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22 March 2022
Felon guilty of illegally owning rifles and shotgunsRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 33-year-old Huntsville resident has admitted to being a felon in possession of multiple firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
On March 10, 2021, authorities pulled over a vehicle for having an expired Texas temporary tag. Alonzo Gonzalez III was a passenger in the vehicle.
Law enforcement officers noticed the occupants of the vehicle were behaving suspiciously and brought a K9 to the scene. The K9 alerted to the rear of the vehicle. A subsequent search resulted in the discovery of seven firearms concealed inside the trunk. Those included two 12-gauge shotguns, a .243 rifle, .223-5.56 rifle and three 7.62x54R rifles. Authorities later determined that two of the weapons were stolen.
Gonzalez admitted he had placed the firearms in the trunk and planned to sell them in South Texas.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Ramos will impose sentence on June 22. If found to be an armed career criminal, Gonzalez will face a minimum of 15 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Kleberg County Attorney Specialized Crimes & Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda L. Gould is prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Baton Rouge Man of Fraud Scheme and Money Laundering Relating to Financial Aid FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced the conviction of Elliot Sterling, age 33, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Sterling was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 3, 2020, and charged with wire fraud, financial aid fraud, and engaging in monetary transactions involving property derived from specified unlawful activity.
After an eight-day trial before District Judge Brian A. Jackson, the jury unanimously convicted Sterling of five counts of wire fraud involving a scheme to defraud the Department of Education federal student aid program, two counts of financial aid fraud, and two counts of wire fraud involving the Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, which was designed to aid businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr. Sterling was also convicted of six counts of money laundering involving the proceeds of his two wire fraud schemes. The jury further ordered the forfeiture of $422,632.38 in fraud proceeds that the FBI had seized in the case.
As the evidence at trial demonstrated, with respect to the Department of Education wire fraud and financial aid fraud counts, Mr. Sterling received $1,468,239 in federal student aid loans and grants that were associated with 180 Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) students into his personal bank account and the business bank account of his company, Sterling Educational Consulting, LLC. The evidence presented at trial showed that Mr. Sterling used the personal identifying information of his purported students to electronically fill out and submit their Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSAs), sign master promissory notes on their behalf, enroll them into classes at BRCC, and create and manage the student BankMobile accounts that received federal student loans. Through Mr. Sterling’s control of the students’ accounts, he directed Department of Education monies to be paid directly into his own bank accounts.
In order to circumvent Department of Education controls designed to inform students about the financial obligations of student loans, Mr. Sterling concealed his role as the preparer of the FAFSAs and pretended to be the students when he logged on with their credentials, clicked through the loan counseling in less than three minutes, and signed promissory notes in their names. Typically, the students did not have access to the email addresses or login information that Mr. Sterling created on their behalf and did not have access to their own FAFSA, BRCC, or BankMobile accounts.
In addition, Mr. Sterling falsified the academic qualifications for 168 students to the Department of Education, and 145 of these students lacked even a high school diploma or equivalent (e.g. a GED). A witness at trial also testified that Mr. Sterling had paid him $5,000 to produce 42 diplomas with fictional grades. These diplomas were then provided to BRCC after BRCC requested verification of the students’ academic credentials. None of the 180 students for whom Mr. Sterling received money progressed academically at BRCC, and 172 failed or withdrew from every class they were enrolled in. Some students were incarcerated when their FAFSAs were submitted, promissory notes signed, or federal student aid disbursed into Mr. Sterling’s bank accounts.
Instead of directing the funds he received to the students, Mr. Sterling kept over 60% for himself, and for 25 students, Mr. Sterling kept 100% of the loan proceeds. Among the students who received money from Mr. Sterling’s scheme, most were unaware they had signed up for student loans and that Mr. Sterling had signed master promissory notes in their names obligating them to repay the full amount. The students were also unaware of the true amount of refunds awarded in their names, and the true amount Mr. Sterling retained as his portion.
With respect to the SBA wire fraud, Mr. Sterling submitted a loan application on behalf of his business, Sterling Educational Consulting, LLC, that falsified the business’s revenues and costs and concealed his prior guilty plea to felony theft. As a result of these false statements, the SBA loaned Mr. Sterling $90,000 in order for him to pay the operating costs of his business during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr. Sterling promptly withdrew $75,000 in cash. During the course of his schemes, Mr. Sterling also spent more than $253,000 at casinos in Louisiana, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.
As a result of his convictions, Mr. Sterling now faces a maximum sentence in federal prison of twenty years per wire fraud count, ten years per money laundering count, and five years per financial aid fraud count, as well as significant fines, restitution, and supervised release.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Louisiana Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Education – Office of Inspector General. This case was prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Elizabeth E. White, Assistant U.S. Attorney René I. Salomon, and Asset Forfeiture Chief Brad Casey.
Federal Inmate Sentenced to Three Years for Smuggling Contraband into Prison Through Hole in Cell WindowRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Anthony Robinson, a/k/a Slick, 34, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to three years in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gene E.K. Pratter for conspiring with others to smuggle contraband into the Federal Detention Center (FDC) in Philadelphia.
In October 2021, the defendant was convicted by a jury on charges of conspiracy and possession of contraband in prison, stemming from a 2020 incident caught on security recordings. In April 2020, staff at the FDC observed a man outside the prison, attaching items to a line. Security camera footage showed a rope being pulled up the side of the building facing Arch Street. Upon searching the cell from which the rope emanated, officers found two cellmates along with quantities of Suboxone, cocaine, tobacco, methamphetamine tablets, marijuana, a SIM card, and an inoperable cell phone. Both men were charged and convicted for possessing contraband in prison. Meanwhile, further investigation revealed that they did not act alone. Specifically, investigators discovered that another FDC inmate, defendant Robinson, had aided them in their smuggling operation from his own cell by arranging, via a contraband cell phone, for the drugs to be brought to the FDC.
“Maintaining the secure environment of federal correctional facilities is paramount to the safety of staff and inmates and the pursuit of justice in an effort to deter future criminal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “In this case, instead of learning from previous mistakes, the defendant couldn’t help himself and committed another crime by smuggling contraband into the facility. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate this kind of lawless behavior.”
“Talk about a brazen smuggling scheme, using a line lowered right down to Arch Street,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Introducing contraband into prisons can put corrections staff, inmates, and even the community at risk. Robinson was a key partner in this conspiracy and is being held appropriately accountable. It’s imperative to keep our correctional facilities safe and secure.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Damiani.
Federal Court Rules in Favor of the Justice Department in Lawsuit Against City of Troy, Michigan for Restrictions on Places of Worship and Treatment of Muslim Religious GroupRead the Press Release
Detroit, MI – Late Friday, March 18, 2022, a federal judge ruled in favor of the Justice Department, finding that the City of Troy, Michigan violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA). The judge found that Troy’s zoning practices treat places of worship worse than equivalent nonreligious assemblies. The judge also found that Troy’s zoning denial substantially burdened the religious exercise of a Muslim group seeking to establish the only permanent place of Islamic worship in the City of Troy. Accordingly, the judge entered an order enjoining Troy from enforcement of the discriminatory provisions of its zoning ordinance.
“I am very pleased that the Court recognized Troy’s unequal treatment of places of worship and the impact on Troy’s Muslim community,” said Dawn Ison, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. “My office always seeks to work cooperatively with local governments to resolve civil rights disputes. However, when that is not possible, we will not hesitate to prosecute those cases.”
The Justice Department originally filed suit in 2019, after Troy denied zoning approval to Adam Community Center (Adam), an organization of Muslims who live and work in Troy, to operate a place of worship. In 2018, after a nine-year search for a permanent location in Troy, Adam acquired a building in one of Troy’s commercial districts to use as a community center and place of worship. Troy’s zoning ordinance would allow a nonreligious place of assembly, such as a theater or banquet hall, to use the same building without further approval. But because of Troy’s zoning restrictions unique to places of worship, Adam had to seek Troy’s approval to operate in the building. On June 19, 2018, Troy’s zoning board denied Adam’s application. The Justice Department investigated and subsequently filed suit.
The judge’s opinion quoted from RLUIPA’s legislative history, noting that, “RLUIPA was enacted to protect assemblies like Adam from discrimination in zoning laws that ‘lurks behind such vague and universally applicable reasons as traffic, aesthetics, or ‘not consistent with the city’s land use plan.’’” The opinion also noted that, “Adam has searched for a suitable property for many years and purchased the Property at issue here at great cost ...”, and that Troy had “…no compelling governmental interest in prohibiting Adam, a religious place of assembly, from operating from the Property.”
This case was litigated by Assistant United States Attorneys Shannon Ackenhausen and Susan DeClercq of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan as well as trial attorneys from the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section.
RLUIPA is a federal law that protects religious institutions from unduly burdensome or discriminatory land use regulations. In June 2018, the Justice Department announced its Place to Worship Initiative, which focuses on RLUIPA’s provisions that protect the rights of houses of worship and other religious institutions to worship on their land. More information is available at www.justice.gov/crt/placetoworship.
The Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan was established in 2010 with the mission of prioritizing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, including a copy of the court’s opinion and order, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/programs/civil-rights.
Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination or experienced a civil rights violation can submit a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office by email at [email protected] or by phone at (313) 226-9151. Complaints can also be submitted to the Civil Rights Division through its complaint portal.Ex-Roommate and Co-Conspirator of Former Philadelphia Eagle Sentenced to 2 Months for Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Mark Wayne Ramsey, 32, of San Francisco, CA, was sentenced to 60 days in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine by United States District Judge Gene E.K. Pratter for his participation in an insider trading scheme.
In September 2021, a jury found the defendant guilty of four counts of securities fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Evidence presented at trial showed that Ramsey traded on inside information provided by Damilare Sonoiki, at the time a junior analyst at Goldman Sachs, regarding upcoming mergers involving four Goldman Sachs clients: Compuware Corporation; Move, Inc;, Sapient Corporation; and Oplink Communications. LLC. Sonoiki provided this information to Ramsey and his roommate Mychal Kendricks, then a linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles. Ramsey and Kendricks purchased call options in the target companies between July and November 2014. During the football season, when Kendricks was busiest, Ramsey became the primary contact with Sonoiki, and Ramsey made the trades in Kendricks’s account based on the insider information Sonoiki provided. When the proposed merger was announced in each case, the value of the options purchased by Ramsey and Kendricks increased significantly. During the period of the conspiracy, the trading conducted by Ramsey and Kendricks from Kendricks’s account resulted in profits of nearly $1.2 million on the four securities.
Defendants Sonoiki and Kendricks both pleaded guilty in September 2018 to insider trading and conspiracy charges based on this same conspiracy. In July 2021, Kendricks was sentenced to one day in prison and three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100,000 fine. In the same month, Sonoki was sentenced to one month in prison and three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.
“This case was about three individuals who thought they could cheat the system to make a quick buck,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “When individuals engage in insider trading, it undermines the integrity of our financial markets and harms ordinary investors who abide by the rules. Our Office will continue to investigate and hold accountable individuals who engage in this type of illegal activity.”
“Mark Ramsey knowingly traded on material, non-public information, to score a handsome profit,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “To maintain their integrity, our financial markets must be a level playing field for all investors, not just those with friends in the know. That’s exactly why the FBI works hard to hold accountable anyone engaged in insider trading.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Securities and Exchange Commission, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Ignall and Eileen Zelek.
Elkton Man Admits to Possessing over 2,000 Depictions of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Jacob Mathias Rubinstein, age 42, of Elkton, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to distribution of child pornography.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
According to his guilty plea, on September 4, 2020, the Maryland State Police received a Cybertip report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding a referral from a social media platform. The report involved an account user who was suspected to have possessed and distributed child pornography on the social media platform. The account user associated with the explicit images was linked to the email address “[email protected]” and an IP address located at Rubinstein’s Elkton, Maryland residence.
On February 4, 2021, the NCMEC received a second tip from an instant messaging application regarding an account user registered under the email “[email protected]” and an IP address linked to Rubinstein’s residence.
As a result of executed search warrants on Rubinstein’s various online accounts, investigators discovered that Rubinstein, at times, posed as a minor during his online communications with minors and distributed child pornography to other internet users.
For example, on September 20, 2020, Rubinstein used a social media account to communicate with a 10-year-old victim (Minor Victim 1). During communication with Minor Victim 1, Rubinstein posed as a minor himself and convinced Minor Victim 1 that he went to her local school. Rubinstein sent two sexually explicit videos to Minor Victim 1 that depicted two minor females engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Minor Victim 1 then recorded videos of herself in a nude state and sent the video to Rubinstein.
On January 12, 2021, Rubinstein used the same email address to distribute a video to a user on an instant messenger application that depicted a lewd display of a prepubescent female’s naked genitals.
As stated in his plea agreement, on February 16, 2021, MSP and HSI executed a search warrant at Rubinstein’s residence where one cell phone, a 64 GB SD card, and two laptops were seized. A forensic review of these devices revealed that Rubinstein possessed over 1,160 pictures and 970 videos of child pornography, including a two-hour video compilation depicting the sexual abuse of minor victims ranging from prepubescent toddlers to teenagers.
Rubinstein faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison, followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release, for distribution of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for June 21, 2022 at 2:30 p.m.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HSI and MSP for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine L. Duey and Zachary B. Stendig, who are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.
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/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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EMS employee indicted for smuggling two in ambulanceRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 45-year-old man has been indicted on alien smuggling charges, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
A federal grand jury returned the three-count indictment against Hugo Daniel Torres. He was originally charged by criminal complaint. He is expected to appear for his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher dos Santos on the indictment in the near future.
On March 2, Torres allegedly attempted to drive an ambulance through the Interstate Highway 35 Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint located in Laredo. The charges further allege authorities became suspicious after the passenger of the vehicle appeared nervous and did not provide proof of citizenship.
At secondary inspection, law enforcement determined the passenger and one other woman posing as a patient were non-U.S. citizens and were in the United States illegally, according to the charges.
If convicted, Torres faces up to 10 years in prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Isaac is prosecuting 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.
Dixon Woman Charged with Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Dixon, Missouri, woman was charged in federal court today with possessing methamphetamine to distribute.
Connie M. Gonzales, 51, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., with one count of possessing methamphetamine to distribute.
According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s federal criminal complaint, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Gonzalez’s residence on Monday, March 21. Investigators found a safe in the master bedroom that contained a large bag of approximately 400 grams of crystal methamphetamine and three small baggies of crystal methamphetamine. Investigators also found a cellophane-wrapped package on the bed, under the sheet, that contained approximately 440 grams of crystal methamphetamine.
The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge 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 Josephine L. Stockard. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Pulaski County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the South Central Drug Task Force, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
De Motte Man Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Ricky Shultz, 51, of De Motte, Indiana was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio on his plea of guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Shultz was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on September 5, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Shultz’s residence in De Motte, Indiana. During the search, law enforcement recovered over 200 grams of methamphetamine and 48 firearms, two of which were fully automatic. At the time of the search, Shultz had a prior felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, the Jasper County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, the Indiana State Police, the Porter County Multi-Enforcement Group and the Newton County Drug Task Force. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Nozick.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Cottage Grove Man Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Minneapolis – A Cottage Grove man has pleaded guilty today to bank robbery, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats.
According to court documents, in November 2021, Michael Thomas Prall, 43, used force, violence, and intimidation to steal thousands of dollars from three separate banks. On November 5, 2021, Prall stole approximately $2,558 from a U.S. Bank in Bloomington. On November 19, 2021, Prall stole approximately $4,589 from a Bremer Bank in Woodbury. On November 30, 2021, Prall stole approximately $775 from a Wells Fargo bank in Cottage Grove.
Prall pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery before U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz. A sentencing date will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Cottage Grove Police Department, the Woodbury Police Department, the Bloomington Police Department, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Washington County Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander D. Chiquoine is prosecuting the case.
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Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Missouri, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing several firearms.
Fredrick Lee Mixon, Jr., 47, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
By pleading guilty today, Mixon admitted that he was in possession of a Smith & Wesson revolver, a Winchester .22-caliber semi-automatic rifle, and a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun on Dec. 4, 2019. Columbia police officers found those firearms in his bedroom while executing a search warrant at Mixon’s residence.
Officers also found an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 multi-caliber semi-automatic rifle and a STEN 9mm sub-machine gun hidden inside a barbecue grill on the rear patio of the residence. The firearms were inside a rifle bag, which also contained a partially loaded 60-round drum magazine, three partially loaded 30-round magazines, and a box of ammunition. Officers also found a loaded Romarm Drako 7.62x39mm semi-automatic pistol with a 30-round magazine in Mixon’s car.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Mixon has prior felony convictions for robbery and illegally possessing a firearm.
Under federal statutes, Mixon 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 Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia, Mo., Police Department.
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.
Colorado Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Meth and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Boulder, Colorado, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on March 21, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
James Ruttledge, age 50, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Ruttledge was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 11, 2020. He pled guilty on December 30, 2021.
The convictions stem from a conspiracy which began in March, 2020, in which Ruttledge conspired with others to knowingly and intentionally distribute methamphetamine in and around central South Dakota. Rutledge brought large amounts of methamphetamine from Denver, Colorado, to the Winner, South Dakota, area to be distributed. As part of the conspiracy, Ruttledge was involved in a traffic stop on August 28, 2020, in Tripp County, South Dakota, wherein 200 grams of pure methamphetamine and a firearm were found in Ruttledge’s possession. Ruttledge is felon and an unlawful user of a controlled substance making him a prohibited person.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime
This case was investigated by the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the Tripp County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
Ruttledge was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Catawba Co. Man Faces COVID-19 Relief Fraud and Bank Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury sitting in Charlotte has returned a criminal indictment against Spenc’r Denard Rickerson, 35, of Claremont, N.C., charging him with wire fraud and bank robbery offenses, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The indictment was returned on March 15, 2022, and was unsealed today following Rickerson’s arrest on Monday.
U.S. Attorney King is joined in making today’s announcement by Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division.
According to allegations in the indictment, between June 30, 2020, and March 20, 2021, Rickerson used false information to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and multiple Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
To obtain the PPP loan, the indictment alleges that Rickerson submitted a fraudulent application for a non-existent company that contained a number of falsehoods, including the purpose of the loan and the company’s payroll costs. The indictment also alleges that Rickerson submitted fraudulent applications for several loans under the EIDL program, in which he provided fake information about the number of company employees and gross revenues. As a result of the fraudulent PPP and EIDL loan applications, Rickerson allegedly received over $74,200 in fraudulent funds intended to assist businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to the fraudulent loan scheme, according to allegations in the indictment, on March 18, 2021, Rickerson committed an armed robbery of a BB&T Bank located at 12 North Main Avenue, in Newton, N.C. Rickerson allegedly used the stolen funds from the fraudulent loan scheme and the bank robbery to pay bills and to buy cryptocurrency.
Rickerson remains in federal custody. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum statutory penalty for the bank robbery offense is 25 years and a $250,000 fine.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI in Charlotte investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lambert Guinn and Jenny G. Sugar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are in charge of the prosecution.
To report suspected COVID-19 fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at (866) 720-5721 or file an online complaint at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Complaints filed will be reviewed by the NCDF and referred to federal, state, local or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation. Members of the public in the Western District of North Carolina are also encouraged to call 704-344-6222 to reach their local Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator.
Canton Doctor Indicted for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Canton orthopedic surgeon has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for his role in a health care fraud scheme.
Dr. Olarewaju James Oladipo, 57, of Canton, was indicted on 11 counts of health care fraud. Oladipo was arrested this morning and will make his initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler today at 2 p.m. in federal court in Boston.
According to the indictment, from approximately January 2016 through December 2019, Oladipo devised and executed a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs by falsely billing for patient visits. Specifically, it is alleged that Oladipo used billing codes for more complex—and thus more expensive—services that were not provided (a practice that is sometimes referred to as “upcoding”). Oladipo allegedly falsified medical records of patient visits to reflect examinations and services that were not performed. During the four-year period, it is alleged that Oladipo frequently billed for more than 60 patients per day and sometimes more than 90 patients per day. The result was that many, if not most, of Oladipo’s patient visits on such days could have only lasted five minutes or less. However, Oladipo allegedly used billing codes that typically corresponded to visits of 15, 25, 30, or even 45 minutes. It is further alleged that Oladipo ensured this high flow of patients to his practice by prescribing powerful, highly addictive opioids at a rate that made him one of the top prescribers of such drugs in Massachusetts.
Members of the public who believe they may be a victim of this crime should contact [email protected].
The charge of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations; and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office; the National Insurance Crime Bureau; and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan D. Panich and William B. Brady are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Caldwell Man Sentenced to 6.5 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE – A Caldwell man was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it to others.
According to court records, on June 9, 2021, Idaho State Police troopers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Jesus Enrique Morales, 30, because Morales failed to maintain his lane. During the stop, the trooper discovered that Morales had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. The trooper asked Morales to step out of the vehicle so he could place him under arrest. Morales stepped out of his vehicle and immediately began to argue about his pending arrest. When Morales resisted arrest, it resulted in a physical altercation with the trooper attempting to place Morales into handcuffs. After a prolonged fight, Morales ran towards the freeway in the direction of oncoming traffic. The trooper tased Morales, dragged him off the road to ensure that he would not be struck by any oncoming traffic, and placed him under arrest. As the trooper and other law enforcement officers waited for an ambulance to arrive to check on Morales, a police dog, which was trained and certified to detect the odor of controlled substances, positively alerted to the odor of a controlled substance in Morales’ vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered 345.4 grams of methamphetamine. Morales has admitted that he possessed the methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it to others.
Morales has prior convictions for battery, possession of a controlled substance, and providing false information to law enforcement.
U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl, from the District of Wyoming, sitting by designation, also ordered Morales to pay a $500 fine and to serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Morales pleaded guilty to the charge on October 13, 2021.
U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., of the District of Idaho made the announcement and commended the investigation by the Idaho State Police, which led to charges.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant United States Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with funds provided by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is part of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. It provides assistance to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. Idaho is part of the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA. The Idaho HIDTA is a collaboration of local, multi-jurisdictional law enforcement drug task forces, and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada, Canyon, Bannock, Kootenai, and Malheur Counties.
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Conartist Who Impersonated Various Government Officials Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI - United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Yamini Potter, age 36, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for his convictions of Obtaining Money by False Pretenses and Obstruction of Justice.
According to court documents, from about May 2019 through October 23, 2020, the Defendant, acting as himself and others including federal Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller, former Virgin Islands Lieutenant Governor Osbert Potter, Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George, and retired federal Judge Curtis Gomez, contacted elderly victims requesting that they pay him large sums of money, which ultimately totaled over $100,000, to purportedly pay for lawyers and legal fees associated with various fictitious lawsuits. After the Defendant was arrested for his criminal conduct, he continued to use the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections telephone to contact victims of his fraudulent schemes on a recorded line. He also told the victims not to cooperate with the federal authorities in their investigation of the matter. He instructed the victims to delete text messages between himself and the victims.
The Defendant was sentenced to 33 months in prison, followed by 3 years supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $ 120,650 to the victims and a special assessment of $ 200.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Burlington Man Appears in Federal Court on Bank Robbery ChargeRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on March 21, 2022, Malik Pratt, 24, of Burlington, Vermont was arrested and appeared in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont for his initial appearance following the filing of a complaint which alleges that he robbed People’s United Bank in Burlington, Vermont on March 1, 2022.
According to the complaint, Burlington Police Department officers were dispatched to the People’s United Bank on North Avenue in Burlington, Vermont on March 1, 2022 at 10:06 a.m. following reports of a bank robber. Also, according to the complaint, bank employees stated that the robber threatened to shoot them and demanded cash. After acquiring cash, the robber fled the bank on foot, jumping over a fence near Ethan Allan Parkway to escape. The bank reported a total of $1,316 in U.S. currency stolen.
The criminal complaint lodged against Pratt contains accusations only, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The defendant is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Burlington for a detention hearing on March 23, 2022. The charged offense carries a maximum penalty of 20 years. Any actual sentence will be determined with reference to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The Burlington Police Department and United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are jointly investigating the crime. Pratt is represented by Richard R. Goldsborough, Esq. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Paul Van de Graaf.
U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Burlington Police Department in their collaborative investigation of Pratt.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. https://www.justice.gov/psn
Boise Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE – A Boise man was sentenced to federal prison this week for distributing methamphetamine in Boise and Nampa.
According to court records, Nicholas Leroy Strong, 44, distributed 55 grams of methamphetamine in Nampa on March 10, 2021, and 84 grams of methamphetamine in Boise on March 31, 2021. On April 21, 2021, law enforcement served a search warrant at a residence in Boise where Strong was staying. Investigators located approximately 450 grams of methamphetamine, $2,729 in cash, and a firearm in the bedroom where Strong was staying. Strong admitted to occasionally staying at the residence but resided full-time at a halfway house while on parole for two state convictions relating to distributing methamphetamine. He further admitted to receiving and possessing methamphetamine at the residence.
U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl, from the District of Wyoming, sitting by designation, sentenced Strong to 120 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Skavdahl also ordered $2,729 in cash and the firearm be forfeited. Strong pleaded guilty to the crime on December 27, 2021. Strong has two prior felony drug convictions and was on parole at the time he committed the offense.
U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., of the District of Idaho made the announcement and commended the cooperative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Nampa Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Boise Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, which led to charges.
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Billings woman admits trafficking meth, fentanylRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings woman accused of possessing multiple drugs, including methamphetamine and more than 9,000 fentanyl pills, for distribution admitted to a trafficking crime today, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Elizabeth Ardelle Grace Ronshaugen, 29, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Ronshaugen faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Ronshaugen was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that law enforcement began an investigation into Ronshaugen and co-defendant Eric Charles Swan in 2021 after receiving information of possible drug trafficking. In November, agents observed that Swan was traveling to Denver and returning to Montana. Law enforcement pulled over Swan and Ronshaugen near Buffalo, Wyoming. Ronshaugen was found to have several fentanyl pills hidden in her clothing and approximately 52 additional fentanyl pills were located in a plastic zip lock bag on her person. During a search of the vehicle, Wyoming law enforcement located approximately 9,616 fentanyl pills, approximately 466 grams, or a little more than one pound, of heroin, 103 grams of meth, a gram of cocaine, 14 Dialudid pills and $9,775 in U.S. currency. Swan has pleaded guilty to charges and is pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas K. Godfrey is prosecuting the case. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force investigated the case.
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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Beaver County Felon Charged with Illegal Possession of a Gun and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Rochester, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on March 17, named James Gilmore, age 32, as the sole defendant.
According to Indictment, on or about June 9, 2021, Gilmore possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of ten (10) years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The defendant is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Atlanta drug trafficker sentenced for distributing heroin that killed college studentRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - DeAngelo Copeland has been sentenced for selling heroin and admitting that his act of distribution resulted in the overdose death of a college student in April 2018.
“Copeland’s heroin distribution led to yet another drug overdose death in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “Opioid overdoses will be investigated and prosecuted as a federal priority and those who sell this poison will be held accountable for the death and suffering that it causes.”
“HIDTA’s commingled drug task forces are committed to the disruption and dismantlement of organizations determined to make a profit on the backs of addiction. This loss of life and the more than 100,000 that died in 2021 from a drug overdose, fuels our drive to make our communities safer. This successful investigation by Agents, Task Force Officers and the US Attorney’s office is the result of cooperative law enforcement,” said Dan R. Salter, Executive Director, Atlanta-Carolinas HIDTA.
“The sentencing of Copeland proves that the justice system is committed to holding drug traffickers accountable for their crimes,” said Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant. “Additionally, the sentencing sends a message to drug traffickers that the illegal sale of drugs will not be tolerated in Atlanta.”According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: On April 10, 2018, officers with the Atlanta Police Department responded to a 911 call seeking medical attention for a 22-year-old college student, who died of a heroin overdose that night. The investigation revealed that the college student ordered the heroin from Copeland in a series of text messages earlier that afternoon.
That evening, Copeland delivered the heroin outside the apartment where the college student was staying. The college student subsequently used the heroin Copeland sold, causing his death. Investigators identified Copeland as the heroin seller by arranging undercover drug purchases with the same phone number Copeland used on April 10, 2018.
Copeland sold drugs to the undercover officer on multiple occasions inside his car. Copeland, who has a history of drug trafficking offenses, admitted to trafficking in heroin and acknowledged that the heroin he sold caused the victim’s death.
DeAngelo Copeland, a/k/a Lo, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen to 15 years, eight months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to the charge of distributing heroin on September 9, 2021.
This case was investigated by the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, with valuable assistance by the Atlanta Police Department.
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Hartigan and Calvin A. Leipold, III prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Armed Carjacker Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
An Irving man who carjacked a woman at gunpoint was sentenced this week to 14 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Markus DeWayne Vine, 28, pleaded guilty in May 2021 to carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. He was sentenced Tuesday by Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn.
According to plea papers, Mr. Vine admitted that on Aug. 20, 2020, he carjacked a woman entering her Toyota Highlander outside a grocery store in Irving.
When the victim noticed him approaching, she attempted to get into her vehicle and lock the doors. Mr. Vine, however, pointed a 9mm pistol at her head and demanded she exit the vehicle. She complied, and he drove away.
Mr. Vine then drove the car to a nearby gas station, where pointed the pistol at the clerk and fled with the money from the cash register. Roughly 15 minutes later, he drove to another gas station, pointed the pistol at that clerk, and made off with even more cash.
He was arrested two days later entering the stolen vehicle, which was parked at an Irving apartment complex. Police recovered the pistol from inside an apartment where he’d been staying.
After his arrest, Mr. Vine claimed the pistol was inoperable. Task Force officers inspected the firearm and determined that while the pistol appeared to be missing parts in both the trigger and firing pin assemblies, it qualified as a firearm under federal law.
“Mr. Vine is one of the reasons as to why ATF exists. ATF and our partners, like the Irving Police Department, are dedicated to taking the worst of the worst off of our streets. He was the definition of a menace to society: a carjacking followed by a gas station robbery. We are safer with him behind bars,” stated ATF Dallas Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C Boshek II.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and the Irving Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian McKay prosecuted the case.
Arizona Woman Sentenced to 57 Months for Conspiracy to Smuggle Fentanyl and Heroin into the U.S.Read the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Michelle Krystal Mendez, 36, of Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Mendez previously pleaded guilty to importing fentanyl into the United States from Mexico.
On November 21, 2020, Mendez was returning to the United States from Mexico through the Nogales, Arizona port of entry when a Customs and Border Protection canine alerted to her vehicle. Officers then conducted a search and found nearly five pounds of fentanyl and two pounds of heroin carefully hidden inside the battery compartment under the hood of Mendez’s car.
Customs and Border Protection completed the interdiction and Homeland Security Investigations-Nogales conducted the investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-0689-TUC-JGZ (LAB)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022- 028_Mendez, Michelle# # #
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.11 MS-13 Gang Members Charged in Superseding Indictment with Racketeering, Narcotics and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a superseding indictment was unsealed in federal court in Central Islip charging 11 members of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, with racketeering conspiracy, including predicate racketeering acts involving murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, robbery, witness tampering and witness retaliation, and related narcotics and firearms offenses. Four of the defendants were charged with committing the April 11, 2021 murder of Nazareth Claure in Far Rockaway, New York, whose body was recovered from the trunk of a car.
Three of the defendants – Onan Garcia-Lopez, also known as “Demente,” David Alberto Orantez-Gonzalez, also known as “Carlos Rodriguez-Gonzalez” and “Casper,” and Carlos Torres-Alfaro, also known as “Solitario,” – were arrested today and will be arraigned this afternoon by United States Magistrate Judge Steven I. Locke.
The other eight defendants, Billy Ayala-Pineda, also known as “Berdugo,” and Wilian Estiven Sanchez-Perez, also known as “Maniako,” who were charged in the underlying indictment, and Anander Henriquez-Avila, also known as “Cara Papa” and “El Papa,” Allan Lopez-Villeda, also known as “Serio,” and “Casper,” Carlos Ramirez-Portillo, also known as “Chino” and “Siniestro,” Jose Sarmiento-Valeriano, also known as “David,” Henry Vasquez-Padilla, also known as “Trece,” Rigel Yohario Velasquez-Mancia, also known as “E,” were already in federal and state custody and will be arraigned at a later date.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY); Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI); Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD); and John J. Durham, Director, Joint Task Force Vulcan, announced the arrests and charges in the superseding indictment.
“The significant federal charges in the superseding indictment, including the brutal murder of a mother whose body was wrapped in trash bags, underscores the cruel depravity and senseless violence of the MS-13 gang,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “With this indictment and additional arrests, this Office has taken another step in seeking justice for the murder victim and her family, and we will not rest until the threat of the MS-13 gang is eliminated for good from our communities.”
Mr. Peace also thanked the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the Nassau County Police Department, the United States Marshals Service Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Border Enforcement Security Task Force of HSI Boston for their work on the investigations.
“As alleged, the savagery and brutality of the crimes committed by some of the individuals named in the indictment is beyond comprehension and involves the murder of young woman, who was wrapped in a plastic bag and placed in the trunk of a car like an object instead of a young mother and human being,” said Homeland Security Investigations, Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “Today’s superseding indictment and arrests send a clear message that violent gang members who commit such deplorable and cowardly crimes against humanity will be tracked down and held accountable for their actions. HSI New York’s Transnational Violent Gangs Task Force, working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners will continue to tirelessly pursue the most dangerous offenders and bring them to justice.”
“Today’s announcement highlights the NYPD’s commitment to working with all of its law enforcement partners to dismantle transnational criminal organizations like MS-13, which routinely use violence and intimidation to prey upon vulnerable communities,” said NYPD Commissioner Sewell. “By contributing our unique capabilities to this joint effort, the NYPD continues to remove vicious gang members from the streets of New York and protect the people we serve from the unthinkable harm alleged in this indictment.”
As alleged in the superseding indictment, MS-13 is a transnational criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, but also includes members from other countries such as Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. Although the gang originated in Los Angeles, California, it quickly spread and is now a national and international criminal organization with an estimated 10,000+ members regularly conducting gang activities in nearly all of the United States, including New York, and in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico.
MS-13 cliques are organized together under umbrella groups, called “Programs.” Cliques within a Program were responsible for assisting one another with firearms, drug trafficking connections, territorial disputes with rival gangs, and providing safe havens for members who were wanted by law enforcement. One of the MS-13 Programs operating in the United States is the Los Angeles Program (or “LA Program”).
As further alleged in the superseding indictment, Ayala-Pineda, who was charged in the underlying indictment and arrested on December 15, 2021, was the highest-ranking member (or “First Word”) of the Surenos Locos Salvatruchas (“SLS”) clique operating in Queens and Long Island, New York and a leader of the LA Program operating in the United States. Ayala-Pineda directed the SLS clique’s drug trafficking activity, acts of violence committed against rival gang members and against members and associates of the gang who Ayala-Pineda deemed to have been disloyal to the gang, and the SLS clique’s acquisition of firearms. The other ten defendants all were members and associates of the MS-13 and involved in trafficking narcotics and committing acts of violence in furtherance of the gang’s objectives in conjunction with the SLS clique.
All 11 defendants are charged with racketeering conspiracy for their participation in MS-13 crimes, including murder, robbery, witness tampering, witness retaliation, drug trafficking, and related conspiracy, attempt and firearms offenses. In addition, Henriquez-Avila, Lopez-Villeda, Sarmiento-Valeriano, and Velasquez-Mancia, are charged with the murder of Claure, on or about April 11, 2021 in Queens, New York. In the early morning hours of April 13, 2021, Lopez-Villeda, Sarmiento-Valeriano, and Velasquez-Mancia were pulled over during a car stop by the NYPD and HSI in Queens, New York. Ms. Claure’s body was discovered in the trunk of the car wrapped in trash bags. In addition to the murder, the Indictment charges all the defendants with conspiring to distribute cocaine, oxycodone, and marijuana, as well as their use and possession of firearms in furtherance of their narcotics trafficking. These charges stem from the MS-13 clique’s street-level sales of narcotics on Long Island, the proceeds of which were used to help finance the MS-13’s criminal operations, which is evidenced by financial records of money sent back to El Salvador and Mexico.
Today’s superseding indictment is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent, transnational criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 60 murders in the Eastern District of New York, and has convicted more than 100 MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders.
This superseding indictment is the product of coordination between EDNY and Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), which was created in August 2019 as a whole-of-government approach to dismantle transnational criminal organizations, such as MS-13.Since its creation, JTFV has successfully increased coordination and collaboration with foreign law enforcement partners, including El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala; designating priority MS-13 programs, cliques and leaders, who have the most impact on the United States, for targeted prosecutions; and coordinating significant MS-13 indictments in U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the first use of national security charges against MS-13 leaders in El Salvador. JTFV has been comprised of members from U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the EDNY; the Southern District of New York; the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the Eastern District of Virginia; the District of Massachusetts; the Eastern District of Texas; the District of Alaska; the Southern District of Florida; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. In addition, all Department of Justice law enforcement agencies are involved in the effort, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. In addition, HSI also plays a critical role in JTFV.
The charges announced today are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison, and the four defendants charged with the Claure murder are eligible for the death penalty.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Warren from JTFV and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci and Megan E. Farrell from the EDNY’s Long Island Criminal Division. The charges in the Superseding Indictment were investigated by the Violent Gang Task Force of HSI and the NYPD.
The Defendants:
Billy Ayala-Pineda (“Berdugo”)
Age: 31
Long Island, New YorkOnan Garcia-Lopez (“Demente”)
Age: 20
Long Island, New YorkAnander Henriquez-Avila (“Cara Papa” and “El Papa”)
Age: 29
Queens, New YorkAllan Lopez-Villeda (“Serio”)
Age: 23
Queens, New YorkDavid Alberto Orantes-Gonzalez (“Carlos Rodriguez Gonzalez” and “Casper”)
Age: 24
Queens, New YorkCarlos Ramirez-Portillo (“Chino”)
Age: 21
Queens, New YorkWilian Estiven Sanchez-Perez (“Maniako”)
Age: 21
Queens, New YorkJose Sarmiento-Valeriano (“David”)
Age: 22
Long Island, New YorkCarlos Torres-Alfaro (“Solitario”)
Age: 20
Queens, New YorkHenry Vasquez-Padilla (“Trece”)
Age: 26
Queens, New YorkRigel Yohairo Velasquez-Mancia (“E”)
Age: 21
Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 21-CR-635 (S-1)(JMA)
21 March 2022
Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Violently Sex Trafficking Two ChildrenRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for violently sex trafficking two children in the Chicago area and Wisconsin.
In late 2019 and early 2020, DAVID L. SMITH took sexually explicit photographs of the children, who at the time were 16 and 17 years old, and posted them in commercial sex advertisements on the websites SkipTheGames and MegaPersonals. He then arranged for the children to meet customers in hotel rooms, with Smith keeping all of the money that the children received. On at least one occasion, Smith hit the 17-year-old victim in the face after she mistakenly accepted fake money from a customer. On another occasion, Smith hit the 16-year-old victim in the face after he learned that the girl had contacted her mother.
Smith, 28, of Milwaukee, Wis., pleaded guilty last year to a federal sex trafficking charge. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr., on Friday ordered Smith to pay $50,000 in restitution to each of his victims.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Oak Lawn (Ill.) Police Department, FBI Milwaukee Field Office, FBI Kansas City Field Office, FBI St. Louis Field Office, Wauwatosa (Wis.) Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Marie E. Ursini and Caitlin S. Walgamuth.
“Defendant caused his minor victims irreparable harm and trauma by causing them to engage in commercial sex on numerous occasions,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Marie E. Ursini argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “These victims will carry the emotional scars of the defendant’s actions for the rest of their lives.”
Windsor Locks Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses; Victimizing Teens Through SnapchatRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boston, today announced that JUSTIN McKENNEY, 27, of Windsor Locks, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with multiple child exploitation offenses.
McKenney was arrested on March 17, 2022, in Boston, where he was employed Following his arrest, he appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford, who ordered McKenney detained.
As alleged in court documents, in October 2021, Glastonbury Police began investigating the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl by an individual she met on Snapchat. The investigation revealed that McKenney, posing as a high school student and using the Snapchat username “keepingupg,” began communicating with the minor victim in September 2021, and he subsequently enticed her to engage in sexual activity.
It is further alleged that, between October 2021 and February 2022, McKenney used Snapchat to engage in sexually explicit communications with at least six other minor females in other states. McKenney sent sexually explicit messages, and sextually explicit images and videos of himself, to minor victims, and he received sexually explicit images and videos from minor victims.
The complaint charges McKenney with enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; and transfer of obscene material to a minor, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Glastonbury Police Department, the Windsor Locks Police Department, the Manchester Police Department, and the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations, with the assistance of the Hudson (Mass.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Washington Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Vancouver, Washington, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender was sentenced on March 21, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.
Aidan Gianni Carl Bratt, age 21, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison, five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Bratt was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 3, 2021. He pled guilty on December 21, 2021.
The conviction stems from Bratt failing to register as a sex offender as required by federal law between October 11, 2020 and January 12, 2021. Bratt had previously been convicted of a sex offense in the State of Washington. On October 8, 2021, Bratt traveled to South Dakota from Washington State and began to reside in South Dakota. He knowingly failed to register his change of residence in either South Dakota and/or Washington, within three business days of his relocation, as required by law.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Bratt was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Vallejo Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
Tariq Arrhamann Majid, 43, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty today to two counts of sexual exploitation of children, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Dec. 31, 2018, Majid was arrested following an investigation involving online sharing of child pornography. Investigators discovered images and videos of Majid sexually abusing two minors, one of whom was 9 years old at the time of the offense. During the investigation, it was discovered that Majid had contact with many other minors, some of whom reported that Majid would invite minors to spend the night at his home.
This case is the product of an investigation by the California Highway Patrol Computer Crimes Investigation Unit and the Golden Gate Special Investigations Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith is prosecuting the case.
Majid is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on June 27, 2022. Majid faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Utah Dentist Found Guilty of Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Utah man on Thursday of tax evasion, filing false tax returns and impeding the IRS.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Derald Wilford Geddes, of Ogden, was a dentist who owned and operated Mount Ogden Dental PC. From approximately 1998 through 2014, Geddes took numerous steps to evade approximately $1.8 million in back federal income taxes that he owed. He also obstructed the IRS’s efforts to collect these taxes, including by filing false liens against properties he owned and submitting to the IRS bogus “bonds to discharge debt” that he claimed were from the account of the former Treasury Secretary.
Geddes faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion and three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return and impeding the IRS. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Andrea T. Martinez for the District of Utah made the announcement.
This case is being investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Trial Attorneys Ahmed Almudallal, Christopher Lin and Matthew Hoffman of the Tax Division, and supervisory paralegal Melissa McKinnon of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, are prosecuting the case.
UPS to Pay $5.3 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations for Falsely Reporting Delivery Times of U.S. Mail Carried InternationallyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced that United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) has agreed to pay approximately $5.3 million to resolve its potential liability under the False Claims Act for falsely reporting information about the transfer of U.S. mail to foreign posts or other intended recipients under contracts with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). UPS is an international package delivery company incorporated in Delaware with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
USPS contracted with UPS to pick up U.S. mail at six locations in the United States and at various Department of Defense and State Department locations abroad, and then deliver that mail to numerous international and domestic destinations. To obtain payment under the contracts, UPS was required to submit electronic scans to USPS reporting the time the mail was delivered at the identified destinations. The contracts specified penalties for mail that was delivered late or to the wrong location. The settlement resolves allegations that scans submitted by UPS falsely reported the time and fact that it transferred possession of the mail.
“Companies doing business with the government must meet their contractual obligations,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will pursue those who knowingly fail to live up to their bargain and falsely bill the government for goods or services that they did not provide.”
“The USPS contracts with commercial airlines for the safeguarding and timely delivery of U.S. mail to foreign posts, including the mail sent to our soldiers deployed to foreign operating bases,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Ken Cleevely of the USPS Office of Inspector General. “The Office of Inspector General supports USPS by aggressively investigating allegations of contractual non-compliance within the mail delivery process, including the falsification of delivery information. Our special agents worked hand-in-hand with the Department of Justice to help ensure a reasonable resolution and we applaud the exceptional work done by the investigative and legal teams.”
This is the fifth civil settlement involving air carrier liability for false delivery scans under the USPS International Commercial Air Contracts, and collectively the United States has recovered more than $70 million as a result of its investigation of such misconduct.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with substantial assistance from the USPS Office of the Inspector General and the USPS Office of General Counsel. Senior Trial Counsel Don Williamson of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, represented the government in the civil case.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Two Plead Guilty to Operating Illegal Gambling Business in Northern California and Conspiring to Launder MoneyRead the Press Release
Two Los Angeles-area residents pleaded guilty today to operating an illegal gambling business and conspiring to launder money, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Pleading guilty today were Yosef Yitzchak Beshari, 29, of North Hollywood, and Efraim Journo, 30, of Los Angeles, in related cases.
According to court documents, Beshari and Journo conducted an illegal gambling business involving video slot machines and devices and the sale of credits for online gambling, in Stanislaus County, San Joaquin County, Sacramento County and elsewhere. In addition, Beshari conspired with Schneur Zalman Getzel Rosenfeld, 33, of Los Angeles, who has been charged in a related case, to launder the proceeds of the illegal gambling business by exchanging the cash proceeds for various payments, including checks, direct deposits of purported salary, and a wire transfer to an escrow company for the purchase of Beshari’s house.
In a related case, an indictment charges Los Angeles residents Gal Yifrach, 35, with operating an illegal gambling business and conspiracy to commit money laundering; Nick Shkolnik, 39, with operating an illegal gambling business; and Shalom Ifrah, 32, and Rosenfeld with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, Yifrach and Shkolnik also conducted the illegal gambling business. Yifrach and Ifrah conspired to launder the proceeds of the illegal gambling business in multiple ways, including by exchanging the cash for checks, exchanging the cash for casino chips, and conducting cash exchanges of no more than $10,000 at banks to avoid transaction reporting requirements.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice – Bureau of Gambling Control. Assistant U.S. Attorney Miriam R. Hinman is prosecuting the case.
Beshari and Journo are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on June 27, 2022. They each face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conducting an illegal gambling business. In addition, Beshari faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved, whichever is greater, for conspiracy to commit money laundering. Beshari has also agreed to forfeit $250,000. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
The charges against the other defendants are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Twenty Defendants Federally Charged in OCDETF OperationRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation resulted in the charging and arrest of 20 defendants for various offenses, including drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
An OCDETF investigation is a coordinated federal, state, and local strategy to combat drug trafficking and organized crime, and it is the nation’s primary tool to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations.
This investigation was spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and assisted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Marshals Service, the Brunswick, Bladen, and Duplin County Sheriffs’ Offices, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).
ATF utilized agents from North and South Carolina as well as Task Force Officers from the New Hanover and Brunswick County Sheriffs’ Offices and the Jacksonville, Goldsboro, and Wilmington Police Departments.
This initiative speaks to the multi-agency commitment to fight crime in Brunswick, New Hanover, Duplin, and Bladen counties in partnership with United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, the District Attorney’s Offices, as well as other federal, state, and local law enforcement.
The following individuals were charged by way of Criminal Indictment or Criminal Complaint. The individual charges for each defendant are contained in the parenthesis following each listed defendant.
- Jiani Tomaz Alston, 26, of Raleigh, NC (Conspiracy to Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possess With the Intent to Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; and Aiding and Abetting)
- Demetrius Sonaz Alston, Jr., 25, of Charlotte, NC (Conspiracy to Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possess With the Intent to Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; and Aiding and Abetting)
- Kenneth Brown, 40, of Wilmington, NC (Conspiracy to Possess With the Intent to Distribute Twenty-Eight (28) Grams or More of Cocaine Base (Crack); Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine Base (Crack); Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon)
- Massimo Campana, 30, of Wilmington, NC (Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime)
- Kawshie Chapman, 48, of Wilmington, NC (Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute 50 Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon; Receiving and Possessing a Short-Barreled Rifle)
- Ronesha Greene-McNeil, 35, of Leland, NC (Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and Cocaine; Distribute 50 Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine)
- David Hedge, 21, of Wilmington, NC (Distribution of a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and Quantity of Cocaine; Distribution of a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Distribution of Five (5) Grams or More of Actual Methamphetamine)
- Anthony Jackson, 31, of Wilmington, NC (Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine)
- Naulege Johnson, 23, of Wilmington, NC (Distribution of a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribution of Fifty (50) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine)
- Shamar Keaton, 32, of Riegelwood, NC (Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine)
- Devonte Lewis, 26, of Navassa, NC (Distribution of a Quantity of Cocaine Base (Crack); Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Distribution of a Quantity of Marijuana; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Possession of a Machine Gun; Distribution of a Quantity of Cocaine Base (Crack))
- Juan Martinez, 22, of Wilmington, NC (Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon)
- Erving Muse, 39, of Wilmington, NC (Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon)
- Dwayne Nixon, 46, Wilmington, NC (Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine)
- David Pigford, 36, of Clinton, NC (Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute and Distribute Five Hundred (500) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine)
- Ernest Robinson, 34, of Currie, NC (Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon)
- Rodna Robinson, 34, of Currie, NC (Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine Base (Crack); Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime)
- Anthony Smith, 39, of Clarkton, NC (Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute Fifty (50) Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; and Aiding and Abetting)
- Tyquawn Washington, 28, of Wilmington, NC (Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Heroin)
- Oscar Williams, 38, of Leland, NC (Conspiracy to Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; and Aiding and Abetting; Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine; Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Heroin; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Heroin)
“We are grateful to the ATF, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Marshals, and all the other agencies involved for their partnership and willingness to participate in this investigation,” stated Brunswick County Sheriff John Ingram. “We can always achieve more when working together as a team; this operation is a great example of that. I believe this sends a strong message to anyone thinking they can conduct criminal business in Brunswick County.”
“Our work today will have an immediate impact on this community,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Mein. “This collaborative investigation, and the arrests made this week, will ensure that many of those responsible for criminal activity in our community remain behind bars.”
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictments and Criminal Complaints are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Severo and Gabriel Diaz are prosecuting the case.
Tucson Woman Sentenced to Nearly Five Years for Smuggling Drugs and Undocumented NoncitizensRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Yesenia Isabel Mendez, 40, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Mendez was convicted of one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and one count of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit while Placing in Jeopardy the Life of any Person.
On August 1, 2020, Mendez was arrested for carrying nearly half a pound of fentanyl hidden on her body while she was a passenger on a commercial shuttle van inbound from Mexico. With no prior criminal history, she was released pending resolution of her case. On October 23, 2020, Mendez pleaded guilty to the charge; however, in January 2021, she absconded from her pretrial supervision, before her sentencing could take place. Three months later, on March 21, 2021, Mendez was again arrested, this time for Alien Smuggling. During the attempted traffic stop in that offense, she and her co-defendant tried to flee from Border Patrol but instead crashed into a concrete wash, resulting in injuries to herself, the co-defendant, and the undocumented noncitizen they were smuggling. She subsequently pleaded guilty on June 21, 2021, to the Alien Smuggling Offense. Her sentence included a mandatory enhancement due to the multiple offenses that she committed.
United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-20-2157-TUC-JGZ (LCK); CR-21-1408-TUC-JGZ (LCK)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022- 027_Mendez, Yesenia# # #
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.Todd County Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Todd County, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer was sentenced on March 21, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Alejandro Santistevan, age 21, was sentenced to 4 months in federal prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, with the first 4 months to be served on home confinement, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Santistevan was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 9, 2020. He pled guilty on December 30, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred in the early morning hours of May 18, 2020, in Todd County, South Dakota. On that date, Rosebud Sioux Tribe law enforcement officers responded to a report that Santistevan was drunk and causing a disturbance at a residence in the Okreek Community. Upon arrival to the residence, the officers found Santistevan lying under a tree. Santistevan did not respond to commands to show his hands, so one of the officers grabbed Santistevan’s foot to see if he was awake. Santistevan then became combative and assaulted one of the officers.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Department of Natural Resources and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Santistevan was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Swissvale Teen Sentenced for Possessing Fentanyl and a GunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to eight months’ imprisonment followed by a term of three years’ supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotic laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Damon Tam Wheat-Avery also known as Damon Tamar Wheat-Avery, age 19, formerly of the Swissvale area.
According to information presented to the court, on May 27, 2021, the Allegheny County Police Department’s Narcotics Unit was conducting a violent suppression detail in the Rankin area, when they pulled over a vehicle occupied by Wheat-Avery and others. Detectives noticed a firearm that had been sitting at Wheat-Avery’s feet, and a later search of the vehicle led to the seizure of another firearm and a substantial quantity of fentanyl. During his guilty plea hearing, Wheat-Avery admitted that the fentanyl was his and that he intended to distribute it, and he further admitted that he possessed the firearm for his protection.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Chung commended the Allegheny County Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Wheat-Avery.
Stroudsburg Man Sentenced to Two Years’ Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Scott a/k/a “Wells,” age 39, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 18, 2022, to 24 months in prison by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for drug trafficking.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Scott distributed and possessed with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base (“crack”) and MDMA (“molly”), on five separate occasions between December 2016 and February 2019 in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. A search warrant executed at a Howard Johnson Hotel room in Bartonsville, where Scott lived at the time of his arrest in 2019, resulted in the seizure of cocaine, cocaine base, MDMA, a digital scale, $509 in cash, and drug packaging materials.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Stroud Area Regional Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni.
This case was part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This prosecution is part of an extensive Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Stratford Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Heroin Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NADYAR MALAKA, 35, of Stratford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 48 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin. Judge Shea also ordered Malaka to pay a $50,000 fine, and to forfeit $52,111.45 and a 2012 Porsche Panamera 4.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation revealed that Eddy Antonio Torres Morel was trafficking narcotics from Big Daddy’s Deli and Jamal’s Market, two stores he operated on East Main Street in Bridgeport. During the investigation, law enforcement made two controlled purchases of a half-kilogram of heroin from Torres, first at Jamal’s Market on October 29, 2019, and then at Big Daddy’s Deli on January 24, 2020.
Malaka assisted Torres’ drug trafficking operation by storing and packaging narcotics at his residence, storing drug proceeds at his residence, and transporting narcotics and drug proceeds to Torres and others.
The investigation also revealed that Malaka engaged in the interstate trafficking of untaxed cigarettes.
Malaka was arrested on February 27, 2020. On July 21, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
Torres, of Meriden, pleaded guilty to the same charge and, on September 24, 2021, was sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bridgeport Police Department and the Stamford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Vizcarrondo.
Shelby County Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, KY – A Shelbyville, Kentucky woman pleaded guilty last week to embezzling funds from her employer and including false information on her tax returns.
According to court documents, Kimberly F. Jones, 52, was employed as an office manager at Guardian Retention Systems, LLC in Bullitt County, Kentucky. As office manager, she handled accounts payable and receivable, petty cash, payroll, and taxes. She also had electronic access to the bank accounts to pay bills. During her time as officer manger, Jones took several actions to embezzle from her employer. She used company credit cards in her name and the names of other employees to make unauthorized personal purchases. She directed unauthorized transfers from the company bank account and diverted customer revenue received by the company’s electronic payment account. Jones also set up a business called KAB Enterprises, LLC to issue false invoices to Guardian Retention Systems. Jones would use the company credit cards and bank account to pay the fraudulent invoices from KAB Enterprises, LLC.
Jones also failed to report her embezzled funds as income on her tax returns for tax years 2016 through 2018. As part of the plea agreement, Jones acknowledged that she owes $63,580 to the Internal Revenue Service.
Jones pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and three counts of filing a false tax return, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1). She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, Cincinnati Field Office, made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda E. Gregory is prosecuting the case.
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Rochester Man Sentenced to 78 Months for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CONCORD - Michael A Clemence, 36, of Rochester, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in February of 2020, the Homeland Security Investigations New Hampshire office received information that on April 28, 2019, an individual originating from an IP address at a Rochester residence had accessed a website known for sharing child sexual abuse and exploitation material. Clemence was identified as the subscriber of the target IP address.
On May 26, 2021, agents conducted a consensual interview with Clemence. They advised him they were investigating internet activity associated with child exploitation material and that some of the activity occurred in April of 2019 from the IP address associated with his previous address. After further investigation, a search warrant was executed at Clemence’s residence, which resulted in the seizure of numerous electronic devices. Forensic examination of the devices confirmed the presence of child exploitation material. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified 1,351 images as depicting known minor victims. It was determined by law enforcement that no other household members were involved in Clemence’s criminal activity.
Clemence previously pleaded guilty on December 7, 2021. In addition to his sentence, Clemence was ordered to pay $52,000 in restitution and will be under supervised release for 10 years after his release from prison.
“Innocent children are exploited and harmed during the creation of child sexual abuse material,” said U.S. Attorney Farley. “By amassing a significant quantity of graphic images of minors, this defendant furthered the exploitation of these youthful victims. To protect innocent children from harm, we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who possess or distribute these horrific images of sexual abuse.”
“Clemence downloaded material that depicted the horrific abuse of children. HSI is proud to work alongside our partners at the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to investigate and seek prosecution of those who download child exploitation material,” said Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for the Homeland Security Investigations’ Boston Field Office. “We are grateful for the additional assistance of the Rochester Police Department and Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office in this case.”
This matter was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from the Rochester Police Department and Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Puerto Rican Man Sentenced in Wide-Ranging Fentanyl, Heroin and Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Puerto Rican man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
Rafael Hidalgo Rodriguez, 34, of Ponce, P.R., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 68 months in prison and four years of supervised release. On Dec. 2, 2021, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
According to court documents, following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, law enforcement began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by co-conspirators Pedro Baez and Anthony Baez that distributed cocaine, heroin and fentanyl in the Fitchburg area. Through a series of court-authorized interceptions of phones used by the DTO and its suppliers, surveillance and controlled purchases, Rodriguez was identified as the source of the DTO’s cocaine and crack cocaine supply chain. Rodriguez, who was based in Puerto Rico, mailed packages containing cocaine to Rhode Island and Massachusetts. During the investigation, a package Rodriguez mailed to Massachusetts was seized which contained two kilograms of cocaine, as well as a package destined for Rodriguez in Puerto Rico that contained $65,000 in cash.
Over the course of the investigation, over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilograms of cocaine and over 50 grams of crack cocaine, as well as a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000 was seized. Rodriguez distributed between three and a half and five kilograms of cocaine.
Rodriguez was charged along with 17 others in July 2020. Rodriguez is the seventh defendant to be sentenced in the case. Co-defendants Amanda Ford, Branny Taveras and Hector Matos have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. In December 2020, Anthony Baez was sentenced by Judge Hillman to 13 years in prison and five years of supervised release Pedro Baez pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 17, 2022. The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Fitchburg Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Lunenburg Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to Prison for Distributing a Heroin/Fentanyl Mixture and a GunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 41 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws in connection with a large-scale investigation conducted by the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV imposed the sentence on Trevon McCrary, age 27.
According to information presented to the court, from January 2018 through June 2019, McCrary participated in a conspiracy with Ronald Williams, Christopher Highsmith, and others to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the Pittsburgh area. McCrary was intercepted on a court-authorized wiretap arranging purchases and sales of heroin/fentanyl and was the subject of physical surveillance while engaging in drug-trafficking activity. McCrary took responsibility for distributing between 32 and 40 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, as well as possession of a firearm.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Stickman stated that while he recognized that McCrary’s conduct was quite serious in that it involved drug trafficking and firearms, based upon all information provided to the court including the statements made by the defendant, he believed that the defendant had taken the necessary steps to begin a more productive and law-abiding life upon release from imprisonment.
Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn J. Bloch and Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Allegheny County Adult Probation, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and the Wilkinsburg Police Department. Other assisting agencies include the Green Tree Police Department, New York City Police Department, Mount Oliver Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Yonkers Police Department, United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
PICC Inmate Sentenced to Seven Years for Conspiring with Corrections Officer to Smuggle Contraband into PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced Kennard Murray, 37, of Philadelphia, PA, a currently incarcerated inmate at the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center (PICC), was sentenced to seven years in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe for his role in a conspiracy to smuggle contraband into the facility.
In May 2021, the defendant and two co-defendants, Haneef Lawton, 34, a Philadelphia Corrections Officer, and Charlene Stallings, 43, the defendant’s girlfriend, were charged by Indictment with conspiracy; federal program bribery; and distribution, conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute narcotics.
The defendant and Lawton agreed to smuggle contraband on multiple occasions into PICC in exchange for a series of bribes. As part of the arrangement, Lawton delivered the narcotics to Murray, and Murray arranged to sell the contraband to other inmates in exchange for cash and electronic payments via peer-to-peer methods such as CashApp. In return, Murray and Stallings paid Lawton over $11,400, also using CashApp. Through this scheme, the defendants were able to traffic as much as $69,000 worth of contraband into PICC.
“One goal of incarceration is to deter future criminal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “But instead of learning from previous mistakes, this defendant used his time behind bars to commit even more illegal acts by smuggling dangerous contraband inside. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate this kind of lawless behavior.”
“Murray conspired from behind bars on this money-making scheme to have contraband smuggled into his facility,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “It’s disheartening when incarcerated prisoners are determined to keep breaking the law like this. Introducing illegal contraband into prisons poses a danger to correctional officers and inmates alike – that’s why the FBI is so determined to put a stop to it and hold those involved accountable.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Affairs from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric L. Gibson and Frank Costello.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sex Offense Against a MinorRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Makel Elboghdady, 37, an Egyptian national living in Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor. Elboghdady was also ordered to serve 20 years on supervised release after completing his prison sentence.
Elboghdady was previously convicted after a jury trial in May 2021. Evidence at trial revealed that Elboghdady traveled on February 28, 2020 from Columbus, Ohio to Huntington to meet a woman in order to engage in sexual activity with her purported minor daughters. Elboghdady believed the girls were 11 and 13 years old. When he arrived in Huntington and met with the person he believed to be the mother of the girls, Elboghdady was placed under arrest.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Julie White prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:20-cr-00069.
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North Hills Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robberies in Two CountiesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of McCandless, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to robbing three area banks and attempting to rob a fourth bank, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Dylan Michael Poole, age 24, pleaded guilty to three counts of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Poole robbed a WesBanco Bank in McCandless, Pennsylvania on or about November 8, 2018; a PNC Bank in Donegal, Pennsylvania on or about November 9, 2018; and a First National Bank in Wexford, Pennsylvania on or about November 13, 2018. In addition, on or about November 15, 2018, Poole attempted to rob a PNC Bank in Latrobe, Pennsylvania..
Chief Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for July 20, 2022, at 9:30 AM. The law provides for a total sentence of 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 offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the court continued the defendant’s bond of $25,000.
Assistant United States Attorney Yvonne M. Saadi is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The FBI Pittsburgh’s Violent Crimes Task Force, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police, Northern Regional Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, McCandless Police Department and Shaler Township Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Poole.
Mission Man Sentenced on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person was sentenced on March 21, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Cassius Farmer, age 28, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Farmer was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 9, 2021. He pled guilty on December 30, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on October 21, 2021, in Mission, South Dakota. On that date, United States Marshals Service personnel and Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel were searching for Farmer, who had an arrest warrant for a violation of federal supervised release. Farmer was located at an apartment building in Mission, but gave a false name. Farmer was detained, at which point he informed the officers he was carrying a handgun. The firearm was seized, and Farmer then properly identified himself.
Farmer was convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in 2018, making it illegal for him to possess firearms and ammunition. Farmer will forfeit ownership of the handgun and ammunition to the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Dakota Territory Fugitive Task Force, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Farmer was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mechanicville Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing ChildrenRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Gary Ryan, age 51, of Mechanicville, New York, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for aggravated sexual abuse and transportation of minors to engage in sexual activity. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Colonie Police Department Chief Michael Woods.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Ryan admitted that in 2003 and 2004, he took Victim 1, then 5 and 6 years old, to Florida, Massachusetts, and Nevada. On those trips, Ryan anally penetrated Victim 1.
In 2007, Ryan took Victim 2, then 14 years old, to Florida and Massachusetts. On those trips, Ryan showed Victim 2 pornography and rubbed Victim 2’s penis.
Between 1998 and 1999, Ryan took Victim 3, then 14 or 15 years old, to Massachusetts. On that trip, while Victim 3 was asleep, Ryan rubbed Victim 3’s penis to try to arouse him and shaved Victim 3’s genitals. Ryan instructed another teenager to video-record the conduct.
In imposing sentence, United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino told Ryan that he is “the definition of a sexual predator.” She also imposed a lifetime term of supervised release, which will begin after Ryan is released from prison. Ryan will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes investigators from the Colonie Police Department, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department, and the New York State Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Kopita as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Martin Woman Sentenced for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that a Martin, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on March 21, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Carly Rae Shott, age 23, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, four years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100, and forfeiture of a handgun and ammunition.
Shott was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 9, 2020. She pled guilty on December 20, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred between August 2018 and August 2019, wherein Shott conspired with others to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine in South Dakota. Further, on August 30, 2019, Shott was arrested in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, with approximately ten grams of methamphetamine, $6,166 in United States currency, and a loaded handgun.
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.
The investigation was conducted by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Shott was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man involved in a shooting incident in a Chicago suburb has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for illegally possessing ammunition.
LAVOYCE BAYS was charged with illegally possessing four cartridges of .40-caliber ammunition on June 15, 2019, in Markham, Ill. Bays was involved in a dispute with a man and others at a party and later saw the man at a gas station in the south suburb. As the man attempted to drive away from the gas station, Bays fired multiple shots and wounded him. The victim survived the shooting. Law enforcement recovered ammunition casings from the crime scene, which led to the federal charges.
Bays, 32, of Markham, pleaded guilty last year to a federal charge of illegal possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. He had previously been convicted in state court of a felony criminal offense and was not legally allowed to possess ammunition or a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman on Friday imposed a 102-month federal prison sentence. Judge Coleman found that, in addition to illegally possessing the ammunition, the government met its burden in proving Bays possessed a firearm and committed the shooting at the gas station, conduct which supported an enhanced sentence.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Kristen de Tineo, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Markham Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Albert Berry III.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, U.S. Attorney Lausch and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Lillian Man Sentenced in Federal Court for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Lillian, Alabama, man was sentenced on March 14, 2022, to 24 months in prison for his illegal possession of firearms after being convicted of a felony.
According to court documents, Alvin Dewayne Pope, 43, was identified during an investigation in which investigators used a confidential informant to make controlled purchases of marijuana from him. A search warrant was obtained for Pope’s residence. Investigators discovered and seized four guns from his residence, which was the location where the marijuana was sold to the informant. Pope had been previously convicted of selling, manufacturing, delivering, or possessing a controlled substance with intent to sell in Escambia County, Florida, in 2013. Pope pled guilty to the charge in October of 2020.
United States District Court Judge Jeffery Beaverstock imposed the 24-month sentence and further ordered that Pope would also serve three years on supervised release following his imprisonment. As conditions of his supervision, Pope will also undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse, and he will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that Pope pay $100 in special assessments.
The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Leader of Fort Myers Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Marvin Harris, Jr., aka “Mesh” (23, Fort Myers), to 24 years and 5 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base (crack cocaine), and cocaine. The Court also ordered Harris to forfeit his Mercedes-Benz, $58,217 in seized cash, an 18k gold Datejust Rolex, and multiple gold Cuban link chains, all of which were traceable proceeds of his drug trafficking organization.
According to court documents, Harris led a drug trafficking organization (DTO) which operated in neighborhoods off Palm Beach Boulevard in Fort Myers. Harris recruited dealers to work for him and provided them with housing, with those houses serving as the main distribution points for the DTO.
On August 14, 2020, Harris was jailed for contempt of court in connection with a homicide investigation. He continued to run his organization while incarcerated, enlisting his girlfriend, co-defendant Destiny Molina, to supply his dealers with drugs and collect the revenue generated by the business. Recorded phone calls between Harris and Molina captured him teaching Molina how to mix fentanyl with adulterants to increase the profit potential of his product along with other instructions necessary to keep his illegal enterprise afloat.
On October 15, 2020, the FBI executed simultaneous search warrants at Molina’s residence located on Gaillard Avenue in North Port, and Harris’s main drug house located on New York Drive in Fort Myers. Inside Molina’s residence, law enforcement recovered more than $53,000 in cash, multiple pieces of expensive jewelry, over 100 grams of fentanyl and cocaine, and a firearm. At the drug house, law enforcement recovered nearly $5,000 in cash, more fentanyl and cocaine, and another firearm.
Four other members of the conspiracy had previously pleaded guilty in connection with his case:
Name
Charge
Status
Destiny Molina
(20, Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Faces 5-40 years in prison, sentencing scheduled for 6/6/22
Bradly Griffin, aka “Jit”
(20, Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Sentenced to 7 years, 3 months in federal prison
Robert Rosado, aka “Drew”
(24, Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; Distribution of a controlled substance
Sentenced to 12 years, 7 months in federal prison
Fabian Kelly, aka “Bob”
(20, Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense
Sentenced to 9 years, 3 months in federal prison
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.