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Wednesday 23 February 2022
Somerset County Attorney Arrested for Visa FraudRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An attorney operating a law firm in Somerset County, New Jersey, was arrested today for allegedly making false statements in visa applications, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Steven G. Thomas, 52, of New Hope, Pennsylvania, is charged by complaint with preparing and filing false visa applications on behalf of clients. He is scheduled to appear later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Thomas, who operates a law firm in Montgomery Township, New Jersey, encouraged clients to apply for asylum under fraudulent pretenses. He advised clients regarding the manner in which they were most likely to obtain asylum, knowing that these clients did not legitimately qualify for asylum. Thomas also prepared, or caused to be prepared on behalf of those clients, fraudulent applications and affidavits, which were submitted to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
A confidential informant working for law enforcement met with Thomas in January of 2020. Thomas filed on that person’s behalf a visa application containing numerous false statements in April 2020.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina; and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service Fraud Detection and National Security Unit in the Newark Asylum office, under the direction of Newark Asylum Director Susan Raufer, with the investigation leading to the arrest.
The government is represented by Senior Civil Rights Counsel Joseph Gribko of the Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Serious Violent Felon Sentenced to over 14 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery of Southside BakeryRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Ryan Hickey, 34, of Indianapolis was sentenced to over 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to robbery and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, on January 30, 2021, Hickey made a purchase at Boyden’s Southside Bakery on south Meridian Street. He left the business after his purchase but returned to its back door a short time later. After knocking on the door, he was greeted by two female employees. Hickey brandished a gun at the employees, announced he was robbing the business, and fired a shot between the employees into the kitchen.
Another employee at the front of the bakery heard the gunshot, saw Hickey walking towards the front of the business, and immediately retrieved her own gun. Hickey demanded money at the cash register where there was a brief struggle between Hickey and the employee with the gun. Hickey then fled through the backdoor of the business. A customer at the bakery saw what was happening and gave chase, eventually catching Hickey. After a brief struggle, Hickey pulled a firearm from his pocket and threatened to shoot the customer in the head. Hickey ran away and fled in a car, but not before the victim observed the license plate number.
A witness across the street saw what was happening at the bakery and the struggle between Hickey and the customer. The witness followed Hickey as he fled in the car and provided police with the license plate number and description of the driver and car. A short time later, police located the unoccupied car at a residence. Hickey exited the residence and returned to the vehicle but ran back into the residence after seeing police outside.
After a standoff with police, Hickey exited from the residence and was placed into custody. Hickey admitted to robbing the bakery. A search warrant was executed at the residence and police recovered the semiautomatic pistol used in the robbery. Hickey has numerous prior felony convictions, including armed robbery and dealing in a controlled substance.
“The people of our community should not have to fear armed, violent criminals as they simply try to do their jobs or patronize a business. Repeat offenders engaged in gun crimes will face serious consequences for their actions. Working closely with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and our federal law enforcement partners to help stem the tide of violent crime in Indianapolis is a top priority in the Southern District of Indiana,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers. “The sentence imposed today should demonstrate to the public, and to the defendant, that we will work vigorously to protect the public and hold those who commit violent crimes accountable.”
“This is yet another example of the value our federal partners bring to fighting violent crime in Indianapolis,” said IMPD Chief Randal Taylor. “I am grateful for the work our detectives, federal investigators, and federal prosecutors put into this case as well as their continued collaboration.”
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II. As part of the sentence, Judge Sweeney II ordered that the defendant be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela S. Domash who prosecuted this case.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Republic Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Republic, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for using a 3-year-old child to produce child pornography and for possessing additional child pornography.
Vincent Dominy, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 35 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Dominy to 15 years of supervised release following incarceration, and ordered him to pay $5,000 in victim restitution.
On Sept. 23, 2021, Dominy pleaded guilty to one count of the sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of receiving and distributing child pornography.
According to court documents, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force received a Cyber Tipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Aug. 22, 2020. Dominy transmitted multiple images of child pornography through his Yahoo! email account.
On Aug. 24, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Dominy’s residence. Dominy admitted to officers that he had received and distributed images of child pornography, some as young as toddlers. Dominy also admitted that he had taken photos of his sexual abuse of a 3-year-old child and sent some of the photos to other individuals via the internet.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
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."
Randolph County man admits to meth chargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Dustin Allen Summerfield, of Beverly, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Summerfield, age 30, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Summerfield admitted to selling methamphetamine, also known as “crystal meth” and “ice,” in October 2020 in Randolph County.
Summerfield faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,0000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mountain Region Drug Task Force investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Raleigh Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 48 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography. On October 14, 2021, Bryan Cameron Haywood Hawkins pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Hawkins, 37, possessed 1,274 videos and 1,931 images of child pornography when law enforcement searched his home in June 2020. Law enforcement began investigating Hawkins in 2020 after receiving a cybertip that Hawkins had stored suspected child pornography in his internet cloud storage account. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Hawkins’s home in Raleigh and found child pornography on several devices, including cellphones and tablets, owned by Hawkins. Hawkins admitted to possessing the child pornography when he was interviewed by agents.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Raleigh Police Department, and the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parris prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-00125-FL.
RGV tax preparer indicted for filing false returnsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A local tax preparer is set to make her initial appearance in federal court on charges of filing false tax returns on behalf of taxpayers, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
A federal grand jury sitting in Brownsville returned a nine-count indictment Feb. 15, against Linda Lopez. .
Lopez is expected to appear at 9 today before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker.
Lopez was the owner and operator of Premier Tax Solutions in Mission, according to the indictment. The charges allege she submitted to the IRS false and fraudulent Form 1040 tax returns and accompanying Form 2106, Form 2106-EZ, Schedule A and/or Form 5695 for tax years 2015 and 2016.
Lopez allegedly included Form 2106/2106-EZ and Schedule A which claimed false or inflated unreimbursed employee business expenses. False or inflated residential energy credits were on Form 5695, according to the charges.
The indictment alleges these falsities resulted in the filing of tax returns to the IRS claiming refunds due to the taxpayers they otherwise were not entitled to receive.
If convicted, Lopez faces up to three years in prison and a possible $100,000 maximum fine for each count of conviction.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Swartz and Asha Natarajan prosecuted the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Prince George’s County Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Kweisi Akeem Gray, age 27, of Lanham, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to the federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr. of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, on April 9, 2021, a Prince George’s County Police officer saw a car backed into a parking space with its engine running in the Riverdale Road area in New Carrollton, Maryland. The vehicle had no front tag and the rear temporary tag had expired in September 2020. Several men appeared to be smoking inside and outside the vehicle.
The officer activated his lights and pulled his cruiser directly in front of the car. The driver, later identified as Gray, stepped out of the vehicle, looked in the direction of the officer’s cruiser, and put his right arm under the driver’s seat before shutting the door and walking away. The officer stopped Gray in an empty parking space and a second officer arriving on the scene handcuffed Gray for a brief time. The officers smelled the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. A subsequent search recovered a .40 caliber pistol sticking out from under the driver’s seat. The pistol was loaded with one 9mm round of ammunition in the chamber and 12 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition in the magazine. Officers also recovered a black plastic bag containing eight grams of marijuana on the front passenger seat. The keys to the car were found in Gray’s pants pocket. Gray was arrested.
Gray knew that as a result of a previous felony conviction, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Gray faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for May 31, 2022 at 9:00 a.m.
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 ATF and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy F. Hagan and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Kibbe, 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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Prairie Grove Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Prairie Grove man was sentenced yesterday to 108 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, On or about February 8, 2021, detectives with the 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force received information that a large quantity of methamphetamine was being delivered by mail to Aaron Gregory Samplawski, age 38, at his residence in Prairie Gove.
On February 10, 2021, Detective’s contacted Special Agent’s with the U.S. Postal Service and advised them of the investigation. Special Agent’s found a package, a priority mail parcel, coming from San Diego, California addressed to Samplawski and his address in Prairie Grove, Arkansas. The weight of the package was one pound, five ounces.
On February 13, 2021, Special Agent’s intercepted the parcel at the Prairie Grove, Arkansas, Post Office. On that day, a Springdale Police Officer, and his canine (K-9) partner were utilized in the investigation of the suspect parcel. The K-9 searched and alerted to the parcel.
On February 13, 2021, Special Agent’s obtained a federal search warrant to search the parcel. Special Agent’s opened the parcel and seized approximately one pound of a crystal substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine.
On February 13, 2021, Special Agent’s, conducted a controlled delivery at Samplawski’s residence in Prairie Grove. Samplawski took possession of the parcel and entered his residence. A search warrant was executed at the residence. The search resulted in law enforcement officers locating 439.3 grams of actual methamphetamine, two loaded handguns, counterfeit money, and drug paraphernalia. Samplawski subsequently posted bond in February and was arrested again in April when detectives from the Drug Task Force conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Samplawski.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The 4th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the United States Postal Service and the Springdale Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Harris prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Pittsburgh Store Owners Plead Guilty to Food Stamp FraudRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - Two residents of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of food stamp fraud, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Meg Gurung, age 35, and Ago Gurung, age 35, both of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that during June 2019 and continuing through February 2021, the defendants, Meg and Ago Gurung, were engaged in exchanging food stamps for ineligible, non-food items and cash at their store, Gurung Brothers LLC, located at 2950 Brownsville Road, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Gurung brothers received benefits from the USDA totaling $5,000 or more for these unauthorized purchases.
Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for Meg Gurung on March 29, 2022, and for Ago Gurung on June 30, 2022. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued Meg and Ago Gurung on bond.
Assistant United States Attorney Karen Gal-Or is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Meg and Ago Gurung.
Philadelphia Drug Dealer Sentenced to over 12 Years for Sixth Felony Narcotics ConvictionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that William Mack, 34, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison and five years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Karen S. Marston for selling large amounts of narcotics. This is the defendant’s sixth drug trafficking conviction dating back to 2005.
In September 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to multiple counts of distributing large amounts of methamphetamine, stemming from his operation of a prolific drug trafficking organization in and around Northeast Philadelphia. According to court documents, Mack was recorded selling large amounts methamphetamine to an FBI confidential source, including a sale of almost one pound of pure methamphetamine for $6,300.
“The defendant was caught red-handed selling a powerful and oftendeadly drug that has wreaked havoc and helped fuel the drug epidemic in our city,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Mack’s criminal conduct in this case is only aggravated by his more than 15-year history of drug trafficking, a record which reflects constant defiance of the law. The sentence handed down today reflects the serious nature of his crimes and persistent recidivism.”
“Mr. Mack was not a novice narcotics trafficker,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire. “His sentence is a direct result of his brazen illegal activities and his apparent view that the consequences did not outweigh the benefits of peddling poison. But criminal actions have consequences, and those involved in the drug trade should know that the FBI is actively pursuing these cases in order to combat the impact this toxin is having on our communities.”
“Mack has been convicted of drug trafficking six times, this time caught by law enforcement attempting to sell methamphetamine. These substances ruin lives and destroy communities,” said William S. Walker, acting Special Agent in Charge of the HSI Philadelphia field office. “HSI is committed to working with our partners to keep deadly drugs like these off our streets.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigation, and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Meaghan Flannery.
Pharmacist Admits Prescription Drug Theft and TamperingRead the Press Release
A pharmacist who stole controlled substances from two Dubuque area pharmacies and tampered with medications pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Anthony Pape, age 33, from Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of two counts of theft of controlled substances from two different pharmacies and two counts of tampering with a consumer product, specifically controlled substances.
In a plea agreement, Pape admitted that he worked as a pharmacist in two different pharmacies in Dubuque when he stole controlled substances from the pharmacies. An inventory of the pharmacies found hundreds of doses of controlled substances were stolen over the course of his employment. Subsequent investigation also found that, during March of 2020, Pape tampered with capsules of controlled substances by removing all or most of the controlled substance from the capsule and then returning the empty capsules to the pharmacy bulk medication bottle, resulting in these pills being provided to patients.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Pape remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing. Pape faces a possible maximum sentence of 28 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and 8 years of supervised release following any imprisonment. At the plea Pape acknowledged that he will also be required to pay restitution to the victims of his crimes and will forfeit his Iowa pharmacist’s license.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 21-CR-01032. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Penn Hills Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to 5 YearsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – On February 18, 2022, a resident of suburban Pittsburgh, was sentenced in federal court to five years’ (60 months’) imprisonment and four years supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Merlereace Garnett Carter-Burkes Jr. age, 32 of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Carter-Burkes Jr. possessed with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine when he was stopped by officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for traffic violations. After the officers developed probable cause to search his vehicle, the officers conducted a search, and the search revealed a semi-automatic pistol and five large vacuum sealed baggies that contained approximately 563 grams of cocaine.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Carter-Burkes Jr.
Parker Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Gabriel Isaac Leivas, 23, of Parker, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 33 months in prison, followed by a term of lifetime supervised release. Leivas previously pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor.
On March 30, 2019, Leivas sexually abused the minor victim in her home on the Colorado River Indian Tribes (“CRIT”) Indian Reservation. Both Leivas and the victim are members of the CRIT Tribe.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the CRIT PD conducted the investigation in this case. Christina J. Reid-Moore, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-01196-PHX-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-017_Leivas
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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.
Pamlico County Felon Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Prison After Tip Leads to Discovery of Firearm While on ProbationRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Antonio Rashon Quarles, 33, of Oriental, Pamlico County, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Quarles pled guilty to the single-count indictment on March 9, 2021.
According to court records and statements made during hearings, in November 2019, Quarles was on North Carolina state probation, with curfew and electronic monitoring, following a series of felony convictions. On November 2, 2019, probation officers received a tip that Quarles had been distributing drugs and had a firearm. They reviewed GPS data from Quarles’ electronic monitoring device and saw that he had violated his curfew and entered high-crime areas that he had previously been directed to avoid.
On the morning of November 3, 2019, state probation officers, with assistance from Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office, conducted a search of Quarles’ residence in Oriental, North Carolina—a condition of his probation agreement. Inside Quarles bedroom, deputies located a Star .25 caliber, semiautomatic pistol. It was loaded with eight rounds and the serial number was partially scratched off.
Quarles’ federal prosecution followed fourteen prior state felony convictions. His criminal record includes common law robbery, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and multiple larceny convictions.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:19-cr-0511-FL.
Owner of former Bozeman whiskey distillery admits bank fraudRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — The owner of a former whiskey distillery in Bozeman today admitted to defrauding a bank that had loaned him money for the business, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Bryan Lee Schultz, 46, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty to bank fraud. Schultz faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing was set for June 16 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Schultz was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Schultz started Roughstock Distillery and that it was open between April 2008 and June 2016. To operate the business, Schultz obtained two loans from Big Sky Western Bank, with the first loan for $213,000 and the second loan for $90,000. Under the loan terms, Schultz granted the bank a security interest in all collateral of Roughstock Distillery, including proceeds from the sale of inventory. The bank used the inventory as security so it would not lose money if Schultz defaulted on the loans. The government further alleged that in October 2016, Schultz received a $100,000 payment for the sale of whiskey stills and defrauded the bank by not informing it of the sale or remitting payment of the proceeds to the bank as required.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI.
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Owner of Steel Drum Company Admits to Defrauding over $20 Million from a Harford County, Maryland Manufacturer in Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Anthony P. Urcioli, Sr., age 78, of Park Ridge, New Jersey, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and filing a false tax return.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Darrell J. Waldon of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, Urcioli is the owner and president of Tunnel, Barrel & Drum Co, Inc. (TBD), a wholesale commercial drum container seller.
As stated in his plea agreement, in 2012, Urcioli approached two employees (Employees 1 and 2) of a New York company that formulates and produces oils and extracts used in the food industry (Company 1) to purchase TBD’s drums for manufacturing in Harford County, Maryland. One of the employee’s responsibilities (Employee 1) was to review drum invoices and authorize payments to drum suppliers.
After TBD became a drum supplier to Company 1, Employee 1 proposed to Urcioli to continue selling drums to Company 1 if Urcioli agreed to fraudulently invoice Company 1 for more drums than TBD actually sold and delivered to the company. Urcioli and Employee 1 agreed to falsify invoices and split the extra funds paid to TBD from Company 1 for fabricated deliveries. Employee 1 told Urcioli he would split his portion of the funds by fifty percent with Urcioli and share twenty-five percent of the remaining funds with Employee 2. As a result of this conversation, Urcioli accepted Employee 1’s offer to pocket the extra funds or “kickbacks”.
From approximately January 2012 to January 31, 2020, Employee 1 contacted Urcioli at least once a week to discuss the number and type of drums that Employee 1 actually wanted delivered to Company 1’s Maryland facilities. During the same conversation, Employee 1 told Urcioli how many additional drums to charge Company 1 but not deliver to Company 1. After Urcioli created bogus invoices that fraudulently billed Company 1 for both delivered and undelivered drums, Employee 1 approved the invoices and sent them to Company 1’s headquarters to be paid.
Urcioli, Employee 1, and Employee 2 agreed to write the kickback checks in the names of two fraudulent companies to create the appearance of authentic wholesale drum invoices and serve as a deductible as a cost of goods on TBD’s tax returns. Additionally, in December 2013, Urcioli told Employee 1 about Hartford Fibre Drum, Inc., the other drum supply company Urcioli owned. After receiving records that proved that Hartford was a legitimate company, Employee 1 and Urcioli agreed to expand the kickback scheme to include Hartford.
Between January 2012 and January 31, 2020, Urcioli falsely invoiced Company 1 a total of $20,300,757. TBD and Hartford kept half that amount while the remaining funds were sent to Employee 1 and Employee 2. Urcioli also used his companies and their bank accounts to conceal the scheme and launder the proceeds. As a result of the scheme to defraud, Urcioli obtained approximately $10,150,378 from checks made out to TBD and Hartford.
Further, over the course of the eight-year scheme to defraud Company 1, Urcioli filed yearly corporate tax returns for TBD and Hartford that falsely stated the cost of goods sold each year. In total, from 2014 to 2020, TBD and Hartford underreported the companies’ incomes by approximately $9.05 million, resulting in a tax loss to the federal government of $2,539,633.
Urcioli faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and a maximum of three years in prison followed by one year of supervised release for filing a false tax return. U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby has not yet scheduled sentencing.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marty Clarke and Harry M. Gruber. 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 www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Omaha Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Bank Robbery while Brandishing a Firearm and for Possessing Crack with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Skyler F. Sanders, age 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today for bank robbery while brandishing a firearm and possessing 28 grams or more of cocaine base (Crack) with the intent to distribute. Senior United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Sanders to 96 months’ imprisonment for both the bank robbery and drug offense to run concurrent. Senior Judge Bataillon sentenced Sanders to an additional 84 months’ imprisonment for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Sanders will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. Sanders was ordered to pay $36,959 in restitution.
Sanders was convicted in May 2021 for the drug charge following a 3-day jury trial and on January 3, 2022, for the bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence charges following a 2-day bench trial.
An investigation conducted by the Omaha Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation determined that on August 16, 2019, co-defendant Melvin Wilson drove a rented white Infiniti Q50 sports car to Bank of the West located at 8707 W. Center Road in Omaha. In the vehicle with Wilson was Sanders. Prior to the men arriving at Bank of the West, Wilson covered at least one of the license plates of the white Infiniti Q50 with dealer plates to conceal its identity.
At approximately 10:37 a.m., Sanders and Wilson arrived at Bank of the West. While Wilson waited as the get-a-way driver, Sanders exited the vehicle wearing dark clothing, including gloves, a black face mask, and carrying a black handgun. Sanders walked into the Bank of the West, brandished a handgun, made contact with the tellers, and directed them to place the money from their drawers on the teller counter. Sanders allegedly took $36,959 from the bank. After the robbery, Sanders and Wilson fled the bank in the white Infiniti Q50. The white Infiniti Q50 was located, abandoned, a few blocks away from the bank. During the investigation Wilson’s DNA was found on a black mask that was found in the white Infiniti Q50. Sander’s DNA was also found within the white Infiniti Q50.
On October 3, 2019, law enforcement officers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Omaha Police Department were conducting surveillance of Sanders’s residence in Omaha. Law enforcement had search warrants for Sanders’s DNA and cellular phone in connection with the Bank of the West robbery. When law enforcement attempted to make contact with Sanders, Sanders ran from them and during the short foot pursuit, a special agent saw Sanders reach into his pocket and then throw something. Sanders fell as he was going over a chain link fence and surrendered to law enforcement. Officers searched the vicinity of where Sanders was seen throwing something and found a bag of powder cocaine and a bag of crack cocaine over a wood privacy fence about 5-10 feet from where Sanders was seen throwing something. These items were collected and found to be a little over 17 grams of powder cocaine and a little over 30 grams of crack cocaine. The crack cocaine was packaged in 9 separate individual bags.
Senior Judge Bataillon sentenced Wilson to 60 months’ imprisonment on October 18, 2021, for his role in the bank robbery.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Omaha Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Serve More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA – Yesterday, TYLER JAMES ROSS, 39, of Oklahoma City was sentenced to serve 65 months in federal prison for possessing material containing images of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On September 30, 2021, a one-count Information charged Ross with knowingly possessing material containing child pornography that involved a prepubescent minor on his computer and an external hard drive. On October 29, 2021, Ross pleaded guilty to the Information. As part of his plea, Ross admitted that he knowingly possessed thousands of images of child pornography and over a thousand videos of child pornography on his laptop computer and an external hard drive in June of 2020. He further admitted that many of these images and videos involved prepubescent minors and minors who had not attained the age of 12 years.
Yesterday, Senior U.S. District Judge Stephen Friot sentenced Ross to serve 65 months in federal prison for his conduct, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Ross was also ordered to pay a total of $10,100.00 in special assessments. A restitution hearing for the victims in the case will be set at a later date. In imposing the sentence, Judge Friot highlighted the serious nature of the offense, noting that Ross possessed over 35,000 unique images and just under 1,800 unique videos of child pornography. Judge Friot also noted that Ross’s conduct exploited those who are most vulnerable. Upon his release from prison, Ross will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bow Bottomly prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood, marshals, federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
Oakland Man Sentenced for Destroying Letter BoxesRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Oakland man was sentenced today in federal court for destruction of letter boxes, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Jonathan Charles Michaud, 43, to five years of probation. Michaud pled guilty on May 24, 2021.
According to court records, in October 2018, law enforcement officers were called to an Oakland neighborhood where a fire had been set in a residential mailbox. Messages had been handwritten on bills addressed to different residences, and one of these handwritten messages contained the telephone number of Michaud’s mother, with whom he resided. Investigators learned that several other mailboxes in the neighborhood had also been vandalized. In addition, a handwritten note was found in one mailbox stating, “Jonathan Charles is dead at my home, will find me dead in my room, bye mom and dad.” A state search warrant was obtained for Michaud’s residence, and investigators found evidence linking him to the vandalized mailboxes, including fingerprint and handwriting matches.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Maine Office of State Fire Marshal; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
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New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JAMES ALEXANDER, age 51, of New Orleans, pled guilty on Wednesday February 16, 2022 to participating in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, in violation of federal law.
According to court documents, on or about May 20, 2021, JAMES ALEXANDER and another known individual participated in a conspiracy to sell three kilograms of heroin. DEA agents learned of this potential sale that was to take place on Carrollton Avenue in Mid-City around noon. Agents set up surveillance and watched as this drug transaction was taking place. During this time, agents followed a car that they observed ALEXANDER get into, which was driven by a known female. ALEXANDER was wearing a neon yellow construction vest and carrying a grey collapsible food container. Agents followed that vehicle down Carrollton Avenue until it came a stop. ALEXANDER got out of the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. While doing so he discarded the food container that he was carrying. Agents arrested ALEXANDER and recovered the food container, which contained three kilograms of suspected heroin, that had a net worth of approximately $150,000.00.
ALEXANDER was arrested at the scene and transported to the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Orleans Field Division for processing. A review of Alexander’s criminal record revealed that he has a prior federal drug trafficking conviction from 2000 in the Eastern District of Louisiana where he served approximately 140 months in the custody of the United States Bureau of Prisons. He also has several arrest and convictions for drug trafficking offenses in state court.
ALEXANDER now faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to a maximum of life, a fine of up to $10,000,000.00, at least five years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. He will be sentenced on May 17, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (D.E.A.) in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr.
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New Haven Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that THEO SARGENT, also known as “Ciph,” 43, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing firearms and narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 10, 2019, New Haven Police conducted a court-authorized search of his residence on Quinnipiac Avenue in New Haven and seized three handguns, more than 300 rounds of ammunition, approximately 20 grams of crack, quantities of marijuana and MDMA, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale. Sargent was arrested on state charges on that date.
Sargent’s criminal history includes state convictions for felony drug and firearm 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.
On October 19, 2021, Sargent pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”), and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Sargent, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on April 20, 2022.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
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.
Montana Man Pleads Guilty in Derecho Repair SchemeRead the Press Release
A Montana man who cheated a Cedar Rapids derecho victim out of more than $10,000 in insurance proceeds pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids. William Allen Hurlbut, Jr., age 57, from Belgrade, Montana, was convicted of one count of mail fraud.
The derecho was a severe windstorm that swept through Cedar Rapids on August 10, 2020. The derecho caused widespread damage and long-term power outages. In Cedar Rapids alone, over 1,000 housing units were rendered unlivable, while hundreds of additional homes and businesses suffered damage.
At the plea hearing, and in a plea agreement, Hurlbut admitted that he came to Iowa after the derecho, professing to be a handyman and doing business as “Trinity 321.” Hurlbut lacked a required contractor license but obtained a cell phone number with a local area code 319 to conduct business. Hurlbut has a prior federal felony conviction in Idaho for destruction of government property.
In September 2020, Hurlbut promised his victim, a Cedar Rapids resident, that Hurlbut would fix damage to the victim’s residence as soon as possible if the victim advanced funds to Hurlbut for that purpose. The derecho had caused more than $10,000 worth of damage to the victim’s residence, including damage to the roof and the siding, fences, and the interior of the home. Hurlbut’s victim was using a wheelchair on account of physical disabilities.
Instead of repairing the derecho damage to the victim’s residence, Hurlbut spent insurance funds advanced to Hurlbut for the repair costs on gambling and personal items and expenses. Hurlbut made false statements to his victim about the status of the project and also made purchases at a home improvement store on the false pretense that he was buying materials to complete the project. Hurlbut would then return the items for a cash refund, which Hurlbut then used for his own purposes. The investigation revealed that, over a two-week period in October 2020, Hurlbut spent at least $22,532.50 gambling at an Iowa casino.
On January 25, 2021, Hurlburt had a tow truck tow the victim’s vehicle from the victim’s backyard to a junkyard without purchasing it from the victim or getting his permission. In February, Hurlbut convinced his victim to loan him $1,000 for lodging and food, which Hurlbut never repaid. Through March 2021, Hurlbut performed little to no work on the project despite the fact that the victim had advanced more than $10,000 to Hurlbut for the repairs.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Hurlbut remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Hurlbut faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. Hurlbut must also make full restitution to his victim.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department. The Linn County Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-CR-16.
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Michigan to Morgantown Drug Ring Disrupted by Federal IndictmentRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Eleven people have been indicted for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy that caused large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to flow from Detroit to West Virginia, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
A 35-count indictment unsealed today alleges that the defendants – eight of whom are from the Detroit area - conspired to sell illicit drugs from October 2020 to February 2022 in Monongalia County and elsewhere.
“We continue to see a significant influx of drugs from Detroit to the Morgantown region,” said Ihlenfeld. “The collaboration by law enforcement agencies in West Virginia with those in Michigan ensures that drug traffickers who operate across state lines will be held accountable.”
Those charged are:
- William Trice, 31, of Eastpointe, Michigan
- Rico Crawford, 39, of Canton, Michigan
- Addonis Moore, 27, of Detroit, Michigan
- Jovonne Haynes, 26, of Detroit, Michigan
- Giovanni George, 32, of Taylor, Michigan
- Lewis Johnson, 34, of Detroit, Michigan
- Lloyd Vaughn, 27, of Detroit, Michigan
- Kenneth Jones, 27, of Detroit, Michigan
- Dayshawn Burton, 26, of Hamilton, Ohio
- Adrianna Bean, 21, of Morgantown, West Virginia
- Derrick Hamlet, 27, of Morgantown West Virginia
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda E. Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration Clarksburg RO; the FBI Clarksburg RA; the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; WVU Police Department; the DEA Cincinnati District Office; the DEA Detroit Field Division; and the FBI Detroit investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Read the indictment here:
Trice et al Filed IndictmentMexican man charged with assaulting federal officerRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 44-year-old non-U.S. citizen illegally residing in Laredo has been charged with assaulting a Border Patrol (BP) agent and unlawfully transporting illegal citizens within the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Authorities arrested Mexican citizen Ever Gordillo-Cardenas Jan. 30.
Originally charged by criminal complaint, he made his first appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher dos Santos Jan. 31, at which time he was ordered into custody pending further criminal proceedings. Gordillo-Cardenas is expected to appear for arraignment on the indictment in the near future.
According to the charges, law enforcement responded to a report of a group of people walking through the brush near La Moca Ranch Jan. 29. At that time, they apprehended three non-citizens while Gordillo-Cardenas allegedly attempted to flee.
A BP agent pursued him, but Gordillo-Cardenas ignored commands to stop, according to the criminal complaint. The agent allegedly drew his taser, and Gordillo-Cardenas went to his knees. However, the charges allege Gordillo-Cardenas threw dirt in his eyes and fled again.
When the agent caught up to the him, Gordillo-Cardenas allegedly reached for the agent’s duty belt and attempted to strike him with his fist.
If convicted, Gordillo-Cardenas faces up to 20 years in prison.
The FBI and BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Fawcett prosecuted the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law
Mexican Citizen Living Illegally in the United States Sentenced for Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Rolando Olvera-Garcia, 32, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert L. Summerhays to 18 months in prison, for illegally possessing a firearm. Olvera-Garcia is a native and citizen of Mexico and had illegally entered the United States.
On June 9, 2021, deputies with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a residence in Duson, Louisiana, where a Hispanic male, who was later identified as Olvera-Garcia, was found sleeping in the complainant’s laundry room. When deputies arrived at the residence, they found Olvera-Garcia to be in possession of a .40 caliber handgun and a small amount of narcotics.
Approximately one month later, on July 4, 2021, deputies were dispatched again to a residence with the complaint of a Hispanic male shooting a gun. Upon arrival, they determined that Olvera-Garcia was the individual who was shooting the gun. Deputies obtained a search warrant and found a .22 caliber revolver hidden between the couch cushions in his living room. Olvera-Garcia was arrested and interviewed by law enforcement officers, and he admitted to purchasing the firearm off the street and firing the shots on the July 4th weekend. Olvera-Garcia admitted that he knew he was an alien illegally and unlawfully present in the United States. Agents also learned that he had previously been removed from the United States on two occasions, November 25, 2017, and October 18, 2018.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo.
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Memphis Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl and Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Cecil Short Jr., 36 has been sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., United States Attorney announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, in August of 2020, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating Cecil Short, Jr., who allegedly was distributing fentanyl while armed with a firearm.
On September 20, 2020, agents arrested Short at a hotel in Memphis with multiple firearms, as well as fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. Short was a convicted felon at the time. As a result of his prior felony convictions, he is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit also linked Short to a fatal overdose which occurred on May 6, 2020. Further, the defendant acknowledged guilt in connection to the overdose. On May 7, 2021, Short pled guilty to fentanyl distribution and possession of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking.
On February 10, 2022, United States District Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced Short to 15 years in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit, the Memphis Police Department Gang Unit, and the United States Secret Service investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory D. Allen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Meadville Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Enticing a Minor for Sex while on Supervised Release for Child Porn OffenseRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Meadville, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 10 years in prison and 15 years supervised release on his conviction of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today. In addition, Troup was sentenced to two additional years in prison for violating federal supervised release on his 2008 case involving child sexual abuse material.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Nathan L. Troup, 41.
According to information presented to the court, Troup attempted to induce, entice and persuade an undercover investigator posing as a fifteen-year-old male to engage in illegal sexual activity and then traveled to Ohio for the purpose of meeting the purported fifteen-year-old for illegal sexual activity. At the time Troup engaged in this illegal activity, he was on federal supervised release for a child pornography offense.
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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Troup.
McKees Rocks Felon Sentenced for Possessing a HandgunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA -- A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 12 months and one day of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release and 180 days of home detention on his conviction of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman imposed the sentence on Gamale Vaughn, 46.
According to information presented to the court, on June 12, 2019, McKees Rocks Police Department executed a search warrant on the defendant’s residence. Hidden within a boot in a spare bedroom, officers found a Springfield Armory .45 caliber handgun which had been reported stolen to the Forest Hills Police Department in September of 2016. The defendant was present during the search. Following a waiver of his rights, the defendant admitted that the recovered firearm was his. The Court was further advised that the defendant was previously convicted of a felony drug trafficking offense in Allegheny County. As a convicted felon, the defendant is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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.
United States Attorney Chung commended the McKees Rocks Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Vaughn.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 204 Months for Child Exploitation Related OffensesRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On February 22, 2022, Nicholas Nassif Hayek, 23, of Leominster, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison, by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
Following a four-day trial, ending on July 30, 2021, Hayek was convicted of knowingly or attempting to knowingly entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b), knowingly or attempting to knowingly persuade a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(e), knowingly transferring obscene matter to another individual who had not attained the age of 16 years, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1470, knowingly receiving child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(b)(1), and knowingly possessing child pornography involving a child less than 12 years of age, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(b)(2). Upon his release from prison, Hayek will be on supervised release for 15 years. Hayek will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.
The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Hayek befriended a 10-year-old child via social media and engaged in numerous chat messages with the child. The messages included countless requests from Hayek asking the child to send him nude photos. Law enforcement also obtained 22 pictures and one video of Hayek exposing himself to the child.
In determining the sentence, Judge Greer found that Hayek had obstructed justice by testifying untruthfully at trial. Judge Greer found that Hayek’s testimony at trial indicated that Hayek was arrogant and unwilling to accept responsibility for his actions. Judge Greer considered several aggravating factors, including the serious emotional scars caused to the child victim by Hayek’s conduct when factoring the sentence length.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation. This investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Bianca Pearson.
Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan L. Gomez and J. Gregory Bowman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Marion County man sentenced for firearms chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jackson Skye Yeager, of Farmington, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 46 months of incarceration for a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Yeager, 28, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Yeager, a person prohibited from having firearms because of a domestic violence conviction, admitted to having a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in February 2020 in Marion County.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and Fairmont Police Department investigated.
U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Man Sentenced for Sale of Fentanyl and Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Manassas man was sentenced today to 142 months in prison for selling counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl in addition to illegally possessing and selling firearms.
According to court documents, Richard Michael Perez, 26, was identified by law enforcement around September of 2020 as a source of supply for various narcotics. During transactions spanning September 2020 through June of 2021, Perez sold nearly 1,000 pills containing fentanyl to an undercover law enforcement agent. During the course of the sales, Perez mentioned that he owned firearms, and, in April of 2021, sold a semi-automatic rifle to the undercover law enforcement agent.
In June of 2021, Perez was taken into custody and a search of his residence revealed additional narcotics, a privately manufactured firearm devoid of a serial number or other unique identifier, various ammunition, and over $9,000 in cash. Perez had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses in Virginia and was thus prohibited from possessing firearms at the time of this offense.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Charlie J. Patterson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Washington Field Division; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division; Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police; Peter Newsham, Prince William County Chief of Police; and Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Roberts prosecuted 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. 1:21-cr-176.
Luna County inmates plead guilty to assault chargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Four inmates at the Luna County Detention Center in Deming, New Mexico, have pleaded guilty in federal court to assault upon a person assisting federal officers involving physical contact. All four inmates had been convicted in federal court and sentenced within four to eight months prior to the assault.
According to the plea agreements and other court records, on Feb. 17, 2021, Johnny Black, 36, became angry with corrections staff and started arguing with them. When staff attempted to escort him out of the pod, Black struck an officer, starting an altercation that other inmates joined. Victor Sanchez, 25, saw the altercation and joined Black in striking the officer. As the altercation continued, Jacob Merkel, 23, grabbed another officer and punched him in the face. After Merkel and the officer went to the ground, Merkel got back up and continued the altercation. At that time, Henry Felix emerged from the crowd and attacked the second officer from behind, striking him in the head and body.
Black pleaded guilty on Feb. 22. Sanchez pleaded guilty on Feb. 9. By the terms of their plea agreements, Black and Sanchez each face one year and nine months for the offense. Merkel pleaded guilty on Feb. 7. Felix pleaded guilty on Feb. 4. By the terms of their plea agreements, Merkel and Felix each face one year and three months for the offense. Sanchez, Merkel and Felix are scheduled for sentencing on May 16. No sentencing date has been scheduled for Black.
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
Long Island Man Pleads Guilty to Mailing Threatening Letters to LGBTQ+ Affiliated IndividualsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Robert Fehring pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Joanna Seybert to mailing more than 20 letters threatening to assault, shoot, and bomb LGBTQ+ affiliated individuals, organizations and businesses. When sentenced, Fehring faces up to five years’ imprisonment.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Rodney K. Harrison, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the guilty plea.
“In pleading guilty today, the defendant admits that he sent hate-filled communications that threatened mass shootings, bombings and other fatal attacks, to members of the LGBTQ+ community,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office will use all of its available law enforcement tools to protect the safety and civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community and every other community. We will not tolerate hateful threats intended to invoke fear and division, and we will hold accountable those who make or act on such threats.”
Mr. Peace also expressed his gratitude to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the investigation.
“Today’s guilty plea further highlights Fehring’s intentions, and underscores the FBI’s commitment to vigorously investigating civil rights violations. Anonymous threats against members of our community will eventually be uncovered, and those who are responsible for them will be held accountable,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
“We have absolutely no tolerance for hate incidents of any kind here in Suffolk County and I hope that this guilty plea gives peace of mind to both the victims and the entire LGBTQ+ community,” stated SCPD Commissioner Harrison. “Our department remains laser focused on holding individuals who carry out acts of hate accountable and I thank all of our law enforcement partners who helped bring quick closure to this case.”
As set forth in the court filings and today’s proceeding, from at least 2013 to 2021, Fehring sent letters threatening violence to individuals associated with the LGBTQ+ community. In those letters, Fehring threatened to use firearms and explosives against the recipients. One such letter threatened that there would “be radio-cont[r]olled devices placed at numerous strategic places” at the 2021 New York City Pride March with “firepower” that would “make the 2016 Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting look like a cakewalk,” referencing the 2016 attack in which 49 persons were killed and dozens wounded at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Fehring also sent a threatening letter to the owner of a barbershop affiliated with the LGTBQ+ community in Brooklyn, New York, which stated, in part, “your shop is the perfect place for a bombing . . . or beating the scum that frequents your den of [expletive] into a bloody pool of steaming flesh.” Fehring mailed dozens of additional threatening letters to individuals, businesses, and elected officials associated with the LGBTQ+ community.
On November 18, 2021, the FBI’s Civil Rights Squad and the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force executed a search warrant at Fehring’s home in Bayport and recovered copies of letters containing threats, supplies used to mail threatening letters, 20 LGBTQ+ related Pride flags that appeared identical to flags stolen from flagpoles in Sayville in July 2021, and reconnaissance-style photographs from a June 2021 Pride event in East Meadow. Law enforcement officers also recovered electronic devices owned by Fehring that contained internet searches for Fehring’s victims and related LGBTQ+ affiliated individual, events, and businesses. Law enforcement officers also recovered from Fehring’s residence two loaded shotguns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, two stun guns, and a stamped envelope addressed to an LGBTQ+ affiliated attorney containing the remains of a dead bird.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section, Civil Rights Section, and Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Francisco J. Navarro, Rachel A. Bennek, and Andrew P. Wenzel are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
ROBERT FEHRING
Age: 74
Bayport, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-059 (JS)
Lead defendant sentenced to 12 years in prison for invading homes of Dayton-area drug dealersRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Columbus, Ohio, man was sentenced in federal court today to 144 months in prison for his role in multiple home invasions that took place in the greater Dayton region.
Kieran Chandre Furness, 28, was sentenced for conspiring to violate the Hobbs Act with four co-defendants, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, the defendants conspired to commit at least four home invasions of Dayton-area drug dealers.
The co-conspirators took part in armed robberies of purported drug dealers to steal their illicit drug inventories and cash proceeds derived from prior drug dealing. The co-conspirators also stole vehicles, jewelry, clothing, shoes and firearms.
During January 2019, Furness and others forced entry into various residences in Dayton, Trotwood and Harrison Township. While inside the homes, defendants bound up the ankles and wrists of adult and child occupants, forcing them to lie face down on the floor, and brandishing firearms towards them.
Furness was the final defendant to be sentenced in the case. His co-defendants received the following sentences:
- Dreshaun Alexander Thomas – 97 months in prison;
- William Anthony-Lee Baylor – 72 months in prison;
- James Ralph Jackson III – 60 months in prison; and
- Eric Sterling Brown II – 48 months in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Roland H. Herndon, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck and Trotwood Police Chief Erik Wilson announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorneys Dwight K. Keller and Ryan A. Saunders are representing the United States in this case.
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Latrobe Man Sentenced for Supplying Meth to Pagans-Affiliated Drug OrganizationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on charges of violating federal narcotics trafficking laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Alan Masecar, 35, of Latrobe, and currently incarcerated at Allegheny County Jail, was sentenced to 51 months imprisonment, followed by three years supervised release by District Judge Robert J. Colville.
In conjunction with the sentencing hearing, the Court was informed that The Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, conducted a long-term investigation into drug-trafficking activity occurring in the Western District of Pennsylvania. Law enforcement identified several individuals, suspected at the time, of illegally distributing controlled substances, including methamphetamine in Allegheny, Westmoreland, Erie, Fayette, and Washington Counties.
Investigators identified Masecar, aka Max, as a methamphetamine source of supply for among others, co-defendant Zachary Miller, who is a former member of the Jeannette Chapter of the Pagans Motorcycle Club. Miller was sentenced earlier this year to 10 years’ imprisonment.
In December of 2019, Postal Inspectors with United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) seized a package addressed to Masecar, containing methamphetamine. USPIS conducted a search of Masecar’s residence and located numerous items indicative of drug trafficking. Notwithstanding this encounter, Masecar continued to engage in illegal drug trafficking, coordinating additional methamphetamine transactions with Miller and continuing to obtain packages in the mail that contained methamphetamine. Investigators also identified communications between Miller and Masecar via Facebook messenger, wherein they discussed their continued efforts to obtain large quantities of methamphetamine.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Bureau of Narcotics Investigations, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Masecar.
This sentencing was the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Kissimmee Man Sentenced to 18 Months for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Marcos Antonio Tejeda to 18 months in federal prison for preparing false tax returns for himself and others. Tejeda had pleaded guilty on December 7, 2021.
According to court documents, Tejeda owned and operated a tax preparation and accounting business. Tejeda provided personal and business accounting and tax preparation services for “S.M.” in 2016, 2017, and 2018. As a part of these services, Tejeda maintained a business bank account into which S.M. deposited money for estimated tax payments to the IRS. In 2016 and 2017, Tejeda prepared a 1040 tax return for S.M. Each year Tejeda prepared two versions of the same tax return, one he claimed was accurate, and one he knew was false. The accurate tax return included the estimated tax payments S.M. made and was predominately correct. This first version in both 2016 and 2017 also showed that S.M. owed money in addition to the money he had paid in estimated tax payments. Tejeda then created a second, fraudulent tax return for tax years 2016 and 2017. The fraudulent tax returns were filed with the IRS. These fraudulent returns misrepresented S.M.’s business gross receipts, capital gains, gross income, adjusted gross income, and other statutory adjustments under the provisions of the Internal Revenue laws to fraudulently decrease the amount of taxes owed.
Tejeda then embezzled the money that S.M. had provided for estimated tax payments and to pay the taxes that S.M. believed were owed based on the first version of the tax return created by Tejeda. In total, Tejeda embezzled $120,329.46 from S.M.
Additionally, Tejeda did not report a substantial amount of his income on his personal or business taxes. As such, the amount of income that should have been reported on his Individual Tax Return for 2017 was an amount substantially more than the amount Tejeda had reported.
“We are in tax filing season, and those who might consider preparing false tax returns should be aware of the consequences as evidenced today,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne. “The sentencing of Tejada emphasizes that the IRS will continue our aggressive pursuit of those who attempt to defraud America’s tax system.”
This case was investigated by The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Daniels.
Kalamazoo Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — United States Attorney Andrew Birge announced that Maurice Schanta Carson (50) of Kalamazoo, Michigan was sentenced to 23 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute over a pound of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. A repeat offender in Kalamazoo, Carson pled guilty to these charges in October 2021.
Carson’s charges and conviction stemmed from his arrest on outstanding warrants in Kalamazoo County on February 3, 2021. Inside Carson’s vehicle, investigators found a backpack containing over a pound of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and a loaded pistol. At the time of his arrest, Carson was serving a probationary sentence issued in 2020 by the Ninth Circuit Court in Kalamazoo County for possession of methamphetamine. A search warrant of Carson’s residence later that day yielded more methamphetamine, more firearms, and cash from drug trafficking. Law enforcement had to rearrest Carson on February 10, 2021 where, again, he was found in possession of approximately a pound of methamphetamine and a rifle. Carson was lodged in Kalamazoo County on local charges but made bond. Thereafter, he was charged by federal indictment and detained in federal custody pending resolution of his federal charges. In the months preceding his arrest, the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team investigated Carson as a pound-level distributor of methamphetamine in and around Kalamazoo.
“Methamphetamine is a scourge in the Western District of Michigan” and “firearms and drugs are a toxic mix,” stated U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney when announcing Carson’s sentence. Judge Maloney observed that methamphetamine is the most frequent drug at issue in the narcotics cases that he sentences. When imposing Carson’s 23-year sentence, Judge Maloney further noted that Carson had a criminal history that began at the age of sixteen, that Carson had the highest criminal history possible under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and that Carson was a threat to the law-abiding public.
“Methamphetamine has flooded Western Michigan; it is the narcotic that my office charges the most,” stated U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge. “Law enforcement agencies are working together in West Michigan out of a commitment to bring traffickers contributing to this scourge to justice – and those who traffic in this highly addictive, ruinous substance should know that they face lengthy prison terms as a consequence,” added U.S. Attorney Birge.
“This investigation demonstrates DEA’s steadfast determination to reduce drug trafficking and the associated violent crime that affects the Kalamazoo area,” said Kent R. Kleinshmidt, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Detroit Field Division. “We are proud to partner with Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety and the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team to take guns and drugs off the streets with the intent of making our communities safer for all.”
“The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety stands steadfast with the community to address narcotics sales and the associated crimes that stem from them to improve the overall quality of life in our city,” said Captain Rafael Diaz, Commander of the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team. “It is unfortunate when individuals choose a life of crime even after being given multiple opportunities to change their life for the better. In such cases, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety partners with our local, state, and federal law enforcement counterparts, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to hold individuals accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” added Captain Diaz.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team, a narcotics task force operating in Kalamazoo County. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel S. Fauson.
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KC Man Charged in Foiled Independence Restaurant RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man whose failed attempt to rob an Independence, Missouri, restaurant was thwarted when employees wrestled him and took away his gun was charged in federal court today.
Bryan C. Byers, 23, was charged in a three-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo.
Today’s criminal complaint charges Byers with one count of armed robbery, one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition.
According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s federal criminal complaint, Byers robbed Lucky Buffet, 2931 S. Noland Road in Independence, at approximately 9:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 21. Byers, armed with a Glock handgun, approached two restaurant employees who were working near the sushi station in the restaurant. Byers allegedly pointed the gun at them and told them they had five seconds to give him the cash from the cash register or he would kill them. The employees opened the register drawer, the affidavit says, and Byers began taking money from the register. Both employees attacked Byers and took the gun from him. Byers was restrained until police arrived.
Byers, who was on the ground in the vestibule of the restaurant, was arrested and transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. Police officers found approximately $873 scattered on the floor of the restaurant.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Byers was on probation for the felony crimes of armed robbery and stealing a motor vehicle at the time of the alleged offense.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
KC Gun Store Owner Pleads Guilty to Selling Machinegun ComponentsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The owner of a Kansas City, Missouri, gun store pleaded guilty in federal court today to selling components to convert firearms into machine guns, which he marketed on his website as “cell phone holders.”
Charles Lee Weston, 37, of Kansas City, Mo., waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to a federal information that charges him with one count of illegally possessing a machinegun.
Weston, a federal firearms licensee, is the owner of Drum Magazines, LLC, at 4015 Sterling Avenue in Kansas City, Mo.
According to today’s plea agreement, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives identified a website operated by Weston that was selling multiple items believed to be machineguns. Those items included a drop in auto-sear, which is intended to convert an AR-15 type firearm into a fully automatic firearm. Because the conversion devices were each a part designed and intended solely and exclusively for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun, each device is considered a machinegun under federal law.
The device, however, was being marketed on the website as a “cell phone holder.” An undercover agent purchased the set of two devices online for $149.99.
An undercover agent visited Drum Magazines on Aug. 4, 2021. The undercover agent asked Weston if he had any “cell phone holders.” Weston retrieved two swift link auto sears (capable of quickly converting semi-automatic AR-type rifles to fully automatic) from the back of the store and gave them to the undercover agent. The agent asked Weston if the devices would work in 300 BLK or just .223-caliber. Weston replied, “Every caliber. It’s more of a trigger setup. As long as your mil-spec trigger. But ya, it’ll work. You got me answering questions correctly.” Weston, acknowledging that he had actually described the true purpose of the device, laughed and said, “The proper answer would be ‘Whatever phone you got, sir.’” Weston again laughed and then stated, “You the first one that got me to answer the question like that. I’m tired.” Weston added, “I hate this (expletive) country and the (expletive) laws they have.” The undercover agent paid Weston $324.82 for the two devices and one extended magazine and left the business.
On Aug. 26, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Drum Magazines and at Weston’s residence. Officers seized a box that contained Glock full auto switches and instructions and a piece of a suspected 3D printed auto sear.
Under federal statutes, Weston is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Jury convicts former Columbus vice officer of civil rights violationRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted a former Columbus vice officer with conspiring to violate an individual’s constitutional rights.
The verdict was announced yesterday evening following a trial that began on Feb. 14 before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison.
Steven G. Rosser, 45, of Delaware, was employed with the Columbus Division of Police for 19 years and assigned as a detective in CPD’s vice unit from April 2013 until October 2018.
According to court documents and trial testimony, in 2018, Rosser and others conspired to deprive one of the owners of the Dollhouse, a gentlemen’s club on Karl Court, of his civil rights by seizing and searching him and his vehicle without probable cause in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. At trial, the government presented evidence that Rosser was part of a scheme to frame the victim for cocaine possession.
Rosser was indicted by a federal grand jury and arrested in March 2020.
Conspiracy to violate a person’s civil rights is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) Superintendent Joseph Morbitzer; and Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber announced the verdict.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force, which includes special agents and officers from the FBI, Ohio Attorney General’s BCI, the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office and the Columbus Division of Police.
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Jury Finds Leader of Fort Myers Drug Trafficking Organization Guilty of Killing an FBI InformantRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Robert Lee Ward (53, Fort Myers) guilty of conspiracy to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine and of tampering with an informant by killing. Ward faces a mandatory penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Ward had been indicted on November 27, 2018.
According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, Ward was the leader of a drug trafficking organization in Fort Myers that distributed cocaine in Fort Myers and other locations for more than a decade until Ward’s arrest in 2018. Ward and his co-conspirators routinely purchased kilograms of cocaine from Ward’s supplier in Miami and distributed the drugs in Fort Myers and Panama City. Federal investigators used confidential informants (CIs) to make multiple purchases of cocaine from Ward’s co-conspirators. A CI who had purchased cocaine from Ward was relocated by investigators after they learned of a threat against the CI’s life.
In 2012, the FBI obtained the assistance of Kristopher Smith, a member of Ward’s organization, who agreed to cooperate in the investigation against Ward. After learning about Smith’s cooperation with investigators, Ward solicited James Broomfield to kill Smith. Broomfield agreed to kill Smith in exchange for $30,000. Ward provided Broomfield with a loaded firearm and told him where to locate Smith. On January 7, 2013, Broomfield and another individual followed Smith and his girlfriend as they drove to their son’s school in Fort Myers. Smith remained in the vehicle while his girlfriend entered the school to deliver lunch to their son, who attended first grade at the school. Broomfield and his accomplice parked their vehicle behind the CI’s car and Broomfield ran up to the car and shot Smith several times, killing him.
In February 2014, investigators obtained a search warrant for a storage unit in Tampa that Ward had rented. Investigators seized more than $200,000 in cash hidden inside the storage unit.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Myers Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Panama City Police Department, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Sinacore and Candace Rich.
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.
Investigation into Sale of Methamphetamine in Sabine Parish Leads to Federal Prison Time for Many, LA ManRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Samuel Holbert Brumfield a/k/a “Sammy B,” 35, of Many, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter, United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced. Brumfield was sentenced to 70 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on drug trafficking charges.
An indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on June 16, 2021 charging Brumfield with three counts of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Brumfield pleaded guilty to a charge of distribution of methamphetamine on September 28, 2021.
According to evidence presented to the court at the guilty plea hearing, law enforcement agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began an investigation in early 2021 in connection with the trafficking of methamphetamine in the Sabine Parish, Louisiana area. Agents were able to identify Brumfield as the individual who sold approximately 58 grams of methamphetamine to another individual in the Sabine Parish area on April 26, 2021. The methamphetamine that was purchased from Brumfield was seized and taken to the crime lab where it was tested and confirmed to be methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.
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Identity Thief Sentenced to 45 Months in Prison for Fraud, Possession of Stolen Mail and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Kristopher Blake Hill, 40, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 45 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to charges of bank fraud, identity fraud, access device fraud, possession of stolen mail, and aggravated identity theft. Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the sentence.
“Our citizens and their personal identifying information are the constant targets of devious criminals who would rather steal than earn an honest living,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “With our law enforcement partners, we remain committed to vigorously identifying and prosecuting those individuals who steal the identities of others and use that identifying information to fraudulently obtain money to which they are not entitled.”
Court documents reflect that between July 1, 2020, and December 4, 2020, Hill passed multiple counterfeit checks at grocery stores and retail stores in Tallahassee, Florida, Crawfordville, Florida, and in the state of Georgia. Hill was subsequently arrested at a hotel in Tallahassee where he was found in possession of stolen mail, stolen checks, and counterfeit checks. The investigation revealed that Hill used the stolen checks to create counterfeit checks that he fraudulently passed as genuine financial instruments. Additionally, a search of Hill’s computer revealed numerous fraudulent Georgia Driver’s Licenses, each bearing Hill’s own image, name, and the names of other individuals. Hill’s computer also contained personal identification information of third parties, to include more than 100 genuine social security numbers.
“Postal Inspectors will continue the long tradition of protecting the sanctity of the U.S. Mail system and protect our customers,” said Joseph Cronin, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service - Miami Division.
Hill’s imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release. The court ordered Hill to pay restitution to Capital City Bank, SunTrust Bank, and Thomasville National Bank. As part of the sentence imposed, the Court ordered the forfeiture of Hill’s computer and cell phones, 14 Georgia Driver Licenses, 30 blank plastic cards, 101 fraudulent and blank checks, and currency.
This case was jointly investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Leon County Sheriff’s Office, Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thomas County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Justin M. Keen and Kaitlin Weiss prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Husband and Wife Plead Guilty to False Statement to an Agency of the United States, Tax Evasion, and Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A Dearborn, Michigan husband and wife were arraigned yesterday on charges of false statement to an agency of the United States, tax evasion, and bankruptcy fraud, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. On the same day, both individuals pleaded guilty before Judge Laurie J. Michelson.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Sarah Kull, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, Joshua Hauxhurst, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Salvador Gonzalez.
Abraham Elsaghir, 52, pleaded guilty to one count of false statement to an agency of the United States, one count of federal income tax evasion, and one count of bankruptcy fraud. Samar Elsaghir, 51, pleaded guilty to one count of false statement to an agency of the United States and one count of federal income tax evasion.
According to the information and the plea agreements, in May 2017, Abraham and Samar Elsaghir filed a voluntary Chapter 7 petition in bankruptcy, and they received a discharge of their debts in August 2017. As the plea agreement acknowledges, however, the Elsaghirs made false declarations in their bankruptcy petition, by both failing to report and underreporting their income. During the same time period, the Elsaghirs made similar false statements to both the I.R.S. on their 2016 tax return and to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in order to receive Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, commonly known as food stamps. In the plea agreements, the Elsaghirs agreed that, from 2014-2020, they had received nearly $60,000 in SNAP benefits they were not entitled to receive, and that they, in fact, owed the I.R.S. an additional $70,000 for tax calendar years 2014-2018. Abraham Elsaghir also agreed he owed and to pay over $166,000 to unsecured creditors in the bankruptcy case.
“We have seen an unprecedented number of people commit fraud on government programs. This case involved multiples layers of deception – lying to the bankruptcy court, the I.R.S., and the U.S.D.A. This conduct will not be tolerated, and individuals who make false statements to exploit resources intended for those most in need will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted.”
“Working with our law enforcement counterparts and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue and prosecute individuals who repeatedly make false statements to government agencies helps ensure the integrity of government processes,” said Josh Hauxhurst, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division. “This investigation sends the message that those who lie to federal investigators and commit fraud in the process will be held accountable.”
“The Elsaghir’s plea serves as an important reminder that Federal income tax compliance should be equally shared among all Americans,” said Special Agent in Charge Sarah Kull, IRS Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office. Conspiring to defraud the government with a scheme to underreport taxable income and to steal money meant for low income families is unlawful and shameful.”
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Salvador Gonzalez said, “The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was created to provide food and nutrition to those who truly need this assistance. Those who are involved in fraud and abuse of SNAP and other USDA programs will be aggressively pursued by our office. Our joint investigation in this investigation helps brings to justice individuals who sought to profit from the SNAP program through illegal schemes. The USDA Office of Inspector General will continue to dedicate resources and work with our local law enforcement partners in order to protect the integrity of this and other USDA programs and to pursue prosecution of those who commit fraud.”
Sentencing of both Abraham Elsaghir and Samar Elsaghir has been set for June 23, 2022, before Judge Laurie J. Michelson in the Eastern District of Michigan. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. Judge Michelson will determine each sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation of this case was jointly conducted by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General – Investigations, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick E. Corbett and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Roble.
Human Smuggler Sentenced for Transporting and Harboring over 100 Undocumented NoncitizensRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Amalia Gonzalez-Lara, 43, of Oaxaca, Mexico, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins to 21 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Gonzalez-Lara pleaded guilty on November 18, 2021 to one count of conspiring to transport and harbor over 100 illegal aliens for profit. Gonzalez-Lara managed, supervised, and coordinated smuggling operations for a stash house located in Avondale, Arizona. On January 12, 2021, law enforcement agents located 20 undocumented citizens, all nationals of Mexico or Guatemala, inside the residence. Over the course of the conspiracy, the house was used to conceal large numbers of noncitizens who had been smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border into Arizona and transported to the Phoenix area.
Co-conspirator Sergio Vazquez-Flores, 46, who operated the stash house on behalf of Gonzalez-Lara, will be sentenced on March 15, 2022.
Homeland Security Investigations – Nogales Office, with assistance from United States Border Patrol, conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. JTFA consists of federal prosecutors and attorneys from U.S. Attorney’s Offices along the Southwest Border (District of Arizona, Southern District of California, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas), from the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division, along with law enforcement agents and analysts from DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration are also part of the Task Force.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-0613-TUC-RCC-JR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-016_Gonzalez-Lara# # #
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.Hotel Manager and Owner Both Plead Guilty in Tax InvestigationRead the Press Release
A former Clare, Michigan, hotel manager pleaded guilty today to filing a false tax return. His father, the owner of the hotel, also pleaded guilty to witness tampering in an effort to obstruct the grand jury’s investigation of his son.
According to court documents, Harold Walls, 58, managed the day-to-day operations of a Clare hotel, which his father, Karl Walls, 86, owned. Harold Walls did not report to the IRS any of the income he received from working at the hotel from 2013 through 2017. Rather than pay himself wages directly through the hotel’s payroll system, Harold Walls paid himself by other means, including by writing checks to himself from the hotel operating account and using a hotel bank account to pay for personal expenses.
Harold Walls also provided false and incomplete information to the hotel’s tax return preparer for 2012 through 2017, resulting in the hotel’s business income being understated. Specifically, Harold Walls did not disclose to the tax return preparer that the hotel had 11 “off-book” rooms that were not tracked in the hotel’s reservation system. Harold Walls also provided the return preparer documents that overstated the amount of property taxes the hotel had paid to the City of Clare.
After the IRS began its investigation, Harold Walls obstructed the investigation by instructing a hotel employee to make false statements to the IRS about the nature and extent of his work at the hotel. He also denied to IRS special agents that he was employed at the hotel.
Karl Walls also obstructed the investigation of his son by directing two witnesses to lie to the grand jury. In October 2018, two days before a former hotel employee was scheduled to provide grand jury testimony, Karl Walls instructed the employee to testify that Harold Walls did not work at the hotel. Karl Walls also attempted to convince his tax return preparer to make a similar false statement to the grand jury about his son’s employment status.
Both sentencings are scheduled for a later date. Harold Walls faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for filing a false tax return, and Karl Walls faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for witness tampering. Both men also face a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for providing substantial assistance in this matter.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Sam Bean of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Hopkins Man Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Hopkins man has been sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and $336,040.45 in restitution for tax evasion after failing to file income tax returns since 1997. Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson sentenced the defendant.
As proven at trial, between 1987 and 2017, Daniel Berglund, 64, was the owner and sole employee of Faith Software (FAITH) where he worked as a computer language instructor. Despite earning a substantial income annually through FAITH, Berglund did not file any individual income tax returns since 1997, and never once filed a corporate tax return of any kind on behalf of FAITH. Proving that he was well aware of his tax obligations, Berglund took numerous steps to hide his income from the IRS, including giving his FAITH clients a fabricated Tax Identification Number to prevent their payments from being reported to the IRS as income attributable to him, depositing clients’ payments into accounts where the funds would not be traceable to him, and converting his income into silver that he stashed in concealed locations in his home. Berglund’s evasion resulted in a total tax debt of approximately $336,040.45.
On October 8, 2021, Berglund was convicted by a federal jury on four counts of tax evasion.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division with the assistance of IRS Field Collections.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert and Kimberly A. Svendsen.
Heart Butte man who shot up house, injuring three on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation sentenced to more than six years in prisonRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Heart Butte man who admitted to shooting up a house with a hunting rifle and wounding three of the occupants on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
David Eugene Wing, 44, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to a superseding information charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon and with carrying a firearm in commission of a crime of violence.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents filed in the case, the government alleged that on Jan. 1, 2020, during a New Year’s Eve party at a Lodge Pole residence, on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Wing was involved in a fight with multiple individuals after he slapped an individual, identified as Jane Doe. Wing left the party intoxicated and angry and drove to a nearby residence where he retrieved a 22-250 caliber hunting rifle. Individuals at the party warned everyone there that Wing likely would return with a gun for revenge. Wing drove back to the residence and fired three or four rounds into the residence with intent to harm Jane Doe and others he felt had attacked him. Shrapnel struck and injured Jane Doe, a minor child and another individual, identified as Jane Doe 2.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared C. Cobell prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI and the Fort Belknap Police Department.
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Hamden Psychiatric Practice and its Owner Pay $310K for Employing "Excluded" IndividualRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that GERIATRIC & ADULT PSYCHIATRY, LLC, (“GAP”) and its owner, ALAN SIEGAL, M.D., have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments to resolve allegations that they improperly employed an individual who was excluded from all federal healthcare programs. GAP is a medical practice located in Hamden.
To resolve their liability under the federal and state False Claims Acts, GAP and Siegal will pay $310,874.
In 2006, Eric Ressner, a physician, was convicted in the Southern District of Florida of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. As a result of his conviction, he was excluded from all federal health care programs.
When the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) excludes an individual or entity from federal health care programs, no program payments may be made for items or services furnished by that excluded individual or entity. In September 1999, HHS-OIG issued a Special Advisory Bulletin in order to provide guidance to health care providers who might employ or contract with an excluded individual or entity. In May 2013, HHS-OIG issued an Updated Special Advisor Bulletin containing additional guidance. Both the original and updated Special Advisory Bulletins advised that, in order to avoid potential liability, health care providers should check the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities on the HHS-OIG web site: http://oig.hhs.gov/exclusions
In February 2016, GAP and Siegal hired Ressner to be the clinical director at GAP. Ressner served in that position until June 2021. During that time, GAP and Siegal billed and sought reimbursements from federal healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and the Railroad Retirement Medicare Program. A portion of the reimbursements that GAP and Siegal received were used to pay Ressner’s salary and benefits.
This matter was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Molot and Assistant Attorney General Greggory O’Connell of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS or the Health Care Fraud Task Force at (203) 777-6311.
Great Falls woman admits to trafficking methamphetamineRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls woman suspected of traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada, to obtain methamphetamine for distribution admitted to a trafficking charge today, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Lillian Marie Lapier, 45, pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging her with possession with intent to distribute meth. Lapier faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Chief Judge Morris set sentencing for May 26. Lapier was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in May 2021, agents with the Russell Country Drug Task Force executed a search warrant on a Great Falls residence, recovered meth and learned that the source of supply was Lapier, who was traveling to Great Falls with meth. The investigation led to a Helena residence of co-defendant, Rhonda Lapier, also known as Rhonda Trench, where Rhonda Lapier and Lillian Lapier were suspected of trafficking meth together. After observing vehicles arrive and depart the residence, law enforcement stopped a suspect vehicle driven by Lillian Lapier and found cash and about 3.6 pounds of actual meth in the trunk. Lillian Lapier told law enforcement that she and Rhonda Lapier had left Las Vegas, Nevada, together after re-suppling with meth from a California-based supplier. Lillian Lapier also told officers she had been getting about two pounds of meth every week to a week and a half for the past three to four months. Officers found about three pounds of meth at the Helena evidence. The six pounds of meth seized is the equivalent of 21,744 doses. Rhonda Lapier was sentenced to more than five years in prison for conviction in the case. A third co-defendant, Ashley Nicole Rico, is pending sentencing for her conviction in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Russell Country Drug Task Force, the Missouri River Drug Task Force, FBI, Great Falls Police Department Cascade County Sheriff’s Office and Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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