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19 April 2022
North Belle Vernon Felon Charged with Illegal Possession of a Gun and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of North Belle Vernon, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on a charge of violating federal firearms law, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Jashawn Anthony Mackall, 28, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on Aug. 8, 2021, Mackall is alleged to have possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert C. Schupansky is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pennsylvania State Police 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.
New York Couple Sentenced to Prison for Roles in $4 Million Extortion SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Archie Kaslov, 55, and Candy Evans, 52, of New York, N.Y., were sentenced to prison terms today for their roles in a wide-ranging fraud, extortion, and money laundering scheme, which involved one of their sons pretending to be a New York mobster to get a Maryland man to embezzle more than $4 million from his Washington, D.C., employer.
The sentencings took place in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division.
Kaslov was sentenced by the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The first six months of his time on supervised release must be spent in home detention. Evans was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Evans, too, must spend the first six months of her supervised release in home detention.
Consistent with their plea agreements, each defendant was ordered to pay $4,217,542 in restitution. Kaslov also was ordered to pay $1,057,682 in a forfeiture money judgment.
In April 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Kaslov and Evans, as well as their sons, Tony John Evans, Corry Blue Evans, and Robert Evans, and Robert Evans’ common-law ex-wife Gina Russell, on various charges related to the extortion scheme.
As part of the scheme, a New York woman conspired with Kaslov, Candy Evans, Tony John Evans, Corry Blue Evans, Robert Evans, and Russell to extort money and gold bars from the Maryland man, which caused him to embezzle funds from his employer between January 2017 and March 2017. He converted the funds to cash and gold bars and delivered the money and gold bars to New York drop-off locations, including a hotel room, believing the funds were going to mobsters to whom the New York woman owed money. In reality, all of the funds he embezzled and delivered to New York went to members of the Evans-Kaslov family.
Kaslov pleaded guilty in September 2020 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of his guilty plea, he admitted that he drove members of his family around New York with cash obtained from the scheme. On one such occasion, he drove to the New York diamond district on 47th Street, where he and family members spent tens of thousands of dollars in criminal proceeds from the scheme on watches, including Rolexes.
Kaslov also admitted that, after the Maryland man delivered approximately $2 million in gold bars to Tony John Evans and other individuals, Kaslov and others turned around and sold the gold bars for cash. Kaslov also traveled to Texas in May 2017 with a family member, where the two paid more than $300,000 in cash, the majority of which was proceeds from the scheme, to purchase a Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead from a car dealer. In January 2020, Kaslov and Candy Evans sold that Rolls Royce in New Jersey for $120,000.
Candy Evans pleaded guilty in September 2020 to tampering with a witness by corrupt persuasion or misleading conduct. As part of her guilty plea, she admitted that once the FBI launched its investigation, she counseled the New York woman whom the Maryland man met on Backpage to lie to people, including the FBI. In April 2017, Candy Evans, believing that married individuals could not be compelled to testify against each other, advised the New York woman and Russell to get married to prevent such testimony about the scheme in Court. The New York woman and Russell married at City Hall in New York.
Candy Evans further panicked and wanted a letter that would exonerate her, Kaslov, and their three sons from any involvement in the scheme to get money from the Maryland man. Thus, she directed Russell and the New York woman to sign a handwritten, notarized confession attempting to fully implicate themselves and to exonerate Candy Evans, Kaslov, and their sons. Later that month, when the New York woman was scheduled to meet with the FBI, Candy Evans counseled the woman to lie by telling the FBI that there actually never had been an extortion scheme and that the Maryland man had invented the entire story about mobsters to justify why he embezzled money from his employer. In October 2017, two days after the FBI executed search warrants at various Evans-Kaslov family members’ residences, Candy Evans called an FBI special agent who was investigating the case and told him that Kaslov and two of her other sons had not done anything illegal, which she acknowledged was false, and that it was just Tony John Evans, Russell, and the New York woman who had committed the crimes. In November 2017, prior to Russell’s interview with the FBI, Candy Evans also instructed Russell to lie to the FBI.
On May 6, 2021, the Vice President of Investigation and Fraud for a New York bank informed the government that Candy Evans had attempted to withdraw $50,000 in cash from an account that she recently opened. The bank contacted the government after it conducted due diligence regarding the attempted withdrawal and learned, from a prior Department of Justice press release, that Evans had been involved in the above-described criminal scheme. The government successfully moved the Court to restrain Evans from dissipating the $50,000 in funds. Today, Judge Sullivan said he will grant the government’s motion requiring that the bank pay the $50,000 in restrained funds towards Evans’ restitution obligation, which will be distributed to the victim from whom the Maryland man embezzled the funds.
Kaslov and Candy Evans are the second and third defendants to be sentenced in connection with this case. In September 2018, their son, Tony John Evans, now 33, pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by extortion. Judge Sullivan sentenced him to five years in prison.
Their son, Robert Evans, now 34, pleaded guilty in April 2021 to interference with interstate commerce by extortion. He is awaiting sentencing. Russell, now 33, also pleaded guilty in July 2019 to interference with interstate commerce by extortion and is awaiting sentencing. Charges remain outstanding against Corry Blue Evans, 29, who has pleaded not guilty.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Graves and Special Agent in Charge Jacobs commended the work of those who investigated the case from the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division. They expressed appreciation for assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas and Arvind Lal, who assisted with forfeiture issues, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Oliver McDaniel and Melissa Goforth Koenig, who assisted with restraining funds that Evans attempted to dissipate, Forensic Accountant Bryan Snitselaar, and former Paralegal Specialists Jessica Mundi, Brittany Phillips, Stephanie Frijas, Kristy Penny, and Joshua Fein.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Kent and Kondi Kleinman, who investigated and are prosecuting the case.
New Mexico Man Sentenced to Nearly 22 Years in Federal Prison for Fraud, Money Laundering, and Obstruction ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that John Rick Winer, age 68, of New Mexico, convicted for his role in fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice conspiracies, was sentenced on Monday April 18, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Winer was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, nearly $11 million in restitution, and forfeiture of a residence in Norway, a luxury vehicle, approximately $4 million in silver coins, and a laptop. He was also ordered to pay $1,200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Defendants John Rick Winer, Nathan Peachey, and others were originally indicted by a federal grand jury on November 5, 2019. A Second Superseding Indictment was filed on October 6, 2020. Peachey and Winer proceeded to trial in November 2021, and the jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts against both defendants. Peachey was sentenced on February 14, 2022, to 300 months in federal prison and ordered to pay approximately $11 million in restitution. Winer was originally scheduled for sentencing that same day but failed to appear.
According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, Peachey resided in and operated from the State of Pennsylvania and from a suburb of Oslo, Norway. Peachey aided in soliciting millions of dollars from investors in the United States, and he received funds from others who were involved in the fraud scheme. Funds obtained by and through Peachey were, in part, laundered through and into domestic and international bank accounts. After his receipt of funds, Peachey would transfer or wire funds to his co-conspirators, and he also would use funds on personal expenditures.
Winer resided and operated from the State of New Mexico, among other places. Winer recruited individuals from South Dakota and elsewhere to invest in various projects, and he solicited funds that were obtained through the fraud scheme. After his receipt of funds, Winer would transfer or wire funds to his co-conspirators and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, and he also would use funds on personal expenditures.
As to the scheme to defraud the victims across the country, Peachey and Winer, along with their co-conspirators, informed investors that the monies provided to one or more of the co-conspirators would be used for charitable or humanitarian projects, oftentimes using religion to entice and induce victims into investing money in the scheme. They also made promises that there would be a return on investments. Peachey and Winer informed investors that the monies provided to one or more of the co-conspirators would not be expended on personal expenses. Investor money was not used for charitable or for humanitarian projects, and investors never received a return on investments relating to the monies provided to Peachey, Winer, or their co-conspirators. The purpose of the conspiracy was to enrich the co-conspirators, all of whom amassed nearly $13 million, and then spent the fraud proceeds on a luxury residence located in a suburb of Oslo, Norway, renovation costs on the house, a Mercedes Benz, nearly $4 million in silver, travel, and personal expenses. This fraud scheme impacted victims from around the United States, including South Dakota, Minnesota, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina.
While espousing sovereign-citizen and religiously-based ideologies and employing such tactics, Peachey, Winer, and their co-conspirators utilized, independently or jointly, entities to perpetrate the fraud scheme, including, but not limited to: AG Enterprises, L.L.C.; House of Winer; Jacobs Provision Trust; The Joseph Project; Jericho Outreach; Jericho Outreach – Norway; Christian Charity Foundation; and G47 Initiative. These entities were fake and used to receive fraud proceeds and launder money.
Once Peachey and Winer learned about the investigation in South Dakota and elsewhere, they also conspired to obstruct justice. Peachey and Winer conspired to corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede the investigation of the below-listed agencies and various court proceedings.
This case was investigated by the following entities: Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; Federal Bureau of Investigation; ØKOKRIM, the Norwegian National Authority for Prosecution and Investigation of Economic and Environmental Crime, Oslo, Norway; Oslo, Norway Police Department; Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs; and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy R. Jehangiri and Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.
Winer was immediately returned to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence of imprisonment.
New London Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on April 15, 2022, TERRENCE BEDDOE, 42, of New London, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning of October 11, 2019, Beddoe had an argument with an individual at a bar on Bank Street in New London. As Beddoe was driving away from the bar, shots were fired in the direction of the other individual, who was standing outside of the bar with two other men. A passerby saw the shots being fired from the car Beddoe was driving, and the victim identified the shooter as Beddoe. A court-authorized search of Beddoe’s car revealed a spent shell casing similar to shell casings recovered from the scene of the shooting.
Beddoe’s criminal history includes nine felony convictions, including convictions for assault in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon, related to his stabbing an individual 12 times, and a conviction for accessory to assault in the second degree, stemming from an incident in 2003 when two men were shot and injured at a bar in New London.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Beddoe was arrested on December 16, 2019. On December 16, 2021, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon.
Beddoe, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on May 13.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the New London and Waterford Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Doherty.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Mississippi Man Sentenced to Probation and Home Confinement for Aiming Laser Pointer at AircraftRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN- Convicted felon Eugene Conrad, 52, of Michigan City, Mississippi has been sentenced to three years of probation along with nine months of home confinement for aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., United States Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on July 15, 2021, agents with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notified the FBI Memphis Field Office of reports indicating that planes flying into the Memphis Airport from the east were consistently being struck in the cockpit and cabin by a green laser coming from the Hardeman County, Tennessee and Benton County, Mississippi area. From January 1, 2021, to July 15, 2021, there were 49 strikes by a green laser on aircraft.
On July 16, 2021, agents conducted surveillance in Saulsbury, Tennessee, during which time agents received reports from Memphis International Airport’s Air Traffic Control relaying that aircraft in the vicinity were being struck by a laser. Agents could see a general originating location but the lasering ceased before a specific origin could be determined.
On August 11, 2021, surveillance was again established near Saulsbury, Tennessee using an aircraft from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), with a camera affixed for surveillance. At approximately 9:30 pm, the TBI aircraft entered the area over Hardeman County, TN and almost immediately began reporting laser strikes originating from the south and southwest of their position.
The TBI plane circled the area several times. Surveillance equipment pinpointed an individual standing in front of a residence located at the intersection of Whippoorwill Road and Hamer Road in Benton County, Mississippi near the TN/MS border.
When agents arrived on the scene, they observed a male, later identified as Eugene Conrad, walking around a house while lasering the plane. A green laser pointer was found in an outdoor trashcan. Conrad admitted to law enforcement to intentionally striking planes flying near his residence with the green laser for several months.
"The FBI and our partners at the Federal Aviation Administration and the TBI Air Unit worked diligently to mitigate this threat to aviation and bring this criminal to justice. We will continue to investigate anyone who interferes with the safe operation of aircraft," said Douglas M. Korneski, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Memphis Field Office. "It is important that people understand this is not a game -- it is a criminal act with potential deadly consequences for pilots, crew, and passengers. When the powerful beam of light from a handheld laser is aimed at an aircraft, the light can illuminate a cockpit and blind pilots. Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is a serious matter and a violation of federal law."
Conrad pled guilty on December 14, 2021.
On April 7, 2022, United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Conrad to three years’ probation and nine months of home confinement. Other mandatory requirements stipulate that the defendant cannot commit another federal, state, or local crime and he must not own, possess, or have access to firearm, ammunition, destructive devices, or dangerous weapons.
This case was investigated by the FBI – Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephen L. Hall prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Minneapolis Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Violent Twin Cities Carjacking SpreeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 184 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $49,213.85 in restitution for his role in a string of violent carjackings throughout the Twin Cities. U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz sentenced the defendant.
“This disturbing wave of carjackings throughout the Twin Cities is eroding our overall sense of safety and security,” said U.S. Attorney Luger. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working in close coordination with all levels of law enforcement to bring this trend to an end.”
“Carjacking is a borderless, flagrant crime that can affect anyone at any time. These violent carjackings terrorized the Twin Cities and instilled fear in our communities,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Paul. “Today’s sentencing underscores that those who commit these senseless acts of violence will face significant penalties for their actions. The FBI is committed to our ongoing work with our law enforcement partners to take these criminals off the streets.”
According to court documents, on August 28, 2020, Jeremiah Lee Ironrope, 25, and his co-defendant Krisanne Marie Benjamin, 26, drove a maroon SUV to a parking lot in Richfield, where they parked near a 2017 Audi. Ironrope approached the driver of the Audi and pointed a Remington 870 l2-gauge shotgun, with a sawed-off barrel, at the driver and demanded the car keys. Benjamin kept watch from the maroon SUV as Ironrope started the Audi and drove away. Benjamin followed in the maroon SUV.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of August 29, 2020, the Minnesota State Patrol used GPS data to track and locate the stolen Audi, which was driven by Ironrope and occupied by Benjamin. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but Ironrope drove away at a high rate of speed, while cutting across multiple lanes of traffic, swerving between cars, and driving through red lights. During the flight from law enforcement, Benjamin got out of the vehicle and fled on foot while Ironrope continued fleeing in the Audi. Law enforcement found the vehicle running and unoccupied in Minneapolis. The vehicle had been partially spray-painted black. Inside officers found a stolen wallet, bottles of spray paint, a hat, gloves, and receipts. Law enforcement also found a used l2-gauge shotgun shell under the driver's seat.
On September 9, 2021, Ironrope pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. On September 7, 2021, co-defendant Benjamin pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting carjacking.
As part of their guilty pleas, Ironrope and Benjamin admitted to two additional carjackings that occurred on July 26, 2020, in Maple Grove and August 7, 2020, in St. Paul. In both instances, the defendants physically assaulted the victims before stealing their vehicles. Ironrope also admitted to two December 2020 carjackings occurring in St. Louis Park and St. Paul. In both instances, Ironrope pointed a handgun at the victims before stealing their vehicles.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the St. Paul Police Department, the Maple Grove Police Department, the Richfield Police Department, the Edina Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, and the Minnesota State Patrol.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan H. Nelson.
Medical Sales Representative Found Guilty of Role in Multimillion-Dollar Health Care Fraud, Wire Fraud, Anti-Kickback Statute and Travel Act ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A medical sales representative from Gloucester County, New Jersey, was convicted today on 18 counts related to defrauding public health insurance plans out of more than $4.6 million, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced.
Steven Monaco, 40, of Sewell, New Jersey, was convicted on April 19, 2022, of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, eight counts of health care fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Travel Act, following a nine-day trial before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
Monaco was a leader of two related fraud schemes that resulted in millions of dollars of loss to public health insurance plans. In the first scheme, Monaco, as a sales representative for a medical diagnostic laboratory, orchestrated a kickback scheme with a doctor, Daniel Oswari. Monaco arranged for Oswari’s medical assistant to be placed on the payroll of the laboratory while continuing to work as a medical assistant for Oswari’s practice. In exchange, Oswari referred all his lab work to the laboratory for testing between late 2013 and 2016, and Monaco received $36,000 in commissions from the laboratory.
In the second fraud scheme, Monaco and his conspirator, pharmaceutical sales representative Richard Zappala, discovered that certain insurance plans – including New Jersey state and local government plans – paid for very expensive compounded prescription medications between 2014 and 2016. Monaco and Zappala organized a scheme in which they received a percentage of the insurance reimbursement for compounded medication prescriptions that they arranged. Monaco and Zappala approached medical professionals and paid them to sign medically unnecessary prescriptions for the compounded medications. Monaco paid Oswari and his staff to identify and prescribe the compound medications to patients of Oswari’s practice with the requisite insurance plans, as well as other people that Oswari did not medically evaluate. Monaco also arranged for other medical professionals – including Dr. Michael Goldis and his cousin, physician’s assistant Jason Chacker – to sign medically unnecessary prescriptions for members of Monaco’s family and others whom these medical professionals did not examine. Monaco directly compensated Chacker with money and tickets to sporting events, and Zappala paid Goldis cash to sign the medically unnecessary prescriptions for members of Monaco’s family and others. Monaco also directly paid individuals who had coverage under the public insurance plans and agreed to receive prescriptions for the compounded medications. As a result of this scheme, Monaco received approximately $350,000 and caused a loss of over $4.6 million to the insurance plans.
Monaco was initially charged in an indictment in 2019 with Oswari, Goldis, and medical assistant Aaron Jones. Oswari pleaded guilty in December 2019 to fraud and kickback charges. Goldis pleaded guilty in June 2020 to four counts of making false statements relating to health care matters. Jones pleaded guilty in March 2022 to health care fraud conspiracy. Zappala also pleaded guilty in September 2017 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Chacker pleaded guilty in October 2019 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Oswari, Goldis, Chacker, and Zappala all await sentencing.
The health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy count on which Monaco was convicted carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The Anti-Kickback Statute and Travel Act conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The health care fraud counts each carry a maximum of 10 years in prison, and the wire fraud counts each carry a maximum of 20 years in prison. All the counts also carry a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing for Monaco is scheduled for Aug. 24, 2022.
Attorney for the United States Khanna credited agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark; IRS Office of Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark; and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to today’s conviction.
The government is represented by R. David Walk Jr., Chief of the Government Fraud Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina O. Hud of the Criminal Division.
Madison Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Tyrone L. Jackson, 55, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 4 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm in a school zone. This prison term will be followed by 1 year of supervised release. Jackson pleaded guilty to this charge on January 24, 2022.
On July 6, 2020, Madison Police Department officers were dispatched to investigate an incident involving a firearm at Brittingham Park in Madison. A parking enforcement officer reported hearing a gun shot and observing six to eight people scatter to different vehicles. A passerby told the officer that someone had fired a gun. Multiple witnesses reported observing a physical altercation between individuals.
Officers spoke with the reporting party who said he was at the park with his nephew when Jackson arrived. He said Jackson leaned over the top of his vehicle’s hood and pointed a black handgun at him.
A loaded Sig-Sauer .45 caliber handgun was found on the ground under bushes in the area. Analysis by the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory identified Jackson’s DNA on the Sig-Sauer. Jackson was determined to have been within 1,000 feet of One City Schools’ campus when he possessed the firearm and was also prohibited from possessing a firearm based on prior felony convictions. At the time of the incident, Jackson was on state probation for a prior conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
In imposing sentence, Judge Peterson noted Jackson’s lengthy criminal history, including a prior history with firearms. Judge Peterson said that Jackson’s behavior, including possessing the gun to intimidate someone, was risky and dangerous.
The charge against Jackson was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Pfluger and Steven Anderson prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach involves collaboration by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to prevent and deter gun violence.
Loves Park Woman Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $1 Million from EmployerRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Loves Park woman was sentenced today to three years in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $1 million from her employer.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston also ordered TAMMY E. MOORE, 55, to pay more than $1 million in restitution.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Loves Park Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Paccagnini.
Moore was an office manager for a company in Loves Park that made custom components for a variety of industries. Moore admitted in a plea agreement that from 2012 to 2020, she fraudulently obtained more than $1 million from the company. Moore issued company checks to herself and her husband’s business from the company’s account, forged the signature of the company’s owner on checks, deposited the checks into her personal bank account and her husband’s business account for her personal benefit, and then initiated online transfers to move the money. Moore concealed these transactions by making it appear as though the checks were for legitimate business purposes and by deleting the company’s records of the forged checks.
Local Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN- Freddy Colmenares, 30, has been sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Joseph C. Murphy Jr., United States Attorney, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on March 3, 2020, United States Postal Inspectors intercepted a package from San Diego, California to a Memphis address containing 936 grams of methamphetamine. Colmenares was later identified as the sender of this package. Through surveillance and investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents confirmed multiple packages of similar weights and sizes were being sent to various addresses in Memphis.
On July 2, 2020, Memphis postal inspectors intercepted a second package containing 940 grams of methamphetamine. DEA agents conducted an undercover operation at the listed recipient residence and executed four residential search warrants on July 6, 2020. Law enforcement officers recovered $74,970, four firearms, and smaller quantities of various controlled substances.
Colmenares admitted to shipping over 35 kilograms of actual methamphetamine through the United States Postal Service from San Diego, California to Memphis.
On April 15, 2022, United States District Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced Colmenares to 240 months in federal prison to be followed by five years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Musselwhite prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Justice Department Issues Statement on Ruling in Health Freedom Defense Fund Inc, et. al. v. Biden, et. al.Read the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice today released the following statement on Health Freedom Defense Fund Inc., et. al. v. Biden, et. al. from spokesman Anthony Coley:
“The Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) disagree with the district court’s decision and will appeal, subject to CDC’s conclusion that the order remains necessary for public health. The Department continues to believe that the order requiring masking in the transportation corridor is a valid exercise of the authority Congress has given CDC to protect the public health. That is an important authority the Department will continue to work to preserve.
“On April 13, 2022, before the district court’s decision, CDC explained that the order would remain in effect while it assessed current public health conditions, and that the Transportation Security Administration would extend its directive implementing the order until May 3 to facilitate CDC’s assessment.
“If CDC concludes that a mandatory order remains necessary for the public’s health after that assessment, the Department of Justice will appeal the district court’s decision.”
Judge sentences St. Louis man for being felon in possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Arlando Hill of St. Louis, Missouri, appeared before United States District Court Judge John A. Ross on yesterday’s date. Based on a previous plea of guilty, Hill was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the plea agreement, on February 23, 2020, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers were called to a location in the 5900 block of Ridge Ave., within the Eastern District of Missouri for a shooting. Officers conducting the investigation learned that Hill pointed a rifle at a woman and her children after a dispute over Hill smoking marijuana near the children. Fortunately, the victim and her children escaped the encounter without injury. Hill was subsequently entered as wanted for assault by police.
On May 14, 2020, a security guard at a hotel located in the 5700 block of Natural Bridge called 911 after Hill refused to leave the property. The security guard observed what appeared to be a sawed-off shotgun on the front seat of Hill’s vehicle. The guard told Hill to stop and wait as the police were enroute.
While interacting with Hill, the officers learned that Hill was "wanted" for the incident occurring on February 23, 2020. The officers also observed a Kimber .270 Winchester caliber rifle on the driver's seat of Hill's vehicle. The rifle appeared to have had the stock and barrel sawed off. The officers placed him under arrest and seized the rifle. Hill is prohibited from possession of any firearm due to previously being convicted of a felony.
This case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Huron Man Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Huron, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on April 11, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Yeh Thwin, age 23, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Thwin was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 6, 2021. He pled guilty on January 19, 2022.
The conviction stemmed from an incident on November 12, 2020, when the Huron Police Department came to Thwin’s residence to conduct a follow-up on a stolen firearm. They found the stolen firearm, a Glock GmbH, model 22C Gen 3, .40 Smith and Wesson caliber, semi-automatic pistol in Thwin’s bedroom. Thwin had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. On that same date, Thwin knew that he had previously been convicted of a felony and also knew that he was prohibited from possessing any firearms.
The firearm had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce before he possessed it.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Huron Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Thwin was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and a fentanyl analogue.
According to court documents, Joseph Ira Patterson III, 38, admitted that he sold approximately 8 ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Huntington on March 29, 2021, and again on April 21, 2021. Patterson agreed to deliver more methamphetamine to the confidential informant in Charleston. Patterson was driving in Charleston for that meeting on April 22, 2021, when law enforcement officers stopped Patterson’s vehicle. A search of the vehicle yielded 907.2 grams of suspected methamphetamine.
Patterson admitted he had obtained methamphetamine from a Huntington storage unit prior to traveling to Charleston. Law enforcement officers carried out a search warrant for the unit and seized 282.97 grams of methamphetamine, 231.7 grams of a fentanyl analogue, and 15.70 grams of cocaine as well as nine firearms and drug paraphernalia. Officers also searched Patterson’s Jackson Avenue residence in Huntington and seized 58.345 grams of methamphetamine, 7.50 grams of fentanyl, 42.53 grams of marijuana and 18.51 grams of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
Patterson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2022, and faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for conducting the investigation.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-218.
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Haynesville Man Indicted for Making Explosive ThreatsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Cortez L. Brown, 33, of Haynesville, Louisiana, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on numerous charges, including threatening to unlawfully damage and destroy buildings in Sarepta and Springhill, Louisiana. Brown is charged in the indictment with four counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft of government money, and five counts of making explosive threats.
On March 27, 2020 the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act which was meant to mitigate the economic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and created the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program. The FPUC program was intended to increase benefits for individuals who were unemployed and gave them an extra $600 each week in addition to their regular unemployment benefits. The FPUC program was administered by the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC).
The indictment alleges that on or about May 10, 2020 Brown applied for unemployment benefits to the LWC through its online portal and in his application falsely stated that he was “not working” when in truth and in fact, he was employed and receiving wages from two jobs. The LWC approved Brown’s application and issued a debit card for the unemployment benefits to him.
The indictment further alleges that Brown used the debit card, which was funded with unemployment benefits, to purchase, among other things, a cellular telephone which he used to send bomb threats to his employers, a factory in Sarepta, and a restaurant in Springhill.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Brown faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud counts, not more than 10 years in prison on the theft of government money and explosive threat counts, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, Louisiana Workforce Commission, Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office and Springhill Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten.
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Hartford Man Charged with Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging TRAEVAUGHNN MORRISON, 26, of Hartford, with narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on April 5, 2022, members of the DEA’s Hartford Task Force made a controlled purchase of fentanyl and crack cocaine from Morrison in Bristol. After the drug sale, investigators followed Morrison as he drove his car and then parked in a condominium parking lot, where Morrison was taken into custody. At the time of Morrison’s arrest, investigators found in his car additional quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine, and a Polymer80 handgun (“ghost gun”) with an extended magazine loaded with ammunition.
It is alleged that Morrison’s criminal history includes convictions for felony drug offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The indictment charges Morrison with one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine base (“crack”) and fentanyl, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory prison term of at least five years; and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Morrison has been detained since his arrest.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.
Harrison County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Mark Allen Craig, II, of Lumberport, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 120 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Craig, 32, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to one count of “Unlawful Possession of Firearm.” Craig, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of prior convictions, admitted to having a .38 S&W Special caliber revolver in December 2020 in Harrison County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Wagner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Grand Island Man Pleads Guilty to Drug 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 Frank Vacanti, 41, of Grand Island, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to maintaining a drug involved premises. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that between 2016 and June 29, 2020, Vacanti worked with others, including co-defendant Robert Fiels, to sell marijuana. On June 29, 2020, investigators executed a search warrant at Vacanti’s East River Road residence seizing marijuana; THC and cannabis oil; THC edibles, gummies and cartridges; packaging material; ketamine; vape cartridges; approximately $2,000.00 in cash; five shotguns; and hundreds of shotgun shells.
Robert Fiels was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 22, 2022, before Judge Vilardo.
Gang Member Sentenced to 15+ Years for Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
A Dallas gang member who sold multiple firearms to an undercover ATF agent was sentenced today to more than 15 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Vinson Lee Willis, Jr., aka “Man Man,” pleaded guilty in September 2021 to three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced Tuesday to 188 months in federal prison.
In plea papers, Mr. Willis, a convicted felon, admitted to unlawful possession of at least 17 firearms, including one with an obliterated serial number.
According to court documents, an undercover agent made contact with Mr. Willis through a drug dealer and fugitive, Derek Orban, who told a confidential informant that Mr. Willis sold firearms.
On Aug. 8, 2019, the agent accompanied the drug dealer and the confidential informant to a residence on Life Avenue, where the undercover purchased three firearms from Mr. Willis. Over the next two weeks, the agent purchased eight additional firearms from Mr. Willis.
During a transaction on Aug. 13, a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter conducting aerial surveillance recorded Mr. Willis retrieving an assault rifle from a vehicle parked on Life Avenue, then delivering it to the undercover agent and confidential informant.
At Mr. Willis’ sentencing hearing, an agent testified that one of the firearms Mr. Willis sold the undercover was submitted to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) and determined to have been the murder weapon used in a homicide that occurred only months earlier.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Irving Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abe McGlothin and Cara Pierce (fmr.) prosecuted the case.
Four more defendants charged in COVID-19 fraud schemesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Four people have been charged with participating in COVID-19 relief fraud schemes, and three of them have already pled guilty.
The defendants all are charged via Informations as the result of ongoing investigations into misuse of the U.S. government’s COVID-19 financial relief programs, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty pleas subject the defendants to statutory sentences of up to 30 years in prison, along with substantial amounts of restitution and fines, followed by a period of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Congress approved significant funding to assist small businesses during the early shutdowns and financial challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “With our law enforcement partners, we will identify and hold accountable those who misuse this funding to satisfy their own greed at the expense of taxpayers.”
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed into law in March 2020. The CARES Act authorized the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide and/or guarantee loans to keep small businesses afloat during the pandemic’s financial challenges. Three defendants admitted exploiting these programs for their own financial gain, while a fourth awaits further court proceedings. All of the defendants admitted or are accused of seeking relief payments through false and fraudulent representations regarding their businesses, real or fictitious, in order to receive Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and/or Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
The defendants include:
- Shakeena Hamilton, 34, of McRae, Ga., awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit an Offense Against the U.S. Government. In pleading guilty to the COVID-19 fraud charge, Hamilton admitted helping others to fraudulently apply for PPP relief, with her actions responsible for the government disbursing more than $2.3 million to banks for other conspirators. Hamilton, who received kickbacks from the co-conspirators in return for her assistance, gained more than $300,000 from the scheme.
- Anissa Carr, 22, of Hinesville, Ga., and her husband, Montrez Burns, 24, also of Hinesville, each await sentencing after pleading guilty to Wire Fraud. Each defendant admitted fraudulently seeking and securing tens of thousands of dollars in PPP funding for fictitious businesses.
- Anatoly Rybin, 41, of Richmond Hill, Ga., has been charged via Information with False Statement on a Loan Application in relation to an application to the SBA for an EIDL loan for which received $110,300. He awaits further court proceedings.
Criminal Informations contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“The Office of Inspector General stands beside the nation’s small businesses by securing and safeguarding SBA programs that support and uplift them through difficult times,” said SBA OIG’s Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “OIG remains committed to rooting out bad actors and protecting the integrity of SBA programs. I want to thank the U.S. Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”
“As a partner with the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, we will not allow individuals to prey on the CARES Act programs created to assist American citizens during this national emergency,” said Resident Agent-in-Charge Todd Outlaw of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division's Major Procurement Atlanta Fraud Resident Agency. “These guilty pleas are a testament of our dedication and partnership with other federal agencies to ensure critical benefit programs are protected.”
“The U.S. Secret Service along with our Law Enforcement partners remain committed in the fight to defend the Nation’s financial security, and we stand ready to protect our economic infrastructure from those that choose to feloniously exploit it,” said Craig Reno, Resident Agent in Charge of the Savannah Resident Office. “The Secret Service and our law enforcement partners will investigate and criminally prosecute such fraud to the fullest extent of the law.”
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 cases are being investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Secret Service, and prosecuted for the United States by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
Former Tri-State Airport Official Pleads Guilty to Theft of Federal FundsRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – An Ohio woman pleaded guilty today to theft of federal funds after embezzling nearly $49,500 from the Huntington Tri-State Airport while employed as its finance director.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Melissa Sue Hall, 46, of South Point, Ohio, was the airport’s finance director from September 2017 until January 8, 2021. As finance director, Hall was responsible for accounting, depositing and withdrawing funds from multiple revenue sources including ATMs and vending machines. Hall admitted that between May 2020 and January 8, 2021, she stopped depositing the full amounts she collected from these machines into the airport’s bank accounts and also took money from those accounts intended for deposit in the ATMs. During this time period, Tri-State Airport received at least $10,000 per year in federal funding, which was deposited in its bank accounts. Hall admitted to diverting nearly $49,500.
Hall pleaded guilty to theft from programs receiving federal funds. She is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Hall also agreed to pay restitution in the case.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Huntington Tri-State Airport Police and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department for conducting the investigation.
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. 3:22-cr-54.
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Former Small Business Administration Employee Imprisoned for Identity TheftRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today that Jay David Soulliere, Jr., 28, of Grand Rapids, was sentenced to 51 months in prison by the Honorable Paul L. Maloney, United States District Judge. In October, Soulliere pled guilty to conspiracy to commit identity theft and aggravated identity theft. Soulliere was also sentenced to three years of supervised release following incarceration and ordered to pay more than $18,000 in restitution. In handing down the sentence, the Court found that Soulliere abused a position of trust and had not accepted responsibility, among other findings.
According to public records filed in the case, Soulliere was a Disaster Recovery Specialist for the Small Business Administration from September 2020 until March 2021. His job responsibilities included assisting people applying for disaster-related loans. In the fall of 2020, Soulliere stole from SBA’s computer system the personal information of two victims who had applied for loans. Soulliere gave that information to a co-conspirator, Matthew Moore Vodak, Jr., who used it to commit various acts of identity theft, including buying a Land Rover with a fraudulent check and driver’s license, taking over a credit card, applying for loans and credit, and producing fake identification documents. Soulliere also listed one of the victims as a member of his household in a bid to obtain state benefits. During the offense and the prosecution, Soulliere repeatedly used methamphetamine and he absconded from a halfway house. When he was arrested by federal agents, he had another person’s identification document in his possession and lied to agents about his identity.
Vodak was earlier sentenced to 39 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and more than $18,000 in restitution for his role in the scheme.
“Government employees are routinely entrusted with the public’s personal information, and they owe a duty of care to protect that information,” said U.S. Attorney Birge. “This defendant thought his government job gave him permission to steal the identities of people already suffering the economic consequences of a pandemic. We take insider threats seriously and will hold public servants accountable for abusing the public’s trust.”
“Criminals who use their position within the government for financial gain not only threaten the stability of government agencies but undermine our laws,” said Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca of the FBI in Michigan. “This case is another example of the FBI’s partnership with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to combat serious financial frauds. I would like to thank the Small Business Administration - Office of Inspector General, Michigan State Police, and the Plymouth Township, Troy, and New York City Police Departments for their collaboration during this investigation.”
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the SBA Office of Inspector General, the Troy Police Department, the Plymouth Township Police Department, the Michigan State Police, and the New York City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin M. Presant handled the prosecution.
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Former Maui Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Child Enticement ChargeRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Brandon Charles Saffeels, 37, a former Maui Police Department officer, pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court to attempted child enticement. U.S. District Court Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi took Saffeels’ guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for September 7, 2022.
According to court documents and information presented to the court, on December 3, 2021, Saffeels contacted the online profile of what appeared to be a young female. The profile, however, was controlled by an undercover law enforcement officer (“UC”). Eventually during the conversation, Saffeels asked the UC, “How old are u?” and the UC responded “Plz dont judge but im 13.” Later in the conversation, the UC asked Saffeels, “U okay wit my age?” Saffeels replied, “Age is just a number.”
To entice the UC, Saffeels offered to take the UC shopping and repeatedly offered to give her money. At one point, the UC asked him what she needed to do for the money and Saffeels responded, “Sex.” Saffeels also repeatedly implored the UC to send him “sexy” pictures and specifically requested “a sexy nude” picture. For his part, Saffeels sent the UC a picture of himself in which a portion of his genitals was visible.
On December 4, 2021, Saffeels contacted the UC and requested that they meet for sex at a designated location. Shortly after midnight the following day, Saffeels arrived at the agreed-upon meeting location where he was arrested by law enforcement.
Saffeels was due to self-surrender to the federal Bureau of Prisons on January 7, 2022, to begin service of a 30-month sentence Judge Kobayashi imposed for a federal public corruption offense.
The charge of attempted enticement of a minor provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Saffeels will also have to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
“This defendant violated the trust of the court, which had allowed him to remain out of custody prior to serving time for his public corruption sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors. “Because the defendant’s new crime sought to victimize a child, it requires a minimum term of 10 years. Our office remains firmly committed to prosecuting crimes that target our children.”
“The FBI takes crimes against children seriously and even more so when it involves a former law enforcement officer whom the public holds to a higher standard,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “We thank Maui Police Department and our other federal law enforcement partners for their assistance in protecting Hawaii’s keiki. We also thank the public for their continued trust and confidence in law enforcement as we investigate these types of cases.”
“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to protecting our keiki from predators like Mr. Saffeels,” said Special Agent in Charge John F. Tobon “What makes matters worse is that he once held a position of public trust.”
This conviction is the result of a multi-agency investigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Maui Police Department, and the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mohammad Khatib is prosecuting the case.
Former Accounting Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Funds from Johnson Co. District CourtRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas woman pleaded guilty today to federal charges of wire fraud and filing a false tax return related to a scheme to embezzle money from the Johnson County District Court in Olathe, Kansas.
According to court documents, Dawna Kellogg, 61, of Williamsburg—while employed in the accounting department at the Johnson County District Court—stole at least $776,691.50 in cash from her employer between January 2010 and June 2017. Kellogg’s legal name was Dawna Brandt at the time.
As the Accounting Supervisor for the Court, Kellogg managed the accounting department, collected funds from each separate county system, recorded funds collected, processed daily reports, and deposited the collected funds into the Court’s bank account. The Court utilized a case management system named the Justice Information Management System (JIMS), which had an accounting function to maintain the Court’s financial transactions.
Kellogg stole cash that the Court received, such as bail bond payments, and either spent or deposited the embezzled proceeds into her personal accounts. Kellogg concealed the stolen cash by two primary means: (1) manipulating an unclaimed property account and (2) creating an open payable in the JIMS system and then issuing a check that was both drawn on and deposited into the Court’s bank account, which created a corresponding debit and credit and thus no increase or decrease in the amount under deposit.
Kellogg pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. As part of her plea agreement, Kellogg agreed to not contest that the total loss resulting from the scheme to defraud was $1,135,988.13, which consists of $359,296.63 from 2007 through 2009 and $776,691.50 from 2010 through June 2017.A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for August 16 at 9:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Holly L. Teeter.
“The defendant knowingly defrauded the public for personal financial gain over a prolonged period of time. When someone in a position of public trust redirects incoming cash payments for city bonds, fines, and court costs to their personal bank account it threatens the very core of our government institutions. Today’s agreement underscores the importance of holding those whose criminal actions degrade the public’s trust accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub, FBI Kansas City.
“Ms. Kellogg’s attempt to conceal her embezzlement by making fraudulent accounting entries and filing false tax returns was no match for IRS Criminal Investigation”, said Tyler Hatcher, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI will aggressively pursue those who threaten to defraud the very court system which provides justice to all.”
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan J. Huschka and D. Christopher Oakley are prosecuting the case.
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Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Nationwide “Felony Lane Gang” ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Tyrone Parker, age 40, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, pled guilty today in federal court in Syracuse to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Putnam County Sheriff Kevin J. McConville.
In pleading guilty, Parker, whose aliases include “Tyron Parker” and “Thigh,” admitted that he was involved in a fraud scheme known as “Felony Lane Gang” between July 2019 and September 2020. Parker and his co-conspirators traveled across the country breaking into cars, often targeting those parked by women at locations such as health and fitness centers, daycares, outdoor recreational parks, and dog parks. After committing these “smash-and-grab” vehicle thefts, Parker and other members of the conspiracy stole debit cards, credit cards, checkbooks, and photo identifications, which they later used to commit bank fraud by recruiting women to impersonate the smash-and-grab victims in drive-through bank lanes and cash checks. The recruited check cashers were almost always suffering from an addiction to controlled substances and were provided payment at least partially in narcotics. Parker admitted that the loss amount from the conspiracy attributable to him is between $95,000 and $150,000, over a 15-month period.
The charges to which Parker pled guilty carry a minimum sentence of 2 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years, a fine of up to $1 million, and a supervised release term of up to 5 years. Parker will be sentenced on August 15, 2022 by Senior United States District Judge Norman A. Mordue. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Parker was one of nine men charged in a 13-count indictment for their roles in the scheme. Keyshawn Arnold, age 25, of Schenectady, New York, previously pled guilty for his role in the indictment. The remaining co-defendants are:
- TYRONE PARKER, JR. a/k/a “Ty,” a/k/a “Cheese,” a/k/a “Little Thigh,” age 22, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
- JOSHUA MALLORY, a/k/a “P,” a/k/a “Pudge,” age 37, of Fort Lauderdale;
- RANDALL TAYLOR, a/k/a “Gucci,” a/k/a “Guwop,” age 35, of Fort Lauderdale;
- CEDRIC LYNCH, a/k/a “City,” a/k/a “C,” age 37, of Orlando, Florida;
- TERRELL MCDONALD, a/k/a “Ruger,” a/k/a “Moon,” age 32, of Troy, New York;
- ROBERT NATSON, a/k/a “Big Rob,” age 36, of Fort Lauderdale; and
- GARY GRIER, a/k/a “G,” age 36, of Fort Lauderdale.
Each of these defendants is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants whose cases remain pending are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Westchester Resident Agency of the New York Field Office and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the FBI Field Offices in Albany, Miami, and Salt Lake City, and Resident Agencies in Savannah, Georgia, and Portland, Maine, and from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office, and the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office. Additional assistance was provided by numerous law enforcement agencies, including, within New York, the New York State Police; Columbia County Sheriff's Office; Genesee County Sheriff’s Office; Monroe County Sheriff’s Office; Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office; Warren County Sheriff’s Office; and the police departments of the Town of Bethlehem; Glens Falls; Gloversville; Greenburgh; Greece; and Watervliet; and elsewhere, Connecticut State Police; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Georgia State Patrol; Illinois State Police; Massachusetts State Police; Broward County, FL Sheriff’s Office; Northern York County, PA Regional Police; Southern Chester County, PA Regional Police; Utah County, UT Sheriff's Office; and the police departments of Auburn, MA; Bath, ME; Biddeford, ME; Bozeman, MT; Brunswick, ME; Caernarvon Township, PA; Chester Township, PA; Cinnaminson, NJ; Darien, CT; East Norriton Township, PA; Easthampton, MA; Greenwich, CT; Lower Moreland Township, PA; Manheim Township, PA; Portland, ME; Portsmouth, NH; Saco, ME; Salisbury, MA; Sanford, ME; Scarborough, ME; Somersworth, NH; South Portland, ME; St. George, UT; Syracuse, UT; Tinicum, PA; Towamencin, PA; Tewksbury, MA; Wakefield, MA; Yarmouth, ME; and York, ME.
The case was initiated by former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Beaty and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. McCrobie and Michael F. Perry.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Hate-Motivated Threats Against a U.S. Member of CongressRead the Press Release
A Florida man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to threatening a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
On April 19, David Hannon, 67, of Sarasota, entered a guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher P. Tuite to an information charging him with one count of threatening a federal official.
According to information presented at the guilty plea hearing, on July 16, 2019, while in Sarasota, Hannon sent an email to U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar threatening to kill her. Hannon sent the email following a televised press conference held by Representative Omar and three other U.S. Congresswomen. In his threatening email, which had a subject line that read, “[You’re] dead, you radical Muslim,” Hannon referred to Congresswoman Omar and the other Congresswomen of color as “radical rats,” and asked Congresswoman Omar if she was prepared “to die for Islam.” The email further stated that Hannon was going to shoot the Congresswomen in the head.
“Threatening to kill our elected officials, especially because of their race, ethnicity or religious beliefs, is offensive to our nation’s fundamental values,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will not hesitate to prosecute individuals who violate federal laws that prohibit violent, hate-motivated threats. All elected officials, regardless of their background, should be able to represent their communities and serve the public free from hate-motivated threats and violence.”
“No one should fear violence because of who they are or what they believe,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Unlawful threats against our elected officials are an assault against our democracy, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to seek justice in these cases.”
The case is being investigated by the FBI with assistance from the U.S. Capitol Police, and is being prosecuted by Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Claire Favorit for the Middle District of Florida.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Hate-Motivated Threats Against a U.S. Member of CongressRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – A Florida man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to threatening a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
On April 19, David Hannon, 67, of Sarasota, entered a guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher P. Tuite to an information charging him with one count of threatening a federal official.
According to information presented at the guilty plea hearing, on July 16, 2019, while in Sarasota, Hannon sent an email to U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar threatening to kill her. Hannon sent the email following a televised press conference held by Representative Omar and three other U.S. Congresswomen. In his threatening email, which had a subject line that read, “[You’re] dead, you radical Muslim,” Hannon referred to Congresswoman Omar and the other Congresswomen of color as “radical rats,” and asked Congresswoman Omar if she was prepared “to die for Islam.” The email further stated that Hannon was going to shoot the Congresswomen in the head.
“Threatening to kill our elected officials, especially because of their race, ethnicity or religious beliefs, is offensive to our nation’s fundamental values,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will not hesitate to prosecute individuals who violate federal laws that prohibit violent, hate-motivated threats. All elected officials, regardless of their background, should be able to represent their communities and serve the public free from hate-motivated threats and violence.”
“No one should fear violence because of who they are or what they believe,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Unlawful threats against our elected officials are an assault against our democracy, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to seek justice in these cases.”
The case is being investigated by the FBI with assistance from the U.S. Capitol Police, and is being prosecuted by Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Claire Favorit for the Middle District of Florida.
Flathead Valley construction company owner sentenced to 70 months in prison for fraud schemeRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Flathead Valley construction company owner who admitted to defrauding numerous customers was sentenced today to 70 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $543,859 restitution, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Craig Mark Draper, 55, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty in December 2021 to wire fraud.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. Judge Molloy ordered Draper remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Service. In addition, Judge Molloy dismissed nine other wire fraud counts and two money laundering counts under the terms of a plea agreement reached by the parties.
The government alleged in court documents that Draper took money from customers for construction materials and failed to obtain the materials and complete the projects. The case involved 25 victims, including customers, vendors and former employees, some of whom suffered significant financial hardships as a result of Draper’s actions.
The government alleged that Draper moved to the Flathead Valley in 2017 and formed a company called ADI Builders. Draper started bidding on a variety of jobs, including the construction of pole barns, shops and residential remodels.
In several instances, Draper provided invoices to customers for specific expenses associated with their projects. Draper admitted that he sent an invoice to a customer for $59,002, which included $8,000 in charges for siding. The customer wired $59,002 to Draper. The customer never received siding from Draper and eventually paid the vendor directly for the siding included in Draper’s invoice. Draper used some of the wired money for personal expenses unrelated to the customer’s project, including paying a company in Iowa for trophies for the winners of car races, paying an outfitter in Utah, making cash withdrawals and paying $9,500 to the Salish and Kootenai Tribes to lease their racetrack.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Racicot prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
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Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment in Fentanyl CaseRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging three individuals with drug conspiracy and firearm charges, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.
Martin William Thompson, 51, of Stonewall, Louisiana, Rachel Ann Hassell, 44, and Courtney Renee Cox, 38, both of Shreveport, have each been indicted and charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury. Thompson and Hassell were also both charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and using or maintaining drug premises. In addition, Thompson was charged with two counts of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The indictment alleges that from January 2021 and continuing until October 2021, all three defendants conspired together to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and death and serious bodily injury resulted from the use of fentanyl.
The indictment also alleges that in October 2021, Thompson and Hassell knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute heroin. It is further alleged that Thompson and Hassell unlawfully and knowingly used and maintained a place located at 2911 Williamson Way, Shreveport, Louisiana, for the purpose of distributing and using fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana. The firearm charges in the indictment allege that in October 2021, Thompson possessed numerous firearms and silencers in furtherance of the drug trafficking crimes.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, these defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison, on the conspiracy charge. Thompson and Hassell face up to 20 years in prison on the drug possession and using or maintaining drug premises charges, and fines of not more than $10,000,000. The firearms charges carry a maximum sentence of 30 years to life in prison.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moody.
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Erie Woman Sentenced for Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to three months in jail and ordered to pay $66,789 in restitution on her conviction of violating federal tax laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Erika A. Grandberry, 47.
According to information presented to the court, Grandberry, while working as a free-lance tax preparer, knowingly and repeatedly reported false and fraudulent income and expenses for non-existent businesses on Individual Tax Returns from 2015 to 2017.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Grandberry.
Erie Woman Sentenced for Buying Firearms for a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to one year probation on her conviction of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Kathryn Nicole Shaw, 25.According to information presented to the court, from March 9, 2020, to July 21, 2020, Shaw conspired with two co-defendants to violate federal straw purchase laws and acquired firearms for a co-defendant who was prohibited from possessing firearms based on prior criminal convictions.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Pennsylvania State Police, Conewango Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Shaw.
Eagle Butte Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Domestic Violence by an Habitual Offender, and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Melvin Semon, age 55, was indicted on April 12, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on April 14, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on April 30, 2019, and January 3, 2022, in Eagle Butte, Semon committed domestic assault. Semon committed the first assault with a dangerous weapon; the second assault resulted in serious bodily injury to his intimate partner. At the time of the assault, Semon had at least two prior convictions of offenses that would have been, if subject to federal jurisdiction, assaults against a spouse or intimate partner.
The charges are merely accusations and Semon is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem is prosecuting the case.
Semon was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending hearing. A trial date has not been set.
Delaware County Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A prohibited person who possessed a firearm pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Matthew Welcher, age 43, from Dundee, was convicted of one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. At the plea hearing, Welcher admitted that, on May 24, 2021, he possessed a Savage Axis 6.5 Creedmoor caliber rifle after having been convicted of two felonies and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and while he was subject to a no contact order.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Welcher remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Welcher faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and is being investigated by the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, the Manchester Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 22-2011.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Cumberland County Man Admits Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Cumberland County, New Jersey man pleaded guilty today to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Charles Sistrunk Jr., 39, of Millville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an information charging him with possession with intent to distribute 500 mg or more of a substance containing methamphetamine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Oct. 13, 2020, agents of the FBI executed a court-authorized search warrant at Sistrunk’s residence and found over 3.7 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, or “ice.” In his guilty plea today, Sistrunk admitted to possessing the methamphetamine with intent to distribute it to others.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison, a maximum term of life in prison and a maximum $10 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 23, 2022.
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 today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the New Jersey State Police; the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office; the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office; the Atlantic City Police Department; the Pleasantville Police Department; and the Millville Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Johns of the Criminal Division in Camden.
Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A man residing at a St. Albans halfway house pleaded guilty today to enticement of a minor.
According to court documents, Robert Dale Eady, 55, was placed at the halfway house to finish a 15-year prison sentence for a 2009 conviction for distribution of child pornography. While residing at the halfway house, Eady befriended a 13-year-old male who lived nearby and began messaging and calling the boy. Eady admitted that during a live video call on May 4, 2021, he enticed and persuaded the young boy to show his genitals, and Eady showed his genitals to the boy.
Eady is scheduled to be sentenced on July 20, 2022, and faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Prisons for conducting and assisting in the investigation.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin F. Scott is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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. 2:22-cr-00063 and 2:21-cr-00206.
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Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Robbery Spree Across Orleans and Monroe CountiesRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that John Cecchini, 28, of Albion, NY, pleaded guilty to bank robbery and four counts of Hobbs Act robbery before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean C. Eldridge, who is handling the case, stated that between April 2 and April 5, 2021, Cecchini committed robberies at five locations across Clarkson, Lyndonville, Albion, and Medina:
o On April 2, 2021, Cecchini robbed the Five Star Bank branch at 2 West Avenue, Clarkson, NY. He handed a bank employee a note which read, “Please do not make me hurt you. I need all of your money in your drawer and hurry up. You delay, I’ll start shooting.” Before the teller could read the note, Cecchini said, “give me all of the money in the drawer before I start shooting.” The teller complied and gave him cash, and Cecchini fled the area.
o On April 3, 2021, Cecchini robbed the Discount Groceries and More at 11 South Main Street, Lyndonville, NY. He entered the store and handed a store employee a note that read “I don’t want anyone to get hurt” and verbally demanded all of the money in the cash drawer. The employee complied with Cecchini’s demands and handed him cash, and Cecchini left the store and fled the area.
o On April 4, 2021, Cecchini robbed the Alexander’s Mobil Gas Station at 4118 Lake Road, Clarkson, NY. He told an employee that he had a taser and said “This is a stick up. Keep your hands on the counter, act normal.” The employee handed Cecchini cash from the cash register while Cecchini placed his hand in his sweatshirt pocket as if he had a gun. Cecchini took the cash, exited the store, and fled the area.
o On April 5, 2021, Cecchini robbed the Crosby’s Gas Station at 202 North Main Street, Albion, NY. He showed an employee a taser gun and demanded money, saying that the taser had probes in it and he wasn’t afraid to use it if the employee didn’t hurry up. The employee handed Cecchini cash, and Cecchini fled the area.
o Later in the day on April 5, 2021, Cecchini robbed the Family Dollar at 11322 Maple Ridge Road, Medina, NY. Cecchini asked a store employee “have you ever been robbed before?” while holding an object in his hand as if it were a weapon. The employee handed Cecchini cash, and he fled the area in a car. After a brief chase, Cecchini was apprehended.
The plea is the result of/culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Major Crimes Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the Medina Police Department, under the direction of Chief Chad Kenward, the Albion Police Department, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Eugene Staniszewski, the Orleans County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Christopher Bourque, and the Orleans County District Attorney's Office, under the direction of District Attorney Joseph Cardone.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 16, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci.
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Capitol Heights, Maryland Narcotics Dealer Sentenced to over Six Years in Federal Prison for Drug Distribution and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Larry Francis Newman, Jr., age 37, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, to 76 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Cosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, on September 5, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Newman’s Capitol Heights, Maryland residence. As a result of the search warrant, officers recovered a loaded .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, 28.22 grams of crack cocaine divided into 547 individual baggies, 40.19 grams of cocaine, 106 vials of PCP, a bottle containing 21.71 grams of PCP, several empty vials containing PCP residue, and a digital scale from Newman’s bedroom. Newman knowingly possessed the crack cocaine, cocaine, and PCP with the intent to distribute them. Newman possessed the loaded firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.
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. Project Safe Neighborhoods is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Michael Morgan, 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach and click on “Save A Life - Opioid Abuse”.
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Brookings Man Charged with Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the InternetRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Brookings, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet.
Zachary Scott Murray, age 35, was indicted on April 5, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on April 15, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The mandatory minimum penalty upon conviction is 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years minimum of supervised release, up to life, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on or about March 6, 2022, Murray attempted to use a cell phone to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an undercover agent posing as a 14-year-old female, to engage in sexual activity.
The charge is merely an accusation and Murray is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.
Murray was released on bond pending trial which has been set for August 9, 2022.
Baltimore Narcotics Supplier and Tester Admits to Transporting More Than Two Kilograms of Cocaine to Maryland for a Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Joseph Grigsby, age 51, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office.
According to his guilty plea, from April 2020 to November 2020, Grigsby was a member of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in and around the Baltimore area. Grigsby worked as a narcotics tester and transporter for the DTO by traveling to New York to obtain heroin and to Philadelphia to obtain cocaine on behalf of the DTO. Upon his return to Baltimore, Grigsby delivered narcotics to the DTO leader.
In late June 2020, federal agents assigned to the Baltimore Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force began intercepting electronic and wire communications occurring over multiple cellphones used by the DTO leader. For example, on July 25, 2020, agents intercepted several of the DTO leader’s conversations in which he discussed obtaining three kilograms of cocaine from a supplier for one of the DTO’s mid-level cocaine distributors. In the conversation with the mid-level DTO distributor, the DTO leader agreed to obtain three kilograms of cocaine and sell the cocaine to the DTO distributor for $41,000 per kilogram. Later that day the DTO leader communicated with Grigsby and told him to prepare for the drive to Philadelphia to obtain the cocaine supply and sent Grigsby the address of the supply location in Northwest Philadelphia. The DTO leader and a co-conspirator (Co-conspirator 1) subsequently drove to Grigsby’s residence to meet Grigsby, and another individual (Individual 1). In two separate vehicles, the pair drove to the agreed-upon supply location in Northwest Philadelphia, obtained at least two kilograms of cocaine, and traveled back to Maryland. Following the drug transaction, the DTO leader, Grigsby, Co-conspirator 1, and Individual 1 traveled to an Owings Mills, Maryland gas station where agents observed Grigsby transfer a box that contained two kilograms of cocaine into the car in which the DTO leader was operating.
In addition to his work as a narcotics transporter, Grigsby also tested narcotics for the DTO. For example, in an intercepted call with the DTO leader on November 12, 2020, Grigsby provided a quality assessment of a drug sample. In this conversation, Grigsby stated that the sample was a “7.5 out of 10” and that the sample was “good” in his opinion.
As stated in Grigsby’s plea agreement, on November 16, 2020, law enforcement executed a search and seizure warrant at the DTO leader’s stash apartment where investigators located digital scales, hydraulic presses, packaging materials, and approximately 218 grams of a mixture containing multiple controlled substances, including fentanyl and heroin.
Grigsby faces a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for June 24, 2022, at 2 p.m.
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces 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 against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The specific mission of the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force is to reduce violent, drug-related, and gang crime in the Baltimore area and surrounding region.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA and FBI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey J. Izant, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach and click on “Save A Life - Opioid Abuse”.
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Arizona Man Sentenced to 8 Years on Fentanyl ChargesRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jason Jordan, 36, Mesa, Arizona, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 8 years in prison for attempted distribution of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Jordan pleaded guilty to these charges on January 25, 2022.
On January 21, 2021, an Express Mail parcel mailed from Mesa, Arizona, to an apartment in Madison, Wisconsin, was intercepted by United States Postal Inspectors. Inspectors executed a federal search warrant on the parcel and found 1,000 blue pills inside. The pills were monogrammed with an “M” on one side and a “30” on the other side and appeared to be legitimate oxycodone pills. However, the pills were sent to a laboratory and tested positive for fentanyl. The subsequent investigation revealed that Jordan mailed the pills to Madison from Arizona.
On Friday, May 16, 2021, Jordan was arrested by police officers in McFarland, Wisconsin. During a search of his vehicle, officers located 700 blue pills that appeared consistent with the pills previously seized on January 21, 2021. The pills were sent to a laboratory and tested positive for fentanyl.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Peterson noted that Jordan was on probation at the time of his arrest for a prior conviction for heroin trafficking. Judge Peterson also noted that Jordan has a substantial criminal history, including previous felony convictions for heroin trafficking, felon in possession of a firearm, and substantial battery. Judge Peterson also noted that counterfeit pills containing fentanyl are extremely dangerous and carry an acute risk of overdose.
The charges against Jordan were the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, and McFarland Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner handled the prosecution.
Arizona Man Found Guilty of Multiple Pound Methamphetamine Conspiracy and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that William Stevenson, age 56, of Phoenix, Arizona, was found guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance as a result of a federal jury trial in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on April 14, 2022.
The Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance charge carries a maximum penalty of life in custody and/or a $10 million fine, life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The Obstruction of Justice by Retaliating Against a Witness, Victim or Informant charge carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crimes Victims Fund.
Stevenson was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 4, 2022.
Beginning on an unknown date, and continuing until on or about January 2021, Stevenson, along with at least one other person reached an agreement or came to an understanding to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of a substance containing methamphetamine in the District of South Dakota and elsewhere.
During Stevenson’s involvement, he and other co-conspirators brought multiple pounds of methamphetamine into South Dakota for redistribution.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered. The sentencing date has not been scheduled. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Amtrak Employee Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Defrauding Amtrak of More Than $76,000 Worth of Chainsaws and Chainsaw PartsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining chainsaws and chainsaw parts from his employer Amtrak and then selling this equipment for personal profit, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jose Rodriguez, 49, of Brick, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi to an information charging him with one count of mail fraud. Judge Quraishi imposed the sentence today
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Rodriguez had been an Amtrak employee since October 2007, most recently as a senior engineer and repairman, based out of an Amtrak facility in North Brunswick, New Jersey. Between March 2012 and July 2020, Rodriguez obtained approximately 114 chainsaws, 122 chainsaw replacement bars, and 222 replacement chains from Amtrak, the total value of which was over $76,000, under the false pretense that this equipment would be used for Amtrak projects, but then sold the equipment either on an online auction service or directly to purchasers. Rodriguez used the U.S. Postal Service to mail the stolen chainsaw and chainsaw parts to purchasers throughout the United States, including purchasers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Rodriguez to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $76,379 and forfeiture of $53,381.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited detectives from Amtrak Police New York Division and Mid-Atlantic Division, under the direction of Chief Sam Dotson, and special agents from Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Waters, Eastern Field Office, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Faye Schwartz in the Special Prosecutions Division and Cari Fais, Chief of the Criminal Division’s Opioids Unit.
Allen Man Pleads Not Guilty to Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that an Allen, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Sexual Abuse of a Minor.
Duane Long Pumpkin, age 23, was indicted on March 17, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on April 15, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 15 years in a federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, up to life of supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge relates to Long Pumpkin knowingly engaging in and attempting to engage in sexual acts with a minor female at Allen in 2021.
The charge is merely an accusation and Long Pumpkin is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Sazama is prosecuting the case.
Long Pumpkin was released from custody pending trial. A trial date has been set for June 21, 2022.
Admitted drug trafficker sentenced to nearly a decade in federal prisonRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Liberty County drug trafficker has been sentenced to nearly a decade in federal prison.
Rae Winn-Young, 39, of Hinesville, Ga., was sentenced to 110 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Winn-Young to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Repeat felons like Rae Winn-Young are example of the small number of criminals who commit a disproportionate number of crimes in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our office is committed to identifying these offenders and holding them accountable as we work to make our communities safer.”
As described in court documents and testimony, deputies from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office in 2018 began investigating Winn-Young’s involvement in trafficking cocaine and other illegal drugs in the Hinesville area. Hinesville Police officers joined the investigation, and in a search in March 2019 of Winn-Young’s residence, investigators found large amounts of drugs, cash, and a stolen firearm. Winn-Young later was indicted on federal drug trafficking charges, and still faces state charges related to the case.
Winn-Young has multiple prior felony convictions for illegal drug possession or sale.
“This investigation and conviction would not have been possible without the hard work from our state and local partners,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “This sentence guarantees that this armed, multi-convicted felon has been removed from the streets of our community for many years to come.”
The case was investigated by the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and the Hinesville Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo.
18 April 2022
Woodbury County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
A man who possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it was sentenced in federal court on April 15, 2022, to 90 months’ imprisonment. Donovan Lang, 27, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on November 19, 2021, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that on August 15, 2021, in Sioux City, Iowa, while a passenger in an automobile, Lang was found to possess a knife, and about 100 grams of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine was wrapped in 2-3 purple latex gloves, found beneath where Lang was seated in the vehicle. About 5-7 matching purple latex gloves and a short knife were found in Lang’s pockets.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Lang was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 4 year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Lang remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn Wehde and was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-4077. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Warrenton Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Children OnlineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Warrenton, Oregon man was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison today for sexually exploiting at least two children he met online.
Kirk Richard Cazee, 60, was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison followed by a 99-year term of supervised release.
According to court documents, in 2010, the Oregon Department of Justice received a tip that child pornography was being exchanged with an email address later determined to belong to Cazee. After obtaining a search warrant for the email account, investigators located emails wherein Cazee pretended to be a teenage boy or young adult to manipulate and deceive his minor victims. Between September 2006 and March 2010, Cazee persuaded multiple minor victims under the age of 16 to produce and send him sexually explicit content. In at least one instance, Cazee mailed a web cam and teddy bear to a minor victim and convinced her to produce sexually explicit videos for him using the web cam.
On September 27, 2018, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 10-count indictment charging Cazee with production, receipt, transportation and possession of child pornography. On April 27, 2021, he pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug for the District of Oregon and Special Agent in Charge Kieran L. Ramsey of the FBI’s Portland Field Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Oregon Department of Justice Internet Crimes Against Children task force with assistance from the FBI Salem Child Exploitation Task Force, Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office and the Astoria Police Department. It was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natalie K. Wight and Rachel Sowray from the District of Oregon.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. Child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, child victims suffer re-victimization each time the image of their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website at www.missingkids.org.
The FBI CETF conducts sexual exploitation investigations, many of them undercover, in coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering and assisting victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
United States Attorney Announces Results of Project Safe Neighborhoods StrategyRead the Press Release
Tampa – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today the first quarter results of the Middle District of Florida’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy. Over the past three months, PSN prosecutors in the Middle District of Florida have prosecuted 130 defendants for federal firearms and violent crime offenses. Those prosecutions have removed more than 300 firearms from our streets. (See chart for case details)
The prosecutions consist of:
- 51 individuals who have been charged with federal firearms and violent crime offenses, involving a total of 75 firearms and 1,563 auto sears;
- 52 defendants who were adjudicated guilty in firearm and violent crime cases in 2022, involving a total of 174 firearms; and
- 27 defendants who were sentenced in firearm and violent crime cases, involving a total of 86 firearms. (See chart for case details)
“Reducing violent crime is a top priority for our Office,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “Over the past three months, I have increased the number of prosecutors assigned to handle violent crime and firearms cases and have met with our state and local partners to better understand the issues in our communities. Through those efforts, 130 defendants have been prosecuted in federal court and more than 300 firearms have been seized from those defendants. Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to work to make communities throughout the Middle District of Florida safer.”
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. This evidence-based program has proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders working together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in communities and developing comprehensive solutions that reduce crime. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on prevention and intervention efforts through community engagement and problem-solving partnerships, strategic enforcement of the most violent offenders, and locally based reentry programs to reduce recidivism.
As part of its PSN strategy, each of the five divisions of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO-MDFL) have engaged in violent crime reduction strategies in 2022, including:
- Orlando – Five Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) have been assigned to exclusively prosecute violent crime, narcotics, and firearms cases. Each AUSA also serves as a liaison to a specific law enforcement agency that investigates violent crimes.
- Jacksonville – AUSAs meet weekly with fellow Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) partners (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, State Attorney’s Office - Fourth Judicial Circuit, ATF, DEA and FBI) to develop investigations. Staff members also participate in local reentry programs (Baker, Lawtey, and Columbia Correctional) and school outreach presentations.
- Ocala – AUSAs have teamed up with the State Attorney’s Office for the Fifth Judicial Circuit, ATF, DEA, FBI, the Ocala Police Department, and the Marion, Lake, and Citrus County Sheriff’s Offices to locate, seize, and prosecute individuals who unlawfully possess firearms.
- Tampa – The number of dedicated violent crime prosecutors has increased to 11. In addition, as part of an ongoing partnership with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, two defendants have recently been charged in a drug-related homicide case (United States v. Grable, et al).
- Ft. Myers – Relationships with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies have been enhanced through the USAO-MDFL Violent Crime Working Group in an effort to identify offenders and coordinate investigations and prosecutions involving firearms-related offenses.
- Districtwide – An increase in our proactive community outreach strategy has allowed staff to further engage community-based organizations, educational institutions, and service agencies in an effort to prevent and decrease future gun-related incidents. (See chart for specific events).
The cases identified in the linked chart have been investigated by the Apopka Police Department, the Bradenton Police Department, the Cocoa Beach Police Department, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Myers Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Lake County Police Department, the Lake Mary Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Sanford Police Department, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarasota Police Department, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Border Patrol, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
An indictment or criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases are being prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorneys in all five divisions throughout the Middle District of Florida. For additional information on Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit our website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/project-safe-neighborhoods-0.
Charged Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment
Firearms Seized
Fort Myers Division
Re’Shod Larry (27)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Samuel Robert Bruner (46)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
3
Otis Marchman IV (27)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Javonte Keyon Whitfield (24)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
5
Romeo Lenell Battle (24)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Simon Eth and Mark Morgan
Jacksonville Division
Leonard Green (50)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Deatric Walker (42)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Andrew Harp (30)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Thelonious Kirby (51)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
2
Edrick Jackson (28)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
2
Jeromy Washington (25)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
John Hemingway (52)
Armed Career Criminal/felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Frederick Sams (40)
Armed Career Criminal/felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Terry Shipman (47)
Armed Career Criminal/felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Otis Shivers (48)
Armed Career Criminal/felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Sabastian Amrine (20)
Brandon Bayne (25)
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5/7/10 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Interference with commerce by robbery
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
1
James Lewis (53)
False statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Kristopher Ervin (42)
Matthew Hoover (38)
Conspiracy
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
Violation of the National Firearms Registration Act
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Structuring
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1,563 auto sears
The auto sear is a combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting a weapon to shoot automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Michael Coolican, Cyrus Zomorodian, Kirwinn Mike, John Cannizzaro, and Laura Taylor
Ocala Division
Tevaughn Johnson (28)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Forcibly assaulting federal officer with injury
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Timothy Eric Evans (40)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Wayne Allen Phillips, Jr.
(44)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Tyrie K. Boyer, Hannah Nowalk, and William Hamilton
Orlando Division
Jarvis Jackson (31)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Interference with commerce by robbery
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
1
Kevin Deane Jones (50)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
2
Vincent Virgil Gibson (31)
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 Years
Maximum Prison Term: 40 Years
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 Years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Mateo Alexander Arboleda Giraldo (23)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Chauncey Bratt, Jen Harrington, Ranganath Manthripragada, Terry Livanos
Tampa Division
Natwan Callaway (24)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
4
Bruce Dunbar (60)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Devin Kelly (27)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Victor Manuel Hernandez (22)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Drug trafficking conspiracy
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
15
Jamel Middleton (26)
Armed Career Criminal/felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
4
Roy Nobles (41)
Malachi Deloch (23)
Armed Career Criminal/felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Mandatory Minimum Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
4
Jhakoric Leavon Lofton (23)
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5/7/10 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Jy’Quale Samari Grable (20)
Aquavious Smith (19)
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5/7/10 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Interference with commerce by robbery
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
0
John Anderson (38)
Interference with commerce by robbery
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
1
(Collected out of District)
Ma’at Darius Lee (21)
Interference with commerce by robbery
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
1
Michael Staton (30)
Margaret Lynch (35)
Drug trafficking conspiracy
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5/7/10 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
2
Christian Perez Seda (36)
Drug trafficking conspiracy
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5/7/10 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Victoria Guerrero (35)
Theresa Bentancourt (19)
Drug trafficking conspiracy
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5/7/10 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
4
Jovante Thomas (40)
Santino Jimenez (39)
Troy Mctier (29)
Adrian Ashby (50)
Marquesha Isaac (36)
Drug trafficking conspiracy
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substance
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
1
Deoin Rashaud Brown (26)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Elijah Howard
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Diego Novaes, Jim Preston, Mike Sinacore, Callan Albritton, Samantha Beckman, Charlie Connally, Risha Asokan, and Daniel Marcet
Total Number of
Defendants: 51
Total Number of Firearms: 75 and 1,563 auto sears
Adjudicated Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment
Firearms Seized
Fort Myers Division
Serdarryl English (39)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Alex Winters (42)
Armed Career Criminal/felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
1
Eric Maurice Brown (31)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
2
Herman Fleming (29)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years
1
Joshua Wade McGinnis (27)
John Olvera Salinas* (19)
*Salinas pleaded guilty to the 924c charge only.
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: 40 Years
Distribution of cocaine
(3 Counts)
Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years (per count)
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance
of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
15
These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Simon Eth, Mark Morgan, Trent Reichling, and Michael Leeman
Jacksonville Division
Charles DeYoung (45)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Christopher Dozier (41)
Brittany Cooper (32)
Interference with commerce by robbery
Brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 7 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
2
Marcus Peterson (37)
Antwan Major (25)
Kimberly Walker (45)
Neal Walker (51)
Mar’quez Mickler (21)
Drug trafficking conspiracy
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
5
Brett Amante (39)
Bank robbery
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 7 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
1
Johnny Davis (46)
Making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
0
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Laura Taylor, David Mesrobian, Chip Corsmeier, and Cyrus Zomorodian
Ocala Division
Darrell Pierre Hopkins (54)
Making a materially false statement during the purchase of firearms
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
0
Timothy Ivory (44)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition (2 counts)
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years (per count)
2
Jeffrey Walt Boston (44)
Felon in possession of firearm
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
Unlawful possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
1
Benjamin Tyree Townsel (22)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition (3 counts)
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years (per count)
Possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
3
D’Andra Lamar Miller (21)
Felon in possession of firearm
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
2
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Robert Bodnar, Jr, Tyrie K. Boyer
Orlando Division
Larry Burrows (26)
Use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 7 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Carjacking
Maximum Prison Term: 15 years
0
Zachary Nichols (27)
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: 40 years
2
Christopher Dasilva (24)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Symone Stannisha Smith (32)
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: 40 years
0
Joseph Ellicott (43)
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
0
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Chauncey Bratt, Jen Harrington, Ranganath Manthripragada, and U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg
Tampa Division
Christian Agosto (22)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Ronald White (27)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Deuntay Robertson (30)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Antonio Phillips (33)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Michael Woeber (35)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
2
Michael Cottone (35)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
2
Alan Williams (43)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Wilbur B. Simpson IV (23)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Ryland Hicks (41)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Richard Devine (32)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
William Houston Gates (34)
George Rundell (41)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
3
Victor Grant (40)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
0
Keon Rashawn Felton (23)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Maximum Prison Term: 10 years
1
Russel Hinote (74)
Dealing firearms without a license
Maximum Prison Term: 5 years
114
Hector Kirkland (40)
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Mandatory Minimum Prison Term: 5/7/10 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Robbery (2 counts)
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years (per count)
0
Keaujay Hornsby (26)
Kareem Spann (27)
Tywon Spann (25)
Eriaius Bentley (29)
Racketeering conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering
Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to/Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence—
Mandatory Minimum Prison Term: 5/7/10 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life
Racketeering Conspiracy
Assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering
Discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Aggravated identity theft
Access device fraud
1
Uriah Waggerby (24)
Sylvanis Brice (30)
Johan Holder (25)
Kaleb James (26)
Robbery:
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
0
Nicholas Primo (34)
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
0
Travis Riley (39)
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
Drug trafficking conspiracy
Maximum Prison Term: 20 years
3
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by Mike Sinacore, Charlie Connally, Diego Novaes, Callan Albritton, Jim Preston, and Simon Eth
Total Number of Defendants: 52
Total Number of Firearms: 174
Sentenced Cases
Defendant(s)
(Age)
Charges
Sentence Imposed
Firearms Seized
Fort Myers Division
Jarrett Truman (26)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison
8
Raynaldo Quiroga (38)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition; using a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; interference with commerce by robbery
Sentence Imposed: 40 years in federal prison
0
These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Shannon Laurie, Simon Eth, and Jesus M. Casas
Jacksonville Division
Cornelius Turner (34)
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 15 years in federal prison
1
Brandy Rayburn (41)
Duane McCray (44)
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking
Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison (Rayburn)
Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison (McCray)
1
Luis Hernandez (33)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 2 years and 6 months in federal prison
1
Bernie Mack (45)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 15 years in federal prison
1
Andrew Fulda (44)
Possession of a firearm by individual with a domestic violence injunction
Sentence Imposed: 3 years and 1 month in federal prison
7
Fan Yang (37)
Making false written statements to federally licensed firearms dealers during the purchase of two firearms; export crimes
Sentence Imposed: 4 years in federal prison
2
Jose Angel Vazquez (60)
Making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer
Sentence Imposed: 18 months in federal prison
0
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division were handled by AUSAs Ashley Washington, Cyrus Zomorodian, Julie Hackenberry, David Mesrobian, Laura Taylor, and Michael Coolican
Ocala Division
Manuel Jose Toro Finol (37)
Possession of a Schedule I controlled substance dimethyltryptamine (DMT)
Sentence Imposed: 1 year probation
0
Glenn Edward Davis, Jr. (36)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon; possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine
Sentence Imposed: 17 years and 6 months in federal prison
2
Tralvaster Epps aka Pooh Bear (34)
Possession with intent to distribute cocaine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession with intent to distribute marijuana, cocaine, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 400 grams or more of fentanyl
Sentence Imposed: 10 years and 2 months in federal prison
1
Megan Bateman (31)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Sentence Imposed: 8 months in federal prison
2
Robert Joseph Miller (46)
Possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon; possession of unregistered NFA firearms
Sentence Imposed: 10 years in federal prison
42
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division were handled by AUSAs Michael P. Felicetta, Robert Bodnar, Jr., and Tyrie K. Boyer.
Orlando Division
Davel Theodore Spady (35)
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Sentence Imposed: 6 years in federal prison
0
This PSN case from the Orlando Division was handled by AUSAs Beatriz Gonzalez.
Tampa Division
Greg Kendrick (26)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 5 years and 10 months in federal prison
3
Theodore Williams (28)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 4 years and 9 months in federal prison
1
James McCormick (29)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 12 months in federal prison
1
Keon Moore (30)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition; possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
Sentence Imposed: 17 years and 6 months in federal prison
7
Samuel Davis (49)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 4 years and 5 months in federal prison
1
Aaron Jermaine Mosley (30)
Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition
Sentence Imposed: 7 years in federal prison
2
Tareq Iraq (28)
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; Hobbs Act robbery
Sentence imposed: 10 years and 4 months in federal prison
0
Jeffrey Davis (24)
Tyee Spike (19)
Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Sentence Imposed: 24 years in federal prison (Davis)
Sentence Imposed: 26 years and 3 months in federal prison (Spike)
1
Michael Snyder (31)
Interference with commerce by robbery
Sentence Imposed: 9 years in federal prison
1
Pierre Marc (35)
Drug trafficking conspiracy; use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Sentence Imposed: 10 years in federal prison
1
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Diego Novaes, Charlie Connally, Mike Gordon, Jim Preston, and Callan Albritton.
Total Number of Defendants: 27
Total Number of Firearms: 86
Outreach Activities
Date
Event
Number of Attendees
Division
January 25, 2022
AMI Youth Program Tampa
38
Tampa
January 27-28, 2022
COPS “Problem Solving for Public Safety Partners” training
22
Fort Myers
January 28, 2022
AMI Kids Jacksonville
19
Jacksonville
February 11, 2022
JLERP Jones High School
60
Orlando
February 16, 2022
AMI Kids Orlando
15
Orlando
February 17-18, 2022
COPS “Problem Solving for Public Safety Partners” training
24
Clearwater
February 28, 2022
Westbrooke Elementary School - Rising Stars Group
19
Orlando
March 10, 2022
Bridge to Success Academy Middle School
44
Jacksonville
March 21, 2022
Boone High School Criminal Justice Magnet
55
Orlando
March 21, 2022
Westbrooke Elementary School - Rising Stars Group
23
Orlando
March 30-31, 2022
COPS “Problem Solving for Public Safety Partners” training
31
Orlando
Total Number of Events: 11
Total Number of Attendees: 350
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana Commemorates Sexual Assault Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
Every April, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of join survivors, advocates, and communities nationwide in observing Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Sexual violence is far too prevalent, and it is important to not only to raise awareness of the myriad forms of sexual violence, but to engage in meaningful prevention efforts, take action to hold offenders accountable, and care for survivors in a trauma-informed manner. U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. joins the Department of Justice and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) in applauding the recent passage of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA 2022), which treats sexual assault as the serious violation it is and creates new programs and initiatives that provide survivors of sexual violence with increased access to services and justice. One such program is the Violence Against Women Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) program, which cross-designates tribal prosecutors as SAUSAs to support tribes and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in investigating and prosecuting cases involving sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, stalking, and certain sex trafficking offenses. VAWA 2022 also expands outreach to survivors in underserved communities, including by improving access to sexual assault medical forensic examinations for survivors in rural areas, providing community-specific services for LGBT survivors, and restoring tribes’ jurisdiction to prosecute non-Indian perpetrators of sexual violence and sex trafficking, among certain other offenses committed on tribal lands.
“During Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, and every month, OVW-funded programs across the nation provide essential services to survivors of sexual assault, responding to their needs, helping them heal, and supporting them as they pursue the justice they seek,” said OVW Principal Deputy Director Allison Randall. “The impact of sexual violence is felt by the entire community and can devastate survivors’ lives, which is why it is critical that VAWA 2022 strengthens not just services and justice interventions but also prevention.”
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
If you or someone you know is experiencing or has experienced sexual violence, you are not alone and there are many services available to help, including the Sexual Assault Hotline, 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), and the StrongHearts Native Helpline, 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483). In addition, you can find a local resources page on OVW’s website, which lists state sexual assault coalitions that can direct you to local resources and services, as well as opportunities to get involved.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Provides Update on Investigation into the Murder of Laquan McDonaldRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — On April 13, 2015, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced a joint federal and state investigation into the Oct. 20, 2014, fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald. On Nov. 24, 2015, the Office announced that the investigation remained active and ongoing. The Office conducted a thorough and independent investigation with the assistance of its federal, state, and local investigative partners, including the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Chicago Independent Police Review Authority and its successor, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
In November 2015, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, in consultation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, proceeded with murder charges against former Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke in the Circuit Court of Cook County. Experienced and independent prosecutors led the state prosecution, resulting in Mr. Van Dyke’s historic convictions of second-degree murder and sixteen counts of aggravated battery with a firearm. On Jan. 18, 2019, Mr. Van Dyke was sentenced to 81-months’ imprisonment.
Today, John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not pursue a successive prosecution of Mr. Van Dyke on federal criminal charges. The decision not to pursue a federal prosecution is consistent with Department of Justice policy and was made in consultation with Mr. McDonald’s family. U.S. Attorney Lausch has spoken with a representative of Mr. McDonald’s family on multiple occasions over the past three years, including recently, to discuss the factors the Department of Justice considers when deciding to bring a second prosecution. The family was in agreement not to pursue a second prosecution, and the Office respects their position.
While much of the evidence presented at Mr. Van Dyke’s state trial was developed through a joint federal and state investigation, a federal trial would not be a retrial of the state case. There is no general murder charge under federal law that would apply. Federal prosecutors would need to prove to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Van Dyke willfully deprived Mr. McDonald of a constitutional right. To do that, prosecutors would have to prove not only that Mr. Van Dyke acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids, but also that his actions were not the result of mistake, fear, negligence, or bad judgment. It requires federal prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt what Mr. Van Dyke was thinking when he used deadly force, and that he knew such force was excessive. The federal law presents a very high bar – more stringent than the state charges on which Mr. Van Dyke was convicted.
Even if a federal trial resulted in a conviction, the federal judge imposing sentence would be obligated to consider the 81-month state sentence previously imposed, as well as other relevant factors, including the same aggravating and mitigating factors presented at Mr. Van Dyke’s extensive state-court sentencing hearing; the fact that Mr. Van Dyke served his state prison sentence with conduct entitling him under state law to be released early; and the fact that Mr. Van Dyke no longer is and never again will be a police officer. Given these factors, there is a significant prospect that a second prosecution would diminish the important results already achieved.
In addition to the conviction and imprisonment of Mr. Van Dyke, the murder sparked an extensive Department of Justice investigation of the Chicago Police Department, the results of which were largely incorporated into a federal consent decree requiring the Chicago Police Department to implement hundreds of meaningful police reform measures.
The public should not draw conclusions regarding how the Office is likely in the future to analyze incidents of alleged crimes by law enforcement officers. The Department of Justice remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources required to ensure that credible allegations of civil rights violations are thoroughly examined.
U.S. Attorney Dennis R. Holmes Announces RetirementRead the Press Release
After serving over 43 years as a prosecutor in South Dakota, United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced today that he intends to retire. Holmes, a Custer, South Dakota native, began his career as a prosecutor in 1978 as a clinical law intern in the Pennington County States Attorney’s Office while still in Law School at the University of South Dakota. The following spring Holmes was offered a position by then newly elected South Dakota Attorney General Mark Meierhenry to serve as an Assistant Attorney General in the litigation division. He spent nine years in the Attorney General’s office handling a broad variety of criminal cases ranging from homicides to drug conspiracies. He also represented the State of South Dakota in civil litigation, including jurisdictional challenges on Indian country issues. While in the Attorney General’s Office Holmes held the positions of head of the litigation division, Deputy Attorney General, and Chief Deputy Attorney General. Holmes said, “I was very fortunate to begin my legal career under the tutelage of Mark Meierhenry. Mark was a great lawyer and a mentor to so many South Dakota attorneys.”
In 1988 Holmes joined the United States Attorney’s Office in Pierre where he handled primarily Indian country criminal cases and drug prosecutions. In 1995 Holmes moved to the Sioux Falls U.S. Attorney’s office to become the lead Drug Task Force prosecutor for the District of South Dakota. During his 34 years as a federal prosecutor Holmes prosecuted a wide array of federal criminal cases, including large scale drug conspiracies, violent crimes, tax fraud, federal program fraud, and environmental crimes. He received several awards for his work in the U.S. Attorney’s office, including the Director’s Award for Superior Performance by an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Outstanding Performance Award from the Environment Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice, the Bronze Medal Award from the Environmental Protection Agency, West Central Region Organized Crime Drug Taskforce Award for Outstanding Achievement, National Department of Justice Organized Crime Drug Taskforce Award for Outstanding Achievement, and Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Prosecutor of the year Award. Holmes has served three times as Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. Holmes also held the position of First Assistant U.S. Attorney for four different U.S. Attorneys. He has been the Criminal Chief for the office for over 19 years.
Holmes said, “It has been an honor to work with so many dedicated law enforcement officials from state, local, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies who toil every day to keep our communities safe. In my career I also have had the privilege of serving alongside many talented and devoted attorneys. I have always admired their professionalism and their dedication to public service.”
Holmes began serving as Acting U.S. Attorney under the Vacancies Reform Act on February 26, 2021, following the resignation of U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons. On December 23, 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Holmes U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota for 120 days under the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 546. The U.S. District Court will appoint an interim U.S. Attorney on April 22, 2022. Holmes has agreed to remain with the office for a period of time to assist with the transition.