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Thursday 27 January 2022
Seven Area Residents Indicted for Conspiracy to Transport Stolen Catalytic Converters Across State LinesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Seven Rogersville, Missouri, and Springfield, Mo., residents have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to transport thousands of stolen catalytic converters across state lines as part of a multi-million-dollar business.
“A scourge of catalytic converter thefts on a breathtaking scale had a significant impact on the Springfield community over the past two years,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “Not only were numerous individual car owners victimized, but several non-profit organizations and churches were also victimized. We worked closely with our law enforcement partners to shut down this criminal conspiracy and bring those responsible to justice.”
Evan Marshall, 24, and Camren Davis, 24, both of Rogersville, and Cody Ryder, 30, Leslie Ice, 37, his wife, Danielle Ice, 33, Eric Kaltenbach, 37, and Enx Khoshaba, 29, all of Springfield, were charged in a four-count superseding indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield on Tuesday, Jan. 24. The superseding indictment replaces the indictment returned against Marshall on Nov. 17, 2021, and includes additional charges and defendants. The superseding indictment was unsealed and made public today.
“The Springfield Police Department is pleased to see the end result of a two-year investigation into a series of crimes that has touched every aspect of our community,” said Chief Paul Williams. “Our citizens have not only suffered the inconvenience of all things associated with being a victim of these crimes, but also suffered significant financial losses. The dedicated professionals who worked tirelessly on behalf of the many citizens and organizations impacted by the theft of catalytic converters are to be commended.”
“Organized criminal activity, such as this, is extremely costly to victims, taxpayers and the economy as a whole,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Katherine Greer. “Oftentimes, these types of crimes fund larger, more egregious, criminal enterprises that put the community at a greater risk. HSI, and our law enforcement partners, are working every day to disrupt these criminal organizations and bring those who look to profit from these stolen goods to justice.”
“This case is an example of what can be accomplished when local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies work together and I am thankful for our partnership with the Springfield Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office,” said Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson.
The federal indictment charges all seven defendants with participating in a conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines from Dec. 12, 2019, to Oct. 15, 2021.
Catalytic converters, which are exhaust emission control devices mandated for all cars and trucks, contain metals like platinum, palladium, and rhodium that can be recycled. According to the indictment, Marshall bought junk vehicles and scrapped them out for several years prior to 2019, when he started a company, identified as Company D, to provide the appearance of a legitimate business for his purchase, transportation, and sale of stolen catalytic converters.
In the fall of 2019, two co-owners of a firm identified in the indictment as Company C, located in Mountain Home, Arkansas, asked Marshall to buy catalytic converters from the Springfield area and sell them to their company. Company C purchased and sold automotive cores, which refers to automotive parts that can be recycled, including catalytic converters. In addition to selling them catalytic converters from junk vehicles he had purchased from salvage yards, the indictment says, Marshall began to buy stolen catalytic converters from co-conspirators and sell them to Company C.
The owners of Company C purchased tens of thousands of catalytic converters from Marshall from December 2019 through October 2021. According to the indictment, Marshall received more than $6.8 million from Company C, which was, in part, payment for stolen catalytic converters. Marshall loaded between 800 and 1,200 catalytic converters onto trailers and transported them to Company C approximately every two to three weeks. The transports allegedly included stolen catalytic converters.
Marshall allegedly withdrew more than $6.4 million in cash from his bank account, which he used, in part, to promote future purchases of stolen catalytic converters. Marshall provided Davis, Ryder, and others with thousands of dollars in cash to promote future purchases of stolen catalytic converters during the conspiracy.
The owners of Company C sold the catalytic converters they purchased from Marshall to another firm, identified in court documents as Company A, located in Cherry Valley, Ark., which purchased and sold automotive cores, including catalytic converters. Company A paid the owners of Company C $3,247,135 between Dec. 4, 2019, and July 14, 2020. At that point, Company A began selling the catalytic converters they purchased from Marshall to another firm, identified in court documents as Company B, located in Farmington, Mo., which purchased automotive cores, including catalytic converters. Between June 2020 and October 2021, Company B paid Company C more than $18 million. According to the indictment, approximately 32 percent of the catalytic converters Company C sold to Company A and Company B were purchased from Marshall.
On July 5, 2021, Marshall allegedly purchased stolen catalytic converters from an undercover agent and paid $1,030.
On Oct. 15, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Marshall’s residence and seized 67 firearms and $125,000 in cash. The prior evening or morning of the search, however, Marshall learned of the impending law enforcement action and moved 197 catalytic converters from his residence to another location in order to conceal the catalytic converters from law enforcement.
Marshall has remained in federal custody without bond since his arrest on the original criminal complaint, which was filed on Oct. 20, 2021.
According to the indictment, Davis and Ryder worked for Marshall and allegedly bought stolen catalytic converters on Marshall’s behalf. In February 2021, Davis started a new company, referred to in the indictment as Company E, which purchased and sold automotive cores, including catalytic converters.
The indictment alleges that Leslie Ice, Danielle Ice, Kaltenbach, Khoshaba, and others stole catalytic converters from vehicles in the Springfield area and elsewhere, and sold the stolen catalytic converters to Marshall, Davis, or Ryder.
In addition to the conspiracy, Marshall and Davis each are charged with one count of transporting stolen property across state lines. Marshall is also charged with one count of possessing an unregistered firearm, a Springfield .410-gauge short-barrel shotgun with no serial number that was seized by law enforcement officers during their search of his residence.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shannon T. Kempf and Megan W. Chalifoux. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Webster County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri Department of Revenue and the Greene County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces
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.
Roane County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Foster Allen Ray, 72, of Gandeeville, was sentenced today to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 9, 2020, Ray shot a loaded Savage Model 99 300 caliber level action rifle from over 100 feet away at two people inside a truck trapped on his property to “scare them.” The bullet lodged inside the truck but avoided hitting the driver or front seat passenger. Ray is prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions in Roane County Circuit Court for unlawful assault and child abuse by a custodian resulting in injury.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00024.
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Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Edward Paul Potter, 42, of Bradley, pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime.
According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Potter’s Bradley residence on December 1, 2020. During the search, law enforcement officers found over 50 grams of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, $1,356 in U.S. currency, and 17 firearms. Potter admitted that he possessed and intended to sell the heroin and fentanyl mixture. Potter further admitted that he had been working with a drug trafficking ring operating from Detroit and he had been receiving regular shipments of heroin.
Potter pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of heroin and faces up to 20 years imprisonment when he is sentenced on May 6, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alex Hamner is handling the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-00167.
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Puerto Rico Man Sentenced for Lying to Federal Agents After Cooler Containing $ 316,930 in U.S. Currency Found on His VesselRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that District Court Chief Judge Robert A. Molloy sentenced Blas Panzardi Davila, 38, to six months in prison and two years of supervised release, following the defendant’s guilty plea to making a false statement to agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
According to court documents, Davila was the sole operator of a vessel traveling without lights from Puerto Rico to St. Thomas on January 14, 2021. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air Marine Interdiction Unit pulled alongside the vessel and inquired of the lack of lights on the vessel. Davila responded that the lights were not working. CBP marine boarded the vessel and discovered a large white cooler, and Davila denied knowing the contents of the cooler. Officers opened the cooler which contained $316,930 in United States currency. HSI agents subsequently questioned the defendant about the currency, and Davila initially lied regarding his knowledge of the currency and whether he owned it. The defendant subsequently acknowledged ownership of the funds.
The $ 316, 930 in U.S. currency and the vessel operated by Davila were administratively forfeited by HSI.
This case was investigated by Customs Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Everard E. Potter.
This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Prosecution of violent criminal street gang sends more than a dozen to prison, with others awaiting sentencingRead the Press Release
WAYCROSS, GA: A series of sentencings and the guilty plea of a key defendant brings to 36 the number of defendants admitting guilt in Operation Sandy Bottom, the investigation and prosecution of violent criminal street gang members distributing methamphetamine and other drugs in the Coffee County, Ga., area.
Of the 48 defendants indicted in the operation in U.S.A. v. McMillan et al. in January 2021, just nine await trial and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty; 14 have been sentenced to federal prison terms of up to 286 months, while 22 others have pled guilty to felony charges and await sentencing. Charges against one defendant were dismissed.
“The continued delivery of justice in Operation Sandy Bottom demonstrates the commitment our office brings to the identification and disruption of criminal street gangs who sell misery and sow fear in our communities,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Our many local, state, and federal law enforcement partners exhibited exceptional performance in bringing this drug trafficking operation to a halt.”
Operation Sandy Bottom was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation centered in the Sand Ridge neighborhood on the east side of Douglas, Ga., in an area known as “the bottoms.” The 57-count indictment alleges that the conspiracy, controlled by a subset of the Gangster Disciples street gang, used guns, violence and fear to control methamphetamine trafficking operations throughout the community and to enable contraband distribution inside Georgia prisons.
Multiple defendants have been sentenced or admitted guilt in U.S. District Court this week, including:
- Jackie Kavaskia McMillan, a/k/a “Bijay,” 41, an inmate serving a life sentence for a state conviction on a charge of murder at Dooly State Prison, awaits sentencing in federal court after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and a Quantity of Marijuana. As early as 2018, McMillan used contraband cell phones and compromised prison guards to coordinate the drug trafficking operation while incarcerated. His guilty plea subjects McMillan to a minimum statutory penalty of five years in federal prison, and up to 40 years.
- Christina Veronda Alexander, 41, of Hazlehurst, Ga., was sentenced to 286 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and a Quantity of Marijuana, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Alexander was McMillan’s girlfriend, and under McMillan’s direction obtained methamphetamine from a supplier in Mexico for distribution to street dealers in the conspiracy, and delivered contraband to compromised prison guards to smuggle to state prison inmates.
- Brad Nikita Vickers, 34, of Douglas, Ga., sentenced to 240 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an amount of Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Marijuana, Eutylone (Bath Salts), and Asprazolam (Xanax). Vickers was a mid-level drug distributor and source of supply to many of the street-level dealers in the conspiracy.
- Phillip Lloyd Morgan, a/k/a “Tree Top,” 38, of Douglas, sentenced to 118 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and an amount of Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Marijuana, Eutylone, and Asprazolam. Morgan was a mid-level distributor in the conspiracy.
- Leo Vonza Pender, a/k/a “Metro,” 39, of Alma, Ga., sentenced to 118 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Pender was a street-level dealer in the conspiracy.
- Richard Young, 55, of Hazlehurst, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Young admitted to participating in methamphetamine distribution as part of the conspiracy.
“The sentencing of these individuals proves that the FBI and our partners will spare no resource when it comes to ending an epidemic in our society that fuels violent crime and kills our citizens,” said Phil Wislar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We want to thank our partners in the Georgia Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force who relentlessly work along our side to dismantle these organized, violent criminal enterprises.”
The investigation began in 2018 when the Coffee County Drug Unit enlisted the assistance of the FBI and the Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force to investigate community complaints about rising violence and drug activity in the Sand Ridge neighborhood of Douglas. As outlined in court documents and testimony, the conspiracy controlled multiple “trap houses” to store and distribute illegal drugs, primarily methamphetamine, coordinated by gang leaders who distributed drugs throughout Coffee, Bacon, Emanuel, Jeff Davis, Pierce and Wheeler counties, along with other parts of Georgia.
Investigators infiltrated the operation, intercepting multiple kilograms of drugs and nearly two dozen illegally possessed firearms, along with seven vehicles and more than $12,000 in cash identified as drug-trafficking proceeds.
The operation also identified and charged three Georgia state correctional officers who worked with gang members to smuggle contraband cell phones and illegal drugs to inmates affiliated with the conspiracy. Idalis Qua Dazia Harrell, 25, of Douglas, a former guard at Coffee County Correctional Facility; Jessica Azaelae Burnett, a/k/a “The Madam,” 42, of Douglas, a former senior guard at Coffee County Correctional Facility; and Ebony Desiree Smiley, a/k/a “Baby Girl, 25, of Vidalia, Ga., a former guard at Wheeler State Prison, each await sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Marijuana.
The case 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. It was investigated by the FBI and the FBI Coastal Georgia Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office and the Coffee County Drug Unit; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office; the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office; the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office; the Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office; the Lanier County Sheriff’s Office; the Blackshear Police Department; the Nicholls Police Department; the Douglas Police Department; the Alma Police Department; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; the Swainsboro Police Department; and the Coffee County Department of Family and Children Services.
The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph McCool and E. Greg Gilluly, with asset forfeitures coordinated by Xavier A. Cunningham, Section Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Recovery Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Preston County man admits to wire fraudRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Dustin Miller, of Reedsville, West Virginia, has admitted to wire fraud, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Miller, 41, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.” Miller admitted to working with others to stage a vehicle accident, fabricate injuries, and file false insurance claims. The crime occurred from March to July 2019 in Taylor and Preston Counties.
Miller faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. ATF and the West Virginia Insurance Commission Fraud Unit investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Plant Manager of Seattle barrel reconditioning company pleads guilty to conspiracy and lying to investigatorsRead the Press Release
Seattle – The plant manager of Seattle Barrel and Cooperage Company, a barrel cleaning and reconditioning operation, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to conspiracy and making a false statement to the Environmental Protection Agency, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. John Sanft, 51, formerly of Issaquah, Washington, was the company’s plant manager during a conspiracy to illegally dump caustic waste into the King County sewer system, which ultimately empties into Puget Sound. The company used a hidden drain, and, over ten years, lied to regulators to carry out their illegal dumping. Last month, the company and its owner, Louie Sanft, were found guilty by a jury of participating in the dumping scheme. John Sanft will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones on April 22, 2022.
Seattle Barrel’s business involves collecting used industrial and commercial drums and reconditioning and reselling them. Between 2009 and March of 2019, part of the reconditioning process involved washing the barrels in a highly-corrosive chemical solution. The caustic solution had a very high pH level. Since at least 2009, Seattle Barrel operated under a discharge permit that prohibits it from dumping effluent with a pH exceeding 12 to the sewer system. Effluent above pH 12 will corrode the sewer system and treatment plant, and potentially cause pass-through pollution to Elliott Bay and Puget Sound.
In 2013, King County conducted covert monitoring of Seattle Barrel, and discovered the company was illegally dumping effluent with a pH above 12 in violation of its permit. King County fined the company $55,250, but later agreed to reduce the fine when Seattle Barrel installed a pretreatment system for its wastewater.
However, in 2018 and 2019, additional covert monitoring by the EPA inspectors revealed that Seattle Barrel was continuing to routinely dump wastewater with a pH above 12 into the sewer system despite telling local regulators that no industrial wastewater was being discharged. Agents then installed real-time monitoring equipment that allowed them to determine when the dumping was taking place and obtained a search warrant.
Early on the morning of March 8, 2019, the covert monitors indicated Seattle Barrel was dumping high-pH material into the sewer. Agents immediately executed the warrant and entered the building. Inside, they discovered a portable pump on the floor near the tank of caustic solution. They then discovered that the pump was being used to pump the caustic solution to a nearby hidden drain that had never been disclosed to King County. The drain led directly to the sewer system. According to the company, since mid-2019, following the criminal conduct in this case, it no longer uses the caustic solution for barrel cleaning.
As noted in the plea agreement, John Sanft knew of the existence of the hidden drain, and further knew that Seattle Barrel was regularly discharging the contents of the caustic tank through the hidden drain. John Sanft did not personally engage in the discharges or tell the employee to cause the discharges. However, Sanft admits he was part of the conspiracy to hide the conduct from the King County inspectors and the EPA. John Sanft admitted to lying to federal agents about the dumping during a March 8, 2019 interview. John Sant faces up to five years in prison for each of the two charges to which he pled guilty.
“The defendant’s intentional disregard for the environment included an attempt to deceive law enforcement and conceal other crimes” said Scot Adair, Special Agent in Charge of the EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Washington. “EPA and the Department of Justice continue to hold accountable companies and individuals that place communities and the environment at risk.”
In December 2021, John Sanft’s cousin, Louie Sanft, the owner and operator of Seattle Barrel, was convicted following a three-week trial of: conspiracy; 29 violations of the Clean Water Act for discharging pollutants to the sewer; four counts of submission of False Clean Water Act Certifications; and making a false statement to special agents of the EPA. Louie Sanft faces up to 5 years in prison on the conspiracy and false statement counts, and up to three years in prison for each violation of the Clean Water Act.
Under the terms of the plea agreement with John Sanft, prosecutors will recommend he be sentenced to no more than a year and a day in prison. However, the ultimate sentence is up to U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones. Judge Jones will determine the sentence for both John and Louie Sanft and the company, after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID) with significant assistance from King County Industrial Waste.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson and Jim Oesterle, and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Karla Perrin and Gwendolyn Russell, Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Philadelphia Woman Who Worked with Autistic Children Sentenced to over Nine Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Tayanna Bowman, 25, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to nine years and two months in prison, twenty years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $3,000 assessment by United States District Court Judge Michael M. Baylson for distributing child pornography to an undercover federal agent on an online file sharing platform.
In March 2021, the defendant pleaded guilty to distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography. In January 2020, while employed as a behavioral health technician at ChanceLight Autism Services [a regional childcare service provider] specializing in behavioral health support for children with autism, the defendant distributed videos and images of child pornography on the Internet using Kik Messenger. Prior to that job, Bowman worked at Cynthia’s Little Treasures Daycare in West Philadelphia as a teaching assistant.
“This defendant chose a line of work providing care to vulnerable, autistic children, and at the same time, she participated in the sexual abuse and exploitation of children by engaging with an online community interested in such abhorrent acts,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “It is our duty to protect the most vulnerable members of society and we will continue to uphold that duty by bringing to justice anybody who preys upon minor children.”
“Bowman betrayed the trust her students and their parents placed in her. Although today’s sentencing cannot repair the damage Bowman caused, it sends the message that the FBI remains committed to hunting down child predators and delivering justice to their victims,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Harrell.
Pennsylvania Man Admits Bank Fraud Conspiracy that Operated in South Jersey and Southeastern PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man today admitted his role in a bank fraud conspiracy that targeted 12 financial institutions in southern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Olugbenga Oyedele, 48, of Collingdale, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. district Judge Noel L. Hillman to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Oyedele was part of a multi-defendant, Nigerian-based, multi-layered criminal organization that engaged in a massive bank fraud conspiracy New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Rhode Island and other states from June 2016 to June 2020. Members of the group acquired numerous stolen business checks that were stolen from the United States mail, altered the payee on the checks to a fraudulent name and deposited the checks into bank accounts that had been opened with forged foreign passport documents and fraudulent U.S. visas that matched the names on the stolen checks. Once the banks credited all or a portion of the funds to the accounts – but before the checks had cleared – the defendants withdrew the funds from ATMs or purchased money orders, using debit cards associated with the fraudulent accounts. Members of the organization have used over 400 fraudulent accounts opened with fake identity documents to defraud the victim banks. To date, the total loss to the victim banks is approximately $6 million.
Olugbenga Oyedele today admitted his role in the conspiracy, which included using several false identities to open fraudulent bank accounts and making several deposits to and withdrawals from the fraudulent accounts.
The bank fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for June 1, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bellmawr office and Philadelphia Division Office, under the direction of Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge, Philadelphia Division; U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington, D.C. Division Office, under the direction of Peter R. Rendina, Washington Division Inspector in Charge; Homeland Security Investigations, Cherry Hill Office and Newark Division Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Molina; Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia Division Office, under the Direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker; Homeland Security Investigations Maryland Division Office, under the direction of James R. Mancuso, Special Agent in Charge, Baltimore; Homeland Security Investigations Rhode Island Office, under the direction of Matthew Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge, Boston Division Office; and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), under the direction of R. Mike Escott, Resident Agent in Charge, Philadelphia Resident Office, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Askin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaints and indictments against the 10 conspirators are merely accusations, and the defendants in those cases are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to EscapeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Parkersburg man pleaded guilty today to escape from a federal halfway house.
According to court documents, Joshua Dowler, 39, admitted that he walked away from Dismas Charities on September 16, 2021. Dowler was confined to the halfway house as a result of a 2019 federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The United States Marshals Service later apprehended Dowler in Parkersburg.
Dowler pleaded guilty to escape and faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced on May 12, 2022.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00256.
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Pair Sentenced to 10 Years for Distributing Methamphetamine, Heroin, Cocaine, and Fentanyl in Roanoke AreaRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – Two more members of a drug conspiracy have been sentenced in federal court for their role in the distribution of deadly narcotics.
Kenneth Tito Beaner, 27, and Nathan Jamal Nelms, 26, both of Roanoke, Virginia, were sentenced this week to serve 120 months each in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 100 grams or more of heroin, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and cocaine.
“Our focus on prosecuting violent crime in the Roanoke region remains steadfast,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “This case provides an excellent example of the great work we can accomplish working with our federal, state, and local partners in law enforcement.”
“Combating violent gun crime and narcotics distribution within our communities is a job we take very seriously,” said ATF Washington Field Division Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson. “We will continue collaborate with our partners to disrupt the illegal possession of firearms, distribution of narcotics and other acts of violence within our community.”
According to court documents, from at least May 2018 until September 2019, Beaner and Nelms supported their principal co-conspirators, Antonio Waddell and Jarod Alston, by selling a variety of illegal narcotics from a residence on Crescent Street NW in the City of Roanoke.
According to witnesses in the case, members of the conspiracy facilitated sales of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl cooperatively by serving each other’s customers as needed and participating jointly in drug sales. Over the course of the investigation, officers made more than twenty-six controlled purchases of narcotics from Beaner, Nelms, and their associates to establish the scope and breadth of the drug enterprise.
On August 28, 2019, investigators executed a warrant to search the Crescent Street residence and seized approximately 370 grams of methamphetamine, 103 grams of fentanyl, 8 grams of cocaine, 6 grams of heroin, 119 grams of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, and a firearm that were all hidden in various locations throughout the kitchen. From a related search warrant executed at another residence, investigators seized more than $35,000 in U.S. currency that had been used in connection with drug sales.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the City of Roanoke Police Department, the Roanoke HIDTA Program, and the Virginia State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Miller and Kari Munro prosecuted the case for the United States.
Oklahoma Woman Found Guilty of Transporting Undocumented NoncitizensRead the Press Release
PECOS – Yesterday a federal jury in Pecos convicted an Oklahoma woman for her role in transporting undocumented noncitizens following a two-day trial.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Francesca Jo Ryan, 24, and co-defendant, David Alvarado-Rios, 32, of Mexico, were both charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and one count of transportation of illegal aliens in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324.
During trial, Ryan attempted to convince the jury she had no knowledge or involvement in the crime. The jury found her guilty on both counts.
Ryan faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the conspiracy to transport charge and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the transportation charge. Ryan is scheduled for sentencing on April 26, 2022.
On December 17, 2021, Alvarado pleaded guilty to transportation of illegal aliens. He is scheduled for sentencing on March 29, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden made the announcement.
The HSI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Weber and Scott V. Greenbaum are prosecuting the case.
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Ohio man sentenced for selling cocaineRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Antonio Mario Hall, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced today to 10 months of incarceration for a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Hall, age 29, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Cocaine Base.” Hall admitted to selling cocaine in Ohio County in January 2020.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn M. Adkins and Clayton J. Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, which includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia State Police, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wheeling Police Department, investigated. The U.S. Marshal Service, Columbus Police Department Gang Crimes Unit, the Martins Ferry Police Department, and the Bellaire Police Department also assisted.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Ohio man sentenced for drug chargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Rashaad Shadee Washington, of Pleasant City, Ohio, was sentenced today to 84 months of incarceration for drug charges, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Washington, 37, pleaded guilty in September 2021 to one count of “Distribution of Methamphetamine within 1000 Feet of a Protected Location” and two counts of “Distribution of Methamphetamine.” Washington admitted to selling methamphetamine, sometimes near McNinch Primary School, in Marshall County and Ohio County in February and March 2021.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Norwich Man Involved in Southeastern Connecticut Drug Ring Sentenced to 43 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that VICTOR ENCARNACION, 34, of Norwich, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 43 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a southeastern Connecticut drug trafficking ring.
This matter stems from an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut Statewide Narcotics Taskforce East, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New London, Waterford, City of Groton and Stonington Police Departments, into the distribution of narcotics and illegal possession of firearms in southeastern Connecticut. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases and seizures of narcotics and firearms, revealed that Royshawn Allgood, also known as “Boy Roy,” received narcotics from another member of the conspiracy and then distributed the drugs to users and other street-level distributors. Encarnacion, while on state probation for a narcotics distribution offense, acquired distribution quantities of heroin from Allgood and sold the drug to other dealers and his own customers.
Encarnacion has been detained since his arrest on February 21, 2019. On March 5, 2019, a grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Encarnacion, Allgood and 22 other individuals with various offenses. A subsequent superseding indictment charged an additional two defendants.
On May 6, 2021, Encarnacion pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Allgood pleaded guilty to a related charge and, on January 3, 2020, was sentenced to 71 months of imprisonment.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Connecticut Statewide Narcotics Taskforce East, Connecticut Department of Correction and the New London, Waterford, City of Groton, Stonington, Norwich, Old Saybrook and UConn Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth 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.
Northeast Harbor Man Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Northeast Harbor man was sentenced today in federal court for failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Jack Palmer, 71, to 12 months and one day in prison and 10 years of supervised release. Palmer was convicted on August 2, 2021, following a bench trial.
Trial evidence revealed that in 2016, Palmer was convicted in federal court of possessing child pornography. As a result of that conviction, he was required to register as a sex offender in the state of Maine and to update that registration within three days of changing residences. In November 2020, Palmer moved from Portland to Northeast Harbor and failed to notify the Maine Sex Offender Registry. He lived at this residence until his arrest in April 2021.
The U.S. Marshals Service and the Bar Harbor/Mount Desert Island Police Department investigated the case.
New York Stock Promoter Sentenced to Prison for “Pump and Dump” Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A New York man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in an illegal pump-and-dump stock manipulation scheme. Acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge David S. Doty sentenced the defendant.
According to court documents, Christopher James Rajkaran, 36, of Queens, New York, and Guyana, participated in a scheme to hijack and assume control over dormant public shell companies. Rajkaran and his co-defendants used their control over the companies to fraudulently manipulate and pump up the price of the companies' stock so that they could profit from the sale of stock at inflated prices to unwitting investors.
According to court documents, Rajkaran and his co-defendants carried out the scheme by obtaining hundreds of thousands or even millions of shares of stock in dormant public shell companies that traded over-the-counter at low prices, often for less than a fraction of a penny per share. Rajkaran and his co-defendants then assumed control over the shell companies by creating and filing fake resignation letters and board resolutions purporting to announce the resignation of the existing management team and the appointment of one or more conspirators as new officers and directors of the companies. Rajkaran and his co-defendants used their control over the hijacked shell companies to issue fraudulent press releases and filings designed to fraudulently “pump up” the price of the hijacked companies’ stock. Rajkaran and his co-defendants then “dumped” their stock by selling at the fraudulently inflated prices to reap the fraudulent obtained profits.
On October 7, 2021, Rajkaran pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. On October 14, 2021, co-defendant Mark Allen Miller, 44, of Breezy Point, also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Co-defendant Saeid Jaberian, 60, of Hopkins, has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud charges.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to thank the Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance on this matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson and Miranda E. Dugi are prosecuting the case.
New Haven Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for Role in New Haven Drug RingRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TOMMY JULIUS, also known as “General” and “J,” 39, of New Haven, was sentenced today via videoconference by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny to 41 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a New Haven-based drug trafficking ring. Judge Chatigny ordered Julius to serve the first six months of his supervised release in home confinement.
This matter stems from an investigation headed by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and New Haven Police Department that targeted drug trafficking and related acts of violence by members, former members and associates of the “Island Brothers” street gang in New Haven. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics from Julius and others, also revealed that the drug trafficking organization had established a base of operation in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The investigation subsequently identified a second drug trafficking network that involved the large-scale distribution of heroin. Julius regularly distributed heroin and crack cocaine to street sellers who, in turn, provided Julius with proceeds from their drug sales.
Twenty-five individuals were convicted as a result of this investigation.
Julius was arrested on July 10, 2019. On September 2, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substance. He has been detained since October 5, 2021, when his bond was revoked after he violated conditions of his release.
Julius’ criminal history dates to 1998 and includes several convictions, including a federal firearm conviction in 2011 for which he received a sentence of 10 years in prison. In January 2018, he received an additional 14 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release.
This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, New Haven Police Department, Milford Police Department, Hamden Police Department, East Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan, Elena L. Coronado and Tara E. Levens 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.
New Haven Man Admits Role in Cocaine Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE RODRIGUEZ-CARABALLO, also known as “Puma,” 32, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today via videoconference before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer to cocaine trafficking offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in November 2020, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force executed a federal search warrant on a suspicious package that had been sent through the U.S. Mail from New Haven to an address in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The package contained $102,450 in cash. The investigation revealed that an associate of Rodriguez-Caraballo was supervising the receipt of numerous parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine that had been shipped from Puerto Rico to addresses in and around New Haven, the resale of the cocaine to others, and the shipment of narcotics proceeds to individuals in Puerto Rico. During the investigation, law enforcement intercepted multiple parcels of cocaine and U.S. currency that was sent through the U.S. Mail.
The investigation revealed that Rodriguez-Caraballo picked up cocaine parcels from the addresses they were shipped to, repackaged the cocaine, and helped distribute it to other drug sellers and customers.
Rodriguez-Caraballo was arrested on March 18, 2021, after he traveled with a co-conspirator to complete a cocaine transaction. Investigators seized approximately two kilograms of cocaine and a firearm from their vehicle.
Rodriguez-Caraballo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Judge Meyer scheduled sentencing for April 21, at which time Rodriguez-Caraballo faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Rodriguez-Caraballo has been detained since his arrest.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the New Haven Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden and Town of Groton Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman and Karen Peck 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.
Nampa Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government MoneyRead the Press Release
BOISE – A Nampa woman pleaded guilty to theft of government money.
According to court records, in September 2010, Maria Vasquez, 37, of Nampa, filed an application with the Social Security Administration (SSA) for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for her son with disabilities. Vasquez was listed as representative payee, and SSA approved the application one month later based upon her reported income. SSA notified Vasquez that she is under a continuing obligation to notify SSA if her income changes.
In 2014, Vasquez completed a redetermination of her son's benefits over the phone with an SSA claims specialist. Vasquez stated that her husband earned approximately $1,000 per month. Again, SSA notified Vasquez that she is under a continuing obligation to notify SSA if her income changes.
Tax returns show that after 2014, however, Vasquez's husband owned a painting business that made significant money. Specifically, Vasquez and her husband filed joint taxes and had income from her husband's business of $52,331, $24,286, $108,777, $80,659, $199,142, and $175,882 in 2014 through 2019, respectively. Despite the increased income, which made her son ineligible to receive SSI, Vasquez never reported to SSA the change in income.
In total, SSA deposited $58,079.40 between January 2014 and September 2020 into an account belonging to Vasquez and her son. As part of the plea agreement with the Government, Vasquez agreed to pay restitution to SSA in the amount of $58,079.40.
“Misusing Social Security benefits, taxpayer funds, is a criminal and punishable act, which my office takes very seriously,” said U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr. “Auditors and criminal investigators will continue to collaborate with SSA and other agencies to identify those who falsify reports for their personal gain. Together with our partners at SSA Office of the Inspector General, we will continue to hold accountable those who commit crimes involving Social Security benefits,” Mr. Gonzalez added.
“For several years as representative payee for her son, Ms. Vasquez misrepresented her household income to the Social Security Administration to fraudulently receive Supplemental Security Income benefits, a critical safety net for those in need,” said Christian Assaad, Acting Special Agent in Charge, SSA Office of the Inspector General, Seattle Field Division. “This guilty plea demonstrates that our office will continue to pursue those who defraud SSA. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case and holding her accountable for her criminal actions.”
Vasquez is scheduled to be sentenced on April 18, 2022 and faces a statutory maximum of ten years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General.
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Mounds Man Sentenced to Life in Prison Plus 10 years for First Degree Murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
Kyle Quentin Sago, 32, of Mounds, was sentenced Thursday in federal court for fatally shooting a man the day they renewed an old friendship, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Sago to life in prison plus 10 years.
In September, a federal jury convicted Sago of first degree murder in Indian Country, two counts of felon in possession of ammunition; and causing death by using and discharging a firearm in the commission of first degree murder.
“Kyle Sago committed an egregious, senseless crime when he took the life of Daniel Morgan,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “While today’s sentence cannot rectify the loss of Mr. Morgan, it sends a message that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners take seriously our mission to uphold justice. There are no higher priorities than keeping our communities safe and fighting for victims of violent crime.”
“The FBI works every day with our law enforcement partners to hold violent offenders accountable when they commit egregious acts such as murder. Violent crime affects not only the victims, but also their families and the community at large,” said Edward J. Gray, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to our responsibility to uphold the Constitution and protect all Americans, and we are as committed as ever to our work in Indian Country.”
At the sentencing hearing, Morgan’s young daughter told the court her father was kind, nice, and that everyone relied on him. She said she missed his laugh and him being at her birthday parties. Other family members said they would never understand why Morgan’s friend would kill him, especially after Morgan saved him from a fire, and described the difficulty they endured after losing him. They thanked Judge Frizzell for his handling of the case and asked that Sago be sent to prison for life.
When imposing the sentence, Judge Frizzell explained that there seemed to be no explanation as to why Sago committed the murder except possibly for Sago’s long history of drug use, calling methamphetamine a scourge. He reminded Sago of the tragedy caused by his actions not only for the family but also for Sago himself.
On July 25, 2020, Officers from the Tulsa Police Department were notified of a shooting that occurred within the Muscogee Nation reservation. A witness, victim Daniel Morgan’s girlfriend, identified Kyle Sago as having fired the shots that killed the victim.
At trial, Morgan’s girlfriend explained that she woke up at about 3:30 pm the day of the crime and saw Sago visiting with the victim. Morgan introduced Sago as a good friend. She noticed burns on Sago’s arms. Morgan explained that he had saved Sago years ago from a fire at a meth lab. She said the two continued to exchange stories and visited.
After Sago left, the victim lay down for a nap because he had been working the night prior. Morgan’s girlfriend then heard multiple Facebook Messenger calls to the victim’s phone while he was asleep. She noted that Kyle Sago initiated the calls.
The witness stated that Sago soon returned to the residence in a white sedan When she stepped outside, he demanded to speak with Morgan about "business" and she should wake him.
When Morgan walked outside, the witness stated that she heard multiple gunshots. She moved to the door and witnessed Sago shoot at Morgan approximately four more times from the white sedan as the victim retreated around to the side of the house.
Other witnesses called 911 and ran to assist. Morgan’s girlfriend also assisted and called the victim’s mother. She further cooperated with authorities in identifying Sago as the shooter. Daniel Morgan sustained 4 gunshot wounds and died at the scene.
Several witnesses who saw the crime occur confirmed the suspect shot from the same white sedan and continued to drive and fire at the victim as he ran for cover.
The FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross E. Lenhardt and Aaron M. Jolly prosecuted the case. Mr. Lenhardt is a prosecutor from the Western District of Pennsylvania. He volunteered to assist prosecution efforts here in the Northern District of Oklahoma due to increased jurisdictional responsibilities regarding crimes involving Native American victims or defendants and that occur within the Muscogee Nation, Cherokee Nation, and Quapaw Nation Reservations.
See trial press release here.
Mexican Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud Involving a Social Security CardRead the Press Release
Gulfport, Miss. – A Mexican national pled guilty to the federal felony offense of Fraud or Misuse Involving a Visa, Permit or Other Document.
U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca of the Southern District of Mississippi, Jason E. Schneider, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, and Special Agent in Charge David L. Denton of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans made the announcement.
According to court documents, Jesus Alberto Charqueno-Hernandez, 26, was arrested on October 25, 2021, by Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies after they responded to a 911 call request for assistance. Deputies responded to the location of the 911 call near the intersection of Interstate 10 and U.S. Highway 57. They found probable cause to search the vehicle and found residue that field tested positive for cocaine in a plastic baggie. Charqueno-Hernandez was placed under arrest for possession of a controlled substance and DUI other substance. The Border Patrol was contacted and, based on record checks, an immigration detainer was issued for Charqueno-Hernandez.
Several forms of identification were found in Charqueno-Hernandez’ possession, including a Florida state identification card bearing another person’s name with a photo of Charqueno-Hernandez. Further, what appeared to be a Social Security Card was found which bore the name and Social Security Number of the person named on the Florida Identification Card who was determined to be a victim of identity theft. Knowing that the name and SSN were not his own, he unlawfully used the victim’s information to fill-out and support a federal Form I-9 for the purpose of gaining employment.
Immigration records checks revealed that Carqueno-Hernandez had been previously removed from the U.S. to Mexico and had illegally returned to the United States.
Charqueno-Hernandez is scheduled to be sentenced on May 10, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years of Supervised Release. After completing any sentence of incarceration, he also is subject to Department of Homeland Security proceedings to remove him from the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Two Years of Probation for Lying About His Residence When Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Donte Christian, age 46, of Catonsville, Maryland, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to two years of probation for making false statements during the purchase of firearms. Christian was also ordered to pay a $5,500 fine.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Christian previously admitted that on four occasions in 2018, he provided a false state of residence and address when purchasing firearms in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Christian purchased a total of nine handguns.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to 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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Marion Man Sentenced for Possessing Fentanyl with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Marion, Virginia man was sentenced this week to 48 months in prison for possession with the intent to distribute the deadly drug fentanyl.
Dakota Shadoe Tunnell, 21, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to one count of possessing with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, Tunnell became known to law enforcement in early 2021 when a flood of illegal pills began showing up in Smyth County, Virginia. The pills resembled a pharmaceutical preparation of oxycodone-hydrochloride pills, but were inconsistent in size, shape, and color as compared to pharmaceutical-grade pills. Pills of this type are sometimes referred to as “Roxicodone,” “pressed,” or “M30” pills because they have an imprint of an “M” on one side and a “30” on the other side.
During the investigation, law enforcement determined that Tunnell had been purchasing 300 to 500 pills at a time from his supplier and redistributing them in the Marion, Virginia area. On September 5, 2021, law enforcement executed a controlled purchase of approximately 100 pills from Tunnell for $1,700, and subsequently arrested him.
U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia announced the sentence today.
The Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit D. Pierce prosecuted the case.
Man Charged for Threatening Nevada State Election WorkerRead the Press Release
A Nevada man made his initial appearance in federal court today for allegedly making multiple threatening phone calls to an election worker in the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office.
Gjergi Luke Juncaj, aka Gjergj Juncaj, aka Gjurgi Juncaj, aka George Juncaj, 50, of Las Vegas, was arrested by the FBI yesterday in Las Vegas.
According to court documents, on Jan. 7, 2021, Juncaj allegedly made four threatening phone calls to an employee in the Elections Division of the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office. According to the employee, the threats included:
I want to thank you for such a great job you all did on stealing the election. I hope you all go to jail for treason. I hope your children get molested. You are all going to (expletive) die.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in late June 2021, the task force is leading the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and investigates and prosecutes these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country as warranted.
Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Department of Justice, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found here: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at: tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
Juncaj is charged with four counts of making threatening telephone calls. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Las Vegas Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson of the Public Integrity Section is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Charged for Manufacturing an Explosive DeviceRead the Press Release
A man responsible for the production of an explosive device made from fireworks, fishhooks, rivets and other material was charged in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Zane Paul Bennett, 20, was charged by Criminal Complaint with unlawful manufacture of a destructive device.
On January 24, 2022, an officer with the Broken Arrow Police Department conducted a traffic stop after learning that Mariah Davis, Bennett’s partner, had allegedly been observed shoplifting at a retail store. While speaking to Davis, an officer observed what appeared to be a dstructive device in the back seat of the vehicle. The woman explained that the device belonged to her boyfriend.
Davis called Bennett who arrived on foot and then asked if he could take possession of the vehicle if Davis was going to be detained. After officers advised Bennett of his rights, Bennett told them that he manufactured the destructive device.
Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were called and conducted interviews with the couple. Bennett allegedly indicated he had manufactured the destructive device in a nearby motel where the couple was staying. He explained that he used fireworks, fish hooks to hold the tubes of the destructive devices together, then added metal items before wrapping the device together.
At the location of the traffic stop, the Tulsa Police Department Bomb Squad x-rayed the destructive device, which showed several large fish hooks, screws, and rivets in the device. Also inside the device were a large quantity of small fireworks packed together. The device was dismantled and the components retained. After obtaining a search warrant of Bennett’s hotel room, officers and agents with the Broken Arrow Police Department and ATF located and seized fireworks and a metal rivet consistent with what was found in the destructive device.
A Criminal Complaint is a temporary charge alleging a violation of law. For the case to proceed to trial, the United States must present the charge to a federal Grand Jury within 30 days. Once a Grand Jury returns an Indictment, a defendant has a right to a jury trial at which the United States would have the burden of proving the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The ATF, Broken Arrow Police Department, Tulsa Police Department, and Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert T. Raley and Christopher J. Nassar are prosecuting the case.
*This is a corrected press release. The initial press release sent out showed Bennett as 19 but he recently turned 20. This has also been corrected to clarify spelling of the defendant's last name.
Los Angeles Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Obstruction of an Official Proceeding Dealing with a Scheme to Issue Commercial Driver Licenses to Unqualified DriversRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jaswinder Singh, 59, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty today to one count of attempted obstruction of an official proceeding when he tried to influence the testimony of a potential trial witness, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in August 2021, Singh instructed the witness to tell law enforcement that the witness knew nothing, not to mention anything about him or his participation in the conspiracy to help others obtain fraudulent commercial driver licenses, and not to name any names. Singh also told the witness not to talk on the phone and said that it was very important for them to make sure their stories were similar to one another.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Office of Internal Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rosanne L. Rust and Christopher Hales are prosecuting the case.
Singh is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on May 5, 2022. Singh faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Possession with the Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Brandon L. Parmentier, 32, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture. United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Parmentier to 149 months in prison followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On September 11, 2020, a probation officer searched probationer Parmentier’s residence in Lincoln. While searching Parmentier’s bedroom, the officer found a large amount of suspected methamphetamine, weapons, and drug paraphernalia. Those items were seized by law enforcement. A lab determined that there was 111.52 grams of methamphetamine, of which at least 100 grams was actual methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.
Lewiston Man Sentenced for Straw Purchasing Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine—A Lewiston man was sentenced today in federal court for making false statements during the purchase of firearms, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., sentenced Jake Scherer, 24, to three months of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. Scherer pleaded guilty on August 3, 2021.
According to court records, on April 30, 2020, Scherer purchased handguns from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Levant. When completing the sale, Scherer completed a Firearms Transaction Record form in which he falsely reported that he was the actual purchaser of the firearms. On May 22, 2020, Scherer purchased firearms from a licensed dealer in Houlton, and again falsely stated he was the actual purchaser. Scherer was purchasing the firearms for someone else on both occasions.
Straw purchasing typically involves a buyer who can lawfully purchase firearms but who then provides them to another person who is legally prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms, therefore allowing the prohibited person to illegally obtain firearms and avoid the national background check system.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
The prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.
Leader of Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy Sentenced to 35 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A North Carolina man, who previously resided in Wise County, Virginia when he organized a conspiracy to traffic multiple pounds of methamphetamine into Southwest Virginia, was sentenced today to 35 years in federal prison.
Daniel Eugene Rowland, 46, of Andrews, North Carolina was convicted on eight counts, including conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“This defendant, and the other conspirators, trafficked multiple pounds of methamphetamine into Virginia, preying on the addiction of others for their own financial benefit,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “Today’s sentence should serve as an example that here in the Western District of Virginia we take drug trafficking seriously and will pursue justice appropriately.”
“There is no place in our communities for this type of criminal activity. We will continue to work cohesively with the United States Attorney’s Office and with our law enforcement partners to disrupt the illegal possession of firearms, distribution of narcotics and other acts of violence to make our communities safer,” ATF Washington Field Division Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson said.
Between July 2019 and December 2020, Rowland structured a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine from Atlanta into Southwest Virginia for redistribution by organizing co-defendants Jon Rollins, Jessica Robey, Austin Hammond, and others, to pool their money together in order to purchase large quantities of methamphetamine from co-defendants Eric Glass and Shane Cress.
On several occasions, Rowland traveled to Atlanta where he made multi-kilogram purchases of methamphetamine from Glass and Cress, paying $12,000 to $14,000 per kilogram for the drugs.
When he was arrested in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, Rowland was in possession of nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine, $32,500 in cash, digital scales, a loaded 9mm pistol, and additional ammunition.
Co-conspirators Justin Shane Cress and Cory Austin Hammond were each previously sentenced to 135 months incarceration for their roles in the conspiracy. In addition, Eric Matthew Glass was sentenced to 168 months in prison, Jessica Ann Robey was sentenced to 120 months, and Jonathan Adam Rollins was sentenced to 228 months.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force, the Holston River Regional Drug Task Force, and the Virginia State Police investigated the case, with assistance from the United States Marshal’s Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case for the United States.
La Quarenta gang drug dealers plead guilty in poly-drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Four Corpus Christi men have admitted to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute meth, heroin and cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Fernando Martinez, 44, Corpus Christi, pleaded guilty today to the conspiracy which spanned from Sept. 6, 2020, to Aug. 26, 2021. Three others - Jayden Wandell Coleman, 18, Carlos Acosta, 38, and Ricky Reyna, 34, all of Corpus Christi - previously admitted to the their roles in the conspiracy. All are identified members of the La Quarenta gang.
The investigation began in September 2020. It revealed the narcotics trafficking organization used a Corpus Christi residence on Cortez Street to distribute meth, heroin, crack and marijuana. Authorities observed Reyna, Martinez, Acosta and Coleman entering and exiting the drug stash house as various times and directing people to the residence.
Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement observed a high amount of foot traffic approach and enter the residence, stay for a few minutes and then exit the area. Traffic stops resulted in the seizure of narcotics they had obtained from the drug stash house.
Authorities also executed search warrants at four residences and a storage yard in August 2021. They ultimately found a total of over five kilograms of cocaine, over four kilograms of meth, more than two kilograms of heroin; nearly 200 grams of crack and 13 kilograms of marijuana and over a hundred thousand dollars, digital scales, a drug ledger, and loaded firearms and ammunition.
The investigation further revealed the four men were in communication with each other regarding the purchase and sale of various narcotics for the duration of the conspiracy.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales for will impose sentencing April 20. At that time, the four men face a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison as well as a possible $10 million maximum fine.
They have been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations; and Corpus Christi Police Department’s Gang Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Marin and John Marck are prosecuting the case.
La Autoridad Municipal de Servicios Públicos de Jersey City efectuará mejoras considerables a los sistemas municipales de alcantarillado y agua potable de Jersey City según acuerdo con el gobierno de los EE. UU., beneficiando comunidades desventajadasRead the Press Release
Contacto: John Senn, (212) 637-3662, [email protected]
WASHINGTON (27 de enero de 2022) – El Departamento de Justicia y la Agencia Federal de Protección Ambiental (EPA, por sus siglas en inglés) anunciaron hoy un acuerdo con la Autoridad Municipal de Servicios Públicos de Jersey City (JCMUA), en Jersey City, Nueva Jersey, mediante el cual mejorará considerablemente los sistemas municipales de alcantarillado y agua potable en la ciudad, se reducirá significativamente la cantidad de contaminación que se descarga en el Río Hackensack, el Río Hudson y la Bahía de Newark, además favorecerá a muchos vecindarios de Jersey City que enfrentan retos de justicia ambiental. El acuerdo es una modificación de un decreto de consentimiento que la JCMUA celebró con el gobierno de los EE. UU. en 2011.
“Este acuerdo ayudará a mejorar el medioambiente y la salud pública de las comunidades que por largo tiempo han soportado una carga histórica y desproporcionada de contaminación”, indicó Todd Kim, procurador general auxiliar de la División de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales del Departamento de Justicia. “El Departamento de Justicia está comprometido a proteger el derecho del público a tener agua limpia y saludable gracias a la Ley de Agua Limpia de nuestro país.”
“Proporcionar agua limpia a las comunidades, especialmente aquellas ya sobrecargadas por la contaminación, es un derecho fundamental que todos merecen”, comentó Larry Starfield Subadministrador Suplente de la Oficina de Cumplimiento de la EPA. “Las mejoras acordadas en esta resolución permitirán que la Autoridad Municipal de Servicios Públicos de Jersey City gestione efectivamente las dificultades que implican las tormentas intensas y los huracanes provocados por el cambio climático.”
“A través de nuestra colaboracion estatal y federal, NJDEP y USEPA trabajan para asegurar que todas las comunidades de Nueva Jersey disfruten de los beneficios de cuerpos de agua limpios y confiables, además de un abasto de agua potable segura”, explicó Shawn M. LaTourette, Comisionado del Departamento de Protección Ambiental de Nueva Jersey. “Este decreto de consentimiento ayuda a asegurar que la JCMUA continúe tomando medidas importantes que reducen los riesgos de contaminación del agua ahora y en el futuro, y aplaudimos el compromiso de la JCMUA con el reemplazo de las tuberías de servicio de plomo a medida que el servicio público trabaja para mantener el cumplimiento continuo con los requisitos más amplios de la Ley de Agua Limpia y la Ley de Agua Potable Segura.”
Según el acuerdo de hoy, Jersey City se compromete a reparar y mejorar partes significativas de su sistema municipal combinado de alcantarillado ampliando además la capacidad del sistema. Jersey City también mejorará el sistema de agua potable de la ciudad al reemplazar más de 12,000 tuberías de agua potable de plomo. Muchas de las áreas que se verán favorecidas con estas mejoras son comunidades desventajadas que han enfrentado dificultades de justicia ambiental durante décadas. La JCMUA también incorporará la adaptación al cambio climático y prácticas óptimas de resiliencia además de medidas de diseño en sus mejoras de alcantarillado para asegurar que sus sistemas de alcantarillado estén mejor preparados para soportar tormentas intensas y huracanes.
Jersey City estima que el trabajo detallado en el decreto de consentimiento tardará otros 10 años en concluir y costará aproximadamente $1,099 millones.
Conforme al acuerdo inicial en 2011, la JCMUA se comprometió a resolver contravenciones a la Ley de Agua Limpia por no operar y mantener debidamente su sistema de alcantarillado combinado, lo cual provocó reiteradas emanaciones de aguas residuales sin tratar dentro del Río Hackensack, el Río Hudson, la Bahía de Newark y el Arroyo Penhorn. Dicho acuerdo también incluía un requisito de que la JCMUA llevara a cabo una evaluación integral de las condiciones de su sistema de alcantarillado. Esta evaluación reveló mejoras adicionales que necesitaban realizarse para asegurar que el sistema de alcantarillado opere en cumplimiento con la Ley de Agua Limpia. Estas mejoras adicionales se están abordando en este acuerdo.
Aunque el sistema de agua potable municipal está sujeto a regulaciones de la Ley de Agua Potable Segura, y no fue abordado mediante la resolución de la Ley de Agua Limpia de 2011, según la modificación, la JCMUA ha decidido mejorar tanto el sistema de alcantarillado como el de agua potable al mismo tiempo para ahorrar tiempo y costos. La identificación, remoción y reemplazo de las tuberías de servicio de agua potable de plomo son importantes en comunidades como Jersey City para proteger la salud pública, especialmente para la salud de los niños porque ellos son más vulnerables a los impactos del plomo que los adultos.
Los sistemas de alcantarillado combinados como el de Jersey City están diseñados para transportar aguas residuales, aguas servidas industriales y escorrentía de aguas lluvia en las mismas tuberías hacia las plantas de tratamiento de aguas residuales. Durante los periodos de fuertes precipitaciones, el volumen de aguas residuales que viaja por un sistema de alcantarillado combinado puede exceder la capacidad del sistema o de la planta de tratamiento. Los desbordes resultantes, llamados excedentes combinados de alcantarillado (CSO), contienen no solo aguas de escorrentías pluviales sino también contaminantes como residuos humanos e industriales sin tratar, materiales tóxicos y escombros. Estos presentan riesgos para la salud humana, amenazan los hábitats acuáticos y la vida, además de afectar el uso y disfrute de las vías fluviales del país.
La modificación del decreto de consentimiento está sujeta a un periodo de 60 días de comentarios del público y a la aprobación final del tribunal. Se encuentra disponible una copia de la modificación y más información en el sitio web del Departamento de Justicia en http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html.
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Kearney Man Convicted for Possession with the Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Craig S. Marsh, 33, of Kearney, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture. United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Marsh to 180 months in prison followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On October 29, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant of Marsh’s residence in Kearney. Law enforcement found Marsh and two others in a room with suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Law enforcement also found a case containing two bags of suspected methamphetamine in the residence. A lab confirmed that the substance was in fact about 381 grams of methamphetamine, of which at least 338 grams was actual methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Central Nebraska Drug and Safe Streets Task Force.
Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Florida Tax Return PreparerRead the Press Release
On Jan. 25, the United States filed a civil injunction suit seeking to bar Arnold Zio, individually and doing business as Platinum Citizens Financial LLC and FTP Tax Services, from owning or operating a tax return preparation business and preparing tax returns for others.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, alleges that Zio started preparing fraudulent returns with the Maryland firm Money Back Tax before moving his operation to Florida. Zio has prepared returns without identifying himself on the returns, failed to receive proper authorization from his clients before filing their returns, and has failed to give his clients copies of their documents, the complaint alleges.
The government alleges that Zio prepared tax returns claiming over $600,000 in falsified or inflated business expenses, over $500,000 in fabricated business losses and over $850,000 in false tax deductions and credits, including falsified charitable contributions, unreimbursed employee expenses and gambling losses. According to the complaint, Zio has also diverted at least $188,000 from clients by depositing client refunds and Economic Impact Payments, also known as COVID-19 stimulus payments, into his own bank account.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. (More information can also be found here.) The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer, has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers, and offers information on how to avoid “ghost” tax preparers, whose refusal to sign a return should be a red flag to taxpayers. The IRS also has a checklist of things to remember when filing income tax returns in 2022.
In addition, IRS Free File, a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $72,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronical federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative Inc. to Enforce the Rights of United States Army National Guard MemberRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement resolving allegations that the Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative Inc. (WREC) terminated U.S. Army National Guard Staff Sergeant Garrett Woodard when he returned from military service in violation of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).
“We greatly value and respect the contributions of all our servicemembers and are committed to challenging any attempts to discriminate against them in their efforts to fulfill their military duties,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “It is an honor to fight for the rights of those serving in the Armed Forces, including the Army National Guard, so that they may continue to fight for and protect our freedom without fear of losing their employment.”
“Members of the U.S. Army National Guard make tremendous sacrifices, including spending significant time away from their families and jobs,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Their call to active duty and fulfillment of their military obligations should never be detrimental to their jobs. Our office, in partnership with the Civil Rights Division, remains committed to protecting the employment rights of our servicemembers.”
SSG Woodard has served in the Florida Army National Guard with distinction for over 21 years and is currently attached to the 53rd Support Battalion out of Bartow, Florida. During his service, he has been called up to active duty on multiple occasions, including serving in Afghanistan in 2005 and 2006 and Iraq in 2010 and 2011 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. From January 2018 to October 2020, he was also employed by WREC in their apprentice lineman program to become a journeyman where he was consistently rated as an excellent employee. In the summer of 2020, SSG Woodard was deployed to military service for several months with his unit as part of Florida’s emergency mobilization to assist the state in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the extended nature of the emergency, his military leave was extended for several months, through Oct. 26, 2020. He reported back to WREC immediately at the end of his deployment, but was terminated by WREC on the day he reported back to work. Woodard filed a complaint with the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) alleging that WREC terminated him on the basis of his military service obligations in violation of USERRA. VETS investigated this matter and referred it to the Department of Justice after attempts at resolution failed.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, WREC has agreed to pay Woodard back pay and other damages in the amount of $80,000. The settlement agreement further requires WREC to comply with all of the provisions of USERRA to prevent any further incidents of discrimination, retaliation or interference with a servicemember’s rights under USERRA from occurring in the future
USERRA protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to retain their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations and provides that servicemembers shall not be discriminated against because of their military obligations. The Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at www.justice.gov/crt-military/employment-rights-userra and www.justice.gov/servicemembers, as well as on the Department of Labor’s website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.
This matter was handled by Deputy Civil Chief Yohance Pettis of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, along with Senior Trial Attorney Brian McEntire of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section.
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative Inc. to Enforce the Rights of United States Army National Guard MemberRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement resolving allegations that the Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative Inc. (WREC) terminated U.S. Army National Guard Staff Sergeant Garrett Woodard when he returned from military service in violation of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).
“We greatly value and respect the contributions of all our servicemembers and are committed to challenging any attempts to discriminate against them in their efforts to fulfill their military duties,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “It is an honor to fight for the rights of those serving in the Armed Forces, including the Army National Guard, so that they may continue to fight for and protect our freedom without fear of losing their employment.”
“Members of the U.S. Army National Guard make tremendous sacrifices, including spending significant time away from their families and jobs,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Their call to active duty and fulfillment of their military obligations should never be detrimental to their jobs. Our office, in partnership with the Civil Rights Division, remains committed to protecting the employment rights of our servicemembers.”
SSG Woodard has served in the Florida Army National Guard with distinction for over 21 years and is currently attached with the 53rd Support Battalion out of Bartow, Florida. During his service, he has been called up to active duty on multiple occasions, including serving in Afghanistan in 2005 and 2006 and Iraq in 2010 and 2011 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. From January 2018 to October 2020, he was also employed by WREC in their apprentice lineman program to become a journeyman where he was consistently rated as an excellent employee. In the summer of 2020, SSG Woodard was deployed to military service for several months with his unit as part of Florida’s emergency mobilization to assist the state in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the extended nature of the emergency, his military leave was extended for several months, through Oct. 26, 2020. He reported back to WREC immediately at the end of his deployment, but was terminated by WREC on the day he reported back to work. Woodard filed a complaint with the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) alleging that WREC terminated him on the basis of his military service obligations in violation of USERRA. VETS investigated this matter and referred it to the Department of Justice after attempts at resolution failed.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, WREC has agreed to pay Woodard back pay and other damages in the amount of $80,000. The settlement agreement further requires WREC to comply with all of the provisions of USERRA to prevent any further incidents of discrimination, retaliation or interference with a servicemember’s rights under USERRA from occurring in the future
USERRA protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to retain their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations and provides that servicemembers shall not be discriminated against because of their military obligations. The Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at www.justice.gov/crt-military/employment-rights-userra and www.justice.gov/servicemembers, as well as on the Department of Labor’s website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.
This matter was handled by Deputy Civil Chief Yohance Pettis of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, along with Senior Trial Attorney Brian McEntire of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section.
Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority to Make Significant Improvements to Jersey City’s Municipal Sewer and Drinking Water Systems under Agreement with United States Government, Benefiting Underserved CommunitiesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced an agreement with the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority (JCMUA), in Jersey City, New Jersey, that will significantly improve the city’s municipal sewer and drinking water systems, will significantly reduce the amount of pollution being discharged into the Hackensack River, Hudson River and Newark Bay, and will benefit many Jersey City neighborhoods that face environmental justice challenges. The agreement is a modification of a consent decree that JCMUA entered into with the U.S. government in 2011.
“This settlement will help improve the environment and public health of communities that have long endured a historic and disproportionate burden from pollution,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the public’s right to clean and healthy water under our nation’s Clean Water Act.”
“Providing clean water to communities, especially those already overburdened by pollution, is a fundamental right everyone deserves,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The improvements agreed upon in this settlement will allow Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority to effectively manage the challenges that come with severe storms and hurricanes caused by climate change.”
“As a result of this settlement, the sewer system improvements will reduce discharges from Combined Sewer Overflows by 370 million gallons per year, preventing over one million pounds of pollutants from entering nearby waterways each year,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia for the EPA. “Furthermore, it will accelerate the replacement of thousands of lead service lines, which means cleaner drinking water for vulnerable communities. EPA is renewing its commitment to safeguarding underserved and overburdened communities such as Jersey City. These and other environmental and health benefits are key to protecting public health.”
“Through our state-federal partnership, NJDEP and USEPA are working to ensure that all New Jersey communities enjoy the benefits of clean waterways and reliable, safe drinking water,” said New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “This consent decree helps to ensure that JCMUA will continue taking important actions that reduce water pollution risks now and in future, and we applaud JCMUA’s commitment to replacing lead service lines as the utility works to maintain continuing compliance with broader Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.”
Under today’s agreement, JCMUA is committing to repairing and upgrading significant portions of its municipal combined sewer system while also expanding the system’s capacity. JCMUA will also upgrade the city’s drinking water system by replacing over 12,000 lead drinking water pipes. Many of the areas that these upgrades will benefit are communities of color that have faced environmental justice challenges for decades. JCMUA will also incorporate climate change adaptation and resiliency best practices and design measures into its sewer upgrades to ensure its sewer systems are better prepared to withstand severe storms and hurricanes.
JCMUA estimates the work detailed in the consent decree modifications will take an additional 10 years to complete and cost approximately $1.099 billion.
Under the initial settlement in 2011, JCMUA committed to resolve Clean Water Act violations for failing to properly operate and maintain its combined sewer system, which led to repeated releases of untreated sewage into the Hackensack River, Hudson River, Newark Bay and Penhorn Creek. That agreement also included a requirement for JCMUA to complete a comprehensive assessment of the condition of its sewer system. This assessment revealed additional improvements that needed to occur in order to ensure the sewer system will operate in compliance with the Clean Water Act. These additional improvements are being addressed in this settlement.
While the city’s drinking water system is subject to Safe Drinking Water Act regulations and was not addressed by the 2011 Clean Water Act settlement, under the modification, JCMUA has chosen to upgrade both its sewer and drinking water systems at the same time to save time and costs. The identification, removal and replacement of lead drinking water service lines is important in communities like Jersey City to protect public health, especially children’s health since kids are more vulnerable to the impacts of lead than adults.
Combined sewer systems like the one in Jersey City are designed to transport sewage, industrial wastewater and rainwater runoff in the same pipes to wastewater treatment plants. During periods of heavy rainfall, the volume of wastewater traveling through a combined sewer system can exceed the capacity of the system or the treatment plant. Resulting overflows, called combined sewer overflows (CSOs), contain not only stormwater but also pollutants such as untreated human and industrial waste, toxic materials and debris. They pose risks to human health, threaten aquatic habitats and life, and impair the use and enjoyment of the nation’s waterways.
The consent decree modification is subject to a 60-day public comment period and final court approval. A copy of the modification and more information are available on the Department of Justice website at http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html. View the Spanish translation of this press release here.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing His Twin’s Identity to Obtain Veterans BenefitsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Wayne Bowen (64, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. He faces a mandatory penalty of two years in federal prison. As part of his plea agreement, Bowen has agreed to reimburse various federal agencies a total of $63,773 for the government benefits he received in connection with his identity theft scheme.
According to the plea agreement, in 2014, Bowen used the name, Social Security card, and military discharge papers of his estranged twin brother to apply for federally subsidized housing benefits. The specific subsidy – intended for indigent military veterans – was funded under a joint program administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Unlike his twin, Bowen is not a military veteran.
When interviewed by federal agents, Bowen admitted that he had been using his twin brother’s identity for years. He had obtained a Florida identification card using his twin’s identity and had been arrested and convicted of felony offenses under his twin’s name. Although Bowen initially told the agents that he, like his twin, had served in and been honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, Bowen later relented and admitted those were lies.
Due to Bowen’s fraudulent use of his twin’s identity, the VA provided him with $32,434 in medical services, HUD provided him with $18,905 in housing subsidies, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture funded $12,434 in nutritional benefits for him. Bowen’s twin has confirmed that he did not apply for any of these benefits and that he never gave Bowen permission to use his name.
“The defendant pleaded guilty today for his abhorrent conduct in defrauding multiple federal and state benefit programs by assuming the identify of his twin brother who had justly earned these benefits,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of VA’s benefit programs.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Ithaca Convenience Store Owner Pleads Guilty to Food Stamp FraudRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Abdul Jalil, 55, of Ithaca, New York, pled guilty to federal food stamp fraud, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Bethanne M. Dinkins, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), John Joly, Acting Chief of the Ithaca Police Department. As part of his plea, the defendant admitted that he exchanged food stamp benefits for cash with customers at his store, the Ithaca Halal Meat and Grocery, which is prohibited by the USDA, resulting in a loss to the government of $120,061. During today’s guilty plea, the defendant agreed to pay full restitution to the government.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 25, 2022, in Albany, New York. At sentencing, the defendant faces up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, the Ithaca Police Department, and the Ithaca Department of Social Services, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Thomson.
Iowa Man Indicted on Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — An Iowa man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rockford on federal drug and firearm charges.
BRADLEY S. GODDARD, 33, of Clinton, Iowa, is charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, according to an indictment returned Jan. 25, 2022, in U.S. District Court in Rockford. The drug charge involves 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, the indictment states. The charges allege that Goddard possessed the drugs and firearm on Sept. 8, 2021, in Fulton, Ill.
Goddard pleaded not guilty Wednesday during arraignment in federal court.
The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert J. Bell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Nicholas Neblung, Chief of Police of the Fulton, Ill., Police Department. The Whiteside County, Ill., Sheriff’s Office and the Morrison, Ill., Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincenza L. Tomlinson.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictment and Guilty Plea Entered in Iranian Export CaseRead the Press Release
A U.K. man pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in the District of Columbia to violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations. At the same time, an indictment was unsealed charging four individuals with the same offense, as well as related offenses.
According to his plea, Saber Fakih, 46, of the United Kingdom, conspired with Bader Fakih, 41, of Canada, Altaf Faquih, 70, of the United Arab Emirates, and Alireza Taghavi, 46, of Iran, to export and attempt to export an Industrial Microwave System (IMS) and counter-drone system from the United States to Iran, without first obtaining the requisite license from the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Saber Fakih pleaded guilty to count two of the indictment.
“Fakih and his coconspirators attempted to evade U.S. sanctions and obtain highly sensitive pieces of equipment for Iran from unwitting U.S. suppliers,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “In doing so, Fakih jeopardized not only U.S. national security, but the national security of any other nation Iran decides to target. The Department of Justice can and will act to disrupt and prosecute such criminal conduct.”
“This indictment and guilty plea demonstrate the United States’ commitment to preventing U.S. technology with military applications from falling into the hands of the Iranian government, and it demonstrates the effective results generated by the partnership between the Justice Department, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Commerce,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia.
“This investigation illustrates that our adversaries are willing to utilize complicated procurement networks and blatantly disregard U.S. export control laws to acquire sensitive dual use items for potential military purposes, such as counter drone technology, industrial microwave systems, and directed-energy systems that would undermine U.S. national security,” said Special Agent in Charge Nasir Khan of the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement, Washington Field Office. “The Office of Export Enforcement and our partner agencies will aggressively target and dismantle those illicit networks that seek technological advantages that can be used against us.”
“Mr. Fakih’s guilty plea shows the lengths he went to in order to attempt to procure U.S. technology with military uses; it also shows the lengths the FBI and our federal partners will go to in order to stop these technologies and materials from getting into the wrong hands,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “Those who are working domestically and abroad to undermine American interests will be held accountable.”
“The FBI remains committed to protecting U.S. technology and ensuring it does not fall into the hands of anyone intending to use it for harm,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “For over 40 years, Iran has continuously attempted to obtain sanctioned items that could be used against Americans or our allies. This indictment of Fakih and his coconspirators sends a clear message: The FBI, along with its federal partners, will persist in thwarting these attempts and do its part to keep our democracy safe.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) remains committed to safeguarding sensitive U.S. technology and ensuring it does not fall into the hands of our adversaries,” said Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of HSI’s Baltimore Field Office. “This investigation highlights HSI’s global investigative capabilities, and we will continue to work with our federal partners to protect the safety and security of the United States.”
In addition, a related indictment was unsealed in the District of Columbia charging Iranian national Jalal Rohollahnejad, 44, with smuggling, wire fraud and related offenses arising from the same scheme. Rohollahnejad was previously added to the Department of Commerce’s, Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List in March 2020, for acting contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests by procuring goods on behalf of a Specially Designated National (SDN).
According to the indictments, in 2017 and 2018, the co-conspirators attempted to export to Iran items that had potential civil and military uses. Potential military uses of the IMS (with some modification) include high-power microwave based directed-energy weapon systems. The counter-drone system, which has both commercial and military uses, can be used to stop, identify, redirect, land or take total control of a target unmanned aerial vehicle.
The indictments allege that Rohollahnejad and Taghavi hold themselves out as representatives of Rayan Roshd Asfzar, which has been linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
According to court documents, Taghavi informed Saber Fakih that he could not purchase the IMS because he is an Iranian national. Saber Fakih then arranged the purchase of the IMS on Taghavi’s and Rohollahnejad’s behalf, knowing it was ultimately destined for Iran.
Rohollahnejad caused the equivalent of $450,000 to be sent from Iran to the United Arab Emirates, where Faquih picked it up and converted it from Emirati currency to U.S. dollars. Faquih then transferred the money to Bader Fakih in Canada via three separate wire transfers. Bader Fakih then transferred the money to the U.S. company for the purchase of the IMS.
In addition to the IMS, Saber Fakih and Bader Fakih conspired to purchase two counter-drone systems worth nearly $1 million on behalf of Taghavi.
Saber Fakih faces up to 20 years of incarceration and/or a fine of $1 million for violating the IEEPA. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, HSI’s Baltimore Field Office, and the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Indictment and Guilty Plea Entered in Iranian Export CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A U.K. man pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in the District of Columbia to violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations. At the same time, an indictment was unsealed charging four individuals with the same offense, as well as related offenses.
According to his plea, Saber Fakih, 46, of the United Kingdom, conspired with Bader Fakih, 41, of Canada, Altaf Faquih, 70, of the United Arab Emirates, and Alireza Taghavi, 46, of Iran, to export and attempt to export an Industrial Microwave System (IMS) and counter-drone system from the United States to Iran, without first obtaining the requisite license from the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Fakih pleaded guilty to count two of the indictment.
“Fakih and his coconspirators attempted to evade U.S. sanctions and obtain highly sensitive pieces of equipment for Iran from unwitting U.S. suppliers,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “In doing so, Fakih jeopardized not only U.S. national security, but the national security of any other nation Iran decides to target. The Department of Justice can and will act to disrupt and prosecute such criminal conduct.”
“This indictment and guilty plea demonstrate the United States’ commitment to preventing U.S. technology with military applications from falling into the hands of the Iranian government, and it demonstrates the effective results generated by the partnership between DOJ, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Commerce,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, for the District of Columbia.
“This investigation illustrates that our adversaries are willing to utilize complicated procurement networks and blatantly disregard U.S. export control laws to acquire sensitive dual use items for potential military purposes, such as counter drone technology, industrial microwave systems, and directed-energy systems that would undermine U.S. national security,” said Special Agent in Charge Nasir Khan of the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Export Enforcement, Washington Field Office. “The Office of Export Enforcement and our partner agencies will aggressively target and dismantle those illicit networks that seek technological advantages that can be used against us.”
“Mr. Fakih’s guilty plea shows the lengths he went to in order to attempt to procure U.S. technology with military uses, it also shows the lengths the FBI and our federal partners will go to in order to stop these technologies and materials from getting into the wrong hands,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski, of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “Those who are working domestically and abroad to undermine American interests will be held accountable.”
“The FBI remains committed to protecting U.S. technology and ensuring it does not fall into the hands of anyone intending to use it for harm,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division. “For over 40 years, Iran has continuously attempted to obtain sanctioned items that could be used against Americans or our allies. This indictment of Fakih and his coconspirators sends a clear message: The FBI, along with its federal partners, will persist in thwarting these attempts and do its part to keep our democracy safe.”
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) remains committed to safeguarding sensitive U.S. technology and ensuring it does not fall into the hands of our adversaries,” said Special Agent in Charge James R. Mancuso of HSI’s Baltimore Field Office. “This investigation highlights HSI’s global investigative capabilities, and we will continue to work with our federal partners to protect the safety and security of the United States.”
In addition, a related indictment was unsealed in the District of Columbia charging Iranian national Jalal Rohollahnejad, 44, with smuggling, wire fraud and related offenses arising from the same scheme. Rohollahnejad was previously added to the Department of Commerce’s, Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List in March 2020, for acting contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests by procuring goods on behalf of a Specially Designated National (SDN).
According to the indictments, in 2017 and 2018, the co-conspirators attempted to export to Iran items that had potential civil and military uses. Potential military uses of the industrial microwave system (IMS) (with some modification) include high-power microwave based directed-energy weapon systems. The counter-drone system, which has both commercial and military uses, can be used to stop, identify, redirect, land or take total control of a target unmanned aerial vehicle.
The indictments allege that Rohollahnejad and Taghavi hold themselves out as representatives of Rayan Roshd Asfzar, which has been linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
According to court documents, Taghavi informed Fakih that he could not purchase the IMS because he is an Iranian national. Saber Fakih then arranged the purchase of the IMS on Taghavi’s and Rohollahnejad’s behalf, knowing it was ultimately destined for Iran.
Rohollahnejad caused the equivalent of $450,000 to be sent from Iran to the United Arab Emirates, where Altaf Faquih picked it up and converted it from Emirati currency to U.S. dollars. Faquih then transferred the money to Bader Fakih in Canada via three separate wire transfers. Bader Fakih then transferred the money to the U.S. company for the purchase of the IMS.
In addition to the IMS, Saber Fakih and Bader Fakih conspired to purchase two counter-drone systems worth nearly $1 million on behalf of Taghavi.
Saber Fakih faces up to 20 years of incarceration and/or a fine of $1 million for violating the IEEPA. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, HSI’s Baltimore Field Office, and the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterespionage and Export Control Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Highland Park Police Detective Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl-laced HeroinRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A Detective with the Highland Park Police Department and her co-conspirator pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl-laced heroin, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Josh P. Hauxhurst, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Tiffany Lipkovitch, 46, of Detroit, and Amber Bellamy, 38, of Detroit, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute controlled substances. Lipkovich is a detective with the Highland Park Police Department, where she has been a police officer since 2011. According to the complaint, federal agents recorded numerous calls and meetings between Lipkovitch and a confidential source about a drug transaction. Lipkovich gave the source “samples” or “pictures” of the drugs that were available from her associate, Bellamy, explaining that one was “$80 a gram” and the others were $100 per gram. When Lipkovitch asked what they were diluting or “cuttin” the drugs with, the confidential source responded that people used “fentanyl.” This did not surprise Lipkovitch, who explained that Bellamy was getting “a package of fentanyl . . . from overseas.” Lipkovitch eventually introduced the confidential source to Bellamy, who sold the source 45 grams of a fentanyl / heroin mixture. The confidential source later met with Lipkovitch, who was on duty and in her police uniform, about the transaction, and gave her $300 for facilitating the drug deal.
“Drug trafficking and drug addiction have created a crisis in our communities, something our law enforcement partners know all too well,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “It is an affront to the good men and women in law enforcement and to the communities that they serve for a sworn law enforcement officer to betray her oath in this manner. “
"Instead of upholding her oath to protect and serve, this police officer endangered the community by conspiring to distribute a dangerous and deadly drug," said Josh P. Hauxhurst, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Detroit Division. "The FBI will work with the local and federal partners to protect the community from those who seek to harm it. The FBI appreciates the Highland Park Police Department for their cooperation in this investigation."
Lipkovitch and Bellamy both face a maximum of forty years in prison for the charge to which they pled guilty.
The case was investigated by the FBI Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force, in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Cares.
Harvey Man Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Terrance Brown, 33, of Harvey, Illinois was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Phillip P. Simon after being found guilty at trial of Bank Robbery, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Brown was sentenced to 180 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $12,724.
According to documents in the case, on September 18, 2020, Brown entered and robbed a Bank in Griffith, Indiana of $12,724. Brown was convicted after a three-day trial in September 2021.
Due to his prior convictions for Vehicular Hijacking with a Weapon and Strangulation, Brown was classified as a career offender and received an increased sentence under the law.
This case is the result of the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indiana State Police and the Griffith Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Padula and former Hammond Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Mahoney.
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.
Former Orangeburg Public Schools Employee Pleads Guilty to Defrauding School District of over $550,000Read the Press Release
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — David Cortez Marshall, Jr., 30, of Orangeburg, South Carolina pleaded guilty today to defrauding the Orangeburg County School District of over $550,000.
“Any time an employee uses a position of trust to steal from their employer, it is inexcusable and wrong. Here, Marshall’s crime was particularly reprehensible because he stole money, provided by South Carolina taxpayers, from a school district during a pandemic that has already created unprecedent challenges in public education,” said United States Attorney Corey Ellis. “I appreciate the work of the FBI in bringing this defendant to justice. This office will continue to prosecute those who try to use the pandemic, or any other circumstance, to enrich themselves at the expense of hard-working taxpayers and critical institutions.”
“Throughout the pandemic, individuals like Marshall have created schemes and exploited programs designed to aid the public,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Columbia Special Agent in Charge Susan Ferensic. “Unfortunately, Marshall misused his position to commit fraud against a school district and line his own pockets. I’m thankful for the extensive work that was put into investigating this case. Let this serve as a reminder that we will not tolerate this criminal activity, and we will hold those involved accountable.”
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Marshall, a former media communications specialist employed by the Orangeburg County School District, created a scheme to defraud the district while purchasing remote learning cameras for school classrooms. Through the use of shell companies, fabricated documents, forged signatures, and a false identity, Marshall steered the district’s purchasing contracts to companies he created and controlled, purchased the cameras, then sold them to the school at a substantial markup. Marshall also received funds from the school district for the cameras that he never paid to the seller. Through his scheme to defraud, Marshall received more than $550,000 in illegal proceeds. His scheme was eventually discovered by other school district employees, who confronted Marshall and reported the matter to the FBI for further investigation.
Marshall faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in federal prison for wire fraud, in addition to restitution, a fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary G. Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Marshall after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brook Andrews.
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Former Navy commander headed to federal prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 58-year-old Portland man has been sentenced to 19 years in federal prison following his conviction of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute meth and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Lance Esswein previously served as the commanding officer of the U.S. Navy Minesweeper U.S.S. Ardent. He was also the risk assessment manager for Nueces County and worked as an adjunct professor at Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
He pleaded guilty Jan. 30, 2020.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack sentenced Esswein to serve 168 and 60 months for the drug and firearms convictions, respectively. The sentences will be served consecutively for a total 228-month-term of imprisonment. The prison term will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In determining the sentence, Judge Jack found Esswein responsible for distributing more than 4.5 kilograms of “ice.”
At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence detailing the reasons for his less than honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy and the termination of his employment with Nueces County. The court also heard Esswein had offered to arrange the murder of two local police officers to prevent their testimony in an unrelated drug case.
Esswein had sold more than 100 grams of meth, after which authorities executed a search warrant at his Portland residence. There, they discovered additional meth and numerous firearms staged around the residence. He also had loaded assault rifles positioned just inside the front door.
The investigation revealed significant additional quantities of meth, other narcotics and firearms at storage units and vehicles Esswein controlled. They found a total of 36 weapons, including stolen firearms and firearms with missing serial numbers.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert D. Thorpe Jr. prosecuted the case.
Former Go Cedar Rapids Executives Plead Guilty to Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Doug Hargrave, age 55, from Puyallup, Washington, pled guilty on January 26, 2022, in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Aaron McCreight, age 47, from Dothan, Alabama, pled guilty today. Each man was convicted of one count of bank fraud.
At the plea hearings, the two men admitted that they formerly held executive positions in Go Cedar Rapids (“GoCR”), an organization that planned and executed Newbo Evolve, a three-day music and cultural event in August 2018. McCreight was President and Chief Executive Officer, and, in the summer of 2018, Hargrave was GoCR’s Finance Director. As the Newbo Evolve event dates approached, GoCR did not have enough money to, among other things, pay Kelly Clarkson and buy the alcohol that was to be sold at the concert venue.
Hargrave and McCreight admitted, as alleged in the charging documents, that they defrauded the financial institution that had extended a loan to GoCR to finance Newbo Evolve by making misrepresentations about Newbo Evolve’s actual ticket sales, projected revenue, projected expenses, and the true amount of loss they were projecting and expecting Newbo Evolve to generate. They did this in order to fraudulently induce the bank to loan GoCR additional money to support Newbo Evolve. In July 2018, McCreight and Hargrave sent a false and fraudulent Newbo Evolve 2018 Budget to the bank in support of GoCR’s request for an increase in its loan. In a meeting with representatives of the bank, McCreight fraudulently misrepresented the number of tickets that had been sold for Maroon 5 and Kelly Clarkson’s performances. The bank subsequently increased the loan to GoCR from $1.5 million to $2.2 million.
Sentencing hearings before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after presentence reports have been prepared. Hargrave and McCreight were released on bond pending sentencing. Hargrave and McCreight each face a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a fine, and a period of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by United States Attorney Sean R. Berry and Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 22-CR-01 and 22-CR-02.
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Former Fairfield Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A former Fairfield man, Auston Jacobus Hummell, age 23, was sentenced on January 26, 2022, to 190 months in prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. Following his prison term, Hummell was ordered to serve ten years of supervised release as well as pay $3,000 to each of his eleven victims – for a total of $33,000. Hummell was also ordered to pay a $100 Special Assessment fee.
According to court documents, the investigation into Hummell began when the Mount Pleasant Police Department received a CyberTip from the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The CyberTip indicated files containing child pornography were uploaded from specific IP addresses and those IP addresses traced back to Hummell. After liaising with Kahoka Police Department in Kahoka, Missouri, a search warrant was issued for Hummell’s known residence and numerous electronic devices were seized. The devices contained over 120,000 images and videos containing child pornography. On June 21, 2021, Hummell pleaded guilty to the charge.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Kahoka Police Department, and the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nation-wide 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 Everett Man Indicted on Wire Fraud, Social Security Misuse and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Everett man was indicted today on identity theft and fraud charges in connection with schemes to fraudulently obtain an apartment and pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Tedje Menard, 27, was indicted on two counts of wire fraud, one count of false representation of a social security number and one count of aggravated identity theft. Menard was initially charged and arrested in November 2021.
According to the charging documents, in or around November 2020, Menard applied to rent an apartment in East Boston using the name and identity of another person. As part of the application and screening process, Menard falsely claimed to be the victim by providing the company overseeing the property with, among other things, the victim’s name, Social Security number, date of birth and a copy of a purported North Carolina driver’s license containing the victim’s information but depicting a photograph of Menard. Additionally, in June 2021, Menard allegedly submitted an EIDL application in the amount of $40,000 using the victim’s name and personal identifiable information.
It is also alleged that in April 2021, Menard used his own name to apply for a PPP loan in the amount of approximately $20,833. In the loan application, it is alleged that Menard falsely represented his business’ total gross income in 2019 and his criminal history.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of false representation of a social security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Labor and the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Jose Armando Delgado Martinez (35, Orlando) to 14 years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute over a kilogram of fentanyl and fentanyl-laced heroin. Delgado-Martinez had pleaded guilty on November 9, 2021. Two of Delgado-Martinez’s codefendants were sentenced earlier this month for their roles in this case: Bolivar Anibal Cordova Jr. (42, Windermere) was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison, and Luis Manuel Cordero (40, Orlando) was sentenced to 8 years and 6 months in federal prison.
According to court documents, between August 2019 and April 2021, Delgado-Martinez, Cordova, and Cordero worked together to distribute fentanyl-laced heroin to a DEA cooperating source and undercover officers on 15 occasions. In addition to distributing approximately 680 grams of fentanyl-laced heroin to the DEA for around $35,000, the conspirators also maintained a storage locker that contained more than 611 grams of pure fentanyl. All of the drugs were seized by federal agents.
The conspirators also produced rap videos depicting drug dealing and guns along with the torture, mutilation, and murder of government informants. Delgado-Martinez’s sentence was enhanced as a result of his effort to bribe Cordova into falsely testifying in the case.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Florida Highway Patrol and the Winter Park Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.