and each of the distribution counts. He faces at least 10 years and up to life incarceration for the 50 grams or more count. Wilson faces at least five years and up to life of incarceration for the use of a firearm during a crime of violence count. He also faces up to five years of incarceration for the removing property count. 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 Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the DEA; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; and the Martinsburg Police investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Charleston Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Rance McNeil, 48, sold a confidential informant approximately two ounces of methamphetamine for $1,200 on March 11, 2021. The transaction took place at McNeil’s Charleston residence. An informant conducted additional controlled buys of methamphetamine from McNeil at his residence on March 1, April 8, and May 13, 2021. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at McNeil’s residence on May 18, 2021, resulting in the seizure of large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as over $20,000 in U.S. currency. McNeil admitted he had been distributing bulk quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin and that the seized cash was drug proceeds.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Negar M. Kordestani prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00203.
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Bridgeport Heroin Distributor Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that RAY FONTANEZ, also known as “Pun,” 34, of Bridgeport, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2017, members of the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and Bridgeport Police Department began investigating individuals who were distributing narcotics in and around Bridgeport. The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, resulted in federal charges against 19 defendants and the seizure of narcotics, items used to process and package drugs for street sale, eight firearms, and more than $360,000 in cash. Fontanez was intercepted over a wiretap discussing the acquisition and distribution of heroin with Luis Martinez. The conversations revealed that Fontanez, who sold heroin to his own customers, was helping Martinez transition from the sale of cocaine and opioid pills to the sale of heroin.
Fontanez was arrested on January 15, 2019. On December 20, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Martinez, also known as “Macho,” of Stratford, pleaded guilty to narcotics distribution and firearm offenses and, on January 26, 2021, was sentenced to 63 months of imprisonment.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department, as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut State Police, and the Stratford, Norwalk, Seymour and Trumbull Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and Patrick J. Doherty through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Billings meth trafficker sentenced to more than 15 years in prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in the community after law enforcement found almost one pound of meth and a loaded firearm in his vehicle was sentenced today to 15 years and eight months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Joel Zamora, 41, pleaded guilty in August 2021 to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents filed in the case, the government alleged that Zamora was repeatedly caught with large quantities of meth he intended to distribute. In November 2020, law enforcement investigating Zamora suspected he had a drug supplier in Butte and conducted a traffic stop of his vehicle on Interstate 90. A search of the vehicle pursuant to a warrant found a loaded handgun under the driver’s seat, a bag containing about 400 grams, which is slightly less than one pound, of meth in a metal box on the front passenger floorboard and $3,500 cash.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI’s Western Transnational Organized Crime Task Force and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Billings man admits trafficking meth, fentanyl, heroinRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man accused of possessing multiple drugs, including methamphetamine and more than 9,000 fentanyl pills, for distribution admitted to a trafficking crime today, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Eric Charles Swan, 44, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Swan faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Swan was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that law enforcement began an investigation into Swan and co-defendant Elizabeth Ronshaugen in 2021 after receiving information of possible drug trafficking. In November, agents observed that Swan was traveling to Denver and returning to Montana. Law enforcement pulled over Swan and Ronshaugen near Buffalo, Wyoming, and Swan was found to have several fentanyl pills in the pocket of his clothing. During a search of the vehicle, Wyoming law enforcement located approximately 9,616 fentanyl pills, approximately 466 grams, or a little more than one pound, of heroin, 103 grams of meth, a gram of cocaine, 14 Dialudid pills and $9,775 in U.S. currency. Ronshaugen has pleaded not guilty to charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas K. Godfrey is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Bank Employee Sentenced to 24 Months for Defrauding Her Employer of $1.7 MillionRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that GANGADAI RAMPERSAUD AZIM, a/k/a “Julie Azim,” was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for her role in a more than decade-long conspiracy to commit bank fraud, defrauding her employer, a Manhattan-based bank, by intentionally falsifying the bank’s books and records in order to misappropriate approximately $1.7 million. AZIM was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.
According to the allegations in the Complaint, court filings, and statements made during public court proceedings:
Between August 2008 and January 2021, AZIM, a long-time employee of a New York, New York-based bank (“Bank-1”), stole approximately $1.7 million from her employer. Over the course of approximately 12 years, AZIM executed hundreds of wire transfers of Bank-1 funds to co-conspirators and related companies, who then sent portions of the ill-gotten funds to AZIM’s personal bank account.
In furtherance of her scheme to defraud Bank-1, AZIM repeatedly made false entries in Bank-1’s systems, misappropriating funds paid to Bank-1 by its clients to satisfy outstanding loan obligations and then extending the maturity dates of those loan obligations, making it appear as though the loan obligations had not yet been paid. When even the fraudulently extended maturity dates came due, AZIM originated new, fraudulent loans, to help conceal the scheme. AZIM utilized the proceeds of those fraudulent loans to satisfy the loans for which she had previously stolen the client payments. Over the course of approximately 12 years, between 2008 and 2020, AZIM caused approximately 200 improper wire transfers of Bank-1’s funds, each for an amount under $10,000, to be sent to third party accounts, including those of co-conspirators and related companies, which then returned portions of those funds to AZIM. In doing so, AZIM abused her position at Bank-1 and enriched herself at the expense of her employer.
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In addition to the prison sentence, AZIM, 59, of Richmond Hill, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,685,723.18 in restitution and to forfeit $1,523,431.30 in criminal proceeds.
Ms. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this case.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Reilly is in charge of the prosecution.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Issues New FOIA Guidelines to Favor Disclosure and TransparencyRead the Press Release
To mark the start of Sunshine Week, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland issued comprehensive new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) guidelines today that strengthen the federal government’s commitments to transparency in government operations and the fair and effective administration of FOIA.
The Attorney General’s guidelines, which were announced in a memorandum, direct the heads of all executive branch departments and agencies to apply a presumption of openness in administering the FOIA and make clear that the Justice Department will not defend nondisclosure decisions that fail to do so. The guidelines also emphasize that the proactive disclosure of information is fundamental to the faithful application of the FOIA and note the Justice Department’s efforts to encourage proactive agency disclosures, including by providing more specific criteria regarding how relevant metrics should be reported in agency Annual FOIA Reports, as the Government Accountability Office recommended.
“At the Justice Department, and across government, our success depends upon the trust of the people we serve. That trust must be earned every day,” said Attorney General Garland. “For more than fifty years, the Freedom of Information Act has been a vital tool for advancing the principles of open government and democratic accountability that are at the heart of who we are as public servants. Together with our partners across the federal government, the Justice Department will work every day to uphold those principles, which are essential to the rule of law.”
In addition, the Attorney General’s FOIA guidelines direct federal departments and agencies to continue efforts to remove barriers to requesting and accessing government records and to reduce FOIA processing backlogs. The guidelines note, for example, that the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review is changing a policy under which it had long required individuals to file FOIA requests to obtain official copies of their own records of immigration court proceedings. The Attorney General encouraged all agencies to examine whether they have similar or other categories of records that they could make more readily accessible without requiring individuals to file FOIA requests.
“The Attorney General’s new FOIA guidelines underscore the Justice Department’s commitment to government that is open, transparent and accountable to the people we serve,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, who also serves as the Department’s Chief FOIA Officer. “The Office of Information Policy looks forward to working with agencies to ensure the presumption of openness is applied across the government.”
The Attorney General’s guidelines highlight the key role played by agency Chief FOIA Officers who report each year to the Department of Justice on their progress in improving FOIA administration and also direct agencies to training and guidance documents issued by the Justice Department’s Office of Information Policy designed to help ensure proper training and compliance with FOIA across the federal government. For more information visit www.justice.gov/oip.
Armed Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 7 YearsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Levonte C. Scales, 29, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 7 years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams of more of methamphetamine. Scales pleaded guilty to this charge on December 13, 2021.
On June 22, 2021, officers responded to a Lake Delton hotel where they encountered the defendant, who had a felony warrant for his arrest. Outside the hotel, Scales was observed carrying two backpacks and then fleeing the scene. After a short chase, officers arrested him. In the backpacks, officers found approximately 100 grams of methamphetamine, a stolen firearm which was loaded, drug packaging materials, and $3,400.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson stated that Scales was on a troubling path and a danger to the community. Further, Judge Peterson was concerned that Scales had squandered previous terms of supervision which could have changed the course of his life.
The charge against Scales was the result of an investigation conducted by the Lake Delton Police Department, Sauk County Sheriff’s Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Corey and Steven Anderson prosecuted this case.
Anderson Husband and Wife Sentenced to Prison for Sex Trafficking of MinorsRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Gary Garland, 54, and Shannon Garland, 49, both of Anderson, were sentenced to 35 years and 26 and a half years respectively for their roles in conspiracies to sex traffic minors and to produce child pornography.
Patrons of the Garland’s sex trafficking operation were also sentenced as follows: Johnny Wells, 58, was sentenced to 13 and a half years; Kianna Daily, 41, was sentenced to five years; Glenn Whitcomb, 69, was sentenced to a year and a half; Michael Skelton, 33, was sentenced to just over a year; and John Towery, 63, and Duwone Allen, 30, were sentenced to five years probation with house arrest.
“This office and its law enforcement partners work daily to protect our country’s most valuable assets, its children. We will seek swift justice for those who exploit our young people,” said U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis. “This case marks an important turning point in the fight against those who seek to exploit children by putting all would be buyers of sex on notice: law enforcement will go after not just the traffickers who force the minor victims into sexual servitude, but also those who patronize and solicit such sexual encounters.”
“The lengthy sentences received by each of these defendants holds them accountable for their heinous crimes and ensures they will be unable to abuse and traffic another child,” said Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for North and South Carolina. “HSI is grateful for the collaborative effort between our office and the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office and we will continue to jointly and aggressively investigate anyone who seeks to exploit children.”
“I want to thank my detectives for their hard work and commitment to this investigation,” said Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride. “I also want to thank our federal law enforcement partners that helped us put these evildoers away for a long time.”
Evidence presented to the Court showed that the Garlands engaged in a conspiracy to force two minor victims to engage in no less than 300 sexual encounters with themselves and other patrons for the benefit of the Garlands. The Garlands rendered the minors totally dependent on them for survival and provided illicit drugs to the minors to force their participation in the sexual acts. The Garlands solicited and advertised for the sexual encounters on the internet. Wells, Daily, Whitcomb, Skelton, and Towery responded to these sexual solicitation postings and engaged in criminal sexual acts with one of the minors. The Garlands recruited Allen, a hotel employee, to participate in the sexual exploitation of one of the minors. Gary Garland directed all of the sexual acts and required that the patrons consent to video recordings of the sexual encounters with the minor and themselves. Gary Garland subsequently shared these recordings with his co-defendants.
United States District Donald C. Coggins, Jr. imposed the federal prison sentences, which will be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. The court also ordered restitution and forfeiture of the Garlands’ home, and the Defendants will have to register as sex offenders after release.
The case was investigated HSI and the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Fisher Sherard and Winston Marosek prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Alden Man Going to Prison on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Brandon Kidder, 37, of Alden, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve 72 months in prison and 25 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who handled the case, stated that on May 24, 2019, Kidder possessed images and videos of child pornography, which were stored on his cellular telephone and other electronic storage media. Kidder obtained the images and videos by downloading them from the internet – specifically the dark web. For example, Kidder visited and downloaded images from a dark website featuring “Hurtcore” materials. The term “Hurtcore” means any image or depiction of violent child pornography. On January 28, 2020, the FBI executed a search warrant at Kidder’s residence and seized a number of devices and electronic storage media. A forensic review revealed more than 600 images and videos of child pornography, including images that portrayed prepubescent minors, or minors under the age of 12, as well as depictions of violence.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
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Monday 14 March 2022
Washington, D.C. Man Who Was Driving Under the Influence of PCP is Sentenced to 42 Months in Federal Prison for Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Tervell Ham, age 46, of Washington, D.C., to 42 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for involuntary manslaughter, in connection with the deaths of two passengers in his vehicle from a crash when Ham was driving under the influence of PCP.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the U.S. Park Police.
According to Ham’s plea agreement, on December 29, 2019, Ham was driving on the Suitland Parkway in Maryland, accompanied by two female passengers (Victim A and Victim B), who were sisters. Witnesses saw Ham driving recklessly and erratically. One witness saw Ham driving on and off the grassy median. Another witness saw Ham drive his car off the roadway, hit a tree, and roll over. Victim B, who was the rear-seat passenger was ejected from the vehicle in the crash. She was transported to the hospital where she died. Victim A was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy of both victims concluded that they died of multiple injuries sustained during the crash.
Ham was transported to a hospital where he provided written consent to have blood drawn for testing to determine the presence of any alcohol or drugs. The sample was positive for the presence of marijuana and PCP. An analysis showed that Ham had 0.03 milligrams of PCP per liter in his body at the time of the crash and was under the influence of PCP. It was unsafe for Ham to operate a motor vehicle under the influence of PCP.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the U.S. Park Police for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hollis R. Weisman and Rajeev R. Raghavan, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Wagner Man Charged with Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Wagner, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Harold Dean Johnson, Jr., age 42, was indicted on March 1, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on March 11, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that Johnson, who had previously been convicted of a sex crime and required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, failed to do so between October 10, 2021, and March 1, 2022.
The charge is merely an accusation and Johnson is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.
Johnson was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Releases Its 2021 Annual ReportRead the Press Release
SCRANTON –U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus today issued the 2021 Annual Report for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
“As public servants, we are accountable to the citizens we serve and our efforts at transparency include publicizing our work and accomplishments,” said U.S. Attorney Gurganus. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our partner agencies, had many successes in 2021. This Annual Report is just a summary of those accomplishments and highlights the achievements in each major program of our office which seek to improve the safety and quality of life for the people of our district.”
The accomplishments summarized in this report are due to the hard work of our 92 dedicated professionals, including the steady leadership of former United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler. In 2021, Assistant United States Attorneys prosecuted approximately 335 criminal cases involving 464 defendants, and our Civil Division handled over 790 cases representing the interests of the federal government, including obtaining over $12 million in criminal and civil actions. We continued to participate in numerous community outreach programs designed to educate the public and reduce recidivism, violent crimes, and opioid dependence.
“It’s an honor to work with the members of this office and with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to seek justice and make the Middle District of Pennsylvania safer, said U.S. Attorney Gurganus. “I trust that the report will give you a fuller understanding of our mission.”
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United States Attorney Sellinger Announces Diverse Leadership TeamRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today that he is naming an experienced team of women and men to lead the Office’s enforcement of criminal and civil laws. His leadership team, which will include 18 women and people of diverse backgrounds (including 13 women and seven otherwise diverse attorneys), will be among the most diverse in the history of the office.
“Since taking the oath of office almost three months ago, I have been impressed by the depth and variety of experience in the Office, which is a credit to my predecessors and in line with the long and proud history of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “I am reaching into that well of talent to staff the Office’s leadership positions with a roster of exceptional attorneys who are eminently qualified and experienced, and whose diversity reflects the people of New Jersey. Moreover, hiring, retaining, and promoting diverse personnel is a bedrock value of this Office, and my leadership team and I will continue to prioritize it moving forward.”
U.S. Attorney Sellinger announced the executive leadership of the Office:
The First Assistant U.S. Attorney is Vikas Khanna, who returns to the Office from the private sector, where he worked as a partner at an international law firm in New York. Mr. Khanna previously served in the Office as an Assistant United States Attorney for almost nine years, during which he handled some of the Office’s most significant prosecutions of individuals and corporations. During Mr. Khanna’s previous tenure, he served as a line assistant in the General Crimes Unit and the Special Prosecutions Division, before being appointed as Deputy Chief of the Health Care and Government Fraud Unit in June 2017 and then as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division in June 2018. In the latter role, Mr. Khanna supervised criminal and civil AUSAs in the Health Care and Government Fraud, Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement, and Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Units. Before becoming an AUSA, he served in the private sector from 2007 to 2010 and, in 2006, clerked for the Honorable Mark Wolf, Chief Judge in the District of Massachusetts.
“I am thrilled to welcome Vikas back to the Office as First Assistant U.S. Attorney,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “Vikas is a highly respected alumnus of our Office, celebrated by AUSAs, the defense bar, and members of the judiciary for his exceptional intellect and judgment. I am confident he will be an extraordinary leader of the Office, and I look forward to working together to advance the cause of justice for the people of New Jersey.”
The Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney is Lee M. Cortes Jr., who has been with the Office for 11 years, most recently as Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit. Caroline Sadlowski, Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, remains in that role. She has been with the office for 19 years, including nine years in the Appeals Division and six years in the Civil Division, where she also served as Chief of the Division. Andrew Carey remains as Deputy U.S. Attorney, overseeing the Trenton and Camden Vicinages. He worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for eight years and returned to the Office in 2019 after serving as the Middlesex County Prosecutor for six years.
According to U.S. Attorney Sellinger, “Lee, Caroline, and Andrew are three of the finest attorneys in the Office and have deep experience, leadership skills, and impeccable integrity. I am pleased that they agreed to join my front office.”
U.S. Attorney Sellinger also announced additional leadership positions:
- Bruce Keller has been appointed as Special Counsel to the Front Office.
- Nicholas Grippo will continue as Chief of the Criminal Division, while Daniel Shapiro, Osmar Benvenuto, and Desiree Grace will continue as Deputy Chiefs of the Criminal Division, and are joined by Jamel Semper, who also has been appointed Division Deputy Chief.
- J. Andrew Ruymann will continue as the Chief of the Civil Division, while Kristin Vassallo and Elizabeth Pascal will continue to serve as Deputy Chiefs of the Civil Division.
- Mark Coyne remains the Chief of the Appeals Division
- Ronnell Wilson has been appointed Chief of the Special Prosecutions Division, and Jihee Suh will serve as Deputy Division Chief.
- Michael Campion has been appointed as the Chief of the newly created Civil Rights Division.
- Molly Lorber and J. Brendan Day will continue to serve as Attorneys-in-Charge of the Camden and Trenton branch offices, respectively.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger also announced the leadership of the Criminal Division Units:
- Lauren Repole and Michelle Gasparian have been appointed as Co-Unit Chiefs of the newly created General Crimes Unit.
- R. David Walk has been appointed Chief of the Government Frauds Unit, and David Dauenheimer will continue as the Unit’s Deputy Chief.
- Jason Gould has been appointed Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit.
- Sarah Devlin will continue to serve as Chief of the Assert Recovery and Money Laundering Unit.
- Joyce Malliet has been appointed as Chief of the National Security Unit.
- Sean Farrell will continue as Chief of the Cybercrime Prevention and Enforcement Unit.
- Catherine Murphy will continue as Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit.
- Cari Fais will continue as Chief of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit.
- Francesca Liquori will continue as Chief of the Narcotics/Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.
- James Donnelly has been appointed as Chief of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit.
“The District of New Jersey is fortunate to have such an outstanding group of public servants to lead this Office,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “They have the skill, experience, judgment, and integrity needed to continue this Office’s mission: to protect the public, enforce the laws, promote fairness and equality, and do justice. I am extremely proud of this leadership team and know that they will continue this Office’s longstanding commitment to the pursuit of justice.”
Union County Investment Advisor Arrested for Stealing Client MoneyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former investment advisor from Union County, New Jersey, was arrested today for allegedly stealing more than $500,000 from multiple clients to fund his gambling and personal expenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Mario E. Rivero Jr., 38, of Elizabeth, New Jersey was charged by complaint with two counts of wire fraud, one count of investment advisor fraud, and one count of securities fraud. Rivero was arrested at his home and is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From April 2018 through November 2020, Rivero, while serving in his capacity as an investment advisor employed by a large brokerage firm, misappropriated at least $529,870 from four clients. Rivero, who had been entrusted to manage client funds responsibly, instead perpetrated a scheme to defraud multiple clients. He obtained his clients’ money under the fraudulent pretense that he would invest the funds, but instead, Rivero unlawfully diverted the funds to enrich himself and others.
Each of the wire fraud counts carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The investment adviser fraud count carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The securities fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, and postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Damon Wood, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Barnes of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Tri City Bombers and Cartel associate sentenced for racketeering crimesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Five men have pleaded guilty and received significant sentences for their involvement in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Ramon De La Cerda, 48, McAllen; Jose Rolando Gonzalez, 43, and Juan Alberto Mendez, 49, both of Mission; Salomon Robles, 35, San Juan; and Margil Reyna, 38, Toledo, Ohio, admitted their roles in the Tri City Bombers (TCB) racketeering conspiracy and were immediately sentenced.
Today, U.S. District Judge Sim Lake sentenced each man to 30 years in federal prison.
In handing down the sentences, Judge Lake found De La Cerda and Gonzalez to be ranking members of the TCB, while Reyna and Robles were members of the criminal organization. Mendez was a drug distributor for the Gulf Cartel and associate of the criminal enterprise.
“With the pleas today, these five people have admitted their involvement in a slew of senseless violent crimes, including murders committed in furtherance of the TCB criminal enterprise,” said Lowery. “We and our federal and state law enforcement partners will continue our unrelenting efforts to eradicate gang violence in the district and hold accountable all those who threaten the safety and well-being of our citizens.”
“Members of our Rio Grande Valley community deserve to live free of threats from criminal organizations,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson. “The FBI thanks our partners on the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) for their collective efforts to keep members of this organization off the streets.”
The court found Mendez hired De La Cerda, Gonzalez and Robles to kill on two occasions. The criminal enterprise kidnapped and murdered a man in McAllen and attempted to murder a woman in Mission. The woman was shot six times, but survived.
Gonzalez was also involved in the distribution of 27 kilograms of cocaine in October 2016 in Victoria.
In 2012, Reyna participated in an ongoing marijuana trafficking conspiracy and home invasion burglary that resulted in the death of the homeowner in Edinburg. The homeowner’s son was also shot, but survived.
The TCB is a national gang active in multiple states that was formed in the early 1980s in the Pharr, San Juan and Alamo areas of South Texas. The TCB have an organized decision-making hierarchy, including a person in charge of each city and leaders within the organization who determine whether its members violated the gang’s rule and deserved punishment. To instill loyalty, including participation in gang’s criminal activities and adherence to its strict rule structure, TCB leaders determine and order the severe beating of members and associates for acts of disobedience or non-observance of TCB rules.
The scope of the TCB’s crimes is wide-ranging and consistent in its nationwide operation. This RICO conspiracy includes murder, attempted murder, drug trafficking, firearm crimes, money laundering and other crimes in furtherance of the organization’s enterprise. The TCB brought money into the gang through murders, drug trafficking, home invasion robberies and money laundering.
To date, 35 individuals have been convicted in the case.
All five men sentenced today have been in custody since their arrests and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI led the OCDETF investigation dubbed “Operation Bomb Disposal,” along with IRS-Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Customs and Border Protection, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office and police departments in McAllen, Mission, Edinburg, Weslaco and Pharr. 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anibal J. Alaniz and Casey N. MacDonald prosecuted the case with the assistance of Trial Attorney Brendan Woods and other members of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.
Toulon Man Charged with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Toulon, Illinois, man, Jason R. Musselman, 34, of the 100 block of Clinton Street, appeared in federal court on March 11, 2022, in relation to a criminal complaint that charged him with production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. Musselman had been arrested earlier that same day.
The complaint alleges that agents with the Illinois State Police and Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant on Musselman, his residence, and his electronic devices on January 19, 2022 as part of an ongoing child pornography investigation. Agents then obtained evidence that Musselman had produced numerous images of child pornography in his residence between approximately 2010 and 2013, that he had distributed images of child pornography on December 21, 2021, via the “Kik” internet messaging platform, and that he possessed material containing those and other images of child pornography on January 19, 2022.
Also on March 11, 2022, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Hawley ordered Musselman temporarily detained pending a detention hearing on March 15, 2022, at 12:30 p.m. at the federal courthouse in Peoria.
If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for the alleged crimes charged are up to thirty years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to a lifetime period of supervised release.
The United States has thirty days to present the case to a grand jury, which will decide if there is probable cause. Members of the public are reminded that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Agencies participating in the investigation include the Stark County State’s Attorney’s Office, Illinois State Police, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Washington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Holst Schryer is representing the government in the prosecution.
Thirty Horry County Gang Members and Drug Trafficking Associates with Ties to Mexican Drug Cartel Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA — Less than twenty months after 30 Horry County and Myrtle Beach-area drug traffickers were indicted based on a federal wiretap investigation into narcotics and violence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina announced today that all 30 have pleaded guilty and been sentenced in federal court.
Evidence presented in court filings reflects that the Cedar Branch drug trafficking organization was an interstate conspiracy that was involved in the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and firearms. The organization was based in the Cedar Branch area of Horry County, and had ties across the state line into North Carolina. Its members were supplied with controlled substances from multiple interstate sources of supply, including one with direct ties to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) from Jalisco, Mexico. This organization was identified by local law enforcement as a priority target in connection with violent crime and overdoses in the area. The defendants in these cases were all participants in this drug conspiracy.
Each of the defendants pleaded guilty to one of two indictments that collectively contained 72 counts of violations of federal law ranging from drug conspiracy and firearms violations to using a telephone in furtherance of drug trafficking. Each has now also been sentenced, with several of the organization’s leaders and suppliers receiving sentences of ten years or more in federal prison, as follows:
- Teontric Jackson, 30, of Loris – 180 months
- Darrell Jackson, 48, of Myrtle Beach – 120 months
- Lisa Garcia, 50, of Delano, CA – 120 months
- Byron Jackson, 29, of Loris – 120 months
- Angelo Jackson, 25, of Loris – 108 months
- Timothy Long, 40, of Tabor City, NC – 100 months
- Leon Green, 33, of Longs – 87 months
- Winferd Sherman, 24, of Loris – 72 months
- Antra Gore, 38, of Loris – 72 months
- Shaquan Hemingway, 23, of Loris – 70 months
- Carl Green, 45, of Loris – 63 months
- Phillip Johnson, 29, of Loris – 57 months
- Tyshon Clifton, 21, of Loris – 46 months
- Tremayne Green, 25, of Loris – 46 months
- Mark Jackson, 26, of Loris – 37 months
- Devante Squires, 27, of Loris – 36 months
- Teraine Green, 30, of Loris – 26 months
- Alfredo Gore, 43, of Tabor City, NC – 24 months
- Bradley Griffin, 36, of Longwood, NC – 22 months
- Monrail Miller, 35, of Loris – 21 months
- James Myers, 33, of Loris – 20 months
- Anthony Nealey, 48, of Longs – 18 months
- Tyruss Hemingway, 21, of Loris – 15 months
- James Riggins, 44, of Tabor City, NC – 12 months
- Lateice Griffin, 30, of Longwood, NC, Montel Hyppolite, 23, of Loris, Robert Attaway, 37, of Myrtle Beach, Mildred Mann, 44, of Little River, Billie Lee Green, 60, of Loris, and Kenneth Nobles, 31, of Loris, all received sentences under a year
“This operation dismantled a violent criminal enterprise, put its members behind bars, and made communities in South Carolina safer,” said U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis. “This case illustrates the results that are possible when federal, state, and local agencies work together toward a common goal.”
The investigation was a multi-year, collaborative effort by several agencies including the Horry County Police Department, Horry County Sheriff’s Office, 15th Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit, Myrtle Beach Police Department, Conway Police Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, United States Marshals Service, United States Postal Inspection Service and the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. The wiretap investigation was quarterbacked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in concert with the other agencies, who offered comments on the successful operation:
FBI Special Agent in Charge Susan Ferensic
“This latest sentencing signifies the end of this drug organization. I want to thank our law enforcement partners who all played a vital role in bringing this case to a successful closure. Let this case serve as an example to those introducing drugs in Horry County that this criminal activity will not be tolerated.”
Loris Police Department Chief Gary Buley
“With our continued support we continue to battle the drugs and make a big difference in our community. Thank you for all the hard work and dedication by all to make this difference in our communities.”
Myrtle Beach Police Department Chief Amy Prock
“As we said before, Myrtle Beach is not a safe haven for criminals. The long list of agencies who worked together for this case is a testament to the strength of our partnerships and our commitment to keeping our community safe.”
15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, Drug Enforcement Unit Commander Dean Bishop
“This demonstrates how the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit, along with our partners, will serve our communities by focusing on violent drug traffickers.”
Coastal Carolina University Police Department Chief David Roper
“Due to the complex nature of large-scale drug operations, it is imperative that law enforcement agencies work together to combat such organizations. Each agency brings unique assets to the table that enhances their ability for success. These operations require technology, experience, and boots on the ground in order to gather enough information to arrest and successfully prosecute participants in the drug trade. These types of successful operations allow us to maintain a safe community. They also make the criminal aware that law enforcement will always pursue illegal operations that effect the safety of our citizens. Coastal Carolina University Department of Public Safety is pleased to have been involved with this important investigation.”
Horry County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Phillip Thompson
“We are grateful for the partnerships we share with federal law enforcement, state and local agencies in the combined efforts to fight the surge of drugs in our communities. Operation Broken Branch was a much-needed enforcement operation in a rural area of Horry County plagued by illegal narcotics sales.”
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The case was prosecuted by OCDETF Lead Task Force Attorney Everett McMillian, along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Hixson, who also serves as Deputy Solicitor for 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
Additional information can be found on the docket of the United States District Court, Criminal Case Numbers 4:20-CR-189 and 4:20-CR-490. The initial press releases about this matter is available here.
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Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking A Minor from Houston to TampaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jamel Muldrew (33, Houston, TX) has pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor, coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, use of a facility of interstate commerce in aid of racketeering, and interstate transportation of a person for prostitution. Muldrew faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on April 9, 2021, law enforcement coordinated an operation in Tampa, Florida to identify victims of human trafficking, rescue those victims, and identify and arrest their traffickers. As part of this operation, an undercover officer observed what appeared to be a potentially underage female in an online escort advertisement and arranged for the minor victim to meet him at a hotel room for a commercial sex act, in exchange for $800. Soon thereafter, Muldrew arrived at the location driving a black Chevrolet Impala, with the minor victim in the passenger seat. The victim exited the vehicle, walked to the hotel room and entered, and was detained. As law enforcement approached Muldrew, he attempted to flee but was ultimately apprehended. At the time of his arrest, officers recovered multiple fictious identity cards Muldrew had in his possession, for both himself and the minor victim. The subsequent investigation revealed that Muldrew had been trafficking the minor victim across the country to engage in prostitution. Specifically, between February and April 2021, Muldrew had trafficked the minor victim for the purpose of commercial sex in Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, where he was ultimately arrested.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Houston Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel and Carlton C. Gammons.
This case was brought as part of the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force of the Middle District of Florida, which is one of 13 task forces in the country to receive grant funding from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Task Force is a collaboration of local, state, and federal law enforcement agents working together with organizations to detect, investigate, and prosecute human trafficking in the Tampa Bay area. This includes trafficking of minors, forced labor, transnational sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of adults by force, fraud, or coercion. More information about the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/humantrafficking. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Taylor County woman sentenced to 28 years for child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Ashley Marie Weber, of Thornton, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 336 months of incarceration for a child pornography charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Weber, 39, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting Production of Child Pornography.” Weber admitted to using a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct and producing child pornography from that conduct in June 2020 in Taylor County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Wagner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Tampa Man Sentenced for Operating A Vessel, Violating A U.S. Coast Guard Port OrderRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Covington has sentenced Obed Almaguer Garrido (48, Tampa) to five years’ probation, during which period he will be prohibited from operating any watercraft, and to 100 community service hours, for violating a U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port Order. Garrido had pleaded guilty on August 18, 2021.
According to court documents, Garrido was the owner of a state-registered recreational vessel and operated a recreational vessel in commercial passenger service on the waters of Tampa Bay (Tampa, FL) without a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Merchant mariner credential. The USCG issues Merchant Mariner Credentials and inspects passenger vessels to ensure the safety of patrons chartering vessels. Despite being issued a Captain of the Port Order to cease operations, Garrido continued to operate in commercial passenger service. Illegal passenger vessels pose serious danger to passengers because unlicensed operators do not have the requisite knowledge to safely operate a vessel in commercial passenger service and vessels do not meet stringent Coast Guard safety requirements. Tampa Bay is a tourist destination attracting visitors from throughout the world.
“The Coast Guard will continue to aggressively pursue vessel operators who needlessly place the lives of patrons at risk by not complying with Coast Guard passenger vessel regulations," said Captain Matthew Thompson, Commander of Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg. "We'd like to remind those who charter a boat, they should choose a vessel with a certified captain and crew. This criminal conviction demonstrates the aggressive posture the Coast Guard and our partners from the U.S. Attorney’s Office have taken protect the lives of those who charter passenger vessels.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (Southeast Region), with assistance from U.S. Coast Guard Sector (St. Petersburg Investigations Division). It was prosecuted by U.S. Coast Guard Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tereza Ohley.
Swanton Woman Charged with Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Misti-Lyn Morin, 42, of Swanton, Vermont, has been charged by criminal complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Vermont with being an unlawful user of a controlled substance who possessed firearms.
According to the complaint, Morin is addicted to cocaine base and, on February 1 and 2, 2022, possessed an Anderson Manufacturing rifle and a Beretta handgun at her River Street residence in violation of federal law. According to court filings, Morin has also admitted that cocaine base was being sold from her home in Swanton.
Court records indicate Morin was arrested on March 11. She had her initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle this afternoon. Morin was ordered detained until a hearing on Thursday, March 17, during which the Court will consider the government’s motion for Morin to be detained pending trial.
The case is being investigated by the Vermont State Police.
Morin is represented by Karen Shingler, Esq., of Burlington. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher.
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. See https://www.justice.gov/psn
St. Johns County Teacher Arrested and Charged with Attempting to Entice and Meet A 14-Year-Old to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today that Matthew Christopher Yates (27, Hastings) has been arrested and charged with using the internet to attempt to entice a 14-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Yates faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervised release. At the time of his arrest on March 11, 2022, Yates was an eighth-grade teacher at Veritas Classical School in St. Augustine, Florida.
According to court documents, on February 11, 2022, an undercover FBI agent who was posing online as a 14-year-old child responded to an online notice posted by the user “English teacher” on a particular online social media application. The user was subsequently identified as Yates. During the online conversation, the “child” advised that she was 14 years old and in the eighth grade, and Yates stated that he was a teacher and suggested that they “should meet up” at the beach. The online conversation continued on another social media platform and Yates (using the name “prof0987”) and the “child” exchanged photos of each other.
Between February 22, 2022, and March 11, 2022, Yates and the “child” exchanged numerous text messages and Yates sent several photos that were either sexually suggestive or sexually explicit, including one that purportedly depicted Yates’ penis. On March 6, 2022, Yates texted the “child,” using explicit language, suggesting that they meet. On March 8, 2022, Yates asked the “child” to meet in person on Friday, March 11, 2022, to engage in sexual activity. Yates provided the undercover agent with details about the sexual acts that he wished to perform on the “child.” On March 10, 2022, Yates and the “child” confirmed plans to meet, and Yates asked the “child” if “she” wanted to record their planned sexual activity on video. On the afternoon of March 11, 2022, Yates drove his vehicle to a prearranged location in Jacksonville to meet the “child” for sex and was arrested by FBI agents. Upon searching Yates, agents found him to be in possession of several condoms.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Jacksonville). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Albans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jason Robert Oxley, 38, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to federal drug and gun crimes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from March 2020 until June 2021, Oxley participated in a drug trafficking ring operating in and around St. Albans. Oxley admitted that he obtained methamphetamine and other drugs from two of his co-defendants which he then distributed. Oxley admitted that he sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant on March 22, 2021 and April 12, 2021. The drug transactions took place at Oxley’s St. Albans residence. Oxley further admitted that on May 21, 2021, he bought a SWD Cobray, Model M11/9, 9mm pistol from a local gun show. Police recovered it the next day after a co-defendant hid it while trying to evade a traffic stop. Oxley is prohibited from possessing firearms because of his three prior felony convictions. He was on parole at the time he committed the charged offenses.
Oxley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces a minimum mandatory of 10 years and up to life in federal prison when he is sentenced on June 6, 2022.
This case is part of a long-term investigation of a methamphetamine distribution network that resulted in 17 individuals being charged with various drug and firearms offenses in three separate indictments.
Brian Dangelo Terry is scheduled to plead guilty on April 7, 2022. Shane Kelly Fulkerson is scheduled to plead guilty on March 15, 2022. James Edward Bennett, III, Denise Marie Cottrill, Angie Lane Harbour, and Michael Antonio Smith have already pleaded guilty. Timothy Wayne Dodd is scheduled for trial on March 22, 2022. The remaining defendants are scheduled for trial on May 3, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department, and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks is handling the prosecution.
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:21-cr-00172, 2:21-cr-00171, and 2:21-cr-00211.
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Southwest Virginia Man Sentenced in Unemployment Benefits ScamRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Southwest Virginia man, who conspired with more than 30 others in a scheme to illegally obtain pandemic unemployment benefits, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government, and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and was sentenced last week to 30 months in federal prison.
Over the course of nine months, Jacob Hunter Hicks, 35 of Lebanon, VA, conspired with Leelynn Danielle Chytka, Gregory Marcus Tackett, Jeffery Ryan Tackett, and others to file fraudulent claims with the Virginia Employment Commission on behalf of at least 37 otherwise-ineligible individuals, with a total actual loss to the United States of at least $499,000.
U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia, Syreeta Scott, Special Agent-in-Charge, Philadelphia Regional Office, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, and Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C., Field Office made the announcement.
The Department of Labor - Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C., Field Office, the Norton Police Department, and the Russell County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel J. Murphy and Michael Baudinet prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Six Named in Two-Count Indictment Alleging Federal Drug Law ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – Residents from Philadelphia, New York, and Aliquippa, Pennsylvania have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotic laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The two-count Indictment, returned on March 8 and unsealed today, named Kijana Stephaun Lowe, age 24, formerly of Aliquippa, PA, Anthony Tusweet Smith, Jr., age 23, of Aliquippa, PA, Santos Castro-Mota, age 42, formerly of Brooklyn, NY, Luis David Paredes-Sanchez, age 25, formerly of Philadelphia, PA, Guillermo Alexis Evangelista Estevez, age 33, formerly of Bow, NY, and Adelin Hernandez Amparo, age 28, formerly of Philadelphia, PA.
According to the Indictment, in and around May of 2021 and continuing thereafter to in and around November of 2021, the defendants conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine; and 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. The Indictment further alleged that on or about November 13, 2021, Lowe, Paredes-Sanchez, Estevez, and Amparo, possessed with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing detectable amount of cocaine.
The law provides for a term of imprisonment of not less than ten years to a maximum of life, a fine not more than $10,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kara Cotter are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Sioux Falls Individuals Charged with Making a False Statement in Connection with a Purchase of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that two Sioux Falls, South Dakota, men and a Sioux Falls, South Dakota woman have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Making a False Statement in Connection with a Purchase of a Firearm.
Shyene Marie Clemens, age 25, Matthew Lebahn, age 23, and Jayden Guenther, age 20, were indicted on March 1, 2022. Clemens appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on March 7, 2022. Lebahn and Guenther appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on March 11, 2022. All three defendants pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and up to $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on or about May 6, 2021, Clemens knowingly made a false and fictitious written statement to Gary’s Gun Shop. Clemens falsely indicated that she was purchasing a firearm for herself, when, in fact, she was purchasing it for Guenther.
The Count 2 of the Indictment alleges that on or about August 27, 2021, Lebahn knowingly made a false and fictitious written statement to Scheels. Lebahn falsely indicated that he was purchasing a firearm for himself, when, in fact, he was purchasing it for Guenther.
The charges are merely accusations and Clemens, Lebahn, and Guenther are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.
All three defendants were released on bond pending trial which has not been set yet.
Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to Seven Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with a November 2020 bank robbery.
Angel Robles, 37, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release. Robles was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,833. On Oct. 4, 2021, Robles pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery.
On Nov. 9, 2020, Robles entered a Citizen’s Bank in Concord, gave the teller a note that read, “ROBBERY, ONLY READY TO DIE ON A DEATH WISH,” stole approximately $358 and then fled the bank. Robles also admitted to committing three additional robberies. On Aug. 3, 2020, Robles robbed a Metro PCS in Lynn, holding a gun against the clerk’s back before stealing $4,000 from a safe and fleeing the store. On Oct. 17, 2020, Robles robbed a clothing store in the Northgate Shopping Plaza in Revere with another individual, stealing five North Face jackets valued at $1,500. When a clerk attempted to stop Robles he said, “If anyone comes at me I’m going to shoot s*** up.” When the clerk made an additional attempt to stop Robles, he told the clerk “Back up before I stab you.” On Oct. 28, 2020, Robles robbed a Citizen’s Bank inside a Stop & Shop in Lynn, stealing $5,000. Surveillance video from the robbery showed that Robles brandished what appeared to be a handgun.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy; Concord Police Chief Joseph F. O’Connor; and Saugus Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Gotlob and Kenneth G. Shine of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
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.
Seattle man pleads guilty to attempting to travel to the Middle East to join a foreign terrorist organizationRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 21-year-old Seattle man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to Providing Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Elvin Hunter Bgorn Williams was arrested May 28, 2021, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on criminal charges related to his alleged efforts to join the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, to engage in violent acts of terrorism in the Middle East or the United States. Williams faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on June 14, 2022.
According to court documents, Williams was arrested following a lengthy investigation into his efforts to join ISIS.
According to the plea agreement, in November 2020, Williams began telling family members he was a member of ISIS. Williams posted a video on Facebook in which he swore an oath of loyalty to a leader of ISIS.
Using confidential sources close to Williams, the FBI monitored his activity and became aware of his efforts to travel to the Middle East and join ISIS. Williams expressed to his associates that if he could not travel overseas, he would commit an attack in the U.S. on behalf of ISIS. Williams began communicating with those he believed were ISIS recruiters who could get him to an ISIS terror cell in the Middle East or other parts of the world.
The plea agreement contains statements Williams made about his intentions: that he sought martyrdom, had “no problem with killing,” and hoped to be involved in beheading others.
In May 2021, Williams obtained a passport and pawned a laptop computer to raise funds for his travel. In early May 2021, Williams booked an airline ticket from Seattle to Amsterdam and on to Egypt to join ISIS. On Friday May 28, 2021, he went to Sea-Tac Airport to catch the first leg of his international flight. Williams was arrested at the departure gate.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Seattle with assistance from the King County Sheriff’s Office; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Homeland Security Investigations; Federal Air Marshals; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; U.S Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Transportation Security Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Seattle Police Department; Bellevue Police Department; and Port of Seattle Police Department.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Brown for the Western District of Washington, and Special Agent in Charge Donald Voiret of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office made the announcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg of the Western District of Washington’s Terrorism and Violent Crime Unit, and Trial Attorney Andrew Sigler of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
Seattle Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
A Seattle man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to court documents, Elvin Hunter Bgorn Williams, 21, of Seattle, was arrested May 28, 2021, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on criminal charges related to his alleged efforts to join the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, to engage in violent acts of terrorism in the Middle East or the United States.
According to court documents, Williams was arrested following a lengthy investigation into his efforts to join ISIS. According to his plea agreement, in November 2020, Williams began telling family members he was a member of ISIS. Williams posted a video on Facebook in which he swore an oath of loyalty to a leader of ISIS.
Using confidential sources close to Williams, the FBI monitored his activity and became aware of his efforts to travel to the Middle East and join ISIS. Williams expressed to his associates that if he could not travel overseas, he would commit an attack in the United States on behalf of ISIS. Williams began communicating with those he believed were ISIS recruiters who could get him to an ISIS terror cell in the Middle East or other parts of the world.
The plea agreement contains statements Williams made about his intentions: that he sought martyrdom, had “no problem with killing,” and hoped to be involved in beheading others.
In May 2021, Williams obtained a passport and pawned a laptop computer to raise funds for his travel. In early May 2021, Williams booked an airline ticket from Seattle to Amsterdam and on to Egypt to join ISIS. On May 28, 2021, he went to Sea-Tac Airport to catch the first leg of his international flight. Williams was arrested at the departure gate.
Williams pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 14 and faces 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.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Brown for the Western District of Washington, and Special Agent in Charge Donald Voiret of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Seattle with assistance from the King County Sheriff’s Office; the U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Homeland Security Investigations; Federal Air Marshals; the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; the U.S Marshals Service; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Transportation Security Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; the Seattle Police Department; the Bellevue Police Department; and the Port of Seattle Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg of the Western District of Washington’s Terrorism and Violent Crime Unit and Trial Attorney Andrew Sigler of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
Southfield Resident Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
DETROIT - Tory Anderson, 34, formerly of Southfield, Michigan, was sentenced today in federal court to 15 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of sex trafficking a minor, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Josh P. Hauxhurst, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
According to court records, during the summer of 2019, Anderson trafficked a 17-year-old minor girl for commercial sex in Michigan and elsewhere. Anderson acted as her pimp by setting up commercial sex dates and receiving the proceeds, providing supplies such as food and condoms, and monitoring when sex customers were coming and going. Anderson also had the minor girl tattoo his name on her forehead and the side of her face as a way of “branding” her. At the time, Anderson knew she was just 17-years-old. Anderson was arrested on September 3, 2019, at a Roseville, Michigan motel after Anderson provided the minor victim for commercial sex with an undercover officer.
“This defendant exploited a vulnerable young girl by arranging for her to have sex with strangers over and over again for his personal profit,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “We will continue to work closely with our local law enforcement partners and SEMTEC to vindicate the rights of sex trafficking victims and to protect our most vulnerable citizens from predators like Anderson.”
“Sex traffickers prey on the most vulnerable members of our society,” said Josh P. Hauxhurst, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division. “The FBI’s Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to recover trafficking victims and put the perpetrators behind bars.”
This case was the result of a joint investigation by the Roseville Police Department and the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force (“SEMTEC”) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Frances Carlson and Erin Ramamurthy.