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18 April 2022
Des Moines Man Sentenced to over 26 Years in Federal Prison for Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IOWA – Nicholas Dwayne Jones, age 42, of Des Moines, was sentenced today in federal court to 322 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Prohibited Person in Possession of Firearms.
According to evidence presented at the two and a half-day jury trial, in the Spring of 2020, investigators with the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement (MINE) Task Force began a drug investigation into Nicholas Jones and his wife, Nashia Jones. MINE investigators conducted four controlled buys of cocaine from the Jones’. Officers executed a search warrant at their residence and seized $154,000 in drug proceeds, four loaded firearms, over 1,200 rounds of live ammunition, digital scales, cutting agents, and drug notes. Jones was found guilty on all charges.
U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the MINE Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Mallory E. Weiser and Amy L. Jennings prosecuted the case with the assistance of Victim Witness Specialist Charlotte Kovacs.
Dennehotso Woman Sentenced to over 7 Years for ShootingRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jerryctana Woolboy, 31, of Dennehotso, Arizona, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 85 months in prison. Woolboy previously pleaded guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
On February 14, 2021, Woolboy discharged a rifle at an occupied vehicle on the Navajo Nation. A passenger in that vehicle was struck by the bullet, causing extensive injuries. Woolboy and the victim are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation. Woolboy will be placed on supervised release upon completion of her federal prison sentence.
The FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Crowley, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 21-08074-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022- 046_Woolboy# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Columbia Woman Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Columbia, Mississippi woman was sentenced to 57 months in prison for defrauding health care insurance providers.
Joy Beth Harden, 51, pled guilty on August 10, 2021, to executing a scheme to defraud Medicare and other health care benefit programs. Specifically, Harden submitted fraudulent bills for durable medical equipment on behalf of her business, BZB LLC doing business as Duracare Home Medical Equipment in the Hattiesburg area. As a result, Medicare and other benefits programs paid Harden for durable medical equipment that was never prescribed for patients and for medical equipment that was never delivered to the patients.
United States District Judge Taylor B. McNeel sentenced Harden on April 15, 2022, to serve a term of 57 months in federal prison, followed by a term of 3 years of supervised release. Harden was also ordered to pay full restitution to all of the health care insurers she defrauded.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi, Special Agent in Charge Tamala Miles of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG) Atlanta Regional Office, Special Agent in Charge Cynthia A. Bruce of the DoD OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southeast Field Office, and Inspector General Martin J. Dickman of the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Inspector General (RRB OIG).
“Submitting claims for unsubstantiated services threaten the integrity of the Medicare program and increases the financial burden on taxpayers,” stated Tamala Miles, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working closely with our partners, HHS-OIG will continue to safeguard the integrity of federal health care programs by investigating individuals who seek to exploit them.”
“Health care fraud threatens the most vulnerable of our citizens by endangering the programs which provide care for them," stated Jermicha Fomby, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Mississippi. “It is imperative we proactively root out such acts as this fraud which erode the fabric of our healthcare system upon which our citizens depend. I want to commend the investigators and prosecutors who worked together on this case. We look forward to continued partnerships such as this among the law enforcement community in Mississippi.”
“There are no victimless crimes. Stealing money from the Defense Health Agency (DHA) and Medicare is stealing money from all taxpayers,” stated Special Agent in Charge Cyndy Bruce, Office of the Inspector General (DoD-OIG), Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “DCIS and our investigative partners will continue to come after those who seek to illegally enrich themselves and hold them accountable for their actions.”
“The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Inspector General (RRB-OIG) is committed to fighting Medicare fraud, waste, and abuse and is proud to be part of this collaborative effort with the FBI, HHS-OIG, and DoD-OIG,” said Inspector General Martin J. Dickman. “The sentencing of Joy Beth Harden sends a loud and clear message that combating Medicare fraud is a top federal law enforcement priority and unscrupulous Medicare providers will not be tolerated.”
This case was investigated by the HHS-OIG, FBI, DCIS, and RRB-OIG. The case was prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Dave Fulcher.
Colorado Substance Abuse Treatment Clinic and Owner Agree to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
Springbok Health Inc., a medical clinic with locations in Colorado Springs and Pueblo West, Colorado, and Mark Jankelow, Springbok’s owner and Chief Executive Officer, have agreed to pay at least $125,000, and up to as much as $335,494, to resolve allegations they violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicare and Medicaid for high-complexity and prolonged medical evaluation and management services when such services were not rendered.
Between 2017 and 2019, Springbok and Jankelow allegedly billed Medicare and Medicaid for expensive medical evaluation and management services when, at most, less expensive counseling services were provided. The resolution is based on Springbok’s and Jankelow’s ability to pay.
“Billing Medicare and Medicaid for more expensive services than were actually rendered depletes the limited resources of these vital health care programs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We will continue to safeguard taxpayer dollars and hold accountable those who knowingly misuse such funds.”
“Providing substance abuse treatment is a vital tool in combating the opioid epidemic devastating Colorado communities,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado. “But offering treatment to addicts does not excuse fraud. Our office will continue to pursue claims against providers whose fraudulent billing practices take valuable resources away from victims of the opioid crisis.”
“Providers who submit false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for their financial gain undermine the economy and integrity of federal health care programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Curt L. Muller of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prevent the waste of valuable taxpayer dollars.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of an action brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act against Springbok and Jankelow. These provisions permit a private party to file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Chaudhry v. Springbok Health Inc., No. 18-cv-00999 (D. Colo.). Ms. Chaudhry will receive at least $22,500, and up to as much as $60,389, as her share of the settlement.
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado; HHS-OIG; and the Colorado Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Colorado Substance Abuse Treatment Clinic and Owner Agree to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Springbok Health Inc., a medical clinic with locations in Colorado Springs and Pueblo West, Colorado, and Mark Jankelow, Springbok’s owner and Chief Executive Officer, have agreed to pay at least $125,000, and up to as much as $335,494, to resolve allegations they violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicare and Medicaid for high-complexity and prolonged medical evaluation and management services when such services were not rendered.
Between 2017 and 2019, Springbok and Jankelow allegedly billed Medicare and Medicaid for expensive medical evaluation and management services when, at most, less expensive counseling services were provided. The resolution is based on Springbok’s and Jankelow’s ability to pay.
“Billing Medicare and Medicaid for more expensive services than were actually rendered depletes the limited resources of these vital health care programs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We will continue to safeguard taxpayer dollars and hold accountable those who knowingly misuse such funds.”
“Providing substance abuse treatment is a vital tool in combating the opioid epidemic devastating Colorado communities,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado. “But offering treatment to addicts does not excuse fraud. Our office will continue to pursue claims against providers whose fraudulent billing practices take valuable resources away from victims of the opioid crisis.”
“Providers who submit false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for their financial gain undermine the economy and integrity of federal health care programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Curt L. Muller of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prevent the waste of valuable taxpayer dollars.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of an action brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act against Springbok and Jankelow. These provisions permit a private party to file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Chaudhry v. Springbok Health Inc., No. 18-cv-00999 (D. Colo.). Ms. Chaudhry will receive at least $22,500, and up to as much as $60,389, as her share of the settlement.
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado; HHS-OIG; and the Colorado Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Clay County Man Indicted for Unlawfully Possessing A Weapon Made from A ShotgunRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Dylan Milton Jarvis (30, Orange Park) with unlawful possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act firearm (weapon made from a shotgun). If convicted, Jarvis faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Jarvis had been indicted on April 7, 2022. He was arrested on April 14, 2022. The indictment also notifies Jarvis that the United States intends to forfeit the weapon made from a shotgun.
According to the facts presented in court and the indictment, at approximately 5:30 pm on January 11, 2022, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) responded to calls of shots fired near Blanding Boulevard, a heavily traveled road in Orange Park. Upon making contact with Jarvis in a parking lot, the CCSO determined that Jarvis had fired three to four rounds into the ground from a 12-gauge shotgun and then discarded the firearm. The CCSO located the shotgun in the immediate vicinity of the parking lot along with multiple spent shotgun shells. Further investigation by the CCSO and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined that Jarvis previously sawed off the barrel and the stock of the 12-gauge shotgun. A record check confirmed that this weapon made from a shotgun was not registered to Jarvis in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Jacksonville Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Cherokee County Man to Federal Prison for Meth and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine while also illegally possessing firearms was sentenced on April 14, 2022, to 42 months in federal prison.
William Hageman, 56, from rural Cherokee County, Iowa, pled guilty on December 17, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms by a prohibited person. In 1994, Hageman was previously convicted of OWI - 3rd Offense, in the Iowa District Court for Plymouth County, in 1994. This conviction prohibited Hageman from possessing guns.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that from August 2018 through April 18, 2019, Hageman and others conspired to distribute more than 11 pounds of methamphetamine in Cherokee County, Iowa, and the surrounding area, often obtaining pounds of methamphetamine from Omaha, Nebraska sources. On four separate occasions, in March and April 2019, Hageman distributed more than a pound of pure methamphetamine to individuals cooperating with and under the supervision of law enforcement. In April 2019, law enforcement executed a search of Hageman’s rural Cherokee County residence and seized almost 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine throughout the property, as well as six guns, including four rifles. At the time of the search, a co-conspirator was found attempting to flush methamphetamine down a toilet before officers could seize it. Three of the guns were possessed by Hageman while three others were possessed by a co-conspirator.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Hageman was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of three years supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Hageman remains in the custody of the United States Marshal Service until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn Wehde and was investigated by 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 21-4048. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Brandon Man Charged with Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the InternetRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Brandon, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet.
Gatlin Wayne Herrera, age 29, was indicted on April 5, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on April 11, 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 between on or about March 7, 2022, and March 16, 2022, Herrera 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 Herrera 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.
Herrera was released on bond pending trial which has been set for May 24, 2022.
Black Hawk Man Sentenced for Criminal ContemptRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Black Hawk, South Dakota, man convicted of Criminal Contempt was sentenced on April 12, 2022, by U.S. District Court Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Alan Frederick Dillon, age 56, was sentenced to six months in federal prison and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $10.
Dillon was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 16, 2019. He pled guilty on April 12, 2022.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on May 16, 2019, in Pierre, South Dakota, in which Dillon willfully and unlawfully failed to appear for a court hearing to which he was summoned.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Dillon was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Bethel Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that TIMOTHY P. DRAPER, 54, of Bethel, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to one count of tax evasion
According to court documents and statements made in court, Draper owns and operates T&M Lawn & Landscape, and also owns multiple residential rental properties in Bethel and Danbury. Draper failed to deposit into his business operating accounts numerous checks generated from his landscaping and rental businesses, resulting in underreporting of approximately $1.8 million in business receipts on his tax returns for the 2015 through 2017 tax years. Draper also paid personal expenses out of the business accounts and failed to categorize such payments as income to him. The underreporting of income resulted in the underpayment of more than $500,000 in income taxes for the three tax years.
Draper is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam on July 11, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Draper has paid $1,117,883.11 in back taxes, interest and penalties.
This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Auburn Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Christopher Lee, 69, of Auburn, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for production of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Lee repeatedly used a webcam to produce child pornography involving a seven-year-old child by sharing a live-streamed video with an individual who lived in England.
“Today’s sentence assures the public that this defendant will be kept away from children,” U.S. Attorney Talbert said. “This defendant encouraged others to participate in crimes that hurt children, who are the most vulnerable members of our communities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to continuing its collaboration with our law enforcement partners to ensure that offenders like this defendant are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“We appreciate the work in this joint investigation with the Placer County Sheriff’s Office with prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, that resulted in the rescue of a seven-year-old child,” said Tatum King, special agent in charge, HSI San Francisco. “Special thanks to Hertfordshire Constabulary (United Kingdom) for discovering the crime and HSI Attaché London for collaborating with HSI Sacramento to bring Mr. Lee to justice. This is another disturbing reminder of the dangers of the internet and the importance of working with our international partner law enforcement agencies via HSI’s extensive network of overseas attachés to respond quickly to crimes that exploit our most vulnerable victims.”
This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Placer County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee S. Bickley prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Attorney Convicted of Tax Fraud OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden today found DERON D. FREEMAN, 47, of Glastonbury, guilty of tax fraud offenses.
According the evidence presented during a bench trial in October and November 2021, Freeman is attorney who has owned and operated a The Law Offices of Deron Freeman in Hartford. Freeman has practiced primarily in the areas of personal injury and criminal law. Between 2006 and 2010, Freeman fell severely behind on his federal tax payments and failed to pay his overdue tax balance, despite multiple notices of delinquent taxes and the imposition of payment and interest by the IRS. In 2010, the IRS initiated a collection action against Freeman for the 2007, 2008 and 2009 tax years.
In 2011, soon after Freeman entered into a payment plan with the IRS, he began using a bank account in the name of a third party to hold hundreds of thousands of dollars in an attempt to protect the funds from IRS scrutiny. By June 2012, Freeman made sufficient tax payments so that the IRS removed a lien against Freeman for the 2008 tax year. Shortly thereafter, Freeman transferred more than $248,000 from the third-party account to his personal money market account. Freeman subsequently filed false tax returns for 2011, 2012 and 2013, failing to pay taxes on approximately $950,000 in income in those years, and also failed to pay significant taxes owed for the 2014 and 2015 tax years.
The evidence at trial revealed that Freeman spent lavishly on cars and watercraft and, between 2012 and 2016, spent approximately $1.5 million constructing a new home.
Judge Bolden found Freeman guilty of three counts of making and subscribing a false tax return, and four counts of failure to pay income tax. At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Freeman faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 13 years.
Freeman is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Susan L. Wines and Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Asheville Man Is Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Illegal Gun Possession, After Using Straw Buyer to Obtain A FirearmRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Travis Shaqwann Fair, 32, of Asheville, was sentenced to 80 months in prison and three years of supervised release today for illegal possession of a firearm, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Fair’s girlfriend and co-defendant, Kourtney Nichelle Shivers, 29, of Asheville, was also sentenced to a probationary term of one year for straw purchasing Fair’s firearm.
U.S. Attorney King is joined in making this announcement by Brian Mein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief David Zack of the Asheville Police Department (APD).
“Convicted felons who try to circumvent our gun laws and straw buyers who knowingly put guns in the hands of prohibited persons will be subject to federal prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Gun violence is a grave threat to our communities and we will hold accountable everyone involved in illegal firearm purchasing schemes.”
“Illegal firearm possession is a serious threat to public safety,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Mein. “Removing firearms from the hands of dangerous and prohibited individuals, while also focusing on those who provide them with their firearms, will continue to be a top priority for ATF as we focus our efforts on creating safer communities.”
“The Asheville Police Department supports a citizen’s right to legally purchase and own a firearm,” said Chief Zack. “However, we fully intend to enforce existing gun laws and keep firearms out of the hands of felons and criminals. Stopping gun violence is a top priority of our department and partnering with other law enforcement agencies amplifies our efforts to keep our communities safe.”
According to court documents and court proceedings, on June 10, 2019, Fair visited a licensed firearms dealer in Asheville and consulted with a store employee about purchasing a “cheap” firearm. The store employee showed Fair several firearms, including a 9mm firearm, and Fair left the store shortly thereafter without making a purchase. According to court documents, a short while later, Fair’s girlfriend, Shivers, entered the same store and purchased the same firearm Fair had recently examined. Over the course of the transaction, Shivers falsely certified on the required forms that she was the actual buyer of the firearm, when, in reality, she was a straw purchaser who bought the handgun at Fair’s request and for his use. Court records show that Fair provided Shivers with the funds to purchase the firearm, which she agreed to do, even though Shivers was aware that Fair had prior convictions and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Shivers later transferred the firearm to Fair.
Shivers previously pleaded guilty to making a false representation while buying a firearm. Fair pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. Fair is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and the Asheville Police Department for their investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
Anchorage Man Sentenced to Seven Years for CarjackingRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – An Anchorage man was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Kindred to seven years in federal prison for carjacking a vehicle with a minor inside it.
According to court documents, Maquire Malo Levi, 24, spotted a running vehicle in the Dimond Center parking lot in November 2019. Levi got into the driver’s seat of the car and began to drive away. A 16-year-old-boy in the back seat of the vehicle punched the defendant at which point Levi elbowed the boy in the face. The boy then opened the back door and jumped out of the moving vehicle as Levi sped off. He later abandoned the car, and his DNA was found on the steering wheel and shifter. Levi was indicted on federal carjacking charges in January 2021.
“Levi’s callous, reckless, and dangerous actions certainly merit this significant sentence,” said U.S. Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr. of the District of Alaska. “This prosecution and sentence will make Alaska safer and should deter future similar conduct.”
“This individual’s complete disregard for public safety and senseless violence committed against innocent bystanders, is patently unacceptable,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI and our partners will continue working in lockstep to get dangerous individuals like this off our streets and hold them accountable for their crimes.”
The FBI and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Ivers and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kayla Doyle prosecuted the case.
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An Indianapolis Casino Executive and a Former Indiana State Senator Plead Guilty to Felonies Involving Political Contribution SchemesRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Two men have pleaded guilty to federal crimes for their roles in paying and receiving secret political contributions through a middleman. Today, a former Indianapolis-based casino executive pleaded guilty to causing the casino company to make false statements on its federal tax return by concealing contributions to a local political party as deductible business expenses. Last week, a former Indiana State Senator, charged in the same indictment, pleaded guilty to two charges: using sham donors to receive illegal contributions into his campaign for U.S. Congress, and making false statements to special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, John Keeler, 72, of Indianapolis, Indiana, former vice president and general counsel of Indiana-based casino company New Centaur LLC, paid $41,000 in New Centaur corporate funds to Maryland-based political consultant Kelley Rogers and directed him to funnel $25,000 to a local political party committee in Marion County, Indiana. To further conceal the nature of the contribution, Keeler caused New Centaur’s federal tax return filed with the Internal Revenue Service to falsely describe the $41,000 payment to Rogers as a deductible business expense.
Also, according to court documents, Darryl Brent Waltz, 48, of Greenwood, Indiana, a former Indiana State Senator and 2016 candidate for U.S. Congress, worked with Rogers to funnel $40,500 in illegal conduit contributions to his congressional campaign. Rogers directed corporate funds from New Centaur into the “Brent Waltz for Congress” campaign through over a dozen straw donors and Waltz himself. Waltz pleaded guilty to receiving these fictitious donations. Waltz also pleaded guilty to lying to and misleading FBI agents who were investigating the illegal contributions.
Keeler faces up to three years in prison, and Waltz faces up to ten years in prison. Their actual sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge and are typically less than the maximum penalties. Both men will be sentenced by Judge James R. Sweeney II at a later date.
The FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Steven D’Antuono, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and Justin Campbell, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago made the announcement.
U.S. Attorney Myers and A.A.G. Polite thanked Bradley P. Shepard, Senior Litigation Counsel for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and William J. Gullotta and John P. Taddei, Trial Attorneys in the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, for their work prosecuting the cases.
Akron Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that a federal jury returned guilty verdicts on Friday, April 15, 2022, against Defendant Joe L. Fletcher III, 33, of Akron, Ohio, following a five-day trial before U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr., in Cleveland. Fletcher was convicted of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Fletcher is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas and in the United States District Court in the Northern District of Ohio.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on June 24, 2020, law enforcement officers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol attempted to stop a vehicle Fletcher was driving on Interstate 77 in Copley, Ohio. Fletcher refused to stop and led Troopers on a high-speed chase, reaching speeds of more than 110 miles per hour.
During the pursuit, Fletcher ran from his vehicle into a wooded swamp area. Fletcher used his cell phone to stream his flight live over the internet, during which he threatened to shoot law enforcement. After his arrest, authorities recovered approximately 40 grams of crack cocaine in the wooded area and a loaded, AK-style, semiautomatic rifle from Fletcher’s vehicle.
Fletcher is scheduled to be sentenced on August 9, 2022, and faces a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Ohio-Northeast Smuggling Enforcement Team (ONSET) task force; the Ohio State Highway Patrol; the Copley Police Department; and the Akron Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter E. Daly and Aaron P. Howell.
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11 Charged with over $1.3 Million in Social Security Administration Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, announced today that federal criminal charges have been filed against 11 individuals for theft of government property in connection with an investigation into stolen Social Security Administration (SSA) benefit payments.
The SSA Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation to locate and collect SSA benefit payments that were disbursed to individuals later determined to be deceased. In some cases, these payments continued for years, with no one notifying the SSA of the beneficiary’s death. In addition to the criminal cases listed below resulting in the theft of more than $1.3 million, the SSA was able to use its debt collection and reclamation authority to recover $1,195,333 in nine other matters that were resolved without criminal charges.
The investigation also uncovered evidence of fraud and misuse of SSA benefit payments—often by relatives of the deceased beneficiaries—resulting in felony and misdemeanor charges in the following cases:
United States v. Patricia Munson, Case No. CR-21-00622-PHX-JZB
United States v. Douglas Pasley, Case No. CR-21-00683-PHX-MTM
United States v. Tamara Head, Case No. CR-21-00693-PHX-ESW
United States v. Marva Martin, Case No. CR-21-00716-PHX-SMB
United States v. Dennis Diaz, Case No. CR-21-00842-PHX-MTL
United States v. Kristy Schlueter, Case No. CR-21-00843-PHX-MTL
United States v. Freda Hunt, Case No. CR-21-00844-PHX-DLR
United States v. Karen Hardesty, Case No. CR-21-00919-PHX-MTL
United States v. Joseph McCullough, Case No. CR-21-00950-PHX-ESW
United States v. Carol Harmon, Case No. CR-21-01051-PHX-MHB
United States v. Diana Fast, Case No. CR-22-00279-PHX-JJT
A conviction for theft of public money carries a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-045_SSA Fraud
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
15 April 2022
Warren County man indicted on charges including machine gun possession, methamphetamine traffickingRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Warren County man has been indicted on charges including illegally possession a machine gun and trafficking methamphetamine.
Kevin Shawn McGahee, 47, of Stapleton, Ga, is charged in a newly unsealed indictment with Possession with Intent to Distribute Five or More Grams of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Illegal Possession of a Machine Gun, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges subject McGahee to a maximum statutory penalty of up to life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
“We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and intercept the sources of illegal drugs in our communities, and to remove firearms from those who are prohibited from owning them,” said U.S. Attorney Estes.
McGahee was indicted by a U.S. District Court grand jury during its April term, and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges before U.S. District Court Magistrate Brian K. Epps during arraignment Friday morning. He is free on bond while awaiting further proceedings.
McGahee’s indictment followed a recent search of his residence where agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and deputies from the Warren County and McDuffie County sheriff’s offices found methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and nearly two dozen firearms. Among those firearms was a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol equipped with a so-called “Glock switch,” an aftermarket accessory which agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives verified allows the weapon to fire multiple bullets with each trigger pull.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.
Agencies investigating the case include the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, and the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah L. Johnson.
Tuba City Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Arson, First-Degree Felony Murder, and Second-Degree MurderRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Wednesday, Vincent Roy Tsosie, Jr., 28, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to concurrent life sentences. A jury previously convicted Tsosie of arson, first-degree felony murder, and second-degree murder.
In November 2019, Tsosie entered a home in Tuba City, tried to assault one of the residents, and then set the home on fire. The homeowner woke up during the fire but could not find his way through the flames and smoke and died.
The FBI and Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, Criminal Investigation Services, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer E. LaGrange and Sharon K. Sexton, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-08014-PCT-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-044_Tsosie# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Tuba City Man Sentenced to 46 Months for StabbingRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Christopher Mann, 44, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Mann previously pleaded guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.
On November 11, 2019, Mann stabbed a victim in Tuba City, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. Mann chased the victim after stabbing him and only ceased his pursuit when the victim entered a restaurant to seek help. Mann is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.
The FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Goldberg and Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-08021-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-043_Mann# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Three East Bay Men Plead Guilty to A Conspiracy to Traffic FirearmsRead the Press Release
OAKLAND –Troy Elias Walker, David Michael Rembert, and Daljit Kamal Singh pleaded guilty today in federal court to a conspiracy to deal firearms without a license, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Patrick Gorman, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Rafael Nuñez, and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Wade R. Shannon.
A federal complaint filed August 10, 2021, initiated charges against Walker, 24, and Rembert, 42, both from Concord, and Singh, 27, from Hercules, arising from an investigation into the trafficking of unlicensed and illegal firearms conducted in-person and via Instagram. The complaint described that law enforcement agents purchased 17 machinegun conversion switches designed for pistols and 13 other firearms over the course of multiple undercover buys in Concord, California. A machinegun conversion switch, also referred to as a conversion switch, is a device that modifies a firearm so that it fires as a machinegun, that is, it fires multiple bullets in rapid succession by a single pull of the trigger. A conversion switch itself qualifies as a machinegun under federal law. The undercover firearm purchases also included buys of privately made firearms (PMFs) in addition to commercially manufactured firearms. PMFs – which include firearms colloquially referred to as “ghost guns” – are firearms built from unfinished receivers and typically lack manufacturer’s marks or serial numbers.
Today each defendant entered into a plea agreement admitting he was guilty of conspiring with his two co-defendants to deal firearms without a license. In their respective plea agreements, the defendants described examples of their illegal firearms sales as part of the conspiracy. Singh admitted in his plea agreement that on April 21, 2021, he sold a Smith & Wesson handgun with an obliterated serial number and a conversion switch to an undercover law enforcement agent. Rembert was present at the transaction along with Walker, and Rembert admitted in his plea agreement that he obliterated the serial numbers on the handgun. Rembert also admitted that he installed the conversion switch onto the undercover agent’s firearm at the time of the sale, converting the handgun into a machinegun, and that he charged a fee for the installation service.
Rembert further admitted in his plea agreement that on May 6, 2021, he sold a Glock-style handgun with a conversion switch to an undercover law enforcement agent for $2,000. Rembert admitted he installed the switch into the firearm during the meeting, converting it to a machinegun.
Walker admitted in his plea agreement that on the same day, May 6, 2021, he sold four conversion switches for $1,050 to an undercover law enforcement agent. He also sold the undercover agent a privately made P80 firearm – a PMF or ghost gun – with a Glock slide on it for $1,050. Walker acknowledged these items qualify under federal law as machineguns.
Walker also admitted that on June 2, 2021, he sold ten conversion switches for $2,000 and a privately made P80 firearm with an obliterated serial number and an installed conversion switch for $1,000. He also sold an AR-15 style rifle and a SKS rifle. These sales were made to undercover law enforcement agents. Walker admitted the conversion switches and the P80 firearm qualified as machineguns.
Rembert further admitted in his plea agreement that on July 14, 2021, he sold a Glock Model 48 handgun, a Glock Model 36 handgun, and a Glock-style conversion switch to two undercover law enforcement agents. The total price was more than $3,200.
Each defendant admitted that the conspiracy spanned at least from April 15, 2021, through July 14, 2021, and during this time up to 99 firearms were sold. Walker specifically admitted selling 30 firearms to undercover agents during the conspiracy and selling firearms on Instagram. All three defendants admitted they did not have a license to sell firearms.
The three defendants were arrested on August 12, 2021. In their respective plea agreements, Walker acknowledged that on the day of the arrest, law enforcement agents seized twelve firearms from his residence, Rembert admitted agents seized 38 firearms from his residence, and Singh admitted agents recovered a machinegun pistol from a car registered to him.
The defendants are scheduled for their sentencing hearings before United States District Judge Jon S. Tigar in Oakland federal court on August 5, 2022. Walker remains in custody pending sentencing. Rembert and Singh are out of custody pending sentencing.
Walker, Rembert, and Singh each entered a guilty plea to a single count of conspiracy to deal firearms without a license in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 and 922(a)(1)(A). This charge carries a maximum term of 5 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Abraham Fine, Jonathan U. Lee, and Frank Riebli are the Assistant U.S. Attorneys prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Leeya Kekona and Kathleen Turner. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by ATF, DEA, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Concord Police Department, and the Antioch Police Department.
This case follows the launch by the U.S. Department of Justice of Cross-Jurisdictional Firearms Trafficking Strike Forces in five key regions that are focused on disrupting illegal firearms trafficking. One of the five Strike Forces was launched here, in the San Francisco Greater Bay Area and Sacramento Region. The Strike Force identifies sources of illegally trafficked firearms and disrupts straw purchasing and firearms trafficking schemes and networks through collaborative cross-jurisdictional efforts, which include additional states and multiple law enforcement agencies.
Springfield Man Indicted on Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and Enfield Police Chief Alaric Fox today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging BRANDON BLANKS, 36, of Springfield, Massachusetts, with unlawful possession of a firearms and ammunition by a felon, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
The indictment was returned on April 6. Blanks appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven, entered a plea of not guilty, and was ordered detained.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, Blanks was arrested on November 2, 2021, after he broke into an Enfield apartment carrying a loaded firearm and threatened an individual. Responding officers located a polymer80 9mm firearm (“ghost gun”) with an extended magazine containing 24 rounds of ammunition. In Blanks’ car, officers found and seized a loaded Ruger 9mm firearm and a bag containing a quantity of crack cocaine and approximately 400 bags of para-Flourofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue.
It is alleged that Blanks’ criminal history includes convictions for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, armed robbery, carrying a firearm without a license, and multiple 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.
Unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Enfield Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham.
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.
San Fernando Valley Man Who Sold Counterfeit Prescription Pills Containing Fentanyl Admits Causing Overdose Death of U.S. MarineRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Sylmar man pleaded guilty this afternoon to two federal drug trafficking offenses, one of which stemmed from a 2020 transaction in which he sold bogus oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl that caused a U.S. Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton to suffer a fatal overdose.
Gustavo Jaciel Solis, 25, of Sylmar, pleaded guilty in United States District Court to participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy and distributing fentanyl resulting in death.
United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee is scheduled to sentence Solis on August 17, at which time he will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the fentanyl charge, and potential life sentences for each of the narcotics offenses.
Solis was charged in 2020, along with an active-duty United States Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton and two other alleged co-conspirators, with being part of a ring that distributed narcotics to civilians and members of the United States Marine Corps.
In a plea agreement filed Tuesday, Solis admitted that he “would advertise his controlled substances for sale through his Snapchat account username, ‘huf_75,’ and display name, ‘Gusto928.’ [Solis] would provide various controlled substances, including LSD, MDMA, cocaine, and purported oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, to customers directly, through couriers, or through the United States mail.”
On May 22, 2020, after obtaining approximately 1,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl from a co-defendant, Solis admitted using his Snapchat account to advertise the pills by posting a picture of several pills with the caption, “Who f*** with M30s? Tapp in.”
Solis subsequently sold approximately 10 of the counterfeit oxycodone pills, and a 20-year-old U.S. Marine identified in court papers as “L.M.” died after consuming some of the fentanyl-laced pills.
Solis also admitted in his plea agreement orchestrating other narcotics transactions, some of which were conducted with an undercover agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The transactions with the undercover agent involved several types of narcotics, including counterfeit oxycodone containing fentanyl, cocaine and LSD.
Solis was arrested on July 29, 2020, at which time investigators seized narcotics and several firearms – including a 9mm “ghost gun” – from his residence.
A superseding indictment filed in September 2020 named Solis and four other defendants, who are:
- Jordan Nicholas McCormick, 27, of Palmdale, the lead defendant and the conspiracy’s alleged supplier who provided LSD, ecstasy, cocaine and oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl to co-conspirators;
- Anthony Ruben Whisenant, 22, a lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps, who allegedly aided and abetted the distribution of the fentanyl-laced pills purchased from Solis that resulted in L.M.’s fatal overdose;
- Jessica Sarah Perez, 25, of Pacoima, who distributed narcotics including fentanyl and cocaine to the conspiracy’s civilian customers; and
- Ryan Douglas White, 24, a lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps, who is charged with being an accessory after the fact for allegedly attempting to hinder law enforcement’s apprehension of Whisenant and Solis.
Perez pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute narcotics on January 26, and Judge Gee is scheduled to sentence her on May 11. The remaining three defendants are scheduled to go on trial on June 21.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Castañeda and Gregg E. Marmaro of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section.
Riverside County Man Found Guilty of Fraud for Misusing COVID-Relief Business Loan on Personal Expenses, Including Luxury CarsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Riverside County man who purported to own a pothole-repair company was found guilty by a federal jury today of fraud charges for using hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for personal expenses such as luxury cars after he obtained a PPP loan for more than $7 million on behalf of his business.
Oumar Sissoko, 59, of Temecula, was found guilty of four counts of wire fraud.
According to evidence presented at his three-day trial, Sissoko obtained a $7.25 million loan for his downtown Los Angeles-based company, Road Doctor California LLC, after submitting a PPP loan application in April 2020.
In the loan application, Sissoko claimed that Road Doctor was in the process of hiring 450 full-time employees and would have average monthly payroll expenses of $2.9 million. When he applied for the loan, Sissoko acknowledged the funds would be used to retain workers and maintain payroll, or make mortgage interest payments, lease payments and utility payments.
In the days after the PPP loan was funded on May 1, 2020, Sissoko misappropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars of the loan proceeds to use for impermissible purposes, including purchasing a Mercedes-Benz for $113,000, paying off a loan on a BMW, and buying an Apple computer for more than $5,000.
The illegal uses of the loan also included a non-refundable down payment of approximately $100,000 to purchase a company located in New Hampshire and the attempted transmission of approximately $150,000 to accounts in the African nation of Mauritania associated with a mineral-exploration company for which Sissoko purported to serve as CEO.
United States District Judge John F. Walter has scheduled a July 18 sentencing hearing, at which time Sissoko will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each of the four wire fraud counts.
Last month, a federal jury deadlocked on the charges against Sissoko and a mistrial was declared. The second trial resulted in today’s verdict.
The FBI, the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Office of Inspector General investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn S. Small of the Major Frauds Section and DOJ Trial Attorney Jason Covert of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan S. Galatzan, Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Section, is providing substantial assistance, including with the seizure and forfeiture of two luxury automobiles purchased with PPP loan funds.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020 and is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized more than $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
Anyone with general information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact with a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Bob Murray announced today that ROY MOORE, 56, a registered sex offender residing in Riverton, Wyoming, pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with abusive sexual contact with a minor. Moore entered his plea before Chief Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on April 4, 2022. Sentencing has been set for June 23, 2022.
Moore faces up to 2 years of imprisonment for abusive sexual contact with a minor and a consecutive term of 10 years of imprisonment for committing that offense as a registered sex offender. He also faces a term of 5 years to life of supervised release, a fine of up to $500,000, and a special assessment fee of $5200. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This crime is being investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson is prosecuting the case.
Case Nos. 20-CR-181-SWS and 22-CR-49-SWS
Pueblo Man Faces Federal Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
Denver – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Leonard Cordova, age 43, has been charged by criminal complaint with two counts of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
According to the criminal complaint, on September 12, 2021, Cordova was allegedly observed on video footage firing numerous shots at a moving vehicle from Cordova’s driveway in Pueblo, Colorado. Following the incident, a district court judge in Pueblo County signed a warrant for the defendant’s arrest for violations of Colorado law, including illegal discharge of a firearm, possession of a weapon by a previous offender, and violation of a restraining order. Cordova was arrested on this warrant on September 14, 2021. He was subsequently released on bail from this Pueblo County charge.
Also according to the criminal complaint, on September 19, 2021, in Pueblo, Colorado, Cordova, who was in a moving vehicle, shot at individuals who were in another moving vehicle. For this, Cordova was charged in district court in Pueblo County with attempted 1st degree murder, and eleven other related charges. He was subsequently released on bail from these charges.
Cordova made his initial appearance in federal court on April 15, 2022, where he was advised by United States Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter of the charges pending against him. Judge Neureiter set Cordova’s detention hearing for April 19, 2022. Cordova will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Each count charged in the complaint carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000.
The Pueblo Police Department and the FBI conducted this investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Andrea Surratt is handling the prosecution. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also thanks the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this case.
The charge in the criminal complaint is an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Case Number: 22-mj-00650NRN
Pittston Man Sentenced to 64 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Pablo Valentin, age 44, of Pittston, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to 64 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, by United States District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for possession with intent to distribute heroin and felon in possession of firearms offenses.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on February 7, 2019, Valentin possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, along with a digital scale, packaging materials and other items associated with narcotics distribution. Additionally, Valentin, a previously convicted felon, unlawfully possessed two firearms, which were seized pursuant to a search warrant.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Hanover Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to 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 also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
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Peoria Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois, man, Don Young, Jr., 22, of the 2200 block of North Flora Ave., pleaded guilty on April 14, 2022, to possession of a machinegun, namely a loaded Glock Model 19, 9mm caliber pistol equipped with a select fire auto-sear converting it into a fully automatic weapon. Sentencing for Young has been scheduled on August 18, 2022, at the federal courthouse in Peoria.
During the hearing, the government stated that on December 15, 2021, Young fled from Peoria police officers that were seeking to arrest him for multiple outstanding arrest warrants. Young initially fled on a motorized bike, then discarded the bike and ran on foot through a residential area. Young was apprehended and in his flight path officers located a Glock Model 19, 9mm handgun equipped with a conversion device attached to the gun, enabling it to fire more than one round of ammunition with a single pull of the trigger. The gun was loaded with a live round in the chamber and was equipped with a high-capacity extended magazine.
Young remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Young faces statutory penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment, up to a three-year term of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.
The case investigation was conducted by the Peoria Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna is representing the government in the prosecution.
The case against Young was brought as part of The Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. The Department’s renewed commitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods establishes four fundamental principles to guide efforts to reduce violent crime: 1) build trust and legitimacy within communities; 2) invest in community-based prevention and intervention programs; 3) target enforcement and priorities to focus resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of gun violence and other violent crime; and, 4) measure results with the goal to reduce the level of violence in our communities and not to increase the number of arrests and prosecutions as if they were ends in themselves.
Owner of Danbury Grocery Store Pleads Guilty to Federal Tax OffenseRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that LIZBEL SANCHEZ, also known as Lizbel Diaz, 47, of Brookfield, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday in Bridgeport federal court to a federal tax offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sanchez is a minority owner of Danbury Food Corp. (“DFC”), which operates a C-Town grocery store in Danbury. Sanchez was responsible for DFC’s accounting and financial records, and for collecting and paying over certain federal taxes from DFC’s employees, namely federal income taxes and Federal Insurance Contribution Act (“FICA”) taxes, which include Medicare and social security taxes. She also was also responsible for ensuring that DFC, as an employer, paid its own share of FICA and its Federal Unemployment Tax (“FUTA”), which were based on its employees’ taxable wages.
An investigation revealed that, Sanchez and DFC paid several employees in cash and failed to collect, account for and pay over the federal income taxes and FICA taxes associated with the cash wages. Sanchez also failed to account for and pay over DFC’s share of FICA taxes and its FUTA obligation based on the taxable wages of those employees that DFC paid in cash. This conduct caused a tax loss of $408,121.85 to the IRS for the 2016 tax year.
Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to collect or pay over taxes, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. She is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea on July 7 in Hartford.
Sanchez is released on bond pending sentencing.
Sanchez has paid $408,121.85 in restitution to the IRS. She also has acknowledged similar conduct for DFC in 2017 and 2018, and for other businesses in which Sanchez had an interest in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Additional tax losses will be addressed civilly by the IRS.
This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
Owner of Jacksonville Tax Preparation Business Convicted of Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – A federal jury has found Ali Akhenaten (formerly known as Darryl Oliver) guilty of five counts of tax fraud. Akhenaten faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison for each count. The United States also will seek restitution for the tax loss arising out of the fraud. Akhenaten had been indicted on March 27, 2019. His sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Akhenaten owned and operated a tax preparation business in Jacksonville called Florida Financial Solutions. On the 2014, 2015, and 2016 tax returns Akhenaten prepared for the business, he underreported his business income and overstated the rent he had paid for his business property. On the tax returns he filed on his own behalf for 2014 and 2015, he underreported the income he had earned from the business.
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Omaha Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Humberto Felipe Mancinas, age 22, of Omaha, Nebraska was sentenced today in federal court to 162 months in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. His term of imprisonment will be followed by five years of supervised release. According to court documents, Mancinas pleaded guilty to the charge on October 22, 2021.
On March 12, 2021, Mancinas was stopped by law enforcement while driving in Fremont County, Iowa. During the traffic stop, a K-9 was deployed and indicated narcotics were in the vehicle. A search located approximately ten pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement then conducted a second search of a residence outside of Sidney, owned by a relative of Mancinas and where Mancinas had left just prior to the traffic stop, and located an additional seventeen pounds of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Omaha Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations Transnational Organized Crime Task Force investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Ogden Business Owner Sentenced to a Year in Prison for Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY- Daniel Fry, 46, of Ogden, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison after pleading guilty to failing to pay and account for trust fund taxes related to his four healthcare related businesses in the Ogden area.
According to the plea agreement, Fry owned and operated four businesses in the Ogden area. These businesses were Burch Creek Homecare and Hospice LLC, which closed in 2015, Scrub World, which closed in 2018, Medical Billing Advantage LLC, and Country Niche LLC, both of which closed in 2020. Fry was responsible for handling the payroll for the businesses, including issuing paychecks to employees and withholding Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) employment taxes. As a responsible party for each of these companies, Fry was required to collect, account for, and pay over the “trust fund taxes” to the Internal Revenue Service on a quarterly basis. Fry was also responsible for paying over the employer portion of these trust fund taxes to the IRS.
From January 2013 to December 2016, Fry withheld from employee paychecks and collected the trust fund taxes for the businesses, as required. He also reported the trust fund tax withholdings of his businesses to the IRS. At the same time, however, he failed to pay over any of the trust fund taxes that the businesses owed to the IRS. Fry further failed to pay to the IRS the employer portion of the trust fund taxes owed by his businesses. In total, from January 2013 to December 2016, fry owed and willfully failed to pay over to the IRS $568,590 owed by the businesses.
“Failure to pay taxes is a serious crime,” said United States Attorney Andrea T. Martinez. “This case is proof that we will hold business owners accountable if they violate their duty to pay employment taxes to the United States Government.”
“This investigation and prosecution demonstrates the toll that willful violations of the United States tax laws takes on not only the system, but on the average taxpayer,” stated Albert Childress, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation. “Mr. Fry’s actions hurt the taxpayers from whom he took withholdings but never paid over, he also harmed competing businesses who followed the law. The mission of IRS-Criminal Investigation is to enforce the tax laws of this country to instill confidence in and maintain a fair tax system for all.”
U.S. Attorney Andrea T. Martinez for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah. The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Nineteen Members and Associates of Violent Dorchester Gang Charged with Racketeering, Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Nineteen members and associates of Cameron Street, a violent criminal organization based in Dorchester, have been charged in a 39-count indictment with various crimes including racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, gun and drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to the indictment, the Cameron Street gang is a violent criminal enterprise whose members and associates are involved in a variety of criminal activities – including murder, assault with intent to murder, armed robbery, carjacking, home invasion, as well as drug and firearms trafficking, among other things – in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston and surrounding areas. While the gang is primarily based in Boston, Cameron Street gang’s criminal activity has spanned other communities, including Cambridge, Somerville, Quincy, Everett, Randolph, Taunton and elsewhere in Massachusetts. During the investigation, 21 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were allegedly seized from 11 of the defendants.
“Members and associates of the Cameron Street gang have, for years, allegedly plagued Boston, Brockton and the neighboring communities with serious, violent crimes through the confluence of guns, drugs and harm. Law-abiding residents of Dorchester, Brockton and other impacted communities deserve to live, work and thrive free of fear and trauma,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “With these charges, and today’s arrests, our aim is to bring peace and safety back to these neighborhoods. This is yet another example of the strong partnerships between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and our ongoing shared dedication to root out violence while taking illegal guns off of our streets. My office will spare no resource to ensure the safety of all Massachusetts residents, hold violent offenders accountable, and take back and restore our communities.”
“This investigation is an example of ATF’s dedication to working with our local, state, and federal partners in identifying, targeting and investigating violent criminals who are involved in selling firearms and narcotics. Individuals who prey upon innocent citizens lessen the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division. “Our neighborhoods deserve to flourish without fear or intimidation inflicted by violent gangs. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to reduce the violent crime that has done so much damage to so many of our Boston neighborhoods.”
“DEA is committed to investigating and dismantling violent organizations like these operating in Massachusetts,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “As we all know, drug trafficking in our communities, along with the gun and physical violence that often accompanies it, is a serious threat to our families and communities. This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen. DEA and its local, state and federal partners are dedicated to bringing to justice those that commit these crimes.”
“The members of this criminal organization are accused of terrorizing the neighborhoods of Boston by committing violent crime including conspiracy to commit murder, robbery, firearm and drug trafficking. These arrests send a clear message that these criminal enterprises will not be tolerated in Boston. The Boston Police will continue to work with the ATF and all our law enforcement partners to reduce gun violence and stop the trafficking of firearms and drugs in the neighborhoods of Boston. I thank the investigators on this case whose diligent work led to these arrests,” said Gregory Long, Acting Commissioner of the Boston Police Department.
“This indictment highlights the significant criminal footprint of Cameron Street and their involvement in a wide variety of serious crime, from alleged murder to drug trafficking. Homeland Security Investigations works closely with our federal, state, and local partners to make our communities safer by investigating and seeking prosecution of criminal street gangs like Cameron Street,” said Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for the Homeland Security Investigations’ Boston Field Office.
It is alleged that Cameron Street members use violence against rival gangs and witnesses, typically with the use of firearms, to maintain and enhance their status and the overall reputation of the gang, as well as to protect the gang’s power, reputation and territory. Cameron Street members are allegedly responsible for assisting one another with obtaining and accessing firearms, forming and maintaining drug trafficking connections, resolving territorial disputes with rival gangs and providing safe havens for fellow members who are wanted by law enforcement. It is further alleged that Cameron Street gang members regularly post videos or use social media to promote Cameron Street, denigrate gang rivals and to celebrate murders and other violent crimes committed by the gang. To identify themselves as members of the gang, Cameron Street members obtain tattoos, use hand signs and wear jewelry and clothing involving the letters “C,” “A” and “M,” or numbers corresponding with the letters’ places in the alphabet, “3-1-1-3.”
According to the indictment, Cameron Street members engage in drug trafficking activity and distribute cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine), oxycodone and marijuana throughout Massachusetts. It is alleged that over one kilogram of cocaine was seized from gang members during the investigation.
The charge of RICO conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and/or ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to life in prison, up to five of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Rollins, ATF SAC Ferguson, DEA SAC Boyle, HSI SAC Millhollin and BPD Acting Commissioner Long made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
APPENDIX
- Kenny Romero, a/k/a “KG,” 28, charged with RICO conspiracy, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, distribution of cocaine base and cocaine;
- Anthony Centeio, a/k/a “Wheezy,” a/k/a “Taliban Wheeze,” 33, charged with RICO conspiracy, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and cocaine;
- Felisberto Lopes, a/k/a “Phil,” a/k/a “CheeB,” 36, charged with RICO conspiracy, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of 500 grams or more of cocaine with intent to distribute;
- Keiarri Dyette, a/k/a “Kemo,” 24, charged with RICO conspiracy and dealing in firearms without a license;
- Eric Correia, a/k/a “Bubba,” 24, charged with RICO conspiracy and distribution of marijuana;
- Paulo Santos, a/k/a “Bucky,” 33, charged with RICO conspiracy, possession of 500 grams or more of cocaine with intent to distribute, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense;
- Devante Lopes, a/k/a “D-Lopes,” 27, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute marijuana;
- Charod Taylor, a/k/a “Pachino,” 33, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and cocaine;
- Jose Afonseca, a/k/a “Zay,” 30, charged with RICO conspiracy, dealing in firearms without a license, and conspiracy to distribute cocaine base;
- James Rodrigues, a/k/a “Bummy,” 32, charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute cocaine base;
- Jonathan Darosa, a/k/a “Jeezy,” 29, charged with RICO conspiracy, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and distribution of cocaine and oxycodon;
- Clayton Rodrigues, a/k/a “Loo,” a/k/a “C-Loo,” 26, charged with RICO conspiracy and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number;
- Wilter Rodrigues, a/k/a “Walt,” a/k/a “Wo-Wo,” 35, charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base;
- Michael Lopes, a/k/a “Meech,” 34, charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and cocaine;
- Victor Nunez, a/k/a “Tito,” 41, charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and cocaine;
- Fnu Lnu, a/k/a “Smoke,” charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and cocaine;
- Jamaal Davis, a/k/a “Marley,” 29, charged with distribution of cocaine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense;
- Michael Nguyen, a/k/a “Asian,” 22, charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense; and
- Steve Depina, a/k/a “Stizz,” 35, charged with felon in possession of a firearm and distribution of cocaine base and cocaine.
New York Man Sentenced in Multi-Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a drug distribution conspiracy involving heroin, fentanyl and cocaine.
Wilkin Cedano, 38, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 29 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Dec. 13, 2021, Cedano pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and cocaine.
From approximately November 2019 through December 2019, Cedano conspired with others to travel from New York to Massachusetts to sell fentanyl and 1,000 pills containing controlled substances to an individual who, unbeknownst to Cedano, was working with investigators. On Dec. 2, 2019, Cedano drove from New York to a grocery store in Lynn and presented the individual with two potato-shaped packages of heroin wrapped in cellophane and two pill bottles of 938 pills containing fentanyl or a mixture of heroin and fentanyl. Cedano was subsequently arrested. Investigators found additional drugs tucked beneath the steering column of Cedano’s car.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. The Lynn Police Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to Twenty-Eight Months of Imprisonment for Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Duane A. Evans announced that JOSEPH CAMPO (“CAMPO”) was sentenced on April 14, 2022 to 28 months of imprisonment, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 after pleading guilty in federal court relating to his role in a health care fraud conspiracy.
CAMPO, age 79, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty on February 25, 2021 before U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan to Count One of a bill of information charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
According to the bill of information, in or around March 2014, continuing through in or around October 2016, CAMPO and his co-defendants conspired to knowingly and willfully execute a scheme and artifice to defraud TRICARE, a federal health care benefit program affecting commerce, and other health care benefit programs.
Prime Pharmacy contracted with various entities, including Pharmacy Benefit Managers (“PBMs”), obligating Prime Pharmacy to collect copayments from beneficiaries in order to be reimbursed by various health care benefit programs, including TRICARE. CAMPO worked with co-defendants to market the compounded medications produced by Prime Pharmacy. CAMPO and his co-conspirators worked with marketers outside of the state to find beneficiaries that were willing to receive medically unnecessary compounds and doctors willing to prescribe compounds without medical necessity.
Beginning in or around March 2014, and continuing through in or around April 2016, Prime Pharmacy dispensed prescriptions for High-Yield Compounded Medications to beneficiaries of TRICARE and other health care benefit programs that were not medically necessary, induced by kickback payments, or where copayments were either waived or credited by Prime Pharmacy, and accordingly, submitted or caused to be submitted false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement to TRICARE, other health care benefit programs, and PBMs.
CAMPO was also ordered to repay TRICARE $3 million in restitution.
“Individuals involved in this scheme illegally billed TRICARE out of close to $15 million and I am pleased that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is requiring justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Cynthia Bruce, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office. “There are no victimless crimes and DCIS agents will continue to pursue unscrupulous greedy individuals who steal from our military health care system and all taxpayers.”
“Those entrusted with providing health care services to veterans and their family members will be held accountable should they violate that trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Breen of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s South Central Field Office. “The VA OIG is grateful to the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their efforts to achieve justice in this case.”
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, and the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General.
The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn McHugh.
Mexican Man Sentenced to 30 Days’ Imprisonment for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Melesio Medina-Torres, age 45, was sentenced to time served of 30 days’ imprisonment and 1 year of supervised release, by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson, for illegal reentry of a previously deported alien.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Medina-Torres pleaded guilty to having illegally reentered the United States sometime after his last removal in October 2008. He was located in the United States on February 3, 2022, in York County, Pennsylvania, after an arrest for criminal charges which are still pending. It is expected he will be removed to Mexico at the completion of his sentence.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joanne M. Sanderson.
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Man from Mescalero accused of sexually abusing a child in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Dexter Whiskers, 43, of Mescalero, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, made an initial appearance in federal court today facing a charge of sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country. Whiskers will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for April 20.
According to a criminal complaint, in October 2021, Whiskers, then a Bureau of Indian Affairs Police Officer, allegedly engaged in and attempted to engage in a sexual act with a victim, identified as Jane Doe, who was 13 years old. The incident allegedly took place at the residence where Jane Doe lived at the time on the Mescalero Apache Reservation in Otero County, New Mexico.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Whiskers faces up to 15 years in prison.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police and the full cooperation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Matilda McCarthy Villalobos is prosecuting the case.
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Louisville Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, KY – Joseph Samir Zakhari, 34, was sentenced this week to 15 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for multiple child exploitation offenses. There is no parole in the federal system.
Zakhari was convicted on September 24, 2021, of attempted online enticement of a minor, attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, and attempted production of child pornography following a five-day jury trial.
The charges against Zakhari stemmed from the October 2019 joint federal, state, and local online undercover investigation – “Operation Gabbi Doolin.” During the course of the investigation, and while authorized by the Kentucky Attorney General to conduct undercover investigations on the internet, a detective posed as a 15-year-old girl on a social media app with the username “boredcrbgirl.” On October 6, 2019, a person with the username “jzakhari,” later identified as Joseph Samir Zakhari, contacted boredcrbgirl. Zakhari told boredcrbgirl that he was 32 and asked her age. Boredcrbgirl responded that she was 15. A conversation then developed that was made sexual by Zakhari, and, from October 6 until October 8. Zakhari requested details about boredcrbgirl’s sexual history, repeatedly talked about sex acts he wanted to engage in with boredcrbgirl, and asked for sexual images of boredcrbgirl. Zakhari also sent sexually explicit images of himself to boredcrbgirl and requested to meet in person so that the two could engage in sex acts.
On October 8, 2019, Zakhari sent an Uber to pick up boredcrbgirl to bring her to his condominium, with the stated purpose of the trip being for the two to engage in sex acts. Undercover law enforcement officers followed a decoy law enforcement officer in the Uber to the destination specified by Zakhari. Upon arrival, the decoy sent a message at 5:16 p.m., “I’m outside,” to which Zakhari responded “coming down.” The decoy got out of the Uber and stood in front of the provided address. Shortly thereafter, Joseph Samir Zakhari, opened the door and invited her in. Law enforcement officials subsequently arrested Zakhari.
“Online communication apps provide countless opportunities for predators to engage in child exploitation, and stopping these attempts creates a safe online environment for our youngest Kentuckians,” said Attorney General Cameron. “Our Cyber Crimes Unit was glad to partner with U.S. Attorney Bennett’s team, the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Kentucky State Police, and LMPD on this operation, which honors the memory of Gabbi Doolin.”
“Outstanding teamwork by AUSA Lawless, AG Cameron’s office, the USSS, the USMS, KSP, and LMPD,” said U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky. “Working together with our law enforcement partners we will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who sexually exploit and abuse our children. The citizens of the Western District deserve nothing less.”
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Jo E. Lawless prosecuted the case.
The joint investigation was conducted by the United States Secret Service (USSS) and Kentucky Attorney General’s Office with assistance from the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), United States Marshals Service (USMS), and Kentucky State Police (KSP).
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Kentucky Man Sentenced to 130 Months for Bank Robbery and CarjackingRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.– On April 14, 2022, Jason William Graves, 43, currently of London, Kentucky, was sentenced to 130 months in prison by the Honorable Judge Thomas A. Varlan, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Graves pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a) and one count of carjacking in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2119. Following his release from prison, Graves will be on three years of supervised release, and he will be required to pay restitution to the victims.
According to the written plea agreement filed with the court, Graves committed two bank robberies at banks located inside Walmart Supercenters in the Eastern District of Tennessee in May 2019. On or about June 21, 2019, Graves carjacked a victim at gunpoint at an AutoZone located in Knoxville, Tennessee and took the victim’s Chevrolet Trailblazer, which was later used to commit an additional robbery at a Walmart Money Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Clinton Police Department, Chattanooga Police Department, Kingsport Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This investigation was led by FBI Special Agents Mollie Treadway and Wesley Leatham.
Assistant United States Attorney LaToyia Carpenter represented the United States at sentencing.
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Justice Department Files Suit Against Virginia Towing Company for Unlawfully Auctioning Off Servicemembers’ VehiclesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia alleging that Steve’s Towing Inc. in Virginia Beach, Virginia, violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by failing to obtain court orders before auctioning off vehicles belonging to at least seven SCRA-protected servicemembers, including two vehicles belonging to a member of a Navy Seal team who was deployed overseas. The SCRA, which provides a variety of financial and housing protections to members of the military, prohibits towing companies from auctioning off servicemembers’ vehicles without a court order.
Federal law requires towing companies to determine whether a vehicle in their possession belongs to a servicemember. The complaint alleges that several facts should have put Steve’s Towing on notice that the Navy Seal’s vehicles belonged to a servicemember, including that the vehicles were towed from a military base and one contained a duffel bag filled with military uniforms.
“The flagrant disregard of a law designed to protect the rights of those in military service will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice is taking action to ensure that all servicemembers harmed by unscrupulous actions receive just compensation. We must put an end to unlawful business practices that bring harm and distress to those selflessly serving in our armed forces.”
In addition to seeking damages for the Navy Seal and the other affected servicemembers, the Justice Department is requesting a court order preventing Steve’s Towing from illegally auctioning off servicemembers’ vehicles in the future. The lawsuit also seeks a civil penalty.
This lawsuit is the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The complaint contains allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe their SCRA rights have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/. The department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the department has obtained over $476 million in monetary relief for over 121,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. Additional information on the Justice Department’s enforcement of the SCRA and other laws protecting servicemembers is available at www.servicemembers.gov.
Jury Finds Colombian National Guilty of Smuggling More Than 970 Kilograms of Cocaine in the Eastern Pacific OceanRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Prisciliano Garces Angulo (Colombia, 58) guilty of possessing and conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Four charged co-conspirators had previously pleaded guilty to the same drug trafficking conspiracy offense. Garces Angulo faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has been scheduled for June 28, 2022. He had been indicted on January 13, 2021.
According to testimony presented at trial, in December 2020, a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) airplane detected a 25-foot open-hull motorboat in the Eastern Pacific Ocean about 200 miles from the nearest point of land. The motorboat was suspected of drug smuggling because it had numerous fuel containers on deck, displayed no indicia of nationality or registration, and was operating in a location where maritime drug smuggling by similar vessels is common. The USCG Cutter Harriet Lane launched a helicopter and small boat to investigate. After the motorboat failed to stop in response to numerous orders and warnings by the USCG, the helicopter was forced to employ disabling fire on the boat’s engine. A USCG boarding team found Garces Angulo and his four charged co-conspirators on board and determined the vessel to be without nationality, and therefore subject to United States jurisdiction. On board the vessel, the boarding team found and seized more than 970 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated worth of over $29 million.
This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and the Panama Express Strike Force, a standing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force comprised of agents and analysts from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Tereza Ohley and Matthew Del Mastro.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on April 12 was:
Jasper Ryan Rattler, 19, of Browning, on charges of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury. If convicted of the most serious crime, Rattler faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Rattler was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-4.
Michael Lee Roope, 42, of Helena, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Roope faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Roope was detained pending further proceedings. The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Probation and Parole and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-2.
Romeiro Mased Williams, aka Rico, 30, of Detroit, Michigan, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Williams faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. Williams was released pending further proceedings. The FBI, Tri-Agency Task Force, Russell Country High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case. PACER case reference. 21-72.
Megan Kaszha Yellow Owl, 32, of Lodge Grass, on charges of arson. If convicted of the most serious crime, Yellow Owl faces a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. Yellow Owl was released pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-14.
Lyndon Blaine Walsh, 54, of Kalispell, on charges of possession of unregistered firearm silencer and felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Walsh faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Walsh was released pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-18.
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on April 14 was:
Calob Scott Fairburn, 35, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Fairburn faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Fairburn was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-30.
Christopher James Ortiz, 30, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Ortiz faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Ortiz was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-32.
Baily Kathleen Lind, 28, a transient, on charges of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted of the most serious crime, Lind faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the bank fraud crime and a mandatory minimum two years in prison, consecutive to any other punishment, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release on the aggravated identity theft crime. Lind was detained pending further proceedings. Homeland Security Investigations and the Billings Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-31.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Heroin and Fentanyl Dealer Held Responsible for Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Newport News man on charges of conspiring to distribute fentanyl more than a kilogram of heroin, distributing fentanyl resulting in two overdoses, possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possessing those firearms as a convicted felon.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, As-Samad Haynes, 41, of Newport News, conspired with others to distribute heroin and fentanyl from 2017 until his arrest in November of 2020. During the course of this conspiracy, Haynes distributed a quantity of fentanyl to two individuals that resulted in the death of one and substantial bodily injury to another. At the time of his arrest, Haynes was found in possession of an assault rifle, tactical shotgun, and semi-automatic handgun, which he used in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
Haynes was convicted of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl; distribution of fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl, resulting in death; distribution of fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl resulting in substantial bodily injury; possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Haynes faces a sentence between 25 years and life imprisonment when sentenced on September 7, 2022. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the verdict.
DEA's Hampton Post of Duty, in partnership with the Newport News Police Department, participated in this investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mack Coleman and Eric Hurt are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:20-cr-71.
Harrisburg Man Sentenced to 42 Months’ Imprisonment for Identity Theft and Immigration OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Luis Miguel Mejia-Lugo, age 30, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to 42 months’ imprisonment to be followed by one year of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for aggravated identity theft and illegal reentry of a removed alien offenses.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on April 29, 2020, Mejia-Lugo, a previously deported alien with prior felony convictions for armed robbery and assault, was arrested in Hazleton and found in possession of a loaded firearm. Further investigation revealed that Mejia-Lugo fraudulently used the identity of a United States citizen, including a counterfeit social security card, to obtain a Pennsylvania Driver’s License and, then, to unlawfully purchase the firearm in question.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffery St John prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Gypsy Joker Outlaw Motorcycle Club Members Sentenced to Life in Prison for Kidnapping, Torturing, and Murdering Former Club MemberRead the Press Release
Two members of the Gypsy Joker Outlaw Motorcycle Club (GJOMC) were sentenced to life in federal prison yesterday for kidnapping, torturing, and murdering a former club member.
GJOMC Portland clubhouse president Mark Leroy Dencklau, 61, of Woodburn, Oregon, and member Chad Leroy Erickson, 51, of Rainier, Oregon, received life sentences after being convicted at trial in December 2021 of murder in aid of racketeering; kidnapping in aid of racketeering, resulting in death; kidnapping resulting in death; and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, resulting in death. Additionally, Dencklau was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy.
According to court documents and trial testimony, the GJOMC is a criminal organization wherein members and associates maintain their position and status in the organization by participating in, directly or indirectly, various acts of violent racketeering activity including murder, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, narcotics trafficking, and witness tampering. From 2003 until his arrest in 2018, Dencklau served as the president of the GJOMC’s Portland chapter.
According to evidence presented at trial, on July 1, 2015, the body of Robert Huggins, an estranged member of the GJOMC Portland chapter, was found lying in a field in Clark County, Washington. Huggins’ body was badly beaten, and appeared to have been tortured prior to his death. Huggins was previously stripped of his club membership for allegedly stealing from the club and from Dencklau in particular. Following this robbery, Dencklau directed GJOMC members to find Huggins.
According to testimony presented at trial, on the evening of June 30, 2015, Dencklau and others kidnapped Huggins from a residence in Portland and transported him to a rural property in Southwest Washington. Over the course of several hours, Huggins was severely beaten and tortured. He sustained numerous injuries to his head and face, including a fractured skull, as well as lacerations to his chest and torso. Trial evidence showed that Erickson, who took part in the torture of Huggins, slashed Huggin’s tattoo with a knife and then stabbed him in the leg. He then helped load Huggins into a vehicle and left him in a field. A medical examiner ruled that Huggins’ death was caused by multiple blunt and sharp force injuries.
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 Jonathan T. McPherson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau and ATF, with assistance from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), U.S. Marshals Service, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police and the Oregon and Washington State Crime Labs.
Trial Attorney Damaré Theriot of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah K. Bolstad and Steven T. Mygrant for the District of Oregon prosecuted the case.
Guilty plea halts trial for illegal alien who conspired to murder whistleblowerRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA.: A guilty plea abruptly ended the trial of an illegal alien who participated in a conspiracy to kill a whistleblower who exposed a multi-million-dollar scheme to fraudulently employee undocumented workers.
Higinio Perez-Bravo, 52, of Savannah, pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Murder-For-Hire, ending his trial in U.S. District Court as the third day was about to begin, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty plea subjects Perez-Bravo to a mandatory penalty of life in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system.
“Higinio Perez-Bravo took part in a plan that forever silenced a courageous whistleblower,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Perez-Bravo acted as the getaway driver to help a murderer elude justice, but he could not escape the overwhelming evidence of his own guilt. I applaud law enforcement’s efforts and the assistance of Eliud Montoya’s family in holding this defendant accountable.”
The guilty plea of Perez-Bravo follows that of Pablo Rangel-Rubio, 53, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States who resided in Rincon, Ga. In March, Rangel-Rubio pled guilty to Conspiracy to Conceal, Harbor and Shield Illegal Aliens; Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering; three counts of Money Laundering; and one count of Aiding and Abetting the Retaliation Against a Witness. He awaits a negotiated sentence of 600 months in prison, while his brother, Juan-Rangel Rubio, 45, of Rincon, also a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States, awaits trial on related charges and is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
As reflected in court records and evidence presented to the jury, Perez-Bravo was paid $20,000 for the use of his vehicles and for acting as the getaway driver in the murder of Eliud Montoya, a United States citizen who blew the whistle on a scheme of hiring and mistreating illegal aliens. Pablo Rangel-Rubio, himself an illegal alien from Mexico, worked as a supervisor at Wolf Tree. He routed the illegal aliens’ paychecks to himself, and, as a result of this scheme, he admitted that the conspirators netted more than $3.5 million.
Mr. Montoya, a United States citizen who also worked at Wolf Tree, saw his colleagues being mistreated by Pablo Rangel-Rubio. He complained to the company and to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After Mr. Montoya blew the whistle on the scheme, Pablo Rangel-Rubio arranged for Mr. Montoya’s murder by paying Perez-Bravo, among other actions.
“Perez-Bravo and his conspirators have shown that they will go to any lengths to not only make, but also protect their ill-gotten gains to include savagely murdering a whistleblower who was trying to stop their scheme. He will now face the consequences of his unconscionable actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “This plea not only prevents these workers from being exploited further, but also I hope it encourages other workers being exploited to speak up because HSI and its law enforcement partners are listening.”
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Garden City Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania D. Groover.
Government Contractor Pleads Guilty to Bribing a Government OfficialRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake woman pleaded guilty today to bribing a government official.
According to court documents, Jennifer A. Strickland 47, agreed to bribe a General Services Administration (GSA) Contracting Official in return for said official to award federal construction contacts to Strickland’s company, SDC Contracting LLC.
Jennifer Strickland is the President of SDC Contracting LLC, a company that contracted with the federal government to provide construction and renovation services at federal buildings throughout the Eastern District of Virginia, including the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. United States Courthouse in downtown Richmond. From July 2018 until December 2019, Strickland made cash payments to a GSA contracting official totaling $43,500, in return for the award of a contract valued at approximately $1,369,501.00.
Strickland is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12. She faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Chris Dillard, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General; Eric Maddox, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office; and Eric Radwick, Special Agent in Charge for the General Services GSA Office of Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Division., made the announcement after United States Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard., accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Heck and Randy Stoker are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-33.
Four Baltimore Area Men Facing Federal Indictment for Three Kidnappings and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned an indictment late yesterday charging four Baltimore area men with federal charges for: kidnapping and robbery conspiracies; kidnapping; carjacking; using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; and attempted robberies of businesses. The following are charged in today’s indictment:
Dennis Allen Hairston, age 32, of Windsor Mill, Maryland; Donte Davon Stanley, age 31, of Rosedale, Maryland; Davonne Tramont Dorsey, age 28, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland; and
Franklin Jay Smith, age 32, of Catonsville, Maryland.Dorsey, Stanley, and Smith are in custody on related state charges and are expected to have initial appearances in U.S. District Court on May 2, 2022. Hairston is in federal custody in Pennsylvania on unrelated charges. His initial appearance has not been scheduled.
The indictment 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; Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler; and Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger, Jr.
According to the 12-count indictment, from May 3, 2021 through August 26, 2021, the defendants planned and organized the kidnapping of three victims, J.H. and two employees of check cashing businesses, victims A.T. and A.K. The defendants also allegedly planned and organized the carjacking of A.T. and J.H. The indictment alleges that the crimes were committed with the goal of robbing the check cashing businesses where victims A.T. and A.K. each worked and to steal cash and other items of value from J.H. The defendants allegedly posed as police officers, using police vests, badges, and a law enforcement-type light bar, to stop the victims and their vehicles, and according to the indictment, brandished firearms and a blow torch during and in relation to the kidnappings. The indictment alleges that after the defendants removed the victims from their vehicles, they bound and blindfolded each victim and put them into the defendants’ vehicle. With respect to A.K. and J.H. the indictment alleges that after they were carjacked, the defendants stole the victims’ vehicles and had someone follow them in the victim’s vehicle.
As detailed in the indictment, on May 5 to May 6, 2021, the defendants followed victim A.T. from the check cashing business where she worked and, posing as law enforcement officers, used the law enforcement-type light bar to pull over A.T.’s vehicle. Wearing police vests and badges, the defendants allegedly brandished firearms to remove A.T. from her vehicle, handcuffed her, placed her into the rear of one of their vehicles, blindfolded her, and stole her vehicle. While driving with victim A.T., Hairston, Stanley, Dorsey, Smith, and others allegedly burned victim A.T. with the blow torch in an attempt to get information from A.T. in order to access the check cashing business where she worked, with the intent to remove all the cash from the business.
On May 15 to 16, 2021, the indictment alleges that the defendants and others approached victim J.H. in his vehicle in Edgewood, Maryland, and again used a law enforcement-type light bar to pull over J.H. Wearing police vests and badges, the defendants allegedly brandished firearms to kidnap victim J.H., placed him into the rear of one of their vehicles, duct-taped his eyes and mouth, and stole his vehicle. Hairston, Stanley, Dorsey, Smith and others drove J.H. in one vehicle and allegedly burned victim J.H. with a blow torch to obtain cash and other items from him.
Further, the indictment alleges that on August 2 to August 3, 2021, Hairston, Stanley and Dorsey approached victim A.K. as she left the check cashing business where she worked. The indictment alleges that, as with the previous victims, Hairston, Stanley, Dorsey, and others, wearing police vests and badges, brandished firearms to kidnap victim A.K. and placed her into the rear of one of their vehicles equipped with law enforcement-type lights, and blindfolded her. While driving with victim A.K., Hairston, Stanley and Dorsey allegedly used the firearms to threaten A.K. to gain access to the check cashing business where she worked, with the intent to steal all the cash from the business.
If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of life in prison for the kidnapping conspiracy and for each count of kidnapping; a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for the robbery conspiracy and for each count of attempted robbery; a maximum of 25 years in federal prison for each count of carjacking; and a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and up to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for each count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
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. PSN, an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. 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 FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, and the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Abigail E. Ticse, who are 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/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Former WNBA Player Indicted for Assaulting Dating Partner on the Umatilla Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal indictment was unsealed today charging a former WNBA player with assaulting an intimate dating partner on the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
Shoni Iman Schimmel, 29, of Pendleton, Oregon, has been charged with assault by strangulation of an intimate dating partner and assault resulting in substantial bodily injury.
According to the indictment, on June 13, 2021, Schimmel allegedly strangled her partner on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Schimmel further assaulted her partner causing substantial bodily injury.
Schimmel was arrested by federal authorities today and made her initial appearance in federal court. She was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and released pending a two-day jury trial scheduled to begin on June 14, 2022.
If convicted, Schimmel faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Umatilla Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley R. Cadotte is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Domestic violence is a serious crime that includes both physical and emotional abuse. It is frequently hidden from public view. Many survivors suffer in silence, afraid to seek help or not knowing where to turn. The traumatic effects of domestic violence also extend beyond the abused person, impacting family members and communities.
If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you need assistance or know someone who needs help, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Many communities throughout the country have developed support networks to assist survivors in the process of recovery.
The StrongHearts Native Helpline offers culturally specific support and advocacy for American Indian and Alaska Native survivors of domestic violence. Please call 1-844-762-8483 or visit www.strongheartshelpline.org for more information.
Former Oklahoma Supervisory Corrections Officer Convicted for Facilitating White Supremacist Assault on Black Inmates and Ordering Other AbuseRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, convicted a former Kay County Oklahoma supervisory corrections officer of violating the civil rights of three pretrial detainees held at the Kay County Detention Center (KCDC). Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Robert Troester of the Western District of Oklahoma made the announcement.
The jury convicted Matthew Ware, 53, of willfully depriving two pretrial detainees of their right to be free from a corrections officer’s deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of serious harm and of willfully depriving a third pretrial detainee of the right to be free from a corrections officer’s use of excessive force.
“This high-ranking corrections official had a duty to ensure that the civil rights of pretrial detainees in his custody were not violated,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant abused his power and authority by ordering subordinate corrections officers to violate the constitutional rights of several pretrial detainees. The Civil Rights Division will continue to hold corrections officials accountable when they violate the civil rights of detainees and inmates.”
“Criminal conduct by any corrections employee violates the public trust and unfairly tarnishes the reputation of all corrections officials who honorably perform their important work each day,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “This verdict demonstrates our continuing commitment to protect the civil rights of all Oklahomans, including those in custody. I commend the outstanding work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Barry and Trial Attorney Laura Gilson, who vigorously prosecuted this case, and the FBI Special Agents and other law enforcement officials who conducted this investigation.”
“The preservation of civil rights and the investigation of color of law violations are of utmost priority for the FBI,” said Special Agent in Charge Ed Gray of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “If we don’t hold our very own law enforcement officials accountable, those sworn to protect and serve, what hope will the American people have? Mr. Ware’s actions were impermissible and undignified, particularly given his leadership role. His conviction is a prompt reminder that no one is above the law.”
The evidence and testimony revealed that, on May 18, 2017, while Ware served as the Lieutenant of the KCDC, he ordered lower-ranking corrections officers to move two Black pretrial detainees, D’Angelo Wilson and Marcus Miller, to a cell row housing white supremacist inmates whom Ware knew posed a danger to Wilson and Miller. Later that same day, Ware gave lower-ranking officers a second order: to unlock the jail cells of Wilson and Miller, and those other white supremacist inmates at the same time the following morning. When Ware’s orders were followed, the white supremacist inmates attacked Wilson and Miller, resulting in physical injury to both, including a facial laceration to Wilson that required seven stitches to close.
The evidence and testimony also revealed that, on Jan. 31, 2018, while Ware served as the Acting Captain of the KCDC, he ordered lower-ranking corrections officer to restrain another pretrial detainee, Christopher Davis, in a stretched-out position — with Davis’ left wrist restrained to the far-left side of the bench and his right wrist restrained to the far-right side of the bench — in retaliation for Davis sending Ware a note that criticized how Ware ran the KCDC. Davis was left restrained in this position for 90 minutes, resulting in physical injury.
Ware faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $ 250,000 for each violation. Sentencing will take place in approximately 90 days.
The case was investigated by the Oklahoma City FBI Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Barry of the Western District of Oklahoma and Trial Attorney Laura Gilson of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.