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11 March 2022
Woodbridge Money Launderer Sentenced for his Role in a Romance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Woodbridge man was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for engaging in financial transactions with illegal proceeds as part of a romance fraud scheme against mostly elderly victims.
According to court documents, beginning in February 2016, Abdul Rasak Garuba, 41, received large wire transfers from a number of senior citizens living throughout the United States who were duped into believing that they were sending money at the request of and for the benefit of romantic partners they met through online dating sites. In fact, the victims had been directed to send money to Garuba by individuals in Nigeria who were operating a “romance fraud” scheme.
To receive the funds, Garuba opened a number of bank accounts at local bank branches in Virginia. A victim of the scheme called his bank to report that the money he wired to Garuba was induced through fraud. In the ensuing investigation, Garuba lied and told his bank that he was engaged in business with the victims, had purchased cars for them, and had the paperwork to prove it. Garuba’s bank closed his account for fraud when he failed to produce any records. However, he continued to perpetrate the fraud scheme by accepting shipments of cash and wire transfers from victims.
In total, Garuba transferred approximately 15% of the nearly $2.9 million that the fraudsters obtained from the victims. During this period, Garuba was aware that much of this money was obtained through fraudulent means and that he was furthering the fraud. Garuba used the illegal proceeds to purchase vehicles at auction in the United States and then shipped the vehicles to Nigeria for the benefit of the leaders of the “romance fraud” scheme.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carina A. Cuellar and Kimberly Riley Pedersen prosecuted the case.
Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. Elder abuse is an intentional or negligent act by any person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to an older adult. It is a term used to describe five subtypes of elder abuse: physical abuse, financial fraud, scams and exploitation, caregiver neglect and abandonment, psychological abuse, and sexual abuse. Elder abuse is a serious crime against some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens, affecting at least 10 percent of older Americans every year. Together with our federal, state, local and tribal partners, the Department of Justice is steadfastly committed to combatting all forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation through enforcement actions, training and resources, research, victim services, and public awareness. This holistic and robust response demonstrates the Department’s unwavering dedication to fighting for justice for older Americans.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:20-cr-201.
Winnsboro Man Sentenced for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Fazon Davis, 25, of Winnsboro, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 240 months (20 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for production of child pornography.
Davis was indicted by a federal grand jury and pleaded guilty to the production of child pornography on November 22, 2021. According to information presented in court at the hearing, on March 25, 2019, a 16-year-old female went to a medical center in New Orleans, Louisiana and alleged that she had been sexually assaulted and trafficked by an individual in New Orleans. Staff at the medical center reported the allegations to the Louisiana State Police and they began an investigation. During their investigation, law enforcement agents examined the victim’s Facebook account and content and found sexually explicit messages and communications between the victim and Davis on the account. Agents obtained a search warrant for Davis’s Facebook account and discovered sexually explicit communications and content between Davis and the victim.
Davis was interviewed by agents on May 24, 2020, and he acknowledged that he and the victim had exchanged messages and content but denied having sex with the victim. However, agents obtained a search warrant for his cell phone and discovered multiple videos of Davis and the victim having sex. Through technology available to law enforcement, they learned that the videos were produced on March 16, 2019, at a residential area in Monroe, Louisiana.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Louisiana State Police and Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell.
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Winnebago Man Sentenced to 25 Years for ManslaughterRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Jonathan D. Rooney, age 27, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for the killing and burning of Kozee Decorah. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr sentenced Rooney to 25 years’ imprisonment: 120 months for manslaughter and 180 months for destruction of evidence. The sentences will run consecutively. After his release from prison, Rooney will begin a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
A federal jury found Rooney guilty of manslaughter and destruction of evidence in December 2021. Rooney killed Decorah, 22, and then burned her body and other evidence at an abandoned cabin on the Winnebago Indian Reservation.
On May 16, 2020, Decorah called the Winnebago Police Department to report that the vehicle that she, Rooney, and their infant son were using was stuck in the mud in a remote area of the Winnebago Reservation. When Winnebago Conservation Officers located the vehicle, they were unable to locate Decorah, Rooney, or their baby. The officers noticed a fire near midnight in an outhouse of a remote cabin. Rooney was found in the cabin naked in a bed with his clothes missing. The baby was with him. Blood droplets were observed in the cabin. Human remains in the form of a skull were found in the fire. Decorah was identified through dental records.
While pronouncing Rooney’s sentence, Chief Judge Rossiter noted this case involved the “tragic death of a young woman and young mother.” Chief Judge Rossiter called Rooney’s actions “unforgivable” and noted that Rooney tried to “erase your [Rooney’s] deeds by incineration without care or remorse.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Winnebago Police Department, the Winnebago Conservation Office, Winnebago Volunteer Firefighters, and the Nebraska State Fire Marshal.
Violent Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of RifleRead the Press Release
Paducah, Kentucky – A Paducah man was sentenced today to 77 months in prison for possessing a rifle after having been previously convicted of a felony.
According to court documents, Denzel Powell, 29, of Paducah, Kentucky possessed a Ruger, Model AR-556 rifle in March of 2021. When Powell was arrested on this charge in June of 2021 in Mayfield, Kentucky, he was in possession of three additional firearms, to include an AR-15 style short-barreled rifle described as a “ghost gun” with no markings, and a Glock pistol stolen from Paducah. Powell was convicted in 2017 for Second-Degree Manslaughter, in relation to a 2016 shooting at the “Brick House” in Paducah.
“This case serves as an example of the collaboration which takes place on an ongoing basis between Louisville Division ATF agents and local law enforcement agencies throughout the Western District,” stated Michael A. Bennett U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky. “We will continue to aggressively prosecute violations of federal firearms laws in order to make our communities safer for all citizens.”
“Reducing violent crime and protecting our communities is our priority,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Louisville Division. “ATF will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to make sure those individuals who commit firearms crimes are arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and Paducah Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Mayfield Police Department and the Graves County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Hancock 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.
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United States Attorney’s Office Resolves Lawsuit Against BayPort Credit Union for Violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief ActRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – BayPort Credit Union (“BayPort”), located in Newport News, has agreed to pay nearly $110,000 to settle allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by charging excessive interest on servicemembers’ loans and other credit products and repossessing servicemembers’ vehicles without court orders.
The SCRA requires creditors to reduce the interest rate on servicemembers’ financial obligations, including retail installment sales contracts, to 6% in certain circumstances. The SCRA also prohibits repossessing a motor vehicle from a servicemember during military service without a court order, as long as the servicemember made a deposit or installment payment on the loan before entering military service.
The settlement, which must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, resolves a lawsuit filed today by the Department of Justice. The lawsuit alleges that BayPort unlawfully charged interest in excess of 6% to 21 servicemembers who qualified for and sought SCRA interest rate benefits. In at least one instance, BayPort told a servicemember that reducing the interest rate would increase her monthly payment. The lawsuit also alleges that BayPort unlawfully repossessed three servicemembers’ motor vehicles without court orders. In at least one of those cases, BayPort knew about the borrower’s military service and repossessed the vehicle from a military base.
Under the terms of today’s settlement, BayPort must pay nearly $70,000 to the affected servicemembers. Additionally, BayPort must pay $40,000 to the United States as a civil penalty. The agreement also requires BayPort to revise its policies and procedures to prevent future SCRA violations and provide SCRA training to its employees.
“Entering military service can create financial hardships for our servicemembers who make incredible sacrifices for our nation’s security,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This consent order helps ensure that these men and women are not disadvantaged by their military service and that servicemembers’ rights are protected going forward.”
“This case is just the latest example of the Justice Department’s steadfast commitment to safeguarding the rights of servicemembers, who make so many sacrifices in defending our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will continue to vigorously enforce the protections to which servicemembers are entitled under federal law, including their right to a 6% interest rate cap on loans and a right not to have their car repossessed without a court order.”
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section. The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deirdre G. Brou and Trial Attorney Alan Martinson. The civil claims settled by this SCRA agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe their SCRA rights have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/.
The Justice Department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the department has obtained over $476 million in monetary relief for over 121,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. Additional information on the department’s enforcement of the SCRA and other laws protecting servicemembers is available at www.servicemembers.gov.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
U.S. Navy Reserves Officer Appeared on Charges of Alleged Bribery and Visa FraudRead the Press Release
A Florida man who serves as a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves appeared today on criminal charges related to an alleged bribery scheme involving special visas for Afghan nationals.
According to court documents, Jeromy Pittmann, 53, of Pensacola, Florida, currently residing in Naples, Italy, was paid to draft, submit, or falsely verify false letters of recommendation for citizens of Afghanistan who applied to the U.S. Department of State for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs). There is a limited supply of SIVs each year for Afghan nationals employed as translators for U.S. military personnel. Pittmann is alleged to have signed over 20 false letters in which he represented, among other things, that he had supervised the applicants while they worked as translators in support of the U.S. Army and NATO; that the applicants’ lives were in jeopardy because the Taliban considered them to be traitors; and that he did not think the applicants posed a threat to the national security of the United States. In exchange, Pittmann is alleged to have received thousands of dollars in bribes.
Pittmann made his initial appearance today. He is charged with accepting bribes and conspiring to commit visa fraud. If convicted of both counts, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney John J. Farley for the District of New Hampshire; Inspector General John F. Sopko of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR); Special Agent in Charge Eric Maddox of the Economic Crimes Field Office of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS); and Special Agent in Charge Stanley A. Newell of the Transnational Operations Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) made the announcement.
SIGAR, NCIS, and DCIS are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Matt Kahn of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Dronzek for the District of New Hampshire are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Harford County Cocaine Dealers Convicted After Federal Trial for Their Participation in a Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Che Jaron Durbin, age 43, of Aberdeen, Maryland and Terrell Darnell Walton, age 36, of Delaware, yesterday on federal charges related to their participation in a drug trafficking organization distributing cocaine and crack cocaine in Harford County, Maryland. Specifically, the jury convicted Durbin and Walton for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine. The jury also found Durbin guilty of two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
The guilty verdict was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Harford County State’s Attorney Albert J. Peisinger, Jr.; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office; and the Harford County Drug Task Force, a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, comprised of members of the Harford County Sheriff's Office, the Aberdeen Police Department, the Bel Air Police Department, and the Havre de Grace Police Department.
According to evidence presented at the eight-day trial, in May 2019, members of the Harford County Drug Task Force were investigating Durbin, who was suspected of drug trafficking in the Harford County area. Durbin testified at trial that he had a previous federal drug trafficking conviction in Maryland, as well as a previous conviction in Harford County Circuit Court for drug trafficking.
Witnesses testified that on May 17, 2019, a U.S. Postal Inspector notified detectives that a suspicious package was en route to Durbin’s mother’s apartment in Aberdeen, Maryland. Detectives watched as a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier delivered the parcel to Durbin, who took it into the apartment. A short time later, a woman, later identified as co-defendant Jameka Cara Thompson, left the apartment with the parcel and drove to her home. Law enforcement detained Thompson and obtained a search warrant for her vehicle. The parcel was found to contain one kilogram of compressed cocaine. Further investigation revealed that co-defendant Jack Anderson from Tucson, Arizona was the sender of the package.
On January 22, 2020, law enforcement learned from U.S. Postal Inspectors that Durbin sent a parcel from Havre de Grace, Maryland, addressed to Anderson in Tucson, Arizona. A search warrant was obtained for the parcel after a K9 gave a positive alert. The parcel contained $82,300 in cash inside a wireless headphones box.
In February 2020, as part of the investigation, law enforcement intercepted Durbin’s communications, as well as those of Anderson, Walton, and other co-defendants to whom Durbin supplied cocaine and crack. The evidence at trial also showed that Walton obtained cocaine from Durbin, which Walton then sold to a network of individuals in Harford County. Intercepted communications between Durbin and Walton included discussions regarding the amounts of drugs and the price, often using coded language.
According to trial testimony, in May 2020, law enforcement surveilled Durbin meeting with Anderson at a Tucson, Arizona hotel. Soon after the meeting, Durbin picked Thompson up at the Tucson Airport and drove her back to his hotel room. Durbin flew back to Maryland the next day and Thompson ultimately obtained a bulk supply of cocaine from Anderson on Durbin’s behalf. Thompson drove cross-country from Arizona to Harford County, where she was arrested on May 12, 2020. Law enforcement searched her vehicle, seizing an additional 1.4 kilograms of cocaine. Durbin was also arrested. According to trial testimony, over the course of the conspiracy Thompson made at least eight similar trips on Durbin’s behalf, transporting almost 40 kilograms of cocaine to Maryland for Durbin to distribute.
Durbin and Walton each face a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine. Durbin also faces a maximum of 40 years in federal prison for each of two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has not scheduled sentencing dates for Durbin or Walton.
Co-defendant Jack Anderson IV, age 45, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced to 126 months in federal prison in December 2021, after Anderson entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Co-defendants Jameka Cara Thompson, age 41, of Abingdon, Maryland; Garrick Devlon Jackson, age 39, of Havre de Grace, Maryland; and Michael Ronnell Wells, age 37, of Forest Hill, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office, the DEA, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, and the Harford County Drug Task Force for their work in the investigation and thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Romano and Jason X. Hamilton, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Tigard Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking and Laundering Proceeds Through Bottled Water CompanyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Tigard, Oregon man is facing federal charges for sex trafficking by force and laundering proceeds through Necci Hydrate, a bottled water company based in Portland.
Johnell Lee Cleveland, 40, has been charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; money laundering; and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
This is the second time in five months Cleveland has been indicted in federal court. In November 2021, he was indicted for perpetrating insurance and Covid-relief fraud schemes while on federal supervised release.
According to the indictment, beginning in August 2020 and continuing until his arrest in November 2021, Cleveland used force and coercion to cause an adult victim to engage in commercial sex acts. Cleveland used funds generated by the sex trafficking to pay business expenses for Necci Hydrate, including costs for bottling and manufacturing, rental of a corporate office in Portland, merchandising, and a monthly retainer with a modeling agency. These payments were made to conceal and disguise the nature of his sex trafficking proceeds.
If convicted, Cleveland faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Portland Police Bureau Human Trafficking Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter D. Sax is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If you or someone you know is in danger, please call 911. If you are a human trafficking victim or have information about a potential human trafficking situation, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888 or by texting 233733. Calls and texts are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Human trafficking is a serious federal crime where individuals are compelled by force, fraud, or coercion to engage in commercial sex, labor, or domestic servitude against their will. Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause unimaginable harm. In January 2022, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland launched a new national strategy to combat human trafficking that aims to prevent all forms of trafficking, prosecute trafficking cases, and support trafficking victims and survivors.
Three Men Arrested on Federal Gun and Drug Charges as a Part of DOJ Violent Crime Prevention InitiativeRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama, the Montgomery Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), announce that three individuals were arrested following federal indictments on gun and drug charges as part of an initiative to combat violent crime.
Jeremy Rishard Jackson, 28, from Montgomery, was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Mahorace Laguaria Jackson, 39, from Montgomery, was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Thomas Jamel Youngblood, 39, from Coosada, was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jeremy Jackson and Thomas Youngblood were arrested yesterday. Mahorace Jackson’s arrest occurred today.
An indictment is merely an allegation that a crime has been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Youngblood made an initial appearance in federal court yesterday. Jeremy and Mahorace Jackson are set to make their initial appearances in court today. All three will remain in United States Marshals’ custody pending a detention hearing that will take place early next week.
If convicted, Jeremy and Mahorace Jackson are facing sentences of five years to life in prison. Thomas Youngblood is facing a maximum sentence of ten years. There is no parole in the federal system.
These cases are being prosecuted pursuant to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a program in which U.S. Attorneys’ offices work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN as part of its renewed focus on targeting armed violent criminals and gang members.
United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart would like to thank the Montgomery Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for investigating these cases, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Jones, Joshua Wendell, and B. Chelsea Phillips are prosecuting the cases.
Tennessee Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Receiving Deceased Mother's Retirement BenefitsRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Leslie Schwinzer, 46, of Knoxville, pleaded guilty to a one count Information of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 in the United States District Court at Knoxville. Sentencing is set for July 14, 2022, at 11:00 a.m., before the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Schwinzer faces a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years in prison and will be ordered to pay $56,351.55 in restitution to New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS).
As part of the written plea agreement filed with the court on January 31, 2022, Schwinzer waived an indictment by a Federal Grand Jury and agreed to plead guilty to the aforementioned charge. Schwinzer admitted that she failed to notify the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the New York State Comptroller’s Office, NYSLRS from which Schwinzer’s mother received a pension benefit, that Schwinzer’s mother had passed away on July 3, 2018. Instead, Schwinzer continued to receive both monthly NYSLRS payments and bi-weekly Social Security payments into a joint bank account held with her mother after her mother’s death.
The plea agreement detailed that, in total, SSA and NYSLRS deposited $92,222.55 into the joint account after Schwinzer’s mother’s death. Schwinzer withdrew all the deposited funds from the account until she was questioned by the bank on December 19, 2019, about whether her mother had passed away. However, Schwinzer continued to allow SSA and NYSLRS payments to be made into the account until January 31, 2021. Schwinzer acknowledged that she was not lawfully permitted to retain the funds from SSA and NYSLRS. SSA was able to recover the funds that it had paid to the joint account following Schwinzer’s mother’s death. Schwinzer has agreed to pay $56,351.55 to NYSLRS.
This prosecution is the result of a joint investigation by the Social Security Administration Inspector General Office and the New York Comptroller’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Frank M. Dale Jr. represented the United States.
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St. Louis man sentenced to 10 years in prison for enticement of a minorRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Jason Draggs, Jr., 24, of St. Louis, Missouri appeared before United States District Court Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on today’s date and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the coercion and enticement of a minor. Draggs previously pleaded guilty in November.
According to the plea agreement, Between the dates of April 1, 2020, and May 9, 2020, Draggs communicated with three teenaged females using internet-based communication including social media applications such as Snapchat. During these communications, Draggs requested, persuaded, induced and enticed the minors to send him nude images and engage in sexual contact with him. Draggs knowing one victim was a minor, engaged in multiple sexual acts with her. Multiple videos were produced of this sexual contact and were exchanged and stored via the internet-based social media application Snapchat.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Springfield, Illinois man Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois man, Isaah Washington, 33, of the 900 block of South 17th Street in Springfield, Illinois, has been sentenced to 63 months for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Washington received an additional 21-month sentence, to be served consecutively, for violating the terms of his supervised release. He was on supervised release for a prior federal firearms offense.
At the sentencing hearing, the evidence showed Washington attempted to flee on foot from a Springfield Police Officer during a traffic stop while carrying a stolen firearm loaded with an extended magazine containing 19 rounds of ammunition. At the time of the traffic stop, Washington was on supervised release after serving a prior federal prison sentence for possessing a firearm by a prohibited person.
Washington was indicted in February of 2021 and pleaded guilty in October of 2021.
The statutory penalties for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person are not more than 10 years of imprisonment, not more than a $250,000 fine, not more than 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment.
The Department of Justice’s recent renewed commitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods establishes four fundamental principles to guide efforts to reduce violent crime: (1) build trust and legitimacy within communities; (2) invest in community-based prevention and intervention programs; (3) target enforcement and priorities to focus resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of gun violence and other violent crime; and (4) measure results with the goal of reducing the level of violence in our communities, not increasing the number of arrests and prosecutions as if they were ends in and of themselves.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Springfield Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.
Springfield, Illinois Man Convicted of Two Counts of Receiving and One Count of Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Donald Dorosheff, 75, of the 400 block of North 4th Street in Springfield, Illinois, was convicted of receiving and possessing child pornography on March 10, 2022, following a two-day trial in front of U.S. District Judge Sue E. Meyerscough. Dorosheff’s sentencing has been scheduled for July 15, 2022, at the U.S. Courthouse in Springfield.
Over the two days of testimony, the government presented evidence to establish that from May 2013 to March 3, 2016, Dorosheff repeatedly accessed and downloaded child pornography to his laptop computer from the Internet. On March 3, 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant at Dorosheff’s apartment in the Sangamon Towers in Springfield and seized his computer, an external hard drive, and various flash drives. During a subsequent forensic analysis of the computer evidence, the FBI determined that Dorosheff received and possessed more than 2,000 child pornography images and 28 child pornography videos, most of which involved prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Dorosheff was ordered detained pending sentencing. At sentencing, Dorosheff faces statutory penalties for the receipt offenses of a minimum of five to twenty years of imprisonment, a minimum of five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine; and up to 20 years of imprisonment, a minimum of five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine for the possession offense.
The case investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass and Assistant U. S. Attorney Sierra Senor-Moore represented the government at trial.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Sampson County Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 13+ Years for 8-Year Long Conspiracy to Distribute DrugsRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Clinton man was sentenced today to 165 months in prison and five years of supervised release for a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana that began in 2012 and extended into 2019. On December 7, 2020, Edward Neil Corbett pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Corbett, 42, was responsible for distributing over 2,000 grams of methamphetamine, over 3,500 grams of cocaine, and 34 kilograms of marijuana. The investigation revealed that Corbett provided drugs to several violent gang members in Sampson County. Corbett was also held accountable for possessing dangerous weapons during his drug trafficking and maintaining a house in Clinton to distribute his drugs.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, Clinton Police Department, and ATF investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Lemons prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:21-CR-17-M.
Pittsfield Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison in Multi-Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Pittsfield man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed multiple drugs in the Brockton area.
Edward Chapman, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 11 years in prison and eight years of supervised release. In March 2020, Chapman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base, oxycodone, and marijuana.
In 2018, law enforcement began investigating members of a violent drug trafficking organization (DTO) in Brockton. The investigation identified Chapman, a Pittsfield area drug trafficker with three prior state court convictions for drug distribution offenses, as a heroin and cocaine dealer who was being supplied by co-conspirator and fellow DTO member Jose Perez Felix. Intercepted calls revealed that Chapman regularly picked up heroin and cocaine from Perez Felix.
In June 2019, a federal grand jury sitting in Boston, returned a 16-count indictment, charging Chapman and 16 others with controlled substance and firearm offenses. Chapman is the 11th defendant to be sentenced in the case. All remaining defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Alathea Porter of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Clean Air Act ViolationRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ty Allen Barnett, of Dover, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty to the improper handling and removing of regulated asbestos containing material as required by federal law.
A ten-count indictment filed in January 2020, charged Lobar Inc., First Capital Insulation, Inc., Francis Richard Yingling Jr., Dennis Lee Charles Jr., M&J Excavation Inc., John August Sidari Jr., and Ty Allen Barnett, with various violations of the federal Clean Air Act arising from disturbing and removing asbestos in violation of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants regulations. Lobar Inc. pleaded guilty on Feb. 9. The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty and are currently scheduled for trial in June 2022 before U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson.
Asbestos was designated a hazardous air pollutant in 1971 which can become airborne and can be inhaled into the lungs. There is no known safe amount of exposure.
According to U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, the criminal charge is the result of Barnett’s activity as the project supervisor for the asbestos abatement contractor, First Capital Insulation Inc., on the Berwick Area School District project in Berwick, Pennsylvania. The scope of the project was designed to safely remove environmentally hazardous materials from the site, demolish the former weaving mill building, and construct a new elementary school.
Prior to purchasing the mill in January 2014, the Berwick Area School District obtained an environmental assessment report that identified hazardous substances, including asbestos, located in the old facility. The existence of asbestos was confirmed by an environmental consultant. The findings of both assessments were shared with Lobar, and its subcontractors responsible for asbestos removal and demolition. Despite this, the demolition went forward before the asbestos was properly removed until stopped by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Howard P. Stewart, Senior Litigation Counsel from the Justice Department‘s Environmental Crimes Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Miovas and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Miller for the Middle District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case. The case was investigated by the Criminal Investigation Division of the EPA.
The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Clean Air Act ViolationRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that on March 9, 2022, Ty Allen Barnett, of Dover, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty to the improper handling and removing of regulated asbestos containing material as required by federal law.
A ten-count indictment filed in January 2020, charged Lobar Inc., First Capital Insulation, Inc., Francis Richard Yingling, Jr., Dennis Lee Charles Jr., M&J Excavation Inc., John August Sidari, Jr., and Ty Allen Barnett, with various violations of the federal Clean Air Act arising from disturbing and removing asbestos in violation of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants regulations. Lobar, Inc. pleaded guilty on Feb. 9, 2022. The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty and are currently scheduled for trial in June 2022 before U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson.
Asbestos was designated a hazardous air pollutant in 1971 which can become airborne and can be inhaled into the lungs. There is no known safe amount of exposure.
According to U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, the criminal charge is the result of Barnett’s activity as the project supervisor for the asbestos abatement contractor, First Capital Insulation Inc., on the Berwick Area School District project in Berwick, Pennsylvania. The scope of the project was designed to safely remove environmentally hazardous materials from the site, demolish the former weaving mill building, and construct a new elementary school.
Prior to purchasing the mill in January 2014, the Berwick Area School District obtained an environmental assessment report that identified hazardous substances, including asbestos, located in the old facility. The existence of asbestos was confirmed by an environmental consultant. The findings of both assessments were shared with Lobar, and its subcontractors responsible for asbestos removal and demolition. Despite this, the demolition went forward before the asbestos was properly removed until stopped by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
“Exposure to airborne asbestos fibers can pose a serious health risk to workers and members of the public,” said EPA Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Lynn. “The defendant knowingly failed to follow the required safety practices when working with asbestos containing materials, potentially endangering the health of workers and the public.”
Howard P. Stewart, Senior Litigation Counsel from the Environmental Crimes Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice, Assistant United States Paul Miovas and Special Assistant United States Attorney Patricia Miller of the Middle District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case. The case was investigated by the Criminal Investigation Division of the EPA.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Patient Recruiter Pleads Guilty to $870,000 Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
A Florida man pleaded guilty today in the Southern District of Florida for a scheme to receive kickbacks and bribes in exchange for referring Medicare beneficiaries to five South Florida home health agencies for services that the patients did not need and, in many cases, never received.
Ernesto Espinosa, 71, of Miami, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. According to court documents, from January 2010 to June 2015, Espinosa and his co-conspirators paid kickbacks to Medicare beneficiaries to recruit them for referral to home health agencies. Espinosa also coached the Medicare beneficiaries, who did not need home health services, on what to say to obtain home health prescriptions from doctors. In exchange for referring these beneficiaries, Espinosa solicited and received kickbacks and bribes from the home health agencies. Espinosa and the home health agencies attempted to disguise these kickbacks and bribes by routing them through shell companies controlled by Espinosa. The home health agencies then submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for services that were not medically necessary and typically not even provided. As a result of this fraud, Espinosa and his co-conspirators caused Medicare to make payments of approximately $870,000 for the bogus claims. Espinosa personally netted approximately $630,000 from the scheme.
Espinosa is scheduled to be sentenced on May 24 and faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Kelly M. Lyons, Alexander Thor Pogozelski and Jamie De Boer of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
Operation False Haven: Convicted Child Molester Sentenced for Using a Fraudulently Obtained Naturalization Certificate and Civilly DenaturalizedRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that today in federal court, Billy Efrain Penaranda, age 39, a naturalized citizen of the United States, born in Bolivia and residing in Pitt County, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II to two years’ probation following a guilty plea to using a fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate. Moreover, Penaranda was civilly denaturalized as a U.S. citizen.
According to court records, on June 20, 2019, Penaranda knowingly used a fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate to apply for a North Carolina driver’s license. On August 31, 2009, Penaranda fraudulently acquired U.S. citizenship and a certificate of naturalization by making materially false statements under oath on his naturalization application. In response to the question “Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?” he answered “No.”
On November 14, 2012, in the Superior Court of North Carolina in Craven County, Penaranda was convicted of indecent liberties with a child. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of between 16 and 20 months and ordered to register as a sex offender. According to the indictment to which he pled guilty, Penaranda committed the crime between January 1, 2008, and December 29, 2009. The victim was 12 years old. Prior to his arrest, Penaranda provided police with a written confession in which he admitted to molesting and photographing the naked victim multiple times over a nearly two-year period. Penaranda was not arrested until after he naturalized, thus immigration officials were unaware of his crime.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. Agents with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, assigned to the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force, investigated the case as part of Operation False Haven (OFH), in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s Office of Immigration Litigation. OFH is an initiative designed to purpose-built to identify and prosecute child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sebastian Kielmanovich prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00445-M-1.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 274 Months for Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Lonnie L. Perry, age 29, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court for two counts of interference with interstate commerce by way of robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm, during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of discharging a firearm, during and in relation to a crime of violence. Chief United States District Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Perry to 274 months (22 years, 10 months) in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing his term of imprisonment, Perry will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Perry was found guilty by a jury of the four charges following a trial in July of 2021.
On October 25, 2017, Perry entered the Select Mart convenience store in Omaha and brandished a weapon at a store employee. A father was shopping inside the store with his young son, and they hid in a backroom of the store until the police arrived at the scene.
On November 5, 2017, Perry entered the VP Racing Station convenience store in Omaha, brandished a weapon at two store employees and then fired his weapon into two vehicles fleeing the scene. Each vehicle had a family with a child in it, and the bullet from the second shot landed next to the car seat of a two-year-old boy, nearly striking him. The bullet landed on the driver’s seat floorboard of the first vehicle.
On November 6, 2017, Omaha Police officers arrived at an apartment complex for a disturbance where Perry was identified brandishing a weapon. While near a Runza restaurant, officers saw Perry drop a gun into a trash can. Perry resisted arrest. He was transported to a hospital for treatment. Perry escaped custody in handcuffs and was arrested again later that same day. The weapon was tied through ballistics to the shooting at the robbery the day before and had Perry’s DNA on it.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Great Plains Violent Crimes Task Force.
New Mexico man arraigned for sexual abuse of children in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Christian Quintana, 33, of Dulce, New Mexico, was arraigned in federal court on March 9 on a three-count indictment charging him with abusive sexual contact, aggravated sexual abuse by force or threat, and aggravated sexual abuse of a child. Quintana will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
A federal grand jury indicted Quintana on Oct. 26, 2021. According to the indictment, between Oct. 1, 2012, and Oct. 30, 2013, Quintana allegedly engaged in sexual contact with a child, identified as Jane Doe 1. Between April 10, 2015, and May 10, 2016, Quintana allegedly engaged in a sexual act with Jane Doe 1, who at the time was less than 12 years old.
Between Oct. 17, 2019, and Oct. 17, 2020, Quintana allegedly engaged in a sexual act with a second victim, a minor identified as Jane Doe 2. He allegedly did so by force.
The abuse charged in the indictment is alleged to have taken place in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, in Indian Country. Both victims are enrolled members of the Jicarilla Apache Tribe.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Quintana faces a minimum of 30 years and up to life in prison.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea N. Van Deventer is prosecuting the case.
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New Haven Crack Dealer Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that that JERRY ROLLINS, also known as “Prank,” 37, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing crack cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an FBI New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and New Haven Police Department investigation into narcotics trafficking in the Hill section of New Haven. The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps and multiple controlled purchases of crack. Between July and September 2020, investigators made five controlled purchases of crack from Rollins. Intercepted communications subsequently confirmed that Rollins was selling distribution quantities of crack to other street-level dealers.
Rollins was arrested on January 26, 2021. On that date, a search of his residence revealed crack, narcotics processing and packaging materials, and more than $9,000 in cash.
Rollins has been detained since his arrest. On October 20, 2021, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, cocaine base (“crack”).
The FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force includes members from the New Haven Police Department, Milford Police Department, Hamden Police Department, East Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and West Haven Police Department have assisted the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile and Marc H. Silverman 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.
Moline Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa– A Moline, Illinois man, Jose Antonio Tapia, age 43, was sentenced yesterday to 72 months in prison for Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Tapia was ordered to serve three years of supervised release to follow his prison term and immediately pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
Law enforcement identified Tapia when they responded to an altercation at a strip club in Davenport. Tapia and another male were involved and Tapia brandished a loaded firearm, racked the slide, and displayed it in a threatening manner before fleeing the club. Tapia discarded the firearm as he ran. Law enforcement retraced Tapia’s steps and located the firearm. Tapia was also in possession of marijuana and a distribution amount of cocaine base. Tapia pleaded guilty to the charge on November 15, 2021.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.
Mishawaka Man Sentenced to 71 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Brandyn Blacharski, 29 years old, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Blacharski was sentenced to 71 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in August of 2020, Blacharski was involved in a shooting in Mishawaka. He left the scene of the shooting in order to dispose of the firearm and was eventually arrested with the firearm in his possession. Blacharski had at least four prior felony convictions and was out on bond for a burglary case at the time of this offense.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Saint Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit, South Bend Police Department, Mishawaka Police Department, Berrien County Michigan Sheriff’s Department, and Cass County Michigan Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank E. Schaffer.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Mill Hall Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Mill Hall, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 5 years in prison followed by 4 years supervised release on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Robert Nyman, 59, of Mill Hall, PA.
According to information presented to the court, from July 2019 to June 2020, Nyman did conspire to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, as well as, conspired to commit money laundering.
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 Nyman. 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.
Meriden Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Narcotics and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JONATHAN RIVERS, 39, of Meriden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 26, 2020, Meriden Police arrested Rivers after a search of a disabled vehicle on his property revealed more than 575 grams of cocaine, more than 44 grams of crack cocaine, more than 52 grams of fentanyl, more than 26 grams of heroin, 690 grams of marijuana, a Highpoint Model HCP .40 caliber handgun, a Smith and Wesson Model 629-1 44 Magnum Revolver, a Romanian Model TTC 9mm handgun, and 18 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. A quantity of crack cocaine was also found in a vehicle Rivers had driven earlier that day.
Rivers’ criminal history includes state convictions for robbery, kidnapping and drug offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On September 29, 2021, Rivers pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Rivers, who is released on a $250,000 bond, is required to report to prison on April 25.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), and the Meriden Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Donovan and Konstantin Lantsman, with assistance from Law Student Intern Joseph Linfield.
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.
Memphis Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm After a Misdemeanor Conviction of Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN- Terrell Johnson, 25, has been sentenced to 110 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Joseph C. Murphy Jr., United States Attorney, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on September 18, 2020, an officer with the Memphis Police Department conducted a traffic stop at Elvis Presley and Kerr Avenue. During that traffic stop, Johnson left his vehicle and fled on foot for a short distance before being taken into custody. Johnson was carrying a distinct backpack which contained 1.25 pounds of hemp and a loaded firearm.
Because of his prior felony convictions, as well as convictions for domestic assault, Johnson is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition.
On December 6, 2021, Johnson pled guilty to being in possession of a firearm after a misdemeanor conviction of domestic violence.
On March 10, 2022, United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Johnson to 110 months in federal prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force. The PSN initiative is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our communities safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Greg Wagner prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Member of Cuban Credit Card Skimming Crew Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Cuban man was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to court documents, Denis Monsibaez Diaz, 38, and other co-conspirators, all of whom are Cuban nationals, placed skimming devices on gas pumps located in Northampton County. The skimming devices were capable of recording the credit and debit bank card numbers, along with the PINs, of the customers that used their cards at the gas pumps. In April and May 2018, using the stolen card information, Diaz and his co-conspirators traveled between Harris Teeter store locations, among other destinations, to withdraw money from the victims’ bank accounts and purchase prepaid debit gift cards. They were attributed with attempting to steal over $200,000 in a matter of days as a result of those gas pump skimmers.
Diaz is the seventh defendant sentenced for this conspiracy. The crew was attributed with aggregate losses of over $5 million over several years. In addition, many of the defendants had significant criminal histories involving the same conduct and were known to travel the country perpetrating this scheme. The leader of the crew, Yasmani Granja Quijada, 33, was found to be trading over 9,800 additional stolen credit card numbers using his email account over the past few years. On January 4, 2021, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy.
The FBI and U.S. Marshals Service seized numerous vehicles and other items that were purchased by the defendants with funds stolen through credit cards, including a boat and luxury vehicles. Several other conspirators remain at large.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and David L. Doughty, Jr., Northampton County Sheriff, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi prosecuted the case.
This case is an example of EDVA’s commitment to protecting Virginians against fraud and unlawful business practices. Alongside law enforcement agencies, non-profit and private organizations, this week EDVA recognizes National Consumer Protection Week by raising awareness about widespread and emerging scams.
If you are the victim of a scam or think you have been contacted by a scammer, report the fraud to your local law enforcement, and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:19-cr-109.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 267 Months’ Imprisonment on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Marc Punzalan, age 27, formerly of Maryland, was sentenced to 267 months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann on child pornography charges.
According to U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, Punzalan pleaded guilty to attempted sexual exploitation of a child. In 2013, Punzalan, through the use of an internet messenger service, coerced a 13-year-old child to send him nude photographs of herself. Over the course of two days in June 2013, Punzalan sent hundreds of messages to the 13-year-old victim. In these messages, Punzalan attempted to extort the 13-year-old victim to send him additional nude images by threatening to tell her parents and the police that she had sent such pictures on prior occasions. Punzalan continued to harass and blackmail her despite her repeated requests for him to stop. Punzalan continued to threaten her even after she told him that his demands had her contemplating suicide. The 13-year-old victim eventually became so emotionally distraught that she committed suicide on the second day of Punzalan’ s threats and harassment.
Punzalan committed similar acts against other young girls at the same time in Maryland, where he was living at the time. After hearing from several of the dozen family and friends present to support the 13-year-old victim, Chief Judge Brann called Punzalan’s conduct “sickening” and said Punzalan’s predatory behavior caused irreparable harm.
Punzalan is presently serving a sentence from the District of Maryland for child exploitation offenses from that district. The 267-month sentence imposed by the Chief Judge Brann will result in an overall sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment for Punzalan.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the South Williamsport Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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Man Sentenced to 480 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO – U.S. District Judge Francisco Besosa sentenced Ricardo Pérez-Delgado to a term of 480 months (40 years) in prison for his participation in a robbery resulting in the murder of Armando Rosado-Molina, a businessman who owned several gas stations and other commercial properties, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
Between March 30, 2019 and March 31, 2019, Pérez-Delgado and his co-defendants planned to commit a robbery at Rosado-Molina’s residence in San Lorenzo. During the evening hours between March 31, 2019 and April 1, 2019, Pérez-Delgado and his co-defendants set up surveillance near Rosado-Molina’s residence. They were armed with a baseball bat, a weapon having the appearance of a rifle, and pepper spray. Pérez-Delgado and his co-defendants later breached the residence and encountered Rosado-Molina who tried to defend himself with a firearm he legally owned. During a physical struggle with Pérez-Delgado, Rosado-Molina lost control of the firearm. He was subsequently beaten with a baseball bat, after which point Pérez-Delgado shot and killed Rosado-Molina.
Pérez-Delgado and his co-defendants, all of whom have already pleaded guilty, took two motor vehicles and over $20,000 from Rosado-Molina’s residence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was in charge of the investigation, and Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Alum prosecuted the case.
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Madison Man Sentenced to More Than 27 Years for Sex Trafficking of MinorsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – A Madison, Wisconsin man has been sentenced to 330 months in federal prison for sex trafficking of minors. James Coney, 33, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, and Fitchburg Police Chief Alfonso Morales. This prison sentence will be followed by 25 years of supervised release.
Following a four-day trial in federal court, Coney was convicted on March 1, 2021 of four counts of sex trafficking a minor, one count of sex trafficking a minor by force, one count of attempted sex trafficking a minor, and four counts of transporting a minor from Wisconsin to Illinois for the purpose of prostitution.
The jury found that from May 2017 to March 2018, Coney trafficked five minors, attempted to traffic a sixth minor, and transported minors from Wisconsin to Illinois where they engaged in prostitution. The evidence presented at trial showed that Coney began trafficking the minors immediately after being released from state prison in May 2017. Coney used Backpage ads to arrange “dates” for the minor victims, collected the money from the customers, and instructed the minors on what to do. All six of the minor victims testified at the trial. Numerous witnesses testified that Coney was both physically and verbally abusive to the minor victim who was trafficked by Coney the longest.
The investigation of Coney began in December 2017 when one of the minor victims was reported missing by her mother to the Fitchburg Police Department. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children publicized the minor’s disappearance, and she ultimately was found in Chicago in January 2018 where she had been with Coney. Coney was arrested in March 2018 in Lake Delton, Wisconsin and found with another one of the minor victims.
“The sentence imposed today reflects the cruelty of the defendant’s use of force and intimidation to exploit the young victims of his crimes,” said U.S. Attorney O’Shea. “Our office will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to hold sex traffickers accountable and seek justice for their victims.”
“Wisconsin DOJ works every day to keep children in Wisconsin safe,” said AG Kaul. “Thank you to the hardworking men and women in DOJ’s Division of Criminal Investigation who worked tirelessly to bring this child sex trafficker to justice for his horrific crimes.”
“This case began with a report of a missing member of our community and through countless hours of investigation, it led to the discovery of a situation that has unfortunately become a frequent occurrence in our country. Exploiting, abusing, and traumatizing vulnerable minors is appalling and these unacceptable acts cannot be tolerated by society,” said Chief Morales. “We remain committed to partnering with our community, law enforcement agencies, and other stakeholders, to prevent and investigate these cases in order to protect our youngest and most vulnerable community members.”
Judge Peterson said the minor victims were horribly exploited and highly damaged by Coney. The Court found that Coney obstructed justice by contacting one of the minor victims over 100 times in violation of the Court’s order prohibiting his contact with the victims, and by attempting to persuade two minor victims not to testify against him. Judge Peterson said that Coney has had an unrelenting string of violations since his arrest on these charges. Judge Peterson noted that when Coney’s pretrial detention time is included, his total sentence amounts to 30 years in federal custody.
The charges against Coney are the result of an investigation by the Fitchburg Police Department and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Chicago, Lake Delton, Janesville, and Madison Police Departments; the Dane County Sheriff’s Office; and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Pfluger and Taylor Kraus handled the prosecution.
Macon Man Sentenced in “Lying and Buying” Gun CaseRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Macon resident who was on probation for aggravated assault when he was arrested during an ATF-led investigation into illegal gun possession and drug distribution was sentenced to prison this week for unlawfully possessing a firearm.
Logan Riley Nettles aka Carrot Top, 23, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on March 9, after he previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a person under a felony indictment. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Lying to buy a gun for a prohibited person is a federal offense that endangers our community,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office is working with law enforcement to prevent firearms from getting into the hands of violent felons and to hold those who help prohibited persons from obtaining guns accountable for their crimes.”
According to court documents, ATF was conducting undercover surveillance in Macon in May 2021, as part of Operation United Front when they spotted Nettles, who had been released from prison on March 8, 2021, and was serving probation. Nettles, who was wearing a blue backpack, got into a car belonging to his girlfriend, Ansley Nicole Hunt, 22, of Savannah, Georgia. Officers stopped Nettles and conducted a search pursuant to his probation. Inside Nettle’s backpack was a 9mm handgun with a loaded, extended 30-round magazine. Hunt later admitted that she purchased the gun for Nettles, and Nettles admitted he was with her when she bought the gun. In addition, when Hunt bought the firearm for Nettles, she made false statements on the ATF Form 4473 she signed at the time of purchase, knowing the firearm was for Nettles, a prohibited person. Nettles was convicted of aggravated assault and gang activity in the Superior Court of Bibb County, Georgia, in 2019.
Operation United Front is an ongoing ATF-led investigation into illegal gun possession and drug distribution centered in the Macon, Georgia, community using data gathered from the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). Agents used NIBIN data to plot shooting incidents in the Macon area on a map. When areas of high density relating to these shootings were identified, confidential informants and undercover agents were directed to these areas of criminal activity. NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic
evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Meth Conspiracy and Possessing Meth with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Gregory Neemann, 57, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and for possession of actual methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Neemann to imprisonment for a term of 180 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
Omaha Police Department (OPD) officers received information about Neemann from a confidential source in March 2020. On March 13, 2020, OPD officers stopped Neeman’s car in anticipation of serving a search warrant at his residence in Omaha. Neemann was in possession of methamphetamine and $2,363 in drug proceeds.
A search of the Neemann’s residence yielded drug paraphernalia, a functional digital scale, and another quantity of methamphetamine. Neemann admitted to additional pound-quantity distributions of methamphetamine obtained from co-defendant Michael Allison. The total amount of methamphetamine mixture was in excess of 500 grams.
Before Neemann committed the offense charged in this indictment, he had a final conviction for a prior serious drug felony. Specifically, on September 21, 1999, Neemann was convicted in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In that case he was sentenced to a 151-month term of imprisonment followed by a 3-year term of supervised release.
Co-defendant Michael Allison is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25, 2022.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Leonardtown Woman Pleads Guilty to Organizing a Conspiracy to Fraudulently Obtain over $1 Million in Disability BenefitsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Angela Marie Farr, age 36, of Leonardtown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit theft of government property and two counts of theft of government property in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain disability benefits from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). The total loss to the United States as a result of the fraud scheme is at least $1,010,702.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Kim R. Lampkins, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Mid-Atlantic Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Philadelphia Field Division.
“Angela Farr took advantage of a program whose goal was to help others, but did the exact opposite in her efforts to fraudulently obtain VA disability benefits,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron. “We remain committed to the prosecution of those, like Farr, who steal benefits intended to assist military veterans whose service to our country honorably has left them with a disability.”
“The VA Office of Inspector General works diligently to identify those who would steal benefits intended for qualified veterans,” said VA OIG Special Agent in Charge Kim Lampkins. “The VA OIG thanks its law enforcement partners for their commitment in helping hold these defendants accountable.”
According to her guilty plea, Farr organized a conspiracy in which she submitted false and fraudulent documents to the Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) in support of her claims for disability compensation, as well as for the disability claims for her then-husband, and for her father. The fraudulent documents stated that Farr, her husband, and her father were homebound and required full-time assistance for basic tasks such as eating, bathing, and dressing. In fact, all three individuals lived ordinary, active lives.
As detailed in her plea agreement, Farr served in the U.S. Navy from August 2, 2005 until April 19, 2007, when she was administratively discharged. In 2009, Farr filed a claim for Disability Compensation stating that she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after being sexually assaulted while on duty three years earlier. At the same time, Farr also falsely claimed to VA that she was seriously injured in a traffic accident when she was struck by a drunk driver while driving on duty in 2006. Farr claimed that she suffered from chronic neck and back pain as a result of the accident.
In support of these claims, Farr filed an entirely fabricated medical record purportedly from the Navy consisting of over 70 pages of documents supposedly authored by criminal investigators, psychologists, and physical therapists. Based on the injuries claimed and the forged supporting medical documentation, the VA rated Farr 70 percent disabled as of October 6, 2007.
In 2015, Farr sought additional compensation claiming that she suffered a traumatic brain injury and other grave health consequences as a result of the 2007 vehicle accident. Farr again submitted dozens of forged fraudulent medical documents in support of her claim, using the names of both real and fictitious physicians. The documents claimed that Farr was paralyzed from the waist down, suffered multiple seizures daily, required round-the-clock care for basic functions such as toileting and showering, and claimed that she also suffered from an aneurysm, heart attack, and leukemia. Based on the fraudulent documentation, VA increased Farr’s disability rating to 100 percent, and awarded Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) for her in-home nursing care requirements.
In April 2016, Farr applied online for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits on the basis of the same disabilities she cited in her VA claims. In that application, Farr claimed that she was unable to work and was forced to medically retire, despite the fact that she was working for the Department of Defense at the time she applied. The Social Security Administration awarded SSDI benefits to Farr on September 17, 2016.
Farr received approximately $440,085 in VA benefits to which she was not entitled, and approximately $35,666 in Social Security benefit payments to which she was not entitled, resulting in a loss to the United States of $475,751 just on Farr’s claims alone. As outlined in her plea agreement, Farr will be required to forfeit an amount equal to the proceeds obtained as a result of the fraud by paying a money judgment of $475,751, and will be ordered to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which is at least $1,010,702.
Farr also admitted that she conspired with and assisted her then-husband and her father, both of whom are former members of the U.S. Military, to obtain additional disability benefits by exaggerating their existing claims and documenting those exaggerated claims with forged and fraudulent documentation. As a result, Farr’s father was found to be 100 percent disabled and was awarded SMC. Farr’s then-husband received the highest amount of disability compensation and SMC paid by VA, in addition to a Caregiver Assistance stipend of more than $2,500 per month, that he received for purportedly servicing as Farr’s caregiver, despite claiming to be completely disabled himself and unable to use his arms and legs. At the time, Farr’s husband regularly attended a local CrossFit gym. In total, Farr’s then-husband received $370,912 in VA benefits to which he was not entitled. Farr’s father received $168,074 in VA benefits to which he was not entitled, from which the VA has recovered approximately $4,035. At the time of the claims, Farr’s father was a civilian employee of the Navy, supervising a logistics unit of 25 people.
Farr faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for each of the two counts of theft of government property. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for August 4, 2022.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the VA OIG and SSA OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Davio, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Leader of Dark Web Drug Trafficking Operation Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison and 59 Bitcoin in ForfeitureRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The leader and organizer of a highly sophisticated drug trafficking operation was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for manufacturing and distributing a multitude of controlled substances using the Dark Web.
Binh Thanh Le, 25, of Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to eight years in prison and three years of supervised release. Le was also ordered to forfeit more than 59 Bitcoin (currently worth in excess of $2 million), $114,680 in cash, $42,390 representing the proceeds from the sale of a 2018 BMW M3, along with other items including a pill press and currency counter. On Sept. 29, 2021, Le pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy, Ketamine and Alprazolam (Xanax).
This sentence marks the first judicial forfeiture of cryptocurrency in the District of Massachusetts.
“The Dark Web is a rising threat to our communities and must be taken very seriously. Anonymous networks open the door for people, including our children, to order deadly amounts of illegal narcotics from anywhere in the world and have them delivered to their doorsteps. Le took advantage of this – at only 22-years-old, he used the Dark Web to organize a complex drug distribution operation that reached a nationwide customer base and an international network of suppliers,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This sentence sends a clear message to Dark Web criminals: the federal government is entering this space. We will find you and you will be held accountable. Thanks to the incredible work of our law enforcement colleagues, there is one less cybercriminal hiding in the shadows.”
“When the U.S. Mail system is unwittingly used to transport illegal narcotics it is taken very seriously,” said Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division. “The sentence imposed today on Binh Thanh Le should give fair warning that Postal Inspectors will identify and seek prosecution of those individuals involved in dark web illegal commerce. The Postal Inspection Service is continuously working to disrupt and dismantle the underground marketplace and enhance its ability to prevent and combat criminal activity.”
“Le attempted to use the Dark Web to conceal his drug trafficking business, using its assumed anonymity to distribute dangerous drugs throughout the United States and reap a generous profit,” said Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge for the Homeland Security Investigations’ Boston Field Office. “This sentence shows that crimes conducted in the cyber realm have very real, very significant consequences. HSI is proud of our partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and stands ready to assist our federal, state and local partners in thwarting crimes like these.”
“This was a very long and complex investigation that involved a lot of help and assistance from multiple agencies including the United States Postal Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Stoughton Police and the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office,” said Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey. “Hundreds of hours of investigative work shut down a significant drug operation that was supplying club drugs through sales on the dark web. This is a great example of law enforcement partners working together to keep people safe.”
Le was indicted in June 2019 along with co-conspirators Steven McCall and Allante Pires. According to court records, Le received wholesale quantities of controlled substances in the mail from various international sources. Le and, allegedly, his co-conspirators then processed and manufactured those controlled substances at an office space Le rented in Stoughton. To distribute the drugs, Le created and operated a vendor site called “EastSideHigh” in markets on the Dark Network, more commonly known as the Dark Web. The Dark Web is any portion of the internet that can only be accessed with specific software, configurations or authorization that anonymize internet traffic. Le used these Dark Web markets to advertise various drugs for sale, including cocaine, MDMA, Ketamine and Xanax. After receiving the orders and payment via Bitcoin, Le and, allegedly, others mailed the drugs to customers throughout the United States.
On March 27, 2019, Le met with undercover law enforcement officers at a hotel in Norwood to exchange $200,000 worth of Bitcoin for cash. Le was arrested after he transferred the Bitcoin to the agents.
Over 19 kilograms of MDMA, almost seven kilograms of Ketamine, nearly one kilogram of cocaine and more than 10,000 counterfeit Xanax pills were seized by authorities during the investigation. Investigators also recovered a computer with the “EastSideHigh” vendor page open, numerous packages containing MDMA and Ketamine, various shipping and packaging materials and a pill press from the office space in Stoughton.
U.S. Attorney Rollins; USPIS INC Larco-Ward; HSI SAC Millhollin; Norfolk DA Morrissey; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office, made the announcement. Special assistance with the investigation was provided by the Homeland Security Investigations in Colorado; Postal Inspectors from around the country; and the Stoughton, Norwood, and Brockton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Arnold of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head, Chief of Rollins’ Asset Recovery Unit, handled the forfeiture.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Kingfield Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Kingfield man pleaded guilty in federal court today to sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
According to court records, between May 2009 and April 2010, Richard Hinkley, 57, saved sexually explicit images from video chats with a person he knew to be a minor. In May 2020, a search warrant was executed at Hinkley’s home. The search revealed these and other images of child pornography on Hinkley’s electronic devices, some depicting children under 12 years of age.
Hinkley faces between 15 and 30 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child and up to 20 years for possession of child pornography. He also faces a $250,000 fine on each count and from five years to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit and the FBI investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography, file a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.cybertipline.com or 1-800-843-5678. Your report will be forwarded to a law enforcement agency for investigation and action. If you have an emergency that requires an immediate law enforcement response, please call 911 or contact your local police or sheriff’s department.
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Kansas Businessman Sentenced for ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal judge ordered a Kansas businessman to pay approximately $215,000 in restitution and serve one year of probation as part of his sentence for failing to pay over payroll tax collections to the Internal Revenue Service. In 2018 Charlie James, 43, of De Soto pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
According to court documents James was the co-owner of KC United, LLC which operated several subsidiary infrastructure and utility contractor companies. In April 2011, three of the subsidiaries filed Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in U.S. District Court in the District of Kansas. Under the terms of the bankruptcy, Charlie James was required to continue to withhold payroll taxes from the employees then forward the funds to the IRS. Instead, from the time of the bankruptcy filing through April 2012, James took part in a conspiracy in which $214,305 was not paid to the IRS.
“When dishonest business owners conspire with others to carry out schemes to defraud the United States, all taxpayers pay the price,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Charlie James went to great extremes to hide assets from the IRS, and that behavior brought him to the attention of IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and the Department of Justice. We have a duty to protect the integrity of the nation’s tax laws and will take aggressive actions to do so.”
The IRS- Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble prosecuted the case.
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Justice Department Resolves Lawsuit Against BayPort Credit Union for Violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief ActRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that it has obtained a settlement agreement requiring BayPort Credit Union (BayPort) to pay nearly $110,000 to resolve allegations it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by charging excessive interest on servicemembers’ loans and repossessing servicemembers’ cars without court orders.
“This case is just the latest example of the Justice Department’s steadfast commitment to safeguarding the rights of servicemembers, who make so many sacrifices in defending our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will continue to vigorously enforce the protections to which servicemembers are entitled under federal law, including their right to a 6% interest rate cap on loans and a right not to have their car repossessed without a court order.”
“Entering military service can create financial hardships for our servicemembers who make incredible sacrifices for our nation’s security,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This consent order helps ensure that these men and women are not disadvantaged by their military service and that servicemembers’ rights are protected going forward.”
The SCRA requires creditors to reduce the interest rate on servicemembers’ financial obligations, including retail installment sales contracts, to 6% in certain circumstances. The SCRA also prohibits repossessing a motor vehicle from a servicemember during military service without a court order, as long as the servicemember made a deposit or installment payment on the loan before entering military service.
Today’s settlement, which must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, resolves a lawsuit filed today by the Department of Justice. The lawsuit alleges that BayPort unlawfully charged interest in excess of 6% to 21 servicemembers who qualified for and sought SCRA interest rate benefits. In at least one instance, BayPort told a servicemember that reducing the interest rate would increase her monthly payment. The lawsuit also alleges that BayPort unlawfully repossessed three servicemembers’ motor vehicles without court orders. In at least one of those cases, BayPort knew about the borrower’s military service and repossessed the vehicle from a military base.
Under the terms of today’s settlement, BayPort must pay nearly $70,000 to the affected servicemembers. Additionally, BayPort must pay $40,000 to the United States as a civil penalty. The agreement also requires BayPort to revise its policies and procedures to prevent future SCRA violations and provide SCRA training to its employees.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe their SCRA rights have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/.
The Justice Department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the department has obtained over $476 million in monetary relief for over 121,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. Additional information on the department’s enforcement of the SCRA and other laws protecting servicemembers is available at www.servicemembers.gov.
Jackson Man Sentenced to over 8 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, John Willie Henderson, Jr. a/k/a Dirt, 48, was indicted for aiding and abetting in the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine to an individual on February 23, 2018. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 10, 2019, and pled guilty on December 7, 2020.
The case is the result of an extensive Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, “Fire and Ice,” which began as an operation targeting illegal methamphetamine distribution in central Mississippi. 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.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Jackson Police Department, Madison Police Department, Ridgeland Police Department, and Rankin County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Keesha Middleton prosecuted the case.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on March 11 was:
Nathan Francis Stops, 41, of Lame Deer, on charges of sexual abuse of a minor. If convicted of the most serious crime, Stops faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a mandatory minimum of five years to life of supervised release. Stops was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-26.
Appearing on March 10 was:
David Benjamin Wick, Sr., 41, of Lame Deer, on charges of sexual abuse of a minor. If convicted of the most serious crime, Wick faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a mandatory minimum of five years to life of supervised release. Wick was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-28.
Appearing on March 7 was:
River Gene Fortney, 22, of Livingston, on charges of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Fortney faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Fortney was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-13.
Christopher Lee Widner, 29, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Widner faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Widner was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. PACER case reference. 22-21.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Individual Indicted and Arrested for Laundering More Than $360,000 of Unemployment Benefits and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance FundsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, P.R. – On March 10, 2022, the Federal Grand Jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Martín Scamaroni-Cintrón with money laundering violations related to fraudulently obtained funds from the Unemployment Insurance and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), and the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury (Hacienda).
According to the indictment, Scamaroni-Cintrón engaged in a money laundering conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h) to obtain Electronic Transfers of Funds (ETFs) containing Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) payments from multiple states as well as the proceeds of U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans that he was not qualified and authorized to receive in his various bank accounts held in Puerto Rico. The applications for UI and PUA were fraudulently submitted in the names of other persons, whom never applied for UI and PUA benefits or SBA loans, but the applications utilized the defendant’s bank account and routing numbers. Scamaroni-Cintrón knowingly transferred these illegally obtained proceeds to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership and proceeds.
In addition to the money laundering conspiracy, Scamaroni-Cintrón was also charged with sixteen substantive counts of money laundering in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(B)(i). From approximately May 2020 through January 2021, the amount of fraudulently obtained benefits and loans associated with the defendant’s money laundering activity totaled approximately $361,683.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) Victor Acevedo and Manuel Muñiz Lorenzi are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted, the defendant is facing 20 years in prison for each money laundering count, a fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervised release.
To report a COVID-19-related fraud scheme or suspicious activity, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by calling the NCDF Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Harrell, Arkansas Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
EL DORADO – A Harrell man was sentenced today to 140 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in El Dorado.
According to court documents, on or about August 12, 2020, investigators with the 13th Judicial District Drug Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Antonio Bush, age 40. The methamphetamine field tested positive and was sent to the crime lab for further testing.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The 13th Judicial District Drug Task Force and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Kim Harris and Graham Jones prosecuted the case.
Former Temple Business School Dean Sentenced to over One Year in Prison for Rankings Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Moshe Porat, 75, of Bala Cynwyd, PA, the former Dean of Temple University’s Richard J. Fox School of Business and Management (“Fox”) from 1996 until 2018, was sentenced to one year and two months in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $250,000 fine by United States District Court Judge Gerald J. Pappert after being convicted at of fraud in connection with a scheme to artificially inflate the school’s program rankings against other schools nationwide.
In November 2021, the defendant was convicted after trial on charges that he conspired and schemed to deceive the school’s applicants, students, and donors into believing that the school’s business degree programs legitimately earned top rankings, so that they would pay tuition and make donations to Temple. In April of the same year, Porat was charged by Indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud, stemming from a multi-year conspiracy in which the defendant participated with a Fox professor named Isaac Gottlieb and a Fox employee named Marjorie O’Neill to submit false information about the school’s online MBA (“OMBA”) and part-time MBA (“PMBA”) programs to U.S. News & World Report in order to inflate Fox’s rankings in the annual U.S. News surveys of top OMBA and PMBA programs.
Among other things, the conspirators agreed to provide false information to U.S. News about the number of Fox’s OMBA and PMBA students who had taken the Graduate Management Admission Test (“GMAT”); the average work experience of Fox’s PMBA students; and the percentage of Fox students who were enrolled part-time, all because it was believed that better numbers for these metrics would result in better rankings for the programs. And indeed, the scheme was successful. Relying on the false information it had received from Fox, U.S. News ranked Fox’s OMBA program Number One in the country four years in a row (2015 – 2018). U.S. News also moved Fox’s PMBA program up its rankings from No. 53 in 2014 to No. 20 in 2015, to No. 16 in 2016, and to No. 7 in 2017. Finally, the defendant boasted about these rankings in marketing materials directed at potential Fox students and donors. Enrollment in Fox’s OMBA and PMBA programs grew dramatically in a few short years, which led to millions of dollars a year in increased tuition revenues.
“The defendant conspired to provide false information about Fox programs and students in order to boost its appearance and fraudulently manipulate those who sought to support a top-tier school,” said U.S. Attorney Williams.” “Today an unhappy chapter for higher education in Philadelphia has come to a close and Moshe Porat has been sentenced to a term of imprisonment appropriate for his crime.”
“This defendant was, at one time, a well-respected member of academia,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire. "But when he conspired to game the system and cheat potential students, he blurred the lines and went from well-educated professional to run-of-the-mill fraudster. The FBI does not care about your status in life when you break the law. We will bring to justice anyone who defrauds the government and, by extension, the public.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Department of Education’s Office of the Inspector General; and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark B. Dubnoff, Nancy Potts and M.T. Soltis.
Former Newton Man Sentenced to 70 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, IA – On March 10, 2022, United States District Court Senior Judge James E. Gritzner sentenced Andrew Scott Scanlan, age 33, formerly of Newton, to 840 months in prison for two counts of Production of Child Pornography and one count of Offense by a Registered Sex Offender announced United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. Scanlan pleaded guilty on November 4, 2021. Following completion of his prison term, Scanlan will be required to register as a sex offender and will be on supervised release for ten additional years.
According to court documents, on multiple different dates from September 2, 2020, to January 21, 2021, Scanlan persuaded and coerced Child Victim #1 to perform sex acts on Scanlan in Newton. Scanlan video-recorded these sex acts on three different dates using his cell phone. Child Victim #1 was nine years old when Scanlan’s abuse began and Scanlan knew the age of that child. At the time Scanlan committed these Production of Child Pornography offenses, Scanlan was required by the laws of the State of Iowa to register as a sex offender. Additionally, in early 2021, Scanlan took photographs depicting child pornography using his cell phone of Child Victim #2. Child Victim #2 was four years old. Investigators located the above-referenced depictions on Scanlan’s cell phone as well as additional depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct that Scanlan had obtained via the internet.
This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, the Newton Police Department, and the Jasper County Attorney’s Office. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the United States Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children.
Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.
Former Law Enforcement Officer Sentenced for Bribery and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
A former veteran detective for the Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Police Department, who was a task force officer with the FBI and a member of the Cumberland County Drug Task Force, was sentenced today to 75 months in prison for bribery, drug distribution and making false statements.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Christopher Collare, 54, now of Blythewood, South Carolina, used his official position to obtain sex from two women in exchange for agreeing to take actions in prosecutions. Specifically, in 2015, Collare agreed to accept sex or money in exchange for not appearing at an evidentiary hearing so that a criminal charge would be dismissed. In 2018, Collare agreed to accept sexual favors in exchange for taking steps to help reduce a potential sentence. In addition to bribery, the jury convicted Collare of distributing heroin in 2016. He also was convicted of lying in November 2015 on a federal form he completed during the process of becoming an FBI task force officer, and of making multiple false statements when interviewed by federal agents in May 2018.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division and Special Agent in Charge Russell W. Cunningham of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, Harrisburg Resident Agency, and the DOJ-OIG Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney James I. Pearce of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section (formerly with the Public Integrity Section) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlo D. Marchioli and Phillip J. Caraballo for the Middle District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.
Former Law Enforcement Officer Sentenced for Bribery and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division and Special Agent in Charge Russell W. Cunningham of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) Washington Field Office announce that a former veteran detective for the Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Police Department, who was a task force officer with the FBI and a member of the Cumberland County Drug Task Force, was sentenced today to 75 months in prison for bribery, drug distribution, and making false statements by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Christopher Collare, 54, now of Blythewood, South Carolina, used his official position to obtain sex from two women in exchange for agreeing to take actions in prosecutions. Specifically, in 2015, Collare agreed to accept sex or money in exchange for not appearing at an evidentiary hearing so that a criminal charge would be dismissed. In 2018, Collare agreed to accept sexual favors in exchange for taking steps to help reduce a potential sentence. In addition to bribery, the jury convicted Collare of distributing heroin in 2016. He also was convicted of lying in November 2015 on a federal form he completed during the process of becoming an FBI task force officer, and of making multiple false statements when interviewed by federal agents in May 2018.
“A badge carries enormous responsibility along with the trust it confers,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire. “Those who abuse that responsibility will find themselves on the wrong side of the law, facing the stark reality that crossing the line comes with punishment. Law enforcement officers at every level – local, state, federal – owe the public honest services free from bias or self-indulgent actions.”
“We rely on law enforcement officers to do their work with honesty and integrity. Instead, Collare exploited his official position, accepting bribes of sex and money in exchange for taking actions in prosecutions. Now, he will be held accountable for the bribery and lies,” said Russell W. Cunningham Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Washington Field Office.
The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office Harrisburg Resident Agency and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Washington Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney James I. Pearce of the Criminal Division’s Appellate Section (formerly with the Public Integrity Section) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlo D. Marchioli and Phillip J. Caraballo of the Middle District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.
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Florida Dietary Supplement Salesman Sentenced for Conspiring to Defraud the FDA and Conspiring to Distribute Anabolic SteroidsRead the Press Release
A Florida man who led sales for a sports and dietary supplements retailer was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and conspiring to distribute anabolic steroids.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, James Boccuzzi, 38, of Parkland, was director of sales for Blackstone Labs LLC, a Boca Raton-based sports and dietary supplements retailer. A jury convicted Boccuzzi in December 2021 of conspiracy to defraud the FDA and conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids. U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas of the Southern District of Florida sentenced Boccuzzi to 51 months in prison and ordered him to pay a fine of $20,000.
Boccuzzi and his co-conspirators, including Phillip “PJ” Braun, Aaron Singerman, Blackstone Labs LLC and others, conspired to defraud the FDA and to illegally manufacture and distribute anabolic steroids that were controlled substances under the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act. Evidence at trial established that Boccuzzi and his co-conspirators continued to sell the illegal controlled substances despite knowing about the law and its impact on the legality of Blackstone’s steroid products.
The evidence also showed that Boccuzzi and his co-conspirators quickly sold off other Blackstone products containing certain stimulants after they received an FDA warning letter notifying them that the products were unlawful to sell as dietary supplements. Further, the evidence showed that the conspirators concealed the sales of other products containing research chemicals despite knowing that the products could not legally be sold as dietary supplements. During the conspiracy, Boccuzzi also created a fraudulent “Certificate of Free Sale,” representing himself to be an employee of the FDA, in order to ship Blackstone Labs products internationally.
“Dietary supplement distributors and manufacturers cannot ignore the law,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will work with law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute individuals and companies who disregard public safety to make a profit.”
“Drug products that are disguised as supplements can pose a serious risk to the health of U.S. consumers,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) Miami Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who jeopardize the public health.”
Aaron Singerman and Phillip Braun, who co-founded and operated Blackstone Labs, previously pleaded guilty to distributing unapproved new drugs and conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids. Each was sentenced to 54 months of imprisonment and ordered to forfeit $2.9 million and $3 million, respectively. The court also previously ordered $38,655 in restitution for medical expenses related to certain victims.
In total, eight individuals and three companies were convicted of felonies in connection with the activities of Blackstone Labs and ordered to forfeit a total of nearly $8 million. Boccuzzi is the final defendant to be sentenced in this case.
FDA-OCI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Alistair Reader and Stephen Gripkey, Senior Litigation Counsel David A. Frank and Assistant Director John W. Burke of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the cases with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Laura Akowuah, Brian Furlong and Sarah Hawkins from the FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel also provided assistance with the investigation and prosecution.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Five Men Arrested for Sex Crimes in Online Sting OperationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Dennis R. Holmes announced that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Sioux Falls Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a joint online sex crimes operation that ran from March 6, 2022, through March 10, 2022.
As a result, the following five men were arrested:
Kent Mews, age 55, Sioux Falls, SD – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet.
Zachary Murray, age 35, Brookings, SD – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet.
Sky Thomas Roubideaux, age 22, Tea, SD – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet.
Elliott Anderson, age 25, Sioux Falls, SD – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet.
Jordan Matthew Hermanson, age 31, Sioux Falls, SD – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet.
The mandatory minimum penalty upon conviction is 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years minimum of supervised release, up to life, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charges are merely accusations, and all five Defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
“This successful operation illuminates the continued threat child predators pose to our children,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul. “I want to thank our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners for teaming with us, and the South Dakota DCI’s ICAC task force, in this very important work.”
The cases are being federally prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to extend its appreciation to all law enforcement partners involved in the investigations for their efforts and continued cooperation.
Five Defendants Charged in Multi-Million Dollar Prescription Drug Smuggling & Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced that five defendants have been charged with conspiring to smuggle prescription drugs into the United States illegally. Brendon Gagne of Fountain, Colorado; James Funaro of Atlanta, Georgia; Jeremy Walenty of Tampa, Florida; Taylor McLaren of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and, Joshua Ford of Troy, Michigan, have been charged with conspiracy to smuggle drugs into the United States for distribution in the Western District of Michigan and elsewhere. Gagne and Funaro are also charged with money laundering conspiracy, and Funaro is charged alone with a single count of money laundering.
According to court documents, the defendants operated two websites – ExpressPCT and ExpressPEDS – that sold prescription drugs and some controlled substances. ExpressPEDS also sold anabolic-androgenic steroids. The indictment alleges that the drugs sold on the sites were manufactured largely, if not entirely, outside of the United States and smuggled into the country illegally for distribution to customers throughout the United States. According to the indictment, the sites did not ask customers for prescriptions even though the drugs sold require a person to be under the supervision of a licensed practitioner.
ExpressPCT accepted Bitcoin, a type of cryptocurrency, as well as alternative forms of payment, including payments sent via digital payment networks such as Zelle and Cash App. According to the indictment, if customers elected to pay using an alternative form of payment, rather than Bitcoin or another form of cryptocurrency, co-conspirators directed payments through accounts linked to defendant James Funaro. The indictment alleges that Funaro then converted the proceeds of the scheme into cryptocurrency before they were moved to accounts held by other co-conspirators, including foreign nationals residing overseas. Overall, investigators traced at least $12 million in proceeds to the drug smuggling scheme.
If convicted of conspiracy to smuggle drugs into the United States, the defendants face a statutory maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. If Gagne and Funaro are separately convicted of the money laundering conspiracy charge, they face a statutory maximum of twenty years in prison and a fine of up to either $500,000 or twice the value of the funds laundered, whichever is greater.
In addition to arresting the defendants, investigators also seized several luxury vehicles that Gagne allegedly purchased using proceeds of the smuggling scheme, including a Maserati and an Audi sport coupe. Investigators also seized the websites in question.
Four of the five defendants made their initial appearances on March 10, 2022, in the districts of their arrest. Gagne will have his initial appearance in the District of Colorado on March 11, 2022. They will all then be arraigned in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan before Magistrate Judge Phillip J. Green on March 21, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge of the Western District of Michigan, Inspector in Charge Rodney Hopkins of the Detroit Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Special Agent in Charge Lynda Burdelik of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations Chicago Field Office, and Detective Lieutenant David Cope of the Michigan State Police Metropolitan Enforcement Team made the announcement.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Michigan State Police are investigating the case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie M. Carowan and Justin Presant.
An indictment is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent of all charges unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The United States has the burden of proving the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Gagne, et al. Indictment.pdf###
Fitchburg Man Pleads Guilty in Wide-Ranging Fentanyl, Heroin, Crack and Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fitchburg man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester for his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
Branny Taveras, 39, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 280 grams or more of cocaine base (commonly known as crack cocaine) and 500 grams or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Sept. 14, 2022.
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. Beginning in July 2019, electronic communications revealed that Taveras and others in the DTO distributed a fentanyl and heroin mixture on a regular basis to individuals in the Fitchburg area, including to Pedro and Anthony Baez, who redistributed that mixture to others.
Over the course of the investigation, agents seized 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. Taveras was responsible for distributing over 400 grams of a fentanyl and heroin mixture.
Taveras was charged along with 17 others in July 2020. He is the 11th defendant to plead guilty in the case. In December 2020, Anthony Baez was sentenced by Judge Hillman to 13 years in prison. Pedro Baez pleaded guilty on Feb. 3, 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 is prosecuting 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.