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15 March 2022
New Bedford Man Sentenced for Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Bedford man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for drug trafficking activities involving cocaine.
Jamareh Allen, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 10 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On May 6, 2021, Allen pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
In September 2020, Allen sold cocaine to a cooperating witness in New Bedford. Additionally, between August and September 2020, Allen sold the cooperating witness fentanyl and offered to sell a firearm for $1,000. However, when it came time for the firearm deal, Allen stole the $1,000 from the cooperating witness during the attempted controlled purchase.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Fall River Acting Police Chief Paul Gauvin; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dawley of Rollins’ Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
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.
Nevada Man Convicted by Federal Jury of Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, KY – Last week, a federal jury convicted Robert J. Bondonno of Henderson, NV, a suburb of Las Vegas, for defrauding victims of investments money that was to be used for drug rehabilitation centers.
On March 9, 2020, a jury returned a verdict of guilty after a seven-day trial. Bondonno was convicted of five counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, one count of conspiracy to launder money, and 27 counts of promoting money laundering. The jury found Bondonno not guilty on four counts of money laundering concealment.
According to records admitted into evidence and other court documents, Robert J. Bondonno, age 66, created and distributed investment materials to potential investors containing materially false statements and omissions regarding investment opportunities in the Wichita Project LLC and BHD International, Inc., also referred to as the Phoenix Project. He and co-defendants contacted would-be investors and made false representations about returns on investment and how the investment funds would be used. The materials purported to fund the rehabilitation for drug and alcohol in Wichita, Kansas and Phoenix, Arizona. Between 2017 to 2019, Bondonno, John Ainsworth, Gregory Dawkins, and Courtland Van Oden, contacted investors to solicit investment funds, and they split the proceeds between themselves and Bondonno, with no money going toward the stated purpose of the investment. Oden, Dawkins, and Ainsworth all previously pleaded guilty to felony offenses associated with the fraud.
Court records showed that Bondonno controlled the incoming investment funds through bank accounts he created and controlled. Bondonno and co-conspirators used false names, fraudulent and misleading investment materials, and made false oral representations to investors in Kentucky, Maryland, and California. Bondonno brought in more than $519,000 in connection with the investment and spent seventy percent of the funds on himself, with the remaining funds being used to pay co-conspirators through nominee entities and false names. Bondonno used information associated with actual rehab centers operating in Kansas and Arizona to defraud investors. No money was ever provided to those facilities or paid back to investors.
One of the investor victims was over 95 years old and resided in Kentucky. Bondonno and co-conspirators convinced the investor and another investor to transfer their individual retirement accounts to his control to invest in the Wichita Project LLC. Court records show that Bondonno and co-defendants split proceeds and used the remaining funds for personal use with, no money going to an investment.
Bondonno is scheduled to be sentenced on June 1, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. EDT before United States District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings. Each count of conviction carries up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. In total, Bondonno faces up to 680 years in prison, a fine of $8,500,000, and up to three years supervised release. Judge Jennings will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky made the announcement.
The Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Louisville Metro Police Department—Crimes Against Seniors Unit investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Judd and Nicole Elver prosecuted the case and were assisted by Criminal Division Paralegal Adela Alec.
This case was investigated and prosecuted as part of the National Elder Justice Task Force and the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force. The Department of Justice’s mission of its Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults. In response the growing need and targeting areas of greatest concern, the Department of Justice stood up 10 task forces made up of 11 federal districts to combat a variety of elder abuse, including elder financial exploitation. Kentucky’s federal districts make up two of the 11 districts under the Initiative. Kentucky’s task force is comprised of investigators, prosecutors, and others at the local, state, and federal level with a common objective. According to the National Council for Aging, older adults lose as much as $36.5 billion each year to financial abuse and scams. Many of these scams go unreported due to embarrassment or fear of retaliation.
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Morrisville Man Sentenced to over 7 Years for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Cole Hess, 34, of Morrisville, Vermont, was sentenced today to serve 87 months in prison for distribution of a modified depiction of child pornography. United States District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered Hess to serve a 15-year term of supervised release after his incarceration.
According to court records and proceedings, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report from a social media company that a user “IncestKyle” had uploaded child pornography to their platform. The images included children under the age of five engaged in sex acts with adults. NCMEC referred the report to the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) because the IP addresses associated with the activity indicated the user “IncestKyle” was likely in Lamoille County, Vermont.
ICAC investigators determined the IP address information was associated with various businesses, including a laundromat and a fast-food restaurant in Lamoille County, and that the cell phone utilized to access an email account linked with the social media profile “IncestKyle” had been purchased with defendant Hess’ debit card. Bank records from Hess’ debit card showed purchases by Hess at the laundromat and fast-food restaurant around the times of the uploads of child pornography. ICAC investigators also linked photographs from the social media platform to Hess’ former residence in Johnson, Vermont. Hess subsequently admitted to using the social media account and having altered at least one of the images he distributed. At the time of the criminal conduct for which Hess was sentenced today, Hess was subject to probationary supervision for a prior conviction for Possession of Child Pornography in Vermont Superior Court and faces additional proceedings involving his violations of probation.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the coordinated investigatory efforts of the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Office of the Vermont Attorney General in this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt handled the prosecution. Hess was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth, Esq.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Child Exploitation Obscenity Section, Criminal Division (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Mission Man Sentenced for Larceny of Police VehicleRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Larceny was sentenced on March 14, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Derrick One Star, a/k/a Derek One Star, age 34, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, $12,775 in restitution, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
One Star was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 10, 2021. He pled guilty on October 7, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on March 28, 2021, near Mission. On that date, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services officers responded to a report that One Star was causing a disturbance at a residence in the South Antelope Housing Community. Officers made contact with One Star outside the residence and attempted to place him under arrest. One Star pulled away from the officers and fled the scene on foot, with the officers pursuing him. He then returned to the residence and stole a police patrol vehicle. One Star was arrested following a short vehicle pursuit, during which he damaged the vehicle.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
One Star was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mission Man Indicted on Assault ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer, and Domestic Assault by an Habitual Offender.
Anthony Kitteaux, Sr., age 29, was indicted on March 8, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on March 14, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to eight years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on January 24, 2022, in Todd County, South Dakota, Kitteaux did forcibly assault, oppose, impede, intimidate, and interfere with a law enforcement officer who was employed by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, and that such conduct involved physical contact. The Indictment further alleges that, at the same place and date, Kitteaux unlawfully committed a domestic assault against a spouse or intimate partner and that, at the time of the domestic assault, Kitteaux had at least two prior convictions for offenses that would have been, if subject to federal jurisdiction, an assault against a spouse or intimate partner.
The charges are merely accusations and Kitteaux is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Kitteaux was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Mission Man Indicted for AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Mission, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Assault by Strangulation and Suffocation.
Talon Bettelyoun, Sr., age 30, was indicted on March 8, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on March 14, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on October 22, 2021, in Todd County, South Dakota, Bettelyoun unlawfully assaulted an intimate partner by strangling and suffocating her.
The charge is merely an accusation and Bettelyoun is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson is prosecuting the case.
Bettelyoun was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Mercer County Man Admits Participating in Armed Robbery Spree Spanning Multiple Counties in New Jersey and PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – Omar Feliciano-Estremera, 44, of Trenton, today admitted participating in a string of armed robberies of businesses in New Jersey and Pennsylvania in May and June of 2019, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Feliciano pleaded guilty court before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court to a five-count information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, three substantive counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm which was discharged during a crime of violence.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Feliciano and his conspirator Gabriel Lopez, [deceased], formerly of Trenton, committed a string of armed robberies in May and June of 2019 of businesses located in Mercer County, New Jersey, Union County, New Jersey, and Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Lopez entered the businesses, brandished a handgun, and demanded money from the store clerks working the register. After stealing the money, Lopez fled the scene with the assistance of Feliciano, who acted as the getaway driver. While fleeing the scene of one of the robberies, in Union County, New Jersey, Lopez fired a handgun at passing witnesses, shortly before being picked up by Feliciano. Feliciano admitted to conspiring with Lopez to commit eight robberies and aiding and abetting three robberies, including the Union County robbery at which a firearm was discharged.
Each of the Hobbs Act charges carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The charge of aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm that was discharged during a crime of violence carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. Each count also carries a maximum fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for July 18, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked officers of the Hamilton Township, Trenton, Rahway, Morrisville, Bristol Township, and Lawrence Township Police Departments for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
Members of the Mount Vernon Goonies Street Gang Sentenced for the Murder of 13-Year-Old Innocent BystanderRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that SINCERE SAVOY was sentenced to 22 years in prison for his participation in the 2016 murder of Shamoya McKenzie and the affairs of the Goonies street gang. In September 2021, co-defendant DAVID HARDY was sentenced to 31 years in prison for the murder of McKenzie and his participation in a 2012 shooting. In July 2021 and November 2021, co-defendants MARQUIS COLLIER and JERMAINE HUGHLEY, respectively, were each sentenced to 27 years in prison for their participation in the McKenzie murder and the affairs of the Goonies gang.
According to allegations in the Indictment and other documents filed in federal court, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:
Between 2007 and 2017, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, HARDY, COLLIER, HUGHLEY, and SAVOY were members of a racketeering enterprise known as the “Goonies.” In order to fund the enterprise, protect and expand its interests, and promote its standing, members and associates of the Goonies committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence, including murder, attempted murder and robbery; they conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute narcotics; and they obtained, possessed, and used firearms, including by brandishing and firing them.
The Goonies were engaged in a long-standing and violent feud with several rival Mount Vernon street gangs, including, among others, the “Boss Playa Family,” the “Get Money Gangstas,” the “Gunnas,” and the “Much Better Gang”. On December 31, 2016, HARDY, COLLIER, HUGHLEY and SAVOY attempted to murder a rival gang member in broad daylight by firing multiple shots at him in the vicinity of Tecumseh Avenue and Third Street in Mount Vernon, New York. The rival gang member suffered gunshot wounds but survived. One of the bullets, however, missed the intended target and struck the head of 13-year old Shamoya McKenzie, who was in the front passenger seat of a passing car, which was being driven by her mother. Shamoya McKenzie died as a result.
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HARDY, 27, pled guilty to one count of using a firearm in connection with the murder of Shamoya McKenzie in aid of racketeering and one count of using a firearm in connection with an assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering for committing a separate shooting in 2012 in furtherance of the Goonies. He was sentenced to 372 months’ in prison.
COLLIER, 30, pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of discharging a firearm in connection with the murder of Shamoya McKenzie in aid of racketeering. He was sentenced to 324 months’ in prison.
HUGHLEY, 28, pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of discharging a firearm in connection with the murder of Shamoya McKenzie in aid of racketeering. He was sentenced to 324 months’ in prison.
SAVOY, 25, pled guilty to one count of using a firearm in connection with the murder of Shamoya McKenzie in aid of racketeering. He was sentenced to 264 months’ in prison.
Mr. Williams thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for their extraordinary cooperation and assistance with this case, and praised the outstanding investigative work of the Mount Vernon Police Department and the FBI Westchester Safe Streets Task Force which includes Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the FBI, U.S. Probation, New York State Police, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Westchester County PD, Westchester County DA's Office, Putnam County Sheriff's Office, Rockland County DA's Office, the NYPD and the Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Peekskill, Greenburgh, New Rochelle, White Plains, Clarkstown and Ramapo Police Departments.
The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Anden Chow is in charge of the prosecution.
Melvin Hill Charged with Selling FentanylRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Melvin Hill, 42, of the state of Georgia, appeared yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington on a criminal complaint charging him with distributing fentanyl. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle ordered that Hill be detained without bail pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to court records, in January 2022, a confidential source told law enforcement that it could buy narcotics from Hill. In February and March, this source made two controlled purchases of fentanyl from Hill in transactions that were recorded. Officers learned that Hill was staying at the Doubletree Hotel in South Burlington. They obtained a state court warrant to search Hill’s hotel room and the car he had been driving. Officers arrested Hill on March 10 and recovered a loaded pistol and crack cocaine from his person. In his car and hotel room, officers seized hundreds of folds of heroin, hundreds of pills containing fentanyl, powder cocaine, and methamphetamine. They also found around $13,000 in cash.
The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the complaint are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.
If convicted, Hill faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Burlington Police Department.
Hill is represented by the office of the Federal Public Defender. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
Martinsburg man indicted on firearms chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Travis Jackson Latta, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was indicted today on a firearms charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Latta, 34, is charged with one count of “Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.” Latta, a person prohibited from having a firearm because of a felony conviction, is accused of having a 9mm pistol in May 2020 in Berkeley County.
Latta is facing up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Martinsburg Police Department investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Man Sentenced to Nine-Year Prison Term for Robbery and Attempted Robbery of StoresRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Raydrian Scott, 25, who had no fixed address, was sentenced today to nine years in prison for attempting to rob one store in Northeast Washington and robbing another store in Southeast Washington over a two-day period last fall, announced U.S Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Scott pleaded guilty in January 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to charges of armed robbery and attempted robbery. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for a nine-year prison term. The Honorable J. Michael Ryan accepted the plea today and sentenced Scott accordingly. Following his prison term, Scott will be placed on three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 8, 2021, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Scott walked into a store in the 900 block of H Street NE. Scott appeared to browse the store’s merchandise when a clerk offered to assist. When greeted by the clerk, Scott, with his right hand in his jacket’s front pocket, stated, “Give me all the money in the register. I have a gun in my pocket.” The clerk was able to go away and head to the back of the store and Scott left out of the front entrance.
The following day at about 5:55 p.m., Scott walked into another store, this time in the 400 block of Eighth Street SE. He walked around the store before ordering an employee, “Open the register now. I have a gun. Open it, or I will shoot you.” Scott kept his left hand in his jacket’s front pocket, imitating a firearm. The employee gave Scott approximately $500 to $600, and Scott left the store. Scott was arrested a short time later in Northeast Washington and has been detained ever since.
At the time of the crimes, Scott was on supervision for previous convictions in Colorado.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Allison Daniels. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney LaVater Massie-Banks, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 28 Years in Federal Prison for Robbing More Than a Dozen Chicago Stores at GunpointRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to 28 years in federal prison for violently robbing more than a dozen Chicago liquor and convenience stores.
In the summer and fall of 2016, ANGELO STANTON robbed 15 stores and attempted to rob two others. Stanton carried out takeover-style heists in which he pointed a handgun at employees and demanded cash from the register or safe. Stanton fired shots in five of the incidents, wounding two store employees.
The robberies and attempted robberies occurred in various Chicago neighborhoods:
- Aug. 23, 2016: Castillo’s Super Market, 2732 W. 59th St.
- Aug. 26, 2016: Danny’s Liquors, 2222 N. Western Ave.
- Aug. 30, 2016: One Stop Western Market, 3456 S. Western Ave.
- Sept. 3, 2016: Granados Liquors, 1859 W. 47th St.
- Sept. 8, 2016: Buchanas Food & Liquor, 1834 W. 47th St.
- Sept. 13, 2016: El Yunque Liquor Store, 1900 N. California Ave.
- Sept. 20, 2016: West Town Wine and Spirits, 2501 W. North Ave.
- Sept. 21, 2016: Park Dollar and Food Store, 1101 N. California Ave.
- Sept. 22, 2016: Albany Food & Liquors, 3048 W. Fullerton Ave.
- Sept. 23, 2016: Value Most Liquors, 3236 N. Pulaski Rd.
- Sept. 25, 2016: Manha grocery store, 3751 W. Armitage Ave.
- Sept. 28, 2016: Evelyn Food Market, 2926 W. Pulaski Rd.
- Sept. 30, 2016: Don’s Grill, 1837 S. Western Ave.
- Oct. 2, 2016: One Stop Market, 3456 S. Western Ave.
- Oct. 4, 2016: Humboldt Haus, 2958 W. North Ave.
- Oct. 9, 2016: Bucktown Food & Liquors, 2422 W. Fullerton Ave.
- Oct. 11, 2016: Lucky One Food, 1854 N. Pulaski Rd.
Stanton, 32, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to robbery and firearm charges. U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow, Jr., imposed the prison sentence Monday. A hearing to determine the amount of restitution that Stanton must pay to the victims is scheduled for May 3, 2022.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and David Brown, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Illinois State Police and Cook County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley A. Chung represented the government.
Man Sentenced for Role in Attempted Robbery of New Haven Restaurant Where Employee Was ShotRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TYTHRONE FORD, 28, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 110 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in the attempted robbery of a New Haven restaurant, during which an employee was shot, in April 2015.
According to court documents and statements made in court, at approximately 11:00 p.m. on April 11, 2015, Ford, Treizy Lopez and another man entered the Smokin’ Wings restaurant, located on Congress Avenue in New Haven, and demanded money at gunpoint. Lopez subsequently discharged a firearm and shot a female employee in the stomach. Ford, Lopez and their associate then fled the restaurant. Responding New Haven Police officers subsequently located a .22 caliber revolver in a nearby trash can.
Approximately eight hours before to the Smokin’ Wings robbery, Ford, Lopez, and another man traveled together to Bridgeport. Lopez and the other individual, armed with handguns, entered Sapiaos Market, located on Lexington Avenue in Bridgeport, and demanded money. During the attempted robbery, the owner of the market, Jose Salgado, was shot and killed. Ford waited in a car outside of the market during the attempted robbery. After the murder, the three men traveled back to New Haven together. Hours later, Ford and Lopez participated in the gunpoint robbery at Smokin’ Wings.
Forensic analysis of the revolver found in the trash can in New Haven, and projectiles collected from the scene of both attempted robberies, revealed that the gun was used in both shootings. DNA collected from the gun revealed that both Lopez and Ford possessed the gun.
Ford has been detained since his arrest on December 10, 2019. On September 21, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of attempted interference with commerce by robbery.
Lopez pleaded guilty to the same charge on September 23, 2021, and awaits sentencing.
This matter stems from a cold case investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the New Haven Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis and Nathaniel J. Gentile through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program and Project Longevity.
PSN, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, 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.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.
KC Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Armed Robbery ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a series of armed business robberies in Kansas City and Independence, Mo.
Henry Simmons, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
On Sept. 1, 2021, Simmons pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit robbery and one count of attempted robbery. Co-defendants Vonterrious Humbert, 22, Tremaine Johnson, 23, both of Kansas City, Mo., have also pleaded guilty and been sentenced. Humbert was sentenced on Feb. 24, 2021, to eight years in federal prison without parole. Johnson was sentenced on Sept. 23, 2021, to five years in federal prison without parole.
Simmons, Humbert, and Johnson were arrested on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018, following the early-morning armed robbery of a Phillips 66 convenience store and the attempted robbery of a Taco Bell on N.W. Barry Road in Kansas City, Mo.
The conspiracy included eight additional business robberies: five armed robberies of 7-Eleven convenience stores in Independence, Mo., and Kansas City, Mo., in the early morning hours of Nov. 21, 2018, and three armed robberies of a Domino’s Pizza, a 7-Eleven convenience store and a Sinclair convenience store in Kansas City, Mo., during the early morning hours of Nov. 25, 2018.
Law enforcement officials identified a 2003 Dodge Durango SUV as being used in some of the robberies. On Monday, Nov. 26, 2018, law enforcement observed Humbert, Johnson, Simmons and two juveniles traveling in that Dodge Durango SUV to approximately 15 to 20 convenience stores, fast-food restaurants and other businesses that were open late or operated 24 hours a day. Officers believed they were casing the businesses – making repetitive passes by these businesses in a slow, surveillance-like manner, as if examining the businesses for activity and occupants in advance of initiating a robbery.
At approximately 2:37 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018, the vehicle arrived at the shopping area at N.W. Barry Road and Ambassador Drive in Kansas City, Mo. The vehicle parked at a nearby apartment complex. Four individuals got out of the vehicle; Humbert and Johnson walked across the street to the Phillips 66 convenience store while Simmons and a juvenile male walked to the Taco Bell.
Humbert and Johnson robbed the Phillips 66 store at gunpoint, stealing approximately $400, then ran back across the street toward a wooded area near the apartment complex. Johnson and Humbert were pursued into a strip mall area near the apartment complex. Both were apprehended nearby and were found to have discarded the firearms they possessed at the time of the robbery – a Taurus handgun with a laser sight and an SKS-type 7.62x39mm rifle.
As this robbery was occurring, Simmons and the juvenile were attempting to gain entry to the Taco Bell to rob the employees. When officers approached, Simmons and the juvenile ran and discharged two firearms. After they were taken into custody, officers retrieved a loaded Taurus 9mm semi-automatic handgun with a laser sight and a loaded Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun.
A second juvenile male was identified as the driver and sole occupant of the Dodge Durango SUV at the time of the arrests. Officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun and a jar containing marijuana.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashleigh A. Ragner and D. Michael Green. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Independence, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.
Justice Department and FTC Extend Deadline for Public Comment on Ways to Strengthen Enforcement Against Illegal MergersRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are extending by one month the deadline to submit comments as part of the enforcement agencies’ process to modernize the merger guidelines to better detect and prevent anticompetitive deals. The new deadline is April 21.
In January, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the FTC launched a joint public inquiry aimed at strengthening enforcement against illegal mergers. Recent evidence indicates that many industries across the economy are becoming more concentrated and less competitive – imperiling choice and economic gains for consumers, workers, entrepreneurs and small businesses. These problems are likely to persist, or worsen, due to an ongoing merger surge that has more than doubled merger filings from 2020 to 2021. To address mounting concerns, the agencies announced in January that they were soliciting public input on ways to modernize federal merger guidelines to better detect and prevent illegal, anticompetitive deals in today’s modern markets.
Judge sentences remaining former St. Louis Metropolitan Police officer regarding undercover officer’s assault from 2017Read the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Christopher Myers, 30, of St. Louis, Missouri appeared before United States District Court Judge John A. Ross on today’s date. Myers pleaded guilty to willfully depriving another of their civil rights by damaging the property of former undercover police officer Luther Hall, while acting under color of law. Judge Ross then sentenced Myers to a year of probation.
As a result of the 2017 acquittal of a former police officer on a state murder charge, protests were taking place in downtown St. Louis. In an effort by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to keep peace and order, the victim undercover officer was assigned to the protest detail. During the protest, SLMPD officers, to include Myers, encountered Hall amongst others.
According to the plea agreement, Myers damaged Hall's cell phone by throwing the cell phone, and, in doing so, did willfully deprive Hall of rights and privileges secured and protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States, that is, the right to be secure against unreasonable seizures of property.
Dustin Boone was previously found guilty during trial of aiding and abetting the deprivation of civil rights under color of law and sentenced to 12 months and a day. Bailey Colletta previously pleaded guilty to making false statements to a federal grand jury and was sentenced to probation. Randy Hays, who had earlier pleaded guilty to his role in the matter, was sentenced to a 52-month term of imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Jefferson County man indicted on failure to register chargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jordan Paul Plotner, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was indicted today on a failure to register charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Plotner is charged with one count of “Failure to Register.” Plotner, a person required to register as a sex offender because of a prior conviction, is accused of traveling across state lines without updating his information in the sex offender registry from April to November 2021 in Jefferson County and elsewhere.
Plotner is facing up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eleanor F. Hurney is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshals Service investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Jamestown Felon Going to Prison on Gun Charge After Traffic StopRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Walter S. Duprey a/k/a Spoons a/k/a Waldo, 38, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, was sentenced to serve 57 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who handled the case, stated that Duprey was convicted in 2005, 2006, and 2012, of felony charges in Chautauqua County and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. On April 30, 2020, Duprey was a passenger in a car that was stopped by Jamestown Police Officers. After stating that he had a “bud on me,” Duprey was asked to step out of the car. During a search of Duprey, an officer found a shotgun shell in his pocket. While searching the car, officers recovered a loaded shotgun.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
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Jamaican National Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Prison for Drug, Gun and Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANDREW DAVIS, 41, a citizen of Jamaica last residing in Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 295 months of imprisonment for marijuana trafficking, firearm possession and money laundering offenses.
According to the evidence presented during Davis’ trial in December 2018, in 2013, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Connecticut State Police began an investigation into individuals who were moving large amounts of marijuana from the Southwestern United States to Connecticut. During the investigation, investigators intercepted four packages, each containing approximately eight kilograms of marijuana, from the U.S. Mail, and made multiple controlled purchases of the drug from a member of the trafficking ring.
Davis was arrested on February 1, 2017, after investigators conducted court-authorized searches of a Hamden apartment that Davis shared with his girlfriend, Shanice Goffe; a storage unit in West Haven that was rented in Goffe’s name, and two Bridgeport apartments that Davis maintained under different aliases.
A search of the Hamden residence revealed more than one pound of marijuana, a loaded 9mm handgun, boxes of .45 caliber ammunition, $62,409 in cash, and numerous false identifications, including a U.S. passport, all of which contained a photo of Davis. A search of the storage unit revealed approximately 33 kilograms of marijuana, ammunition and firearm magazines, additional false identifications, and $350,100 in cash. A search of a Bridgeport apartment rented in the name of “Cordel Freckleton” yielded one firearm, and a search of an apartment rented in the name of “Andrew Carter” revealed more than 60 pounds of marijuana and two firearms, one of which was stolen.
Investigators also seized a 2014 BMW X6, a 2016 Honda Accord, and a 2008 Honda Odyssey, all of which were registered to Goffe and had been purchased with proceeds of the marijuana trafficking enterprise.
The investigation further revealed that Davis, using the name “Steve Williams,” was under investigation in 2008 for marijuana trafficking. In August 2008, Bridgeport Police conducted a search of Davis’s Bridgeport apartment and discovered a fake identification, photos of Davis/Williams, three firearms, extended magazines, ammunition, drug packaging paraphernalia, marijuana packaged for resale, and eight UPS receipts for packages that had not arrived. Bridgeport Police subsequently seized the UPS packages, which contained a total of more than 75 pounds of marijuana. “Williams” was never located.
At the time of Davis’s federal arrest on February 1, 2017, investigators seized more than 40 identification cards with false names, including the names of the addressees of the 2008 Bridgeport packages. When presented to U.S. Marshals and asked his name, Davis said, “Let’s go with Steve Williams.”
On December 18, 2018, the jury found Davis guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Davis faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
On November 20, 2017, Goffe pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. On February 28, 2018, she was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment.
This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of Bridgeport Police Department, U.S Customs and Border Patrol and the U.S. Marshals Service.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
Iowa business owner pleads guilty to tax evasionRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – On March 10, 2022, Penny Layne Witt appeared in federal court and pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to evade or defeat tax. Witt is scheduled to be sentenced June 27, 2022, by United States District Court Judge Stephanie Rose. The charge of attempting to evade or defeat tax carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; a maximum fine of $100,000; and a term of up to three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Witt operated a tree trimming business under the names Ultimate Tree Service and Spruces Tree Service. She did not keep business records that listed work and gross receipts and did not have business or individual bank accounts. Witt conducted all business in cash and knowingly and intentionally paid all her employees in cash.
Witt admitted that she concealed records of gross income received and attempted to evade assessment of federal income tax. She also admitted that she was aware that she owed a substantial amount of federal taxes for gross income received for tax years 2016 and 2017 and that she willfully chose not to file returns for those years.
The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Incendiary BombRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty today to possessing an incendiary bomb.
According to statements made in court, on September 28, 2020, deputies with the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office and firefighters encountered Daniel Justin Watts, 36, at his residence on Green Valley Road in Huntington. Watts had constructed an improvised incendiary device, commonly known as a “Molotov cocktail”, ignited it and threw it on his property which started a fire. Watts admitted to making the device.
Watts pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Act and faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on May 9, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office, and the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00119.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man pleaded guilty today to a child pornography crime.
According to court documents, Curtis Ray Pelfrey, Jr., 35, admitted that from November 2018 to December 2019, he used eDonkey, an online file sharing program, to download and share videos and images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Pelfrey further admitted that on October 7, 2019, he received videos, using his computer, containing child pornography. Pelfrey admitted possessing on his computer 24 videos and five images depicting minors engages in sexually explicit conduct. Several of the images and videos have been identified as depicting known children. Pelfrey admitted that he has engaged in this sort of activity since 2014.
Pelfrey pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography and faces a mandatory minimum of five and up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 27, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie White is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-00244.
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Group sentenced for trafficking firearmsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Clairvorn Kelly, the final defendant among a trio of indicted firearms traffickers, has been sentenced for conspiring to straw purchase firearms, illegal dealing in firearms, unlawfully transferring firearms to an out of state resident, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Co-defendants Jahziah Roy Lewis and Deja Bess have previously been sentenced for their roles in the criminal scheme.
“Straw purchasers of firearms, like these defendants, facilitate the transfer of weapons to felons and impede the efforts of law enforcement officers to stem the tide of illegal firearms in U.S. cities and abroad,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “We will continue leveraging our partnerships with ATF, BIS, HSI, and state and local law enforcement partners, to disrupt the illegal flow of weapons onto our streets.”
“This case and ultimate conviction highlights the fact that illegal gun trafficking not only affects our local communities but has implications far beyond our borders,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “At a time in which our ports, are seeing unprecedented traffic, this case highlights the need for ATF and our partners to be vigilant in investigating and prosecuting individuals who supply the illegal arms trade.”
"Illegally exporting firearms from the United States is a serious violation of our nation’s export control laws and can have dire consequences abroad,” said Nasir Khan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, Miami Field Office. “Disrupting trafficking networks is a priority for OEE Special Agents. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prevent firearms from potentially falling into the wrong hands overseas.”
“HSI’s work to prevent the smuggling of illegal weapons, and their associated violence, protects communities around the globe,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and its law enforcement partners are committed to catching and prosecuting those involved in this illegal trade.”
According to U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: Between February 18, 2017, and May 14, 2020, Clairvorn Kelly, a St. Kitts and Nevis citizen, along with his two accomplices, Jahziah Roy Lewis and Deja Bess, engaged in an international weapons trafficking conspiracy to purchase and illegally export approximately 36 firearms from the United States to the United Kingdom and the Caribbean via the U.S. Postal Service. Multiple firearms purchased by the defendants in Georgia were recovered in the United Kingdom and St. Kitts and tied to various criminal networks abroad.
At the time of the firearm purchases, Kelly, Lewis, and Bess conspired to, and did, complete firearms sales in which they falsely claimed to be the actual buyers of the firearms when they knew that they were buying the guns for someone else. Kelly then obliterated serial numbers on the firearms. The defendants illegally exported the weapons abroad.
U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash sentenced each of the defendants as follows:
- Clairvorn Kelly, 25, of St. Kitts and Nevis, was sentenced for of four years, three months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Kelly was convicted of conspiring to straw purchase firearms, illegal dealing in firearms, unlawfully transferring firearms to an out of state resident, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
- Jaziah Roy Lewis, 30, of Saint Kitts and Nevis, was sentenced on September 14, 2021, to four years, nine months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Lewis pleaded guilty to conspiring to straw purchase firearms, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, exporting firearms outside the United States, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
- Deja Bess, 25, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced on November 15, 2021, to three years of probation. Bess pleaded guilty to one count of straw purchasing a firearm.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Department of Homeland Security, with assistance from the United States Postal Service and the United Kingdom National Crime Agency, investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dash A. Cooper prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In keeping with the Attorney General’s mission to reduce violent crime, the Northern District of Georgia’s PSN program focuses on prosecuting those individuals who most significantly drive violence in our communities, and supports and fosters partnerships between law enforcement and schools, the faith community, and local community leaders to prevent and deter future criminal conduct.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Ghanaian National Pleads Guilty to Role in Romance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Ghanaian national pleaded guilty to his role in a romance fraud scheme.
According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, Banabas Ganidekam, 24, received fraudulent proceeds from a romance fraud scheme in his bank account that was held in Ohio which he later transferred to a bank account in Huntington. Ganidekam lived in Westerville, Ohio at the time. Ganidekam received the money through wire transfer services including, but not limited to, bank wire transfers, personal checks and cashier’s checks. Ganidekam admitted that he received the fraudulent money from at least 14 different victims.
Ganidekam pleaded guilty to wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on June 21, 2022. As part of his plea agreement, Ganidekam agreed to pay restitution in an amount to be determined by the court.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), the West Virginia State Police, and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys R. Gregory McVey and Kathleen Robeson are handling the prosecution.
The public is encouraged to report potential online fraud activity or scams at https://www.ic3.gov/.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-0071.
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Georgia Cyber Fraud Task Force marks one year of progressRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia along with the Office of the Georgia Attorney General, six metro-Atlanta District Attorneys, the FBI Atlanta Field Office, U.S. Secret Service, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and local law enforcement joined forces one year ago to combat the laundering of cyber-enabled fraud proceeds through banks in the Atlanta area. This month the Georgia Cyber Fraud Task Force marks the anniversary with successes in prosecution, community outreach, and training events to combat the rise of “money mule” activity here in Atlanta.
“As a result of the extraordinary partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, money mules and other enablers of cyber-fraud related crimes in our District will be held accountable for their illegal conduct on a broad scale,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “This type of coordination and partnership strengthens our law enforcement response and works to protect our citizens.”
“For over a year, our Cyber Fraud Task Force has worked to investigate, prosecute and prevent cybercrime, and we are already moving the needle significantly,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “Through enhanced communication and collaboration on the local, state, and federal levels, we are strengthening our response to address this problem head-on and ensure bad actors are held accountable. We are proud of the role our office plays in protecting Georgia's citizens and businesses from cyber fraud schemes, and we will continue our efforts to disrupt this type of criminal enterprise in our state.”
“These important cases can seem daunting to an individual agency, but when you have a task force like this one full of resources, we can work together to bring justice to victims. The Clayton County District Attorney’s Office looks forward to continued partnership and success with the Georgia Cyber-Fraud Task Force,” said Clayton County District Attorney Tasha Mosley.
“We are proud to work together with our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to combat cyber fraud. We will continue to do our part to hold accountable the criminals who hide behind computer screens and phone calls to rob our citizens of their hard-earned money,” said Cobb County District Attorney Flynn D. Broady Jr.
“The Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney remains committed to this partnership. Combatting cyber fraud is a top priority as we endeavor to protect unwitting and vulnerable individuals and entities from this predatory crime. Joint collaboration between local, state and federal partners is integral to our success,” said DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston.
“It is no secret that fraud is a major problem in Atlanta. That is why I have made it a priority for my office’s White Collar Crime Unit to participate in the Georgia Cyber Fraud Task Force alongside our fellow Metro Atlanta law enforcement partners to keep money out of the hands of criminals. I promised the citizens of Fulton County that I would protect our community from criminal enterprises, and that is exactly what this task force is accomplishing,” said Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
“As these crimes become more prevalent, it is imperative that we work in concert to obliterate them. Our constituency is placed in peril when criminals take advantage of them. The financial cyber fraud task force is a strong vehicle to keep our communities safe and we look forward to continued work with them,” said Gwinnett Judicial Circuit District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson.
“The FBI would like to thank our federal, state and local partners for their successful coordinated effort to fight cyber fraud throughout the state of Georgia over the past year,” said Philip Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We plan to continue working together to tackle the ever-changing cyber threat through continuous community education on cyber hygiene and relentless pursuit in investigating and prosecuting cyber criminals.”
“The success of the Georgia Cyber-Fraud Task Force relies on the dedication of its partners,” said Steven R. Baisel, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service-Atlanta Field Office. “We will continue to provide the resources needed to fight this kind of fraud.”
“With advancements in technology, Georgians and Georgia businesses are highly susceptible to online fraud. By partnering with the members of this task force, the GBI’s Georgia Cyber Crime Center (G3C) has successfully conducted several cyber investigations in an effort to help combat these fraudulent schemes,” said Vic Reynolds, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Business Email Compromise (BEC) fraud schemes, romance scams, sweepstakes scams, and so-called grandparent scams, all result in a signification amount of personal and business wealth being funneled by fraudsters into bank accounts opened for the purpose of accepting those fraud proceeds. The person responsible for opening the bank account, or accepting the funds into an already existing account, is referred to as a “money mule;” their job is to accept the money and transfer most of it on to other fraudsters in the scheme—their payout is to keep a portion of the money. FBI statistics show Atlanta in the top five cities nationwide for money mule activity.
The task force has engaged with business leaders and community organizations to raise awareness of the money mule issue in our city, including presentations to banking and real estate professionals’ groups as well as the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Board. Members of the task force have made presentations to church and community groups to provide valuable information to citizens about how to avoid becoming a victim and what to do in the event that a scam is successful. The task force is also committed to the training and continuing education of both prosecutors and law enforcement tasked with responding to these crimes and has made several presentations to law enforcement and investigator groups both locally and nationally.
During the past year, the Georgia Cyber Fraud Task Force has referred out over 50 leads to local and state law enforcement for investigation of money mules. Those leads have come from the Internet Crime Complaint Center, known as IC3, and from leads sent to the task force from law enforcement all over the country through the StopTheMuleGa initiative.
The leads have so far resulted in charges against the following individuals:
• Bernard Kaba, 61, of Morrow, Georgia, is charged with three counts of theft by taking in connection with his receipt of BEC fraud proceeds.
• Borin Khoun, 44, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, is charged with four counts of theft by taking in connection with his receipt of fraud proceeds from a romance scam.
• Mark L. Jones, 65, of Atlanta, Georgia, is charged with one count of theft by taking in connection with his receipt of BEC fraud proceeds that had targeted the proceeds of a real estate closing.
• Bobby Umogbai, 24, of Atlanta, Georgia, was arrested on theft charges related to his receipt of BEC fraud proceeds.
• Alexis Garcia, 24, of Smyrna, Georgia, is charged with wire fraud and money laundering charges related to his receipt of proceeds from a government imposter scam.
• Olayemi Fadipe, 40, of Duluth, Georgia, was arrested on theft charges related to his receipt of fraud proceeds from the victim of a romance scam.
• Eugene W. McNair Jr., 50, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was arrested on theft charges related to his receipt of BEC fraud proceeds.
• Chigbogwu G. Nnamani, 52, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was arrested on theft charges related to his receipt of BEC fraud proceeds.
Members of the public are reminded that these are only charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The Georgia Cyber Fraud Task Force members include representatives from the following agencies: United States Attorney’s Office, Georgia Attorney General’s Office, Cobb County District Attorney, Clayton County District Attorney, DeKalb County District Attorney, Douglas County District Attorney, Fulton County District Attorney, Gwinnett County District Attorney, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Secret Service, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Atlanta Police Department, Riverdale Police Department, Gwinnett County Police Department, Alpharetta Police Department, DeKalb County Police Department, Dunwoody Police Department, East Point Police Department, South Fulton Police Department, Smyrna Police Department, Sandy Springs Police Department, and Georgia Department of Driver Services.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Gentry Woman Sentenced to over 23 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Gentry woman was sentenced yesterday to 280 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and one count of Money Laundering. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, in August of 2019, agents with Homeland Security Investigations received information that Jessica Marie Harcrow, age 40, was trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine into the Northwest Arkansas area from Oklahoma.
In August and September of 2019, agents conducted multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Harcrow in Decatur, Arkansas. On July 14, 2020, Harcrow used proceeds from drug trafficking to obtain a cashier’s check for $26,000.00. Harcrow then used the check to purchase a parcel of land.
On May 14, 2021, agents executed a search warrant on a residence owned by Harcrow in Delaware County, Oklahoma. During the search, law enforcement located and seized approximately five pounds of methamphetamine, a firearm, multiple plastic baggies, and a digital scale.
In August 2021, the defendant gave a voluntary interview and admitted to distributing methamphetamine to three other members of her drug trafficking organization. She further admitted that drug trafficking was her primary source of income. At sentencing, Harcrow was determined to be the leader of her drug trafficking organization and held responsible for seizures of over 5 kilograms of actual methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations Fayetteville, the Benton County Drug Unit, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sydney Butler prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Founders of Boston Nonprofit Indicted on Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The founders of a local nonprofit, Violence in Boston (VIB), have been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with a series of alleged schemes designed to defraud VIB and its donors, the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and a mortgage lending business based in Chicago.
Monica Cannon-Grant, 41, and her husband Clark Grant, 38, both of Taunton, were charged in an 18-count indictment with two counts of wire fraud conspiracy; one count of conspiracy; 13 counts of wire fraud; and one count of making false statements to a mortgage lending business. The indictment also charges Cannon-Grant with one count of mail fraud.
Cannon-Grant was arrested this morning and will make her initial appearance in federal court in Boston later today. Grant was previously charged by criminal complaint in October 2021 with one count of wire fraud and one count of false statements on a loan and credit application. An arraignment date for Grant has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
Cannon-Grant is the founder and CEO of VIB, an anti-violence nonprofit formally established in 2017, the stated purpose of which is to reduce violence, raise social awareness and aid community causes in Boston, among other purposes. Grant is Cannon-Grant’s husband, a founding director of VIB, and until recently a full-time employee for a commuter services company since July 2018.
The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to use VIB as a vehicle to solicit and receive charitable contributions from institutional and individual donors that they then used for a wide range of personal expenses and to enrich themselves while concealing such expenditures from VIB directors, officers and others. Specifically, from 2017 through at least 2020, it is alleged that Cannon-Grant and Grant exercised exclusive control over VIB financial accounts and diverted VIB money to themselves through cash withdrawals, cashed checks, debit purchases and transfers to their personal bank accounts.
On numerous occasions between 2017 through 2021, Cannon-Grant allegedly applied for public and private funded grants and donations in which she represented the funds were to be used for VIB charitable purposes. However, it is alleged that Cannon-Grant and Grant used grant and donation money to pay for personal expenses including, among other things, hotel reservations; groceries; gas; car rentals; auto repairs; Uber rides; restaurants; food deliveries; nail salons; and personal travel. The defendants did not disclose to other VIB directors or VIB’s bookkeepers or financial auditors that they had used VIB funds for such payments.
The defendants also allegedly conspired to defraud the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) by collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits while at the same time collecting income from a variety of sources, including VIB funds utilized for Cannon-Grant and Grant’s personal expenses, consulting fees paid to Cannon-Grant, compensation paid directly by VIB to Cannon-Grant, and the annual salary paid to Grant by his employer for his full-time job. According to the indictment, beginning in or about May 2020 through 2021, Grant and Cannon-Grant fraudulently applied for PUA benefits, created by Congress in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, that they knew they were not eligible to receive. The defendants allegedly coordinated the submission of false online applications and certifications for PUA funds, concealed their income, used the fraudulently obtained PUA funds to pay for their joint household expenses and other personal expenditures, and created and submitted phony documentation in order to continue receiving weekly PUA COVID-19 benefits.
Additionally, the defendants allegedly conspired to defraud an Illinois-based mortgage lender when applying for a home mortgage loan in July 2021. Specifically, it is alleged that from in or about May 2021 through July 2021, Grant and Cannon-Grant submitted to the mortgage lender false information and fraudulent documentation that represented VIB assets as personal assets and concealed the fraudulent nature of Grant’s PUA income, as well as the fraudulent nature of gift funds Grant received in order to help pay for mortgage fees and closing costs.
If you have information pertaining to the crimes alleged against the defendants, you may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts at: 617-748-3663.
The charges of wire fraud conspiracy each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The charge of making false statements to a mortgage lending business provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Massachusetts Inspector General Glenn A. Cunha; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigation; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Christina Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Chao and Adam Deitch of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former inmate indicted on drug chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Hollie D. Adkins, an inmate formerly housed at Federal Correctional Institution Hazelton, was indicted today on contraband charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Adkins, 34, was indicted today on one count of “Conspiracy to Introduce and Obtain a Prohibited Object (Narcotic)” and one count of “Attempt to Introduce a Prohibited Object (Narcotic).” Adkins is accused of working with others to smuggle suboxone into FCI Hazelton from the summer of 2021 to October 2021 in Preston County.
Adkins is facing up to five years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the conspiracy charge and faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for the attempt charge. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Services and the DEA investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former CEO and COO of JHL Biotech Sentenced for Conspiring to Steal Trade Secrets and Commit Wire Fraud Exceeding $101 MillionRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Racho Jordanov, the co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of JHL Biotech, and Rose Lin, another of the company’s co-founders and former Chief Operating Officer, were sentenced today for their respective roles in conspiring to commit trade secret theft and wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds, Internal Revenue Service ̶ Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Special Agent in Charge Mark H. Pearson, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair. Jordanov was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of twelve months and one day, to be followed by a term of supervised release of 36 months, a condition of which shall be to serve nine months in home confinement. Lin was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of twelve months and one day, to be followed by a term of supervised release of 36 months. The sentences were handed down today by the Hon. William Alsup, Senior U.S. District Judge.
Both defendants pleaded guilty to the charges on August 24, 2021. According to the plea agreements, in 2012, Raco Ivanov Jordanov, also known as “Racho” Jordanov, 74, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and Rose Lin, also known as Rose Sweihorn Tong, 73, of South San Francisco, Calif., co-founded JHL Biotech, Inc., a biopharmaceutical startup in Taiwan. Between 2011 and 2019, Jordanov, as President and CEO of JHL Biotech, obtained and possessed confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information from Genentech, and used it to accelerate the timeline for and to reduce the costs of JHL Biotech’s development and production of Genentech biosimilars and to enhance JHL Biotech’s ability to meet various regulatory requirements related to the same. By various means, Jordanov obtained for JHL Biotech’s use many confidential and proprietary documents from Genentech without authorization, some of which contained trade secret information. In so doing, he worked with multiple people within JHL Biotech to possess and use confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information he knew JHL Biotech was not authorized to have.
According to the plea agreement, Jordanov hired former Genentech employees to work at JHL Biotech, several of whom he learned surreptitiously brought, without authorization, confidential and proprietary documents with them from Genentech to JHL Biotech. The company used only some of the stolen documents, but Jordanov tolerated this practice by the employees of JHL Biotech and made no effort to discourage its employees from using the documents or information they brought with them. The employees Jordanov hired provided the Genentech documents and information to JHL Biotech, which, at times, allowed the company to cheat, cut corners, solve problems, provide examples, avoid further experimentation, eliminate costs, lend scientific assurance, and otherwise help JHL Biotech start-up, develop, and operate its business secretly using the intellectual property and scientific know-how taken from Genentech. Jordanov admitted that he suspected that some or all the stolen information was brought to JHL Biotech in violation of relevant Genentech non-disclosure agreements and employment contracts, but he made no effort to verify whether that was true.
In January 2014, Lin arranged for Xanthe Lam, a Principal Scientist working full-time at Genentech, to secretly work as the head of formulation for JHL Biotech. Lin encouraged JHL Biotech scientists to ask Xanthe Lam for assistance or information when they ran into problems. Throughout this time, Lin knew that Xanthe Lam continued to work for Genentech and was not authorized to work for JHL Biotech. Lin also knew that Xanthe Lam did not want Genentech to learn of her work for JHL Biotech. Lin agreed to pay Xanthe Lam’s consultancy fee through her husband, Allen Lam. To further conceal Xanthe Lam’s work for the company, JHL Biotech did not enter a direct contract with Xanthe Lam. Instead, it always paid her through Allen Lam. Lin agreed to conceal Xanthe Lam’s work for JHL Biotech because Lin knew Genentech would not permit Xanthe Lam to work for another biotech company. Lin also directed JHL Biotech employees to use Allen Lam’s JHL email address to email questions to Xanthe Lam. Lin also instructed JHL Biotech employees to refer to Xanthe Lam as “Allen” in these email communications.
In early 2014, Lin learned that JHL Biotech employees were using confidential and proprietary documents, taken without authorization from Genentech, to create a set of JHL Biotech standard operating procedure (“SOPs”). JHL Biotech needed SOPs to apply for the initial Good Manufacturing Practices or “GMP” certification of its manufacturing facility by the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration or “Taiwan FDA.” Lin was in charge of the process for ensuring that JHL Biotech met the deadlines set for the GMP certification process. In that role, Lin was copied on emails where JHL Biotech employees discussed using Genentech documents to create JHL Biotech’s SOPs. Ultimately, 90-100 SOPs were generated in this way. Lin knew the JHL Biotech employees did not have the right to use Genentech’s documents and that their actions constituted theft from Genentech.
Between 2014 and 2018, Jordanov sometimes personally used and instructed others to use confidential, proprietary, trade secret Genentech documents and information relating to Genentech’s complex technology transfer procedures and processes. He used Genentech’s confidential and tech transfer documents in the development, construction, and operation of new facilities for JHL Biotech including its manufacturing facility in Wuhan, China. Jordanov instructed the employees to whom he sent the documents not to share them with others inside the company. Later, in September of 2018, after the criminal investigation had begun, the JHL employee Jordanov tasked with using the Genentech tech transfer documents was instructed by Jordanov to delete the email from Jordanov and its attachment and Jordanov instructed the employee to tell others at JHL Biotech to do the same.
In early-December 2016, Jordanov and Lin met with representatives of Sanofi S.A., the multi-national French pharmaceutical company, for approximately one week, during which they reviewed the strategic partnership agreement to be entered into by Sanofi and JHL Biotech. During this week-long meeting, Jordanov and Lin reviewed each section of the prospective partnership agreements in detail. Some of the sections of the agreements involved JHL Biotech representing to Sanofi that it had developed and was conducting its biosimilar operations without infringing the intellectual property rights of other companies or using other companies’ proprietary information. Jordanov and Lin did not disclose their possession and use of stolen Genentech documents to Sanofi, and instead, Jordanov signed the partnership agreements on behalf of JHL Biotech. By concealing these facts, Jordanov and Lin made it appear, falsely, that JHL Biotech had developed its own, or had lawfully obtained, the intellectual property that the biotech company used when, in fact, JHL Biotech had relied upon intellectual property, including confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information that it stole or received without authorization to obtain regulatory approval for its clinical trials, and build out its manufacturing capability. Jordanov and Lin knew that if they had not concealed these facts, Sanofi would not have agreed to the corporate transaction and invest approximately $80 million in JHL Biotech securities pursuant to the subscription agreement and approximately $21 million pursuant to Biologics Products Options Agreement (BPOA) for a total investment by Sanofi in JHL Biotech of approximately $101 million.
On June 1, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Jordanov and Lin, charging both defendants with the following charges: (1) conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets and wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; (2) wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 2 (three counts each defendant); (3) international money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (nine counts against Jordanov and five counts against Lin); and (4) conspiracy to obstruct justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. In addition, the indictment charges Jordanov with two counts of theft of trade secrets, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1832(a)(1)(2)(3) and 2; and charges Lin with one additional count of making false statements to a government agency, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). Pursuant to the plea agreements, both defendants pleaded guilty to count one of the indictment, conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets and wire fraud. The remaining charges were dismissed at sentencing.
On July 7, 2021, in a related case, United States v. Xanthe Lam and Allen Lam, Case No. 18-cr-0527 WHA, both Xanthe Lam and Allen Lam pleaded guilty to, among other offenses, conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets by stealing confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information from Genentech and giving it to JHL Biotech.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam A. Reeves and Claudia A. Quiroz are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Beth Margen and Kathy Tat. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service ̶ Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Former Bank Employee Indicted in $8 Million Fraud and Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County, New Jersey, man was indicted for his role in a conspiracy to bilk millions of dollars from a bank, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Kurt Phelps, 53, of Flanders, New Jersey, is charged by indictment returned March 11, 2022, with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank bribery. Three of Phelps’ conspirators previously pleaded guilty in connection with the fraud scheme.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2013 through 2019, Phelps and his conspirators carried out a scheme to defraud Phelps’ employer, a bank. They obtained millions of dollars of credit from the bank for Starnet Business Solutions Inc. (Starnet), a now-defunct New Jersey based printing company, where Phelps’ conspirators worked. Phelps’ conspirators paid him large cash bribes in connection with the fraud scheme.
In 2013, Starnet received a line of credit from the bank after providing materially false financial information. The bank not only allowed Starnet to maintain the line of credit, at various times it increased the line of credit. By 2018, the line of credit was worth approximately $8 million, and Starnet has not repaid it.
Phelps was aware that financial information Starnet provided to the bank for the line of credit was materially false, and coached Starnet on how to defraud the bank. Phelps would review draft financial information for Starnet and provide feedback on how his conspirators should falsify the information before submission. Phelps also worked to ensure that the bank did not detect the fraud scheme by helping Starnet avoid audits and other quality control measures employed by the bank.
Phelps solicited large cash bribes – tens of thousands of dollars at a time – from Starnet in connection with the fraud scheme. Phelps’s conspirators pooled cash to pay Phelps bribe payments. Over the course of the conspiracy, Phelps accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash bribes.
The conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank bribery charges each carry a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to the indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Suchorsky of the
Economic Crimes Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fitchburg Woman Sentenced in Wide-Ranging Fentanyl, Heroin, Crack and Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fitchburg woman was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for her role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
Monica Troche, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Nov. 30, 2021, Troche pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 280 grams or more of cocaine base (crack cocaine) and 500 grams or more of cocaine. Troche also pleaded guilty to five counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.
According to court documents, following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, law enforcement began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in the Fitchburg area led by co-conspirators Pedro Baez and Anthony Baez. Intercepted phone communications by the DTO and its suppliers revealed that Troche worked with Anthony Baez to distribute a fentanyl and heroin mixture and cocaine. On six separate instances, between May and September 2019, Troche assisted Anthony Baez selling a fentanyl and heroin mixture as well as cocaine to a cooperating witness. Specifically, on Sept. 24, 2019, Troche and Anthony Baez sold a cooperating witness 500 grams of fentanyl and 500 grams of cocaine. Additionally, in August and September 2019, multiple calls between Troche and Anthony Baez were intercepted during which they discussed establishing a drug supply and customer base for Troche. At the time of her arrest in November 2019, over 58 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin were seized from Troche’s residence. In total, Troche was responsible for distributing over one kilogram of fentanyl and 500 grams of cocaine.
Over the course of the investigation, over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilograms of cocaine and over 50 grams of crack cocaine, as well as a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000 was seized.
Troche was charged along with 17 others in July 2020. Troche is the fourth defendant to be sentenced in the case. In December 2020, Anthony Baez was sentenced by Judge Hillman to 13 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Pedro Baez pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 17, 2022.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Fitchburg Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Lunenburg Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of Rollins’ Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
The operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Final Defendant in International Credit Card Scheme with 71 Shell Companies and Moscow Connections Sentenced to over 24 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Aleksandr Maslov, 40, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to 24 years and four months in prison, for his involvement in an international credit card fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to evidence presented in the trials of his co-defendants and in court documents, between approximately Oct. 5, 2011, and March 5, 2014, Maslov conspired with Rouslan Kirilyuk, 43, of Los Angeles; Mihran Melkonyan, 41, of Sacramento; Rouslan Akhmerov, 46, of Studio City; and others in a massive credit card billing scheme that involved working with Moscow‑based hackers to create approximately 71 fraudulent online companies established with the sole purpose of fraudulently charging approximately 119,000 stolen credit card numbers. In total, the members of the scheme billed the stolen credit card numbers for over $3.4 million in unauthorized charges.
To create the fraudulent companies, the members of the scheme obtained over 200 stolen report cards from the San Juan Unified School District in Sacramento. Those report cards had students’ personally identifiable information (PII) on them including names and social security numbers. Using that personal identity information, Kirilyuk and his associates created fraudulent companies with names designed to sound like real companies, such as “CVS Store,” “Walt Mart,” and “Chevran.”
Working with at least one hacker based in Moscow, Maslov and his conspirators used those fraudulent companies to charge stolen American Express credit card account numbers. To transfer the stolen money, they used shell bank accounts held in the names of individuals whose identities had been stolen and accounts in the names of former Russian J-1 Student Visa holders who had returned to Russia after opening multiple bank accounts in California.
The members of the conspiracy also used numerous runners in the Los Angeles area to withdraw money in the form of cash. The conspirators then sent a portion of the stolen money to Moscow, using prepaid debit cards and by hiding cash inside of items shipped through the mail. According to court documents, Maslov’s co-defendant, Kirilyuk has a history of corporate cyber-intrusion dating back to at least 2003.
Maslov, Kirilyuk and Melkonyan all fled to avoid prosecution. Kirilyuk was apprehended in Mexico and arrested by FBI agents after being flown to San Francisco. Melkonyan was apprehended in California after re-entering the United States. Maslov was apprehended in Virginia.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sacramento Field Division with assistance from FBI’s Los Angeles Field Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Anderson and Heiko P. Coppola prosecuted the case.
In trial on Feb. 15, 2017, Melkonyan was found guilty of 24 counts of wire fraud and two counts of mail fraud charged against him related to the scheme. He was sentenced on January 4, 2019, to 19 years and two months in prison.
In trial, on Feb. 26, 2019, Kirilyuk was found guilty of 24 counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of failure to appear. He was sentenced on Dec. 6, 2019, to 27 years in prison.
On Dec. 15, 2014, Akhmerov pleaded guilty to one count of access device fraud for his participation in the scheme and was sentenced to time served.
Federal Jury Convicts Anchorage Man on Murder and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – Following a three-week trial in U.S. District Court, a federal jury convicted an Anchorage man on charges of murder in furtherance of a continuing criminal enterprise, using a firearm to commit murder in a drug trafficking crime, drug conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Matthew Wilson Moi, aka “Matt Matt,” 36, was involved in a drug trafficking enterprise that operated in Alaska between January 2017 and October 2019. The enterprise arranged for packages of multiple kilograms of heroin and methamphetamine to be sent from California to Alaska via the U.S. Postal Service to various addresses in the Anchorage area. The drugs were then re-packaged for sale and further distribution by other members and associates of the drug ring. In 2018, Moi began directing operations in Alaska, including coordinating distribution of narcotics through the mail, while other co-conspirators arranged for shipments from California. The enterprise also laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds through deposits into financial institutions, wire transfers, and bulk cash smuggling from Alaska to other parts of the country.
In April 2019, the enterprise mailed a package of heroin to the Anchorage residence of Navarrow Andrews. After Moi and other co-conspirators spent several days attempting to recover the package without success, Moi concluded that Andrews had stolen it. On April 8, 2019, Moi shot and killed Andrews in an Anchorage alley for stealing the drugs. Moi then fled Alaska, first to Louisiana and then to Los Angeles, where he continued to assist the drug ring with the direction and shipment of narcotic packages to Alaska. In September 2019, federal agents intercepted a shipment of five kilograms of heroin destined for Wasilla. Through a coordinated series of operations, law enforcement arrested co-conspirators in Alaska, California and Florida.
“Drug trafficking is truly one of the great scourges of the modern world,” said U.S. Attorney John Kuhn of the District of Alaska. “Not only do drug traffickers destroy the lives of their customers with their addictive and deadly products, but those like Mr. Moi engage in violent acts and murder as part of their trade. This conviction finally puts an end to a prolific and highly dangerous drug trafficking operation. I commend the federal agencies and the Anchorage Police Department for their investigative work and our prosecutors for securing these convictions.”
“Matthew Wilson Moi and his criminal enterprise of dangerous drug traffickers were pushing potentially lethal drugs and brought violence to the communities in Anchorage,” said Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent-in- Charge DEA Seattle Field Division. “This conviction sends a strong message that the DEA and law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to drive down drug-related violence through coordinated enforcement operations and hold those predatory drug traffickers responsible for causing the most harm in our communities.”
“The shipment of illegal narcotics has no place in the US Postal Service and the State of Alaska. The conviction of Moi removes a dangerous criminal from the streets and provides closure to the family of his victim,” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti. “The US Postal Inspection Service will continue to aggressively investigate those who use the US Mail in support of their criminal activities. We thank our state, local and federal partners for their support and efforts in this investigation.”
“Unfortunately, no community is immune to the dangers of drug trafficking. This trial has shed additional light on the utter greed and brutality of those engaged in selling heroin and laundering its proceeds,” said Special Agent in Charge Bret Kressin, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), Seattle Field Office. “IRS:CI will not stand idly by while drug trafficking continues to irreparably harm our communities. We continue to stand with our law enforcement partners in our efforts to eradicate and dismantle violent drug trafficking organizations by exercising our expertise in tracing the ill-gotten gains of drug traffickers like Mr. Moi.”
“Ultimately this case came to fruition with the help of our partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Alaska State Troopers,” said Anchorage Police Chief Michael Kerle. “Due to the many hours of work put in by all involved, the person responsible has been brought to justice.”
Co-conspirators in the drug enterprise included:
- Jordan Jerome Shanholtzer aka “Two-3 or 23,” 34, pleaded guilty to managing a continuing criminal enterprise and is awaiting sentencing.
- Kenneth Antonio Kiare Ford, aka “Keyes,” 31, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
- Myrick Anthoni Elliott, 36, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison.
- Isaiah Michael Roderick, aka “Izzy”, 22, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
- Marvin Nelson, aka “Unc or Old School,” 57, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and IRS Criminal Investigation, investigated the case, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Anchorage Police Department and the Alaska Department of Public Safety.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Klugman and Kelly Cavanaugh prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Eagle Butte Woman Sentenced for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis Holmes announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance was sentenced on March 14, 2022, by Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court.
Frances Sioux Montero, age 40, was sentenced to seven months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a fine in the amount of $1,000, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Montero was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 10, 2021. She pled guilty on September 30, 2021.
The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on May 12, 2021, in Eagle Butte. Montero knowingly and intentionally possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute the drug.
This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case.
Montero was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Derry Man Indicted on Child Sexual Abuse Image ChargesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Jason Ellis, 45, of Derry was indicted by a federal grand jury on Monday and charged with one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography, United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
Ellis was arrested on a criminal complaint on February 16, 2022, and is being detained pending trial. The original complaint filed in court alleges that on February 12, 2021, Ellis engaged in sexually graphic online chats with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old girl. During those chats, Ellis sent an image of an erect penis to the officer. In another online chat in January of 2022, Ellis sent to the undercover officer an image of a nude, prepubescent female child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The charges in the indictment are only allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Derry Police Department.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Connecticut Man Sentenced for $4 Million Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A Weatogue, Connecticut man who conspired with an IRS officer to con the United States out of $4 million in overdue employment taxes has been sentenced to four years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Carmine Bianco, 49, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to conspiracy to defraud the United States. He was sentenced Tuesday by Senior U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means, who ordered him to pay $4,744,326 in restitution.
According to plea papers, Mr. Bianco admitted that at the suggestion of Sonya Vivar – an IRS revenue officer with whom he was friends – he acquired the assets of three businesses that were delinquent on their employment taxes, including a restaurant, an emergency services medical company, and a rehabilitation center.
In contracts with the business owners, Mr. Bianco pledged to resolve the businesses’ tax liabilities. He did not. Instead, he transferred their assets into newly formed business entities, then continued to operate the businesses under different names without paying the delinquent taxes.
Meanwhile, Ms. Vivar made sure the businesses’ tax cases were assigned to her and used her position to ensure that Bianco’s companies would not have to pay the taxes owed.
Eventually, however, the rehabilitation center case was transferred to another revenue officer, who suspected fraud and referred the case to the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and IRS – Criminal Investigations.
When she learned the case had been referred, Ms. Vivar made entries into IRS’s records system indicating Mr. Bianco was not responsible for paying employment taxes to the IRS. She then attempted to conceal her relationship with Mr. Bianco from federal investigators.
Ms. Vivar pleaded guilty in November 2020 to corrupt endeavor to obstruct or impede the due administration of internal revenue laws and was sentenced in July 2021 to three years in federal prison.
At Friday’s sentencing hearing, the judge found that due to the defendants’ crimes, the IRS lost the opportunity to collect more than $4 million in taxes and ordered restitution.
IRS – Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay Weimer and Rob Boudreau prosecuted the case.
Clearfield Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Clearfield, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 8 years in prison followed by 4 years supervised release on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Chad Lawhead, 49, of 430 19th Street, Clearfield, PA.
According to information presented to the court, from July 2019 to June 2020, Lawhead did conspire to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Ms. Chung commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Lawhead. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Millcreek Police Department, Erie Bureau of Police, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Clarksburg man indicted on drug chargesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jesse James Wilson, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was indicted today on drug charges, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Wilson, 38, was indicted today on one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine,” two counts of “Distribution of Methamphetamine,” one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine,” one count of “Possession of Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime,” one count of “Maintaining Drug-Involved Premises,” and one count of “Removing Property Subject to Forfeiture.” Wilson is accused of trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine from the summer of 2021 to October 2021 in Harrison County and elsewhere. Wilson is accused of maintaining a property on Chestnut Street in Clarksburg to further this conspiracy.
As a part of the indictment, the government is seeking Wilson to forfeit four firearms, ammunition, more than $9,000 in cash, and 27 pre-paid gift cards.
Wilson is facing up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for the conspiracy count and each of the distribution counts. He faces at least 10 years and up to life incarceration for the 50 grams or more count. Wilson faces at least five years and up to life of incarceration for the use of a firearm during a crime of violence count. He also faces up to five years of incarceration for the removing property count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the DEA; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; and the Martinsburg Police investigated.
An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Charleston Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to 14 years in prison for distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Rance McNeil, 48, sold a confidential informant approximately two ounces of methamphetamine for $1,200 on March 11, 2021. The transaction took place at McNeil’s Charleston residence. An informant conducted additional controlled buys of methamphetamine from McNeil at his residence on March 1, April 8, and May 13, 2021. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at McNeil’s residence on May 18, 2021, resulting in the seizure of large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as over $20,000 in U.S. currency. McNeil admitted he had been distributing bulk quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin and that the seized cash was drug proceeds.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Negar M. Kordestani prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00203.
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Bridgeport Heroin Distributor Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that RAY FONTANEZ, also known as “Pun,” 34, of Bridgeport, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2017, members of the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and Bridgeport Police Department began investigating individuals who were distributing narcotics in and around Bridgeport. The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, resulted in federal charges against 19 defendants and the seizure of narcotics, items used to process and package drugs for street sale, eight firearms, and more than $360,000 in cash. Fontanez was intercepted over a wiretap discussing the acquisition and distribution of heroin with Luis Martinez. The conversations revealed that Fontanez, who sold heroin to his own customers, was helping Martinez transition from the sale of cocaine and opioid pills to the sale of heroin.
Fontanez was arrested on January 15, 2019. On December 20, 2019, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Martinez, also known as “Macho,” of Stratford, pleaded guilty to narcotics distribution and firearm offenses and, on January 26, 2021, was sentenced to 63 months of imprisonment.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department, as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut State Police, and the Stratford, Norwalk, Seymour and Trumbull Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and Patrick J. Doherty through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Billings meth trafficker sentenced to more than 15 years in prisonRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in the community after law enforcement found almost one pound of meth and a loaded firearm in his vehicle was sentenced today to 15 years and eight months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Joel Zamora, 41, pleaded guilty in August 2021 to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
In court documents filed in the case, the government alleged that Zamora was repeatedly caught with large quantities of meth he intended to distribute. In November 2020, law enforcement investigating Zamora suspected he had a drug supplier in Butte and conducted a traffic stop of his vehicle on Interstate 90. A search of the vehicle pursuant to a warrant found a loaded handgun under the driver’s seat, a bag containing about 400 grams, which is slightly less than one pound, of meth in a metal box on the front passenger floorboard and $3,500 cash.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI’s Western Transnational Organized Crime Task Force and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Billings man admits trafficking meth, fentanyl, heroinRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man accused of possessing multiple drugs, including methamphetamine and more than 9,000 fentanyl pills, for distribution admitted to a trafficking crime today, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Eric Charles Swan, 44, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Swan faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Swan was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that law enforcement began an investigation into Swan and co-defendant Elizabeth Ronshaugen in 2021 after receiving information of possible drug trafficking. In November, agents observed that Swan was traveling to Denver and returning to Montana. Law enforcement pulled over Swan and Ronshaugen near Buffalo, Wyoming, and Swan was found to have several fentanyl pills in the pocket of his clothing. During a search of the vehicle, Wyoming law enforcement located approximately 9,616 fentanyl pills, approximately 466 grams, or a little more than one pound, of heroin, 103 grams of meth, a gram of cocaine, 14 Dialudid pills and $9,775 in U.S. currency. Ronshaugen has pleaded not guilty to charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas K. Godfrey is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Bank Employee Sentenced to 24 Months for Defrauding Her Employer of $1.7 MillionRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that GANGADAI RAMPERSAUD AZIM, a/k/a “Julie Azim,” was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for her role in a more than decade-long conspiracy to commit bank fraud, defrauding her employer, a Manhattan-based bank, by intentionally falsifying the bank’s books and records in order to misappropriate approximately $1.7 million. AZIM was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.
According to the allegations in the Complaint, court filings, and statements made during public court proceedings:
Between August 2008 and January 2021, AZIM, a long-time employee of a New York, New York-based bank (“Bank-1”), stole approximately $1.7 million from her employer. Over the course of approximately 12 years, AZIM executed hundreds of wire transfers of Bank-1 funds to co-conspirators and related companies, who then sent portions of the ill-gotten funds to AZIM’s personal bank account.
In furtherance of her scheme to defraud Bank-1, AZIM repeatedly made false entries in Bank-1’s systems, misappropriating funds paid to Bank-1 by its clients to satisfy outstanding loan obligations and then extending the maturity dates of those loan obligations, making it appear as though the loan obligations had not yet been paid. When even the fraudulently extended maturity dates came due, AZIM originated new, fraudulent loans, to help conceal the scheme. AZIM utilized the proceeds of those fraudulent loans to satisfy the loans for which she had previously stolen the client payments. Over the course of approximately 12 years, between 2008 and 2020, AZIM caused approximately 200 improper wire transfers of Bank-1’s funds, each for an amount under $10,000, to be sent to third party accounts, including those of co-conspirators and related companies, which then returned portions of those funds to AZIM. In doing so, AZIM abused her position at Bank-1 and enriched herself at the expense of her employer.
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In addition to the prison sentence, AZIM, 59, of Richmond Hill, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,685,723.18 in restitution and to forfeit $1,523,431.30 in criminal proceeds.
Ms. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this case.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Reilly is in charge of the prosecution.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Issues New FOIA Guidelines to Favor Disclosure and TransparencyRead the Press Release
To mark the start of Sunshine Week, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland issued comprehensive new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) guidelines today that strengthen the federal government’s commitments to transparency in government operations and the fair and effective administration of FOIA.
The Attorney General’s guidelines, which were announced in a memorandum, direct the heads of all executive branch departments and agencies to apply a presumption of openness in administering the FOIA and make clear that the Justice Department will not defend nondisclosure decisions that fail to do so. The guidelines also emphasize that the proactive disclosure of information is fundamental to the faithful application of the FOIA and note the Justice Department’s efforts to encourage proactive agency disclosures, including by providing more specific criteria regarding how relevant metrics should be reported in agency Annual FOIA Reports, as the Government Accountability Office recommended.
“At the Justice Department, and across government, our success depends upon the trust of the people we serve. That trust must be earned every day,” said Attorney General Garland. “For more than fifty years, the Freedom of Information Act has been a vital tool for advancing the principles of open government and democratic accountability that are at the heart of who we are as public servants. Together with our partners across the federal government, the Justice Department will work every day to uphold those principles, which are essential to the rule of law.”
In addition, the Attorney General’s FOIA guidelines direct federal departments and agencies to continue efforts to remove barriers to requesting and accessing government records and to reduce FOIA processing backlogs. The guidelines note, for example, that the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review is changing a policy under which it had long required individuals to file FOIA requests to obtain official copies of their own records of immigration court proceedings. The Attorney General encouraged all agencies to examine whether they have similar or other categories of records that they could make more readily accessible without requiring individuals to file FOIA requests.
“The Attorney General’s new FOIA guidelines underscore the Justice Department’s commitment to government that is open, transparent and accountable to the people we serve,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, who also serves as the Department’s Chief FOIA Officer. “The Office of Information Policy looks forward to working with agencies to ensure the presumption of openness is applied across the government.”
The Attorney General’s guidelines highlight the key role played by agency Chief FOIA Officers who report each year to the Department of Justice on their progress in improving FOIA administration and also direct agencies to training and guidance documents issued by the Justice Department’s Office of Information Policy designed to help ensure proper training and compliance with FOIA across the federal government. For more information visit www.justice.gov/oip.
Armed Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 7 YearsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Levonte C. Scales, 29, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 7 years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams of more of methamphetamine. Scales pleaded guilty to this charge on December 13, 2021.
On June 22, 2021, officers responded to a Lake Delton hotel where they encountered the defendant, who had a felony warrant for his arrest. Outside the hotel, Scales was observed carrying two backpacks and then fleeing the scene. After a short chase, officers arrested him. In the backpacks, officers found approximately 100 grams of methamphetamine, a stolen firearm which was loaded, drug packaging materials, and $3,400.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson stated that Scales was on a troubling path and a danger to the community. Further, Judge Peterson was concerned that Scales had squandered previous terms of supervision which could have changed the course of his life.
The charge against Scales was the result of an investigation conducted by the Lake Delton Police Department, Sauk County Sheriff’s Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Corey and Steven Anderson prosecuted this case.
Anderson Husband and Wife Sentenced to Prison for Sex Trafficking of MinorsRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Gary Garland, 54, and Shannon Garland, 49, both of Anderson, were sentenced to 35 years and 26 and a half years respectively for their roles in conspiracies to sex traffic minors and to produce child pornography.
Patrons of the Garland’s sex trafficking operation were also sentenced as follows: Johnny Wells, 58, was sentenced to 13 and a half years; Kianna Daily, 41, was sentenced to five years; Glenn Whitcomb, 69, was sentenced to a year and a half; Michael Skelton, 33, was sentenced to just over a year; and John Towery, 63, and Duwone Allen, 30, were sentenced to five years probation with house arrest.
“This office and its law enforcement partners work daily to protect our country’s most valuable assets, its children. We will seek swift justice for those who exploit our young people,” said U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis. “This case marks an important turning point in the fight against those who seek to exploit children by putting all would be buyers of sex on notice: law enforcement will go after not just the traffickers who force the minor victims into sexual servitude, but also those who patronize and solicit such sexual encounters.”
“The lengthy sentences received by each of these defendants holds them accountable for their heinous crimes and ensures they will be unable to abuse and traffic another child,” said Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for North and South Carolina. “HSI is grateful for the collaborative effort between our office and the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office and we will continue to jointly and aggressively investigate anyone who seeks to exploit children.”
“I want to thank my detectives for their hard work and commitment to this investigation,” said Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride. “I also want to thank our federal law enforcement partners that helped us put these evildoers away for a long time.”
Evidence presented to the Court showed that the Garlands engaged in a conspiracy to force two minor victims to engage in no less than 300 sexual encounters with themselves and other patrons for the benefit of the Garlands. The Garlands rendered the minors totally dependent on them for survival and provided illicit drugs to the minors to force their participation in the sexual acts. The Garlands solicited and advertised for the sexual encounters on the internet. Wells, Daily, Whitcomb, Skelton, and Towery responded to these sexual solicitation postings and engaged in criminal sexual acts with one of the minors. The Garlands recruited Allen, a hotel employee, to participate in the sexual exploitation of one of the minors. Gary Garland directed all of the sexual acts and required that the patrons consent to video recordings of the sexual encounters with the minor and themselves. Gary Garland subsequently shared these recordings with his co-defendants.
United States District Donald C. Coggins, Jr. imposed the federal prison sentences, which will be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. The court also ordered restitution and forfeiture of the Garlands’ home, and the Defendants will have to register as sex offenders after release.
The case was investigated HSI and the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Fisher Sherard and Winston Marosek prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Alden Man Going to Prison on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051BUFFALO, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Brandon Kidder, 37, of Alden, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve 72 months in prison and 25 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who handled the case, stated that on May 24, 2019, Kidder possessed images and videos of child pornography, which were stored on his cellular telephone and other electronic storage media. Kidder obtained the images and videos by downloading them from the internet – specifically the dark web. For example, Kidder visited and downloaded images from a dark website featuring “Hurtcore” materials. The term “Hurtcore” means any image or depiction of violent child pornography. On January 28, 2020, the FBI executed a search warrant at Kidder’s residence and seized a number of devices and electronic storage media. A forensic review revealed more than 600 images and videos of child pornography, including images that portrayed prepubescent minors, or minors under the age of 12, as well as depictions of violence.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Stephen Belongia.
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14 March 2022
Washington, D.C. Man Who Was Driving Under the Influence of PCP is Sentenced to 42 Months in Federal Prison for Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Tervell Ham, age 46, of Washington, D.C., to 42 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for involuntary manslaughter, in connection with the deaths of two passengers in his vehicle from a crash when Ham was driving under the influence of PCP.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the U.S. Park Police.
According to Ham’s plea agreement, on December 29, 2019, Ham was driving on the Suitland Parkway in Maryland, accompanied by two female passengers (Victim A and Victim B), who were sisters. Witnesses saw Ham driving recklessly and erratically. One witness saw Ham driving on and off the grassy median. Another witness saw Ham drive his car off the roadway, hit a tree, and roll over. Victim B, who was the rear-seat passenger was ejected from the vehicle in the crash. She was transported to the hospital where she died. Victim A was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy of both victims concluded that they died of multiple injuries sustained during the crash.
Ham was transported to a hospital where he provided written consent to have blood drawn for testing to determine the presence of any alcohol or drugs. The sample was positive for the presence of marijuana and PCP. An analysis showed that Ham had 0.03 milligrams of PCP per liter in his body at the time of the crash and was under the influence of PCP. It was unsafe for Ham to operate a motor vehicle under the influence of PCP.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the U.S. Park Police for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hollis R. Weisman and Rajeev R. Raghavan, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Wagner Man Charged with Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that a Wagner, South Dakota, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Harold Dean Johnson, Jr., age 42, was indicted on March 1, 2022. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on March 11, 2022, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 10 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that Johnson, who had previously been convicted of a sex crime and required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, failed to do so between October 10, 2021, and March 1, 2022.
The charge is merely an accusation and Johnson is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper is prosecuting the case.
Johnson was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Releases Its 2021 Annual ReportRead the Press Release
SCRANTON –U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus today issued the 2021 Annual Report for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
“As public servants, we are accountable to the citizens we serve and our efforts at transparency include publicizing our work and accomplishments,” said U.S. Attorney Gurganus. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our partner agencies, had many successes in 2021. This Annual Report is just a summary of those accomplishments and highlights the achievements in each major program of our office which seek to improve the safety and quality of life for the people of our district.”
The accomplishments summarized in this report are due to the hard work of our 92 dedicated professionals, including the steady leadership of former United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler. In 2021, Assistant United States Attorneys prosecuted approximately 335 criminal cases involving 464 defendants, and our Civil Division handled over 790 cases representing the interests of the federal government, including obtaining over $12 million in criminal and civil actions. We continued to participate in numerous community outreach programs designed to educate the public and reduce recidivism, violent crimes, and opioid dependence.
“It’s an honor to work with the members of this office and with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to seek justice and make the Middle District of Pennsylvania safer, said U.S. Attorney Gurganus. “I trust that the report will give you a fuller understanding of our mission.”
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